concern had been that the entire population of the Empire had seemed to want to be her friend. She’d had no enemies. Now people on both sides of the Great Wall wanted to harm her.
She tried to make sense of what had happened. Only a handful of barbarians had attacked the garrison. They had captured her, but ignored the imperial guards, leaving them cowering inside their barracks. She wondered if the barbarians had been tracking her. Perhaps that’s why she’d had the feeling someone was following them. She had heard stories of how the Xiong Nu sacrificed white horses and drank their blood. She couldn’t bear to think what they might do if they got their hands on a dragon. On the other hand, there werealso tales of the barbarians making human sacrifices to their gods. Perhaps it wasn’t Kai they wanted at all—but her. She called to Kai in her mind but there was still no reply. Perhaps they had left him behind.
The horses galloped through the darkness for a long time. The ropes tying her arms and legs rubbed her skin until it felt like they were burning her. Ping couldn’t tell whether she was awake and bouncing on the back of a horse or just dreaming that she was.
The horses stopped as the sky was turning grey. Ping was untied and pulled from the horse. Her legs were numb and she couldn’t stand. One of the barbarians carried her, putting her down outside a low hut. The sky grew lighter. It was above her and all around her. It stretched to the horizon on all sides. They had left the mountains and the Great Wall far behind. There wasn’t a tree or a rock in sight, just an endless plain, bare except for tufts of yellow grass. She could see now that it wasn’t a hut she’d been brought to, it was a tent—a large, black tent made from thick felt. A group of about 20 smaller tents was huddled around the central tent, like sleeping animals. There was also a corral made of branches that secured a herd of several hundred horses. Steam rose from the horses’ backs as the sunlight warmed them. They were handsome beasts—tall and slender, with flowing manes, nothing like the short, stocky imperial horses. Several of the nearest horses studied her with interest. They looked powerful and intelligent.
It was only after she’d finished admiring the horses that she looked at her captors. They were dark men with their hair tied in plaits. They wore sleeveless jackets made of animal skins, and leather belts with shiny gold buckles. Their felt breeches were tucked into high boots. Each man wore a fur-lined leather hat. They glanced at her and muttered to each other, making harsh sounds that Ping couldn’t understand. They smelt different to the people of the Empire. They had a sharp odour that reminded her of the goats she’d taken care of when she was a slave.
The tent flap opened and a man came out. Ping was sitting on the ground because her legs wouldn’t work. The man towered over her. His clothing was like the other men’s except that he wore a silk shirt beneath his jacket. She had a closer view of his gold buckle. It was fashioned into the shape of two animals locked in a fight. It was hard to believe that such simple people could make such an elegant ornament.
The riders fell silent and the man spoke to them in their coarse-sounding language. Ping realised she had no way of communicating with these people. She couldn’t explain anything to them. She couldn’t even beg for her life. The riders turned and left. Someone had re-kindled the embers of a fire. The man gestured for her to sit next to it. As the darkness melted away, more details of the camp were revealed. A smaller pen contained a flock of sheep. Several camels were grazing on the sparse grass.There was somebody on the other side of the fire. Ping’s heart thudded. It wasn’t a person. It was a dragon. He was slumped in a heap. She struggled to her feet and rushed over to him.
“Kai!” she shouted. “What have the barbarians done to you?”
She
She tried to make sense of what had happened. Only a handful of barbarians had attacked the garrison. They had captured her, but ignored the imperial guards, leaving them cowering inside their barracks. She wondered if the barbarians had been tracking her. Perhaps that’s why she’d had the feeling someone was following them. She had heard stories of how the Xiong Nu sacrificed white horses and drank their blood. She couldn’t bear to think what they might do if they got their hands on a dragon. On the other hand, there werealso tales of the barbarians making human sacrifices to their gods. Perhaps it wasn’t Kai they wanted at all—but her. She called to Kai in her mind but there was still no reply. Perhaps they had left him behind.
The horses galloped through the darkness for a long time. The ropes tying her arms and legs rubbed her skin until it felt like they were burning her. Ping couldn’t tell whether she was awake and bouncing on the back of a horse or just dreaming that she was.
The horses stopped as the sky was turning grey. Ping was untied and pulled from the horse. Her legs were numb and she couldn’t stand. One of the barbarians carried her, putting her down outside a low hut. The sky grew lighter. It was above her and all around her. It stretched to the horizon on all sides. They had left the mountains and the Great Wall far behind. There wasn’t a tree or a rock in sight, just an endless plain, bare except for tufts of yellow grass. She could see now that it wasn’t a hut she’d been brought to, it was a tent—a large, black tent made from thick felt. A group of about 20 smaller tents was huddled around the central tent, like sleeping animals. There was also a corral made of branches that secured a herd of several hundred horses. Steam rose from the horses’ backs as the sunlight warmed them. They were handsome beasts—tall and slender, with flowing manes, nothing like the short, stocky imperial horses. Several of the nearest horses studied her with interest. They looked powerful and intelligent.
It was only after she’d finished admiring the horses that she looked at her captors. They were dark men with their hair tied in plaits. They wore sleeveless jackets made of animal skins, and leather belts with shiny gold buckles. Their felt breeches were tucked into high boots. Each man wore a fur-lined leather hat. They glanced at her and muttered to each other, making harsh sounds that Ping couldn’t understand. They smelt different to the people of the Empire. They had a sharp odour that reminded her of the goats she’d taken care of when she was a slave.
The tent flap opened and a man came out. Ping was sitting on the ground because her legs wouldn’t work. The man towered over her. His clothing was like the other men’s except that he wore a silk shirt beneath his jacket. She had a closer view of his gold buckle. It was fashioned into the shape of two animals locked in a fight. It was hard to believe that such simple people could make such an elegant ornament.
The riders fell silent and the man spoke to them in their coarse-sounding language. Ping realised she had no way of communicating with these people. She couldn’t explain anything to them. She couldn’t even beg for her life. The riders turned and left. Someone had re-kindled the embers of a fire. The man gestured for her to sit next to it. As the darkness melted away, more details of the camp were revealed. A smaller pen contained a flock of sheep. Several camels were grazing on the sparse grass.There was somebody on the other side of the fire. Ping’s heart thudded. It wasn’t a person. It was a dragon. He was slumped in a heap. She struggled to her feet and rushed over to him.
“Kai!” she shouted. “What have the barbarians done to you?”
She
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