Highland Stallion

by Kate Hill

  Moor knelt and picked up a sharp, gore-covered stone. “Slingshot, I’ll wager.”

  “It was,” Inez approached, Canyon on her hip. “A Horseman at the back of the crowd took off after he hit you. Terra’s chasing him.”

  Sophia, trembling with rage, looked at Jacob and Reginald. She didn’t doubt one of them had something to do with the assault on Zach. She shook her head. Maybe not. It could have been anybody who wanted to see the bold, undefeated Highlander fall.

  “Somebody sure didn’t want you to win,” Susana stated as she cleaned the wound and began stitching it while Sophia assisted.

  “You performed well.” The Chieftain’s son rested a hand on Zach’s shoulder. “It’s a shame you won’t be able to finish.”

  “The hell I won’t!”

  “Zach!” Sophia snapped, furious and terrified at the expression gleaming in his eyes.

  “I didn’t come this far to back out!” he snapped, the sharp tips of his ears pressed close to his head. His throat pulsed as much from fury as pain and exertion.

  “You can’t continue,” Susana stated. “The stitches won’t hold and you’ve lost too much blood. You could do yourself serious damage.”

  “It’s settled.” The Chieftain’s son straightened and glanced at the two remaining Highlanders. “Hitch up and the two of you will finish.”

  “I said I’m still in!” Zach snarled.

  “We can’t delay the competition much longer.”

  “Just give her time to finish wrapping my leg and I’ll be ready.”

  “Five minutes. No longer.”

  “I should refuse to help you!” Susana said. “You’re being a damn fool.”

  “Zach, if you do this, I’ll make you regret it!” Sophia said through clenched teeth. Her throat ached with unshed tears. What the hell was wrong with him!

  Hoofbeats sounded in the distance, and moments later, Terra cantered across the field. Beside him, trying desperately to keep up in spite of an injured leg, stumbled a lean, young Horseman. The youth sported a black eye and split lips.

  “Take him for questioning!” Terra said as he thrust his captive at two of Gray Rock’s guards. Trembling, the prisoner glanced at Terra with a combination of fear and anger. The black-haired Horseman curled his lip at him and continued, “Next time you want to strike and run, make sure there are no Fighting Carriers around, fool.”

  Susana finished bandaging Zach’s leg.

  “Don’t do this!” Sophia clutched Zach’s chest, her fingers biting into muscle slick with blood and sweat.

  He grasped her upper arms and stared into her eyes, yet his voice was soft when he spoke. “Don’t ask me to submit to this, Sophia. Please.”

  She drew a trembling breath, gave his chest a final squeeze, and stepped away.

  “Aren’t you going to at least yell at him some more?” Susana’s eyes widened.

  Sophia shook her head. “It’s his sweat and his blood. He knows what he’s capable of.”

  “As a healer, I need to tell you again, Zach. What you’re doing is foolish and dangerous.”

  “Thanks for your help, Susana.” He nodded before meeting Sophia’s eyes. His lips parted, as if he was about to speak. Instead, he turned back to the field.

  Sophia’s legs felt almost too weak to support her as she followed her friends to where her parents waited beneath the tree.

  “Don’t tell me he’s going to continue?” Loretta looked horrified.

  With tears in her eyes, Sophia nodded.

  “Crazy.” Mel shook his head. He actually appeared worried.

  Zach, Reginald, and Jacob stood side by side, focused on the field. The interruption had given the other Horsemen further rest while Zach had only gotten pain and blood loss out of it. Sophia prayed the others weren’t too rejuvenated. She doubted Zach would last through many more pulls.

  At a signal from the Chieftain, they moved forward. The crowd was more silent than usual. The Horsemen’s panting breaths and thudding hooves sounded across the field. By the time they reached the end of the field, fresh blood soaked the bandage on Zach’s leg.

