Where Have All The Horses Gone?!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was furious! His incompetent servant couldn't do anything! This time, he had really crossed the line though. Falling asleep, letting his horses escape, and they weren't just any horses . . . they were all of Arthur's horses! Three of them to be exact; the three that just happened to be his favorite ones! Arthur was going to make Merlin suffer for this indeed, but right now, he had to focus on finding his missing stallions. He didn't even know where to look. They were horses! They would just run amok when freedom was dangling in front of them. Arthur hoped they had not gotten too far. They were magnificent creatures, and he was used to each of them, and they were used to him. He did not want to go through all that horse training over again.

While he could send a few men to go search for the missing animals -- which he did -- Arthur wanted to take part in the search as well. He had been told of someone who could help, and Arthur fully intended on finding this person. He had never met him before, but had seen him, wandering around the stables . . . he was after all, a stable boy so it was to be expected. Arthur was desperate, and he was not in the best of moods, so when he couldn't find him immediately, he was a little annoyed.

Luckily, one of the guards pointed him in the general direction and after checking a couple locations, he came across the . . . . child. He was but a child. Was this truly the gifted boy who had a strong understanding for horses? That was what his reputation had been built up to be. He had better not fail in this case, not that Arthur would punish him, but the Prince would be massively disappointed if his horses were never to be found. He would blame one person, and one person only . . . Merlin. "You there. Are you Neav?" He at least knew the child's name, but just wanted to make sure the boy was exactly who he was looking for.


_{Setting: Forests, moves around a lot
Time of Day: Afternoon
Timeline: During The Curse of Cornelius Sigan, shortly after the horses escaped from the stables
Tag: Neav}

[neav]

Neav had been checking the feet of a young mare when he heard the three horses dash from the stables. He gently set down the hoof and with a soft, hurried apology to the mare, he scrambled over the door of her stall and dashed outside, to late to see where the runaways had gone or which horses they had been.
A sense of joy and unexpected freedom swirled through the air and Neav could not help smiling. They would lead the chasers some dance! He turned to go back inside. If his help was wanted, someone would ask for it. Neav could not have said why he was not worried. Could not have said how he knew that the horses wore no tack and so were not in danger of hurting themselves, could not have said why he felt so happy at their escape.

"Nobel, Comet and Rising Sun..." Neav whispered the three names fondly. He froze. The Prince's three stallions! Not thinking how he had known which three had run, the boy raced inside to check. Sure enough, that stable was empty save for the Prince's manservant - Neav forgot his name - who appeared to be asleep in the hay. Sparing no more than half a thought on the sleeping manservant, Neav raced back to the stable's entrance, unsure what to do. There would be trouble, he knew.
"But nothing to do with me, really," he reminded himself. The horses were in no danger. He would not get himself mixed up with trouble if he could help it. And Royal people were always trouble.
And so he went back to the mare he had abandoned - a pretty grey they called Sheer Folly - and checked again the hoof it had left.

Neav had finished and was fondly playing with the horse's mane when a voice spoke behind him.
"You there. Are you Neav?"

Neav jumped violently and Sheer Folly skittered a half-second after, almost as if she had caught his fright. The two horses in the stalls either side did the same as Neav spun to find who had spoken. To his utter dismay, the man was no less than Prince Arthur. Neav stared, wide-eyed, placing a hand absently on Folly's neck to calm her. He had guessed that there would be trouble for the escape of the stallions, but it was not his fault! Neav was not even aware that the Prince knew of his existence. Eventually, he collected himself enough to answer,
"Yes, sir," forgetting in the worry of the moment what a boy was supposed to call a prince.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur eyed the boy carefully. He was still unsure about this, as the boy did not look as . . . experienced as others said he was. Still, people would have not talked unless there was a reason to. "I hear you have a strange knack for understanding horses." It wasn't really a question . . . well, his tone did not phrase it as one. It was more of a statement that the Prince expected Neav to either agree or disagree with. And perhaps give some extra information to assure the prince that his was not a wasted effort. That this child displayed some rather unique skills that would get his three horses back safely.

