Lesa? Lexa, he thinks. It's a name, a new one, and he wags his tail in greeting and excitement. He loves his treasure box of encounters, each person like a jewel to examine and learn. Grandmother, mother, Tioga, father. And each is so different! Little mannerisms and facial quirks, each of these things he commits to memory. And Lexa, she is a mixture of contained energy and concentration. He recognizes her impatience, and he offers an apologetically sorrowful look. The words 'I'm sorry' are not in his limited vocabulary.
Rucker shakes his head vigorously so that the golden strands catch the light. When he is certain she has noticed them, he answers her question with painstaking concentration. His voice is syrupy, slow and unsteady. His mouth form words he has heard only in his mind. He wishes his mother were here to explain. He doesn't have the grasp of language required to tell the girl that her voice will never be heard.
“Savta. G-Gandmother.”
He remembers her well, the golden mare in the deserts who gifted him with the syllables of his name and the knowledge of family. His heart warms whenever he thinks of her. He cannot imagine ever gathering the courage to call for her, but knowing that she is available for him is a steadying force in his life. For though he is shy, he doesn't doubt his savta's sincerity.
Lexa's next question throws him. He stomps his foot, once, his own sign for someone to go slower when the speak. But of course she can't know this. Rucker knits his brow in frustrated contemplation. Something about where she is from? Sh-ju-something with a long vowel sound. Maybe she wants to know where he lives. The problem is, the dark colt doesn't know the name of his home. It is beautiful, wide open with grassy plains and wildflowers that look and taste delicious.
Inspiration strikes him and he loops around her in a circle before wandering a bit away and looking over his shoulder. He repeats the circle, this time in front of her, a playful look on his face. Come with me, his blue eyes are saying, and every muscle in his body is tensed with eager excitement. He can show her his home. Eyes are something they share in common. Rucker lets an easy, slow smile cross his features as he waits patiently for Lexa to understand.