Marcos and his father Darios worked with their assistant Benar in the latest attempt to make a leather harness for the horses. It consisted of a number of long straps married together to make a plaited cord about ten yards long. An intricate arrangement at the front provided the horse with a comfortable yoke, with loops to go around her head to ensure it stayed in place. Benar wound the harness around the roof beams and stood on the loop at the lower end. For a change it supported his weight without breaking.

"After all these months," grumbled the workman. "Do you think it'll work this time?"

"The ones we made before worked ok," said Marcos. "We use them for tieing and sometimes for dragging. Just not very strong and they haven't lasted more than a few days. This new cowhide from Stonebridge, they have a way of tanning. We'll see."

The horses, basically regarded as playthings for Luke and Marcos, had been put to minor use around the farm but no one really trusted them very much. Over the couple of years they had become something of a curiosity in the neighbourhood. The old stallion Prince they had caught in The Forest was infirm and walked with a limp and was becoming a costly liability but Lianna and the younger mare Tecana which Luke had taken from the base of the Hinderith were sound young horses quite used to confinement on the farm. Tecana’s mother was with them, only half broken but good at keeping the small herd in order. There were also two of Lianna’s babies, a well behaved female and a male yearling who was skittish and not expected to be kept beyond his second year.

If this works at last," said Darios, "we should call this the Year of the Strap. Doesn't quite sound right does it?"

"They've already decided. Apparently Morian's going to call it the Year of the High Tree when the Festival of the Rains comes around."

"That unimaginative man. We've already had one of those. That was the year this all started. Marcos was only twelve then. In two weeks time he'll be waiting to be made a warrior. Anyway we'll take the pair out this afternoon and test them on those dead trees in the Forest."

Darios had invented a great number of things in his life, from heavy stone rat traps to experimental designs of boots but had never come across a problem quite like this. The difficulty was that no one had ever found a way to deal with so much weight. Anything heavy was dealt with by teams of men and vines were plenty strong enough. But vines bit into the skin too much. He had at least been able to base his work on the tools used by hauliers, who occasionally had to transport a complete carcass or move heavy boulders from the stone quarries or the safer of the ancient buildings in the low parts of the mountains for use in shrines and public places. This was laborious work, he had always thought there must be an easier way. Darios was not a tanner, and the old man in Agor was not really up to the task, but his nephew Roberto ran the farm at Stonebridge in the Borderlands and provided leather for both countries. Now they had something they could use.

They had lunch in the storeroom, sitting among the collection of fire hardened bone and wood tools Darios had amassed or invented over nearly thirty years. "How's it looking for this afternoon?"

"Cloud over Trantrith," replied Marcos sardonically. It was a well known saying, there was always cloud over the high mountain, the rain rarely moved northwards. Disturbed weather conditions normally came in off the sea from the west. Marcos shuddered slightly at his reference to the cold bandit country. Benar came in.

"I just had a word with the lads. They're going to take Prince this afternoon."

"Sorry Marcos." His father looked embarrassed. "He's given us two youngsters, wish there could be more."

Marcos shrugged. "It's time. I'll bring him over. He trusts me. I'll feed him valerian. Make sure the job's done as easily as possible. And then we'll have space for a new one."

True to his word Marcos bled out the infirm horse and stood watching as it sank to the floor. The farm hands moved the carcass into the back room away from the mess. No point watching the butchery and smoking, foul jobs. Darios gave orders for the hide to be kept in one piece and sent to Stonebridge immediately. Horse leather had a powerful reputation and the hair could be useful too.

Luke came riding in on Lianna shortly after lunch, having taken food with Sarah at his own home just within sight of the main farm. The curls of his hair cut back in the Elenean style made him look older. Slowly and thoughtfully he ambled the mare past the olive trees up to the workshop where she deposited her passenger then moved away to the field, the younger horses allowing her to choose a patch for grazing. He walked inside and picked up one of the new harnesses.

"So these are the ones we're going to test out this afternoon? How sound are they?"

"They've been tested," his father replied curtly, making Luke feel as if he had intruded on something. Marcos sat leaning against the wall, staring at the floor. Benar was in the far corner, toying with making up a piece of a net. Luke walked over to Marcos, who huddled closer to the wall.

"You're very quiet all of a sudden. Are you coming with us this afternoon."

