Krenburg was surrounded by commons, which were meadows. This would be our racecourse.

Major Nurant approached us, bowed to me and then asked Larina for my flag.

The announcer boomed: "The first race will be 'Return the flag'."

I was looking for the marshal. "Freya I riding?" I asked him. He looked surprised.

Freya came to my side to translate. "I don't think this dress is suitable for riding," she said.

The Marshal nodded. "No one will be riding you, Lady Kiara. You can find the way yourself."

I watched as the major rode quite a distance with both flags. Then he planted them a hundred paces apart. When they were both firmly in place, he waved to us and turned back.

I went back to where my armiger and Larina were standing. Three women approached us and bowed. "Dear Lady Kiara of Earth," they bowed again, "we would like to offer you this wreath of flowers in your colours."

I smiled, "Thank you," and put it on my head. As I had no ears in the right position, I hung it over my left ear. It would not last long there, but I appreciated the gesture. "What's your name?"

They giggled. "I am Gwendolin," the first said, curtsying and lifting her dress so that it did not touch the grass. "I am Petra, dear lady," said the second. "Philippa," whispered the third, looking down at the ground. A week ago, I would have offered them a ride. But things had changed. "Come petting me," I said, using my much-practised vocabulary and knowing full well that I might soon be showered with flower garlands in exchange for petting rights.

They stroked my back fur a few times, then bowed and retreated giggling, holding their hands as if they had touched a saint. They will certainly not be washing them this week.

Soon the next group of three arrived. They offered me a meat pie. Now Freya had to translate that I could not digest meat. Nevertheless, they earned their right to pet me.

Next came a single woman, quite old by the local standards. She offered to read my palms. I happily showed her. But they were too different from what she knew to read. She apologised several times, but I didn't mind.

By now a short queue had formed.

Maybe ten or fifteen groups had stroked me before the announcer called us to get ready.

So I bowed to the disappointed queue and walked over to the marshal where the other rider was waiting.

Luckily, the announcer was a little further away, which made his voice bearable. "Lady Kiara of Earth, are you ready?" I nodded and many voices cheered. "Officer Prince John, are you ready?" He nodded, too, and got another cheer; maybe a little less.

"Then go!" the announcer shouted. I was not quite ready, even though I had nodded and thus set off a second later.

At first, I did the same fast gallop as before with Freya. But without a rider weighing me down, I could do much wider strides with both forepaws together in an undulating motion and my upper body almost parallel to the ground. And with the body in a straight line, breathing became a little easier. Still, a mile was a mile and this dashing speed was too fast to sustain. I slowed down a bit, but I was still running faster than I had ever gone before. There came the flag. I grabbed the pole, turned and raced back to the marshal, the flagpole horizontal in both hands outstretched in front of me.

The speed was murderous. The lack of oxygen narrowed my vision. I rammed the flagpole into the ground, panting worse than Larina after our lesson. I was too dizzy to let go of the pole for fear of falling over. Sweat was running down my human body and my tail was wagging madly to cool me off. It took me a few moments to register the cheers.

Then there was the clatter of hooves, and a second pole was rammed into the ground next to me. I was still breathless.

"Lady Kiara of Earth has won the first race by over three lengths," the announcer shouted as the crowd cheered. Even those who had been rooting for Kren were happy, for they had witnessed history: The first lady to beat a horse. But at that moment, all I wanted was more oxygen.

Freya came running and put her hand on my back to check on me. "No problem, just catch your breath," she said. I nodded, it was the only thing I could do at the moment.

"I need a break," I finally managed to wheeze out and let go of the pole. I stood up without toppling over and walked slowly over to my camp marked out by Larina and my armiger.

* * *

Having a cook as an armiger had unexpected advantages. She had organised sweets and plenty of vegetable pies for me and, of course, water. Both were much needed, as the announcement said there would be a second race.

My opponent was also feeding his horse.

I was a little unsure how much I should eat. But I had already walked down the castle hill since lunch and would have to walk back the same way. Just a little snack should be fine. Eventually, my breathing returned to normal, my thirst was quenched and I enjoyed the sweets.

"The second race will be around Krenburg. Lady Kiara and Officer Prince John, please see Marshal Sir Toben," the announcer shouted and got my heart rate up. What? I was going to race a horse around Krenburg? I made a rough estimate. It was a bit hard to guess with the hill but Krenburg was an hour walk across. That meant around 3 hours around. I would need to outpace a horse for the whole distance. It was mid-afternoon, the hottest time of the day. Racing through unknown terrain, though most likely meadows like here. I dimly remembered that humans could outrun horses over long distances. But then I also remembered why: The lesser effort of moving two legs beats four legs on long distances. I would not have this advantage. But then, the horse would have to carry its rider.

