She was on her second set of five shots. Her first sequence had been perfect. Five casts for five solid hits. She had followed that up with four more hits and was now on her fifth. She paused, allowing her breathing to settle. She could feel the excitement, the temptation to rush and get it done with. But she resisted.
Better to hit the enemy late than miss him entirely, she thought to herself. She glanced covertly at Will. He was sitting to one side with his back against a tree, his legs stretched out in front of him. For once, she noticed, he didn’t have that ever-present sheaf of reports or the leather binder. Thinking about it, she realised that it had been some days since she had seen the leather folder. His cowl was up, obscuring his face, and he appeared to be asleep. She was willing to bet that he was anything but.
She took another deep breath, settled herself, eyed the target and forced her muscles to relax. Then she whipped the sling up and over, stepping through with her right foot as she did so.
WHIZZ. . . CLANG!
The helmet leapt several centimetres in the air under the impact, then settled on the pole again, off centre and wobbling.
‘That’s ten shots for ten hits,’ she said.
Will said nothing. She looked at him again. He hadn’t moved. She sighed and moved forward to the target posts. Two of the helmets had been knocked off the poles and she replaced them. There were several lead shot lying in the dust and she retrieved them, studying them. They were distorted from the impact with the iron helmets, flattened on one side or with deep gouges scored in them from sharp edges on the helmets. She couldn’t shoot with them again in that condition, but she could always melt them down and re-mould them. She picked them up and placed them in a pocket, then moved back to the shooting line.
She whipped another five shots away, moving smoothly and gracefully, controlling the power and speed of each shot.
Five hits.
She felt excitement mounting in her chest. Three rounds and not a single miss. She had never shot three perfect scores in a row before.
If I miss one now, I’ll ruin it.
The negative thought stole into her mind like a thief. She angrily dismissed it, then paced up and down several times, breathing deeply, shaking her hands and arms to dispel the tightness that was beginning to take them over.
She rolled her neck and shoulders to loosen them. In her mind, she saw herself cast the next shot. She visualised a perfect cast, co-ordinated and accurate and powerful, seeing the blur of the lead shot as it flashed across the clearing to slam into the selected target.
See it. Then do it, Will had told her. She nodded to herself and, very deliberately, set a shot into the sling’s pouch. She advanced her left foot, letting her sling hand fall back and down to her right, the loaded sling swinging gently back and forth like a pendulum.
Will had her shooting at the targets in reverse order with each set of five. The first set, she would shoot at the nearest first, progressing to the most distant. Then for the second round, she would shoot at the furthest target first.
‘Let’s assume they’re running away,’ Will had said.
Then she would go back to the original order for the third round, then reverse it again.
She was on her fourth round now, so her first target would be the most distant helmet.
The hardest first, she thought, then again pushed the negative thought away. She blanked her mind, concentrated on the target, then smoothly whipped the sling over, releasing at just the right moment.
She knew it was a good shot the minute she released. She followed through to the target, her eyes glued to it.
WHIZZ . . . CLANG!
The helmet rotated madly and she smiled. From now on, the shots would become progressively easier as the range shortened.
WHIZZ . . . CLANG!
The second shot struck the helmet square on, the force of the shot actually knocking the pole from its vertical position. She reloaded, turning to stand side on to the next target, which was on the extreme left of the line.
WHIZZ . . . CLANG!
Another perfect strike. She reloaded. Two to go for a perfect score. Just two more shots. Her breath was coming faster and she felt her heart racing. She forced herself to calm down, relaxing all the muscles in her body, letting herself go limp. Then she loaded, addressed and cast.
WHIZZ-CLANG!
Slightly off centre, but still a killing shot. This time there was virtually no pause between the sound of the shot whirring away then striking the helmet.
Four out of four. Nineteen out of twenty. She had never before been this close to a perfect score. She fumbled in her pouch for another shot, then set it in the sling. She nearly dropped it and she realised her hands were shaking. She breathed deeply once more, pulling the air deep into her lungs, willing her heart to stop beating with excitement, striving for the calm she knew she’d need for the final shot.
