Journey with the Hu (1)
As a former spoilt car driving Earthling of a transmigrator in a mollycoddled prince's body, the three hours on the horse tested my resilience to the limit. My only experience on a horse was no longer than one hour on Earth, or Jinshi and plenty of hover carriage rides on Jinshi.
I could walk along with the soldiers, but my limit was two hours. These poor fellas marching behind us have been walking non stop for the full three hours, singing their hometown songs.
Stopping was not an option when the soldiers were in the momentum of a March. Especially when the Hu group was riding behind me. In fact, doing so will show them how weak my body was. Who wants to follow a weak prince who can't tolerate half a day's journey on a horse? No one.
The same reason which did not afford me the hover carriage. Or even sitting in the ten supply caravans. That would label me as pampered.
Easy, I told myself when I first glanced at this black horse. How hard can it be to ride from point A to point B? WRONG. Famous last words. It is nothing but easy, even for the poor beast carrying me.
"Poor blackie, you are suffering more than me." I stroked my horse's mane on its head.
In its way of telling me to f** k off, the gelding neighed loudly and shook his head with such vigour, as though telling me to keep my dirty hand to myself. Even my horse despised me.
"Your highness, we will be reaching the first camp site soon," General Xu rode up next to me, studying my face for any sign of discomfort. Or weakness.
He knew Ji Feng's condition and had warned me of the journey. Why did I even volunteered to go to Beihou?
Cold beads of sweat broke out on my forehead as I nodded.
"Are you well? You look pale," he enquired, careful to keep his voice down. I could hear the horses of Xuanyi and Xuanjing behind.
"I am fine. First time on an inspection tour might take some getting used to," I said.
"It takes a while of getting used to. In fact, you will be able to do longer journeys when we return to Youdu city."
Go f**k yourself. This is the first and last time I will do a long ass journey on horse. When and if I return alive, my plan is to think up of 101 ways to avoid journeys on horses. How about a war carriage? Forget chariots - those I still need to stand on.
"I am sure," I flashed my teeth in the fakest smile possible.
He backed away. My gaze return to the front in desperate search of the blessed sweet camp site, among the rocky formations of the mountain pass.
My underestimation of the arduous journey's burden under the late mid day's sun has resulted in an excruciating regret. My back ached from the intermittent bumping of the ascending rough path through the vast mountain ranges which laid before us.
No amount of shifting would help ease the growing hell flowing from my lower back and fuelling an agonising twisting cramp at my mid section. My stomach was churning from the constant turmoil of my stomach acid rolling around, burning away at the emptied lining.
A horse was galloping up to me as I heard the shout of General Xu and Xuanyi to stop.
"Hard pass," the young chieftain's son came riding up like he wasn't fazed at all.
Well, well, if it is not Mr Creepy himself, trying to communicate in broken Lingyu language.
"Eh?"
"Me Aguzen,…," he pointed to himself and then his finger pointed at me, "you… you…"
"Ji Feng," I answered.
"You no ride horse long. Painful," Aguzen said.
Thank you, Mr Obvious, for reminding me of my killing back.
"We every day 8 hours horse. Hunt, practice hunt, arrow bow," he made a gesture of shooting a bow and an arrow.
"You do same, not so soft."
That was an intentional slap in my face. I could choose to ignore him, but there was a feeling that he was testing me. No harm in exchanging stories of manhood and surviving assassinations is one of those in my arsenal.
"I was sick for a long time. I nearly died from poison," I replied.
His face changed when my words caught him by surprise.
"Poison huh," he eyed me in curiosity from head to toe. "Not dead. Still alive."
"Yes," I smiled.
"You a man. And campsite, they say, there," he pointed at the view of the valley revealing itself with a small shining blue lake. "Big space. We talk. There we also talk. Be friend."
Before I could answer, he slapped my horse into a gallop, much to the cries of dismay from my bodyguards and General Xu.
"First one there, wiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn," he yelled and waved as his horse sped ahead, covering me in a cloud of dust.
"WUDAN KEYIGUO KUYIN! SLOW PERSON WE SAY!"
***
The Hu group of twenty-four men were the fastest to set up four tents. Theirs pop up completed at the same time, when the soldiers were still fumbling with setting the frame for mine up.
While General Xu was discussing plans on a paper with Xuanyi, Xuanjing and the other commanders, the Hu were going off in different directions on their horses.
When we got a few tents up, some of the Hu were already dropping off firewood and even hunted prey of four large lizards from somewhere in the valley.
By the time there was a sea of tents and food distribution going on around the units, the Hu's roasted flayed lizards were ready with smells wafting towards my tent. My mouth salivated at its smoky chicken like scent.
Two were busy cleaning the skins in the nearby lake. Some were while lounging on the soft grass, poking at the firewood. Aguzen was nowhere in sight, probably inside one tent with the old shaman.
They knew how to live rough every day. A few soldiers were resting at the side, watching them in a mix of disgust, envy, and fascination.
"JI FENG!"
The audacity of shouting my real name triggered Xuanyi to get up. My arm shot out to stop him.
"WE EAT, COME!" Aguzen waved a carved up leg of a lizard.
Xuanyi shook his head. "Don't. Their stomachs are stronger than yours."
"Ah, no harm, fire kills germs," I said.
"Eh, what are… germs?"
I pushed myself up from the ground and said, "never mind, I am going over there to try that lizard of theirs."
Before he protested, I left to the waiting Aguzen and his men, who were waving me over.