The horse ran through the field, his long black mane shining in the sunlight. It was a tall beast, with a broad chest and delicate lags built for speed. Its chestnut coat, dark mane, and arched neck seemed better suited for a royal procession than hard farm work. The horse had been bought with the understanding that he would work for his feed, but the boy watching him had often dreamed of riding his horse across the finish line of the kingdom’s most prestigious race. Gerhard leaned against the top post of the split rail fence and watched his horse.