Touch of Gold

“Hannah!” The bespectacled woman looked up, jumping slightly in her plush armchair seat as her wife slapped a piece of paper down onto the table before her.

“Josey, I was doing the books,” said Hannah, pushing her glasses up her nose, hazel eyes peering into the vibrant blue eyes of her wife.

“I know,” said Josephine, a radiant smile on her face. “But this is more important!”

“More important than our finances?” Hannah asked. Josephine nodded, her black hair falling into her face. She brushed it back behind her ear.

“Yes,” said Josephine. “Just look at him!” She tapped the piece of paper, Hannah finally drawing her gaze towards it.

“Oh wow,” said Hannah, taking in the picture on the page. Depicted was a horse that looked golden, a Desert Ballator, she thought, or a cross with the new Steppe. Gold seemed to splash up his legs, poecilia markings seeming to make his coat glitter as if spun from gold. His manes were the same. But, within the sea of gold lay two gems- one blue eye, one golden orange eye. Twin horns curled back from the top of his head, almost resembling Regale’s, from what Hannah remembered of her few glimpses of him.

“Isn’t he just gorgeous?” Josephine gushed. “I need to have him, Hannah, you don’t understand.”

“Hon, you’ve needed to have a lot of Ballators, that’s why we have so many of them with the poecilia gene,” said Hannah with a laugh. Josephine only smiled at her.

“I know,” said Josephine. “But that’s why I need him.”

“You realise that Desert and Steppe crosses are sterile, right?” Hannah asked.

“Yes,” said Josephine with a nod. “I wasn’t saying I wanted him to breed with our Desert mare, I just want him because he’s pretty.”

“The things I do for you, my love,” said Hannah with a loving sigh as she leaned in to peck her wife’s cheek. She stood from the table as Josephine gave a squeal of delight, bouncing on her toes in excitement, her hands drawn close to her chest.

“Thank you, Hannah, you’re the best!” Josephine squealed, grabbing her wife about the middle and pulling her close in a tight hug.

“I know,” said Hannah, giving a wheezy laugh from being hugged so tightly by her wife. “Let me go now so I can go find a volunteer to carry me to Regale’s Glade, since that was where he was last spotted.”

“Oh, I know exactly who would want to go and help you find your shiny boy,” said Josephine with a laugh as she let go of her wife, stepping back to give Hannah breathing room.

“Oh, definitely,” said Hannah, nodding. “But Tatiana has been to Regale’s Glade before, hasn’t she? She’ll know where it is.”

“Doesn’t Regale’s Glade move or something, though?” Josephine asked. “I’ve heard that there’s something strange about it, anyway.”

“It has some kind of enchantment on it that keeps it hidden, yes,” said Hannah. “But according to this wild sighting report, this guy wants to be found. He at least wants people to look at him.”

“Sound like anyone we know?” Josephine asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

“Gods, just what we need, more egotistical Ballators,” said Hannah with a roll of her eyes. “But I do agree with you that he’s pretty, and I do love to see you smile.”

“And you know I’ll make it well worth your while,” said Josephine, giving a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows. Hannah laughed, shaking her head.

“Only for you, Josey,” said Hannah. The smile lingered on her lips as she made her way out of the house and into the yard where the Ballators were kept. With the weather cooler now, the Asiatics didn’t spend half so much time in the pool, and Hannah wasn’t surprised in the slightest to find Hyacinth standing in the middle of her pasture, her opalescent horn décor glinting in the weak sunlight that managed to break through the clouds. “Hyacinth!” The mare looked up at the sound of Hannah’s voice, swivelling her ears around before trotting across the pasture to the human.

“Yes, Hannah, what is it?” Hyacinth asked, sounding genuinely curious as she blinked at her.

“We’re going out hunting for another Wild Ballator,” said Hannah.

“Another one?” Hyacinth asked, tilting her head, the loose stones of her horn décor clinking together and against her pink and blue horns. “Wasn’t there one already? Hasn’t he been captured?”

