Post by Jesse on May 25, 2007 17:59:47 GMT -5
(I know, I know, Jesse's started another story. *sigh*)
The rush of wind on the plains drowned out almost all sound. Golden grass waved in the harsh gusts over small, barely noticeable hills, no trees could be seen for miles in any direction and mountains were only a faint outline on the horizon. The land was dead under the hot sun, nothing living braved the heat. Or so it appeared until two horses came up from a small dip in the land at a full gallop.
Their legs stretched out with each stride, covering the distance of the seemingly endless plains with ease. Sweat glinted on the chestnut coat of the horse in the lead when it caught in the sunlight and its long flaxen mane whipped in the wind. Slightly behind and to the side of the chestnut horse was a buckskin. This horse was smaller than the other and it’s strides shorter but it was gaining ground on the one in the lead with every stride.
Both horses bore riders whose features were hidden by long scarves rapped around their heads, faces, and necks to keep off the wind and dust. A thin veil covered even their eyes, it was practically clear and allowed the riders to see but hid their eyes from view. The riders were without saddles, though it was hard to tell as their long robes covered most of the horse’s backs and flowed down to their boots.
Once again the horses disappeared from sight on the plains, plunging into a dip that hid a small creek. The chestnut slowed as it ran into the water but didn’t stop until it reached the other side, the buckskin not far behind. A shout of joy came from the rider of the chestnut as the beast sidestepped and then reared on command. “We won Lajad, we beat you!” The voice was clearly feminine and filled with excitement. “And they said your boy was the fastest on the plains, we’ve beat you fairly!”
“You have.” The buckskin’s rider admitted grudgingly, “But we’ll have to see if you can do it again.”
“Elliott can do it, he could run five times as far and never tire.” The girl boasted.
“I’m sure he could, if you asked it of him. That horse will do anything for you, Kia.” The other rider dismounted and pulled the scarf from around his head, revealing a young man in his early twenties.
“He would, he’s brilliant.” Kia said, leaning forward to rub between the horse’s ears and play with his forelock affectionately before dismounting.
“He’s a fine endurance racer. Tell me, will you enter him in the Great Race?” He untied the broad cloth belt around his waist and let it fall to the ground. Released from its, binding his robe billowed outwards in the wind, almost flying off of him in the wind. It revealed tan riding breeches and a loose green shirt.
“The Great Race?” Kia laughed, “Are you insane Marth Lajad?”
“Perhaps. But I was serious, he’s a fine animal, the greatest endurance racer besides my Rain on the continent and maybe on this planet.” Marth smacked his horse affectionately as he removed its bridle, sending it away towards the creek.
“To enter the great race you must be a great rider, already famed throughout the galaxy. I’m not.” Kia shook her head and removed her scarf to reveal a wide smile and short brown hair that stopped at her jaw.
“You don’t have to be famous, just have run a certain amount of interplanetary races. You could do that, maybe not in time for this year’s race but in time for the next,”
Marth said as he dropped his robe on the ground and waded into the creek.
“How many races do I need to ride?” Kia asked, sitting on the bank beside the horses instead of following Marth into the water. “You’re going to have a very uncomfortable ride home, Mar.”
“I will, but it’s worth it now.” He called over his shoulder as he slipped and stumbled over the rocks at the bottom of the shallow creek. “You’ll have to ride nine more races I think, since you’ve already been in the one here just last month.”
“Well how am I supposed to get to all of those races?” Kia demanded, “And even if I could, I’d need a partner to race with.”
“There’s a ship leaving Alis in two weeks, the next interplanetary race is two weeks after that on Charn. That’s the ship’s second stop.” He listed it off with a confident smile, “And why would I even try to convince you if I didn’t already know who you would race with?”
Kia glared at him, “Now I see why you want me to race Mar. Not because you think I should do it for me but because you want to win.”
“That’s part of my motive, yes.” Marth admitted, “But can you blame me? We won the race last month together, we’re the best racers on this damn continent. We’re going to get nowhere if we stay. Come on Kia, it’s your dream. Racing off planet on the hardest terrain in the galaxy, that’s what you’ve wanted to do since you entered your first race.”
“I would love to Mar, I would. But do you really think my parents will let their only daughter travel the galaxy to participate in a sport that could get her killed with the intention of entering the most dangerous race in the galaxy?” Kia asked, leaning back in the grass to look up at the bright blue sky. Her green/gold eyes scrunched up against the light of the sun as she watched a bird cross the sky and disappear from sight without ever making a sound. Birds of silence were beautiful creatures unique to Altna and highly prized as pets.
“You’re 18, legal to make your own decisions for two years, they can’t stop you if you want to go.” Marth pointed out. There was a splash and Kia looked up, Marth had slipped and fallen over in the water.
Kia laughed, “Time to go Mar, love?”
“Yes, time to go. Think about it though, Kia, there’s still a week to sign up for the race on Charn. You have time to think over your decision.” He stood and stumbled back to the bank where Rain came and butted his head against his rider. “Stop that.” Marth smacked the horse’s muzzle affectionately and picked up his bridle. The horse and rider matched well, Marth’s short, dirty blonde hair was almost the same color as the buckskin’s coat and both were lean and wiry, a good build for endurance racing.
Kia already sat astride the larger, bulkier Elliott. He was sixteen hands at the withers and built for power and speed. When Kia clicked her tongue and nudged Elliott with her heels he stepped straight into a working trot, skipping the walk entirely. Marth jumped onto Rain and followed her back across the creek, the horses snorting and tossing their heads as they were forced to splash through the cold water.
They scrambled noisily up the side of the dip that held the stream, stones and loosely packed dirt showering the slope behind them. When they reached the top they picked up a slow, ground eating canter that both horses could easily hold for the fifteen miles across the plains to the town.
