She dropped the crop in order to cling to his wiry mane with her fingers, feeling his hair cut into her circulation as she ducked down close and did her damndest not to bounce around like a useless deadweight. It was harder than she'd thought, and very different from when he was a dragon -- different even from earlier trying to ride. With how she'd found her legs in stirrups, she near felt like she'd fall off, and she didn't have the technique down that the other riders appeared to know.

They thundered toward the first turn, Sakura forcing her eyes open to keep track of what the hell was going on.