The lady ruler was leading me (as well as the whole village) out to the stables. She said she felt responsible for Jedni's death because it was her mushrooms that had killed her, and also consequently felt obligated to equip me with another. I gladly agreed. A horse was a necessary item on my list.
In the stables, there were seven different horses, all with masks on. All of them were black, save the one on the end. He was blonde. And, something drew me to him. There was something about the way he tossed his head at me.
"What is his name?" I asked Sweenlah, as I stroked his head gently.
"Clupintisaur."
"What?" I giggled in astonishment.
"Clupint for short," she explained.
"Clupint," I whispered to him as I ran my fingers through his mane. I stared at his color; an almost sun-bleached white-blonde. A stunning color.
"Try him?" The lady ruler asked me. I nodded my head eagerly.
He was led out of the stall and saddled for me. I hopped on his back and sped around the ring, amazed at his smoothness.
"You're a wonder," I told him.
After that, the lady ruler had him groomed, saddled and stocked for our trip the next morning. They insisted I stay overnight. When Sweenlah gave me the invitation, she kept on calling me 'milady.' Irritated, I bade her call me just Layla. For a few seconds she gawked at me.
"Yes, mil- Layla." She smiled shyly at her mistake.
I laughed at the way she ran them together. "Milayla!" I giggled helplessly, and after a while she joined in too. Her laughter was soft and sweet. Everything about her was sweet. One could easily call her gentle, kind or friendly. But the best and most accurate description of her was 'sweet.'