by Kate Hill
Terra had explained the race last night in the barn. The length was forty miles, twenty on land, twenty in the air. The terrain ranged from grass to gravel rimming the canyon. The flight followed the river back to the fairground. Carriers ran and flew at incredible speeds, so the race rarely took longer than thirty minutes, even for the slowest competitor. While galloping, no Horseman was allowed to use his wings, so judges were posted at different points along the course to ensure that no one cheated or took a shortcut while flying. The judges worked in pairs, a human with a Horseman, to ensure speedier returns to the finish line so the winner could be announced with little delay.
Lyon glared at Terra as their group approached the starting line. Terra’s fiery blue eyes fixed on the roan, and the other racer turned away.
Standing by a large rock, Terra began stretching his shoulders and wings while Inez wrapped his legs. Other racers joined them at the starting post, walking, stretching, and staring at the competition.
The tension around here is thick enough to slice with a hatchet. Carriers were high-strung creatures by nature, so different from Highlanders. He noted that even Terra, usually sensible and disciplined, revealed the competitive nature of his kind. His eyes continuously swept the field and his jaw was set. A light sweat misted his forehead and equine coat. Some of the other Carriers were drenched as their hooves danced nervously on the grassy field.
“That’s him. Gael. The one who’s come for Terra.” Sophia nodded towards a tall, well-muscled blond Horseman with a sleek golden coat.
Zach raised an eyebrow. The others hadn’t rivaled Terra in size or physique, but Gael looked like he could have been a Fighting Carrier himself. He was certainly all racer. Terra and Gael already held each other’s gaze. Gael’s teeth gritted and he pressed his ears close to his head as he nodded in Terra’s direction.
Terra pinned his ears. Inez, who sat on his back, braiding his hair to keep it from distracting him during the race, whispered something to her husband. A tense smile tugged at Terra’s lips and Zach had the feeling at that moment only Inez could have drawn any semblance of amusement from him.
Once his grooming was complete, Terra kissed Inez on the mouth and she joined Zach and Sophia.
“Gael looks like good competition,” Sophia murmured.
“Could be.” Inez placed her hands on her hips. “He’d better be to even keep up with Terra.”
Several moments passed and the competitors grew more anxious. Zach hoped the Highlanders weren’t as touchy before the pulling started.
Hornview’s Chieftain, a stout, gravel-voiced man, stood in the center of the racers and held up his hands for attention. “The last pair of judges was a little late. We’re just giving them a few more minutes to reach their post then we can begin.”
Several of the Racers grumbled. Terra glanced at his wife and friends and raised his eyes to heaven, his tail swishing. In annoyance, he struck one of his back hooves into the rock behind him.
Moments later, the Chieftain roared, “Take your places!”
Zach wasn’t even competing, but his heart throbbed with excitement. He could understand Terra’s obsession with racing.
The Horsemen who were racing lined up. Terra stood without moving a muscle. Like Gael, his ears were still pinned. The black Horseman and the gold exchanged a fierce look before focusing their attention on the field ahead.
“Go!” roared the Chieftain.
The Horsemen bolted, their legs swallowing ground, their wings pressed close to their sides.
“I wish I could see the whole race!” Inez said, her eyes brilliant and her fists clenched.
“I can fly you to the halfway mark, if you want to see his takeoff,” Zach told her. By cutting across the course and flying while the Carriers galloped, he would be able to beat them to the takeoff point, even with his slower speed.
Inez’s eyes widened. “Would you?”
“It’d be my pleasure. Ladies.” Zach knelt so they could mount him easily.
“Are you sure you don’t mind taking the two of us?” Sophia asked.
He laughed. “As if both of you together weigh anything.”
“That’s one the best things about Highlanders,” Sophia told Inez as they slipped onto his back. “They can lug just about anything.”
Sophia slid her arms around his chest, hugging him as he galloped and took off. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Inez holding Sophia’s waist. “Everybody all right?”
