nunen

Khaki was the colour of Bree-land. Green, the colour for sleep or delusion, and beige yellows, dulled, sedately corrupted passions.

It was the type of place to lull those who stayed too long into a sense of trouble despite their luxury and wellbeing. People invented trouble here, and sometimes willed it into harmful reality. A side-effect of so much peace and, Ryheric figured, boredom.

Ceilawynn's mare, Mouse, had fallen during a desperate pursuit. The mare had been shot. Stumbled, but still managed to carry her mistress at break-neck pace, forward, until Tarsorel could grab the girl and pull her onto his horse before Mouse buckled and fell  behind.

The chase was too sensational for the small deed of the mare to be noticed, but Ryheric knew horses. When the story was told to him by the girl in tears, Ryheric knew Mouse had been a hero.