Bloodless Day

In Which Bathorse Saves Gotham

Any hint of my good mood vanished. "The Santa Anita Derby is next month. He's running in it as well." Turning the hose towards his hind legs, I mentally ran through my to-do list, trying to block out the reporter and an impeding sense of doom about the Santa Anita.

"Well, he's quite.... something," she finally said, moving to stand out of reach of his teeth and hooves. "Can you tell me anything interesting about him? Something my readers would like to know?"

I drew in a long, shaky breath, trying to settle the jack-hammering of my heart. "He's out of Surrender and by DoomsDay."

There was a rustle of paper in her notebook. "DoomsDay sounds about right...."

"Are you asking me or telling me about my horse?" I snapped, unsettled. BD and the reporter both flinched at my tone, swinging their gazes to study me warily.

At last, BD looked away, and the reporter dropped her gaze. "I'm Amelia Parson. From Horse Illustrated. We're running a Road-to-the-Derby special."

"Anna," I said begrudgingly. Even though I gave no last name, a questioning light flickered through her eyes.

"You seem famil-"

"I'm just with the horse." I gestured to BD with one hand while seizing the liniment bottle with the other. "Would you like to interview him instead?"

At last finding an opening, Amelia pounced. "Yes! How has his training been going? Why should America root for him?"

Why indeed.

"Well," I said, slowly, trying to push past my memories. This woman was not of my past. She was here for BD. I was here for BD. "Training him was a war. His dam died the day he was born-" the scribbling of my words poured onto her notebook, the pencil dislodged from her ear, "and he was just sullen and dangerous."

"He doesn't seem so bad now."

Liniment on, I leaned into the solid, minty-scented form of BD. He leaned back, lightly. "He's nearly killed me several times. He's thrown his jockey too many times to count-"

"Was he the one I saw in a wheelchair?"

"Yes," I said mournfully. "But that was from a different accident-"

"You're with Piperson, aren't you? The jockey was the one with Lucky Shamrock." She was sharp, clever, and the sharpness was a blade that pierced my grief.

Letting it blossom in a hot stain, I corrected quietly, "Dancer's Lucky Shamrock."

"Not so lucky," she noted dryly.

Biting my tongue, I continued, "anyways. We eventually got through to him, and he won his first race. And his second. Now he's qualified for the Derby."

"Yet you'll risk the Santa Anita?"

"So Far So Good is running in it."

Amelia looked perplexed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

BD shifted his weight so he could better support me. His back was still wet, and it bled through my shirt, feeling uncomfortably like summer. "It means everything, if you know who you're talking to. Goodie is BD's half brother. His jockey is Piperson's daughter."

"Now that's a story!" She exclaimed. "How did that not come to mention before this?"

I shrugged. "There's your scoop. Enjoy it." BD tossed his head as I reached up to unhook him from the cross ties, surging forwards. He knew a hot mash awaited him at the barn, along with a deep pile of straw. It was time for him to rest, and I had a phone call to make.

"Wait- Anna-"

We walked on.

My backpack was shoved against Holiday's stall. BD snapped at the little bay gelding, and then at me, when we stopped so I could dig through it. There, at the bottom, was the sleek form of my phone, turned off for the weekend. I turned it on as we continued again for BD's stall.

Immediately the screen flashed with unanswered calls and texts, one or two from Jack and three from Mom. The rest belonged to Lilac. As I watched, another popped up. I answered.

"Anna! Thank god! I've been trying to call you for five days, dammit. Why don't you ever answer?"

"Hold on." I set the phone down for a moment, freeing my hands to open BD's stall door. He swung inside, waiting for me to take the lead rope off, and headed straight for his feed bin without a backward glance. Ingrate.

When I picked it back up, Lilac was still talking. "The whole thing is just so ridiculous! I mean, she seriously needs to stop obsessing over us. I'm so done with the situation."

"That sucks," I sympathized, though I had no idea what she was talking about. Probably a boy. "I talked to a reporter today."

"And another thing! Wes- wait what?"

"A reporter. It was weird..." I studied BD as he finished his mash with a swish of his tail and returned to the front of his stall, demanding attention. I gave it to him while we talked. "I spoke to one in California, after the...."

My throat closed up as Lilac's voice comforted me. I missed her. I missed Her. "That must be hard. Some of them can be so brutal, and it's only to get worse as the Derby draws near."

"Which Derby?"

"That race is such a bad idea. There's absolutely no point in bringing Bloodless Day all the way to California for this, especially considering what he's going against. As a jockey, I'm all for it. Destroy him before the Kentucky Derby so he's less of a threat for Goodie."

I stiffened so fast that BD took offense and rushed to the back of his stall, humping up his back defensively. "This will not-!"

"-But as your friend, a horse lover, and part owner of said horse, it is one of the dumbest things Dad has ever done."

I blew out a breath. "And he wasn't even here today!"

"That's because Mom is at your track today. He didn't want to risk running into her. Didn't you hear a word I said earlier?"

"Yes," I said. Total lie. But out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack wheeling towards BD's stall, Mary following irately behind. "But I gotta go now."

"Anna-"

I hung up.

*****

Hopefully y'all are getting a feel for what's going to happen in the chapters to come! I've been unnecessarily heavy on the foreshadowing, but I'm just SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED TO WRITE IT!!!!
(caps were necessary)
Life has been crazy lately. I've been working with Pogo, my horse as usual, but I also have a new training project! Her name is Mary, she's a little pinto grade pony and absolutely so willing to learn. I've also recently started taking lessons on a big, big warmblood named Calvino. It's been super busy and super fun. :3

-Iggy