Page 175 of Wind Rider

“She keeps showing me terrible pictures. She doesn’t want us to go, and I don’t want to leave our Herd and my family. Oh, River, I wouldn’t have to if you would just grant Clayton the right to begin another branch of Magenti.”

River stopped braiding Ghost’s mane and took Skye’s cold hands in hers. She looked into the girl’s eyes and spoke slowly and clearly.

“I will never allow Clayton to carry our Herd’s name. And if he causes any kind of trouble I will hand him over to the Mare Council and tell them everything. I will tell them how he’s purposefully, spitefully sowndiscontent for years. I will tell them that he planned to fragment our Herd.I will tell them he was willing to kill a stallion and a Lead Mare Rider.”

Skye paled—she knew what that meant. The Mare Council was fair and merciful. They were also, every one of them, women who had served as Lead Mare Riders to their Herds, and when they learned a stallion Rider had been willing to murder one of their own, their retribution would be swift and brutal. Clayton would not live to see another sunrise.

“So, you need to be wise,” River continued. “Clayton will pay the consequences of his poor choices and, sadly, so will his stallion. I hope that your coming to me means that you will make a wiser choice.”

Skye pulled her hands from River’s. “You don’t understand, because you don’t love anyone.”

“That’s a lie. I love many people and horses. I love my Anjo, Ghost, Echo, April’s Deinos, and others. I love my mother, my sisters, my friends. Most important, I love my Herd. Do not believe for one instant that just because I have never fallen in love I do not understand love.”

“Then you should understand why I’ll be leaving with Clayton. I love him.”

“That’s not love, Skye. That’s need or obsession or even manipulation. Love doesn’t require you to betray your ideals. You said you’re not strong, but you could be—one step at a time. You took the first one coming to warn me tonight. Take the next by not following Clayton.”

Skye stood. “I need to leave. I’ve done what I had to do. You’ve been warned. My debt to you and to Ghost has been paid. If you repeat anything I told you, even if it’s to the Mare Council, I’ll deny it.” Then Skye hurried from River’s tent.

Anjo and Ghost lifted their heads the moment she was gone.

It seems she forgot we were here, too.Anjo’s voice was tinged with sarcasm.The Mare Council will always believe a Lead Mare and her Rider.

“Skye knows how idle her threats are. She just sees me through her own weakness. I don’t think she believes that I’ll survive the Run, and if I do she can’t imagine me standing against Clayton.”

Skye is very wrong.

Ghost snorted in disgust, then River moved aside so that both horses could stand. The stallion turned to her and rested his head against her chest.

Ghost will not let you down. He will be Herd Stallion by the end of today.

“I know he will, and he won’t have to cheat to win,” said River.

Never!said her mare.

“Never,” repeated River.

Ghost lifted his head and neighed a challenge.

“That probably woke up the entire herd,” said River as she smiled and stroked Ghost’s golden neck.

It is a stallion’s job to alert his Herd to coming danger.

“Yes, it is,” River said as she gazed into his intelligent eyes. “And it’s the Lead Mare Rider’s job to listen and heed his warning. That is exactly what I’m going to do today.”

***

“Are you sure you want to carry that extra weight?” April asked one last time before they left the tent to join the line of stallions and Riders waiting for sunrise and the signal for the Run to begin.

“I weigh half of what some of those other Riders weigh. And Anjo says Ghost isn’t bothered by the saddle pack at all,” River said, tying the last loop of the pack onto the back of Ghost’s saddle pad. “Also, I have no idea what Clayton is planning, so I need to be ready.” She patted the saddlebag that she’d filled with a water skin, dried fruit for her, and grain for Ghost—as well as an assortment of survival tools, like a knife, bandages, a leather throwing strap, and several light spears that were the perfect size to fit inside the pack, and a light blanket that rolled neatly and was easily strapped to the pack, along with everything she might need to make a fire. Lastly, she wrapped a lasso rope loosely around the wooden part of the saddle they called a horn.

“I still think you should call Clayton out before the Run. Tell Jasper. He’s still Herd Stallion Rider until sunset. It’s his job to keep our Herd safe, and that means especially our Lead Mare Rider. He could take himinto custody until the Mare Council can decide what to do about his treachery.” April spoke in sentences clipped with anger.

“No. I’m handling it my way. I’m going to face him and beat him—and then,beaten,he will leave our Herd. His followers will all know he is not good enough to be our Herd Stallion Rider. Maybe that will wake some of them up. Maybe not. But either way Clayton needs to be defeated—publicly.”

“Anjo’s okay with this?” April asked, stroking the silver mare’s neck.

“Anjo and Ghost are in complete agreement with me. Clayton needs to be taught a lesson, and then he needs to leave Magenti forever.” River pulled her sister into her arms and hugged her tightly. “Trust me. Trust Ghost.”