Peter was the first to take to the horses, adopting a three year old with white on her flanks. He named her Hannah after Luke's baby, the name becoming permanent when he saw how it infuriated his foreign friend. Galloping round the paddock day after day, ignoring his sore legs as the skin began to toughen, one by one he persuaded the adults to join in. Sarah overcame her fears from her previous experience and Peter's mother was the last to try, after much persuasion. Peter and Luke lifted her onto one of the smaller horses where she sat unsteadily as they stood one each side to support her.

"OK, let's start moving forward," said Peter confidently. "You'll find it easy once you've started."

The horse walked for a pace or two, the insecure weight bobbing around on its back. She stepped backwards a pace and shuddered violently, shocking her rider who half scrambled, half fell off the horse, nearly pushing Luke to the ground. Peter rushed round and picked them up, the horse gratefully moving off to safer territory.

"Well I'm not doing that again. So much for your 'tame' horses. So bristly and it smells horrible. I think you'd better be a bit more careful of them, Peter. Let's go in and get cleaned up. You've had enough for one day."

"I'll have to go back on this afternoon," said Peter. "When we go to clear the weeds from the fields by the stream I'm going to have Hannah carry me. I'll be there ages before the rest of you."

"Well you'll be able to start work before the rest of us, then," replied his mother. "That'll show you up for being so clever."

When Peter arrived in the field ten minutes ahead of the rest of the party he found a problem getting Hannah to stay put and had to wait for Luke to arrive, this time on foot with the others earnestly engaged in discussion about Rah's ambition to stamp out bandit activity in the Borderlands.

"Luke, every time I leave her she goes wandering off. She'll run free if I'm not careful and probably end up as someone's dinner."

"Everyone knows your horses, no chance of her getting lost for long. Anyway there are no lions or wolves and even in Athelea a grown horse is not in danger unless it's sick or old. What you need is a rope," said Luke. "I saw one at the house. There's no trees here but we could attach it to a post. Why don't you ride back and get it? Then I'll show you how to tie it so that she won't pull the wood apart trying to get free."

Peter was delighted at being able to jump on his horse and run effortlessly back to the farm without the twenty minute journey across stony fields. He returned some minutes later with the thirty length section of rope, woven from twisted vines.

"Here you are, Luke. So if I tie one end to the fence, here, shall I tie the other end to Hannah's foot?"

"I wish you'd think up a proper name for her. You shouldn't use a person's name for animals, should you?"

"I reckon she'll be proud of it when she grows up. This horse is going to be famous one day."

"What you have to do is loop the rope round her neck. Then if you make a knot like this, it'll tighten when she starts to wander away, and loosen a bit when she comes back. So she won't pull too hard on the rope, but just stay close to the post. There's lots of grass here to keep her happy for the afternoon. We have to remember to take her down to the stream before leaving."

The adults complained about Peter paying so much attention to the horse that he only managed to do half as much work as them. So he was eager to volunteer his services when his father Joe's wooden spade proved insufficient for the roots of a giant dandelion, and they found they had not brought a flinted cutter. A few minutes later he reappeared with the tool together with a covered pail and a number of drinking vessels, which he handed down to the other workers.

"Here, I thought you might like something to drink," he said casually. His mother took the pail and poured steaming liquid into each cup.

"That's good," said Joe. "We don't normally get a hot drink this far out. It's a bit frothy, though."

"It was difficult balancing it," said Peter. "I had to rest it on her back and lean on it to prevent it falling off. Luckily it didn't splash too much. Maybe it would have been better to use the rope to hold it on."

"Do you have any leather straps round here?" asked Luke.

"Yes," replied Joe, "but they're not very strong. We use them mainly for tying up bundles. I wouldn't think you could tie anything to a horse with them, they'd break too easily."

Luke thought about that. They probably did not know much about curing and tanning. Others on the country may well do but Luke knew his cousin Rob was a member of the Tanners' Guild. Leather at Stonebridge was good quality, some made from the hides of cattle which his dad traded after the carcasses had been butchered. In his mind he thought too of Sarah and Hannah. The year in the new country had been good but he felt there was growing tension towards foreigners and he did start to feel it might be time to see the home country again.

