He sped faster than she had ever known a horse to run. She never urged him on, but he seemed to delight in running. His gait was smooth, making staying on his back almost effortless for her.
How long would you run like this? Would you ever stop on your own?
She freed a hand to pat his neck. His gray coat wasn’t even damp from his efforts. He was in top shape.
Glancing ahead, she saw that they were heading toward a steep hill. Anxious to avoid slipping off him like she almost had before, she laid the lead rope on the left side of his neck and leaned to the left.
She laughed when he responded to her and turned to go around the hill. With the proper tack, she could guide him wherever she wanted.
They continued to run through the valley until Anwen realized she didn’t know where they were going. She sat up and pulled back on the rope, trying to slow him down. His great neck bowed, but he only shook his head and kept running.
Anwen squinted. Perhaps there were houses to the west. She leaned again and gave cues with the reins.
But this time Stardust ignored her. He pulled hard with his head and twisted the other direction. She tugged on the lead rope a couple of times. The last time he yanked the rope through her hands so fast it took skin off.
“Ow!” she yelled.
Stardust flicked an ear but he didn’t slow. She gave up and held on as he sped through the grass without easing up. He jumped over streams like they weren’t even there. If she had any control, this would be the greatest ride of her life. As it was, she was merely a passenger.
Stardust ran up a small hill. For the first time, he slowed as he descended. A group of houses sat at the bottom of the grassy incline. On the outskirts lay many corrals and barns. Stardust snorted like he had made a decision and then increased his speed.
Men called at their approach. They ran to open large gates to the largest arena. Anwen prayed to Adoyni for help and urged the stallion to the corral.
Stardust resisted by tossing his head and trying to pull away, but this time she was ready for him. She wrapped the rope around her hand, ignoring the pain, and held the pressure steady.
The stallion conceded. She kept the contact through the rope steady so that he wouldn’t forget and race off somewhere else. The gate loomed close, and then they shot through it. She heard the crash as the men slammed it shut.
Stardust screamed and circled, giving up some of his speed in his desperation to get out. Anwen pulled harder, wincing as the rope cut into her hand.
They circled twice. More people lined the arena. Some were watching. Others prepared ropes to catch Stardust in case he decided to try to jump out.
“Anwen! Here!”
Paden stood on the fence at the far end of the arena, waving to get her attention. A smaller gate was open. She used both her weight and the rope to turn Stardust to Paden while attempting to slow the stallion by sitting up and leaning back.
Stardust responded and loped through the gate into a smaller corral. She slowed him to a trot and then a walk. When she did, Paden threw open a third gate and waved at her with a huge grin.
Stardust tossed his head in defiance when she asked him to go through one more gate, but he obeyed. At a fast walk, they passed through the gate and entered a chute with high fences on each side. This led into the barn. The fences opened up to a small round corral placed in the center of the barn.
Men slid the door to the barn shut while Paden ran and trapped Stardust in the corral with a second gate.
Brilliant! Even if he jumped out of the corral, which looks impossible judging by the height of the fence, he would still be in the barn.
Stardust circled the small pen. When he realized he was trapped, he screamed and reared, his long legs reaching up to the sky. Anwen gripped tightly while she threw her weight forward.
He dropped to the ground but landed with his feet spread like he was ready to bolt but didn’t know which way to go.
“Better get out of the corral before he throws a big fit,” Paden suggested.
Anwen decided he was right. Stardust was going to be furious, and she didn’t think she would be able to console him much. She slid off the gray stallion’s back, willing her legs not to buckle, and unfastened the rope.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “That was a good ride.”
Stardust snorted. Anwen patted him on the neck one last time and then climbed through the rails next to Paden.
The gray stallion shook himself, his long gray mane falling in disarray. With a louder snort, he trotted around the corral two more times.
To everyone’s amazement, he didn’t buck, rear, or even try to jump out. Instead, he walked over to Paden and Anwen. He stopped just short of the fence.
Teilo strode into the barn. “Would you look at that? He remembers Paden. I knew my boy had him tamed. Go on in, Paden. Greet him.”
Paden hesitated and then slipped through the bars. Stardust screamed in anger, rearing high in the air, and struck at Paden.
Paden leaped back through the fence, breathing heavily. “It’s not me, Father. It’s her.” He pointed at Anwen.
Anwen didn’t wait for any answer. Stardust stood quietly again. She climbed through the fence and walked to the gray stallion. He snorted and jerked his head back, but then settled while she stroked his head and neck.
Teilo smacked the fence. “Will nothing go normal anymore? Our best stallion refuses to be trained and then runs away at the first chance, Archippi return him, and now he only allows a girl to handle him?”
Paden grinned. “Can’t say I blame him!”
Anwen flushed at the unexpected compliment. Stardust nudged her gently with his head.
Teilo groaned. “Obviously, Trafferth is going to continue living up to his name. He’s going to keep causing trouble unless that girl is close to him.”
Anwen stared at Teilo.
“Yes, Anwen,” the man continued. “You will be riding Trafferth in the greatest and most important race all of Eltiria has known. You’d better win!”
Chapter Three
Anwen’s Question
“But I can’t ride him,” Anwen protested. “He’s your horse!”