(With edits now)
The rush of wind on the plains drowned out almost all sound. Golden grass waved in the harsh gusts over small, barely noticeable hills, no trees could be seen for miles in any direction and mountains were only a faint outline on the horizon. The land was dead under the hot sun, nothing living braved the heat. Or so it appeared until two horses came up from a small dip in the land at a full gallop.
Their legs stretched out with each stride, covering the distance of the seemingly endless plains with ease. Sweat glinted on the chestnut coat of the horse in the lead when it caught in the sunlight and its long flaxen mane whipped in the wind. Slightly behind and to the side of the chestnut horse was a buckskin. This horse was smaller than the other and it’s strides shorter but it was gaining ground on the one in the lead with every stride.
Both horses bore riders whose features were hidden by long scarves rapped around their heads, faces, and necks to keep off the wind and dust. A thin veil covered even their eyes, it was practically clear and allowed the riders to see but hid their eyes from view. The riders were without saddles, though it was hard to tell as their long robes covered most of the horse’s backs and flowed down to their boots.
Once again the horses disappeared from sight on the plains, plunging into a dip that hid a small creek. The chestnut slowed as it ran into the water but didn’t stop until it reached the other side, the buckskin not far behind. A shout of joy came from the rider of the chestnut as the beast sidestepped and then reared on command. “We won Lajad, we beat you!” The voice was clearly feminine and filled with excitement. “And they said your boy was the fastest on the plains, we’ve beat you fairly!”
“You have.” The buckskin’s rider admitted grudgingly, “But we’ll have to see if you can do it again.”
“Elliott can do it, he could run five times as far and never tire.” The girl boasted.
“I’m sure he could, if you asked it of him. That horse will do anything for you, Kia.” The other rider dismounted and pulled the scarf from around his head, revealing a young man in his early twenties.
“He would, he’s brilliant.” Kia said, leaning forward to rub between the horse’s ears and play with his forelock affectionately before dismounting.
“He’s a fine endurance racer. Tell me, will you enter him in the Great Race?” He untied the broad cloth belt around his waist and let it fall to the ground. Released from its, binding his robe billowed outwards in the wind, almost flying off of him in the wind. It revealed tan riding breeches and a loose green shirt.
“The Great Race?” Kia laughed, “Are you insane Marth Lajad?”
“Perhaps. But I was serious, he’s a fine animal, the greatest endurance racer besides my Rain on the continent and maybe on this planet.” Marth smacked his horse affectionately as he removed its bridle, sending it away towards the creek.
“To enter the great race you must be a great rider, already famed throughout the galaxy. I’m not.” Kia shook her head and removed her scarf to reveal a wide smile and short brown hair that stopped at her jaw.
“You don’t have to be famous, just have run a certain amount of interplanetary races. You could do that, maybe not in time for this year’s race but in time for the next,”
Marth said as he dropped his robe on the ground and waded into the creek.
“How many races do I need to ride?” Kia asked, sitting on the bank beside the horses instead of following Marth into the water. “You’re going to have a very uncomfortable ride home, Mar.”
“I will, but it’s worth it now.” He called over his shoulder as he slipped and stumbled over the rocks at the bottom of the shallow creek. “You’ll have to ride nine more races I think, since you’ve already been in the one here just last month.”
“Well how am I supposed to get to all of those races?” Kia demanded, “And even if I could, I’d need a partner to race with.”
“There’s a ship leaving Alis in two weeks, the next interplanetary race is two weeks after that on Charn. That’s the ship’s second stop.” He listed it off with a confident smile, “And why would I even try to convince you if I didn’t already know who you would race with?”
Kia glared at him, “Now I see why you want me to race Mar. Not because you think I should do it for me but because you want to win.”
“That’s part of my motive, yes.” Marth admitted, “But can you blame me? We won the race last month together, we’re the best racers on this damn continent. We’re going to get nowhere if we stay. Come on Kia, it’s your dream. Racing off planet on the hardest terrain in the galaxy, that’s what you’ve wanted to do since you entered your first race.”
“I would love to Mar, I would. But do you really think my parents will let their only daughter travel the galaxy to participate in a sport that could get her killed with the intention of entering the most dangerous race in the galaxy?” Kia asked, leaning back in the grass to look up at the bright blue sky. Her green/gold eyes scrunched up against the light of the sun as she watched a bird cross the sky and disappear from sight without ever making a sound. Birds of silence were beautiful creatures unique to Altna and highly prized as pets.
“You’re 18, legal to make your own decisions for two years, they can’t stop you if you want to go.” Marth pointed out. There was a splash and Kia looked up, Marth had slipped and fallen over in the water.
Kia laughed, “Time to go Mar, love?”
“Yes, time to go. Think about it though, Kia, there’s still a week to sign up for the race on Charn. You have time to think over your decision.” He stood and stumbled back to the bank where Rain came and butted his head against his rider. “Stop that.” Marth smacked the horse’s muzzle affectionately and picked up his bridle. The horse and rider matched well, Marth’s short, dirty blonde hair was almost the same color as the buckskin’s coat and both were lean and wiry, a good build for endurance racing.
Kia already sat astride the larger, bulkier Elliott. He was sixteen hands at the withers and built for power and speed. When Kia clicked her tongue and nudged Elliott with her heels he stepped straight into a working trot, skipping the walk entirely. Marth jumped onto Rain and followed her back across the creek, the horses snorting and tossing their heads as they were forced to splash through the cold water.
They scrambled noisily up the side of the dip that held the stream, stones and loosely packed dirt showering the slope behind them. When they reached the top they picked up a slow, ground eating canter that both horses could easily hold for the fifteen miles across the plains to the town.
(With edits now)