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A trio of Keldar riders broke ranks, advancing towards the Valor line. In a mere thirty seconds, they reached the middle ground at a measured trot.

A single held breath’s space stood between the two lines clashing, and the world plunging into a chaos of blood, blades and violence.

The Valor remained silent, but Jai could already hear the taunts and jeers from their adversaries, their confidence evident.

Zayn and Sindri, though grim faced, appeared anything but disheartened. They sat tall in their saddles as they rode out to meet the riders, Zayn’s Alkhara towering above the rest, for their enemy had none.

Out of earshot, the leaders spoke among themselves, while the khiroi jostled nervously. Navi, inexplicably, had resumed grazing, much to Winter’s irritation.

‘Knock it off,’ Jai hissed.

Navi kept on, oblivious. Jai was at least thankful that his dragon was hidden in the long grass, but when he ordered her to move behind him, she stubbornly refused. They tussled mentally, but she was resolute – she would remain by his side, come what may.

He stared at the other tribe, and for a moment, the mad thought of breaking ranks and running to the other tribe entered his mind. He had Winter with him. Would it be so bad to leave the diary and gorget behind?

But of course, that would leave him with little proof of his claim to the Kidaran throne.

And then, as abruptly as it had begun, the parlay concluded. Sindri and Zayn turned back, and the Keldar did the same. This close, Jai could see the hints of wealth upon these Keldar.

Their armour was not merely crafted from boiled and layered leathers, but reinforced with chain-mail and lamellar plates. The jewellery that decorated them far surpassed the beads and polished bones of the Valor tribe, for the Keldar’s braids and the fur of their khiroi were interwoven with hairpins, combs and barrettes of precious metals and gemstone, along with ribbons of scarlet silk.

‘Prepare to charge,’ Sindri announced. ‘On Zayn! On Zayn!’

Jai half-understood, but Feng’s whispered translation confirmed his worst fears. The line of Valor warriors edged closer, until Jai knocked knees with the warriors beside him. Zayn hoisted his immense blade once more, his Alkhara pawing the ground.

In the distance, the taunting of the Keldar intensified. Their voices rose in a cacophony of challenges, their blades clashing in a menacing rhythm. Some of the khiroi lunged forward, their eagerness barely contained by the firm hands of their riders, who pulled them back to maintain the line. The tension in the air was palpable, a storm of anticipation brewing before the inevitable.

In stark contrast, the Valor stood steadfast and silent. Gradually, the enemy’s clamour subsided, as if disconcerted by the lack of reaction. Jai realised what this was – discipline in the face of overwhelming odds. The Valor were proving they were unfazed and would hold firm against the Keldar’s intimidation.

Too calm. As if they knew something he didn’t.

‘Now, show them!’ Sindri bellowed.

The Valor roared in unison. Once.

‘Again!’ she demanded.

This time, Jai lent his voice to the wordless battle cry.

To no avail. A horn sounded, and the enemy began to trot towards them.

‘Hold,’ Zayn roared. ‘Hold!’

Jai didn’t need Feng to understand. The enemy advanced.

‘Hold!’ Sindri screamed.

This time... a bone-shuddering roar. Winter, adding her voice to the throng. Enough to turn heads.

And then, just like that, the enemy stopped. Let out a last series of jeers, spitting and cussing from their mounts. Then they wheeled around, riding back the way they had come.

‘WHAT WAS THAT?’

‘A bluff,’ Feng explained. ‘To see if our warriors would break. Had we faltered, they might have charged in earnest.’

Jai rode on, contemplating Feng’s words, and what he had just witnessed. They were returning to camp now, riding at a sedate pace. He longed to spur Navi on, to hasten their arrival, but he understood that Sindri likely wanted to demonstrate to her tribe that there was no need to rush. Even so, Jai could sense the barely contained fury in her voice as she admonished Zayn in hushed tones, a few dozen yards ahead of them.

‘Foolish of Zayn,’ Feng said. ‘To divide our forces, just to intimidate you. Had the Keldar come upon us without a united front, we’d probably be dead.’

Jai didn’t understand.

‘Why didn’t they attack?’ Jai asked. ‘Surely they would have beaten us.’

‘Yes,’ Feng said. ‘But if we fought back, they’d lose half their warriors in the process. And we showed we would . Where would that leave them? Half their men dead? A poor trade, even if most of the khiroi survived the battle. A leader who throws away the lives of his warriors so pointlessly is not leader for long.’

