When Isabele Navarro*— daughter of the Andalusian house that had sent the Manzanilla north — heard what had become of their gift, she took passage to Vesland herself. Pride, and something more tender beneath it, drove her. The mare had been bred by her own hand; to see her broken was unthinkable.
But beneath it, a quieter ache—one that carried the scent of sun-warmed olive groves and the memory of a silver-grey foal she had once coaxed into the world.The stable was still when she arrived, dust swirling in golden shafts of light. *Manzanilla* stood tense in the corner, eyes bright with distrust.
Isa moved with fluid authority, her voice calm but commanding. “Step lightly—mirror her, feel her,” she murmured. Her every motion flowed like a dance—weight shifting, hand tracing invisible lines through the air. The mare’s ears flicked forward. A breath later, her neck lowered, her muscles uncoiling. The tension dissolved as horse and woman began to move together, an unspoken rhythm passing between them. The mare’s body echoed hers, every heartbeat syncing, every step a mirror.
Shariif’s brow lifted. He had seen trainers work, of course, but this—this was different. There was no tension, no sharp commands, no visible struggle for control. Every motion Isa made was mirrored in the horse, every weight shift or whispered cue perfectly timed. The connection between rider and horse was instantaneous, natural, almost silent.
Isa glanced up and caught Shariif’s gaze. She didn’t flinch; instead, she gave a small, knowing smile, as if she recognized another soul attuned to the same unspoken language.
Shariif watched, impressed. “You’re not asking her to obey. You’re… inviting her.”
Isa tilted her head. “Exactly. Force gets resistance. Respect gets cooperation.”