“The new year’s headed to us like a runaway horse!” Peter’s words – already muffled by his padded helmet – echoed oddly in his parents’ barn.
Long practice let June decipher the mumble with ease through her own protective gear. She parried one of his axes with her sword – barely. “If there was a horse, it would be here, in the barn with us. Wondering what we’re doing.”
“Whacking each other with sticks, obviously,” he panted. His greater strength countered her speed, but Peter had spent too much time in a comfortable computer chair lately, and it showed. “A fine Irish tradition, fighting.”
“Grand,” she teased, and darted in for the final blow. “But it’s sparring, not fighting.”
He rocked back, acting out his “death” with drama before accepting her hand. “Details,” he said. “It really is, though. Are you sure you’re ready for classes to restart after the break?”
June racked her practice gear above his, carefully avoiding looking at the gleaming silver of the sword Peter had forged with pure phoenix fire and magic. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Dad gave me a fantastic start, and if nothing else, the last semester has taught me to adapt.”
“I mean the magic, m’dear,” Peter said bluntly. Rather than brushing back a lock of her sweaty hair, he gently tugged her braid. “The magic you’ve started to accept, or at least use again. The magic waiting to flood back into your life.”
She tightened her jaw. “The magic will have to be disappointed if it wants to cause a natural disaster,” she answered coolly. “I’m afraid I don’t have time for it. Perhaps it can make an appointment and present itself properly, without floods. Somewhere after the academic bureaucracy of two departments and the fourteenth grandmother faux-death.”
“That’s one way to invite it back in,” he said, and kissed her nose. “It’ll conspire against you now. I’m for dinner until it does, though. Are you coming?”
He held out a hand.
***
This week’s prompt was from Becky Jones: “The new year is heading towards us like a runaway horse!”
Mine went to Parrish Baker: She pulled up to the pharmacy drive-thru window just as the audiobook began the scene with…
