He truly hadn't expected it to go quite so quickly, but then, he supposed Arthur knew what he was doing.

When waved over, he approached slowly, offering the mare a consolation of treats while letting her get his scent.

"You truly do have a knack for earning the affection of wild things," he remarked, stroking the horse's muzzle. She snuffled irritably, trying to get at the butterbur shoots he'd tucked away in his sleeves.