"We can supply you with leather," he said. "It'll be far stronger and longer lasting than yours. We'll give you as much as you like in exchange for two of your horses."

"What, two of them for a few straps? It takes years to grow them to full size, and we keep the mothers far longer. I reckon a cow would be a better exchange."

"You know perfectly well the official exchange is one milker for six meat-cows," said a voice from the river bank. Luke knew him well, he dealt with all the trade. Everyone knew how officious he could be. He still insisted on using the old pejorative name for the horses. "Besides, we can't spare one."

"But we're the only people in the country who can make decent leather. If you give us a couple of your horses I'll arrange for Rob to teach Peter how to make straps and harnesses and that'll be more valuable than any number of cows."

"How far is it to Stonebridge?" asked Peter.

"A difficult day's walk if dry underfoot. You've never been to Athelea?"

"No but I speak the language of course. We’ve had a few hands from there. Not in the last year or two though. Is it actually in Athelea?"

"Yes, it is on the far side of the watershed and stretches up to the top of the hill at the border. To get there you have to go through Halfway House and through the defile at the top of the hill, or skirt round the edge of the Borderlands to the south." Where we were robbed, all that time ago. “But Elenean soldiers barely recognise the border and claim the land fronting the watershed on the Athelean side down to the start of the valley which leads to the Tecana. So they treat the farm as if it is in Elenea. Even though Halfway House itself is managed by both countries. In reality it is remote country and no one goes near unless they live there or are traders.”

"Are there bandits?"

Luke laughed. Not in that part. They'd get hunted down in no time in such a sensitive part of the border. But you do have to be a bit careful." He thought again of his experience with the bandit Hartor. "I had my horses taken when I first came over. Still not sure who they were. They were taking a huge risk. Their leader told them not to kill me and gave me metal arrows in exchange. So not regular bandits whoever."

"Metal?"

"Yes. Have you seen it?"

"Of course. It’s something you're not allowed to have any more. Rah's decree."

"Yes, they nearly got me into trouble. It's like stone but softer and can be sharpened to a fine point so much better for cutting and piercing. But no, I don't imagine you'll see bandits."

"You want to go back don't you."

"It's been over a year, I wouldn't mind seeing the old places again." Luke did not want to admit being homesick but he missed his farm and the Lodge and the Forest and Agra and all the other familiar things. Even the gawky young priest Morian. At the same time he felt a countertug, and wondered whether it was a good idea.

"I like to look forward, not back, but Athelea has a future too. Yes, I do like it here but some time with Rob would be an idea."

"Sounds good to me," said Peter. "I'll ride Hannah. With horses it won't even take a day. We can go back and forth ever so easily. And with leather straps we can carry stuff too and improve trade between the two countries. And I'll get to meet Marcos. Is he like you?"

"No, not really," said Luke and could not find any more to say.

"You don't like him?"

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"Don't know really. He's my brother."

"My mum could only have one child. After I was born something went wrong and she couldn't have any more."

"We were similar. She had me and Marcos a few years later and after he was born she became ill."

"How is she now?"

"Very weak when I left. Another reason to be close by."

"I do have a brother, kind of. And a sister. I haven’t met them and must never mention them to my family. But I know dad has a secret woman in another village. Rosa mentioned it one time. I have eight cousins too in my real family."

"Yeah, I have cousins all over Athelea. Everyone who is a relative calls themselves cousins or if they are older aunts and uncles. Think I have some in Trantrith too, I know there are people living there."

*

Joe would not let Peter stay at Stonebridge, it was no time to be moving beyond the border, but he was allowed to accompany them as far as Halfway House. The boy promised to visit as soon as he could. Luke took two horses he had selected from the herd, for himself and Sarah. He had threatened to call one of them Peter, but settled instead on Flint and Streak, who had a prominent white patch all the way from the nose to the top of her head. It was a long day's journey and despite her misgivings Sarah agreed to travel on a mat placed on one of the horses, but baby Hannah travelled in a bundle tucked into the front of Luke's clothing, delighted but too young to take in the memory of the journey, and in any event sleeping placidly for most of the way. The settlement was full and everyone seemed to be a soldier so they moved straight on. From Halfway House the warden sent a pair of men behind to observe that they crossed the border unharmed. Dismounting the last bit to the farm so as not to attract attention. It would be quite ordinary for farm hands or wanderers to see animals driven from one farm to another after a trade. People might wonder why they had gone to such an effort for a couple of unproductive creatures but would probably conclude that they were being taken to slaughter. So the only person who was surprised was Mark, Rob's farmhand who had been so dismissive at the outward journey.