The grunt of a response could hardly be interpreted as either yes or no, and Marcos shifted another inch away from Luke, who tried kicking him on the knee. He was not prepared for a violent punch on the thigh which nearly sent him backwards. Marcos jumped to his feet and stalked outside into the mild sunshine. Luke, recovering, stared after him.

"What's all this about? What have I done?"

Marcos replied with a single upturned finger. Luke looked at his father.

"What is it between you two?" growled the old man. "You're like bandits from the high mountain."

Luke looked over to Marcos, who ambled listlessly on the cool ground. "Don't ask me."

Darios nodded to the area of the outbuilding where the remains of the horse were being busily processed. "Prince."

"I'm sorry," said Luke, "I hadn't thought." If he had been more diplomatic he might have gone over and asked his brother for ideas on how to recover from the loss. Maybe scouting The Forest for a suitable replacement. He would have many years to think how he could have done it better but for now he had his own things to think about.

"You can have Tec this afternoon? She should be yours now properly. She’s old enough to be ridden every day."

Marcos thought about this for a moment and looked over to Lianna. He stood and shuffled away. Luke made to move after him but his brother was out of reach.

Luke rode on Lianna, Marcos behind him on Tecana, named after the main river which branched in with the Cana at the town of Agor. Darios walked behind with Luke's dog Rudi on his lead. The experimental harnesses were bundled behind Marcos. Entering The Forest by Chieftain Gate they made for a location about two leagues deep in the wood called Bear Garden where a couple of trees had blown down in storms at the end of the winter.

As the trail widened Luke slowed so that he rode next to his father. Being able to look down on the balding dark hair made him feel important. The time felt right to start revealing some of his plans for the farm.

"Apart from Lianna and Tecana we have two young horses and Tec’s mother. We'll replace Prince and next time we have a new foal we can take Adam away. We still don't really know how dangerous the healthy males can be when they grow." He pushed a ghost of a thought to a dark corner of his mind. It was less than a year, while he had been in Elenea. "If we really want to grow the farm we're going to need a tame breeding male as well as rideable females. What that means is we'll need a way to prevent the young male from leaving before it grows up. Or even better persuade a grown one to adopt them as his herd."

"When we bred Tiger," Darios replied, "we took her mother to old Tomos in the village, who had a male goat he kept chained in his barn. He was fierce but goats are so small you can keep them captive like that. But when you went south to the wood-cow farms you must have seen how they do it. Do they have a way of keeping the bulls tied down?"

"I never saw a bull under restraint. In fact I only saw one, and we were warned to keep away from it. It was huge in a field of cows, and the farmer had built a wooden fence around its territory so it would not be tempted to get out. All the other males had been spiked when young, to make them less fierce, but they were unable to breed of course. The custom there is to let them grow to nearly full size then kill them for meat. Occasionally they use them for dragging heavy loads, the same way we’re hoping to do with the horses. This stuff with the harnesses, I think they can do that. But of course they don't know about horses. Not even the little we do."

"So how do you intend to do it?"

"I don't really know yet. But there's another problem. We are one of the largest farms for miles around yet we only support five horses. The grass is also eaten by rabbits and small creatures. In Elenea they have plenty of food which they grow specially for animals to eat. That way they can keep more on their farms. I don't think we can really make progress until we have their techniques."

"You're thinking of going back east?"

"It's more than that, really. Athelea has mountains and The Forest and wild animals often cause a problem. In the south there are wide open grasslands, and land is protected by soldiers against marauders. It’s much better for growing things so they have different farming methods. I think the best way to develop our ideas is to start a farm in Elenea and take the horses down there. I can go back any time."

"That sounds like a logical idea but it would be a huge step to take. It's a strange country and not altogether friendly. You know what it thinks of Athelea. You're talking about spying really. Anyway the lands are fenced and guarded, so how can we start a farm? It will be impossible to find unused land and we don't have any relatives to live with."

"I was talking in the Hunters' Guild last night. You know Huw and Carlos, the two brothers who used to work for Roberto at Stonebridge? They travelled east last year and are running a farm called Briary owned by an old lady whose husband died and she has no children left alive. It was in a terrible state when they arrived and they restored it so she lets them live there. I asked Sol and he said I had a free pass any time I want."

"But what about Sarah? She's due in five months. Have you asked her?"

"We've discussed the possibility many times. We think it would be just as good for her to have the baby in a country where the food’s better and there’s less danger. I know we'll be away from all our relatives but we'll be able to cope. Besides, with our horses we may even be able to come back occasionally."

