Holly tossed his ears again and scratched his chin, beginning to amble warningly toward the wilderness. The faint rush of morning traffic could be heard on the faraway road. A few lazy clouds drifted in the pale blue sky, while the golden sun peeked brightly over the tips of the treetops.
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Flip shied away from the girl who tried to touch him, now that his strength was returning. Enough was enough. He could deal with eating the food the humans gave him (oats, hay, horse feed, the occasional apple or carrot) and sleeping in their stables. But not touching. Touching was beyond him now. It had been far too long since Lily. Flip longed for Silver and the other mares but knew he could not go back until the dog returned. Until that spaniel came back with the answer Flip had wanted - acceptance. He couldn't bear the thought that Jingo, now the lead mare, had butted his beloved Silver out of position.
The girl watched him with longing eyes but now kept her hands to herself. They had been able to strap a halter and lead rope onto the stunning wild Arabian when he first came to the farm, since he had been in such a bad mental shape, but now he was restless. The girl admired the stallion: he was more beautiful than any of their other horses despite his ragged condition. She tossed an apple core into his feed trough and tore herself away from the stables. She had duties in the rest of the farm; caring for the chickens, rabbits, and goats; tending the vegetables.