Arran’s station in Lord Egon’s estates gradually improved as he succeeded in winning race after race. By extension, Ermic’s life also greatly improved. Being a successful rider earned Arran many perks. The food he was given drastically changed, upgrading from just simple gruel to freshly cooked meat. He was also separated from the batches of slaves, Symas himself supervising the training of Arran and two other successful riders.

Arran was, at first, greatly saddened at the prospect of leaving Ermic behind with the rest of the slaves. His sorrow did not last long as each of the riders was allowed to select one groom to help take care of their horse. He chose Ermic without a shred of hesitation. He knew that Ermic would help him as best as he could. They both had something to gain from being a good team.

Ermic was greatly relieved that Arran was the same old him. He was initially worried that this improvement in Arran’s treatment would get to his head. He was greatly relieved that he couldn't be further from the truth. Though the groom would be technically a subordinate for the rider, Arran and Ermic showed the kinship of brothers. Arran would never lord it over Ermic though both of them knew that he had every power to do so. Ermic was grateful for this and he showed it by making sure that Arran was perfectly prepared for every race. He would check Arran’s equipment rigorously to spot any flaws that could possibly affect Arran’s performance. He also tried to look after Arran’s horse, the steed that Arran had ridden during the first race. Equs, on the other hand, had different ideas. He would not let anyone except Arran handle him.

Symas and the other instructors speculated that Equs had not been properly broken. They wanted Arran to ride other horses, ones that had proven themselves over and over. Arran was reluctant to ride any other horse except Equs, but had to give in eventually, if only to placate Symas and Lord Egon.

He mounted a white thoroughbred, Egon’s might, for his next race. Egon’s might was one of Lord Egon’s best horses. It had been racing in the big leagues since even before Arran had arrived at Lord Egon’s estates.

Egon’s might responded to Arran’s every command, moved to his slightest touch. It had a grace that Equs sorely lacked, It had a fluidity that Arran knew Equs could never possess. But it didn't feel right. Sure, he had easily won the races while riding Egon’s might, but it just didn't feel right. He missed Equs’s temperament, he missed it’s wildness. He knew, after he had ridden Egon’s might, that Equs had never truly been broken, that it was not just mere speculation. It was still wild in it’s heart, like Arran himself. Slavery had not broken him. He had not completely resigned himself to being a slave, he knew that he was destined for better things, for greater things. He did not know how he knew this, but he could feel it. Every time he rode Equs, he could feel it deep within his heart. Every time he looked into Equs’s eyes, they looked back at him intelligently, as if understanding his pain.

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“We are brothers, in our circumstances, in our hearts, we are brothers” they seemed to convey. 

Arran refused to ride any other horse after his race on Egon’s might. Symas and Lord Egon had been furious, how dare a mere slave rebel against his master’s wishes! But they couldn't do anything, not yet. He was too valuable a rider to act against. He could earn them a lot of wealth. So they acquiesced, waiting for him to lose a race so that they could force him to ride Egon’s might. To their ever growing dismay, and bewilderment, he never lost on Equs. They rode like the wind, thundering down the track, leaving the competition in their dust. They seemed like a single being, as Equs galloped down the track, no, as they galloped down the track. They were one and no one who saw them ride could deny this.

Though Arran proved himself more than capable, his non-existent wages remained just that, non-existent. Ermic had been able to obtain a few copper during the earlier days of Arran’s riding career, when the odds had been stacked against him. They invested their meagre wealth betting on Arran. One copper became ten. Ten became eighty. Eighty became Four hundred and eighty. The earnings of each race would then be buried sneakily near the track, only to be dug and used for the next race. As Arran continued to win his races without breaking a sweat, the odds against him decreased. This in turn resulted in them earning lesser for each progressive race, before finally becoming non-existent.

Arran planned to lose a few races to raise the odds against him, but decided to abandon it because it would only give Lord Egon an excuse to make him ride Egon’s might. With no foreseeable way out of their predicament, Arran did the only thing he could.

He raced, becoming one with Equs, while biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to change his destiny.

Little did he know that his life would turn upside down soon.