HayleyFawns:
It was race day again, but this one was a little different. Rather than running on a flat track, the fawnlings would have to jump over obstacles as they ran. It added more danger and more thrill to the race. Zea was a bit nervous about it, having never jumped at such a high speed before. She was a bit of a challenge to load into the gate, skittering and jumping around. She really didn't want to do this! Her jockey insisted though, so the piebald doe begrudgingly allowed herself to be loaded. She wasn't happy about it though! Shine and Kryptonite weren't so bad, though.
Kryptonite walked right into his slot, which was located along the rail. He wasn't so happy about being put on the rail, but he didn't have much a choice. Beside him, Darwin was loaded. Kryptonite watched the other stag curiously, but without too much interest. He was alright. Kryptonite didn't really care. Beside Darwin, Shine entered the gate. The wolf sooty doe didn't mind being loaded; she was ready to run! Her daughter, Cry Me a River, was running this race as well. She wasn't about to let her own child beat her! Shine was an awfully proud doe.
Halloweendonkey:
Darwin wasn’t really impressed by the new race ready to start. The obstacles were high, but nothing he had never jump, and he wasn’t so impressed by the other runners. Sure they were all good opposants, but without Slade to mess, the race would be ok. At least Sunny ribs didn’t participate for once. With his false leg, the young stag would have hard time to jump. He was able to! But not so high, and not so often. He had never run with kryptonite so far, but the stag looked alright. No one made any tantrum to enter the slots, everything was good.
Cry me a river looked around with curiosity, searching the pale coat of her admirator. Her heart missed a beat at a roan coat… But it wasn’t the one she searched for! Instead of slade was running this day another boy she didn’t knew. Pouting she entered her place, without care of her mother. She wasn’t in a mood to be nice today, and her long tail, braided for the occasion, was twitching behind her. It wasn’t fair! But at least she wouldn’t have to lose the race on purpose, the sweet Sunny wasn’t here. She could run as fast as possible, not being as attentioned for Darwin.
HayleyFawns:
Kryptonite noted the way the doe looked at him. She seemed so excited at first, then disappointed. He snorted softly. Sorry to disappoint! The pale stag focused his gaze ahead instead, ears swivelled back as he focused. Shine swung her head over towards Cry, bleating at her daughter in greeting. Cry didn't seem so interested in her though. Shine huffed, focusing ahead now as well. Zea shifted against the gates, making them clang. Sunny Ribs and Cry Me a River were both in the gates now. Any time now… Everyone held their breath. Then, the gates swung open, the bell rang, and the race began!
As usual, Zea went straight for the lead but didn't rush too hard to get there. Kryptonite stayed on the rail, positioning himself a little ways behind the piebald doe, her tail practically slapping him in the face. He didn't have anywhere to go though, as Shine ran directly beside him. She had him blocked in, so he was just going to have to eat Zea’s hair for a while. He could hardly see through the thick mass! Shine’s eyes swept about, gauging the positions of Darwin and Cry. They were right with her. The fawnlings approached the first obstacle in the race.
Zea curled her legs up and leapt, but landed rather ungracefully. She stumbled hard. Unfortunately Kryptonite, who was leaping right behind her, slammed against her. The two, although uninjured, completely lost their strides and found themselves at the back of the surging back. Cry, Shine, and Darwin had quickly passed them, ignoring the curses of the jockeys. Shine had no difficulty leaping over the obstacle and took the lead now, but barely. Darwin and Cry were right there with her, on either side of her.
Halloweendonkey:
If Cry realised she hurted a little the stag, she didn’t really cared. Focused on the race she jumped out of the box as soon as the door opened, and wouldn’t stop until the race finished! She didn’t feared obstacles, even if some were really tall. The first showed, as if growing from nowhere, and she jumped above with elegancy, avoiding easily the couple struggling behind. She didn’t even focused on the other participants. Sure she would be proud to beat her mother, a doe far more experimented than her, but it wasn’t her first goal. She mostly wanted miss no obstacle and keep a good stride. She felt Darwin and Shine were at her side, all running in line, but her eyes were already on the next obstacle.
Darwin almost fell on Kryptonite and Zea, avoiding them from few. A small jerk of the hips right before his legs touch the ground, almost sending his jockey in the air, and he was continuing the race, just missing a step or two. He snorted, realising that mistake had cost him a better place. If his jump had been better, he would have took the lead! Least he thought to. But all wasn’t lost. He was running in line with Cry me a river and Shine, glanced at them quickly but didn’t slowed down. It was somewhat amusing to see the line of purple fawnling run all together! Then Cry accelerated to take the next obstacle, she jumped it easily. Darwin, focusing on the race again, was afraid to meet another fawnling behind, even if he knew everyone behind them, or at his side.
