Page 7 of The Tainted Khan (The Soulbound Saga #2)

J ai stared at Navi as the groom patted the saddle, but the khiro seemed more interested in cropping the grass than the fresh leathers upon her back. Despite the lack of torches, the full moon gave Jai enough light to see that the youths of the Valor were gathering to watch. Certainly, his soulbound ears could hear the jingle of coins being exchanged.

The groom, sensing Jai’s hesitation, winked and knelt down, offering his cupped hands as a makeshift stirrup. Jai hesitated, then stepped up, vaulting himself onto Navi’s back with a hurried thanks.

Beneath him, Navi shuddered, her legs splaying in surprise at the sudden weight. Jai held his breath. But Navi’s trembling turned to shudders, her snorts betraying her agitation as her gaze flicked between the onlookers and Jai.

In one swift motion, Navi reared up, kicking her powerful forelegs. Jai flailed, falling backwards as his hands snatched at the air.

His landing was surprisingly soft. It was only when the laughter swirled around him for longer and louder than warranted that he realised he was lying in a pile of fresh dung. Jai gritted his teeth, and wiped the muck from his trousers. His pride stung far worse than the fall.

He approached Navi once more, and ran his hand along her side, feeling the scars of her past. She trusted him, he knew she did; he simply needed to remind her.

He remembered how Arjun had once calmed a lame horse, years ago, when they were both but children. Jai pressed close, forehead to snout, breathing in her breath, and she breathing his, mingling in shared rhythm. He felt the rushing pulse in her neck. Felt it slow.

Jai lifted a leg, twisting onto her as swiftly as he dared. She bucked again, but Jai was ready for her, shifting his weight back and seizing the thick fur of her neck. She whickered in protest, but Jai soothed her, leaning down to murmur into her ear.

Gradually, the trembling of her body eased, and she took a tentative step forward. Then another, and another, as if testing their new-found accord.

The rumble of another khiro’s feet made Jai turn, only to see Sindri slap Navi’s rump. Navi surged into the long grass, the world around them becoming a blur of motion. Jai’s heart swelled with exhilaration as they ploughed on, the wind tearing through his hair, and the scent of earth and greenery filling his nostrils.

Sindri rode beside Jai, her laughter resounding through the air, her long black hair streaming behind her like a dark banner.

It felt like an age had passed before they slowed, yet when Jai turned, he could still discern the flickering fires of the camp and see the tendrils of smoke fading into the moonlit sky.

Despite his enhanced strength, Jai found himself panting – more from exhilaration than exhaustion. Sindri chuckled, her eyes glinting with mischief.

‘Ease up,’ she advised, pointing at Jai’s white-knuckled grip on Navi’s nape. ‘Lest you rip it out.’

Jai released his hold with a sigh, patting Navi’s neck as the khiro snorted, her head already buried in the grass, snuffling contentedly. Sindri watched for a moment, her expression softening. ‘She missed it here,’ she said. ‘Khiroi belong amid the endless expanse of the steppe. It’s a wonder an old matron like her is still going. She has heart. You’re fortunate to have her.’

She sniffed, leaning over to trace the scars that marred Navi’s back.

‘I had to be certain,’ Sindri said. ‘No khiro treated this way would let their abuser ride them. Or even a stranger. You must have a way with her.’

‘You could have just asked me,’ Jai said.

‘Yes,’ Sindri said, giving him a searching stare. ‘I am beginning to see that.’

Jai met her gaze, attempting to maintain a steady expression. At last, Sindri nodded, seemingly satisfied with what she saw. She reached behind her saddle and tossed Jai a familiar bundle – his satchel.

Grinning, Jai unbuckled the top, relieved to find his sabretooth still there. However, his father’s gorget, Leonid’s diary and his sword were all missing. He looked up at Sindri, who raised her hands defensively.

‘As Queen of the Valor, it is my right to divide the spoils of any conquests we make,’ she said. ‘If you are traded, I will return them to you – or, at least, to those I trade you to. But not before.’

Jai clenched his teeth, frustrated that he had been stripped of nearly all his worldly possessions. Still, he nodded in acceptance. What other choice did he have?

‘Feng has taught me many things,’ she said as she drew the thin volume that was Leonid’s diary from beneath her furs. ‘Even the letters of our enemies. Poor boy was up half the night helping me read what I could of this.’ She stared at it, as if half in wonder.

‘This thing,’ she mused. ‘It is either the work of a master forger, or an artefact of the greatest worth. It is...’

She stopped herself, and tucked it away.

‘I believe you, Jai,’ Sindri said softly, her voice carrying the weight of her conviction. ‘But I am one of the few who do. My brother... he is a hard man, shaped by the harshness of our life before I took power here. We were nothing more than Tainted orphans, shunned even by those who might have shown us charity. I remember the days we chewed on grass just to fill the emptiness of our bellies. We scavenged carrion, following the circling buzzards in search of sustenance. He kept me alive. Beneath the scars he bears, there lies a loyal heart. Much like Navi’s.’

Jai must have failed to conceal the scepticism on his face, for she smiled at him knowingly.

‘Mark me, Jai. Zayn makes a formidable enemy, but a better friend. With his power, his warriors’ devotion, he could wrest this tribe from me in a second. Instead, he rides night and day, keeping the direwolves from our door. Do not judge a man by his worst qualities alone.’

Jai had little to say to that. All he’d seen in Zayn was a bully.

Instead, he stared out, into the distance. Raised his brows, as he saw flickering lights far on the horizon.

‘You see them too?’ Sindri said. ‘Zayn’s been following their scent for days.’

‘Is it the Kidara?’ Jai asked.

Sindri shrugged.

‘Whoever it is, we’ll catch up to them in a few days. Send Feng to parlay, learn their identity and if the Kidara have ventured this way. They won’t speak to us otherwise.’

Jai stared at her. Were the Tainted truly so reviled that they would refuse to trade for even their own heir? Sindri, ever perceptive, caught his expression once more. Jai reminded himself to be more careful of that.

‘None trade with the Tainted. They only raid us, and sell us as fettered. It is our strength.’

‘Oh?’ Jai asked.

Sindri motioned back towards the Valor’s camp.

‘The Great Tribes of the steppe have grown fat in peace, Jai. They no longer follow the old ways. They sell fettered to the west, and buy fine silks, baubles and trifles from the east. If you are to learn the ways of the Sithia, Jai, you will find no better teachers. Heed our lessons, for the Kidara are not the tribe they once were.’

She turned away, clucking her khiro into a trot.

‘You can ride Navi tomorrow,’ Sindri called over her shoulder. ‘So you’re not too weary by sunset.’

‘Too tired for what?’ Jai shouted after her.

Her reply drifted back to him on the wind.

‘Your training.’