One of Mercury's Boys

"Not being from Hespan, you probably won't have heard of Mercury, Khanomam," Girbeh told her, "but he is very famous in these parts. He is well-named, for he is said to be the fastest horse in the Havnheim. To add to his renown, he sired the winner of last year's King's Cup, the most prestigious race in Hespan. He is exceptionally intelligent, but his temper is indeed mercurial, and he is too proud to take a rider."

"I see," Astra said, realising that her own "mystery horse" must have been this famous Mercury. She turned back to Asib. "Why do you say that my horse must be one of his boys?" she asked. "And do you mean by that that Mercury is his sire, or merely that he is a companion of his - if that's the word I want?"

"The latter, Khanomam," Asib responded. "I can see that you are wondering how I could tell. One pointer was the bridle, for it is of an unusual design, and as far as I know that design is only used by the stables that Mercury comes from. Those stables are adjacent to Governor Gilder's palace in Corona, by the way. Another pointer was that, though the horse seems happy enough to have a bridle, when I attempted to fit him with a saddle he would not have it. That's a characteristic of some of Mercury's boys. I had wondered when you arrived why your horse did not have a saddle, and had assumed that it must have been stolen along with your clothes. But now I understand. You must have ridden him here from Corona in bareback fashion. I am very impressed, Khanomam. In fact, that is an understatement, for I am dumbfounded that you could manage that feat sitting side-saddle."

"I was sitting astride the horse, Asib. You may not think it very ladylike of me, but I must confess that I was wearing breeches rather than a skirt."

"I see," Asib said, looking slightly shocked. "But that gives us a problem. For you cannot sit astride the horse dressed as you are now, yet if it will not take a saddle then it would be almost impossible for you to remain aboard him if you attempted to ride him side-saddle style."

Astra wondered what Asib's reaction would be if she suggested that she could slit her skirt at front and back to make riding astride possible. Given that he had seemed rather taken aback by the thought of her wearing breeches, she felt that it might be unwise to suggest it. Instead she said: "I have quite a good rapport with the horse now. Perhaps it would now let me put a saddle on it." She intentionally had not mentioned Folly's name in case the horse was well known.

"It's worth a try," Asib agreed. "I'll fetch a saddle for you."

As Asib went to the back of the stables to fetch a side-saddle for Astra, Girbeh asked her: "How did you acquire a horse from Mercury's stables, Khanomam? Their horses aren't normally for sale. And given their high quality, even when one does come on the market it is always very expensive."

1. Astra attempts an answer.

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