“Fine. You fly smoothly for a Highlander!” Inez shouted.
He laughed. “Thank you, I think!”
Zach flew as quickly as possible while not extending himself. He wanted to be fresh for the pulling competition later. They arrived in plenty of time. Several judges stood, watching for the racers. Zach landed on a cliff close to the rim of the canyon where the competitors would pass before going airborne.
The sound of hooves echoed in the distance.
“There they are!” Sophia said, pointing to three Horsemen galloping over the gravel. Terra and Gael raced side by side, their coats gleaming in the sunlight. Each took enormous strides, the muscles in their bodies rippling and bunching as they seemed to fly across the trail, though their wings remained immobile at their sides. Several lengths behind them, Lyon ran hard, attempting to catch them, though Zach guessed if both Gael and Terra were able to keep their insane pace, the roan wouldn’t have a chance. None of the other Carriers were anywhere in sight.
“Gael’s fast,” Sophia murmured. “He’s keeping up with Terra.”
Inez said, “I’m not familiar enough with Gael to tell if he’s extending himself yet, but I know Terra’s holding back.”
“He is?” Zach wrinkled his nose. Both Terra and Gael’s legs seemed to blur, their speed was so great.
“There he goes now!” Inez’s excitement sounded in her voice.
As they neared the canyon, Terra’s strides lengthened to impossible measures. He pulled ahead of Gael, whose teeth gritted as he pushed himself to keep up with Terra. To the blond Horseman’s credit, he stayed with his rival for several seconds. As they ran past Zach and the women, Terra leapt ahead, stretching toward the blue flag planted a short distance away, symbolizing the halfway mark. As soon as he passed the flag, his massive black wings extended. He rose with stunning speed, Gael following and Lyon trailing both.
“Here come the others.” Sophia pointed at the rest of the competitors who galloped into view.
“If we want to see the finish, we better go now,” Zach said. Even taking the shortcut, he hoped they’d make it back to the fairground in time to see the end.
Zach took off, using his wings even though the wind was with them. He called, “This is exciting. I think Terra will win!”
“He will!” Inez said. “Unless he tries to be too much of a show-off and sprains a leg or wing again.”
“Terra, a show-off? How can you say such a thing about your husband!” Sophia teased.
The women laughed and a smile tugged at Zach’s lips. Terra was on the conceited side, but he had reason to be. He was a damn good Carrier.
They landed just as a single Horseman approached in the distance. Zach wasn’t surprised to see Terra descending. His time was startling. By the expressions on the faces of several onlookers, he wasn’t the only one impressed. Terra had completed the forty-mile course in under thirteen minutes! The crowd cheered and screamed as he landed across the finish line. Drenched in sweat and panting, he wore a pleased smile. Inez slid off Zach’s back and launched herself into Terra’s arms.
Henry from the blacksmith shop hurried to Terra to congratulate him. He asked, “Where are the others?”
“Somewhere back there,” Terra gasped. “I lost Gael at Swan Isle.”
Swan Isle was a tiny island in the center of the lake roughly five miles away from the fairground.
Though he couldn’t be proclaimed the winner until all the judges made their reports, there was no doubt Terra had performed honestly.
&n
bsp; Moments later, Gael appeared, Lyon behind him. The blond landed before the bald Horseman, both breathing hard, dripping wet and shooting scathing looks in Terra’s direction. Zach’s brow furrowed. What terrible sportsmanship among the racing Horsemen. His thoughts changed, however, when several moments later the others landed, shrugging at their losses and offering congratulations to the lead Horsemen.
Several members of the Chieftain’s personal guard kept the crowd from drifting too close to the racers as they walked in wide circles to cool down while they waited for the judges’ arrival.
Several minutes later, the judges flew in and reported that all the competitors had raced fairly. The Chieftain announced Terra’s win, including a prize of two hundred silver pieces as well as a new saddle for Gathering. Gael also received a saddle for second place and Lyon his choice of grooming supplies or a cloak. The crowd roared again for the winners and many people approached Terra and the others to offer congratulations.
