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If there was one thing that Cyrille accepted, it was that his horse, Sunshine, was a nervous wreck. Twitchy, shying at everything, prone to bolting at the least provocation.
He didn't care. She was lovely and he'd never chose a different horse.
Still, when Sunshine's behavior suddenly flipped on its head, Cyrille didn't expect that it was anything more than a curse or a spell.
He certainly didn't expect that it all went back to him.
Stripped Lords of the Way
By Meyari McFarland
The Heat of the Thorn
Door in the Wind
Rising Sword of the Blue Flames
Silent Voyages of the Last Winter
Thief of the Moon
The Ice's Voyagers
First Snake of the Dwindling Ships
Kiss of the High King's Illusion
Living Beginning of the Storm
The Roses of the Slaves
Red Lords and the Darkest Hunter
Waves of the Falling Moon
Wings of the Dreaming Abyss
The Light of the Stones
Transplant of War
Running From The Immortals
Hearts of Magic
Triumph of the Artificer Mages
Artifacts of Awareness
City of the Dead
A New Path
Following the Trail
Crafting Home
Finding a Way
Go Between
Like Arrows of Fate
You can find these and many other books at www.MDR_Publishing.com.
Copyright ©2017 by Mary Raichle
Cover image
© Orson | Dreamstime.com - Tear Paper - Abstract Back Photo
© ID 43651052 © breakermaximus | Dreamstime
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be emailed to publisher@mdr-publishing.com.
This book is also available in TPB format from all major retailers.
This story is dedicated to horses and the people they love.
Table of Contents
Stripped Lords of the Way
Excerpt: A New Path
Afterword
Cyrille pulled his horse to a stop as they reached the top of the pass. Not a high pass, not like some that they'd been through further north. Or south by the coast for that matter. Bustos Pass was well below the tree line, a gentle incline that his horse had steadily trotted up with no objections at all.
Rather a rare occurrence there. Sunshine had a good gait with amazing endurance but she started at every branch blown by the wind and every mouse that scampered across the road. Lovely gait, though, so Cyrille put up with her nervousness.
If he could just cross Sunshine's endurance with Xun's pony's stolid temperament he'd have the perfect horse.
Problem?
Akuchi asked as he came to a stop next to Cyrille.
Oddly, no,
Cyrille said. He patted Sunshine's neck, expecting a start and stamping feet because as much as she loved being brushed, she was always stunned to get pats.
Nothing.
Xun and Garnett both grunted behind Cyrille while Akuchi stared. When Cyrille patted Sunshine's neck again she only flicked an ear at him and snorted, staring ahead at the gently blowing grass and short pine trees that lined the sides of the road.
Calmly stared. Not fearfully stared. Not snorting and ear swiveling, stomping her feet and swishing her tail as she saw threats where there were not threats.
All right, something is hell and gone wrong,
Xun said. That horse has never been this calm before.
I know,
Garnett said as he tapped his tattoos and then shook his head. I don't see any spells on her. Nor anything in the area that would make me believe she's being influenced somehow.
Has she ever done this before?
Akuchi asked as he reached over to pat Sunshine's neck very, very hesitantly. So hesitantly that his horse, appropriately named Blackie, started fidgeting and snorting.
Nothing. Not even an ear flick.
Um.
Cyrille stared at her, abruptly wishing that he could be anywhere else but on her
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