Nova watched as a couple moments of distant conversation happened before the other children got up, leaving their plates of food and began to hop, pronk, and chase each other.
“C’mon Grape Juice, you’re not at Cherry Hill Ranch, time ta play!” A filly shouted at Nova.
Nova looked to her forelegs and grinned. “Coming,” she turned and galloped after the now screaming filly.
Several exhausting, exhilarating minutes passed before Apple’s mom returned with a content smile. “Well done, young’ns… Get back ta yer meals’n then back ta chores,” she said walking back to the table and explained what had happened to the adults.
Nova didn’t care, she was still hungry and now that she didn’t have to worry about some stranger taking her back to the plantation, she’d be okay. Sliding to a stop a little before her plate she leaned down and gobbled an apple fritter and something that had hot apples in it that sent warm fuzzy tingles of happiness from her tongue to her tail.
She exhaled and grinned. “I really like this place,” she said leaning down for another bite. The had slipped down her head and into her eyes. She giggled, moving it back up and finished clearing her plate.
“Nova, can Ah talk with ya fer a tick?” Apple called from the adult table.
Nova picked up her plate and carried it on top of her head with a nervous grin. “Y-yeah?”
“First, whatever happened ain’t our business. That stallion’r his kinfolk come by, yer name’s Grape Juice and ya keep that hat, pull it low and just play with the others. Second, good job eatin’,” Apple said trading a half full plate with Nova’s empty one, “eat up! Lunch’s almost over.”
Nova giggled, turned, and with her tongue between her teeth she carefully balanced her plate back to her spot. She grinned to see three other youth laying in the grass in a semicircle, waiting for her. “I really like this place.”