The Silk Road Saga: Part I - Silkworm

11 - Traces in time

Erhi made sure that she wasn't being followed as she left the camp. She circled back on herself, laying down a series of confusing tracks in the snow before heading for the river. Her bow was restrung and the arrows in her quiver had been freshly feathered. On her hip hung a curved scimitar and inside her boot was her trusty knife. Cleaned by the icy waters of the river and well feasted on the offering left outside her tent, Erhi felt like a new person. Sabar trotted through the snow with a strong confident gait. Both mistress and horse were almost unrecognisable from the night before, when they had returned to camp bedraggled and half-dead.

The night was darker than yesterday. Thick bands of cloud moved quickly across the sky, obscuring the moon for minutes at a time. Yet enough residual light filtered through the clouds for Erhi to navigate along the river. She moved slowly, not wanting Sabar to stumble and fall. She had no desire for a second bath anytime soon. After a little while she came to a bend in the river where the ice was thin and translucent. It hadn't yet gained the thick sheen that came with the long winter.

Ehri dismounted Sabar and went down to the water's edge. She took off her gloves and pressed her fingers against the ice. Even though she applied little pressure, a sharp crack appeared. This was fresh ice, less than a day old. Erhi made her way back up the riverbank and walked carefully along it, on the lookout for tell-tale signs of disturbed snow. A few metres beyond Sabar was a wide groove in the snow, encompassed by two boot prints. This is where she must have crawled up the riverbank the night before. Here and there tiny round holes had been bored into the snow. Those must have been left by the base of Muunokhoi's spear. She followed the tracks as they led away from the river. Her preserved handprints showed where she had crawled on all fours, desperately trying to escape her pursuer. A shiver ran through her as she realised just how close to death she had come.

A little way back from the river the tracks came to an abrupt halt. Muunokhoi's boot prints intermingled with the rut left by her body on the snowdrift. This is where he had stood over her, spear raised, ready for the kill. Then had something happened, something strange, but there were no signs of it in the snow. It was as if the boy from Zhongdu had passed through this scene like a ghost, unable to leave his mark on this world. Erhi circled around the snowdrift a few times, but when she was unable to find any further evidence of what had occurred last night, she decided the best thing to do was to wait and see.

Time passed slowly. The moon was obscured by cloud and the absence of light made it seem colder somehow, if such a thing were even possible. Despite her thick furs and full belly, icy fingers of wind wound their way into her bones. She rubbed herself to keep warm and jumped up and down on the spot, but soon her teeth began to chatter. This was no night to be away from the warmth of the camp fire. Sabar whinnied with discomfort and nuzzled itself against Erhi's shoulder. She rubbed its flank with her glove. They'd have to return to camp soon. There was little point in escaping from the clutches of Muunokhoi only to freeze to death the next day.

Erhi waited and waited, until the tips of her fingers went numb and her toes turned into slabs of stone. Icey droplets caked the tips of Sabar's mane. It was time to call it a night. Erhi looked over the scene one last time then turned away with a sigh and started to lead Sabar back towards the riverbank. Just then the moon broke through the clouds, bathing the valley in its wan light. Erhi felt the warm breath of a summer's breeze kiss her neck. She turned around and was brought to a standstill by what she saw.

Hanging above the snowdrift where she had so nearly met her end was a round portal. Its edges were tinged purple and they expanded and contracted, like a breathing lung. Through the portal blew a warm breeze, beckoning her forwards. Sabar shied away. Erhi couldn't force her horse to move any closer. She let go of its reins and walked in disbelief towards the portal. From what she could see, it was also dark on the other side. Long strands of grass swayed beneath the moonlight. A shadow fell across the grass. Someone was there.