The Horse Lords
by holyflpncows
Arslan's shadow steadily encapsulates me until the sun's light vanishes. Right as we break for setting up camp, the sound of approaching hoofbeats interrupts us.
It doesn’t take long until we’re enveloped by a semicircle of about twenty riders, all wearing black masks. Their bows are readied and aiming straight at us. We stop and exchange warry glances with each other. Attack? Do we strike first? Then Feng Da holds his hands out in a gesture of peace. We follow Feng Da's example, though I keep my hands close to my hilts. One of the riders with a larger, more intimidating mask dismounts and approaches. “Hail,” Feng Da says as he steps forward. “Hail,” she replies and we all bow a formal greeting. “Are you Feng Da?” Feng Da’s expression brightens as his artwork is briefly praised by this rider. That finished, she addresses the rest of us. “I am here to escort you to the Queen. Which among you is least trustworthy?” She eyes us. The group decides on Zyon, though I’m not sure any of us know one another enough to make a fair decision. Zyon steps toward her. In one fluid motion, she grabs his wrist and pulls out a dagger hidden in her belt. She presses the flat of the blade on his wrist and asks “Would you seek to do harm to the Horse Lord?” Zyon tilts his head slightly. “No,” he declares. The rider keeps the dagger on his wrist a moment longer and then hides it away again, seemingly satisfied with his response. “My name is Elme. Please mount up alongside my children so that we can leave.” Several of the riders move forward as Elme returns to her own horse. As she turns, I catch sight of her pointed ears behind the mask. I stiffen. An elf. My partner is one of Elme’s half-elven daughters. We take off, reaching incredible speeds. My excitement is mixed with nervousness. Airships I can handle. I can control them. Horses have their own minds. “So, what stories do your people have?” I ask my rider. “Many of our stories have been lost over time.” “Alright, what about currently?” I inquire. “Any stories about you?” “Myself and my family were tasked by our queen to receive your group.” She speaks no further on the topic, and apparently, she doesn't have any hobbies. I sigh and watch the scenery pass as the sun sinks lower and lower. I thought riding while the sun was out was nerve-racking enough, but as night settles I continually swallow my rising fear. Surely any moment now our breakneck pace will come to a sudden stop and I'll tumble from the saddle and be crushed under the horse. Or these riders could be taking us to a killing ground. Or, maybe because I can’t see as well as others in the dark, I’m over-reacting. I try my damnedest to keep my death-grip from squeezing all the breath from my rider's lungs.Finally, much to my relief, we arrive at the stables of our destination. I dismount—embarrassingly with a little help—and squint to make out the dark shapes that comprise the town. My brow rises in confusion. This place hardly qualifies as a village. Perhaps daylight would reveal more, but there has to be less than a dozen buildings here that all seem to be made of dried mud. Strange that this would be where a queen lived. Elme points toward a larger structure and says, “She awaits you there.” Then she turns to take care of her horse. We achingly walk to the indicated building. Braziers immediately to either side of the entryway provide most of the illumination in the large hall. Straight ahead near the back of the hall is a human woman sitting on a large throne made of bones and velvet. I grumble inwardly as we walk up the sloping central aisle. My legs are sore enough; I didn't need the added ache of trudging up an incline, even if the rise was barely noticeable. We make our way past raised platforms with sleeping forms all over the hall, stepping over and around shoes, bags, toys... These people aren't just staying the night in this hall. They're living here. The darkness likely isn't hiding any more buildings outside. At last, we reach the throne and the dark-haired woman in it. She looks almost as tired as I feel. How late is it? Feng Da steps forward and bows. “No, please don’t be so formal,” she says to Feng Da, but her voice lacks the command to make Feng Da rise. She sighs. “I am Carnassa. Welcome.” Feng Da does quick introductions and we arrange to talk more in the morning. Queen Carnassa gestures toward an open platform for us to make beds on. I begin walking that direction as she rises, but Wen beats me over there. Exhausted, I collapse on the rough wood and arrange my bag to act as a pillow. Wen is already gently snoring by the time I close my eyes.
I wake before dawn to the sound of many bodies shuffling around. I take my time getting up, leaning deep into stretches to loosen cramps from traveling. Damn horses. I grab my things and head outside. My initial assessment from last night is pretty accurate. Besides the Great Hall and long stable, there are three larger buildings and a handful of small…huts. I wander around the town and find a farm. At least, I think this is supposed to be a farm. I frown. There are better farms in poorer locations. I approach some idle townsfolk. Some friendly chat reveals that this culture is new to town life. Changes in recent decades have made horse lord culture impossible. That makes sense. The ruins all over the land are fairly new—according to them. Wildlife has been disappearing. It's hard to be a nomadic people with those conditions. I make my way back toward the center of town and meet the others at one of the larger buildings. Feng Da knocks and Carnassa's short form emerges, welcoming us in. I’m not sure if I’ve seen such a collection of furs. I wonder if Carnassa got inspiration from all the weapons from the Rusty Spear and Qiq’s decorating. My eyes examine the variety of furs everywhere while I listen to Carnassa. “The Horse Lords were once all one tribe,” she begins. “When the ruins first rose from the ground, things within the tribe were fine. But after a time, we broke apart.” As many kingdoms do. “We?” Shen Po inquires. Carnassa nods. “Now there are four factions of the Horse Lords. Myself, Admiral Jin, Kanbei, and Umatoko.” “Alright. So why have you brought us here?” Shen Po asks. “To stop the fighting between the Horse Lords.” I wait to see if she's joking. Her expression stays serious as she crosses her muscled arms and stares at the group. “Bring peace,” she continues, “and I will grant you representation at the Rusty Spear. I heard from the chatter you had with my riders that you seek to speak with someone who meets there.” Her eyes look over the group again. “Having the authority to be there will let you safely talk to whoever you need to.” We all look at each other. Bring peace? Seriously? If they couldn’t figure it out between each other, how are we—outsiders to boot—supposed to do that? A quiet debate breaks out among us. None of us came out here to handle situations like this. This is beyond any of us. Yet, it's the only lead we have. Well, the only lead they have. I might find what I’m looking for here. Though, given the state of this place—and the depth of information the people here seem to lack—probably not. We reluctantly agree. Carnassa informs us that her stable master will lend us horses for travel, and we depart from her home. We split to prepare for the travel. I don’t have long to ask questions, so I need to find someone who would be most likely to have any information on a lead for me.
With a sigh, I make my way toward another one of the bigger buildings. I’m glad I didn’t get any hopes up yet. I pull out my notebook and thin stick of charcoal, flip near the end, and jot down notes as I walk. Another dead end here. I suppose if there was an easy solution, I wouldn't be out here. I'd asked nearly everyone here—even Elme—about medicines, treatments, anything known for curing tough ailments. Nothing. Would I have gotten an answer if I'd been more specific? If I'd mentioned it was for me? I snap my book closed. Likely not. As I enter what appears to be a general store, I pass some of my companions leaving it. Guess I’m running a little behind. I hurry to buy more tasteless rations and meet the group at the stables. Now all I can do is help in completing this hopeless mission with everyone else and hope we'll run into someone who could have a solution for me.
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