And then, unexpectedly, finding it. Her breathing and pulse slowed and she saw that final shot in her mind’s eye. Perfect, powerful and dead on line. Calmly, she took her stance, fixed her gaze on the target. Her instincts and the memory of hundreds of prior shots took over. She could do this. She let her weight settle back on her right foot, then whipped the sling through, letting the loose end slip through her fingers at just the right moment.
WHIZZ-CLANG!
The old helmet had a crack in it and the shot struck square on the fault. It punched a massive rent in the front of the helmet, penetrated, rattled against the back of the iron pot, then fell into the sand below. The helmet was knocked backwards, only staying on the pole by the barest margin.
She heaved in a huge, exultant breath. A wide smile formed on her face and she stepped forward to study the effect of that last, perfect shot.
Four rounds. Twenty hits. A perfect score. Will’s words echoed in her mind: Practise till you don’t get it wrong.
She had done it, she thought. She looked back at her mentor now. He was still leaning against the tree. But his cowl was pushed back and he was regarding her steadily.
‘That sounded suspiciously like a perfect score,’ he said.
She nodded eagerly. ‘It was! Twenty out of twenty! I did it at last!’
‘Hmmm,’ he grunted, screwing up his face. ‘Well, we’ll see if you can do it again tomorrow.’
He scrambled to his feet and she looked at him, somewhat disconcerted. Was that all? We’ll see if you can do it tomorrow? That was it? She’d practised for weeks to get it right . . . and that was it?
Will sensed her chagrin and his tone softened somewhat. ‘Well done,’ he said. ‘But don’t get carried away. I need you to be as good as you can be. And I sense you can be very, very good indeed.’
‘Oh,’ she said, looking at the ground and scuffing her toe in the dust. It was hard to stay offended when he said something like that. ‘I suppose so . . .’
‘So, keep practising for the rest of the week. Then we’ll look at getting you a horse,’ he said.
She actually took a pace back, looking at him in some confusion.
‘I’ve got a horse,’ she said. ‘I’ve got Sundancer, remember?’
Sundancer was the name of the Arridan gelding she’d ridden from Castle Araluen to Redmont. He was stabled in the lean-to behind the cabin, with Tug.
‘You need a Ranger horse,’ Will said.
Maddie tilted her chin defiantly. ‘One of those shaggy little ponies like the one you ride?’ she said disparagingly. ‘Sundancer could run rings around one of those four-legged barrels.’
‘Is that so?’ Will said, his eyes narrowing. ‘Well, we’ll see. And in the meantime, don’t let Tug hear you say that.’
‘Why not? Would his feelings be hurt?’ she said sarcastically.
Will inclined his head and didn’t answer for a second or two.
‘Quite possibly,’ he said. ‘But more to the point, you might annoy him. And that’s never a good idea.’
He turned away and started walking towards the rear of t
he cabin. She followed, hesitantly.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked.
‘Let’s get our horses saddled,’ he said. ‘We’re going for a ride. I can’t wait to see your horse run rings around my four-legged little barrel.’
As she followed him, she had the uncomfortable feeling that she’d just made a mistake.
‘We’d better pack some provisions. We’ll be away overnight,’ Will called back to her.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked.
‘Derrylon ford,’ he said. ‘It’s only a day’s ride away. We’ll camp out and come back tomorrow. That should give Sundancer plenty of opportunity to run those rings you were talking about.’
Once again, Maddie had the feeling that she had made a mistake.
A big one.
THEY SADDLED THE horses in the stable. Then Will took down a large canvas roll hanging on the wall and tied it in place behind his saddle. There was another, similar roll hanging next to the first and he gestured for Maddie to take it.
‘Tie it behind your saddle,’ he said.
She unhooked it and felt the weight, looking at it curiously. ‘What is it?’
