Riley searched the crowd for a moment, Lissie’s face was ashen. Cora had turned around completely, but Alexander was smiling. He broke the deafening silence, “What a way to break in Ruskin’s Blade!”
Riley bowed low. When she stood, she took a duelist’s stance, and started to half-sword, both hands on the hilt. She realized that the hickory blade would disintegrate in one blow. Her left hand slipped to her waist, and she pulled out the sword-breaker.
The warrior charged at her. She turned, and spun out of his way.
When fighting an opponent larger than yourself, you must be quick. You must let them come to you and use their momentum against them. Her father’s patient voice rang in her ears.
She had to swallow to keep from dodging away too fast as the man barreled towards her. The black edge of the blade sailed in front of her face and crashed into the sand.
What if he’s as fast as I am, she thought to her father’s voice, as she pivoted away again.
The warrior circled her now, realizing that she had had some training. Riley watched his feet, he moved his weight to the left, but it was a feint.
His blade came up. She waited for him to turn it. He brought it down hard, swinging at her leg. She stepped back and the blade crashed into the salt.
She brought the sword-breaker down on the edge. She twisted it in her hand, pushing down with every ounce of strength.
Crack. It twisted farther. The wood beneath the stones would not yield, but the edge itself was shattering. She dragged the sword-breaker up to the hilt, and watched as a shower of black dust fell. She stepped on the wood below. The man’s eyes widened, and he scowled, but it was too late. Riley moved in and raked him. Hard, dragging the point of Ruskin’s Blade. Blood welled across the scarred chest. He looked down and laughed, a low rumble to shake the mountains.
He dropped the shattered blade and Riley nearly fell, but he caught her in a hug. It knocked her breath out. He released her and dropped to his knees kneeling. His face was level with her chest. He said something Riley did not understand, but she reached out her hand and braced hard. When he was back on his feet, the crowd exploded with cheers.
Riley made her way out of the circle, and was surrounded by her friends. “Do I get a break before the next one?” She asked Lissie.
“No, I went first on the duel. You have to go first on the ride.” Lissie hugged her tightly.
“At least it’s Sugarsnap.” Riley rolled her head back and looked at the moon.
They had removed her saddle, blanket and bridle. Sugarsnap looked freshly groomed, and thankfully the ribbons were gone from her mane and tail. Riley rested her hand on the mare’s neck. “Remember how we used to ride through trees bareback? With me leading you by your mane? We’re going to do that now. The stakes are a lot higher.” Sugarsnap rolled her eyes back towards Riley and twitched her ears back as well.
Riley bent down and untied her boots. She slipped one foot out and pulled off her sock. Then the other. She stuffed her socks in the boots, and handed them to Alexander. He looked shocked. She turned and hopped onto Sugarsnap.
The drumming changed from a heartbeat to a staccato. Sugarsnap’s ears darted back and forth. Riley weaved her fingers through her mane. She held the horse steady as they approached the starting line.
The torches flickered in the corners of her vision. She looked straight ahead at the spears. She held Sugarsnap’s mane and perched on her shoulders, gripping with her knees. She moved her feet up under her, bracing.
I’m going to need mobility.
The drumbeats stopped and the hoofbeats started. They launched forward, and Riley pulled her up to make the first gap. She pulled hard, and leaned into the turn. Sugarsnap followed.
The next gap they almost missed. Riley pulled her back, and they went through. They must have only had a pace for Sugarsnap in between.
At this point the horse figured out the game. Dodge in between. They went faster. Riley moved like the liberty show she’d seen as a child. They swerved. Riley never looked back to see if the spears fell.
They were getting closer together. Sugarsnap moved with agility, but she had to step over her feet to make it through. Riley held firm against her tilting shoulders.
The end of the row was approaching, and Riley pulled her hard around. The last gap was tiny, and Sugarsnap’s haunches nearly hit the salt. They flew around, and Riley saw the cloud of dust they’d kicked up.
Now that Sugarsnap knew the pattern, they worked in concert. Riley couldn’t think of anything except the next turn.
Through, down, turn, through, down, turn.
Then they were out, and Sugarsnap put her head down to run full-tilt. Riley had to pull her back, clicking at her softly. She pulled her around to keep her from running off. Riley turned to look back at the spears. One had nearly fallen. It was swaying, swaying.
It stayed up. Riley smiled.
There was silence waiting for her from the crowd. Riley slipped off Sugarsnap’s back. She looked for Alexander and her boots, feeling the salt on her feet. It was an elder who approached her, the woman who had spoken second. Lissie trailed behind.
The elder smiled and spoke and Lissie translated. “She wants to know why you went so fast.”
Riley looked at the woman’s wrinkled face, and then to Lissie, “No one was timing it?”
Lissie struggled translating that, and finally said to Riley, “They don’t have a word for ‘time’ that I know of.” The old woman laughed and laughed.
“Well, I passed didn’t I?” Riley snapped.
Lissie relayed this and said, “She says your bond with your mount is strong.”
Alexander appeared, leading Peach. Riley snatched her boots from him, sweat still streaming from her brow and said, “It wasn’t a race. Apparently.”
“It was still impressive! You could ride with the Company shows!” Alexander laughed and helped Lissie onto Peach’s back. The old gelding looked unimpressed. The staccato drumming had started again. Lissie kicked her heels, and Peach walked forward.
It was nearly ten minutes until they returned. Riley had caught her breath. When Lissie fell from the horse’s back, the elder woman helped her up. They spoke back and forth, before Lissie burst into a grin.
“You passed too?” Riley asked.
“Yes! Thank the gods, and the wind! I’m so grateful to Peach.” Lissie pulled Riley into a hug.