César doesn't laugh at Dimitri, even though he's a bit amused at how awed Dimitri is to see the horse. There's a deeper and sadder reason behind it, isn't there?

One brown eye faces the newcomer, and she sniffs the hand for a moment before nuzzling her muzzle right into it, making César chuckle and nod. "Go ahead. I wouldn't let her meet a stranger if I didn't trust her to behave. She let me ride her the first day I got her."