‘Camping gear. Basically a waterproof canvas that forms a one-man tent, and a blanket for sleeping. Plus a few other odds and ends.’
She smiled cheekily. ‘I thought we’d just roll ourselves into our cloaks and sleep under a bush,’ she said. Will tested Tug’s girth strap – the little horse was fond of taking a deep breath when the cinch was being tightened, then letting it out again once it was done so that the strap became loose.
‘You can do that if you like,’ Will said. ‘I prefer to stay warm and dry. And it looks like rain.’
She tied the canvas roll in place. While she was doing so, Will led Tug to the front of the cabin, went inside and put together a sack of provisions – coffee, bread, cheese, apples, dried beef and a few vegetables. If they wanted fresh meat, he’d have Maddie get some with her sling, he thought. At the last, he placed his standard pack of spices, seasonings and cooking ingredients in the sack, then went out to join his apprentice.
There were two water skins hanging beside the pump. He gestured to them.
‘You can fill them,’ he said. Maddie moved to do so as he swung up into the saddle. Tug twitched his ears and looked at him inquisitively. Will shook his head.
‘Later,’ he muttered.
Maddie looked up from her task, soaking her sleeve with water as she took her eye off the gushing liquid. ‘Did you say something?’
He shook his head. ‘Just clearing my throat.’
She passed him a water skin and tied one to her own saddle bow. Then she mounted as well. Sundancer pranced a few steps, ready to run. He hadn’t been out in a day or so and he was full of energy and enthusiasm – as was his rider. Tug, in contrast, stood solid and unmoving.
‘Let’s get going,’ Will said. He urged Tug into a slow, easy lope. Maddie flicked Sundancer’s reins and he started forward, eager to run. But she held him back, dancing a little with his head high, so that he matched Tug’s steady pace.
‘Is this as fast as we’re going to go?’
Will twisted in the saddle to look at her. Sundancer was longer in the leg than Tug and he had to look up to meet her gaze.
‘I thought so,’ he replied.
Maddie snorted disdainfully. ‘No wonder it’s going to take all day.’ He made no reply, so she added, ‘You know Sundancer is an Arridan thoroughbred, don’t you?’
He nodded. ‘Arridans are fine horses.’
‘They’re fast, too. I’ve heard people say they’re the fastest horses on earth.’
Tug rattled his short mane and made an impolite belching sound. For a moment, Maddie looked at the little horse in surprise. It was almost as if he were responding to her claim. Then she dismissed the idea.
‘They certainly can cover ground,’ Will agreed calmly. They rode on in silence for a few minutes. Sundancer continued to pull at the reins. Maddie held him back. Tug loped on steadily.
He’s like a rocking horse, Maddie thought, watching Tug’s gentle, steady back-and-forth motion. She wriggled impatiently in the saddle. She could feel Sundancer’s pent-up energy and she longed to let him run free – to show Will how a real horse could run.
‘So where’s this ford?’ she asked.
Will gestured to the south-east. ‘We follow the high road for twenty kilometres or so. Then we take a fork leading to Pendletown. After we go through the village, we continue on until we come to the Derrylon River. The road leads straight to the ford.’ He paused, then added, ‘It’s all signposted.’
She nodded, noting the last statement particularly. It was almost, she thought, as if he was giving her tacit approval to go off on her own. Then she grinned at him.
‘Well, I’ll be waiting for you there.’
She clapped her heels into Sundancer’s flanks, relaxing the restraining tension on his reins. Instantly, the gelding leapt forward, plunging and rearing for the first few metres, then gathering speed as he settled into his gait. His hoofs beat a rapid tattoo on the road’s surface, raising puffs of dust with each stride.
Maddie’s cloak and hair streamed out in the wind behind her and Will heard her delighted laugh.
‘He’s very fast,’ Will said.
Tug turned his head and regarded him with his left eye. Not as fast as Sandstorm.
