The next month or so passed by in a blur. Each day was like the one before. Every day, Secela got up, got paid, helped run The Hungry Chicken until around midnight, and went to sleep. But finally, she had gotten enough money to buy a horse for the journey to the neighboring town of Jadiro. So on the morning of her thirty-fifth day at The Hungry Chicken, Secela woke up, ate breakfast, then followed the directions that Harda gave her to the Veavelle Stable. The horses were currently being kept outside the stable in a fenced-in area. Secela had previously arranged a meeting with the owner of the horses, to buy one. Secela walked up to the man, fingering the money in her pocket. The stable owner, Mr. Drezaro, was tall and lean, with dark skin, a blue and red plaid shirt, a cowboy hat, and boots. His dark eyes had a glitter in them, like he found something amusing.

                “Hello,” Secela said. She put out her hand for him to shake, and he took it. “My name’s Cella,” she said, remembering to use her under-cover name. “What horses do you have and how much do they cost?” she asked, getting right to the point. Mr. Drezaro gestured to one of the horses.

                “That one there is Kaya. She’s a real sweetheart, but not what you want if you’re looking for speed. And that one over there is Respo, strongest stallion there is! He’s still pretty wild, though, so it’s best to stay away if you’re a new rider.” He went on, pointing and gesturing at the different horses. Secela however, had her eye caught on a beautiful mare with a white pelt and red-orange spots. For most of Secela’s conversation with Mr. Drezaro, the horse had been grazing away calmly. But just when Mr. Drezaro asked Secela which one she thought she’d like, the mare made eye contact with her. Secela’s heart jumped. The mare started trotting towards her! The mare walked up to Secela, looking at her the whole time, and bent her head slightly as if to say hello.

                “Which one is this?” Secela asked, petting her new friend. She had been paying too much attention to the mare to really hear much of what Mr. Drezaro said.

                “Ah, I see you’ve met Shisalina, one of our fastest horses. She’s never made a bond with… well… anyone, really, so you might be the first. She seems to like you.” Mr. Drezaro replied. “If you want to buy her, she’ll be a hundred dollars, and that’s with a discount for someone who’s bonded so quickly to her.” Secela nodded and handed Mr. Drezaro the money she had earned. Harda and Mr. Griem had given her a little extra so that she could buy a horse, and she was grateful, knowing that she wouldn’t have gotten the money otherwise, unless she had spent a lot more time in Veavelle. And so it was that Secela found herself leading Shisalina back to The Hungry Chicken.