Finally the group disbursed. Gael stepped up to Terra and extended his hand. “Good race.”
Terra accepted his handshake. “You, too. For a while I thought you had me.”
Gael grinned. “So did I. Maybe we’ll meet again.”
“Maybe. Enjoy the rest of the fair.”
Perhaps Zach had misjudged Gael after all. He needed to remember that racing horsemen were quite different from the Horsemen he was accustomed to in the mines, and different from his own family—at least what he could remember of them.
Terra wiped sweat from his eyes. “I have to finish cooling down if I don’t want to miss the pulling competition.”
“Speaking of that, I need to make sure my gear is in order,” Zach said. He offered Sophia his hand. “Come with me?”
She smiled as she slid her hand in his and squeezed. “I’ll follow you anywhere.”
“Anywhere. Really?” Zach winked. “I like the sound of that.”
Together they strolled across the field to his sledge.
* * * * *
Sophia drew a deep breath, her gaze fixed on Zach who stood in the field along with the five other Highlanders competing that day. Inez and Terra joined her beneath the willow tree.
“He looks focused,” Terra observed.
Zach did appear calm and ready as he stood, harnessed to a sledge piled with logs.
“He’s practiced very hard,” Sophia said, not taking her gaze from Zach.
Her stomach fluttered at the sight of him, so tall and powerful, even among other Highlanders. He was positioned next to Frederick, an auburn-haired Horseman with a chestnut coat. While Frederick was more thickly built for his height, his physique wasn’t quite as stunning as Zach’s whose proportions, both human and equine, were perfect. His long brown hair was fastened at his nape with a silver clip Sophia had given him as a good-luck present before the competition. His tail was braided and tied with a strip of leather and his velvety brown coat had been brushed until it gleamed. Sophia believed he was by far the handsomest Horseman at the entire fair.
The Chieftain of Gull Cape, an older gray-haired Horseman with a pale coat, was in charge of the pulling contest. He bellowed the rules for the crowd to hear. The Horsemen would all pull the same weight up the length of the field. More weight would then be added and they would pull it back. A group of humans and Horsemen waited at each end of the field to add more logs to each sledge. The Horseman who pulled the most weight the furthest would win, taking the prize of a new wagon.
Sophia watched as all five Horsemen completed the first pull. She felt excited, though not anxious, knowing the initial weight would be nothing to Zach. She watched as more logs were added. Thus far, none of the Horsemen seemed affected by their burdens.
While the pullers waited for more logs to be added to their sledges, Sophia became aware of the crowd of onlookers. James, Simon and Emma leaned on a nearby fence. The boy wore an awed grin as he watched the Highlanders. Simon’s arms were folded across his chest, his lip curled in spite of the interest in his eyes as he observed the competitors. Emma glanced in Sophia’s direction and smiled. Sophia returned the gesture and was about to call hello when a female voice to her right nabbed her attention.
“I’ve never seen him before,” said a tall, red-haired woman to her shorter, blonde companion. Sophia noted both women’s gazes fixed on Zach.
“Neither have I,” said the blonde. “I surely would have remembered a stallion like that.”
The women exchanged lusty looks and giggled.
“Gods, his chest and arms are fine,” continued the redhead, “and his beast-half is magnificent, too, if you like that sort of thing.”
Pride and jealousy quickened Sophia’s heartbeat.
“I wonder if he’s free?” The blonde stroked her hair and moistened her lips with her tongue.
Sophia leaned near to them and forced a smile. “No, he’s taken.”
“Oh.” The redhead shrugged and the pair continued watching the field in silence, their gazes still fixed on Zach.
Inez nudged Sophia and said, “Get used to it. When you mate with an uncommonly attractive Horseman, it happens all the time.”
Sophia grinned, relaxing a bit. Being married to a striking Fighting Carrier like Terra, Inez was an expert at repelling lust-ridden females. Not that she needed to. Terra only seemed to notice her and made his devotion plain. Sophia hoped Zach would do the same.
