FORFEIT

GALILEE PAUSED AT the large outcropping of rock lining one wall of the canyon rising before her. Among the sharp cliffs and sparse foliage, there was no sound or sign of movement.

No trespassing. It is the law and part of the ongoing treaty.

But she had already gone too far and must now finish it.

She panted, weary from a half-day’s travel, and tried not to panic.

The respect of borders was a key element to maintaining the peace between Centaur and Dwarf. But even territories must be breached when one had to save the life of the herd’s mating goad, especially if she was one’s own mother.

Her gaze darted about the landscape in search of Dwarves. None, as yet.

Her muffled hoofbeats thumped against sandstone as she hurried through the narrow canyon. Her long braid hung damp down her back, her flanks moist from exertion. Even though the high rock walls protected her against the hot sun, perspiration dotted her face and neck.

Her two hearts, one in her human breast, the other in the torso of her horse body,