She inclined her head with an embarrassed smile. He and the others now knew she was a Molfah. Sae and Van had decided that if Ohfan were to attack during the tournament, they would need people who could keep their heads and help get things under control. The night before, Van had introduced Sae and explained the situation to Kiya, Tohma, and the others, making them promise not to tell anyone else. Although they’d looked a little anxious, they accepted the news with more aplomb than Van had expected. He surmised that settlers like Chida and people of mixed blood like Tohma knew instinctively that their way of life still rested on shaky ground.
When he’d heard that black wolf fever was not the Curse of Aquafa but something caused by infected dogs, Tohma was tremendously relieved. He’d wanted to tell the others right away. Van had seen the disappointment in Tohma’s eyes when he explained that now was not the time. Ultimately, Tohma agreed.
There was a crack of gunpowder, and a section of the fence slid open. Sheep poured into the field, followed by southern settlers, skilled riders who sent their dogs racing after the sheep. They seemed to be competing by village, and the noise of the crowd grew tumultuous. It was a close contest, but in the end, a team with blue sashes separated their flock from the rest and guided it into a pen in the distance. A group of spectators on the right erupted into boisterous shouts and applause.
“We’re up next,” Tohma said, his voice tense. Van placed a hand on his shoulder. “Stay calm, and you’ll do fine,” he assured. Gazing at Tohma and Chida, he lowered his voice and added, “Remember what we told you last night. If you’re attacked by dogs, don’t panic. A pyuika can outrun any dog, even with you on their back. If something happens, jump the fence and escape into the meadow on the other side. While you’re leading the dogs away, we’ll find and stop the Ahfal Oma controlling them. Don’t worry. Once we’ve taken out their master, we’ll be able to handle the dogs.”
Although their faces were pale, they pressed their lips together and nodded.
An official came along the fence, telling the contestants to head for the gate. Looking nervous, Tohma, Chida, and the others urged their mounts forward.
Yuna must have realized that they were going to compete because she shouted, “Good luck!” and started calling them by name. “Tohma! Chida! Mino!” Before she could finish, they moved off with the other competitors, but she climbed onto the fence, still calling their names. Kiya placed a hand on Yuna’s waist to steady her and looked to Van. He saw the worry in her expression.
“It’ll be all right,” he said. “Those boys ride well.”
“But what if the dogs…”
Van regarded her steadily. “Trust me,” he said. “And please take care of Yuna. If anything happens, pull her inside the fence.”
Kiya nodded and tightened her grip on Yuna’s belt.
“I’m all wight,” Yuna said with a pout. “I won’t fall.”
Sae’s eyes narrowed as she smiled. Then, bracing herself for whatever might come, she took a deep breath and began scanning the crowd.
Only a few years had passed since the people of Oki and the Zolian settlers who lived among them began raising pyuika, and not many riders had the skill required to jump obstacles. Only seven lined up at the starting gate. Even so, pyuika alone were unusual enough, and the crowd leaned over the fence to watch. At the sound of the signal, the gate swung open, and the riders raced into the field.
The pyuika on the far left pranced and sidled, shaking its head, then veered off. Its red-faced rider struggled to regain control but failed, and together, they bolted away from the obstacle course. Laughter burst from the crowd along with many good-natured jeers, but the remaining six riders sped on toward the first obstacle, and the laughter quickly turned to gasps of admiration as Tsupi and Tohma sailed easily over a wall of stacked, sun-dried bricks too high for any horse to clear. Tohma, Chida, Mino, and Moki easily cleared each successive obstacle, then ran up a steep incline of planks and down the other side. The crowd roared their approval. Some watched with mouths agape while others clapped enthusiastically.
Van’s eyes were fixed on the young riders when he sensed movement on the periphery of his vision. As he shifted his gaze in that direction, his throat constricted. Dogs. Black dogs slinking under the fence into the tournament grounds.
“Sae!” Van shouted. She’d already pulled an arrow from her quiver and nocked it.
“Can you see who’s controlling them?” she asked.
