Read Hinterlands Book II: The Stables for Free Online Page A

inhibit her legs.   This must be what it feels like to run
like a man, she thought to herself, and began to feel how silly it was to be so
encumbered by skirts all the time.
    After her first lap she finally caught-up with the main
group and began to pace them. They glanced at the newcomer nervously. The
collective sound of their feet pattered softly in the grass in an even cadence,
like a herd of rabbits. As for Amelia, her slender legs ached and her lungs
were burning, yet she was determined now to catch Ms. Eleros, even entertaining
the possibility of beating her. The scented wax in her hair was melting in the
afternoon sun, and beginning to drip down her back in a mixture of sweat and
perfume.
    As she inched passed the main group, she realized she was
quite good at this running business, enjoying the feeling of her heart pounding
in her chest. They leapt over a thick log and sprinted past a carriage that Amelia
hadn’t noticed the first lap. It was parked right next to the path.   She couldn’t be sure, but she thought
she spied a pair of eyes peering out of the curtained window at they careened
past.   The path looped around and took
them right past the stable entrance once again. Amelia was a short distance
behind Ms. Eleros, her skin saturated and running freely. She took great
pleasure in the look of utter shock that lay upon the faces of Ms. Farstone and
Mr. Stephen as she sprinted past and she could see them talking nervously
together.  
    She increased her tempo, slowly making up ground on Ms.
Eleros, stretching her legs into long graceful strides and pumping her arms
hard. They rounded the hill once more, then the grove of trees, and back past
the carriage.   The race had become a
blur and all Amelia could do was place one foot in front of the other, thinking
of her sisters, thinking of home, thinking a hundred things.   She no longer noticed either Ms. Farstone
or Mr. Stephen, focusing entirely on catching Ms. Eleros.  
    She was twenty steps behind. Ten.
    She surged to pull neck and neck with the leader and she
was filled with wild ebullience, as she saw the path ahead open up before her
empty for the first time. The girl turned to look at Amelia with a grin, the
lily hanging limply from her braid.
    “Well done nightshade! They chose well!” she called out
as they jogged along. At first Amelia had no idea what this meant, only that she
was being commended by Ms. Eleros. She quickly realized that the purple flowers
in her hair marked her as nightshade, the symbol of her trio.
    “Th-Thanks!” She called back breathing hard.
    “The name’s Psalm” the girl called out grinning.   Psalm’s tanned face beamed brightly like
the morning sun with this smile.
    “Amelia!” she called back, finding it hard to talk and
run at the same time.   Psalm’s
stride was athletic and easy, her beautiful skin sparkled with sweat. She
seemed to be scarcely breathing hard, whereas Amelia felt like she was dying.
Psalm was keeping pace with Amelia out of pity.
    “Careful Nightshade, someone’s watching.”   She gestured towards the carriage as
they passed by.   Who was in there?   Amelia craned her neck but couldn’t
quite see.   While she was observing
the carriage Psalm took the opportunity to sprint away effortlessly like a
deer.   Amelia watched as she crossed
in front of the stables and slowed to a fast walk.   She had completed the twenty laps far
ahead of the others. Amelia came in second place, gasping for breath and
placing her hands on her trembling knees.
    “Well, well, well!   What a surprise Ms. Kerrick.   Your first day in the paces and you come in second place!   Isn’t that shocking Mr. Stephen?”
    “Indeed it is!   Ms. Eleros will have to watch herself.”
    “Certainly she will!” Ms. Farstone approached Psalm, with
a dubious expression. She reached into her skirts and took out the small
leather crop that she carried with her.   It was an evil little thing full of menace. Psalm