Commander Lothian could understand Henry's reasoning for being so attached to animals. The peasantry was aging and Callum's generation was almost the last. For some reason, most didn't have kids, or if they did they no longer lived in the peasant village outside of Hydrogia.
With Henry being alone in his age group, Callum could understand Henry hanging around with horses in the stables rather than anyone else.
While the older knight never mistreated his horse and found that he worked completely in sync with his steed, he still didn't talk to it like it was a child. He found the dynamic between Henry and the animals interesting.
Even with the dragon, Henry talked to her as if she could give detailed responses.
The commander wondered if that could be the reason the dragon chose Henry in the first place. If there was one thing the commander knew animals could do, it was to sense the spirit of someone and whether or not they were trustworthy.