Volan

He began rushing to every jockey trying to find someone to help him shoe his horse. Volan smiled as the boy tugged on his tunic.
"All right. All right," Volan sighed. "I'll help you. Which horse is yours?"
"The bay stallion in the back," The young boy sighed gratefully. "No one else would help. They just said, 'One less kid to worry about.' That's awful, isn't it?"
"It is," Volan sighed as he located the bay and began the long task of shoeing it. "It's a same they don't have enough confidence in their horses that they won't help a young boy just so they have less competition."
Suddenly, the bell rang, calling for all participents to move to the track. Volan tacked on the final shoe, and wishing the boy good luck, he rushed back to Dawnstar and lead her towards the track.

***

As Volan ripped down the track astride Dawnstar, he felt as though he'd never been alive before. The wind rushing through his hair, the sound of hooves slamming on the ground, and the cheers of the crowd as he crossed the finish line leading the pack.
He leaped off of Dawnstar's back. She knew they had won. She bucked happily and nuzzled Volan frantically as the judges rushed to congradulate him. Four years for New Star, and two for Dawnstar. Next year a new horse would take her place, and a new jockey would replace him, but this was his moment in the sun.

***

"Voly!" His little sister exclaimed as she rushed out of the House to greet him.
He lifted her up over his head and kissed her on the cheek, "Hey, Cally. I missed you!"
"I miss you, too, Voly," Cally said, hugging her brother. "Mommy have something she tell you. Come with me."
Cally drug her brother in the House. His mother was waiting at the door for him.
"Volan, we're going to have to leave here," His mother said when she saw him.
Volan was taken back by the statement. The Imarald House had always been his home, the New Star always his Clan. He stammered, not knowing what to say. Cally tugged on his tunic.
"What she mean, leave?" Cally sighed, her big green eyes piering up at him.
"She means leave," Volan sighed, lifting his sister into his arms. "We'll have to live somewhere else."
"Lokau's kicked over Clan out," His mother sighed. "He's kicking everyone out except the Imaralds."
"We'll just have to make our own Houses then," Volan sighed. "Like the Mystic Rose in the Talaneen Forest."
"But they aren't in the forest anymore!" His mother exclaimed.
"Some are left, not all of them went to Beckenrow," Volan sighed, setting his sister back down. "We can settle near there. It's close by."
His mother nodded just as a large dragon landed in the courtyard of the Imarald House. Cally squealed happily as she rushed towards the large blue dragon. Volan rushed after her, pulling her away from the dragon as he stepped down, almost flattening her.
"Oh, I'm sorry, little one," The dragon crooned. "I didn't see you. It's a good thing your big brother here got you out of the way."
Cally smiled brightly, "Voly, good brother! Voly take good care of Cally!"
Volan smiled, placing a large hand on his sister's shoulder, "Cally, maybe you should go back over to mommy."
"I want to talk to the draggy!" Cally exclaimed.
"It's all right, son," The Dragoneer said, stepping out from behind his blue. "She isn't going to hurt him. Let her talk. He might actually do her some good."
Volan was confused but shook it off easily as the Dragoneer wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Volan smiled up at him but was greeted with a frown.
"Lokau sent me to take your family up to the mountains of Wild River," The Dragoneer sighed. "What for, I don't know."
"In those rocky, snow covered areas?" Volan creaked. "We're tropical people. We won't survive!"
"He says you'll be able to take it," The Dragoneer sighed. "It seems ashame to have to drop that poor little girl off in such cold."
"Cally will be fine," Volan sighed. "She's strong, but me and mother, I don't know."
"Well you'll see," The Dragoneer sighed, taking Volan's arm. "Forgive me."

***

Volan shrieked as the Dragoneer dropped him in the mountains. Cally fell on top of him, and his mother at his side. He could barely see through the blinding storm. He struggled to his feet, Cally grasping to his tunic. He was freezing, the Dragoneer hadn't even given him time to change out of his riding clothes.
This was a large difference from his moment in the sun at the racetrack. Now he was freezing and so was his sister, and his mother...hadn't moved. Rushing to her side, he realized that her neck had broken. She had landed on her back with her neck landing on a large rock. It seemed as though her neck had broken instantly. At least she hadn't had any pain. His eyes teared, but he knew that now he had to take care of Cally by himself. Stripping his mother of her warm clothes, he wrapped half of them around Cally and half around himself.
"Won't mommy get cold?" Cally asked as Volan drug her away from the body.

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