Page 87 of Wind Rider

Alone on the return trek, River concentrated on her filly, being sure Anjo was gathering herself correctly so that she wouldn’t strain a misused muscle, or twist a leg.

They challenge.

Anjo’s warning came just before the noise of sucking mud and laboring breath told River a rider was coming up beside them. She glanced to her left to see Bard gaining ground on them.

This is stupid,River thought.His stallion is way too tired for games.

Then River heard the cheers.

“Pass her, Clayton!”

“Go for it, Bard!”

“Beat her!”

They have chosen the wrong horse to cheer.Anjo’s voice blasted through River’s mind, and she took a deeper seat, gripping her filly’ssweat-and-mud-slick sides with her thighs as excitement bubbled up from within her.

“We’re fresher, younger, and a lot less foolish. Let’s lead by example, perfect girl.Do not let Bard beat us to the end of the trap!”

It was as if River’s words had broken a dam, and strength poured throughout the filly’s body. River could feel it pulse against her skin as Anjo’s muscles worked.

Bard had pulled up beside them. River didn’t so much as glance his way.

“Just stay with me! You and me—we can give them a great show!” Clayton said.

River didn’t look at him. Instead she said, “When are you going to learn I mean what I say? I amnothere for your show.” She bent low over Anjo’s neck and urged, “Anjo! Go!”

The filly surged ahead, easily pulling away from the weary stallion and spattering him with mud and sand.

“That’s right, Anjo! Go! Go! Go!” April shouted from the sidelines.

And Anjo went. She pulled one length ahead of Bard, and then another—which is when the cheers for Clayton and Bard began to be drowned out by a tide of voices calling, “Anjo! River! Anjo! River! Anjo! River!”

River still didn’t look around. She was utterly focused on maintaining her balance and riding low so that her filly didn’t have to waste energy correcting her balance or dealing with wind drag.

Suddenly startled gasps came from the crowd. River still didn’t look around, believing the spectators were simply shocked that Anjo was leaving Bard so far behind.

Ghost comes! I will beat him, too.

Ghost! River did glance to the side then. Sure enough, the golden stallion was plowing through the mud. He easily caught and passed Bard, who snorted and squealed his rage, but Clayton’s stallion was simply too tired and could not challenge Ghost.

And then Ghost pulled up beside Anjo. She laid her ears back flat on her head and surged forward, breathing deeply and evenly. River clungto her back, ignoring the shouts from the crowd. She could see the end of the trap between Anjo’s flattened ears—and it was only yards away.

“Go! Anjo! Go! You can do it!” River shouted, and her filly responded with an added burst of speed that left Ghost behind her, mud flying into his face, as Anjo vaulted out of the mud trap—the indisputable winner.

The filly turned to face the slack-mouthed crowd.

Hold tight,she warned River seconds before she reared, pawing the air and trumpeting in victory. River clung to her back, gripping her mane tightly, and finding that she didn’t mind her filly’s display of dominance, especially when she noted that the crowd had grown, and her mother was front and center, smiling proudly and clapping.

Skye was still on her rock, though now standing instead of posing perfectly. River expected the girl to be glowering at her, and she was definitely glowering, but at Ghost, not her. The golden stallion had climbed from the mud trap and joined Anjo, who touched muzzles affectionately with him.

Bard was still several lengths behind them, laboring through the mud and sand. The rest of the exercising horses had paused at the far end of the trap to watch the show.

River threw her arms around Anjo’s neck and hugged her filly. “You are the best, smartest, fastest, strongest horse in the world!”

World? No. Herd? Perhaps,came Anjo’s confident response.

River laughed and sat up. “Ghost, that was quite a race.” She was reaching over to stroke the handsome stallion’s neck when his demeanor abruptly changed.