“Let’s go, then,” she said, and clicking her tongue to persuade Moonlight to pick up the pace, they set off. “Come, on, keep up!” she added, as she broke into a gallop and Niall was left behind as he trotted along.

“You couldn’t – slow down – a little, could you?” he asked, out of break, when at last he managed to catch up with her. “I’m find it very difficult to keep up.”

            She laughed, a wild, exhilarated laugh born of the freedom that she felt as the land flew by beneath the hooves of her horse and her hair whipped in her face from the wind, the freedom from people who expected her to behave and not act like a boy. It was a laugh of pure joy, and it frightened Niall half to death.

            “And you didn’t want me to come with you when you went out with the lads because I was a girl and wouldn’t be able to keep up!” she exclaimed. “I will never understand you, Niall, never.”

            “I just think that if you keep going at this rate we will reach Tara too soon, and I haven’t yet worked out what I am going to see to my mother when I see her,” he admitted. Siofra understood at once and slowed right down.

            “Of course, I’m sorry. You should have mentioned it sooner; I would have gone a bit slower. I know exactly how you feel.” He blushed and muttered that it was no big deal. “No, it is. You don’t want to say something stupid and upset her, do you? I completely get it.” Then she grinned. “We can always stop for lunch and stay there for a while, if you want.” Then she was off at a gallop again, and he had to kick Star hard in the side to make him speed up.

            “To be sure, getting there fast would get it over with,” he muttered to himself. “I just can’t understand why it is that she is so desperate to get there.”

Author guidance for This story

Obviously, if I write 10,000 words in a day it's not practical to upload it under the 'Day One', 'Day Two' system etc, and I won't keep it up so this won't be the whole novel, but it'll give you a taster ... sorry if my formatting mutates!

Sorry for lack of updating. Have wordcounts instead :)

You can also follow my progress / read the blurb / read an extract on my NaNoWriMo profile ... http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/603343

Day 1 - 7,000
Day 2 - 18350
Day 3 - 24467
Day 4 - 27029
Day 5 - 30050
Day 6 - 37496
Day 7 - 51115
Day 8 - 56361
Day 9 - 65051
Day 10 - 70096
Day 11 - 73800
Day 12 - 78296
Day 13 - 90036
Day 14 - 100080
Day 15 - 106312
Day 16 - 112064
Day 17 - 120322
Day 18 - 126506 (end of 'Beneath the Branches' and beginning of 'Figurehead')
Day 19 - 134604
Day 20 - 141322
Day 21 - 150121
Day 22 - 151358
Day 23 - 156456
Day 24 - 162835
Day 25 - 166135
Day 26 - 168628
Day 27 - 171801
Day 28 - 180921
Day 29 - 189530
Day 30 - 193812

Although the Young Writer's Program for NaNoWriMo, when I validated, claimed that I'd written 197,000 words. Hmm, I wish.

Basically, lots of words. Dead fingers. No time for Protagonize.

updated Dec 4 '10 by delorfinde