The Teddy Bear and the Wise Horse

"Philia, look! I found an acorn!"

"Oh, that's nice. I have to start the fire now, back up."

"Okay!"

Benny stood out of range as Philia is setting up the bonfire. It holds the acorn in in between its stubby hands, proud that it managed to pick one up after dozens of tries. It is also the prettiest of the bunch that surrounds their current camp. Now that they were far from the capital and far from any other civilization, Benny was free to wander the area so long as it can still see either Ansel or Philia.

"Ansel, I found an acorn!"

"Oh, that's-ah."

"Aaaahhh! My acorn!" Benny's hands were bitten into by Ansel's horse. "No! That's mine!"

"Don't focus on the acorn! Focus on your hands!"

"Let go! You're so mean, Rocco!"

The horse, Rocco, released both Benny and the acorn. There's no saliva on the acorn or Benny's hands, indicating that Rocco was merely teasing Benny...only to result in Benny rushing for Rocco's front left leg to smack at it with its mildly indented hand. Benny's other hand is curled protectively around the acorn against its chest.

"You bully! You're so mean! Bully, bully!"

"Hey, don't let Benny near the horses legs. What if they trample on him?"

"They won't, they're well behaved!"

"Says you!"

"They don't!"

Philia's horse calmly leaned down, nipping at Benny's ribbon and lifting the teddy bear up into the air. As both Ansel and Philia were busy arguing, they didn't notice this action...nor the fact that Philia's horse had smacked Rocco in the face with her tail. The horse carried Benny a bit further away so that the humans couldn't so easily hear Benny speaking to her.

"Iris, I don't like Rocco. He keeps teasing me and biting my hand!"

Philia's horse, Iris, could only release a laugh that only Benny could hear. To Benny, it would say that it sounds deeper than Philia's, but higher and softer than Ansel's.

Come now, Rocco is a fool who has too much time on his hands.

"You have too much time on your hands too, don't you?"

I suppose that is true. We are creatures who assist humans in traveling further than their short weak legs can carry them.

"Why are the two of you so different? You're much nicer than Rocco is and you're patent like Granny Elizabeth."

I believe the word you are looking for is patient, child.

"That!"

He is young, just like our current riders.

"Oh."

You are also very young, sweet child.

Iris nudged Benny with her head. She opened her mouth to help Benny reshape its hand as neither Ansel nor Philia would do so while they argued...a very common sight. Iris did wish that the two human teens would stop arguing so much, there is only so much her ears could handle before she felt the urge to buck her rider off.

Sweet child, child who smells like warm sunshine, what questions do you have for me today?

"Hm...Then, do you know where we're going?"

If we were to go in the direction of the sun and down, we will reach the sea. It is a vast body of water, so vast that neither I nor Rocco can swim across. It is deep, so deep, we would sink and never come back up again.

"S-Scary..."

If we go directly in the direction of the sun and over those mountains, we will find it difficult to find food for our riders and ourselves should they not prepare properly.

"Also very scary!"

Iris released a laugh, shaking her head making her beautiful mane shine in the evening sun. It glimmers like the night sky, but Benny has never seen the night sky once it could move and speak. Where could Benny have seen the night sky before?

Tell me, child. Why not ask the riders these things?

"Because I don't want to bother them. They don't understand and I know that they might not like asking me too many questions.

You are merely a child, a curious child. If you do not speak up, how do you expect to be heard?

"Expect to be heard?"

You can communicate with the riders. As a steed, I cannot do so. I cannot tell my rider how my ears hurt each time she shouts at her companion. How annoying her companion can be in shocking us both.

"Oh."

It is fine to be silent, to accept things around you. As a steed, we can only quietly accept our fate be it in taking our riders to distant lands...or to war.

"What's war?"

Don't concern yourself with such dirty matters, child. Rocco nor yourself have seen what I have seen. Of the riders I have lost...of companions once at my side...this is the fate of us steeds.

"Is it painful, Iris?"

Iris didn't speak further to Benny, deeming that this topic was too much for the small sweet creature. Ansel noticed that it is getting dark and had walked towards the two. He led Iris closer to camp and tied her reigns to a nearby tree further from Rocco who has already gone to sleep.

"It's about time for bed, Benny."

"Hm..."

"What's wrong?"

"Don't tell me it wants another bedtime story? I suck at those so that's all on you, Ansel."

"No..."

"No?"

"I...Can I take this acorn with me?"

"You want to carry an acorn with you?"

"Yeah! I want to give it to Marie when I find her!"

"Why not put it in the bag we carry you in? There's some pouches on the sides that aren't being used."

"I-I can use it?"

"It was made for you. I'm more surprised you haven't asked us to purchase anything for you. The orphaned kids we used to take care of back in our hometown would always beg Ansel and I for gifts since we had the money."

"I can ask for things..."

Benny never thought that the two would offer to buy it things for it. Nor did it believe that the two would listen to its small request so easily. To the teddy bear, whenever it showed a new find to the two, at most they would reply with how nice it looked before telling it to move away because they were busy. Benny held the tiny acorn in its hands, nodding its head as if thinking that Iris is always correct in her words. Iris herself opened one eye to watch this interaction. If she was pleased with herself, she never said nor did she ever mention it again to Benny in the future. Instead, she would offer different advice, the best type of advice she could give as a mere horse.

Sweet child who smells of warm sunshine...who is as joyful as my previous rider...it is always best to communicate when you can. Words are important, words hold power. Power beyond that of mere magic.

"There used to be a horse who I used to travel with in the past, Marie! She is a very pretty horse who always gave me advice when we traveled. Her name is Iris!"