And no such horse could be allowed to break its heart thus.

Birds flew up in screaming alarm from the jostling trees as Rgoric’s queen burst out of her leafy shelter and with a great cry, urged her horse at full gallop down the steep hill.

And none too soon, she realized as she looked again at the charging black horse below. She must be on the road ahead of it, and travelling fast if she was to intercept it. Fine though her own horse was, she knew it could not hope to catch such a powerful, fear-driven animal if once it got ahead of her. Not catch it that is, until it fell suddenly dead, in all probability injuring or even killing both its riders.

Bending low over her horse’s neck she willed it for-ward. A fierce gust of wind caught them sideways and, briefly, her horse staggered, but the two of them together caught their balance and the wind only hastened their descent.

As they neared the road, the field dipped below it a little and Sylvriss became aware of the black horse at the edge of her vision, though she did not dare to look lest the hesitation cause her horse to pause even slightly. Then she was surging up a small embankment and on to the road, scarcely a length ahead of the careering stallion.

The black horse faltered slightly as Sylvriss rose up abruptly in front of it, and its rider swayed uncertainly. What a creature, thought Sylvriss fleetingly, as she saw the horse shift its weight to prevent the man from slipping from the saddle. The action, however, barely slowed the animal and then it was at her side, and moving past.

Gripping her horse with her legs she leaned out and took the bridle of the black horse. Pulling on it power-fully she cried out to it to stop. But even as she did so she knew that the horse was past hearing any normal commands. She tightened her grip and leaned further over. At least now it would feel the weight of both her and her horse in addition to its own double burden, and that must surely take its toll soon. For an interminable moment she clung on silently in a world filled only with the thunder of hooves, the creaking and clattering of tackle, and the agonized breathing of bursting lungs. Pain began to fill her whole body as she struggled to keep her grip on the powerful animal’s bridle.