"You brought some back with you? What did they manage to persuade you to trade for them? A couple of eggs, perhaps? Any more than that and you've been done."

"Oh, we're going to send them a few of your leather straps. No problem."

"Fine. I'll make them when we've slaughtered these two. They do at least have quality hides."

"We're not going to slaughter them," said Luke. "This is what we intended to bring here last year. Now we've got some we can show you what they're good for."

"You came all the way from Elenea just to bring us these?" asked Rob. "We could have trapped you some in the Forest. But what on earth are you going to do with them?"

"You remember our bet?"

"Sure. I'll run you to the edge of the farm any time."

"Go on then. I get to go on the horse."

"Now? You think one of these can go faster than me? You said yourself they are just above walking pace."

"You’ll see."

"Well you go. Show me what you can do. Just go there and back and we’ll see how long it takes."

"Sure. I’ll get changed fed and ready first, I am quite tired."

Rob looked on as he made to start, he thought he would just jog alongside. Luke had washed and changed and taken a drink. Mark started him off and as Rob jogged over the low hill, waiting to see if the horse could keep up. Luke sitting on its back drove it forward.

"How you feeling?" shouted Luke from the top of Streak. He was in his element, bouncing up and down in time with the horse's hooves, the smell of the animal feeling natural and the rasping hair familiar against his legs. Knowing Rob would never even have considered this even remotely possible.

"Hey. That’s too much. You never told me that." He slowed down and backed off staring in amazement.

"See you later," shouted Luke, waving at his cousin. He rode to the end of the field and quickly back again before dismounting and letting the horse to its own devices.

It did not take long for the horses to become an integral part of the farm. Whenever the work involved lifting, pulling or travelling Flint and Streak were there, making difficult work easy and allowing the men plenty of time to experiment with various types of ropes and harnesses, and different ways of riding the horses. Peter managed permission to travel back and forth a couple of times to help with the training but now was staying at home on his father's farm.

"You realise we haven't had to bring in any outside labour for the last two months," said Rob. "No wonder we've got so much food lying around. We really ought to trade it for something. I don't know what."

"I reckon we should store it," said Rob's wife Melanie. "While you've been doing whatever you do some of us have been running a farm. We need supplies for the winter and I have a little prediction there will be more to feed from now." She looked down at her tummy.

Rob managed to look both excited and frightened at the same time.

He looked at Sarah with dawning suspicion. "You as well?"

"I think so. It's a bit early to tell." Sarah showed no visible signs but her face was set in a way Luke had only seen when Hannah had been on the way.

"Well," said Luke, picking up his daughter, "that changes things a bit. We'll have to decide where to make our home. And yes, it's much appreciated that the two of you look after the farm while we're just idling away in the fields."

In this remote part of the land traders only came when specifically requested unless they were passing between the countries and carried spare goods. Luke was surprised one morning as the days were getting lighter to see the cart roll up, delivering and collecting but now accompanied by the sound of hooves. Only two men were with it, one guiding a horse and the other steadying the cart as it bumped along the ruts in the dry track. Melanie went to meet them.

"This is new, Whose idea was it?"

"Oh, I don't know." he grumbled. "We turned up one morning and suddenly we have to go all over the place. Takes days to do the full round now. Two of our men have been told they're no longer needed. They've been doing this nearly five years, all weathers. It's not right, if you ask me. All these horses, they're even starting to use them to replace messengers - one man can go halfway across Kipro now, where it used to take six in relay. At least they're not going to be allowed on farms - except their original purpose of course. It'll be nice to know there're still some places where a man can do a day's work."

Melanie told Luke about the conversation that evening, as they were sitting in front of the fire. Luke looked into the flames. "How did they get it up here? I'd give anything to know how they make those wheels. They're not wood and they're not metal."

