Lyra. Chapter 3. Sophie and the Horse

The next morning the girl had already made friends with the animal, the way children make friends with everything — without asking permission first. She stood at its head, scratching its nose, and looked up at Lyra with that grin she got when she had decided something about the grown-ups and was not going to say it out loud. Lyra pretended not to notice. The horse, at least, kept her secrets. It was a good morning. There had not been many bad ones lately.