to achieve mastery [closed - Ripley]

Henna didn't have to wait long. She spotted a royal looking chestnut two year old prancing over. He appeared to be energetic today. He threw a buck and his rider rode it as though expecting it, easily avoiding getting dumped on the dirt track. Henna decided she liked how the woman rode her horse and continued to observe as they rode closer. However, Asus didn't take notice of the other horse at all. As per usual, his thoughts and actions were consumed with lowering his energy levels. He bounced in place like a yearling, dancing sideways and forward and backward. He looked very much like he was having some kind of seizure, when really he was just impatient and wanted to go.

As Ripley Marsh and her Mastermind pulled up in front of them, Henna returned her smile with one of her own. It appeared Ripley didn't think she was a nutcase, which was fantastic. She hated it when people thought of that before even meeting and judging her for themselves. Thanks! Asus appreciates it. He may not look it, but he's listening. Asus indeed was beginning to take notice of the approaching chestnut, though not in a way that showed. Henna was just aware of the sudden awareness she felt in the reins as Asus's movements became more reserved and his eyes ever so slightly took in the frame of who his opponent for today would be. He saw some power in the horse and a sudden competitive eagerness rose up within him. Henna grinned slightly and tightened her hold on the reins. Even at six, she wouldn't put bolting past the champion sprinter.

We can do whatever you'd like. I'm open to anything.

Henna had to restrain herself from whistling. Yeah, bottom. Two and a half miles before even working out! She knew that Asus could handle it but was surprised by just how much the Witch Creek horses ran. Theirs usually only ran up to a mile or a mile and a half beforehand. Asus was pure sprinter, through and through. He would love the movement but would gradually grow bored of it. He would want to race. Luckily he was fantastically conditioned, as any front runner in a sprint race had to be, so Henna knew they would be more than able to handle this in style.

However, Henna found herself liking the schedule and nodded. That sounds good. And from what I hear, the backstretch is already buzzing about what happens when your horses work out. Like hot air pouring out of a boiling kettle according to some. And it was true. There had been some talk, especially about Mastermind, who looked full of speed and who handicappers talked of highly. Henna herself was curious to see the colt in action. And you want a race for five furlongs? You'll certainly get one. I'll try and make sure Asus doesn't blow you and Mastermind away she teased. She knew that Asus would have some restraint and would compete well. She usually left the races up to him now. He knew how to run and she was just the manager to make sure he didn't run himself dry.

As Mastermind began to jog Asus tugged on the reins and followed. He was breathing evenly, gliding along smoothly. Henna relaxed and let herself breathe in and out, in and out, getting in tune with the motion of her oldest mount and partnership. As she eased into the rhythm of riding him, she felt possibilities open up before her. They could do everything and anything when she was this together with him. Asus, too, was calming down. He was fully aware of the colt at his side and Henna picked up the sure edge and confidence in his movements. Asus never backed down from a challenge. He certainly wasn't backing down from this.

As Asus ran, he shifted focus from the colt to the track and back. He strode powerfully forward, picking his own pace, and as time elapsed he ignored the colt at his side. The track became what it was to him - a place to let go of all of his energy. And he had plenty of it today. He tugged at the reins, wanting to increase his pace, but Henna kept him alongside the two year old colt. They would blow them away later. As Ripley stopped talking Henna appreciated the quiet. It was just the two of them racing along and Asus was enjoying himself immensely. Henna was in tune now and she felt as though Asus was an open book to her. She knew when he would want to go faster. She saw everything through his eyes.

Henna knew when the mile mark was upon them. Ripley cast a look at her as she let Mastermind go. Henna and Asus were on top of it. All it took from Henna was a slight tightening of the fingers and a bit of release and Asus took up the slack. He was off like a shot, running quickly forward, and Henna made herself pull back just a little bit, letting Asus know that they would be galloping for a little bit and it wasn't time to sprint yet. The stallion grudgingly responded, dropping pace a bit. They were now cruising alongside Mastermind. Asus looked like the younger horse due to his height, but he had no problems keeping up with Mastermind and looked classy as he did so. His ears were perked and alert, his eyes were looking forward impatiently and there was a steady pressure on the reins that Henna was quite used to. The stallion wanted to go. He wanted none of this. He wanted to sprint. Henna knew that when the time came, their acceleration would be enormous, and she prepared herself to stick to the saddle as well as she could when the time came.

