He rounded the last corner, barely hearing the hooves of Neeks’s horse behind him because of the shouts of the villagers. They parted for him to have a straight shot to the tower in the middle of the green. Shem saw a blurry group of blue uniforms in front of him, and a few sitting on horseback. His lungs burned, his leg seized, but nothing could stop him.
The noise was deafening as Zenos ran up to the tower and slapped it happily.
“YES!” he cried to the roar of the crowd.
Captain Karna, atop his horse, was laughing. He clucked his mount to take a few steps so Zenos could see what the animal was concealing.
“NO!” he cried again, this time in anguish. He slumped against the tower and closed his eyes in frustration, then opened them again and stared in disbelief.
Major Shin laughed.
Or at least he tried to.
It caught in his throat since he was leaning over and wheezing. He waved feebly at Shem and winked.
Panting, Zenos looked up to Karna. “By how much?”
Karna shook his head. “Maybe just fifteen seconds. All that cheering wasn’t just for you, Corporal!”
Shem dropped his head into his hands.
Karna waved to the villagers closing in on the racers. “Ladies and gentlemen, please give them some time to catch their breath before you overwhelm them with congratulations and sympathy! If you will all make your way over to tables by the amphitheater doors, I assure you the major and the corporal will join us shortly.”
The captain led the crowd while several soldiers stood guard in front of Shin and Zenos and urged well-wishers to follow.
Gizzada and Neeks, still chuckling, set their horses to corral errant Edgers.
Shem still held his head, amazed. If he hadn’t ‘tripped’ near the forest and spent that time getting back up, he would’ve won the race. He smiled briefly to realize he really was the strongest soldier.
But there were far more important things in the world than winning a competition.
“So close. So close,” he moaned as he slid down the tower to the ground and flopped his head wearily against the lattice work. “It’s the captain’s fault! If Sareen hadn’t kissed me—I couldn’t think clearly for at least a minute after that.”
That made the major stand back up. He put his hands on his waist and hobbled over.
“So I tell you no cookies, and instead you start kissing girls? At least you’re growing up!” With a weak chuckle, Shin slumped on the ground next to Zenos.
“How’d you do it, Major? How’d you beat me?”
“Shem,” he whispered, and Shem noticed that the major—Perrin—was increasingly calling him by his first name, “it nearly killed me. May have to hitch me up to Gizzada’s horse and have it drag me home. I was about to give up at the second to last tower. But then I found out about that pink atrocity and, well . . . that was incredible motivation to get here and GET IT DOWN!”
Shem laughed weakly with him. Neither of them noticed the figure walking up to them whom the soldiers didn’t stop.
“I have a feeling neither of you are going anywhere soon. Should I bring you pillows and blankets and let you sleep here for the night?”
They wearily looked up and Mahrree grinned back at them.
“Quite an exciting finish!”
Perrin smiled. “So who were you cheering for at the end?”
“For you, of course!” But she winked exaggeratedly at Shem who winked back. “Did you like the last banner?”
Perrin covered his face with his hands. “What was he thinking?!”
“He was thinking you’d need an extra nudge at the end. Obviously it worked. Now, come, both of you. If you don’t move, you’ll stiffen up. People want to see you, and my mother’s been baking for two straight days. She’s brought over enough cake for the entire village. That’s where everyone left to.” She cocked her head toward the amphitheater.
“Cake?” The major’s hands came off his face. “Again she made cake? For the initial test of a new army protocol? Refreshments?!”
Shem chortled.
Perrin elbowed him.
Mahrree rolled her eyes and sat down on the dried grasses in front of the men.
“This was hardly a protocol. This was a race of egos, and you both know it. We’ll have to make it an annual event. You brought out more people than Catapult Day used to, and no one gets dirty or smelly but you two. It’s a brilliant way to get the village to rally around the army. Now, you are expected to come over and get cake and win over those last hearts and minds. Perrin, don’t roll your eyes at me. My mother is holding the children hostage in their wagon until you come over. And when you see the tablecloths she made, not ONE word of comment about them. Understand?”