Queen's Own: I know, I know, I'm a horrible author- I haven't updated in ages. The sad, sad story of my love life is the only excuse I can offer, that and some truly evil teachers. Oh, and a new muse who has been most insistent in her demands for her story to be written.

Siri: But now it's my turn. Here is the continuation of my wonderful fic!

Vira: Hey, my fic's cool too!

Siri: hisses It's bad enough that you have your own fic, GET OUT OF MINE!

Vira: runs

Chapter 10: Racing

"Come riding with us!" Damyin urged.

"All right," Cat said, with a grin.

Damyin grinned that utterly cute, completely disarming grin that he alone possessed. "I knew you wanted to." She slapped him lightly.

"It wasn't you," she teased. "I just wanted to see my wonderful horse. But," she heaved a dramatic sigh. "If you insist on coming along, I guess you can come." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she began to walk in long strides away from him, towards the barn. Damyin followed her, as she sped up. He took quick strides trying to walk quickly, without breaking into a run. She too sped up, picking up a run, but then dropping back into a fast walk. Their eyes met, and she grinned as both of them broke into a run, and burst through the doors of the barn, Damyin seconds ahead of her.

As they stumbled to a halt, both laughing, Cat had the distinct sensation that Laur, who stood talking to Daine in her horse's stall was trying very hard not to laugh. In spite of herself, Cat grinned in response to her friend's obvious attempts to hide her amusement.

"She's trying not to laugh," Daine informed Cat.

"She's failing," Cat shot over her shoulder as she went to Adder's stall. A stable hand was already there with the mare's tack. She accepted it with a quiet "Thank you" as the young man bowed, and, with a murmured, "Welcome, lady" slipped away. She set the tack on the door of the stall and slipped inside.

Within minutes, Adder was tacked up and Cat was leading her outside. Laur and Daine were already out there, with their mounts. Daine stood beside a steel-grey pony. The reins were looped over the pommel of the saddle, and Daine stood casually with one hand thrown over the mare's withers. Laur already sat in the saddle of a lightly built bay gelding with the look of a fast runner.

"That's Cloud," Damyin said from behind her. Cat didn't even bother to turn around. "Daine's pony. Laur's riding her gelding. My horse is Banner." A stable hand came up on Cat's left.

"Would you like to mount, Highness?" he asked with a bow. Cat opened her mouth to protest that she was no 'Highness', but Damyin spoke before she could.

"If you would hold my mount," he said smoothly. "I will give Lady Caterin a leg up." The stable hand bowed and took the reins of his chestnut gelding, built like the destriers the knights rode. She slipped the reins over Adder's head, and pulled down both of her stirrups. Feeling Damyin's hands on her knee, she lifted her left leg. "One, two three," he murmured. She jumped on three and was easily swung onto Adder's back.

Turning in her saddle, she saw Daine was now seated on Cloud's back, and Damyin was in the process of mounting. "Ready to go?" he called to everyone once he was secure.

By way of answering, Cat squeezed Adder who eagerly broke into a smooth canter. Hearing the sound of hoof beats start abruptly behind her, she grinned at the thought that someone had seen fit to do the same- from the sound of the hoof beats, all three of her friends. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of brown, blue, and gleaming chestnut: Damyin.

"Slow down Cat!" he called. "Don't tire Adder out. There's a great place to race, if you want to." With a sigh, she pulled Adder to a walk.

"You know I want to," she retorted. "Since when have I ever not wanted an opportunity to beat you?"

"You can't, though," he shot back, pushing hair out of his face with one hand. He grinned at her, the grin that made her mouth stretch in an answering grin.

"Are you betting on that?" she asked teasingly.

"No, he's not," Laur informed her, riding up beside her. "Because he doesn't have any money, so he'd be losing mine."

"I do so have money," Damyin protested indignantly.

"No you don't," Laur said. "You spent it all when we went to Pearlmouth last month."

"Dammit!" Damyin exclaimed. "You're right!" Cat laughed.

"You two are hopeless," Daine said, riding up on the other side of Damyin. "Now come on- let's go to King's Hill!" She turned into the Royal Forest, the other three following her, Cat and Damyin riding next to each other directly behind and Laur following them, a knowing grin on her face.

As Cat wondered where in the world they were going, Daine led them through the forest. Damyin refused, to tell her, and Cat was getting very frustrated with him, when she finally saw open ground outside of the forest. She blinked a little when they exited the shady forest for the bright day outside, and grinned when she saw the gradual hill that Daine had led them too.

As had happened before, not a word was exchanged between her and Damyin. Instead, their eyes locked and a silent challenge passed as she squeezed Adder into first a canter, then a gallop. She was crouched over the mare's neck, Damyin even with her and grinning like a maniac. An answering grin spread across her face and she crouched still lower over Adder's neck, ignoring the hair falling in her face, and Adder's mane slapping her cheeks as they galloped on and on.

And then suddenly, as they galloped up, perfectly matched, the hill leveled out, and they were slowing their horses down to a walk. Adder slowed down fairly easily; Banner fought a bit more before allowing himself to be slowed as well.

"Come take a look at this view!" Laur called from behind them. Damyin smiled as Cat turned Adder obediently to look at the sight. She gasped as she brought Adder to a halt beside Laur. Corus sprawled beneath them, a glimmering jewel amongst the hills around it.

"Like it?" Damyin asked from right next to her. She looked at him.

"It's- incredible," she admitted. "I was a little too wrapped up in my own problems to see it when I first came, so seeing it now, is just-" She sighed, returning her eyes to the view.

"Every time I see it, it never fails to impress me," Damyin said. "Though, it does have a little less shine, with you spoiling the view," he teased. Cat sniffed.

"The only reason I was ever able to appreciate the view," she retorted. "Is because you weren't in my line of vision."

"Come on you two, stop flirting!" Laur said. "I need to get home soon. Party for Evanjel."

"And I have to talk to Thayet about clothes," Cat chimed in.

"Tutoring," Damyin sighed.

"Numair's getting home today," Daine said, eyes glowing. "He was away, helping Kaddar."

"Awwwww!" the other three chorused. Daine blushed.

"What about you and Cat, Damyin?" she asked innocently. "And Laur, how's that member of the Own- Kris I think his name was?"

Laur rolled her eyes. "We're over. He was away too much."

Damyin rolled his eyes. "Whatever happened to 'we have to go'?"

"Race you!" Laur said eagerly. She was nudging her horse into a gallop before the others could comment. Damyin and Cat drew ahead of her eagerly. They made it to the edge of the hill before pulling back down to a walk. The two walked slowly, talking. Daine and Laur stayed behind, muffling laughter.

"They're so cute," Laur whispered. "My brother finally found a girl!"

Daine laughed. "That he did. She doesn't seem entirely oblivious to him either."

Ahead of them, Damyin and Cat talked, laughing and flirting as they wandered back to the stables. As she said goodbye to Damyin as he went to his tutors, Cat felt as though she was floating. Giddily, she rushed to Thayet's rooms. Were we just- flirting?

Queen's Own: I love writing Laur. She is such an awesome pesky sister- reminds me of myself. I'm in a hurry to post this chapter, but I will do reviewer responses next chapter. A huge thank you in advance to everyone who reviews this chapter. Thank you for sticking with me!