The horse groom cast one last confirming glance at them before making his decision, muttering to himself. He needed extra hands to help care for the horses of the capital's visitors, but he hadn't intended to hire twelve-year-olds for the task. Yet there they stood, confidently facing him as if they were experts in horse care. Colin, as usual, tried to win him over.
"Rest assured, we'll move our hands more than our mouths, sir," Colin said. The young groom sighed in resignation—he had no other choice. Who else would work day and night with him in this rainy season?
The sunlight was nearly swallowed by the dark clouds, and the rain fell intermittently but heavily. That day might as well have been night. Matteo was washing the black horse's torso with soap and water for the third time that morning, and the horse tolerated his excessive scrubbing without protest. With few visitors today, they had finished all their tasks an hour ago, leaving Matteo to wash the horse repeatedly just to stave off boredom. Sai, meanwhile, was rearranging the hay bales for the fifth time to ensure they wouldn't topple.
Matteo watched his three siblings gathered around Aldora, a pregnant mare in her final months. Her coat was a medium brown, neither light nor dark, with smooth black hair.
"She won't suddenly give birth just because you're staring at her, you know," Matteo called from the other side of the stable.
Colin, without turning, retorted, "How about you stop torturing your horse with soap and join us? Ren can feel her foal moving."
"The horses' teeth shine brighter than the nobles who ride them. Stop before their colors start shining white too," Dai said, trying to feel the foal's position. Matteo's face darkened slightly as he continued wiping the horse's body, pretending not to hear. No harm would come from washing the horse one extra time—it certainly wouldn't turn white.
Three years of continuous work had honed their teamwork, making their tasks quicker and more efficient. Fatigue lessened, effort was conserved, and everything flowed smoothly. Matteo wished their lives could stay this peaceful, but he knew the moment he grew comfortable, everything would suddenly turn upside down.
The horse Matteo was cleaning snorted as someone entered the stable—Hans the veterinarian, with his wide leather bag and dark, elegant attire, followed closely by the young groom like a shadow.
"I see you're still tirelessly watching Aldora, aren't you?" Hans said, his thick mustache twitching with each word, his dark blue eyes gazing at them warmly. Matteo and Sai joined the others around the pregnant mare, smiling at the vet.
"The foal keeps moving. I think it wants out soon," Ren said. Hans laughed and began removing his gloves to examine Aldora, who was exhausted from the late stages of pregnancy. He shooed the groom away—why worry about five children?
"Her time is near, so the foal must sense it too," Hans said. He had visited the stable daily since they started working there, forming a close bond with them. He treated them with kindness and respect, never mocking them when Matteo declared they were family. Most importantly, he accepted Sai without prejudice, unlike many who scorned him for being Eastern.
The siblings often comforted Sai by making his heritage a litmus test for trust. "Being Eastern is actually useful," they'd joke. Sai felt guilty when they were rejected because of him, but he knew he'd get a playful punch if he showed it. Luckily, his face was unreadable—though Ren had recently learned to decipher it, which sometimes terrified him.
Hans wasn't like those people. Sai always relaxed around him because the groom minded his tongue in the vet's presence. Hans had even insisted they be allowed to watch Aldora whenever they wanted and take breaks with her.
"So, what story do you want today?" Hans asked. "The tale of the brave mouse that bit a cat's tail and refused to let go? Or the talking parrot that exposed a cheating husband in the middle of the clinic?"
Matteo and Dai jumped at the mouse story, while Colin and Ren chose the scandalous parrot. The deciding vote fell to Sai.
"Choose the brave mouse story—it's more exciting than a chatty parrot," Matteo said with a sly grin.
Colin protested, "That parrot destroyed a whole family with its beak! Sai knows what to pick."
Dai smirked. "What's the point of hearing about a cheating husband? Sai, don't you want to know if the cat could still walk after losing its tail?"
Sai's face twisted in confusion. Another argument over story choices—Hans always offered two and let them bicker until Sai decided.
Finally, Sai muttered, "The parrot story."
Matteo and Dai groaned while Colin sat triumphantly beside Hans, who had been laughing the whole time.