Arys allowed herself a brief smile. It was nice to be in the lead for once...some people had put such high expectations on her, due to nothing more than a trick of her birth, perhaps...ah, but the race wasn't over yet.
She figured either of the paths wouldn't be difficult to handle for her mount-it was amazingly stable, even over rough terrain. Her hard work on the skeletal system had paid off. But which path? The smooth one was obviously well traveled, maybe by water, perhaps by something else...she had heard never to take the primrose path, the one that seemed too perfect...she figured this path was no doubt traveled often by other villagers, or trainees like her. Her mount would make excellent speed if he didn't have to make too many turns...a smooth path was just too inviting to pass up, but...the rough path would be no serious obstacle, and why not test her creation...?
With no right choice, she still made one. In the end, she admitted she had not greatly hardened the creatures skin-which would have slowed it down, somewhat. It could probably handle the rough terrain, but it would be injured by the rough stones, lacking scales. She didn't want her beast to suffer, even if it was a simple minded thing...it was still a living being. And you couldn't have it dying on you before it finished the race.
Action: I take the smooth path!