No one suspected sorcery really. Some people were just great when it came to relating to animals. Arthur's skills in doing this did not exceed the ordinary. When you were familiar enough with an animal, you understood them and they understood you. But from what he heard, this boy was on a whole new level with that. He hoped it worked. Arthur was already planning his revenge on Merlin for making him do this. Perhaps he should have sent his idiotic servant to search for the horses, on foot! Then again, Arthur actually wanted to find them and not rely on his sleep-deprived man servant.

[neav]

Neav swallowed and gave a slow nod. It was true, and he knew it. He could quiet and bolting horse when none of the stable-men dared to go near; they had all seen him do it more than once. Neav supposed now that someone had told Prince Arthur of it. But the boy was not about to boast. He did not like people, and the Prince was even more of a person than anyone else. Neav was nervous, and it was obvious. He dropped his eyes and ran his hand down Folly's neck, more to calm himself than anything else.

Neav did understand people, but he was not entirely stupid. The only reason a Prince would come looking for him was because he wanted something. And the thing that was most likely to be on his mind was his three precious stallions, all running loose somewhere. Neav felt like the Prince might take a while to ask the question, and the boy would much rather be chasing the running ones than standing here waiting to be asked. He did not for a minute suspect that the Prince might just want help in finding them - he supposed that he would be sent off to do it alone. And so he lifted his ice-blue eyes to meet the Prince's and said,
"Comet, Nobel and Rising Sun... do you want me to find them? It would not be hard." Neav gave a sudden grin. It was a sweet smile, but had the down-side of showing a missing tooth and making the boy look hardly more than eight. "If I took a mare, they would come easy," his mind had already gone to the runway horses and so Neav forgot to be nervous, for a moment. "Folly is ready to be taken, and also Gillyflower..." Then he remembered and his cheeks grew hot. "Sire." Neav finished and hoped he had not offended the man. It was sometimes very hard to know what would offend people.

[Arthur Pendragon]

This boy was just . . . a boy! Arthur wondered why he was putting his trust in such a young child. Desperation. Thats what it was. Pure desperation. He seemed to know what he was talking about. Then again, 3 horses running through the city had probably caused quite a stir. Neav seemed efficient, a trait that Arthur liked in a servant, or in this particular case, a stable boy. "I'm not even sure what direction they went," he admitted, looking at the boy curiously when he said that it would not be difficult. Exactly just how good was he?

"Lets not waste any more time then." He motioned for the other guards to get out the two horses, and Arthur proceeded to get up on one of them, waiting for the boy to ready himself. If this was as easy as he said it was, then they would not be gone for long . . . or so Arthur hoped. He did not want to spend the entire day looking for horses. He had better things to do with his time. Stupid Merlin. "They went outside the city, that must is for certain, so it is a starting point at least," he informed, wondering if the boy already knew that.

[neav]

Neav had been right. Prince Arthur wanted him to find his three runaways. Well, that was fine with him! Neav was not worried about the safety of the stallions. They had only been wearing halters when they ran, and so there was no worry of them putting a leg through trailing reins. He would not mind spending the day riding in search of the three, even if he believed it would take that long.

Only when Prince Arthur motioned for both Gillyflower and Sheer Folly to be saddled, did he realize that the Prince meant for them to ride together. The blood ran from Neav's face and he left Sheer Folly to be saddled by the guards for the Prince to ride, and ran to see to Gilly himself. Neav knew, of course, that the Prince was a great horseman, but Gillyflower was young and nervy and easily spooked and he would rather ride that mare himself. In a moment both horses were ready, and the Prince swung himself into Folly's saddle. Neav thought he looked good on the white, leggy mare and was suddenly very interested to see just how well the Prince did deal with a horse. Then he mounted Gillyflower (a light bay with white socks and blaze) and nodded in reply to Prince Arthur's last remark. He nudged Gilly with his heels and his mind, leading at a steady trot through the city.