She sat next to Paden on the fence of Stardust’s pen. Everyone else had eaten and gone home to rest. Only she couldn’t sleep. So she snuck out of her luxurious bedroom and crept into the barn with Stardust.
Paden had beaten her there. He was perched on the top of the railing, studying Stardust as the stallion munched on the hay. After she joined him, they sat in silence for some time like old friends, not in a rush to fill the silence with meaningless chatter.
It took a bit of time, but then the conversation came without effort or hesitation. They discussed all of the stallion’s fine points, and Paden even admitted that Stardust was a much better name than Trafferth.
Paden laughed at Anwen, his brown eyes twinkling as he winked at her. “I think Stardust has made it very clear that he belongs to you.”
Anwen’s face grew hot. “But don’t you mind? I mean, you’re the chief’s son. This is your rightful place. And I know you can ride well enough for it. You could probably outride me!”
Paden’s easygoing manner grew serious. “Anwen, what you say is right. This is my place, and I have been training for years for it. But from the moment we brought Stardust in to train for this race, he has fought us. The only person he has accepted is you. This race is too important to fuss about who rides.”
He paused and watched Stardust shake his mane.
Paden cleared his throat like he was nervous. “Besides, I’d really like to know what’s so special about you that Stardust already knows.”
Now Anwen’s face burned. “There’s not... I mean, I’m not special. I mean...”
Paden put his hand on hers. She stopped talking as her heart thudded worse than when she had ridden Stardust. After a few minutes, he slowly moved his hand back, and her fog cleared so that she could think
again.
“But what about afterwards? What happens to Stardust then?”
“Let’s just worry about that when the time comes,” Paden said. “Come now. You must rest.”
In a short time, she found herself back in bed where she tossed and turned fitfully until dawn. When the sun began to light the sky, she rose, feeling completely unprepared for what she had come to do.
Outside her door was a small basket covered with a red and black blanket. A note lay folded on top. She picked up the note and read it.
“Please wear the jockey’s clothing for the race.” She pulled a red shirt and black riding pants out of the basket. Someone must have stayed up all night sewing, for the pants were the divided riding skirts she loved to wear.
She obeyed, but just as she was leaving, there was a knock on the door. She opened it.
A young girl with large brown eyes held a tray covered with a red and black towel.
“Your breakfast, miss,” she stuttered.
“Thank you,” Anwen said and took the tray. She shut the door. She found fresh eggs, toast, and a bit of meat on the side with a tall glass of milk. No matter how much milk she drank, she could only choke down a little of the eggs.
She tried leaving again. This time nothing waited for her at the door. She left the large house and made her way to the barn. Although the area was filled with people rushing around, everyone stopped and stared at her as she passed. She held her head high and strode to the barn, trying hard to act like she knew exactly what she was doing and was completely prepared.
She entered the barn and shut the door with a sigh of relief. Paden and his father Teilo stood outside the pen. A small saddle hang on the top railing with a blanket of red and black. Paden held a bridle that had red and black woven through it.
Paden turned at her approach and grinned. “Our tribal colors look good on you!”
She tried to smile, but her muscles didn’t work properly. She thought seeing Stardust would calm her nerves, but the race loomed closer every second.
“We wanted to saddle him for you,” Teilo said. “But the troublemaker wouldn’t let us lay a hand on him. We decided not to stir him up any further. You have to saddle him.”
Anwen slipped through the fence, ignored the saddle, and slowly walked to Stardust. The gray stallion snorted. She stroked his long, thick neck and scratched his head.
“You’ve got to be good today,” she whispered. “More depends on this race than I can tell you. Just bear with the saddle and me, and then run faster than you ever have before.”
Stardust dropped his head onto her chest which she took as his agreement. To her amazement, the horse stood still while she saddled and bridled him.
“Do you know what’s at stake today?” she whispered.
Stardust only flicked an ear.
“We can do this,” she whispered again. “Just ignore everything and run faster than you ever have before.”
Stardust chewed on the bit in response, his long forelock covering his dark eyes.
“As you probably know, this is a cross country race, so make sure to always go between the white markers,” Teilo said. “Judges watch at different parts throughout the course. If you fail to go between even one set of white markers and they see you, you will be disqualified, even if you cross the finish line first.”
Anwen sagged against Stardust’s neck. “But this is impossible. He’s not trained. Yesterday I was barely able to get him here, much less keep him between white posts or keep him from fighting the other stallion.”
“There are a few good things,” Paden said. “First, the race starts and ends here. We won’t take you and him out until moments before the race starts. Second, yesterday you rode bareback with a halter. Now you have a secure saddle and a bridle with a bit and reins. You will have more control. Third, Trafferth, I mean, Stardust is more trained than you know. I worked with him for months. He knows what to do. I just couldn’t ever get him to do it consistently.”
Anwen gritted her teeth. “So now I have to ride an uncontrollable stallion across the mountains in a cross country race with another stallion and an enemy who wants to stop me at any cost?”
A bugle sounded.
Teilo nodded. “That sounds right. And the time to begin is now.”