‘No. Perhaps not. But there wouldn’t be much in it.’
I beat Sandstorm.
‘I remember. But you only managed it in the last few metres.’
The little horse snorted disparagingly. I was foxing.
‘Of course you were.’
He felt Tug begin to pull against the reins, but held him in check.
Do you want me to catch him now?
Will shaded his eyes to look after Maddie. She and Sun-dancer were small figures in the distance. A cloud of dust was drifting in the air behind them. Then they rounded a bend in the road and were hidden by the trees. The gradually settling dust was all that was left to show where they had been.
‘Not yet,’ Will told him. ‘Later.’
Maddie exulted in the rush of wind through her hair and the smooth, powerful strides of her horse. This was riding, she thought, and she urged Sundancer on to even greater speed. As she reached the first bend in the road, she turned in the saddle to look back.
Will and Tug were small figures in the distance now, plodding stolidly onwards. Well, she thought, what could you expect of a shaggy little barrel like that. Over the years, she’d heard people talk of Ranger horses with a certain degree of awe. Now that she’d seen one at close quarters, she couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
‘And he must be one of the better ones,’ she said aloud. After all, Will was one of the most senior of all the Rangers. It stood to reason that he would have one of the better horses in the Corps – if not the best.
She felt a delicious streak of rebellion stirring within her. Will was so capable, so knowledgeable, so superior to her in just about every way. He could track game where there was barely a sign to be found. He could shoot with uncanny speed and unerring accuracy. And his knife work was almost superhuman – fast and deadly accurate.
But here was something she was better at. With a sudden moment of honesty, she amended that thought. Her horse was better than Tug, she thought. But then, if she had the intelligence to select a superior horse, why shouldn’t she share in that superiority?
Sundancer would run Will’s little grey pony into the ground, she told herself. And as she had that thought, she decided that she wanted their victory to be overwhelming. It wouldn’t be enough to simply beat Tug and Will to this Derrylon ford. They would do it thoroughly, crushingly. If Will said it would take a day to reach the ford, she decided that she’d do it in half that time.
She leaned forward over Sundancer’s neck.
‘Come on, boy! We’ve got a point to make.’
Sundancer’s ears went b
ack and he tossed his head in delight. He loved to run. In fact, he lived to run. It had been bred into his bloodline for generation after generation. He lengthened his stride and accelerated.
Maddie yelled in delight. She had never felt him run so fast before! It was exhilarating and she gave herself over to the sheer, pulse-racing excitement of the ride.
Tug continued his steady, measured lope.
Dugga-dum, dugga-dum, dugga-dum went his hoofs on the hard-packed surface of the highway. From time to time, he would turn his head to look at Will. But his rider never responded to these hints. Finally, Tug decided to address the matter directly.
Tell me when you want me to start running.
‘Trust me. You’ll be the first to know.’
Dugga-dum, dugga-dum, dugga-dum.
It has to be said that, ordinarily, Maddie was not the sort of person who would allow her horse to overextend himself. Usually, she was careful to control her mount and ensure that he stayed within his own limits.
But the excitement of the ride, the exultation of the speed that she felt, and the temptation to show Will and his horse how superior Sundancer was, led her into error.
They had been galloping wildly for kilometres when she felt the Arridan horse’s stride falter. Then Sundancer shook his head and plunged on. But now she realised how hard she’d been pushing him.
His flanks were streaked with foam and his sides were heaving like bellows as he dragged in huge lungfuls of air. She became aware that he was grunting loudly with each breath and instantly she was overcome with remorse. She reined him in, although he resisted her efforts initially. He was willing to plunge on until he dropped from exhaustion.
She drew back firmly on the reins, checking his mindless instinct to keep running, speaking softly to him, gradually increasing the pressure against the bit until he allowed her to bring him to a halt.
He stood, legs spread and breathing heavily, as she quickly dismounted, patting his neck and walking round him to make sure he was undamaged.