Page 9

M orning came all too quickly, and Jai groaned as he roused, the khiro horn announcing the morning. His night had been a tapestry of dreams, woven by threads so vivid, he had thought them real.

Jai had tasted the gamy flavour of squirrel upon his tongue as Winter dreamed of the dense forest she had been born in. The memory had been so strong, it was as though Jai himself had been scampering through the leaf-laden ground, feeling the wind on his scales, his heart racing with the thrill of the chase.

Jai sat up before the beautiful Valor girl could rouse him, for she was already there to wake any deaf elders who had not heard the horn. This time, she left him something, placing it beside him with a quiet smile. A pile of clothing to replace the rags he had been wearing since he’d arrived.

Jai felt a twinge of guilt as he smiled back at her, Erica’s own smile on the edge of his thoughts.

He shook the thoughts from his head and took the opportunity to hold the clothes up to the light. He was grateful to her and couldn’t help but smile as he noted the tanned leather and handspun wool, crafted to withstand the elements.

It felt like an age since he had worn clean clothes.

‘What is your name?’ Jai blurted, attempting to speak in a language he had hardly spoken to anyone but Feng.

She smiled at him, and shook her head, still coaxing an elderly woman from her fur rug, then motioning for Jai to leave.

‘Kiran,’ she called, as he blinked in the new daylight. He grinned, and hurried behind the tent, dressing as quickly as he could.

His body warmed with relief as he tugged on the new attire, almost sighing in its comfort. He felt almost human again. The leather trousers were supple, allowing him to move freely, while the woollen tunic was soft and warm against his skin.

Jai saw the Valor were wasting no time, for the village was dissolving before his eyes. He hurried to where the khiroi were being prepared for the day’s journey. Amid the flurry of hurrying men and women, he found Feng, holding Navi by the reins. The khiro was already saddled, adorned with a vibrant, patterned linen beneath the leather seat.

Instead of a bit between her teeth, the reins were attached to a snug harness that wrapped around her snout. Jai knew enough about horses from his brothers to know it was an unusual arrangement. Jai reached out and fingered it, seeing where the harness ended just behind her mouth.

‘No bit?’ Jai asked, curious.

‘You try to keep a khiro from feeding,’ Feng said, ‘and they’ll chew any bit to nothing.’

Jai eyed the saddle with remembered trepidation, aware of the side glances from the other riders nearby. Perhaps they were hoping for a repeat of the previous day’s performance. Jai surreptitiously eyed the ground for khiroi manure before gingerly climbing into the saddle.

Navi trembled beneath him, until Jai leaned forwards, patting the old beast’s thick neck. She gave one last tremble, almost a shrug, before leaning down and cropping at the grass once more.

‘She remembers,’ Sindri observed, her voice coming from behind.

Jai clicked his tongue, nudging with the reins, attempting to turn Navi in Sindri’s direction. It took a forceful yank to lift her head from her meal, but she spread her feet, obstinately refusing to move.

Sindri clucked her tongue disapprovingly, guiding her own khiro around to come alongside Jai.

‘You should be more gentle,’ she advised. ‘A khiro doe is no Alkhara to be manhandled into submission. She must be respected, and she must, in turn, respect you. Let her eat if she is not ready to go. Until she respects you enough to go when you wish.’

Jai felt a twinge of guilt, letting the reins fall limp. Navi snorted, tugging on the reins a little harder than she had to as she lowered her head to crop the ground.

‘I thought I had a way with her,’ he admitted, a touch petulant.

Sindri laughed at that.

‘Pah,’ she exclaimed. ‘If you seek to be put in your place, then I will do the honours. You are but a stripling on an old doe, one who has been ridden before. She will never charge into battle, nor trample your enemies. You try mounting an unbroken bull, let alone a wild Alkhara. That is a different beast altogether.’

Jai detected the disdain in her voice, despite the kindness with which it was intended. He crossed his arms, even as the first riders began plodding into the grassland.

‘Now, you go ride with the others,’ Sindri said. ‘The warriors will be riding ahead, in case of ambush. Best to be careful when another tribe is near. You take Feng with you. It’s about time he learned too.’

Hearing that, Feng clambered into the saddle behind Jai, and the pair sat there, with Jai now so bewildered that he didn’t know whether to pull the reins or not. Instead, he stared at the twin pits in the ground, which were far more conspicuous than the last camp they had been to. Strangely, several of the village elders were scattering seed along the pit’s edges, others kneeling and praying to the open sky above.

‘Why are they planting?’ Jai asked. ‘It’s unlikely we will pass this way again, no?’

‘In hopes it will become an oasis,’ Feng said. ‘For the beasts of the steppe, and for any other tribe, if not the Valor’s own descendants. A place to collect water, where the bamboo and trees can compete with the voracious grasses of this land. Some say, without the Sithia, there would be naught but khiroi and grass. The elders plant that which they shall never see. It is their way.’

It is my way, Jai thought as he stared, fascinated. And suddenly wished he could someday see this place, a month, or years from now. Perhaps he might see one of these oases someday, mature and fruitful, rich with the life of the land.

