Marigold trudged through the tall grasses of the meadow, her boots scuffing the earth as she searched for any sign of the runaway sheep. The meadow was a rare sight in the Wild West, a sea of green in a land of dust and rock, but Marigold was too frustrated to appreciate its beauty. Her braids were coming loose, and her poncho had a small tear from where she’d snagged it on a thorn bush earlier. She sighed, realizing the sheep was long gone.

Just as she was about to give up and head back to the ranch, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye—a horse standing at the edge of the meadow. Marigold blinked in surprise. It was unusual to see a horse out here without a rider, and there was something different about this one, something that made her take a step closer.

“Hey there,” she called softly, her voice carrying over the whispering grass. The horse turned its head, and their eyes met. In that instant, Marigold felt a connection she couldn’t quite explain, like this wasn’t just any ordinary horse.

She took another step forward, her frustration melting away as curiosity took its place. “You lost too?” she asked with a small smile, as if the horse could understand her. And somehow, deep down, she felt like it could.