DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [25]
“—so I think it should change.”
“I’m sorry, N’Rae. What should change?”
“Breaking the kindias. It should change to gentling, or taming, or even convincing, but breaking is too harsh. When we were finished with the kindias, they weren’t broken as if destroyed. They were happier, almost like they had realized their purpose and embraced it.”
“You are being quite the philosopher.”
“You don’t have to go to school to be smart. You do have to keep your eyes open, though. My mother always said I had good eyes.” She paused and sighed. “I wonder if Mistress Seeno will approve of what we’ve done today.”
9
THE RACE
The next morning as he topped the hill with N’Rae, Bardon saw Ilex pacing in front of the well-lit barn. The crisp dawn barely supplied enough light for him to make out the other figures moving from the big barn near the main house to the smaller barn holding the newly broken kindias.
As they stepped into the circle of light thrown out from the open door of the barn, Bardon spoke to Ilex. “Is this the preparation for Hoddack’s trip?”
The older man jumped. “Didn’t see you coming. No, trip’s canceled. Hoddack had an idea in the middle of the night. He roused everyone a couple of hours ago. We’re going to have a race.”
“Why?”
“Hoddack thinks the kindias you broke won’t make it through the first mountain pass. Then he won’t have to pay you.”
“When does the race start, and who’s riding?”
“Eight o’clock, and the workers here on the farm. They’re all experienced kindia riders.”
“I want to speak to Hoddack.”
Ilex jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the barn. “In there.”
“Thanks.” Bardon strode into the barn bustling with activity. N’Rae followed like a shadow. Every stall had a kindia in it. Bardon counted fifteen. Men groomed the kindias and checked saddles for any signs of weakness.
N’Rae touched his arm. “May I visit with the animals?”
Bardon nodded his assent.
Hoddack came to him from the other end of the room.
“You heard about the race? I have men establishing their bonds with the kindias now. It’s a ten-mile run into the mountains, over Old Man Peak, and down the other route that lands them in rocky, no-good territory before they get to the clean run back to the farm. Should take five to six hours. A minor test of stamina for a kindia.”
“I’d like to ride, Master Hoddack.”
“In the race?”
“Yes.”
The gruff owner of the stables looked him over. “You want to be along to see there’s no foul play, don’t you? You think I might tell my boys not to push the kindias, to hold ’em back. Think I might pull something sneaky. Don’t blame you. I’d be thinking along those lines if our places were reversed.”
The older man slapped Bardon on the back. “Sure, you can ride. Just pick a mount.” He turned and shouted. “Ilex, give Squire Bardon any kindia he chooses to ride for the race. Men, I want you each to give an all-out effort to win this race. Therefore, the winner receives one thousand grood. If the squire here wins, he has to split it with the man who gave up his mount so he could race.”
A cheer rose from the men attending the kindias, followed by some good-natured joking.
Hoddack looked Bardon in the eye. “Now you see that this race is in earnest.”
“I admit you’ve confused me, Master Hoddack. I thought you didn’t like to part with your money, and this race was to save you the fee you owe me for breaking the five kindias.”
“I’m a businessman. I go by what’s fair, and sometimes, I have to make others operate under the same code. I got no way of telling whether you and that girl are charlatans or not.” He slapped Bardon on the shoulder as if he had not just cast aspersions on the squire’s character. “Now, last night, I got to thinking that when the countryside hears about this race and the circumstances that brought it about, they’ll be clamoring for one of my stock. Prices’ll go up.” He frowned. “And if your kindias fall way behind,