  More stone blocks were piled atop the sledges before the Highlanders made another trek. A flush stained Zach’s high cheekbones and man-chest as he pulled, yet when he stopped, his flesh turned pale from pain. Reginald and Jacob watched him from the corners of their eyes. The brief rest did little when faced with such heavy loads. During the next pull, Reginald paused before reaching the end of the field. He groaned and gasped as he tried finishing, but stumbled to his knees, unable to move the sledge again.

  Zach and Jacob, their every slow movement revealing the pain flooding their massive muscles, reached the end. Both Highlanders’ breathing was ragged. Zach leaned forward. For a second Sophia thought he was going to drop, but his equine legs remained solid.

  Her fists clenched so tightly her nails cut into her palms. She prayed one of them, either Zach or Jacob, would give out. At least then the damn contest would be over.

  Halfway through the next pull, both Highlanders stopped, their breathing thunderous in the quiet. They glared at each other, their ears pinned and teeth gritted. Simultaneously they leaned into their harnesses and edged forward. Blood spurted through Zach’s bandage in pulses, spraying the blades of grass by his hooves.

  “Why doesn’t somebody stop them?” Loretta whispered, more to herself than to anyone else.

  Sophia thought the same. There should be some rule that states an injured Horseman cannot compete, no matter what he wants!

  Zach’s eyes were nearly closed beneath his tightly furrowed brow. Just raising his hooves seemed to be an impossible effort. White lather shone on his rich brown coat. Judging by his profusely bleeding leg, it would be moments before he lost consciousness.

  “It’s the mines,” Moor murmured. “He always said nobody, human or Horseman, would break him.”

  “He’s just going to break himself,” Sophia whispered. Inez gently squeezed her arm, but she couldn’t look at her friend. Her eyes were fixed on Zach.

  He was three-quarters of the way up the field, Jacob matching him step for step. Suddenly Jacob stopped. Growling with rage, his gray coat dark with sweat, he yanked at his harness until he dropped to his knees. He watched, panting, from the grass as Zach dragged his load to the end.

  Seconds after the Chieftain’s son pronounced him the winner, he collapsed.

  * * * * *

  “Zach?” Sophia’s voice reached him through the blackness. A soft hand caressed his face.

  He opened his eyes and found himself staring into Sophia’s large, worried ones.

  “Sophia,” he murmured, pushing himself to a sitting position. His body ached, especially his right foreleg. He moved it gingerly, noting a fresh bandage had been applied. The scent of herbal ointment hung heavy in the air. He lay on the floor in a private room in the tack house at Gray Rock, a pillow beneath his head and a blanket partially covering his equine-half.

  Sophia handed him a mug of water. He took a long sip, suddenly realizing he was very thirsty and hungry, too.

  “A couple of the other Highlanders helped move you here after you fainted.”

  “Fainted?” He curled his lip. “I’ve never fainted in my life.”

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything!” she snapped.

  He felt a twinge of surprise. “Why are you so angry?”

  “You almost bled to death, you dope! All for a damn pulling contest!”

  “Not just for the contest! They tried to cheat me out of what’s mine, and I don’t mean the money, either!”

  “Are you ever going to stop living in the mines?”

  His jaw set. “You don’t understand.”

  “No, I don’t! Your life is worth more to me than a damn contest or pride or anything else!” She turned away, unable to stifle a sob.

  “Sophia,” he murmured, pushing himself to his feet and taking her in his arms. He’d been so sure he wanted to win, but knowing he’d hur
t her soured the victory. “I’m sorry.”

  She held him tightly for a moment, then nodded, stepping away and wiping her eyes. “It was Jacob. He hired that other Horseman to injure his fiercest competition towards the end, if it looked like he might not win on his own.”

  “Fine sportsmanship,” Zach said bitterly.

  “Even with that, he still couldn’t beat you.”

  Was that a note of pride in her voice?

  “I’m going to withdraw from the next couple of contests,” he said. Her pleased expression was worth the disappointment he felt. He wanted to compete, but without proper rest, his performances would suffer, and he wanted to spend more time with Sophia. They’d just gotten married and deserved a holiday.

  She flung him a skeptical look. “You mean it?”

  “I promise.”

