Word Count → 479
Sorry for the wait, derp!
The boy seemed tense, most likely intimidated by the large horse she'd ridden in on. Sage knew that she herself did not project such a strong force, but Lennon was a muscular beast. The dark stranger's next question wasn't about that, though, but the smoke.
"I'm guessing this is green smoke, not brown smoke." he questioned with a grin.
Sage's own smile reflected his, and she nodded. "Of course. Green is a better color, after all," she said wistfully, sun-colored eyes watching, bemused, as he took the hit. The boy didn't cough, and she was impressed, gently accepting the joint back from him and taking another happy puff from it.
"That's a fast looking horse you're riding. He doesn't bite or nothing, does he? he asked, finally mentioned the beast she knew he was so concerned with.
Sage couldn't help but laugh; it was mirthful and light, though, and not made to make fun of the boy. "No, no... Even if encouraged, I doubt Lennon would bite someone. He's not one for liking meat, much. Even attached to a handsome body," she said with a vague wink and a grin.
"Beautiful animals, horses, but you won't catch me riding one any time soon... Something about riding on the back of another beast is unsettling." he added, bravely allowing his fingers to run so gently across Lennon's back.
The horse leaned into his hand, accustomed to touch; he enjoyed the attention, and always welcomed more. Large head turned 'round to look at the boy, and he leaned harder, head bobbing towards him.
"Lennon!" she exclaimed jovially in Low Speech, "You're quite the little attention hog, hmm?!" Quietly, the horse whinnied a low, gentle reply: Would you not do the same, given the chance? Sage laughed, replying with a firmly decided, "Of course, you're right, I would."
"He likes you," she said with a grin. Sage knew that this boy was a stranger, but she also knew that her own ability to judge character was perhaps surpassed by Lennon's, and if he liked the boy than no further judgment was needed. Not yet, at least. "Riding them is not so hard, really," she started, letting her own small hand roam the horse's soft pelt as she meandered around him, and the boy named Phoenix. "If you can come to friendly terms with the creature, it's really no more than a relationship. We are each other's company; Lennon is strong enough to carry me easily, and for that, I feed him, provide him friendship." Sage's voice trailed off as she mused to herself; she was really so thankful to have the horse with her on her journeys. They'd been getting quite lonely, after all.
"So," she asked, turning to Phoenix. "What brings you out here? You don't seem any part coyote," she said, smiling. After a pause, she added: "I won't hurt you, you know, though you're lucky it was me greeting you, and not someone else." Sage inhaled another cloud of smoke from the joint, eyebrows raised but lids half-closed, dreamily watching as Lennon continued to try to extract more attention from dark, blue-eyed boy.
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