The joy of freedom still lingered on the air. Neav had found long ago that horses left feelings behind them, much as a person wearing heavy perfume would leave the scent behind them after they had left a room. This particular one was even stronger because there had been three, and they had stayed together, at least through the city.

Soon they were out the city gates and Neav brought Gilly to a halt, feeling her skittish, restless excitement. She could be as silly over a stallion as they could be over a mare, and she sensed that they were following the them. Neav turned his head as though testing the breeze on his ears. They had run into the forest.
He looked at the Prince.
"They went in the forest, Sire," he said. "It is lucky for us that they stayed together. And as soon as we are close enough for them to smell the mares, they will come easily enough. They are not spooked, you know. Just running for the freedom." And so Neav ended what was possibly the longest speech he had said to anyone in a very long time.

[Arthur Pendragon]

The ride past the city gates did not take long at all. It was mostly done in silence too. Arthur did not want to question the boy unless he had a reason to. That reason came soon enough. He stopped his horse when Neav did, about to ask him what he was doing. Shouldn't they be moving forward? Perhaps that was just the Prince's impatience coming through. But he said nothing. He stayed quiet -- as he had thus far -- and watched the boy. He appeared to be concentrating a great deal . . . what on earth was he doing.

Arthur's silent question was answered. When Neav told him that the horses were in the forest, that they were together, and that they weren't frightened . . . Arthur looked at him. He slightly raised an eyebrow curiously, and his expression held a hint of suspicion. "How do you know all that? We can't even see or hear them from here." Neav had not tracked them from their hoof prints,so the Prince could not understand how he knew so much detail . . . how did he know the horses weren't afraid? How did he know for certain they were still together? And how did he know they would come to them once they found them?

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're talking to them right now." Arthur would never understand the irony of that statement, for he had been completely joking when saying it. The thought that Neav may have magic abilities did not even cross his mind. To Arthur, Neav was a young stable boy . . . who had a bizarre talent which made him know things, that Arthur was still waiting to hear more detail about.

[neav]

Neav felt his cheeks grow hot. He was not used to having his knowledge questioned, and it made him anxious. How could he possibly explain without sounding mad? The people of the stables seemed to now just take it for granted that Neav knew about horses, and that asking him questions would just confuse him, make him do the job slower.
Though saying that, none of them had actually seen Neav find a missing horse. They normally just sent him to find the runaway on his own, knowing that he would come back with it sooner or later, and found no need to ask questions.

Now Neav glanced at the Prince, caught the suspicion in his eye and was not comforted. Something told Neav that if he tried to explain how he 'sensed' the feelings left behind by the horses, he would do it very badly. Maybe he would even be accused of trying to fool the Prince. He shuddered. He would not take that risk.
Thinking all this in an instant, Neav cast out his mind for a way he would know such information if he couldn't sense the trail. Gillyflower skittered under him, tossing her head, wanting to make for the forest. She knew where those stallions were, well enough!
Of course! Neav almost grinned at his idea. Of course the clues were all there, really, in the behaviour of Gillyflower and Sheer Folly. And so this is what he explained.

"Horses can smell things that we never could, Sire. See how my Gillyflower dances, tossing her head? I don't try to stop her; I feel where she wants to go. Gilly smells the stallions have been this way and because she's young and silly she wants to go after them. Towards the forest.
Now look to Sheer Folly," Neav continued, nodding to the quiet white mare. "She is older, wiser. Stallions don't excite her, but she would know if they had run in fear. Fear stinks on a horse, and the other horses catch it quicker than blinking."
Neav finished, looked to the Prince again, almost anxious. Would he see that it was true? Would he take this truth to be the whole truth, or would he guess that there was something Neav was not telling him? The boy longed to let Gillyflower race for the trees, continue the hunt for the stallions at once, but he knew he would never dare. He waited for the word of Prince Arthur that they may continue.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had never analyzed horses in quite so much detail. In order to be a skilled, or at least decent, horse back rider, one had to have a general understanding of horses . . . but Arthur had never heard someone go in quite as much detail. It was intriguing. The Prince would take a moment to appreciate it once his horses were safely found, but if what the boy was saying was true, then it would only be a short matter of time. "So exactly what direction is she telling you to go in?" Arthur was not going to argue that horses were intelligent animals; he did however think it was an interesting concept that Neav presented: let the horse lead. Usually, it was the other way around.

