by Robin Roseau
"You have a lance," he said. "And along the course are various items you collect on your lance. You must collect them all and return to the starting point."
"What sort of items?"
"Anything you could pick up with a lance. Lemons, rings..." he held his hands open to show the size. "Some are on the ground. Some might be hanging from a string. You have a bag to carry them in as you collect them. First one back with everything wins."
"Are you allowed to use your hands?" I asked.
"You won't be able to reach with your hands," he explained.
"Are you?"
"I suppose," he said, sounding confused. That was fine.
I looked at Muranna. This was an event where Zana's agility would be balanced against the larger horse's speed, and it wasn't clear to me which of us would have the advantage. If I were an Arrlottan boy, taught a spear from the day I could walk, this would be no contest. But I was only a stupid girl, or so I told Juleena with some frequency.
"That sounds interesting," I said. "But maybe we could mix it up a little more."
"Oh?"
"No lance, and you have to pick up these things straight from the ground."
"That is not how tent pegging works," he replied immediately.
"Then perhaps a combined event," I suggested. I gestured to the track. "We would begin on the track. We would race perhaps a third of the track, from there to there. We can remove the railing at that point, and then we could engage in our tent pegging event. Your course could be in one direction, and mine in the other. And then we would finish with a run through the barrels, finishing here."
The boy thought about it. The advantage in the barrels was clearly to me, and I thought he knew it. I didn't know who would have the advantage in the middle competition. And, as fast as Zana was, she wasn't a challenge for his horse, and I knew I would spend most of the race trying to catch up.
I could see him considering it. He looked down at his knife. He looked at Muranna. I saw him come to his decision.
"You are lovely, Fine Lady," he said to my friend. "But even your lips are not an equal wager against my knife."
Marlette slowly and deliberately withdrew the pouch of money we had just won. She balanced it in her palm, not saying anything, but she put her hand on her hip and looked up at him.
He made his decision. "Gordie," he yelled. "Run to the market and buy lemons, limes, oranges, whatever they have. Tendo, go with him." Two of the boys immediately turn and ran off. "And get some string, too!" he yelled. One boy waved over his head.
"Bart, ride home and get two lances. Make sure they're identical, or as close to it as you can, and sharp." The boy in question ran to his own horse and took off. "Taro, Miltie, what do you think we can use for poles?"
"They have poles in the stable," Muranna said. "They use them to hold banners. I can show you."
Muranna, Taro, and Miltie headed to the stable. I was left with Thertie. Or whatever his name was. We looked at each other. I wasn't sure what to say.
"Would the queen really lock you in a tower for one kiss?"
"She has forbidden it," I replied. "I would not test her. I will thank you to not test me."
He offered a bow. "A good woman is obedient."
Obedient. Seriously?
It took ten minutes before Muranna returned with the two boys. All three were laughing, and the boys between them carried several long poles. Muranna was nearly buried in loops of rope. They glanced over at us but then proceeded to the opposite end of the track. Thendar and I watched quietly. I watched them lash the poles to the race track railing so that it hung towards the inside, the tip high in the air perhaps six or eight feet from the railing.
"How are we going to tie something to those?"
"You'll see," Thonish replied.
Bart was next to appear. He didn't have two lances; he had four. By then, Thergid and I had climbed from our mounts. Bart rode up and gave all four lances to his friend. He in turn examined them carefully, nodding, then let me examine them.
"Choose first," he said. I picked at random. I didn't intend to use mine, anyway, if I didn't have to.
The last two boys finally returned from the market. Muranna and the boys distributed the oranges and lemons -- no limes -- about the field. That was when I saw how they would secure the ones from the poles. They had tied them in a fashion they could be lowered. They tied string to the pole and used that to suspend the oranges.
"Let us check the height," I said. "Your horse is much larger than Zana, and you are much bigger than I am. It wouldn't be a proper competition if I can't even reach."
"You're right," he agreed. And so we both mounted and took an easy trot. That was when I found the fruit was far higher than I wanted.
"How about this," I said. "They should be just a little too high that if you stand in the stirrups, you can't quite reach. That will surely make them out of my reach."
"Unless you were to stand on the saddle," he said with a grin. "Sure." And so we lowered each of the oranges until he could just barely brush them with his fingertips while standing in the stirrups. When I tried, they were a good foot beyond my reach, although easily tapped with the butt of the lance.
"Perfect," we declared together.
"I made sure both sides are even," Muranna said. "But who is going to take which side? That side is further."
"The first person through the opening chooses," I said.
They had done a good job. The fruit was arranged in a loop, the end of the loop pointed at the top of the line of barrels. I was pretty sure that Thallon would be first through the first part of the race, and I was also pretty sure he'd take the straighter path. It was somewhat further, but both courses involved one hard turn. One route, and the course I wanted, involved a hard turn from the track, around the railing, and to the first of the oranges, hanging from the pole. The second route, the one I though the boy would take, entered nearly straight but had a hard turn around the first barrel. If the boy took that route, I'd have to watch out for him to make sure he didn't overshoot that path so far we collided.
