The Horse Road Read Free Page B

another army to take our horses!’
    Batu let out a long breath. ‘The Middle Kingdom has long been the enemy of my people,’ he muttered. ‘The Hsiung-nu tribes have been driven westwards like sheep by its armies. Now the kingdom is building a great stone wall to hold back the nomads.’
    â€˜I have heard this too in the city,’ I agreed.
    Batu glared at the troops marching far below, massed like ants, pouring out of the mountains, filling the valley, steadily moving westwards towards the safety of Ershi, and my family’s farm where our horse herd grazed the alfalfa in the shade of poplar trees.
    â€˜I must ride for my mother!’ I cried, and I sprang up and began leaping and sliding down the mountain with Batu at my heels. Gryphon flung up his head, startled, grass trailing from his mouth. My mother would know what to do, I thought; my strong brave mother who had once been a warrior in her own Sarmatian tribe, far to the north. My mother, trainer of horses. She would know how to save us, our mares and foals, our pastures and stables. Gryphon. Me. And most important of all, my white mare, Swan. My most precious white mare.
    â€˜Hurry!’ I screamed, fear clawing at my heart. ‘Hurry, Batu! We must save the horses!’

Chapter 2
    â€˜I cannot ride this mare hard!’ Batu cried as we sprinted across the grass towards the grazing horses. ‘You must ride to camp without me!’
    I nodded, reaching into the tree where I had hung Gryphon’s bridle. The blue clay beads, woven on to the cheek pieces, glinted as I swung the bridle free and slipped it on to my horse’s head. Then I squatted and undid the hobbles of woollen rope from around his fetlocks, my fingers fumbling with haste. ‘Batu,’ I called over one shoulder, ‘I hate leaving you alone! Promise you won’t climb back up looking for eaglets. You might be attacked by the parent birds!’
    â€˜Forget about eagles! You must ride to warn the warriors!’
    I nodded again. I knew that the fighting men of Batu’s tribe had sworn allegiance to the king ofErshi; in partial return for wheat and millet from Ferghana’s fields, they were bound to come to the city’s aid in time of attack. I straightened and scowled at Batu as he crossed his arms over the wiry strength of his chest and scowled in return.
    â€˜Please, no eagles!’ I said, for I could be stubborn too; city neighbours thought I was a sweet girl only because I was too shy to speak. Batu and the horses knew better; they knew that my shyness was like the soft murmur of a stream that flows over a hard boulder beneath the surface.
    â€˜No eagles!’ Batu agreed, still scowling. ‘Now
go
, RIDE! I’ll join you when I can!’
    With one hand I caught hold of the rawhide loop that hung from my saddle’s belly band, and then poked my left foot into it. An Indian trader had described these loops to my mother, and she had made one for me to try. Although the nomads could spring on to their short horses simply by grasping a handful of mane, our taller Persian horses were harder to mount. The foot loop, hanging down, usually made it easier to swing myself into the saddle.
    Now, however, Gryphon had absorbed the fear that had sent me sliding down the ravine from the high ridge. He bounded sideways with rolling eyes, threatening to topple me off balance and drag me along by one booted foot caught in the loop. I pulled on my reins with my left hand, hopped on one leg, and then sprang into my saddle as it surged beneathme in constant movement. There was only time for a fleeting glance back at Batu, standing forlornly watching, before Gryphon burst into a gallop, heading across the hillside in the direction of the track. I knew that Batu would be longing to race after us, to see if his father would let him join the warriors, carrying his bow over one shoulder, and a quiver of arrows against his thigh. I also knew that