He wanted for Neav to go first. A Prince seldom followed a servant but he was an exception for it was mostly his horse that they were following . . . not that a Prince following a horse sounded much better. But oh well. Arthur was not one to discourage another's weakness. If this boy was going to find his horses for him, then he would not try to lead them in the opposite direction. "How is it exactly that you've acquired this much knowledge, especially you being of such a young age." That was of course an assumption, since Arthur did not actually know how old Neav was. He surely could not be over 15 years of age though.

[neav]

"So exactly what direction is she telling you to go in?"

That was command enough for Neav. He let out the breath he did not know he had been holding, relieved. The Prince had believed him, and now they could continue! Neav gave his happiest smile and nudged Gillyflower into a canter. The young mare responded gladly. Both she and the boy wanted to go in the same direction, and so she was happy.
Neav felt the joy rush through him. Gilly's canter was smooth and quick and Neav rode as though he was part of the horse himself. He had almost forgotten their mission, and that he was riding with a Prince when another question was asked. They were close to the trees now, and Neav slowed the canter to a lope as he replied.

"Because I have been all my life with horses," he said. At least this one was an easy question to answer. "They found me when I was maybe four years old and they say I could ride already. Then I have been stable boy since I was six." Neav did a swift calculation. "That gives me nine years learning of nothing but horses. If you had nine years of that you would know them, too. Anyone would."
Somewhere inside, Neav was surprised at how easy he was finding it to talk with this Prince. Normally he was shy of his words and confused himself easily. But perhaps it was because Prince Arthur was only asking him questions to do with horses, and Neav was only attending with half his mind. The real part of him was concentrating on following the stallions.

They had reached the trees now, and Neav slowed to a walk. He barely paused before choosing the path which they should turn down. The ground there was heavy with hoof-prints, and Neav gave them a glance.
"They stopped running," he commented. "They shouldn't be far now." Neav ran a thoughtful hand down Gilly's neck. When they got closer, he would ask her to give a whinnying call. He would ask the same of Sheer Folly. Then he would dismount and calm the three as they came, before they could make idiots of themselves over the mares. He could string them together with the halter-ropes they would be trailing, and then ride one of them home again.
Such was the boy's plan.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur felt sympathetic towards the boy when he spoke of being found as a young infant and being raised in a stable. He knew better than to ask about his parents . . . even Arthur was not that ignorant of what was acceptable conversation and what was not. "When you say they, you mean who exactly?" He questioned. Had Neav been a servant in the Castle -- or stable to be more accurate -- for that long? How had he gained such a position? It made sense though that he had such a keen understanding of horses. Being raised in those surroundings for that long . . . truthfully though, he did not know how the boy did it. Arthur wouldn't last in that environment for very long. Then again, he was raised completely differently; a totally opposite lifestyle. A servants life was never something he could even begin to comprehend.

"That must not have been easy, but it has given you a unique set of knowledge that is proving to be rather beneficial." Arthur was not above expressing his sympathies, though he did so not in an overly emotional way, but rather, more professional. He was not like Morgana, who's emotions would be evident in the way she spoke, and her actions would be comforting and consoling. While Arthur may be genuine in his words, he was still less fervent in the way he spoke.