Mastermind had accelerated smoothly too. Henna liked that and looked forward to the race even more. Even as she did so, she became aware of the loosening of Asus's legs. The stallion was preparing to fly.

It seemed to Henna that Mastermind was effectively playing with his rider. This cruise time gave her an opportunity to observe how Ripley functioned with her colt. The chestnut accelerated and then slowed, ebbing and flowing, a picture of an eager thoroughbred who was so coolly focused that Henna found it nothing short of impressive. Whilst Asus lived in the feelings in his body and in the gradual abundance of energy gathering within him, Mastermind appeared to pace himself according to his competition. Henna hadn't missed how alert the two year old was to them, nor the awareness Ripley probably felt at having them so close by. Henna felt only exhilaration as they flew along.

They were nearing the five furlong breeze and Henna almost couldn't wait. The pressure on the reins only increased as time went on. Asus wanted to go and his desire grew with every stride. He wanted to feel the open ground and let his hooves burn the track. Henna was only too willing to let him, but patience, patience. She coaxed him into submission with gentle hands that promised him more if he only waited. She was motionless. She let Mastermind play with his pace, coasting up and down and then back to them. They would annihilate him soon enough. Asus knew better than to resist her iron control and they would just bide their time before putting in their stretch run. And the time was coming! The backstretch was short. It passed quickly. The turn reared and Henna just knew that the other colt was waiting for them first. He seemed the analytic type, and that was usually how racehorses like that functioned. He would regret waiting. They would leave him behind.

The turn came. The time was now. Henna rapidly shifted her fingers down and urged. In the blink of an eye, a millisecond after her motion, Asus had exploded forward and in a whirlwind of speed was gunning it for the stretch. He was sprinting, legs moving quickly, a whirlwind of black speed pouring heart and energy onto the track. Henna only urged a bit, letting him go, a wide grin stretching his face. They were two parts of a machine, a black bullet with a motionless rider, seeking the stars with speed.

Henna smirked a bit as she saw Mastermind drop back three quarters of a length. Yes, Asus did have a fast start to him. As a front runner and a usual wire to wire winner, he had the fastest breaks and the quickest acceleration. He had amazing sprint stamina, as any sprinter had to be. Many sprinters were front runners as well, and for Asus to excel even though his races were worlds of speed was impressive and something Henna constantly bragged about to Amber and Krystal, whenever they were receptive to listening to her talk up her Asus. People who heard of Asus expected a serious racehorse of him, like many champions were, but Asus was energetic and youthful. Racing was a game and he ran to play it. He held no rivalries, and though he could get competitive it was all in youthful spirit. Truly, the young stallion was purely interested in just venting his energy usually, and rarely focused on anything else.

Right now, Asus was focused more than usual. He sensed the chestnut colt to the side but felt no need to run him off of his feet. Henna echoed her stallion's feelings and instead focused on seeing how much speed the stallion had. He was running easily, typically this fast anyway, with more acceleration to go. Henna saw Mastermind catch up to them and grinned. Good of him to keep up. Classy, even. The colt looked eager to go and full of run, and Ripley was poised upon his back. Henna noticed that she was just letting the colt run and couldn't help comparing that to her and Asus. She, too, just let her fantastic stallion fly, and they had obviously had no long term problems with that strategy. Masterming appeared to be bold in Henna's eyes, flashing his roaring challenge through his eyes and his aura as he ran. But Asus, as only Asus could, was unaware of it. He was purely focused on the run, on the wind whistling through his mane, on his happiness as he ran with the human he loved like no other. Henna was relaxed completely and enjoying herself.

They were neck to neck and the wire was approaching. The pace had been steadily increasing as time went on and Henna was wondering just what the spectators were thinking of the two year old keeping up with Pegasus Wings. Should they put the colt away at the wire or keep with him? It amused Henna to realize she had this decision, and amused her even more when she realized what her decision was. No. They would stay with Mastermind and give the press something else to buzz about. They would get them to buzz more and more about Mastermind as a potential standout sprinter for the next generation. They would begin to pass the torch. But Asus wasn't done yet, and Henna wasn't ready to pass that fire along yet. They had the Wire Finish Cup Sprint. They had their thirtieth win to achieve. And until then, they would be unstoppable.

Henna urged the stallion on gently, and Asus responded none too gently. He picked it up yet again as the wire neared, in the final half furlong, galloping even more fiercely and at a faster speed. Truly flying. Henna wouldn't be surprised if Asus sprouted wings like the pegasus he was named for. This was their element.