Robin moved deftly past the stalls, giving the horses within cursory glances for the most part. Now and then, he stopped to look more closely at a particular animal, but none had yet to truly catch his eye. All were fine examples of horseflesh, which was what he’d come to expect of this particular vendor. The man only found the finest to offer at his auctions.
His difficulty in finding any particular animal to hold his interest might be due to the fact that he really didn’t need a new horse. He had a perfectly good mount that served him well, and he was fond of the horse. Not enough that he’d given him a name, but he was a quality animal, from fine bloodstock. Robin wasn’t here so much to find new horses for his stable as he was to stave off boredom.
He was vastly looking forward to Mr. Wolfe’s arrival at the castle. It had been a few days since he’d seen the philosopher that he’d met in the woods, and with each passing day, Robin grew more and more anxious for his appearance. It was getting close to the new moon, and he’d really wanted to have more than a few days time to get the man settled and get acquainted before he had to seclude himself. There was no point in scaring the man off with his shameful secret. Robin doubted, as forward thinking as Mr. Wolfe seemed to be, that he’d be willing to discuss the meaning of life with a frog.
Robin heaved a deep sigh, disappointed that he’d let himself get dragged down by such unpleasant thoughts when he was trying to keep himself from dwelling upon them. Distractedly, he moved to the next stall and stopped dead, looking at the most incredible equine he’d ever seen. Now that was what he’d been hoping to find. Almost reverently, he moved forward, breathing softly, “Oh you are a beauty, aren’t you?”
The only question now was whether or not he could manage to purchase him in the auction. It was not much of a question, though, as Robin was willing to pay whatever it took to win. He was a prince after all.