"All your relatives, did you say?"

"I should think so. Why, were you thinking of joining us?"

"Well, I suppose it's a silly idea. I'm too old now. And Marcos is too young and needed for the farm. I'd love to see the eastern regions, although I know the journey is dangerous and most people are not allowed passage. It's just that it'll seem so strange if you go away."

"Too young for what?" came a voice from in front of them. Marcos expertly drew back his mount and rode alongside.

"I've been discussing the idea of moving to Elenea and transferring our horses to an area where people know more about farming techniques."

"And you want me to come with you?"

"No. I want you to stay and be in charge of the farm. Dad needs more hands now that it has grown so much, and it's about time he trained you to be the future owner." He watched him mull it over for a few seconds. As he saw the positive reaction Luke mentally thanked the Lodge for the lessons it had laboriously tried to instil in his clumsy mind. But then he wondered, was it the prospect of running the farm himself or the relief at getting rid of his older brother.

"We're nearly at Bear Garden," announced Marcos with a sudden positivity. Through a clearing they could see the ancient tree shaped like a crouching man-animal, and behind it the two dead ones starting to decay back into the mouldy ground.

Luke, like Marcos and Darios, had no idea whether bears had ever existed, though they were familiar with the ancient carving at Bear Shrine facing the big mountain of Trantrith. The curled tree contained enough menace to give the impression that the light wind was growling through its branches as they approached. Marcos stood under the eerie limbs without quite daring to reach out and touch their mossy covering. Noises from behind the dense bushes prompted them to get on with the work. The dogs scurried round to have an investigation.

Luke and Darios tied a harness around the trunk of one of the dead pair. The plan was to use one on its own, and if that did not work, to use two in tandem, one drawn by Lianna and the other by Tecana. If they were successful in moving the trunk, they would try dragging the entire tree by attaching one harness to each end. Lastly, if they thought their luck was in, they might try both trees at once. Darios fastened the straps around the stump, while Luke managed after a few attempts to secure the other end around Lianna's shoulders. They stood on the ground while the horse wondered what to do.

"Go on, Lianna, pull," urged Marcos. He ran in front of her and beckoned with both hands, and she started to move towards him but as she felt the restraint on her shoulders she stopped, uncertain. Marcos beckoned to tempt her and she strained slightly against the straps, but again stopped as if ordered back by a human hand.

"She thinks we're holding her back, telling her not to move," said Marcos. They all moved in front of her so that she could see them, but this only caused more confusion, as she turned to see her captor. She then realised that she had become tangled in the tree stump and started kicking at the traces.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"No, Lianna!" Marcos rushed in front, daringly severing the strap with his flint before she started panicking and causing danger to all of them. As it whipped back against the wood she ran free and crashed about in the thickets for a few moments while Luke ran after to recapture her. Marcos made sure Tecana was safe and waited to hear signs that Luke had successfully brought the other horse under control. He picked up the second strap and handed it to his father.

"We'll use Tec this time. She doesn't seem perturbed by what she's seen."

They fastened Tecana to the tree as before, but instead of standing in front of her Marcos took her by the neck and guided her forward until the strap tightened. When Luke arrived with Lianna he left her a few yards from the others and stood by the tree with his knife at the ready. Marcos managed to persuade Tecana forward a little, until the straps started to strain and she would not go any further. Then he went to jump on her back.

"No!" shouted Darios, "that's too dangerous. If she panics she'll have your head against the trees." Marcos abandoned the attempt.

"Marcos is right," said Luke. If she has a rider he can prevent her from looking round, and it’ll help to reassure her as the strain increases. Let me get on her while Marcos uses part of the broken strap as a lead to encourage her forward. You stay at this end with the knife in case."

Darios realised the risk in having both his sons involved in a business that had already claimed one valuable life in the community. But he knew they had come this far and there was no point backing down. Marcos tied the strap around her neck and coaxed her forward until the harness was tight, then Luke jumped onto her back in the way he had perfected, she hardly giving a start as he took his place. Urging her forward she strained hard, making ground as the trunk moved a little then surged forward, leaving a wide track on the mossy ground.

"Stop, Tec! Stop!" Marcos stood in front of her and the sudden arrest caused Luke to lurch. They urged her back a step and removed the straps.