"Don't know about the wheels but the cart travels along the paths easily enough. Packed by the feet of all the generations, as the song goes. However many generations there are."

"We have four generations," said Luke, "but Elenea must have at least six, they go back to the Flood. However many there were before then, could be any number."

"Do you think the locals will really want to stop us using them? It's progress whatever they say. Can't stop it now it's started."

"Word is there won't be any new horses allowed. That’s what the two guys say. The ones we have we think can keep going. But they're not popular. Except among people like us who can get an extra day's work done."

"All the same," said Melanie, "it might be as well for us to make a gesture. Don't forget we're in disputed lands. It’s Rah who has made the decree. He is not the ruler of these parts. How about just bringing one new person in to work on the farm? We're more productive now anyway, so we should be able to manage, especially until the babies are born."

"So what do we get them to do?" demanded Rob. "We don't even have as much work as we can do ourselves. If we're going to bring someone in to sit around doing nothing we may as well let him stay at home and send him a bit of food as payment."

"It's quite true," said Mark. "We haven't really got anything we want done. No fencing or building or anything. We may as well just wait. See how the situation develops. Until then I suggest that we do whatever we can to use the horses while we still have them."

*

One day in early spring Luke was working alone, rebuilding the channel of the stream where it entered the farm, about half a mile from the house. It was a cold day, not quite freezing though the distant hills had white cover on the tops and rain drizzled persistently from a grey sky. Streak stood tethered nearby, unable to assist with the work. Luke laboured hard, shivering despite the effort, and was glad to be able to put it all to one side as twilight descended. He stored his tools ready for the next day, jumped on the horse and made for home.

Even from a distance he could see something was wrong. At least four men were holding Flint down, her struggling grey form silhouetted against the evening sky. The dogs were silent, held by two of the women. One of the men managed to mount Flint and was nearly ditched, but eventually took control. Two more came out of the house and conferred with the others. Luke rode to them with trepidation.

The dogs broke free and rushed to Luke, barking and yelping, then ran alongside as he approached the men. He stayed mounted, as a precaution against attack. Sarah ran to him.

"Luke, what's happening? They ..."

"Over there." The leader of the group grabbed her and sent her sprawling against the wall. Luke was outraged and would have set the dogs on them but quickly realised they were wearing the uniform of Rah's officers.

"Dismount in the presence of the servants of Rah," commanded one of the officers. Two of them held metal-tipped arrows, ready to fly. He came down from the horse and stood in front of them.

"Horses are no longer permitted for use in farming," said a second man in an officious accent. "All horses are to be gathered and used in service of Rah, except by special licence."

"You are not in Rah's jurisdiction," said Luke. This bit of bureaucracy was drilled into every teenager in training at The Lodge. "How do we obtain a licence anyway?" he asked innocently.

"You do not obtain a licence," said the first officer flatly. "This land is part of Elenea. You come with us."

"What? What have I done?"

The man looked at him with contempt. He turned to one of his colleagues who held out his hand, showing a small object between his fingers. It gleamed brightly in the winter light, and unlike the metal arrowheads had no black streaks showing along the edges. A small ring with a triangular pattern inset. Luke looked at Sarah who was crying.

"You know what this is. Consorting with bandits? No wonder you're so keen on these horses. I told you about the possession of metal objects once before. Hardly surprising you didn't want to reveal this one to me. Well let's see what you have to tell us about your little friend in the mountains." He motioned his colleague, who stowed Hartor's ring in his uniform.

Luke looked at the others numbly. Sarah stood by the wall, pale, frightened, he could see that she was developing a growing bump. He looked at the other women and his male companions. He wondered whether he would see any of them again. One of the men passed a rope around Streak's neck, subduing her, then did the same to Flint. While they were being led away, he tied Luke's hands behind his back. This made it difficult for him to walk properly so they pushed him to force him to proceed at a decent pace. The party made its way with the three captives, up the same path that Luke and Sarah had first come down eighteen months earlier on their way to Briary. Sarah ran after them for a few yards, then, realising the futility of the gesture, sank into Melanie's arms and watched them disappear.