The Silk Road Saga: Part I - Silkworm

34 - The Hunt

They waited. Bodies pressed against the manes of their horses, keeping their profile low. The deer grazed at the edge of their field of vision, leaning down to nibble on the long grass that grew where the forest met the plane. Erhi motioned to Yue to circle his horse behind the deer, she wanted to flush it out into the open, away from the cover of the trees. He left her side, urging Piaf to take it slow. He didn't speak or tug the reins, instead he communicated to his horse with his thighs and his will. Erhi was pleased with his progress, he hadn't yet gained full mastery of his steed, but that would only come with years of practice. All that mattered was that he was now able to ride alongside her and fight alongside her, a help rather than a hinderance.

She returned her concentration to the deer. It had heard the rustle of Piaf moving through the undergrowth. It stopped eating and perked up its ears, alert to the presence of danger. Erhi readied Sabar, letting it know that soon it would be required to spring into action. She felt a flutter of nerves. This was her first time hunting on horseback since her injury. She had only been able to ride for the past week and even then the pain from her wound limited her to half an hour riding per day at best. But she was determined not to be beaten. Thousands of miles away her mother was waiting for her, her only protection the beating heart of a dying man. Erhi gave Yue the signal.

He let out a loud cry that startled the deer into flight. It bounded away from the source of the noise, taking to the open grass. Ehri counted to five, giving it time to gain a lead on her, then she spurred Sabar into action. The deer bounded across the plain, tearing away in a fluid zig-zag. Erhi felt Sabar's excitement at the chase and she smiled a feral grin of abandon. This was happiness. A horse beneath her legs, a bow in hand and prey in her sights. She heard Piaf labouring behind her and she urged Sabar on. Although the deer was fast, Sabar was faster, its stride longer, its stamina strengthened through generations of selective breeding. They started to gain on their prey, eating up its lead a few feet at a time.

Erhi notched an arrow in her bow and drew back the string. She ignored the pain in her side and concentrated on the deer. It tacked one way then the other. Its movements erratic and skittish, making it difficult to predict where to aim. She waited for that perfect moment in Sabar's stride then she let loose. The deer dived to the left and her arrow flew harmlessly into the grass. She let out a curse and reached for her quiver.

"Take it easy" shouted Yue, trying to sound encouraging.

She ignored him and notched another arrow in her bow. They only had one bow so there was no danger of Yue trying to steal her kill, not that he would have dared. The deer was starting to tire, its movements were slowing. She took aim but a sudden spasm of pain flared up her side. Her arrow flew harmlessly towards the sky and Sabar veered away from the deer, confused by the sudden cry from its mistress.

"Are you okay?" called out Yue.

"I'm fine" replied Erhi, gritting her teeth.

Yue drew up alongside her but she shooed him away, not wanting him to see the pain written across her face. She clutched her side, feeling where Muunokhoi's spear had lanced through her flesh. The memory made her shudder and she closed her eyes, letting Sabar slow down to a trot.

"Erhi...."

She held up a hand to silence Yue. She knew that he was only concerned for her but right now she didn't need sympathy, she just needed to concentrate on blocking out the pain. She pictured Muunokhoi falling into the frozen river, then she pictured his son face first in a trough of pig shit, and gradually the pain began to recede. She let out a deep breath and opened her eyes. Yue hovered close by, all concern and worry. The deer was bounding away across the field.

"Let's go" said Erhi, spurring Sabar back into a gallop.

She tore away in pursuit of the deer, urging Sabar to run faster and faster. They skimmed over the grass, gliding through thick squalls of spring insects that hovered like clouds above the plains. Erhi drew back her bow for a third time, ignoring the mayflies plastering her forehead. They came upon the deer like a lightning bolt, flashing past it with deadly intent. Erhi's whole body become weightless and in that split second when Sabar left the ground she felt time stand still. She could make out the spittle flecking the deer's mouth, the spots on its hide and the animal panic in its wide eyes. She felt the muscles straining along Sabar's back and smelt the sweet sweat coating its body. She saw Yue out of the corner of her eye, his expression willing her to succeed, his lips scrunched up, his forehead creased. She felt a sense of pure calm wash over her. This was the closest that warriors came to nirvana, a heightened sense of being alive right before the kill.

She let the arrow fly straight and true. It pierced the deer's flank, lodging itself right between the ribs, straight in the heart. The deer collapsed into the grass as if an invisible hand had knocked its legs from under it. Erhi could tell before she even drew close that it was dead. Yue whooped with delight and Erhi allowed herself a smile. She still had it, she was still a perfect shot.

The rest of the day was spent teaching Yue how to skin, butcher and preserve a deer. She enjoyed teasing him with bits of lung and intestine, watching as he fought to keep down his rising bile. When darkness fell they built a fire and roasted its hind legs over the open flame. They held each other and watched as sparks and cinders floated up towards the stars.

"We're leaving, aren't we?" asked Yue.

Erhi nodded and Yue didn't say anything. She could tell that he wanted to stay but her mind was made up. No boy, not even one from the future, was going to steer her from her path. She could feel the pull of Samarkand. It was over the horizon somewhere, a fat goose waiting to be plucked. The Great Khan was there and all his generals. Soon, promised Erhi, they would know her name.