"Well thats certainly good news then. We won't have the spend all day in search of these horses." He could do other things with his day as well . . . such as carry out ways in order to torture Merlin for his complete lack of care for the Prince's animals. Merlin was not getting away with this so easily. "And you believe that they will come easily, and not be too alarmed?" Arthur did not think the boy could be certain of this, for he did not know the full extent of Neav's abilities. Arthur would soon find out just how accurate Neav was in his predications.

[neav]

Neav had not been looking for sympathy when he spoke. No one had ever given him any before, so he did not consider himself one who might need it. Besides, so long as Neav could spend all his days in the company of horses, he was happy.

"When you say they, you mean who exactly?"

"Master William, mostly." Neav said, naming the head groom. "And Jackson and Gad..." he trailed off. The Prince could not want a list of all the men who worked in the stables, surely.
They rode in silence a while longer, the horse's hooves thudding softly on the path. Neav ducked under an over-hanging branch, feeling out for the stallions that grew closer all the while. Not long now....

"That must not have been easy, but it has given you a unique set of knowledge that is proving to be rather beneficial."

Neav looked at the Prince in surprise. Not easy? He considered this. He supposed that working in the stables could not be called easy... but surely life was never easy, not even for a Prince! Not knowing how to put this thoughts into words, so he murmured something that could have been anything.
He was quite glad when Prince Arthur when back to speaking of the horses, questioning again if Neav was sure they would come.
"Quietly enough," the boy answered. And then, "They through here!" As if on cue, Gillyflower gave a loud whinny, and there came double reply from both Rising Sun and Noble. Neav let his mare surge of the path and they pushed through trees a while before emerging in a clearing.
There the three runaways stood, Rising Sun and Noble prancing and nipping at each other, with the quieter Comet watching them.

Neav slid from Gillyflower's back and held his palm flat in front of her face.
"Don't you go fawning," he warned her, though it was the feeling of 'stop!' that his hand gave and not the words which she would obay.

[Arthur Pendragon]

He had not understood what Neav said as a reply to his comment, nor did he ask the boy to repeat it. They soon became distracted by seeing the three horses standing there, looking rather calm and peaceful. Thank god! There would not be a wild chase trying to bring them back to the stables. That was good . . . for Merlin's case. If they proved to be more of a challenge, he was going to make Merlin chase them around on foot until he brought back every single one.

He moved off his own horse and stood next to Neav, just watching the horses. The boy had been right about them; all too right. It was both surprising and intriguing. This boy's skills would be useful in the future indeed, and Arthur would not forget them when they were required. He tied his horse to a tree trunk not trusting the animal to comply as easily as Neav's horse was. Arthur did not want to find three, and then lose another. He began to slowly approach the horses, hoping their state of calmness remained consistent. "Do you think we will need rope to restrain them?" he asked. Normally, if the boy was not here, Arthur would have used it but if it was avoidable . . . if they would be as willing to return to them as Neav claimed, then why bother.

[neav]

Neav watched, waited as the Prince dismounted and looped Sheer Folly to a tree. It was not needed; she would stay with Gilly because it was what Neav wanted her to do. For all her name, Neav found Folly to be one of the most trusting-natured horses he knew.

When Arthur asked about a rope, Neav glanced at him with amusment, before remembering that it was probably not a good thing to think that the Prince was funny. So he answered properly.
"No. They have their halters and halter-rope." Whoever had set the horses free had obviously just pulled the slip-knot.
Neav watched as the Prince approched slowly, and the three stallions at once clustered together, snorting and backing. He bit his lip, seeing the problem at once. Horses were pray animals and the Prince moved like a hunter, like a preditor. Neav did not think he did it on purpose; but the Prince was a killer and the horses sensed it.
He was scaring them, making them feel trapped and hunted and if he was not careful they would break and run again....
Neav knew he should not order anyone so powerful, but the horses were afraid and he could not help it.