HayleyFawns:
Kryptonite and Zea realized they didn't stand too much of a chance at this point. The piebald and the lilac were now just competing for fourth place. Neither of them wanted to finish dead last! They strained as they tried to outrun each other, but stayed neck and neck the whole time. Zea was a sweet girl, but she was very competitive. It was hard to tell what Krypto was like due to his odd personality, but obviously he didn't want to lose either. The two fawnlings, both striped in their own sense, remained locked in battle for fourth place. To them, beating the other would be equivalent to winning the race.
The next obstacle came up. Cry sailed over it with beauty and grace, taking the lead by a half length now. Although Shine was competitive and wanted to win, she was still immensely proud of her daughter. She was so beautiful! So perfect! The wolf sooty doe gathered her legs beneath her and launched over the obstacle as well, keeping to Cry’s flank. Darwin was right there as well, neck and neck with her. The two drifted closer together now, Cry taking the lead by a length as they rounded the bend where the next obstacle awaited. Shine looked Darwin dead in the eye in an attempt to intimidate him. Would it work?
Halloweendonkey:
Darwin threw a glance at Shine and snorted, not impressed at all by the doe. Eh, he had seen worse! Between Shame and the stags of his own stable, he just rolled the eyes and ran faster, focusing on the next obstacle to not lose his speed. He didn’t even cared of Zea and Kryptonite, already too far behind to be a threat anymore. Instead he prefered keep an eye on Shine and cry me a river, his only real opponents right now. His jockey didn’t had much to do but manage to stay on his back at each obstacle, the young stag knew what he had to do but wasn’t so elegant in his jumps.
Cry me a river was in her element. As her mother she was graceful, jumping obstacles as if she was jumping some flowers, with elegance and ease. She started to feel a little tired though, but still had enough energy to finish the race. Her legs were moving so fast it was difficult to follow them, and she wouldn’t lose -or win- without fight! She was proud thought, she could feel on her the eyes of her mother, who looked happy of what she became. Eh, she was pretty, and also as fast as the wind! But the race wasn’t over, and she didn’t wanted let anyone a chance to snatch her victory, so she focused on the race again, trying to forget the older doe and stag at her sides.
HayleyFawns:
Unfortunately, Darwin didn't seem very intimidated by her whatsoever. Shine couldn't help but be disappointed as the stag failed to falter, continuing to keep pace with her and Cry. Mother and daughter were running right beside one another, both the picture of graceful lilac perfection. They obviously knew that they looked good too! The next obstacle came up. Shine and Cry Me a River pulled their legs up and sailed over it in unison, hooves simultaneously landing and continued to pound the turf. Darwin had fallen behind slightly, but not very much. He wasn't out of this race yet!
Poor Kryptonite and Zea definitely didn't stand a chance anymore, but neither of them wanted to accept the complete horror of last place. Fourth was better than last! The piebald doe and the lilac stag strained against one another, both attempting to gain the upper hand. Eventually, poor Zea began to fall behind slowly but surely. She was exhausted and her legs hurt a little from that jump mishap. Suddenly she didn't care so much about what place she got. She just wanted to go back to her stall, eat some oats, and sleep. Shine, Cry, and Darwin were but specks in the distance but she didn't care.
Halloweendonkey:
Darwin had no idea of the abandon of the doe behind him. All his mind was turned towards the goal they started to see behind the last obstacles. Only few more! He started to feel the tiredness in his muscles, and his jockey had to push him a little more, but he didn’t wanted stop here, and would give all until the end. His black legs were moving so fast under his belly they were blurry, and if he didn’t got the elegancy of the does, he had the speed. Two obstacles left, then one. They were close, so close! The mother and the daughter were shoulder to shoulder, in perfect harmony and yet both refusing to let the other win. It was his chance. They were almost too focused on themselves. He rushed right behind the last obstacle, sending behind some soil in his attempt to finish the first. He wasn’t sure to win at all, but he had to try!
Cry wasn’t as focused on her mother than Darwin could think, but she wasn’t totally at the race either. She was a little more aware than him of the two left behind, biting their dust. Already the steps of one slowed down and she couldn’t help but grin, Zea had give up. Already Darwin was running to the victory, and she decided it was time to rush as well. Pushing on her back legs she jumped forward, trying to let her mother in the dust, but the older doe wasn’t so easy to beat. At the same level, jumping the obstacles at the same speed, no one seemed ready to let the other snatch, if not the first place, at least not the third.
Soon Cry me a river, Shine and Darwin were really close to each other. Maybe a neck, or a head separated them, and they breathed heavily, nostrils opened wide to catch the most possible of air. Just behind them Kryptonite finally managed to catch up, but he still had no chance to do better than fourth place despite his efforts. Far behind Zea was just trying to finish, at least, but she didn’t got any hope anymore. They finally passed the line in a thunder of hooves, and they all slowed down, awaiting the results. But they were so close! They would need a picture to know who was the first !
