The Unnamed Blade (Book Two of The Horns of Elfland)

Chapter Fifteen

They were woken by the whistling whinnies of a herd of horses trampling through the courtyard. Farinka walked over to the doorway, causing the wild beasts to shy away, startled; they turned to face her, their soft dark eyes turned on her with as much curiosity as alarm, their elegantly shaped heads lit by the early sunlight, their wide delicate nostrils flared as they took in her scent.

A different kind of beast altogether from the stocky Northern mountain beasts; these were fine-boned with no feather to their legs, their tails carried high and proud, their movement a symphony of floating grace. This world's equivalent of purest desert Arabian, in fact.

– They are descendants of those that survived the battle of Nahrsalk, said Nishihra from the other side of the courtyard. They usually come to the spring here in the mornings and evenings.

– They're exquisitely beautiful, said Farinka. I knew horses like this, before. Sherath, come and look, she added.

Sherath's appearance in the doorway caused another minor flurry among the beasts; Farinka's eye was immediately drawn to a colt that had been hidden before within the herd, his satin coat palest cream under the desert dust, his eyes a luminous blue. She shot her Awareness out towards him almost instinctively, to find it flooded with his own; all fire and penetrating intelligent curiosity.

– That's Tandi's colt, she said to Sherath.

– The foals he'd breed from thatone would make the locals sit up and take notice, said Sherath. He'd join the ranks of all the rest of the North's semi-legendary beastmasters. And there have been quite a few of them.

– Haven't there just, said Nemeth, coming over to join them. I see what you mean. He's rather magnificent, isn't he?

Nishihra walked over, the herd parting and then reforming behind her as she came through. –He will still be here waiting for you – if you can catch him, she said. What is this beastmaster like – and where is he?

– Tandi? He has the livery yard in Dakesht. His loves his beasts, and our own took to him immediately, said Farinka. This colt would be very happy with him, I'm sure.

– Happy enough to compensate him for the loss of his freedom? asked Nishihra.

– With Tandi, he would not lose his freedom. Tandi keeps his breeding beasts out on the plains and the hill meadows. They come to him for love, not because they're restricted by fences, said Sherath. I also gathered that Tandi's beasts won't go to anyone but him, unless he hands them over in person.

– That is good. I trust your judgement and theirs, said Nishihra. Come and breakfast with us.

***

Nishihra halted in the shade cast by a massive rock cliff. It was a relief to be out of the sun, though the loose robes that the Southern Elves had provided them with had reflected the worst of the heat and the glare.

Sherath wiped sweat from his brow with the hood of his robe. –How do you stand this heat? he asked Nishihra.

– We're used to it, she replied. We're also bred to it; it's not bothering Nemeth half as much as it's bothering you. Have some more water.

Sherath took a swig direct from the waterskin; Nishihra had added a small amount of salt and a larger amount of honey to the water, it was warm, but not unpleasant. He passed the waterskin along to Farinka.

– Don't drink too much at once, warned Nishihra. It would only make you sick, and you would lose more fluid than ever, that way.

She shook dust out of her sandals and sat down in the shade. –Rest for a while. You will soon recover your strength.