Dain almost speaks the moment he enters the stableyard, relieved to find the horse safe and already in someone's care, but he cuts himself off when he recognises exactly what's occurring in front of him.

.. It could be completely mundane. Stablehands know how to calm horses down; it's their job. Speaking to animals like they're capable of answering back could simply be an endearing character trait. Really, Dain doesn't see anything here worthy of his attention. Just a stablehand competently calming a horse down, and likely avoiding what could have been an issue if one of the soldiers' horses was injured in the village.

He hasn't looked up yet. Dain takes a deep, quiet breath and starts taking careful steps backward, so he can try approaching a second time while making a lot of noise, preserving the other man's feeling of safety --

-- and a stick snaps under his boot.