Cold Toes

[Vineda]

Out of the corner of her eye, Vineda caught sight of something gliding along with her and Sparkle. She spared a glance in that direction and had to laugh when she saw Shadow Flame's pixie shape keeping pace.

She spared more of her breath to laugh shortly and call to him, "Would you like to join me while I try to make a tag? I can't tag you if you come to me, and anyhow I'm on a mission here. I'd not mind a passenger for company."

Soon she would be able to reach out and grab Sparkle's tail, but she wanted a more gratifying tag than what a few sun-bright strands of hair could provide. Her muscles were starting to whisper of tiredness, but she banished the thought. She was getting so close!

[Songhue]

The air whirled through his nose as the land disappeared under his hooves, his breath coming in great, steady gusts. He wasn't even sweating yet, though he did catch sight of a rapidly approaching Vineda out of the corner of his eye.

With a grunt he lowered his head, lunging forward and grinning slightly as the space between them slowly began to lengthen.

He had completely forgotten his bonded clinging to his mane. The race was on, now!

[Vineda]

She didn't look up at Shadow Flame, just focused herself on the rhythm of running. Center... center, her mind breathed gently. She dug down and found more speed, though when she looked up to judge she'd merely put a stop to Sparkle's lengthening of his lead. She held pace, knowing that the time was not right for another burst of speed. Sparkle, too, would simply find more.

She concentrated on compacting everything. Her hooves pounded no less quickly but seemed to make a little less noise. Her breaths changed not in rhythm, but they seemed to bring just a little more air. Should she care to,she could feel the blood pounding through every vein, taste every scent she flashed by. But she let the race take her. Easy, easy... came the gentle chant.

Vineda's path began to widen as she experimented, drifting ever so slightly one way, then ever so slightly the other. Still the chestnut equine refused to give ground, clinging like a distanced burr. She watched for Sparkle's counteraction, sure he would weave in opposite.

[Krinlith]

As they sped up, Shadow Flame started speeding up as well, determined to see what happened. As Vineda addressed him and offered a ride, he flew down and grabbed onto her mane, feeling the wind as the ground and the trees became nothing more than a blur. She seemed to be determined to catch him, and he had to admire her tenacity.

Climbing up to the top of her head, Shadow Flame nestled himself between her ears and held on for dear life. The last thing he needed now was to fall off. As he looked at Sparkle, he could see Songhue nestled securely in the locks of his mane holding on tight and he chuckled a bit, waving at her.

[Songhue]

She had to grin when she looked back and saw their friend sticking to her bonded's heels like a burr. Clinging as close as she could to his bobbing neck, the tiny sylph sent a quick, flickering thought across his mind. To out run her would be close, fast though he was through the dense woodland, and a risk. Perhaps it would be better to try and lose her.

Whinnying out a laugh, Sparkle gave a mighty buck and disappeared to the right, a broad grin spreading across his face as the winds whisked a few merry words from his lips.

"Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can..."

[Vineda]

Vineda chuckled and gave a whicker as she felt the gentle tug in her mane as her friend made his way to her forelock. She thought with a devious smirk that it would be fun to make trouble with a few flicks of her finely shaped ears, but at this speed she wouldn't dare risk it.

She lengthened her stride slightly, beginning to dig in, when all of a sudden the stallion dashed off to the side and began a disappearing act. She was having none of that! A wicked grin stretched across her face in answer to his own. It was perhaps lucky he was choosing this course... she wasn't sure how good her chances were in a straight race.

The small chestnut figure made an effort to pull up before she missed the gap Sparkle had made for, at the same time she began turning desperately. She'd locked into this dead gallop routine and hadn't been ready to dodge much at all, and now her hooves skidded slightly as she roughly navigated the sharp unplanned turn.

A few tiny seconds of worrying and wondering if she'd pushed her luck too far and she was in the clear. Checking to make sure her new burr was still firmly attached she chuckled and wondered if she'd caused him any worry. She let out a mischievous whinny at the fun she was having and took off again like a shot, unwilling to let Sparkle gain much room from his little stunt.

Hooves hammered with heart as she remembered the quick mind of her fox form and drew on some of the nimbleness she found there. She hoped she would be able to dance again as she'd done in the stream! The trees seemed to be thickening, so it seemed a safe bet.