The marshal waved at me. I walked slowly over, still thinking. The prince was already there.

"Lady Kiara of Earth, please choose a direction, clockwise or counterclockwise."

My favourite choice would be 'not going', but somehow that was not on the table. "Counterclockwise," Freya translated for me. Just because it had 'counter' in it. Let's counter their expectations.

A runner brought the news to the announcer, who was now standing on a small podium made of barrels. "Lady Kiara of Earth will go counter-clockwise, Officer Prince John will go clockwise. The race will be from flagpole to flagpole. Please go there now."

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The flagpoles were next to the marshal. We just stood there and the prince mounted his horse.

I quickly gobbled down two more fruit cakes from the armiger's tray. Then the announcer shouted again: "Lady Kiara of Earth and Officer Prince John get ready."

We both waved our hands.

"Then go!"

This time I was ready and set off for the right side of Krenburg, which also avoided the biggest crowds. I still had to make a few big leaps over spectators and other obstacles, which brought cheers and applause. I even added one or two just to please the crowd. I slowed down a little once I had gained some distance, still not sure what speed to choose. My brisk walk, which I could maintain for hours, yes. But any decent horse should be able to go faster. I dimly remembered that a horse with a rider could go 20 miles an hour, the speed to beat. All well and good, but how could I know my own speed by looking at the bushels of grass passing by on the meadows? In the absence of any reference, I tried different gaits and how tiring they were compared to their speed. In the end, I settled on an undulating style with wide strides.

I soon reverted to the brisk walk as Krenburg bordered the ridge on the counterclockwise side. The path next to the wall went uphill. Not as high as the castle hill or the ridge, but enough to require some effort. Sweat ran down my upper body.

Soon I was in the zone. My paws moved by themselves, my mind focused on the short distance ahead.

Without realising it, I had started a steep climb on all sixes. Then I heard the cheering. People were waving down from the city walls. They must have known more than I did, or, more likely, they had spotted me coming from afar, because I was certainly faster than any human runner. I waved back and promptly lost the grip of my left forepaw. The others held. It was only now that I realised that I had left the path, which took a wide detour around the rock I was climbing. As I was more than halfway up, I continued. At the top, I could even look over the crest of the city wall and saw quite a few spectators.

I went down squirrel style, head first. The floral wreaths around my ears fell off. Small sacrifices. At the bottom I continued at my fastest pace, the four paws undulating strides, helped by the gentle descent of the meadows.

Earlier than expected I reached the area outside the northern gate. Again, people had gathered outside the gate, cheering, waving green and white ribbons and forming a aisle for me. I smiled and waved. With immediate punishment: I hit a stone with the soft part of my right forepaw. Silently cursing and hissing, I turned my attention back to the way. Which ended at the banks of the River Kren, for the river ran along Krenburg. A fact I had somehow forgotten.

On the other bank, the prince appeared with his horse and led it straight into the water. There was no time to lose.

I made a wide leap to avoid the muddy bank of a river downstream of a large medieval town, this time grateful for the lack of indoor plumbing and sewers. Still, I tried hard not to get any water in my mouth and swam through the river with quick strokes. The cool water was a welcome refreshment.

The prince rode his horse through the river, which was a little shallower upstream where he crossed it. But even swimming I soon found myself on the muddy bank on the other side, and then on the meadows there. My legs were covered in brown mud up to my knees and my ribbons were brown too. I brushed some of the mud and water off my legs, grateful again for the fur trimming this morning which made it so much easier. Then a deep breath and I set off again.

The land on this side of Krenburg was flat. Which meant I had to choose again between speed and effort. The undulating gait was even more tiring than before as my paws sank into the soft grass with every new stride. Next, I tried a gait with alternating left and right strides, with mixed success. Then I switched to the gallop I would use with Freya on my back. This reduced my body bouncing up and down. It was better suited for the soft ground of the meadows as I did not have to push myself up at each stride. Familiar with it, I set myself to a speed I could maintain. Barely maintain, I was really pushing myself, my vision was narrowing from the lack of oxygen.

