Chapter 3: -
They had set of that next day, Cal on his large bay
which had a star and two white socks Called Drifter, Jason rode on a smaller
dark bay with a broad white blaze and four white stockings Called Bear, which
Cal had used as a packhorse.
Jason had never sat on a horse before and apart from
giving the local pony a peace of carrot over the fence, he had never been near
a horse. Now he was in the middle of nowhere on a horse that delighted in
fining the muddiest puddles and made shore he fell off in to them.
Jason picked himself up from his seventh fall that
day. This time a low branch had aided the packhorse. He looked up at Cal who
hid a grin.
"I told you I can't ride" Jason complained looking
at his muddy hands then at his muddy clothing.
He walked up to the horse that had stopped to graze
and lifted its head grabbing the bridle he looked straight at the horse
"Now listen to me buster I will ride you if you like
it or not"
The horse's head went down then straight up hitting
him directly on his nose. Cal heard the familiar crack of a broken nose and
bust out laughing while Bear stared innocently at the man dancing before him.
The flow of blood finally stopped and Jason was
mounted again when they continued their journey
"What was it that messenger called you yesterday?"
Jason asked the still grinning Cal "something Wolf?"
"Shang wolf"
"What dose it mean"
"You mean you haven't herd of the Shang" Cal sounded
shocked
"No, AHHHH!" Bear took that moment to rear and dump
Jason in another muddy puddle.
This time Cal burst out laughing straight off.
"Just be thankful the ground is soft," Cal said once
he had his laughter under control.
"So what's Shang" Jason was mounted again, glaring
hatefully at Bear's ears.
"Shang are a group of warriors, taught to fight from
childhood"
"And the wolf bit?"
"Wolf is just my rank" Cal looked up at the slowly
darkening sky "we best make camp and you need a bath" Cal grinned and Jason
gave a small smile.
After washing in the nearby stream, Jason, under
Cal's directions helped make camp with the supplies they had carried divided
between them selves. While they were working Taygo, who had followed them at
his own pace, entered the camp depositing two rabbits at Cal's feet. Cal was
busy getting a fire started and didn't notice the wolf. Taygo whined and pawed
Cal's leg looking down cal smiled and scratched him behind the ears. He then
turned back to the fire and raised his flint and steel.
Just
as he struck one on the other the firewood exploded in to black flames. Cal
leaped back starring into the flames as they gradually tuned orange.
Jason Looked past Cal, who was now alert and ready
to fight, and saw a very tall man, dressed in black, and a young woman holding
a Long Bow. A trio of horses followed them.