  She slipped her arm through his as they left the tack house. “By the way, my father thinks you’re the best puller ever.”

  Zach grinned. “I’m flattered.”

  “You should be.” She gazed up at him. “Even though it’s true.”

  Hearing that from her and seeing the love and awe in her eyes meant more than winning any contest. Sophia was the greatest prize he could ever have hoped for.

  Chapter Eight

  The Lord of Eagle Crest

  Winter came early that year. Snow covered the fields and ice glittered on the lake behind Zach and Sophia’s cottage. Zach had refrained for competing in any competitions for the entire month after his dangerous victory in Gray Rock. He spent his days working around the cottage and making plans with Sophia for farming. As the weather grew colder, he returned to training again, as he planned to enter more pulling contests over the winter and well into spring.

  Sophia, having Zach home and safe, had never been happier. Still, she knew he wouldn’t avoid the contests forever, and she didn’t want him to. Not while the desire still burned in his blood.

  One morning, when a fresh layer of snow covered the ground and the sun peeked through the billowy clouds, Sophia, bundled in her long woolen robe, left her sewing to find Zach.

  She didn’t need to search long. In the field behind the cottage, he pulled a loaded sledge through snow that reached his equine knees. He sported his full-coat, a layer of short, dense hair that a Horseman sprouted at will over his head and man-torso to protect him from severe weather. Rather than appearing ugly, there was a certain wild beauty to a full-coated Horseman. Sophia thought Zach looked particularly stunning with his powerful muscles, both equine and human, covered in the sleek, dark brown coat.

  As she approached, Zach turned to her wearing a gentle smile, his eyes glistening. A streak of white hair ran down the length of his nose and covered the tip, a startling contrast with the dark brown hair covering the rest of his face.

  “I think the fair in the tropics next week will actually be a welcome change after all this snow,” Sophia said.

  “I’d rather have the cold, but it’s a small fair and will be good to get me started again.”

  “You’ve missed competing, haven’t you?” She placed a gloved hand on his chest. His full-coat cushioned the hard muscles beneath as she stroked him.

  “Some parts of it. Other parts I haven’t missed at all.” He drew her into his arms. “Sophia, I’d like to wait one more year before starting the farm.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m going to compete as often as I can during that time then completely retire from the fairs at the end. By then I’ll have earned enough money not only to start the farm well, but to support us for many years.”

  She sighed, her fingers gripping his chest. “You won’t want to quit, Zach. Don’t lie to me and to yourself.”

  “I didn’t say I’d quit pulling, just competing. I’m not a fool, Sophia. Youth and strength doesn’t last forever. I want to quit while I’m in my prime and leave this sport with the dignity I brought into it. Then I want to spend the rest of my life with you, hopefully raising a family.”

  Sophia gazed into his soft yet powerful eyes and knew he told the truth.

  “All right, Zach.” She rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. One more year. After placing such a limit on himself, she shuddered to think of what that year might hold both for Zach and for her.

  “Would you like to go for a ride?” he asked.

  “I’d love it.” Riding Zach was almost as much fun in the winter as in the summertime. The heat of his body kept her warm and the frozen world below looked like a scene in a fairytale.

  “I’ll pull the sledge back and get out of this harness then we can go.”

  Sophia hurried back to the house where she changed into trousers, boots, and a woolen shirt. Slipping on her cloak, she headed for the barn where Zach was hanging up his harness.

  He knelt for her to mount. Settling onto his back, Sophia slipped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She rested her cheek against his man-back, enjoying the feeling of his full-coat against her skin.

  “Comfortable?” he asked.

  “I’m always comfortable on you.”

  She felt him lurch forward as he left the barn. His gait evened out as he picked up speed, his massive hooves sending snow flying around them before he spread his wings and rose in the chilly air.

  Sophia gazed at the frosty forest and the snowy meadows. People, appearing tiny as insects, skated on the frozen creek.

  “Want to visit Ma and Pa?” Sophia asked.

  “Would they mind us dropping in, literally, I mean?” He glanced over his shoulder and winked.

  “I doubt it!”

