Deep breaths. In. Out.

You feel her exhale on your skin, and the warmth sends chills up your spine.
Her smooth, shiny coat is silk under your fingertips.
She stands completely still as her eyes start to close in sleepy contentment, your touch builds a trust so strong that she leaves herself vulnerable to you.
Her velvet nose dips and tickles your free hand in a gesture of appreciation.
As you share this moment, you are more than girl and beast. You are one.

Deep breaths. In. Out.
You feel her quiet power as you soar across the earth, and you feel invincible.
Her strong legs are underneath you, her ears in front of you, one swiveled back to see you and the other pointing in the direction of the next adventure.
She pounds the ground in a hypnotizing rhythm as her hooves dig a new path.
Wherever you look she looks, wherever you guide her she goes.
As you share this moment, you are one.

Shallow breaths. inout inout inout...
You feel her tense; you sense her unease.
Her head is thrown up high, ears back in fear, eyes wild with panic.
She coils like a spring, and you tighten your grip.
She saw the animal before you did, and now you can only see her terror everywhere as you desperately try to return her instinct to thought.
At this moment, fear has shattered your link.

Exasperated breaths. In... Out.
You breath a sigh of frustration as you turn her around, again, after another refusal.
Her ears are pinned back, she’s as irked with the training as you and even more stubborn.
Every time she balks at your request, tensions rise, but you have to keep working; it must be  perfect.
Please, you think, just once.
And when she finally does it, you start to restore the connection.

Nervous breaths. In. Out.
You watch as she dips her head down to the child and sniffs their hand, curious.
Her eyes are intent, ears pointed inquisitively at the small creature ogling her.
She blows a gentle breath on their face and seems pleased when they giggle.
You let out the nerves you were holding in, the child couldn’t be more safe with her, and you hope that the little one won’t forget it.
You realize you aren’t that different from the gentle beast, and the connection grows still.

Deep breaths. In. Out.
You look up from the small mirror in your room as you brush your silvering hair.
You see the photograph pinned to the wall, the frayed edges still holding the memories of a life that brought such color to yours.
The large brown eyes look intently back at you from the glossy paper, and you miss the way they sparkled in the light with all the mischief of a child.
You close your eyes and are taken back to a world where life was perfect. The sun warms your face, the sweet smell of straw and leather fills your nose.
You feel her nose tickle you once more and you smile as you return to the present.
You will never lose the connection.