“The fish guy Jaik found, yeah,” said Hannah, nodding. “But now there’s another one.”

“Already?” Hyacinth asked, following Hannah along the fence as the human walked over to the stable to obtain the tack that she used for riding Hyacinth. Despite how ‘uppity’ she seemed, Hyacinth did not mind being ridden.

“According to local legends, he sprang up from Aether’s hoofsteps,” said Hannah as she disappeared into the stable. Hyacinth hung her neck over the fence, watching the human, the chains of her horn décor clinking together.

“I’d believe it, knowing what I do of that particular highlord,” said Hyacinth. “But why did you choose me, out of curiosity? Not that I mind, of course.”

“Well, for one, he’s ridiculously pretty,” said Hannah. “Like, gold. And apparently, he’s extremely vain.”

“You don’t think that we’re alike, do you?” Hyacinth asked, her head recoiling, ears folding back against her black curly mane.

“No, no,” said Hannah, shaking her head. “Not that alike, at least. I just know that you’re very good at dishing out the compliments and fawning over pretty Ballators.”

“But I have a mate now,” said Hyacinth. “I don’t want, nor need, another.”

“Oh, he couldn’t be your mate anyway, don’t worry, he’s a Steppe-Desert cross so he’s sterile,” said Hannah. “You’re just coming along because you’re good at dishing out the compliments.”

“Shall I take that as a compliment?” Hyacinth asked, standing still while Hannah placed a saddlepad on her back.

“Yes,” said Hannah. “Did it come off as one? I hope it did.”

“It did,” said Hyacinth. “Since I know that you didn’t mean it maliciously, you couldn’t have. It’s simply not in your nature.”

“Unlike certain others here,” Hannah muttered under her breath, Hyacinth blowing air from her nose in amusement.

“Are we finding this Ballator for Josephine, by any chance?” Hyacinth asked, turning her head to look at Hannah as the human carefully placed a saddle over the pad and set about tightening the girth.

“Very good guess,” said Hannah with a laugh. “She basically demanded it of me.”

“I just know her very well,” said Hyacinth, giving a nicker of amusement. “That wife of yours loves pretty things.”

“She’s going to send us broke if she wants to sculpt a golden statue of him,” said Hannah. “Actually, I wonder if that will convince him to come home with us…”

“You should suggest it, or I will,” said Hyacinth. “Did the notice say what he’s like with humans?”

“Not that I can remember,” said Hannah. “Not that I had much time, what with Josephine just about pushing me out the door.”

“I’m sure at least half of that was you rushing out the door to please your wife,” said Hyacinth. Hannah snorted a laugh, shaking her head.

“Okay, maybe,” said Hannah. She carefully placed the reins made specifically for Ballators over Hyacinth’s muzzle and horns, being careful not to damage or dislodge the horn décor.

“Careful with my horn décor,” Hyacinth said right on cue. Hannah laughed.

“Are you sure you don’t have anything in common with that wild?” Hannah asked.

“Well, excuse me for wanting to take care of something that was given to me by Regale himself,” said Hyacinth with a sniff.

“Only joking,” said Hannah, stroking Hyacinth’s neck. Hyacinth blew air out of her nostrils but settled, placidly walking over to the pasture gate so that Hannah could open it. She was the only one in the pasture today, so Hannah needed only climb up onto the fence to slide easily into Hyacinth’s saddle after strapping a helmet to her head. “Alright, let’s go catch us a wild.”

“Did the notice say if any sort of bait would work on him?” Hyacinth asked as they walked out of the yard. “Jaik said that Owl helped him catch a fish for the last wild, and I remember we brought Rose the most delicious mandarins.”

“Didn’t we spill those everywhere?” Hannah asked. Hyacinth shook her head, opalescent stones clinking against her horns.

“I try not to remember that part,” said Hyacinth. “For if we focus on the times when we were less lovely, we are at risk of falling into a spiral of self-loathing.”

