The two had been inseparable. Wherever Thomas went — whether to the fields, the market, or the woods — Storm was always there, walking beside him as though they shared one soul. The villagers used to joke that you couldn’t say “Thomas” without saying “Storm” right after.

But when Thomas passed away suddenly from a heart condition, Storm seemed to understand before anyone else.

For two days after his master’s death, the horse refused to eat or rest. He had broken free from his stable on the morning of the funeral, vanishing into the misty woods. The family assumed he had run away — perhaps lost, perhaps gone mad with grief.

No one imagined he would find his way back.

Until that moment.