After an unknown amount of time galloping in the zone, I splashed into the river. Luckily it was shallow enough to avoid a head dive. I stood there for a moment, panting and dazed, then waded further into the cool water. Only now did I realise that I was upstream of Krenburg and could drink my fill safely. As I drank, I heard shouting and cheering from the other bank. Silly me, I was almost there. I could drink more later. I waded deeper into the river and soon I swam.

The River Kren was narrower and therefore flew faster here, with a steep bank where I landed. No mud here but the short climb on all sixes on the dark ground brought the same result.

With no time to lose, I headed for the flagpole area. By now the spectators had formed an aisle to the flagpoles. I did not see a horse standing there and the cheering and jubilation of the green-and-white crowd confirmed this. I went a little slower, even waving. When I reached the flagpole, I still had some breath left in me, so I ripped the pole out of the ground, stood up on my hind legs and waved the flag to loud cheers. Smiling madly, I barely noticed the well-meaning splashes of buckets of cold water that washed away some of the mud and dirt and cooled me down.

Soon an aisle formed on the right, through which the prince led his horse. I fell to all fours. The poor animal was half dead, sweat and foam on its black coat, blood on one side of its ribs, its legs trembling. To the prince's credit, he dismounted, walked to the pole, bowed to me, and then took care of his horse, stroking its head and giving it water. Two healers tended to his wounds and his grooms poured buckets of water to cool the horse. I was the only one who looked at the prince for a moment; there was no second winner in this time and age.

Larina almost rammed me with her hug. Since my front was occupied, Freya jumped onto my back and hugged me from behind. "You did it!" she shouted in mindspeak and aloud too, and Larina probably did the same in Kwal. "Yes, I did it!" I shouted in Earth as well.

"Lady Kiara," the crowd chanted. I wanted to hug them all, the burning pain in my body pushed aside by euphoria. I stood on my hind legs again and waved to the crowd, Freya clinging to my back for dear life.

"Lady Kiara!" someone shouted down below.

I went down in front of the marshal. "Thank you," Freya whispered and dismounted quickly.

"Dear Lady Kiara of Earth, you have outdone yourself."

The announcer boomed: "Today, on the 14th oldest forthday of Igrim, in the year 147 of the Kren Republic, Lady Kiara of Earth outpaced a horse in two races." As if there was anyone left who didn't know that. The cheering started again, so loud that even the announcer could no longer be heard.

The crowd closed in and began to lift me off the ground. It was no easy task, but soon twenty or more men and women were lifting their champion above their heads, pushing me on belly and leg, and carrying me to a podium with the announcer. Next to him stood a man, sweltering in a thick fur coat. It must be highly symbolic when worn in the afternoon summer heat. A little further behind was a very old man, clearly of nobility.

"Dear Lady Kiara of Earth," the man in the fur coat began. But that was all I got out of his speech until Freya had fought her way to the podium on Larina's back. She knelt down beside me and grabbed my left foreleg. "This is the Major of Krenburg, congratulating you on making history and all. Faster than a horse, he also said," was her digest.

Then the old nobleman spoke. "The old man is Count Larel of Litra, a small village about two days out. He had no heir and was in Krenburg to negotiate the transfer of his domain. He was very impressed by your performance. He therefore wishes to declare you his heir and bestow his domain upon you, should you accept." I was literally speechless. From a mount to a noblewoman with a real domain in less than five days. I got cold feet, er, paws. How could I be a benevolent ruler of whomever with so little knowledge of this world? "How many people live there?" I asked.

Freya translated. But his answer of "12 families", I understood by myself. I was still shaken. "Freya, what should I do?"

"You have complained so often that the Republic is not right. You can change it now," she said, "be a gentle squirrel-cat lady. It is deep in the mountains."

I still hesitated. "Too much honour," I stalled.

"Kiara of Earth and Litra!" someone began to chant and soon everyone was shouting the same. Apparently, my answer was given. The old nobleman came over, shook my hand and smiled. Oh, it was a real friendly smile. Grandfather-like, not politician-like. I bowed and smiled too. Then the nobleman took a ring with a deep brass engraving from his middle finger, a signet ring. He held it up and tried to put it on my hand. It barely fit the first part of my little finger. The crowd went wild.

I was exhausted, physically from the race and emotionally from winning it and being promoted again. I saw a guard of honour forming by the Kren soldiers in front of the podium. They all wore a green ribbon across their armour. Freya led me through them to an open wagon. The rest of the way back was a blur. I barely noticed that Count Larel and Freya were also on the cart. It was like watching myself in a dream. A wild dream.