He shook his head. That’s odd.
Whenever the Kinma dogs had drawn near, he felt himself turning inside out, yet now he felt nothing. Beside Van, Olaha shook himself but showed no sign of agitation.
Inside the field, however, confusion broke loose. Slipping like liquid across the area, the dogs sped toward the pyuika, barking shrilly. A murmur rose from the spectators, and Van’s sharp ears picked up the words “the Curse of Aquafa.” Officials should have scrambled to stop the dogs, yet they stood hesitating on the opposite side of the fence instead of entering the field. They probably feared that the dogs carried the dreaded sickness.
Tohma and the others had been focused solely on tackling each jump, but now they seemed to have noticed the dogs because their hands faltered on their reins. The beasts closed in, howling. Tohma cast a desperate glance in Van’s direction. Their eyes met, and Van gestured for him to jump the fence into the meadow. Tohma nodded and signaled to Chida. Shouting to the other competitors to follow them, they wheeled their mounts and made for the fence. Watching them go, Van leaped onto Olaha.
“No!” Sae reached out to stop him. “The Zolians are watching. Some of them may remember you.”
He brushed her hand aside wordlessly and urged Olaha over the fence into the obstacle course. If he got close enough, perhaps he could connect with the hounds. Even if he couldn’t, he should be able to disperse the pack and give Tohma and the others time to escape.
Olaha cleared each obstacle handily, and all eyes were now fixed on this new rider and his mount, who’d appeared from nowhere. Bearing down on the black beasts, Van spurred Olaha past them and wheeled to stand between them and the fleeing pyuika riders. Nostrils flared and muscles twitching, Olaha faced the beasts. When Van beheld the creatures, he paused in surprise.
Those aren’t Kinma dogs. But why?
A commotion broke out on the west side of the crowd, and it split apart as a horseman burst through, galloping toward the fence. He clearly intended to jump into the ring. Gripping the reins in one hand, he raised his other arm high, revealing a clay pot with a throwing rope. Van could smell the lit fuse.
Arrows screamed through the air, and the man jerked and toppled backward from his horse. As he struck the ground, an explosion sounded, reverberating in Van’s stomach. There was a muffled shriek and a spray of blood. People nearby toppled to the ground, and a cloud of smoke rolled over them. Through that cloud surged another horse and rider. Van’s eyes widened.
Ohfan!
With the reins bunched in his left fist, Ohfan charged straight for him, his right arm raised high. Their gazes met. Staring at Van with bloodshot eyes, Ohfan bared his teeth in a triumphant grin. Once again, a bowstring twanged, and an arrow pierced his right arm, tugging it backward. But he did not drop his weapon. Clenching his jaw, Ohfan shifted the makeshift bomb to his left hand, tucked it under his arm, and plowed on.
Van was about to turn and flee, but he stopped. Tohma and the others were behind him. If he escaped, the bomb might hit them. He glanced around to see where they were. Over the top of the stacked brick wall behind him, he glimpsed the tops of their heads. They’d cleared the fence and were already racing into the meadow. Van’s body moved before he could think. Digging in his heels, he guided Olaha up and over the obstacle.
Glancing back, he saw Ohfan racing for the wall.
Will he jump or throw the bomb?
Either way, Van couldn’t get away. The fuse was too short. Any second now, the gunpowder would ignite. Horse and rider launched into the air in a spectacular jump, aiming to clear the lowest end of the wall. An arrow pierced Ohfan’s head. Another sank into his shoulder, a third pierced his side. His body was hurled up, then he and his horse came crashing down on top of the hurdle and slunk down behind it.
The blast shook Van to the core. Shattering thunder sent flame and smoke in all directions, enveloping the fallen horse and rider. Fragments of bone, flesh, and clay flew through the air. The wall of bricks ruptured. Van flung his arms over his head as brick shards whistled through the air and bit into his flesh.
His eardrums burst, deafening him. His face and arms felt as though they were on fire. Something slammed into his forehead, and with that, the world vanished.