Wind Runner

Chapter Thirteen; In the Racing Buisness ... I guess

This chapter is dedicated to BriarRoses because she is such an inspiration to me and her comments always make me smile.
Thx for being an inspiration to me!!

I had been here a week.
After the terrifying two hour ride in the trailer, I was unloaded at a huge horse barn. Rick let me stand and look at everything, and stand I did. I quivered for a second, then when some groom dropped a bucket, well I didn't have to fake my reaction.
I leaped into the air and when I landed I lunged forwards. But Rick was prepared. Two more grooms grabbed the ropes around my neck and held on. But I refused to calm down.
Eventually they got me into a spacious stall. Well I shredded the bedding, made gouges in the wood wall, and made all the other horses upset.
But I did not dare shift to my human form. No, it was safer to remain in my horse form as Silver Jinx, which actually wasn't a bad name.
.
.
.
I poutily ate my grain, ignoring the groom who held his hand offered to me with a treat. He was lucky I didn't bite him. But I knew what he was thinking. If I took the treat, he'd have a halter over my head faster than I could blink. I knew because he'd done that to me before. Twice.
"You little Jinx. Come one. I know you want to get out and run-"
Away? I looked at him.
"-in the pasture. So come one. Being tame isn't that bad."
Oh if I could raise an eyebrow at him I would. Instead, I bared my teeth at him. He just sighed then lunged forwards, pulling the halter over my head and buckling it all in about five seconds. I reared in surprise, but he pulled me down. I paw, my hooves scraping on the concrete. He slaps my side to tell me to quit.
I don't.
So he just sighs and jerks me out of the stall. I follow, but only because I am bored out of my mind.
I am led past other grooms who eye me carefully. To say that I am just a troublemaker is a lie.
I am a jinx and a troublemaker.
I am led to a pasture with five other mares and a guard gelding; a gelding who stays with mares to protect them.
They all eye me warily, then the mares drift over. I know what they are thinking.
The second the groom walks away, the mares will bite and kick at me, all to say that I am at the bottom of the pecking order. Well I am NOT going to put up with that.
The groom leads me in, unclips the lead, and leaves. The mares turn on me the second he is out of sight.
"Look what the groom dragged in."
One sneers. The others chuckle. I pin my ears back and warn them.
"Don't mess with me. I come from the wilds, and have fought more than you all have, which is probably only the flies and each other. So unless you want to go running with your tail between your legs, I'd leave."
"Ooh a range rat. Ok look here ra-"
I don't give her time to reply.
I lunge at her, hitting her with my chest and knocking her over. Then I wheel and kick out, hitting another. I bite the other two then rear, bugling at them all. They cower then run. And I chase after them, head low, ears back. I chase them far into the pasture. Then I turn back to the greenest grass and graze. The guard gelding comes over, I half pin my ears and he lowers his head. He looks my age or so.
"Nice, I can't stand those five, but it's my job to watch them, I'm Rover, by the way."
Rover is a tall bay, a thoroughbred I'm guessing.
"Silver Jinx."
He nods, and we spend the rest of the day grazing. Towards sunset a fine wind picks up and I get excited. The wind always does that to me.
On windy days, mum and da always kept me inside, even when I begged to get out and play in the wind. Well now I can.
I bolt, my head up and tail high. I start off at a leisurely lope, but pick up to a run at my fifth lap of the pasture. My hooves beat my rhythm, and my mane and tail stream behind me. At first Rover runs with me, but he soon falls behind. I'm very fast, even for a shifter.
As I pass the fence, I become aware of grooms lining up to watch me run. Well let them watch.
I race against my shadow, running until I am sweat soaked and trembling. I walk to the trough and drink lightly. Knowing that too much water would hurt me. I then roll in the dirt, getting the sweat off me. When I stand and shake off, there is a groom ready with a halter. I eye him warily then bolt to the fence, dancing away from the other grooms. They complain that they'll never catch me as quick as I am. I snort and buck, kicking out and prancing to Rover. He just eyes me and the grooms.
Then all the grooms grab halters and come to the pen. One newbie is left to hold the gate. Hmm.
I bolt around Rover then speed to the gate, as I had hoped, the groom leaps out of the way, and the gate swings open. I am out the gate and tearing through the grounds looking for a gate. I find one and switch direction, then I find it is shut and locked. I wheel around to see many grooms running after me. I jump over a low fence separating the mare quadrant from the stallions. As I bolt through the ground, I hear the bugling challenge of the stallions. They think I am an intruder. Well they're partially right.
Then I see Rick at the stall of a huge sorrel stallion, then Rick sees me. He grabs a halter and runs towards me. I bolt away. Pretty soon I find myself on a race track. Some horses are being worked, but they've stopped at my appearance. Then I hear Rick behind me. I bolt, flying down the track past the other horses, my strides coming quickly and easily. Eventually, I am aware that the exercising horses are alongside me, racing me! Well I will not be beaten. I put on an extra bit of speed and surge ahead. I then decide I want to run faster. So I do.
I am flying ahead, drawing many lengths ahead of the other horses and still going.
I am running full out, the wind urging me on, my hooves pounding down the track, and my heart racing. Oh I love to run.

I had run who knows how many laps around the track when I had finally stopped, panting a bit but still excited from my run. Then I sensed everyone staring at me. I froze and looked around. Grooms and trainers stood at the fences gawking. I shuffled my feet around then Rick walked up to me with a halter, I was tempted to run, but I was tired and thirsty.

As I was led back to the barn, Rick was talking to a trainer. I listened in.

"I'm telling you Rick, this little mustang has real speed on her. If she ever lets us tame and train her, maybe we can race her. She would win many races. Anyways, think about it, until then, let's put her in the racer barn, it will be better for her there."

Rick nods, then looks at me as I walk along. Then he seems to notice my blue eyes for the first time. We stop and he waves his hand in front of my eye. I move away and glare at him.

"Ralph, have you noticed her blue eyes? Usually a blue that bright means she is blind, but the way she dodges all the grooms suggests otherwise."

Ralph steps over and does the same thing Rick did, I butt him with my head crossly and pull on my lead. They shrug and I am led to the racer barn.

I must admit, the idea of being a racer sounds fun. It is actually pretty common for horse shifters to be racehorses. So there are many other shifters who race. Maybe I'll be one of them.