Muranna had two burlap sacks. She handed one up to each of us. I did a slow trot past all the pieces of fruit I'd be collecting, envisioning what I'd do. Then I turned Zana around. The boy was waiting.
"Ready?"
We collected at the beginning of the course. This time, it would be one of the boys to start us. Muranna and the remaining boys were waiting near the end of the course ready to judge the winner. I turned to the boy.
"If this is too close to judge, then we call it a tie."
"Agreed." He held out his hand, and we shook on the agreement.
Ten seconds later, the race was started.
Due to her agility, Zana and I got a faster start, but our clear lead dwindled quickly. We were neck and neck for perhaps three strides, and the boy flashed a grin at me before he yelled to his horse and began to pull ahead. By the beginning of the turn, he was well in front, and we were both able to hug the rail.
Holding the heavy lance in my left hand was only annoying, but I managed to ride while carrying it.
As expected, he beat me to the opening in the railing, but he had to slow dramatically to make the turn into it, and I was at most a length behind as Zana and I did our tightest turn to circle the railing, facing back the way we came.
That was when I threw my lance to the side. I didn't intend to use it. Instead, I asked Zana to adjust her gait, and at just the right moment, I asked her for a jump.
She performed brilliantly, and I wrapped my hand around the first orange, breaking the string holding it in the air. I barely had time to stuff it into the sack before it was time for another jump and another orange in the sack. But our timing was off for the third, and I brought Zana to a hard stop, paused only a second, then stood in the saddle to reach the last orange.
When we turned around, the boy was lancing the second of his ground targets. I sent Zana after the first of ours.
As we app
roached, I lifted my left foot from the stirrup and hung off Zana's right side. I grabbed the orange as we passed it.
I didn't have time to mess with the sack. The orange went down the front of my tunic. I steered Zana to the next and the next, collecting each of them the same way. Then I slowed her, dropped everything into the sack, and went after the last of the ground targets.
By the time we reached the barrels, the boy had rounded his first barrel and was thundering to the second. But our entry was easier, and we were at most behind by a length or so.
We made that up by the third barrel.
With the audience cheering us both on, Zana and I dashed across the finish line perhaps a length or length and a half ahead of the Balstead boy. I slowed Zana, circling around to drop the sack of fruit, then slowed her again, letting her gently come down off her hard race. I leaned over and whispered into her ear, "You're my girl. What a wonderful horse you are."
We trotted over to the finish. Muranna was looking pleased. The Balstead boy had brought his mount to a stop some distance away, his back turned, and I wondered if he was going to be difficult.
As Zana came to a stop, Muranna stepped up and clasped my hand. "That was amazing, Yalla. When you dropped the lance, I was sure it was over." I grinned at her.
* * * *
"I love my new knife," Muranna said that evening. "Thank you for winning it for me." We were both in my bed, but she had the knife with her and was examining it carefully.
Muranna hadn't officially moved into the palace. She still lived with Lady Griffen. But we were as inseparable as two friends could be, and she spent perhaps half her nights with me. It was a very large bed, after all.
"I don't know why you wanted that thing," I said. "It doesn't even fit your hand."
"Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how much this thing is worth?" She flashed it at me and began to describe the fine features.
"I'll keep the one Juleena bought me," I said.
"Three years, and you still have no sense of style. What would you do without me to help you shop?"
I laughed.
Muranna had really wanted the knife. Normally we split everything right down the middle, but of course, there was no way to split the knife. When we had gotten back to the palace, she had offered the knife to me, but I knew she wanted it. Equally as importantly, I didn't. "You keep it," I told her, wrapping her hand around it. "Or we can sell it and split the proceeds."
"I suppose we could do that."
"But you don't want to."
"I can pay you for your half," she offered.
"All right," I said. "I'll take the crowns we won and something else."
"What's that?"
"The kiss you could have paid."
She laughed, and I accepted a sweet kiss on each cheek and a hug to go along with it.
It was later at dinner that I realized something I'd said was true. Ralalta said, "May I see the dagger?"
"What dagger?" I asked.
"The rather ornate new addition to Muranna's belt," the queen said. "And do not play games with me. Have you forgotten? I know everything."
I laughed and Muranna passed the knife across to the queen. She picked it up and examined it critically before handing it to Juleena. Juleena then gave it back to Muranna.
"Very nice," said the queen. "Will you keep it?"
"I like it," Muranna replied. She lowered her eyes. "Are you angry with us, Ralalta?" The queen had long ago given Muranna permission to use her name in private.
"I haven't decided." She looked to me. "What is the limit of wagers I allow?"
"Two hundred crowns."
"And what is the knife worth?"
I smiled. "A kiss and one hundred crowns."
The queen's eyes narrowed at me, but Muranna said quickly, "A kiss from me, not Yalla!"
"I am glad that was clarified," the queen said. "And how do you come to this valuation?"
"That's what we wagered," I said. "And it was a close race."
"So I heard," she said. "You almost lost at your own game."
"A horse race?"
"Suckering an unsuspecting victim."
