Climbing in Calradia: Part Sixteen

The festival turned out to be a horse fair, although Brigid should have expected it considering what she knew of the Khergit. Riding into the festival, which was occupying the entirety of the small plateau the village of Uhhan sat on, Brigid kept an eye on Gerel even as she marvelled at the variety of horses around them. Reaching the middle of the fair the pair dismounted, handing their horses over to a waiting stablehand, and Brigid let Gerel take charge, following after the younger girl at a leisurely pace. Gerel was moving, almost darting at speed, from stall to stall, until she paused in front of one selling jewellery from all the nations of Calradia. Turning the Khergit girl glanced at Brigid, gesturing at a necklace.
"I buy this?"
Brigid moved to be at Gerel's side, looking closely at the necklace. Its centrepiece was a trio of sapphires, the stones hanging from a finely made metal chain. She nodded, appreciating the workmanship that had gone into the jewellery, and took a step back.
"You don't have to ask me Gerel. If you want it you can buy it."
Gerel smiled and pulled out a bulging coin pouch, rifling through it for her money. Brigid glanced at the price set out before gently putting a hand on Gerel's, stopping her from retrieving any denars.
"But you said I have it!"
"You need to learn to haggle. Don't always purchase things at the value stated."

Gerel kept admiring the sapphire on her necklace as they continued walking through the fair. The merchant who'd owned the stall had become increasingly irritated as Brigid had tutored her charge in the arts of haggling, almost near the end refusing to sell the necklace, but he was in the business of making money regardless of how much it was.
"Be careful Gerel. Don't make yourself a target by flaunting your wealth."
Gerel glanced at Brigid before she tucked her necklace under her vest.
"Khergit don't steal from each other. We better than you."
Brigid waited until Gerel had started walking again before shaking her head, a bit amused by the girl's naivety about the world. She had no doubt that someone would try and rob Gerel if they could but then she supposed that that part of the reason was why Qin had hired her, so that she could protect the horseman's family while he was busy. Brigid shook her head again, moving quickly to keep up with the Khergit girl, and they both bounced between the stalls at a more leisurely pace than they'd had after arriving.

Without realising they left the market area of the fair, wandering into a section dealing with livestock sales. Everywhere Brigid turned she could see animals, mainly cattle and horses, being auctioned off and glanced at Gerel as the younger girl moved towards a temporary stable. Nearly a dozen horses were within the stabling, none of them looking like they were at their peak, and Brigid could hear Gerel yelling at someone in Khergi, a sharp imperiousness in her voice. Following Gerel's voice Brigid walked behind the stable, finding the girl berating the man who presumably operated the stable. Both turned to glance at Brigid, the man putting a hand on his sword's hilt.
"You watch bad man."
Brigid sighed as Gerel darted off, the mercenary drawing her sabre with a flourish, and she moved so her back was against the stable wall, most of her attention on her prisoner.
"I suspect she's gone to get whoever's been told to keep the fair safe, or at least safe enough."
The man, who looked Swadian and just as much out of place as she did, turned pale and backed away from Brigid, the woman taking the chance to glance back the way she'd come. Part of her was wondering what would happen to him, the wellbeing of horses being important to a culture that relied on them, and she turned her head when the sound of hooves reached her.

---

The horse dealer had been dragged away by the skirmisher whose attention Gerel had obtained, a noose attaching him to the skirmisher's horse. A pair of tribesmen were taking away the dealer's stock, leading them only by holding out pieces of food, and the skirmisher leant down so he was closer to Brigid.
"Thank for holding dealer."
Brigid glanced at the prisoner, now that he was in better lighting, and frowned as the horse took a sudden step forward, forcing him to copy it or else feel the noose drag him.
"What will happen to him?"
"Mistreat horses, get mistreat back. He be hung until near death."
"And then?"
The skirmisher shrugged and glanced at the prisoner, a look of utter indifference on the rider's face.
"Exile, or slavery."

Gerel led Brigid back towards the market after the last of the mistreated horses had been taken away, the Khergit teen smiling in joy over her role in the recent arrest. Brigid watched her carefully, almost dreading talking to Qin about the day's events, and put on a false smile when Gerel glanced back at her.
"Father reward us."
Brigid wanted to frown, not agreeing with Gerel's statement, but kept smiling.
"I'm sure he will." Brigid paused for a moment, blurting out a question she'd felt building since she'd been hired. "What position does your father have within your clan?"
"He is second to Belir Noyan."
Brigid nodded to herself as she continued walking, casting an eye towards the ruined castle just to the north of the village.
"Does Belir Noyan rule from the castle, or does he have a caravan in Narra?"
Gerel briefly glanced at the castle and quickened her pace, Brigid hurrying to catch up.
"Akadan Noyan rule here. Father not like him."