Chapter Four
Anwen’s Declaration
Anwen listened to the bugle in horror. “Wait! I’m not ready. It’s not... I mean, I don’t...”
“There’s no time,” Paden said. He slipped through the fence, ignoring Stardust’s sudden squeal.
But I’ve never ridden in a race!
Anwen wanted to collapse on the ground. She trained race horses, sometimes even rode them, but it was the jockeys that raced. Getting a race horse to the finish line first was an art, something special that only certain people had. It required quick thinking, close knowledge of the horse, and a great deal of daring. You had to know when to push and when to wait. When to rush fast and to save energy. And each jockey needed to know the course.
She knew none of this. She didn’t even know how long the course was. Paden and Teilo didn’t seem to care anymore. As Paden boosted her into the saddle, Teilo swung the gate open.
Paden quickly fastened a lead rope to the bridle as she gathered the reins.
“I can lead you to the starting line,” he said. “The rest will be up to you. Ride strong. You can do this.”
She nodded, unable to speak. Stardust shifted under her, and she gripped with her knees. At her pressure, the stallion snorted and reared.
She leaned forward and waited until he landed on the ground. Then she took a deep breath and forced her muscles to relax.
Paden waited until she nodded that she was ready, and then he led Stardust into the sunlight. Anwen blinked as the bright light blinded her. When she could see again, she forgot about Stardust and the race to stare at the crowds of people who had gathered.
The crowd was an array of color, each person wearing the colors of one of the two tribes. Closest to her were people garbed in black and red, broadcasting their allegiance to her and Stardust. Further away, the clothes changed to blue and silver.
Anwen tried to ignore the people and focus on the path before her. Stardust pranced and threw his head as the roar of the crowd deafened her. Paden led them through the people, some so close they almost touched her and the stallion, and into an open area.
A tall bay horse stood at a line in the sand. As Stardust drew near, the bay pinned his ears back and lunged at Stardust. Stardust returned the attack and reared to kick the bay’s head away.
“Asra!” the man riding the bay stallion shouted. He savagely yanked the horse’s head to the side. “Save your energy for the race.”
With a cold glance, he glared at Anwen. “Although we won’t need it with a girl.” He turned to Teilo. “Is this the best you could come up with?”
Teilo coldly regarded the jockey. “Keep your horse under control, Derog. And keep your business to riding.”
Derog sneered. “You have no authority over me, and I shall grind this dog and the girl riding it into the dust.”
Anwen felt her cheeks flush with anger but had no time to respond as Stardust reared, shrieking and striking out with his front hooves. Paden pulled on the rope still attached to the bridle while Anwen struggled to stay on. Stardust dropped to the ground but pawed the ground until large dust clouds filled the air.
A tall, old man whose skin was dark and streaked with wrinkles walked between the two stallions. The crowd hushed in recognition and respect.
“Due to the hostility of the stallions, it has been decided to forgo the opening ceremony and proceed to the race.”
The crowd booed and hissed in disappointment. After a show of their displeasure, they quieted.
“Anwen,” the old man turned to her. “You are new to our ways, and the reason why Teilo’s tribe chose you to ride their stallion is unclear to me. Be that as it may
, it is within the rules for them to choose whoever they want. Before I start this race, I want you to be clear of a few items.”
Anwen swallowed and nodded.
The man stepped closer. “This race is long and hard. You sit the stallion with confidence. You know how to ride. But this race will be harder and more dangerous than anything you’ve ever faced. On top of that, there are no judges to maintain that each contestant follow the rules of not hurting each other or the other horses. Do you understand? And if so, will you continue?”
Is he trying to tell me that this Derog may attack me or Stardust?
Fear gave her stomach another twist. Derog seemed to read her thoughts as he gave her an evil smirk.
She raised her chin. She spoke as firmly as she could. “I understand, and I will win this race.”
Teilo’s tribe roared with approval. Stardust seemed to sense the mood as he reared, not in attack, but in show. His long dusty white mane fell in cascades over his neck.
The old man raised his hands for quiet and instantly received it. “Remember to ride between the white markers. While we do not monitor every section of the road, there are men placed randomly out there to ensure you do not take any shortcuts. And now to your post.”
The crowd strained to see the starting line. Derog pulled Asra’s head sharply to the side hard and spurred him deeply in the side. The horse jumped in pain and did as commanded.
Anwen bit back the angry words she wanted to say to Derog about his treatment of the tall bay stallion, but she couldn’t say anything to help the poor horse at this point.
We’re winning this race. Not only Eltiria hangs on this moment, but I’m making sure to rescue that stallion! Derog will never touch a horse again!
Paden slipped off the rope. He laid his head on her boot. “Stay within the white markers and run as fast as you can. If you’re ahead, he can’t hurt you or Stardust. Adoyni goes with you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “See you at the finish line.”
“No,” he grinned. “See you at the winner’s circle!”
With that, he stepped back, and she was on her own.
Chapter Five
Anwen’s Race
Stardust understood what was happening and didn’t need urging. He leaped forward to the starting line. Anwen gently leaned to the left, away from Derog and Asra. The gray stallion pulled on the reins, still determined to fight Asra, but Anwen held firm.