CHAPTER 3

Lying on her stomach with her elbows wedged in the sand Evie finds herself staring into warm, brown, intelligent eyes. And then the strangest thing happens. The creature curls its lip into a grin. Evie smiles, knowing in her heart it’s full of kindness.

She reaches out and rubs its neck. The creature smacks its lips together and moos at Evie.

Did it just moo at me? Like a cow?

Evie grins; it’s such an unexpected sound. The creature grins at Evie. It licks its lips again and closes its eyes, lowering its head down onto the sand, exhausted.

It’s thirsty, realizes Evie. She leaps to her feet. Her dress is damp and heavy. Regardless, she runs all the way home, heading for the stables. She grabs a bucket and dunks it in a water trough, filling it to the brim.

As Evie trudges back up the sand dunes, her arms and legs are burning from the weight of the bucket. She puffs and pants and staggers down the other side, determined not to spill a drop.

Running along the beach is easy compared to on the dunes and at last she arrives back at the shallows to find the creature is still asleep.

Evie tilts the bucket and drips some over the edge and onto the creature’s nose so it knows it’s fresh water. It does the trick and the creature lifts its weary head. With a grunt and a groan, it half sits up, towering above her. She grins and holds up the water bucket. It lowers its head and drinks, taking long slurps and rhythmic swallows. It pauses to look at Evie. Remaining very still, it delivers her a great, despairing stare, which Evie recognizes immediately. She sees what’s in the creature’s eyes as if they were mirrors. Her own truth is staring right back at her. Evie strokes the creature on the nose. They understand each other.

With a shock, Rhino glimpses his own sadness reflected in the eyes of the golden-haired human child. Her heart is full of an aching blackness, which he recognizes. She, too, understands pain and loss. A tiny flicker of hope ignites inside him and he knows he can trust this human child with his life. He burps before lowering his head again to drink.

The child reaches up and touches his horn. She taps it with her finger and clicks her tongue, encouraging him to rise. He doesn’t want to get up, but he does, for her, and he groans as he struggles to stand on his wobbly feet.

As Rhino is led by his horn by the human child, he swirls his little tail in the air, and farts.