“You’ll have to retire, you know.”

She shrugged, not meeting the horse’s eyes. “I know.”

“I’ll have to break in a new partner.” There was a weary resignation in Horse’s mental voice, flavored with the grim reality that for an immortal, there would always be another partner.

“You could come with us.” There was silence for a long moment, and she wondered if she’d somehow insulted him. “You don’t have to, it was just–”

“Please?” He shoved his head against her chest with a soft rumble, and she staggered under the unexpected weight.

She just hugged his head and laughed. The other denizens of the stables just gave them curious looks as they went about their chores. One-sided converstations were as common as kittens, and they’d long ago learned to expect odd behavior from their fellow Shephards.