Page 84 of Wind Rider

River blew out a long breath. “I’m not surprised Ghost dislikes Clayton. He can probably sense how irritating it is that Clayton wouldn’t take myNo I don’t want you—I just want to be friends with youas a true no. Well, that and the fact that Clayton roped and tripped Ghost the first time they met—which definitely wasn’t a good start for them. I do think it’s strange that Clayton so clearly dislikes Ghost, especially when he spouts all that crap about the Riderless stallion heralding change for the Herd. Maybe he thinks I’m bonded to the stallion, which would mean I could compete against him for Rider of the Herd Stallion.”

“But you’re not bonded to Ghost, right?”

“Right. We’re just friends. If he’s bonded to anyone it’s Anjo,” River said.

Anjo raised her head from where she was grazing nearby and nickered softly at her Rider, and River blew her a kiss in return.

“Ghost and Anjo would make gorgeous foals. Can you imagine? Makes me wish Anjo could be bred to him in time to have a weanling for the next Choosing.”

River studied her sister. April was the sister closest in age to her, and at this spring’s Rendezvous she would be sixteen, which made her a first-time Candidate for the Choosing. Over the past year she and River had gotten close, which made River unexpectedly happy as she realized her sister was smart and funny, and very loyal. River needed loyalty—especially with the talk of change that kept being whispered through the Herd.

“Are you nervous already?” River asked her.

“Not yet. More looking forward and anxious for it to hurry and get here, but I know how nervous I’ll be at the Rendezvous, so I don’treallywant it to hurry and get here. Know what I mean?”

“Exactly.”

“So, you think Clayton changed toward you because he’s worried that Ghost can beat Bard in the Run?”

“Ghostcanbeat Bard. I don’t have any doubt about that, but it doesn’t matter. Ghost doesn’t have a Rider. He can’t compete.”

April looked around them, and even though they were alone she lowered her voice. “You know there’s talk about letting him compete.”

“Ghost? That’s impossible.”

“Under the current law, yes. But there’s a whole group who think it’s time to change those laws,” April said.

“I know Clayton’s part of that group, but he’s not going to be for allowing Ghost to compete.” River shook her head. “I wish Mother would shut down the rumors, but she acts like they mean nothing,” she added.

“Maybe because they don’t mean anything. Mother has ruled for almost a decade. She’s wise. She wouldn’t just ignore something that needed to be dealt with. And you know there’s always crazy talk when the Lead MareandHerd Stallion are stepping down in the same year.”

“I know, but it’s still annoying.”

“Hey, you didn’t answer me. Why don’t you want Clayton and Bard to win?”

“I think Bard is a fine stallion—not better than Ghost, and maybe not better than a couple of the other contenders, but that’ll be decided by the race. I don’t want Clayton to be Lead Stallion Rider because he wants to rule,” River said.

“But that’s what a Herd Stallion Rider does.”

“No. Heleadsthe other stallions in service to the Lead Mare and the rest of the Herd. I know Clayton. He doesn’t want to serve the Lead Mare. He wants toruleover her.”

April made a rude noise. “That willneverhappen!”

“And yet Clayton and his supporters, including Skye, who believes she can beat Anjo and me for Lead Mare, follow him—and they’re getting more and more vocal about their desire for change.”

April shook her head. “I don’t get it. Our horses are strong and beautiful. Our people are healthy and prosperous. The Wind Rider lands have been a place of peace for centuries. And it’s not like any other Herd is going to listen to them. I just don’t understand why Clayton and his friends suddenly want change.”

“I don’t think it’s sudden. And I don’t think it’s only happening here, with our Herd. Clayton used to say little things I thought were off, or strange sounding, but when I’d ask him to explain what he meant he’d shrug away his words and change the subject—untilhe returned from Herd Cinnabar last spring. Since then he’s been blatant about his ideas. April, I didn’t start avoiding him just because he was pressuring me to be more than friends. I avoided him because I didn’t like what I heard coming out of his mouth.”

“So, it’ll truly be bad for the Herd if Clayton wins.”

“Yes, truly. Or at least bad for the Herd as we know it,” River said.

“He’ll need a strong mare-and-Rider team to keep him under control. You don’t think Skye and Scout can beat you and Anjo, do you? The Great Mother Mare knows Skye would give in to anything Clayton wanted. I mean, look at them down there,” April said, worrying a long piece of grass between her fingers.

Both girls gazed below. Skye was now perched on a rock at the edge of the mud trap. Even from their high vantage point River could see thatSkye’s strawberry-colored hair was dressed with streams of purple ribbons braided in the same fashion as her filly, Scout. As River watched, Clayton, who was on Bard’s back as the stallion trotted determinedly back and forth along the length of the mud trap, his deep, muscular chest frothy with sweat, shouted something to Skye, and her flirtatious laughter drifted up with the rising steam from the reservoir. Several lengths behind Bard, Scout struggled through the mud, Riderless and ignored.

“Skye’s not the only person who doesn’t ride in the mud trap,” River said.