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(300) Sorry for wait!
The soft thumpedy-thump of hooves in the grass set Skoll's heart hammering at a tempo double that. He tried his best to stand still and not whirl around and bark like an excited puppy, but his wagging yellow tail betrayed his excitement as he looked back toward the girl. Rather than the old communal horse she'd ridden last time, Adelle was mounted on a great, sleek black beast; that and other little details made her look like a warrior queen, thundering majestically onto the battlefield, wind tousling her cropped dark hair and sunlight gleaming off her golden coat.
Hwin nickered back at the stallion, stepping over to him for a friendly sniff, and the boy looked back at his friend as she approached with strange shyness. Hi, he replied, not sure where the teasing lilt to his voice had come from. Even though he felt just as shy as the girl looked, he fought against it by adopting a more cocky and confident air; only his still-thrashing plume of a tail showed he was more jittery than he looked.
Um, I got you these, Skoll said suddenly, and pulled the flowers out from behind his back. They were kind of blue like her eyes, he saw now. Still offering the bouquet, his tail drooped slightly, and he brushed his hair out of his face with his free hand. Well, I mean, I don't know what you'd want to do with them, he stammered onward, wondering if Adelle would care for pretty girl things. She was different than his princess sister, and he liked that she was a warrior like he was, even better than he was in some regards. He cleared his throat and tried to adopt his self-assured smile again, failing miserably. It's the thought that counts, though, right?
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