Her attention riveted to the field as the third pull began. A black Highlander to Zach’s left seemed to lag behind, and on the fourth try at pulling, he faltered halfway through his pull. He managed to lug it to the end, but dropped out after, leaving four on the field.
Sophia’s belly tightened as she squinted against the sunlight shining through the trees. She stood close enough to Zach, Frederick, and the others to see their coats darkening with sweat. The heat had intensified, even since the race, and she hoped the competition would be over fast, if not for Zach’s sake then for her own. She felt nervous enough to jump out of her skin.
Two more pulls and another Horseman surrendered, leaving only Zach, Frederick, and a short but sturdy gray Highlander. Sophia felt like wincing as the loaders, looking nearly as hot as the pullers, dropped more logs on the three sledges.
She glanced at each Horseman’s face as he worked. The gray’s brow furrowed and he grunted as he pulled while Frederick and Zach plodded along as if they were on a pleasure hike. At the end of the pull, the gray left the field, shaking his head and glancing at the last two competitors.
Sophia wondered how many more logs the sledges could hold. They might give out long before the Highlanders did.
For the first time, Frederick and Zach exchanged looks before they pulled. When they reached the end, Frederick’s chest heaved and lather rolled off his reddish coat while Zach’s breathing was even and beads of clear sweat trickled down man-torso and his dark equine chest and hindquarters.
Frederick glanced over his shoulder as two more logs were added to his sledge and Zach’s.
Sophia’s fists clenched as the Highlanders leaned into their harnesses. These were by far the heaviest loads she’d seen pulled at any of the local fairs, even more than Frederick had won with last year. The Horsemen’s great muscles bulged as they walked the length of the field. At the end, Frederick panted while Zach drew deep, even breaths. Sophia noticed a half-smile playing around his lips and she grinned. He’d said he was going to win and she hated to admit there were times she’d doubted him.
The loaders piled on more logs and at a signal from Gull Cape’s Chieftain, the Horsemen shifted their weight forward, their massive hooves lifting. They walked together for several feet, then Frederick paused, grunting as he struggled against his load. His auburn hair clung wetly to his forehead. Veins and tendons bulged beneath his human skin and equine coat. Slowly he moved after Zach who had nearly reached the end of the field.
Sophia tried to keep from laughing as Zach moved closer, the overburdened sledge behind him. He winked at her, hi
s perspiration-slicked lashes matted around his glistening eyes. At the end, he stopped, his sleek coat and muscled man-torso gleaming. His muscles stood out hard and defined, the image of male perfection, a stallion in every sense of the word.
In the middle of the field, Frederick shook his head and unfastened his harness. He stood, leaning forward a bit as he panted for several moments.
Sophia felt ready to explode with pride as she waited for the Chieftain to announce Zach as the winner and new owner of a very fine wagon.
The crowd cheered.
“Can I go tell Zach he did good?” Sophia heard James ask.
“Do what you want!” Simon growled before stalking off, his expression sour.
“Go ahead,” Emma told her son, “but hurry. It’s time for lunch and you know your father doesn’t like waiting.”
Sophia approached the mother and son, greeting them with a smile. “Come on, James,” she said. Both wound their way through the crowd already forming around Zach. Sophia flung her arms around him and he lifted her, holding her close to his hot, slick body as he kissed her.
“I’m so proud of you!” She covered his face with kisses, not minding at all the salty taste of his perspiration.
“I knew you’d win, Zach!” James grinned.
“Thanks, little one.” Zach winked at the boy, ruffling his hair with one hand as he lowered Sophia to the ground with his opposite arm.
“James!” Emma called from somewhere in the crowd.
“Got to go.” James slipped away just as Terra and Inez pushed their way through the people offering congratulations.
“Excellent work!” Terra clapped Zach on his man-back. “You don’t know how much money you just won for me.”
“How much did you bet?” Inez’s brow furrowed.