It was incredible, what people could do when they pulled together.

The sudden thunder of hooves jerked Amara from her reverie as a large man rode up on a muscular bay gelding. The horse protested being drawn to a halt and complained loudly as it lashed the air with its front hooves. That scream, in turn, flickered down to little Ajax in the training ring. The pony promptly hopped up into the air and twisted his body with the sinuous ease of a cat. Masha let out a shriek and went flying.

Amara whipped a hand forward, sending Cirrus out to slow and cushion the child’s fall, and a sudden geyser of wind erupted from near the ring’s floor. Between Amara’s effort and the soft earth (intentionally prepared for just such an occasion as this), the child landed more or less safely.

Ajax, clearly pleased with himself, went running around the ring at full speed, tossing his mane, his tail held high.

“Bernard.” Amara sighed.

The Count of Calderon scowled at the big gelding as he calmed the animal, dismounted, and tied his reins to one of a long row of hitching posts. “Sorry,” he said, and gestured to the horse. “This idiot is practically quivering for someone to sound the charge. I don’t even want to think about what he was like before he was gelded.”

Amara smiled, and the two of them descended into the ring, where Masha lay sniffling. Amara examined the girl for injuries, but she’d received nothing more than bruises. Amara helped her up with her hands and with kind, gentle words, while Bernard narrowed his eyes and focused his earthcrafting on Ajax, slowly bringing the proud little horse to a halt. Bernard pulled a lump of honeyed wax from his pocket and fed it to the horse, speaking quietly as he took up Ajax’s reins again.

“Back straight,” Amara told the child. “Heels out.”

Masha sniffled a few times, then said, “Ajax should be more careful.”

“Probably,” Amara said, fighting off a smile. “But he doesn’t know how. So you need to practice proper form.”

The girl cast a wary glance at the pony, docilely eating his treat from Bernard’s hand. “Can I practice it tomorrow?”

“Better if you get on right now,” Amara said.

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, you might not ever get back on,” Amara said.

“But it’s scary.”

Amara did smile, then. “That’s why you have to do it. Otherwise, instead of controlling your fear, your fear is controlling you.”

Masha considered this gravely for a moment. Then she said, “But you said fear is good.”

“I said it was normal,” Amara replied. “Everyone feels afraid. Especially when something bad happens. But you can’t let that scare you into quitting.”

“But you quit doing Cursor stuff for the First Lord,” Masha pointed out.

Amara felt her smile fade.