"Well done, Tec!" cried Luke, sliding to the ground and hugging her. The young men made a great fuss of her as Darios took care of the harness. Marcos produced a couple of fresh apples from his bag for the horse but Lianna did not want to be left out so he gave them one each.

"They'll want one every time if you're too indulgent with them," muttered Darios, unwilling to see the horses so pampered.

"No, I've brought some sanos for next time," answered Marcos. "Then whenever we feed it to them they'll remember the apples."

"Sanos?" asked Luke.

"Oh, it's the name they use for the dried grass we collect for the horses when they're in the sheds," replied Marcos. "It's slightly different from ordinary baling grass. The guys came up with it a couple of weeks ago and it seemed so good we all use it now."

"Well while they’re at it they can think of a name for the sheds as well," said Luke, piqued at having other people inventing terms for his horses. "They can't just live in sties or kennels." Darios and Marcos tied a harness round each end of the tree. As they were fixing one to each horse they heard a whistle, replied and a pair of runners came hurtling through the trees. It was Jomo 'Legg' and his cousin Marek from Gida who must have been at the Lodge for the afternoon.

"Luke, Marcos, Sir. We've seen signals from North Cliffs. There's been a rockfall and people are trapped. We're all on the way over to help."

"North Cliffs is nearly an hour's run away," said Darios. "We may not be able to help much. Most people will take two hours to get there. When the houses were destroyed there in the Year of the Storm six people had died before we arrived."

"But that was twenty years ago. Before I was even born. The horses." Luke was already packing stuff away. "We can get there in half the time. And our harnesses. Let's go!" Marcos had untied the leather straps and was stowing their equipment and food. "We'll leave the forest by Broad Trail. It's further but the horses will be quicker that way." Luke jumped onto Lianna and Marcos scrambled onto Tecana. "Look after the dogs," shouted Luke as they raced off into the woods.

As they came out of the trees they could see a few of the villagers walking in the distance, carrying tools and equipment for the injured. Smoke signals were clearly legible on the distant horizon where the view to North Cliffs opened up through a gap in the hills. The pair urged their horses forward at a speed they were accustomed to, and soon reached the stragglers.

"How long since the Lodge left?" Luke asked the mason, who was really too old for this kind of work but had valuable expertise.

"About half an hour. They should start getting to North Cliffs in an hour. There are one or two closer houses and they’ll get there much earlier of course."

"Go, Lianna," cried Marcos, pushing her forward to speeds they had never considered sane before. Luke raced him, and the two horses sped forward, their thundering hooves warning walkers, and soon runners, out of the way as they approached. Over the low pass through the hills they caught up with Matti, Jomo's half-brother, a friend of Luke's and the fastest runner.

"Get on," commanded Luke, slowing the horse to keep pace with the runner as Marcos forged ahead.

"What the devil? - Oh it's you. I can't get on that thing."

"Yes you can. There's plenty of room for two riders. We'll need you at North Cliffs to help with the straps."

"Straps? What are you talking about?"

"Just get on. We've got to catch Marcos."

Matti reluctantly reached for Luke's shoulders and hauled himself up, as the horse slowed and waited. He grabbed hold firmly, his lungs heaving furiously from the effort of running, and Luke had to ignore the sweat covered body as the two of them chased after Marcos and Tecana.

North Cliffs was little more than a gap in the rocks by a sandy beach, but it housed about twenty families in calm seasons and was important to the inland communities. Apart from being their main source of the fish that could be netted or speared from the shore it had a small flint industry, and traded shells and edible seaweed as well as mussels and crabs and anything else that could be scraped off the rocks or fetched by divers in clear weather. It was also the closest and safest place to find seawater for soaking olives. In more troubled times the area had served as an alternative base to The Lodge for military training and production of weapons, but there was little fighting nowadays and the hill bandits rarely caused problems for the villagers, though they were more trouble for travellers. North Cliffs contained a great many relics of its important past, not least the caves and terraces carved into the chalky cliffs which formed the permanent homes of most of the inhabitants.

Marcos was talking with an elderly man as Luke approached and Luke recognised him as an old teacher. The scale of the catastrophe was all too apparent as they surveyed the massive boulders which had sealed the entrances to two of the caves at the same time crushing temporary hovels which had been standing by the entrances. Two people were trapped under the rocks, one man with both his legs pinned beneath a single slab. Men with poles were trying to prise it away, but with little success. They managed to lift it an inch or so, but then had to release their effort, luckily not before others could wedge chocks into the gaps so as to avoid causing further anguish for the unfortunate victim. Luke studied their operation.