I shrugged. "It was a good race. We had just won the gold from them, so the most we could lose for the morning were two hair ribbons."
"And the sanctity of my lips," Muranna added.
"Quite so," Ralalta said. "Juleena, do you believe it was a fair wager?"
"Only if the boy was giving Yalla significant odds," was the reply.
"What is the knife worth?"
"New? Five hundred minimum, probably more. Honestly, I don't know. I would never buy something like that."
The queen laughed. "I suppose you wouldn't, and I know my foster daughter eschews such a knife." She turned to Muranna. "Did you have an idea of the knife's value?"
The girl's eyes grew wide, and then she lowered her gaze to the table before she nodded.
"And are you aware of the limits I have placed upon Yalla?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And do you believe the limit excludes you when you are placing a joint wager?"
"No, Your Majesty. Are you going to make me give the knife back?"
"No. We're going to let this play out and see what happens, but if there are repercussions to this wager, the two of you will be paying them."
"It's the boy's fault just as much as theirs," Juleena said. "He certainly knew the value of the knife, and he made a deeply uneven wager."
"Oh, please," said the queen. "These two have half the town wrapped around their little fingers." She sighed. "Although you're right, and it was undoubtedly a good lesson for him as well." She paused. "You two are not to leave the palace without four guards until further notice."
"What?" I screeched.
"Quiet," she ordered. "It's for your own protection. They aren't going to stop you from doing anything foolish, and I trust you won't do anything they will find necessary to tell me, anyway. But if you do anything to lose them, I will be incensed." She paused. "What is it you tell boys who want to kiss you?"
"That you'll lock me in the tower for months."
"That's right, and I will tell you this. If you lose your guards, you will both find yourselves at the top of a tower, and it will not be the same tower, either. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," we both said.
"Good. Juleena, see to it. Four of the Queen's guard."
"Please, Ralalta," I said. "May they be women?"
The queen looked at Juleena, and Juleena nodded. "I'll take care of it," she said.
But that was dinner, and now we were in bed, Muranna admiring her newest acquisition.
"We're a good team," I said.
She glanced over and grinned at me. "We sure are." She moved closer until we were touching up and down our sides as we lay on our backs.
"Were you hoping I'd lose?"
"Why would I want you to lose?"
"Because then you would have had to kiss him. Maybe you were hoping."
She laughed. "No, I wasn't hoping." I looked over, and she was making a face. "But maybe you wish the queen would let you kiss him."
"Not really," I said. "Boys are goofy."
"Dumb," she added.
"Really quite stupid."
"Foolish."
"Easily manipulated."
"We really shouldn't do that," she said. "And yet they always walk away with a smile."
"Except for the ones that hoped for a kiss," I pointed out.
"They're all hoping for a kiss, and a whole lot more than a kiss." She made another face. She rolled away from me to set the knife on the side table and then turned down the lantern on her side. I did the same on mine, and then we rolled back together. But she rolled further until we were cuddled together, her head on my shoulder. Neither of us said anything for a while.
"Have you ever seen a man naked?" she asked.
"Of course," I said. "Haven't you?"
She shook her head. "When?"
"Growing up we lived in one big hut."
"Oh. Right."
"They have this... thing," I said.
"Yeah, I know. I used to change my little brother."
"Oh. I suppose. It's supposed to go..." I trailed off. "I don't think my mother liked it very much. Why do you suppose the maids are always going on and on about boys?"
"I imagine your father wasn't very kind to your mother," Muranna said. "No disrespect."
"I know. And you're right. He wasn't. She was just a woman."
"Do you still feel that way? Just a woman?"
"Sometimes, I guess. It was how I grew up. Sometimes it's hard to get past that. But if I were ever given the choice of going back or staying here, I'd stay here."
"You would?"
"Yep." I hugged her with one arm. "You're here."
She laughed. "And you wouldn't win all those races against other Horse People."
"Probably not."
She laughed again. "What are you going to do with your one hundred crowns?"
"Probably what I did with the last one hundred. Toss it into my stash. Someday I'm going to dump all the coins onto the bed and roll around on them. You can roll with me."
She laughed again. "It's a deal."
* * * *
A week went by. Other than the ever-present Queen's guard whenever Muranna and I left the palace, things went on as they always did, and I had largely forgotten about the boys from Balstead. I'd set it in the past, as had Muranna.
But it was during my music lesson that a page appeared, surprising both me and Balla, my music teacher.
It was perhaps odd. The boy was only in his ninth or tenth summer, but he walked into the music room and interrupted Balla mid-sentence. If I had interrupted her like that, I would have received a well-deserved tongue-lashing. But the page got away with it for one simple reason.
The only way a page would interrupt was if the queen had sent him.
He bowed. "I'm sorry, but Lady Yallameenara is required at court. She is to appear, dressed, in fifteen minutes."
"Balla-" I started to say.
"Go," she said. One did not stand on ceremony when summoned to court by the queen. I raced from the room, and by the time I was in the hallway to my room, I was yelling for Mellara. She was already waiting in the doorway for me, and she had me half out of my clothes before we even made it to the bedroom.