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Princess Mia Stirs Up. Kuolan Also Rises.
“Hmm… Chloe was right. It’s hard to walk through this. Because of all the mud, we can’t start too quickly or we’ll be too tired by the end.”
During the break after the men’s speedriding event, Mia had a chance to get a feel for the course. She rode a lap on Kuolan’s back, making sure to go slowly to avoid embarrassing mishaps.
“Yesterday’s rain did a lot of damage here. The ground is so bumpy that it will be easy to trip… I’m glad I tried it out first.”
Mia was often arrogant and didn’t work hard, but she was really a coward at heart. She didn’t like to face unknown dangers with courage. If she had the chance to check things out ahead of time, she was going to take it. Specially after Chloe told her about the possible dangers on the ground.
“Even with Chloe’s help, it won’t be easy to ride on this kind of ground,” she said with a frustrated sigh.
After wiping some light sweat off her forehead, she looked at the course again and gulped, remembering how bumpy it was during her test run.
Actually, it wasn’t technically a “test run.” It wasn’t a “run,” to be clear. In the language of horses, different speeds were called by different names. The canter was a quick step that was slower than a full gallop. The trot was a little bit slower. The walk goes more slowly than that.
Then, whatever Mia did while going around the course, it was a slow shuffle that was so slow that birds landed on Kuolan’s head to take a break. Absolute caution was the name of the game, so she took a test walk that gave her plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, which was nice.
“If I want to get to the end without getting hurt, I have to go slowly at the beginning. The last part of the course is straight and mostly dry, so I should take my time until I get there. Or maybe I should just wish Ruby would make a mistake and trip somewhere…”
When she added “Safety First” to her usual “Mia First” rule, she gave up on actually winning the race right away.
“If that’s the case, I should probably start out going full speed as a bluff. So, she’ll get scared and try to get ahead. If she then falls somewhere over a ditch, maybe…”
While she plotted, time went by quickly. Soon, it would be time to start the race.
They drew lots to see who would go in which lane, and Mia was secretly happy with the one she got.
Yes! I got a good lane!
Near where Ruby sat on Skyred Hare, there was a muddy area. If she kept going straight, she’d fall into the mud. She would waste time if she avoided it.
It’s not much, but right now it’s all I have. I don’t think I can get through this by myself. Still, a small benefit is better than no benefit at all.
She gave Kuolan a quick look.
“But I have to say, I’d like to see a little more excitement from you…”
Yesterday, she couldn’t practise because of the rain, but the horse didn’t get any more energy from having a day off. Since Kayou had her baby, Kuolan had been getting calmer and calmer.
Hnnngh, Kuolan, what’s wrong? Why are you not excited? Have you just accepted our fate?
Even though Skyred Hare made fun of it, it hadn’t changed at all. She couldn’t forget how Kuolan’s eyes looked.
It was kind of like how adults would look at kids getting into mischief that was normal for their age and then say something like, “Oh, what am I going to do with you?” with a smile on their face.
“What did the old Kuolan become? The one with a sense of self? Who always tried to pass me when we ran? I need Kuolan to be like he was before, or I won’t have a chance to win…”
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone she knew.
“Oh, look, Kuolan. It is your boss.”
The other moonhare, led by Malong, clopped over with the grace of a monarch.
“Okay, Kayou is looking, so you should get serious. Or would you rather be embarrassed in front of the boss?”
Her challenge to Kuolan was like a pebble hitting a brick wall. It turned its head and smiled at Kayou. The horse still didn’t seem like it wanted to fight.
“Oh no, now is not the time to be silly! What, are you going to make Ruby’s horse submit by making it laugh? Please! We might not win, but we have to at least put up a good fight to keep our honour.”
A third person came between the two horses and made it so they couldn’t see each other.
Skyred Hare, who was carrying Ruby on its back, let out a sweet whinny. It looked at Kayou and moved its tail back and forth. The way the red horse moved was very elegant.
Oh, it’s so beautiful! Just like Kayou. They’d get along so well…
She had the thought just before she suddenly felt a lot of tension in the air.
“Hm?”
It felt like an aura…of something hot, and it seemed to be coming from Kuolan.
“Kuolan… What’s wrong with you?”
It nickered and blew air out of its nose, but its face was as calm as ever.
“Huh? That’s strange.” She muttered, “I swore I felt…” as she cocked her head to the side.
The stakes were high, and they were about to start their battle.