Nelson ran endlessly, never seeming to tire. He was less horse, and more bird, or ancient dragon. The shaggy hair about his hooves swung up in the wind like small wings. That horse thirsted for freedom just as much as Oliver did. There was an animal touched by the Gods, Oliver was certain of it.
They crested a hill, and Oliver drew Nelson to a stop. He had to, or the animal would have run himself ragged until his heart burst. Here they could see for miles around. They could see the Tigris Forest already a great distance behind them. They could see a village off to the north, whose name Oliver had yet to know, with smoke rising up from many different settlements. He could see another crop of trees rising up, lonely in the plains, just a distance off to the north-east. And to the west proper, he could see an even more hilly region, strangely red. Oliver tilted his head and squinted, recognizing it to be heather.