"Stop," he said, softly anxious. "You act like you hunt them! Don't be a preditor..." The boy moved forward himself, passive, looking at the animals only from the corner of his eye. They felt the difference at once. They knew him. Knew him for no hunter, more like he was a horse himself... Three pairs of ears twitched forward. Noble snorted, stamped, and was the first to come to him. Comet and Rising Sun followed soon after and then Neav was in among them, running soothing hand over their backs, checking their legs for injuries and whispering to them all the while. They turned their heads to nibble his hair, greeting him as though he were one of their own.
Neav then quickly tied their halter-ropes to each other's halter and so formed them into a string. Then he turned, almost guiltily, to see what Prince Arthur thought.


((I am sorry to take control a while... but from what I know of Prince Arthur I am sure he would try and stalk a horse! If you don't like my post, I can change it.))

[Arthur Pendragon]

Did that boy . . . that child . . . that servant . . . just tell the Prince of Camelot to Stop?! Arthur was not used to receiving orders from anyone, except his father. But really, that was the only person in the kingdom who's authority exceeded his own and so for this servant stable boy to tell him what to do, in what Arthur took as an authoritative tone, caught the Prince off guard. Perhaps he had not emphasized the difference between them clear enough . . . perhaps he had made the child feel too comfortable. He said nothing, hiding the surprise on his face at what could be described as bravery or stupidity. He was having a flashback to when he first met Merlin, and was in a similar situation. The only difference was -- and the prince reminded himself of this -- that Neav had not directly, verbally insulted the Prince. Merlin had called him a royal ass, a prat . . . but this boy was just, what? Telling him what to do?

Arthur watched Neav as he calmed the horses enough to have a hold on them. So maybe his 'commands' was for the best, but still. Arthur was glad no one else was around to hear Neav say that . . . he may had to have reacted more angrily than he actually was. He continued to look at the boy with a stern expression when he shyly approached him. It was then that Arthur was certain he was just doing it so that they could get the horses to them peacefully, and it would not result in a chase. Never the less, Arthur wanted to have a bit of fun with this because clearly, the boy now looked uncomfortable. Understandably so; not many told the Prince that he was wrong in what he was doing . . . very few were bold enough to do so.

Arthur slightly raised an eyebrow, keeping a very stern expression on his face. "Do you often tell people of royalty and nobility what to do?" While he may have appeared to be angry, and slightly threatening, Arthur was just trying to scare the child, and bully him. He would not be the first person Arthur bullied, nor would he be the last. But for now, it was poor Neav who had to be victim to it.

[HAHAHA! You don't have to change it at all! I actually thought it was hilarious that Neav told him to stop ]

[neav]

Neav paled under the Prince's stern expression. Now that his beloved horses were not in any fear or danger, his curious courage and authority had vanished. He was nothing more than a small boy who realized he had done something wrong and that there would be trouble for it.

He shook his head in answer to Prince Arthur's question, eyes as wide as a frightened foal's.
"No! N- no. Hardly - hardly ever. Ex - except sometimes," Neav stuttered, rather incoherently. His body was tense, await the blow he was sure would come; people normally hit boys when they did bad things. "But I- I didn't mean..." He trailed off miserably, suddenly feeling that nothing he said now could make much difference. What would the Prince do to him?

Gillyflower shifted uneasily where Neav had left her. Sheer Folly anxiously pawed the ground and the stallions snorted and stamped. They were catching his fear.
Neav sensed this and struggled to control his emotions. However the Prince decided to punish him, he would not complain. He knew he had done a very bad thing by giving such orders. The difference of rank between stable-boy and Crown Prince was astronomical. Neav knew he should not really even by riding with this man.
He did his best to send out reassurance to the horses, and they calmed. This made him feel a very little better. Whatever happened to him, his first duty was always to the horses. And they were all here, all safe and so Neav felt he could deal with what would come.

