A Country Falls (Greatest Thief 3)

Bonus - My Best

Tannix's Chapter Ten

"I'll race you, Tannix!"

I laughed. "You can't ride that well."

Tairia brought her horse around to circle in front of me. She rode astride as she always had, my parents having insisted it was more practical than side-saddle. Her long blond hair was braided and then pulled together into a bun, to keep it out of her way. Her horse was a feisty dapple grey mare, a horse she had ridden with impressive skill throughout the afternoon. Truthfully, my little sister was becoming a talented rider.

"I've been practicing," Tairia said.

My horse wasn't built for racing. He wasn't the warhorse I would ride once I joined the army, but he was still built like one—sturdy and strong. I could outride Tairia, but I wasn't sure if my horse could outpace hers.

"I can tell," I said. "But—"

"Go on, Tandrix." Nearby, mother was riding the brown mare she had owned for my entire life. The old horse plodded along contently. Behind her, Acen and Jalor were riding side by side, and four of my mother's guards followed.

"Or," Tairia draw out the word, teasing me, "Are you worried about losing in front of your guards? How scandalous." Grinning, she turned to mother. "Lord West Draulin being beaten by his younger sister."

Mother smiled. "It would be very embarrassing."

"All right," I agreed, laughing. It was strange being ganged up on by them. I had never spent time with just my mother and Tairia. When we were younger, Tandrin and I had usually backed each other up. Or, if father was involved in the teasing, it was often parents against children.

I felt both of their absences in that moment, but rather than let myself get sucked into sadness, I adjusted my hands on the reins. I could race Tairia. Win or lose, my little sister deserved the joyful moment. She deserved my best, no matter how I was feeling.

"Don't even think of going easy on me." Tairia echoed my thought. Clicking her tongue, she turned her horse around. "To that big pine on the hill?"

I nodded. We reined in the horses to stand side by side. Our shifting energy had them both perking up, eager to get moving.

"Ready?" Mother called. "On three. One, two, three!"

Tairia took off, just as I had suspected. Her horse was fast. We bolted after them, but as eager as my horse was to catch up, he couldn't quite make it. Tairia kept just ahead as we galloped down the road, laughing with delight. When we raced past the tree and slowed our horses to a gentle canter and then a trot, Tairia was nearly glowing with pride.

She grinned at me as we turned to trot back to our mother and the guards. "I'm getting good, aren't I?"

I nodded, laughing. "I'm not too embarrassed to admit it."

"Well, I've had ages to practice," she pointed out. "We haven't ridden together since before you went to the Order, and I was only eleven then." She slowed her mare to a walk, and my horse kept pace. "After this is all over, when you come home..."

We were close enough for me to reach across the gap between our horses and pat her knee. "Let's go riding more often, when I come home." I didn't say 'if', and neither did she.

Tairia looked first at my hand, then raised her eyes to meet my gaze. "You're going to need a faster horse if you expect to beat me." She was trying to be funny, but I could hear the waver of suppressed tears in her voice.

To reassure her, I smiled. "I don't think I have the right build to race horses. I'm too heavy."

"That," Tairia said, with a dramatic shrug, "sounds like an excuse." But she smiled again. "I'll hold you to that, Lord West Draulin. No matter how busy you get, you're going to come riding with me. At least once a week."