Alicia's face changed as he spoke, and she felt a sudden tightness in her stomach. There was something sad in his voice, and she suddenly felt dreadful about having doubted him.
"I'm sorry," she said simply, her fingers squeezing around his reflexively. There wasn't much one could say to that, really, but she was glad he had told her.
And then there were the horses. Alicia's breath caught in her throat as she saw the one before them, powerful, massive muscles but graceful and beautiful all the same, her wings folding and unfolding once or twice as she walked towards them.
"Oh, she's beautiful." Alicia instinctively took a step closer to him and fought the urge to reach out and touch her. She had no idea what it was about horses that turned most women into little girls, but there was something about them.
"So noble." The horse lifted its head to regard her with intelligent brown eyes.