[Arthur Pendragon]

The boys reaction was exactly what Arthur had wanted to see. As cruel as that sounded, the Prince felt that even he was entitled to have a little fun. The only thing missing now was an audience. Usually he had a few of his men around to appreciate the humorous situation, but now . . . it was just him. Still, while that did not discourage Arthur from bullying Neav, it certainly wouldn't be as bad as it would have been. He remembered when Merlin was in the stocks, and how people had thrown tomatoes and other vegetables at him. That was a very amusing sight to see indeed!

He looked at the boy, showing no apparent concern for his discomfort. He just stared at him with an emotionless expression. "Sometimes? Is this a habit of yours then?" he asked in an accusatory tone. He knew that the boy helped him, but nobility and royalty did not often thank servants when it was their expected duty to help them. Arthur was not the exception right now. He barley noticed the horses getting restless and even more, paid no attention to them suddenly calming down. He really wanted to see how uncomfortable he could make this stable boy. "You didn't mean what, to order around the Prince of Camelot?" He was trying to be as intimidating as possible, hoping it was working.

[neav]

Neav chewed his lips, still staring up at the Prince with frightened eyes. Though he had enough of control of himself not to let the emotion seep through to the horses, he was still scared. He half wished that the Prince would just hit him and get it over with! But no, he just stood there, staring down with no expression at all on his face, making Neav wonder wildly just what was going to happen.
He did not really trust himself to speak, feeling whatever he said it would be the wrong thing... but nor did he quite dare to stay silent when the Prince was demanding answers from him.

"No, no... it isn't! It - it isn't a habit at all. It was - was - " Neav struggled to find a word for just what it had been. What he felt was that it had been the best thing to do for the horses, under the circumstances. But he could never dare to say that! " - a... mistake?" He finished, somehow making it sound like question.
There was no doubt that Neav was well intimidated. He was a of a very nervous nature when it came to people, and it did not take much to frighten him. It was only when the boy was protecting horses that he was filled with a strange bravery. He was utterly hopeless at standing up for himself, against anyone.

"I - I didn't mean to - at all..." Neav continued, hoping that agreeing with the statement would be the right thing to do. "I am sorry... truly..."

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur knew that Neav did not do this often, but he was not above asking the boy questions to which he already knew the answers too . . . based on assumptions of course. But Neav seemed far too innocent to be one of those overly bold people that Arthur had often encountered in his life. It was clear that the boy had been looking out for the interest of the horses . . . but Arthur was enjoying this, far too much perhaps. "Are you asking me, or telling me," he said in a demanding voice. He then -- very obviously -- placed his hand on the hilt of his sword which was still in the sheath. He did not pull his sword out though. Instead, he just casually rested his hand on it, but he wanted Neav to see this . . . just for the satisfaction of watching the poor boy squirm.

Arthur took a step closer to him. "You're sorry are you . . . are you always this sorry when you speak before you think?" He asked in an overly serious voice. He was mostly exaggerating these circumstances . . . it was one of the very few ways that Arthur Pendragon abused his power and authority as prince and heir of Camelot.

[neav]

Neav was naturally nervous of people, and as easy to scare as a wild pony. At the sight of Prince Arthur placing a meaningful hand on his sword, Neav lost what little control he had over his fear.
He was so frightened that he hardly heard what the Prince said and stumbled backwards as he stepped toward him.

To the horses, it seemed that terror rolled off the boy in a sudden, thick black cloud. Normally if Neav was afraid they simply 'caught' the emotion and behaved that way themselves... but this time it was different. This time it suddenly seemed that Neav was actually a foal under attack from a predator.
Noble reared, pawing the air and gave a wild whinny. The other stallions had no chose but to copy him, stringed together as they were. But as they were not used to the strings and it upset them as they tried to move forward. Confused, they snapped at each other. At the same time, Sheer Folly was tugging hard against the ties which held her to the tree but was unable to free herself. And so it was Gillyflower who reached the Prince first. The mare took the sleeve of the Prince's sword-arm and held it tight in her young teeth.