by RainbowFinch » Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:12 pm
My Entry for the Writing Section of the Winter Contest ^_^
Title
The Race...Well Kind Of
Equids Used
Winchester owned by Me (PinkSpaniel) and Nitro owned by KittyCatKita
Story
The air was still and cold; the sky clear and blue. A blanket of pristine white lay across the earth, making it sparkle under the sunlight. It was the perfect day for a race.
Every section of the field, the chosen home for the start of the race, was alive with movement and noise. Somewhere to the West a stallion called to a mare. A yearling dashed across the packed down snow, lead line trailing in the wind, off to the East. All around there was something happening. Excitement hummed in the air like an electric current, seeping into everyone’s blood, their adrenalin rising; especially one Equid in particular.
Nitro was young. He hadn’t seen many seasons pass, this was only his third winter and never before had he been around such commotion. The world around him was exploding with life, and he was ready to jump right in and show them what he was made of.
Equids of every size and colour had come to compete and he would beat them all. At least that is what this brash young stud believed. His partner on the other hand had doubts.
Winchester watched the hustle and bustle around him with only the slightest of interest. The way the humans ran around and the Equids pranced on place as they were tacked up, it all made no sense to him. What a silly way to pass the time, pulling a human around in a strangely shaped log; but if he must he must. Unlike Nitro he showed no enthusiasm with this game.
Nitro tossed his head at the sound of a horn. Winchester barely batted a lash. It was a sign. The start of the race was an hour upon them; it was time to tack up and line up at the start. The sleighs where already in place, side by side, ready for their Equids to be hooked up and another horn to blare. Everyone was ready to run.
Their driver was a woman, a young brunette; both the stallions enjoyed her company. She had a gentle hand and pockets of goodies, even Winchester understood treats. The sugary blocks were enough to keep Nitro in place to get his tack on. Otherwise he would never have made it in time. Black leather soon hugged his painted body, bells chimed around his neck, and an aqua gem gleamed bright between his nostrils and on his chest. He looked good, he knew he looked good.
Winchester was quickly dressed to match. He needed no treats to keep him still. He allowed himself to be tacked in leather and bells, standing as still as ice, his ears flicking only when Nitro darted around distracting him. A man (a friend of the woman it was assumed) held the pinto stud, he barely seemed to be in control, how was any Equid supposed to race attached to such a Stallion? He acted no more wise then a yearling colt.
Together they were lead to their sleigh, the same beautiful green blue that adorned their bodies. The man clenched Nitro’s reigns, his brow furrowed as the stallion surged forward. Muscles straining to keep him in check, he was strong enough to do so, forcing the lanky Equid to trot at his side instead. Behind him his tail swished and smacked at his team mate’s hide, Winchester just heaved a sigh. This was going to be a long day, who was he kidding, it was already a long day. The woman worked quickly, hitching them to the sleigh. On either side of the boys, stretching out across the snowy landscape, other teams were doing the same. Humans dashed around clipping tack and lacing reigns through bands. Equid stood beside Equid, some in flashing colours and others in nothing but black leather. All of them were ready to run. Their breath clouds of white, their muscles tight with excitement. The only one who seemed to not be ready to run was Win, who just let out another sigh as the woman climbed in behind them and gathered the reigns.
Nitro was barely containing himself. His hooves dug into the snow, his chest heaved against the wood in front of him. He wanted to run, he needed to run!
A speaker crackled behind them, a hush fell over the crowds that lined the course. It was time. Nitro’s head shot up, the whites of his eyes showing, his long ears erect and quivering. Winchester, pawed the ground, ear twisting backwards toward their rider, oh no it was time.
The horn blared, an announcer shouted and the race was on!
Nitro bolted, rocking the sleigh with the sudden motion forward. His chest slammed into the wood, the reigns snapped tight, and he dug himself into the snow. Beside him Winchester put on the breaks, head going up, squealing in surprise.
His own cry of terror was drowned out by their drivers. She was screaming, she was pulling at Nitro trying to stop him, but it was futile. The painted stallion kicked up snow; he ran forward, he dragged the sleigh half sideways, his partner not helping at all. So he just tried harder to run, to win. They spun in a circle, whipping up a snowstorm around them, while all the rest of the racers ran past (in a straight line). No matter how hard Nitro ran, they just kept going around and around.
Nitro was trying win and Winchester was just trying to stay alive. Their human, at some point, had been thrown from the sleigh, so she had no say in the matter anymore. Nitro ran and Winchester tried to stop; finally the sleigh tipped, hitting its side, catching in the snow.
It forced Nitro to slow, the animal gasping for breath but looking quite pleased with himself. He had stopped facing the start line from the opposite direction as they had started.
He had done it, he had won! There was no other Equid in sight! He lifted his head, proud of himself and turned to glance at his partner, he had to be just as pleased.
Winchester was gasping for breath, his liver chestnut coat lathered with sweat. He looked more like he had gone through something horrific, rather than the glee on the younger Equid’s face. He lay down his long ears against his neck and glared at Nitro. At least it was over, their race had finished before it had really begun. Now he just wanted to go back home and lay down, all this fun and games, it was no way to pass the time.