  Zach turned in a wide circle, heading for Mel and Loretta’s cottage at Midnight Cove, a coastal village a hundred miles west.

  Snow began falling as they landed. Sophia remained snug on Zach as he plowed through the drifts, approaching her parents’ cottage.

  “That’s strange,” Sophia said. “The curtains are drawn.”

  “Should we knock?” Zach asked.

  “Of course. How else can we find out if they’re home, though in this weather I can’t imagine where else they’d be.”

  Zach paused at the door and tapped on it.

  “Oh, damned by the Gods!” Mel growled from inside.

  “Pa?” Sophia shouted, concerned. “Is everything okay in there?”

  “Hurry!” Loretta said, her voice a harsh whisper. “Mel, put your trousers on!”

  “I’m doing that, woman! Once every six months we get in this position and look what happens? Who the hell travels a hundred miles in the middle of winter?”

  Sophia felt herself blushing. Zach glanced at her over his shoulder and raised a bushy eyebrow, visible in spite of his full-coat. “I told you we should have sent a message first.”

  “How was I supposed to know they still…you know!” she whispered. “I thought they were too old.”

  “Old?” Zach curled his lip. “Hell, I hope when I’m your father’s age, I’m not yet ready to be put to pasture. And you know, this is like getting him back for that time in the barn.”

  “Let’s go, Zach.” She nudged him with her knees.

  He turned and took two steps before Mel flung the door open, Loretta by his side. Both looked a bit disheveled.

  “What a nice surprise!” Loretta smiled.

  “Yes,” Mel said. “Did we miss your message?”

  “Mel!” Loretta elbowed him in the ribs. “They don’t need to send a message before visiting us.”

  “Sophia wanted to come,” Zach said.

  “Coward!” Sophia muttered under her breath.

  “Would you like something to eat? I’ve been cooking a marvelous stew all morning.”

  “No, thank you,” Zach said, though Sophia had heard his man-belly grumbling for the last half hour. “I’m going to talk to your Chieftain and find out if there will be any fairs in Midnight Cove this spring.”

  “Competing again, hey, boy?” Mel’s expression brightened with interest.
<
br />   “You must be careful, Zach.” Loretta looked worried. “Those contests are so dangerous.”

  “You just happened to see a bad one,” Zach reassured her. “Usually you don’t get hit with a slingshot while pulling.”

  Mel stepped aside. “Come on in. It was a long flight from Hornview.”

  “We didn’t want to interrupt,” Sophia said, then wished she’d bitten her tongue.

  “Nonsense.” Loretta beckoned them inside. Sophia dismounted, her head still spinning a bit from the ride. It always took her a few minutes to adjust to walking on her own two legs after a flight.

  “I’m just going to cool down a little first and change to Huform before I track my dirty hooves onto your carpet,” Zach said.

  “I’ll take a walk with you.” Mel reached for his cloak. “I can use some fresh air, and we can talk about your competitions this year. You know, I heard about a new puller from Sunset Ridge who’s supposed to be good…”

  Sophia smiled, shaking her head as the men’s voices faded. She joined her mother in setting the table.

  “I thought maybe he’d decide not to return to the contests after all,” Loretta said.

  “I knew it was only a matter of time, but he said he’s only going to compete for another year, then we’ll start our farm.”

  “Hmm.” Loretta cast her daughter a knowing look. “And you believe him? I remember how, twenty years ago, your father said he’d stop breaking and training true-horses. Here we are with a stable full of them.”

  “I thought you liked horses, Ma?”

  “I do, but sometimes I think it would be nice for us to have freedom and not worry about all those animals. And working with the wild ones can be so dangerous. Still, your father won’t have it any other way and I respect his desire to keep at it.”

  “That’s how I feel about Zach. I know he won’t stop pulling, but if he tells me no more competing, I believe him.”

  “I suppose a young man like him still feels he has much to prove, if not to everyone else, then to himself. I just hope he’s careful. I’m sure Jacob isn’t the only Horseman jealous enough to stop at nothing to see him defeated.”