“No. Everyone in Ixia has a job. Basic necessities are provided to all by the Commander’s military.”
“How does he pay for it?”
Before I could answer, Cahil’s shoulders drooped. “With my uncle’s money. He has probably drained the treasury dry.”
I bit back my reply. As far as I was concerned, better to have the money helping people than covering the floor of some treasury.
“Come on.” Cahil took his foot out of the stirrup, reached down, and held out his hand. “We need to catch up to the others.”
“On the horse?” I asked.
“Don’t tell me they don’t have horses in the north.”
“Not for me,” I said as I placed my foot in the stirrup and grabbed his arm. He pulled me into the saddle. I sat behind him, not sure what to do with my arms.
Cahil turned slightly. “For who then?”
“The Commander, Generals and high-ranking officers.”
“Cavalry?” Cahil asked.
He was fishing for information. I suppressed a sigh. “Not that I saw.” The truth, but I ceased to care if he believed me or not.
Cahil craned his head around and studied my face. A wave of heat enveloped me; I suddenly felt too close to him. His eyes sparked a bluish-green color like the water in the sunlight. And I found myself wondering why he wore a beard in such a hot climate. I imagined Cahil without his beard. He would look younger, and it would be easier to see his smooth, tanned skin and hawklike nose.
When he turned back, I shook my head. I wanted nothing more to do with him.
“Hold on,” he said. Then he clicked his tongue.
The horse began to move. I clutched Cahil’s waist as I bounced in the saddle. The ground seemed so far down and looked so hard. I fought to keep my balance as we caught up to his men. When we passed them, I relaxed, assuming he would stop and let me off. But we kept going, and the men ran behind.
As we wound our way through the Citadel, I focused on the horse beneath me, trying to find a rhythm for my body to match the horse’s like Cahil seemed to be doing. He crouched above the saddle, while my legs pounded the leather. I concentrated on the horse’s movement and suddenly found myself looking out of the horse’s eyes.
The road wrapped around like I was inside a bubble. I could see far forward as well as to each side, and almost all the way behind. The horse was hot and tired, and he wondered why there were two people on his back. Peppermint Man was the only one who usually rode him. But sometimes Straw Boy took him out for exercise back home. He longed for his cool quiet stall filled with hay and a bucket of water.
Water soon, I thought to the horse. I hoped. What’s your name? I asked.
Topaz.
I marveled at our communication. Contact with other animals had only given me a glimpse through their eyes and a hint of their desires. I never had an actual conversation with an animal before.
My back began to ache. Smoother? I asked. Topaz changed his gait. Cahil grunted in surprise, but I exhaled with relief. It was as if I rode on a sled down a snow-covered hill.
With the new gait, we moved faster, and the men fell farther behind us. Cahil tried to slow Topaz down, but the horse was determined to get his water.
We reached the base of a tall tower and stopped in the shade. Cahil jumped down from the horse and inspected Topaz’s legs.
“I’ve never seen him do that before,” Cahil said.
“Do what?”
“He’s a three-gaited horse.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning he knows how to trot, canter and gallop.”
“So?”
“So that wasn’t one of his gaits. Some horses can do up to five, but I’m not even sure what that was.”
“It was smooth and fast. I liked it,” I said.
Cahil looked at me with suspicion.
“How do I get down?” I asked.
“Left foot in the stirrup. Swing your right leg back around to the left, then hop off.”
I landed on wobbly legs. Topaz swung his head and looked at me. He wanted water. I took one of Topaz’s water bags off the saddle and held it open for him. Cahil narrowed his eyes at me, then at his horse.
“Is this Magician’s Keep?” I asked to distract Cahil.
“Yes. The entrance is around the corner. We’ll wait for my men, then go in.”
It didn’t take long for his men to catch up. We walked to the Keep’s entrance, where high scalloped arches framed the massive marble doors. Pink columns supported the arches that spanned two stories. The gates stood open, and we entered without any resistance from the guards.
Inside was a courtyard and beyond that was a collection of buildings. Another city within the city. I couldn’t believe the sizes and colors. A patchwork of different-colored marble formed the structures. Statues of various animals peeked out from corners and roofs. There were gardens and lawns. My eyes were relieved to view the greenery after enduring the white glare of the Citadel’s walls.
I could see that the Keep’s thick outer wall formed a rectangle that enclosed the entire area. A tower occupied each of the four corners.
Directly opposite the entrance, two figures stood on the steps that led up to the largest structure. Small blocks of peach marble dotted the predominately yellow-colored building. As we drew closer, I realized the figures were Leif and a tall woman. She wore a sleeveless midnight-blue dress that fell to her ankles. Her feet were bare and her white hair was cropped close to her head. Sunlight disappeared into her almost black skin.