Devils And Unicorns

Chapter 23

There were three days to go until the Grand Chase.

Florence was working Last Unicorn for the final time, on a secluded mountain pasture a couple of hours' drive outside Fallbourne where they felt sure they could not be found. He was blowing well in the cold uphill climate, and though he remained as lazy as ever in his work he had still been pleasing her with his gallops.

Unlike Mythwood, Fallbourne was not accessible outside of race day so that one might inspect the obstacles and become accustomed to the terrain. This put Florence at considerable disadvantage compared to those trainers who had prepared horses for the race before, as she had little idea of what to expect. However, her lack of Grand Chase experience could not be compared to that which would be suffered by Zac.

Still new to the foreign geography and different style of racing in the Highland Province - not to mention the weather conditions - he was faced with guiding an unexposed horse around an unfamiliar course, against unknown rivals and over any manner of obstacles such as he had never encountered before. Until they had cantered the course at Mythwood, Florence had not truly appreciated the magnitude of the task she had given him when she asked him to ride in the race. Now it was looking even more astronomical.

"Alright Zac, one more time please!" she called across the hillside.

Zac pulled up Last Unicorn at the end of his breeze and turned him in a light circle, trotting him back towards the far end of the meadow.

"How's he doing?" Charlie appeared at her side, a coffee mug in his hand. She had noticed him chewing less gum since they arrived in Fallbourne, probably because he was drinking more coffee on account of the cold climate.

"Good," she said. "He's as fit as he'll ever be."

"You've got him spot-on, I'd say."

"What about Zac, though?"

"Yeah... he's got the hardest job of all, I think."

"I just hope he gets round okay."

"Oh, he will." Charlie took a sip of his drink. "He's much better than he gives himself credit for."

"He really is. It was eye-opening riding around Mythwood with him. Those obstacles, and that landscape... everything was a new challenge and he just nailed every part. He was amazing."

"You should tell him that," Charlie said.

"Ah, he's Zac," she said sadly. "You know what he's like. He doesn't believe me when I tell him such things."

Last Unicorn came over the hill in full flight once more, his tail fluttering behind him like a black ribbon, the low sun glinting off his chocolate-coloured coat. He tore up the turf and galloped past them rattling like a snare drum.

"Superb," Charlie said, raising his mug to Florence as though it was a glass of champagne.

*

There were two days to go until the Grand Chase.

It had been a monotonous afternoon. The weather had been nice enough - clear and cold, as usual - but with Last Unicorn now on light exercise only until the race there wasn't much to do outside. They had moved a couple of times already since arriving back from his final gallop the day before. They were currently parked up under the first arch of a viaduct, on the crest of a wide, sloping riverbank.