"Looks like they're pretty close to getting him out," he said to Marcos. "If we can secure the straps to the corner at the top our extra effort should be enough to lift the rock so they can quickly drag him away. Let's try Tec."

The old man stopped the rescuers while Marcos fetched Tecana and the pair attached the straps to the angled corner of the massive slab. Detailing one man to hold the straps in place as the horse started to strain, they urged Tecana forward while the rescuers heaved on the poles, edging them further in as the rock started to move. Two women yanked the unfortunate victim by his shoulders the moment there was sufficient clearance.

The strap broke and Tecana stumbled forward, knocking Marcos and Luke onto the sand. The rescuers scattered from the sudden weight, and the released man narrowly avoided having his foot caught by the falling rock. He tried to move but fainted as the blood rushed back into his legs.

"I'll look after him," said the old teacher who had been standing watching the performance of the horse. "We'll know in the next hour if he'll live. If you join in the clearance operation - it'll probably be several hours' work with all this rubble. There are two still missing - a mother and baby. Nicos here will be in charge." He pointed out a heavily built man with an untidy black beard. Luke contemplated the amount of work to be carried out.

"Is it worth using the horses for some of the larger pieces?" asked Marcos.

"It depends how big they are. All the stuff here can be lifted or rolled away by a team of men."

Two women approached Luke and timidly attracted his attention.

"Excuse me, the water you asked for is in those bowls outside the meeting-house."

Luke called the horses over and led them to the ornate house where they drank heavily from the freshly collected spring water. He left them there and went to help the rest of the men.

Someone shouted excitedly and everyone stopped working. One of the younger lads had seen something sticking out below a piece of rock as they gradually removed the mass of wooden splinters.

"It's a hand. Look." He craned down and grabbed the lifeless piece of flesh.

A man screamed and jumped across. "Halen! No!" He grabbed at the rock with both hands trying vainly to move it on his own, but it made no attempt to comply. Several of the helpers came to lend their weight. It was fixed solidly in place.

"This is huge," said Nicos. "We'll need to break the rock with fire to get it away."

"Is there a mason here?" asked Luke. "He'll be able to tell us how much it weighs. Our man will be at least five hours."

"Excuse me, sir. I can work out its weight." A teenager, about the same age as Marcos, stood next to Luke. "I am apprentice to the mason in Falls."

"You must be Lin," said Luke, "I met you three years ago when I was working in your village for a month. I hardly recognised you. So how much does it weigh?"

"Well, you have to clear the top and measure it each way with your hands. Then the same for its depth. Combine the three numbers together. We are taught a special method which I can do in my head. With my hands you need ninety-eight per ton. A ton is fifteen men. Then halve it to make allowance for the shape of the rock."

As the men cleared enough room for him he made his measurements. "I reckon that comes to twenty by twelve and two hands five fingers deep. Six tons. Just over a Tree."

Luke turned to Marcos. "I don't think we could move something of that weight. The straps would break. Maybe if they heat the rock and crack off some large chunks we can move the rest."

"Hold on a minute. We don't have to lift the whole boulder. It's angled at the bottom so we'll have a pivot which we can roll it over."

"Yes but we can then only roll it as far as the pivot point. Then the top edge will be touching the ground stopping us from moving it further."

"That's okay. Virtually all the body will be free then. There's only a foot showing this side."

Although it was still in shadow at the bottom Luke could see the foot protruding from below the rock. "So all we have to do is dig a pit below the foot. Then roll the boulder onto its side and drag the body out." Luke lowered his voice to a whisper. "Is the husband still here?"

"No. They took him out."

"Good. Have you ever seen a crushed body?"

"No."

"Be prepared for the worst. It's pretty horrible. I think most people here are in for a shock."

"I'm not a child," said Marcos.

Both Lianna and Tecana were pressed into service, and Luke carefully measured out the two remaining straps and the parts of the snapped ones that were still serviceable. Lianna took double, being the stronger, and Luke instructed men to ensure they remained securely attached to the far side of the rock as it turned. Others cleared rubble out of the way to give footing for the horses. Neighbours were still arriving on the scene and busying themselves with clearing the wreckage from other areas.