‘So they hoped we’d surrender, and when Sindri refused, they tried to scare us into retreat so they could chase us down and force our capitulation?’

‘Yes,’ Feng said. ‘That’s the heart of it. I am sure Zayn and his Alkhara were part of their calculus too – a soulbound warrior might be worth ten riders on his own. Perhaps it was Winter’s roar that turned the tide, but I doubt they ever intended to fight. These sorts of confrontations are common in the Great Steppe, especially among the smaller tribes, like the Tainted. It is how tribes grow. They absorb one another, with as little bloodshed as possible.’

Jai looked down, where Winter was happily ambling alongside him. Nobody had yet come to relieve him of her, and he took a moment to awkwardly hop out of the saddle, to gather her chain in his hand.

It felt wrong to lead her this way, but she hardly seemed to mind. Jai longed to stop and cradle her in his arms, but now wasn’t the time to reveal to the others what he held most dear. He gritted his teeth as they approached the baggage train.

It made for a forlorn sight. Elderly and children sat among hastily discarded piles of belongings, remnants of their homes. Isolated in the vast expanse, they appeared utterly helpless.

This was why the Sithia rode out to meet the enemy. The village was far too exposed to defend, even with the tents set up, and the ground cleared.

Jai understood well why the Sithia prized their khiroi. Only now, seeing what was left of them without the beasts in tow, did he realise just how much khiroi mattered. And had not each and every khiro, Navi included, counted in that confrontation? For there were still men and women left behind who might have carried a blade, or shored up their numbers.

As they drew close, warriors leaped from their mounts, hurrying back to their loved ones. Families reunited, right there in the trampled grass, hugging and crying.

Jai felt numb, and alone. Winter was the only family he had left.

Or was she? For Jai knew, he had an uncle, somewhere out there. A leader of a great tribe. Holding the Kidara for Arjun’s return. He wondered if word had yet reached them that their heir was dead. That Jai, a bastard son to a half-Sabine concubine, was all they had left.

It was when Feng slid down from Navi, and wandered wordlessly to the edge of the trampled grass to stare out over the steppe, that Jai realised Feng was far more alone than he.

Jai dismounted, and allowed Navi to wander back to the rest of the khiroi. He gave Winter a quick hug, watching to make sure nobody saw, and joined Feng. They stood in silence, until Jai could no longer hold his tongue.

For he could see Feng, watching his little sister, his eyes full of hurt. To be kept so close, yet be unable to speak. It was unnecessary cruelty.

‘Why does Zayn hate you so?’ Jai asked.

Feng sighed.

‘He and Sindri were once fettered in the Phoenix Empire. It is not uncommon, when a Tainted tribe consumes another, to dispose of the riteless children. He and his sister were such children, seen as too sickly or small to be worth waiting till they would become contributors to the tribe. He and Sindri escaped their masters, long after they were fettered – it is the only life they remember. But when he sees my face, my eyes. It reminds him.’

‘Fettering is a plague on this world,’ Jai said. ‘I did not know it was so prevalent in the Phoenix Empire.’

Feng shrugged.

‘It wasn’t, until the Sabines codified it into law. The Phoenix emperor did the same, if only not to fall behind. The Kashmere Road must flow.’

‘So it’s about money,’ Jai said.

‘Isn’t it always?’

‘I’ve seen no money trade hands here,’ Jai said.

Feng chuckled at that.

‘You might, if they had any. Or if any other tribes would trade with them. Look, there he goes.’

Feng pointed to show Zayn riding off into the wilderness, some dozen warriors in tow.

‘He’ll patrol through the night. Say what you want about the bastard – he keeps this place safe.’

Jai grimaced, and thought on the events of the day.

‘He sees you as a weakling,’ Jai said. ‘He respects strength.’

‘What strength could I bring?’ Feng spat out bitterly. ‘He could crush me like a grape. Most everyone here could.’

‘And so could the Keldar to the Valor,’ Jai said. ‘Yet who retreated from the other? Courage is just a scared man’s bluff, oft to himself. Show Zayn you can stand up for yourself. That you can be trusted to hold the line, and not retreat in the face of the odds.’

Feng remained silent, and Jai could see tears shining on his face.

‘We’ll camp here tonight,’ Feng muttered, turning away.

He walked off, leaving Jai to his thoughts.