Ultimately, it was the absence of other khiroi that coaxed Navi from her grazing, and Jai couldn’t help but feel a surge of exhilaration as she thundered over the plains, closing the gap with the warriors ahead.

The cavalry of the Valor comprised some fifty men and women on khiroi, their ages spanning from youths only slightly younger than Jai to grizzled elders who may have shared his tent that very morning. Few were in their prime, khiroi included, save for the small, tight-knit group that gravitated around Zayn, their leader, as they rode at the forefront of the herd.

They were armed as if for battle, but only a few bore the famed falxes of the Sithia. Most others were armed with an assortment of weapons – axes, spears and shorter blades. As for their clothing, it was not dissimilar to his own, but with an added layer of leather breastplates, greaves and other armour, likely scavenged from battles past.

Kiran, the soulbound woman Zayn had wrestled, was among the best equipped. Her armour, like Zayn’s, seemed to denote her status, setting her apart as a warrior to be reckoned with.

Winter, to Jai’s annoyance, was not with them – instead being led like a dog by the children at the back. Jai might have even complained, if he had not sensed the little dragon’s pleasure as she frolicked in the grass, diving for treats. Instead, he resigned himself to the day’s ride, trying to figure out what sort of training Sindri might mean.

For a while, they travelled in silence, the quiet of the sunrise blushing the world in its ochres. Only when the birds began to chirrup, and the first marching songs began behind them, did their voices stir.

Though his understanding was limited, he found himself able to grasp the essence of what was being said. He was becoming used to their accent too. Each fragment of conversation he pieced together was a small triumph.

Hours slipped by, and Jai took the opportunity to soulbreathe. He had assumed it would be difficult, for he was still mastering the art of riding Navi, his spine jostling with each step. The tight embrace of Feng’s arms around him only added to the challenge. However, it was as if Jai’s body craved mana, and his soulbreathing instinctively found a rhythm. He even took the chance to connect with Winter, who sorely missed him, yet aided his cultivation of mana by sending her own meagre reserves.

Jai always felt guilty when he awoke to find his core partly filled by his loyal companion – knowing that without mana of her own, she would be all the weaker for it.

But the golden motes were like a balm as they filtered out of his core, wiping away the aches and pains of his broken sleep, and exhilarating him with new energy.

He was forever grateful to Winter, and resolved to himself that he would ask Zayn for an audience with her. Surely after the last night’s camaraderie, the man might see reason?

As if reading his mind, Zayn galloped up to him, guiding his imposing Alkhara to Jai’s side. The pair’s combined presence was imposing, for the sheer size of the beast matched Zayn’s own. In comparison, Navi appeared almost a babe, for she was smaller than the rest – the years of malnourishment having taken their toll.

The powerful beast’s dark fur shone in the spring sun, and as Zayn slowed beside Jai, it snorted, dancing away from the strange khiro it did not know. Meanwhile, Navi remained unbothered, grazing contentedly beside the great beast without acknowledging its presence.

‘Follow me,’ Zayn ordered, his voice harsh.

Feng’s translation was lost in the spray of soil as the Alkhara pulled ahead; though in truth, Jai had not needed it. Understanding the Valor was becoming easier and easier. Finding words of his own was the hard part.

Barked commands divided the Valor vanguard, leaving most of the warriors behind, Zayn and his entourage carving a gap in the grasses ahead. Jai did not have long to consider whether to obey, for Navi lurched after them, her competitive spirit refusing to be left behind.

Even now, Feng’s tales lurked at the back of his mind – the rumours of Zayn coveting his sister’s rule, of his ruthless ambition. As they rode on, Jai found himself observing the riders around him, trying to read their faces. But he saw nothing.

It almost made him miss the cerebral undercurrents of the Sabine court, where a glance could be as heavy as a thousand words.

Soon enough, the Valor tribe were but small figures far away, the vast plains having swallowed Jai and Navi whole. His fears only grew with the distance, and he almost jumped when Zayn signalled for a halt, slowing his Alkhara without even a twitch of his reins. Jai followed suit, Navi’s breathing coming in heavy snorts.

The other men seemed disinterested, instead scanning the horizon, as the Valor were wont to do. If Zayn had a plan, Jai guessed they were not in on it. Not yet.

Zayn dismounted, motioning for Jai to follow suit.

‘Come,’ Zayn said, again in a heavily accented High Imperial, clicking his fingers, pointing at the ground. ‘Come, come.’

Jai dropped to the ground, his hand straying and then retreating from his empty belt, bereft of the blade he instinctively reached for.

Only when they were a little distance from the others, did Zayn speak again.

‘You,’ Zayn said. ‘Me. Teach.’

Jai nodded, smiling. He thought for a moment, then tried in sithosi.

‘You teach me Talvir?’ Jai asked, nodding. ‘Yes. I will work hard.’

Zayn’s face twisted into surprise, then darkened with a shake of his head.

‘No,’ he grunted, now in sithosi. ‘ You teach me... spell.’

With new understanding, Jai felt the blood drain from his face. This wasn’t a lesson...

This was a shakedown.