Luke jumped onto Lianna's back and Marcos sat on Tecana. As they urged the horses forward a party of men heaved at the rock from the other side while those who were looking after the harnesses edged the straps lower as the rock gradually moved, to prevent them sliding off the upper face. Another group slid wooden props under the exposed edge to prevent disaster should the straps break. Eventually everything shifted into place and the final set of props strained as the horses reduced their pull.

The younger men and boys who had not really known what to expect ran gagging from the site when they saw the body and the vapours of death soured the air surrounding the cave. Marcos walked round and surveyed the scene forcing himself to take a neutral viewpoint. A couple of older men started digging the remains from the floor to prepare for burial.

"Here's the baby." said one of the men. "In the fire pit. But it's not crushed at all."

"She must have seen it coming. Look, some of the coals have been scooped out. She couldn't have escaped after the fall started, but she just had time to try and protect him. What a terrible shame."

"He's still warm," said the first man, picking up the body, and feeling the chest, only to have the baby snatched from him by an old woman. She held the baby by the arms with one hand and slapped him vigorously on the chest, an action to which he took great offence as he twitched a couple of times then filled his lungs with air and let out a great cry.

Hearing the commotion his father leapt from his place on the beach where his friends had been trying to comfort him and ran to the woman who placed the baby in his arms as he cried in disbelief. As he hugged the child he happened to see the men removing the body of his wife, and fell to his knees with sudden grief, then looked at the baby, who was by now totally confused and started to howl along with his father. A grave grey-faced woman in late middle age came along and stood between him and the body, taking the baby gently in her arms.

"Come on now, my little nipper. This is a sad and lucky day for you. Let's go straight to Diis's shrine to give thanks and pray for your mother's safe passage to the Underworld." She wiped a few tears from the age-worn channels in her face then took her son-in-law by the arm along the stone causeway that ran by the top of the beach.

After the damage had been cleared away and temporary repairs made to the wooden structures, the villagers brought boards out onto the beach and piled food and drinks on them for the visitors. Morian puffed in having walked for three hours, to take charge of prayers for Halen the dead woman, and thanks for the survival of the other villagers. The man who had been freed from the rockfall was carried over to give his presents to Luke - although he had miraculously escaped without a break his legs were badly bruised and swollen and he was clearly in great pain. Meanwhile the horses had become great celebrities and presented with all kinds of food, carefully vetted by Marcos. The children queued up for rides. Marcos alternated the two horses and held the children in place as they screamed with excitement. Later in the evening the younger men decided it would not be too childish for them to have a go. Marcos noticed a group of three girls by one of the fires, watching him as he led the horse round the beach.

"Why don't you have a ride?" he asked one of them. "It's not just for boys you know."

The girl giggled hysterically so he turned to the oldest member of the group, who seemed more willing to try.

"Just put your arms around her neck and I'll lift you up. Once you're on its easiest if you lie on her back and when you feel comfortable you can sit up and I'll lead you round."

She shrieked as he started the horse moving, and continued piercing the night with her screams until he helped her off, then ran and collapsed in a heap with her friends. Marcos looked at the one he had addressed previously.

"Go on, Ana. Have a go." Her younger friend was too nervous to try herself, but not afraid to watch someone else make a fool of herself. Ana collapsed in giggles.

Marcos sat down by her in an effort to persuade. "It's so easy. You saw your friend do it. If she can do it you're bound to be much better."

"She's not my friend she's my sister. I can do it much better than her but it's so big."

"Well why don't you sit behind me." Marcos ran to Tecana and jumped on her back. He rode her back to the group and held out his hand.

Ana seemed close to fainting as she allowed herself to be pulled up onto the horse, but she took hold of Marcos around the shoulders nearly choking him with her grip. All the other riders had simply been led around in a circle, but this time he cantered her down to the water's edge and splashed along, the horse's hooves breaking the reflection of the moon in the water. Eventually he turned the horse around and trotted back. He stopped the horse about fifty yards from her friends and found it impossible to dismount as she gripped like a vine. Trying to untangle her arms he turned half round and grabbed her by the neck. He kissed her, still sitting on the horse.

"You were really good," he said. "You'll have to visit our farm and try riding on your own. Maybe we can go out on the horses together."

Ana said nothing and when she got back to her group she started talking to them uncontrollably and Marcos went back to join in the festivities which continued until late in the night.