Page 128 of Wind Rider

River wrapped her hands, and as she did she met the gaze of the agitated mare.

“It’s going to be okay, Blue. Look, Luce is fine. You can feel that she’s calming—you need to calm, too. That’s how you can help her.” While she spoke, River coaxed the image of the purple bubble of warmth toencompass the mare, too, and was relieved when Blue stopped struggling and rested on her knees, breathing hard with her muzzle on the ground as her blood pooled around her.

River cut the last of the vines away from Luce and pulled them from her ankle. “Okay, open your eyes.”

Luce’s eyelids fluttered open. She appeared unfocused and confused for a moment, as if she’d just awakened from a sweet dream—then she sucked in a huge breath and started to bolt to Blue, but River stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

“Hey, we have to be smart about this. Look down.”

Luce did, spotting the entrapping vines where they lay against the earth, waiting to wrap around her feet again.

“River, I’m so sorry. I feel stupid.”

“Don’t. You’re in a lot of pain and Blue has lost a lot of blood. Of course you’re not yourself. Let’s do this together. We’ll get her free.”

Carefully, River picked her way to the fallen mare as Luce walked in her footprints. When they reached Blue Luce went to her head. Even the mare’s muzzle was lacerated and bloody, and Luce pressed her forehead to Blue’s, sobbing and saying, “I’m so sorry—I’m so sorry” over and over.

“Luce, keep her still. I’ll work around her, cutting these vines and unwrapping them. But she needs to hold still. The more she moves, the worse she’s injuring herself.”

Luce sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of the bloody bandage wrapped around her hand. “I can do that. Blue, sweet baby, just be still. I’m here. River is here. She’s going to cut you free. River can do it—you know she can.”

Blue nickered, sounding exhausted but a lot calmer, and River began working her way around the mare. First she’d cut a section of the vines, and then—in one motion—she’d pull it free from the mare’s flesh.

“That’s a good, brave girl, Blue,” River said as she worked. “You’re doing great.”

“You hear her? You hear our River? She says you’re doing great. We’ll be just fine. It’s okay sweet baby—it’s okay…”

Luce continued to speak soothingly to her mare as River worked—and all the while River cut and disentangled the knife-edged thorns from the mare’s skin she also communed with her grandmother’s stones, calling on them to blanket Luce and Blue in serenity.

Finally, River freed the last strand of the deadly vine from around Blue’s rear hock and the mare got shakily to her feet, whinnying softly and nuzzling her Rider.

“There! Do you have any bandages in your saddlebag?” River asked Luce.

“No. I was too arrogant to believe Blue and I would need them, and that makes me feel like a complete fool now.”

“That’s okay. We can cut the rest of these up and bind the worst of her wounds.” River started to put her knife to the remaining bandage strip when Luce’s hand on her wrist stopped her.

“No, I can do that. You get back to Anjo and rejoin the Test. I’ll finish bandaging Blue, and then we’re going to walk slowly back to Bitter Creek and raise my white flag.”

“You’re quitting?”

Luce nodded. “We are. I realize now that Blue and I are not the best team. Remember what you said earlier? That I would’ve done this for you?”

River nodded slowly.

“Well, I’m not sure I would have. But I am sure of one thing. You are the right choice for Lead Mare Rider. Blue and I would follow you anywhere. Now get back to Anjo and win the Test. Your Herd needs you as much as Blue and I just did.” And then Luce bowed to River, crossing her wrists over her heart in the traditional Herd salute to a Lead Mare and Rider.

River’s heartbeat was pounding in her ears, but she returned Luce’s salute by bowing her head in respectful acknowledgment of tribute paid by a member of her Herd, just as she’d watched her mother do for a decade.

“Make your way back slowly,” River said. “You have a water skin, don’t you?”

“We do,” Luce said.

“Drink plenty of it, and share it with Blue. If you brought mash, give her some, too. Both of you have lost a lot of blood. Be safe.”

“You be safe, too. Be strong—be wise—be fast, and I will see you after you cross the finish line—victorious,” Luce said.

River didn’t wait any longer. As quickly as possible she retraced her path back to Anjo. As she rejoined her mare, Anjo snorted and tossed her head.