“Those are some wise words of wisdom,” said Hannah. “Didn’t expect you to be so sage, Hyacinth.”

“I’m more than just a pretty face,” said Hyacinth, and would have tossed her head were Hannah not on her back. “Regardless, is there any particular type of bait that will lure this wild stallion out?”

“The notice didn’t say anything,” said Hannah. “Do you want me to go back and get some fruit?”

“He’s in Regale’s Glade, isn’t he?” Hyacinth asked. Hannah nodded. “I’ve heard that there’s plenty of food in there, we could try offering some to him. It still counts as bait if you’re trying to hand feed him, right?”

“Probably?” said Hannah. “It’s worth a shot, at least. Let’s go.” And, gently nudging Hyacinth into a trot, the two set off, disappearing swiftly into the enchanted forest that most of the Ballators called home.

“Do you go into the forest much, Hannah?” Hyacinth asked.

“Not as much as I’d like to,” said Hannah, shaking her head. She breathed in deeply of the fresh forest air. “It’s nice, though.”

“Not that I come here very often, but it is nice,” said Hyacinth. “So long as my horns don’t get caught on any vines, at least.”

“I designed the forest to be Ballator-friendly, so you should be fine,” said Hannah. “Just think about no vines and there will be no vines. Will thinking about the glade lead you there?”

“Tatiana said no,” said Hyacinth. “She also said that she only found the glade after endless walking, when she was upon the point of collapse. Maybe it appears when a Ballator is in great need.”

“Unless Regale has some kind of list of Ballators that he lets into his glade,” said Hannah, her lips quirking up into a smile at the thought. “An exclusive list of VIP Ballators. Or would that be VIBs?”

“Very Important Ballators? Are you talking about me?” a clear voice rang out from the trees, and Hannah brought Hyacinth to a halt, though she barely needed to touch the reins as the mare froze at the sight of the golden Ballator who stepped out in front of them.

It was almost as if the sun knew to shine down directly upon this Ballator, his manes and tail both sparkling in the sun that beamed down on him, twinkling between his eyes.

“Yep, he’s exactly as sparkly as he looked in the photo,” said Hannah. “I was actually wondering if that was photoshopped or something.”

“Hannah told me that you were gold but I honestly didn’t really believe her,” said Hyacinth, stepping towards the mystery stallion. “You’re absolutely breathtaking!”

“Why, thank you,” said the wild Ballator, giving his manes a rattle as he grinned. His gums, the two swiftly discovered, were black. “I do so enjoy hearing praise, especially in regards to my beauty.”

“And it is entirely well-earned,” said Hyacinth, bowing her head. “Why, one would be excused for thinking you to be a statue brought to life, such is your beauty.”

“Do go on,” said the wild, prancing in place. Hannah slid from Josephine’s back, spying some delicious-looking orange flowers in the glade that they’d stopped by. Or, well, she supposed that they were delicious to Ballators. Even to her, though, they looked like candy.

“Not to sound like a little kid or anything, but I just want to take you home and feed you sugar cubes,” said Hannah, returning with a bunch of the sweet-smelling flowers clutched in her hand. She held her hand out flat now, moving it closer to the Ballator’s mouth.

“A gift? For me?” the Ballator asked, extending his neck to snack on the flowers. “Don’t mind if I do.”

“There’ll be plenty more like that at home,” said Hannah. “Maybe not exactly the same but I’m sure we can find something just as delicious.”

“You’ll be well looked after on Hannah’s estate, that I can promise you,” said Hyacinth. “Or, if you want, you can even just use it as a home base while you wander. It’s completely up to you.”

“Please?” Hannah asked. “My wife would love to meet you.”

“Bringing home a shiny new horse for your wife?” the wild asked, flicking an ear. “That sounds very sweet. I’ll think about it.”

And, as quickly as he’d appeared, the golden stallion vanished again, a glimmer of gold on the tip of his tail the last sight of him.