Chapter 36
Port City of Taz
The long distance archery competition took up a good portion of the valley behind Taz's outer wall. The ground was measured off in fifty foot intervals beginning at 500 feet with strings drawn across the field at each interval. The archery contestants limbered up, flexing their arms, testing their bows and holding up ribbons to determine the speed and direction of the wind.
Princess Electra sat beside Avor a little off to the side of the Great Khan's viewing area. The long distance competition was about to begin. She was glad that Avor was completely absorbed in watching the contestants, allowing her to be absorbed in her own thoughts. Muller had been very angry with her for telling Tandor that Muller was also searching for the white powder. Tandor was angry with her for telling Muller that Tandor was searching for the white powder. Nevertheless, they were not angry with one another and had left this morning with Hilgard to search together for the white powder, so she deemed her interference a success.
Electra made excuses to Avor for the absence of the three men, telling him that they were likely reluctant to mingle with the Great Khan and Bataar, preferring to watch with the soldiers they knew from their previous visit. Avor seemed content with any excuse. His attention was focused on the games. He stood up and cheered when a new distance record was shattered.
"Over 1500 feet," he shouted. "The winner of this match will have a stone monument built in his honor."
Electra looked to where the arrow had fallen. "I am amazed such a distance is possible. Is Bataar entered in this contest?"
"No. Our contest will be next. Bataar and I will be shooting from horseback at the Great Khan's ring, strung from a string. One point if we hit any part of the ring, five points if the arrow sticks in the center of the ring."
"From what distance?" Electra asked.
"We will have five marks along the way, the length of the field. The first arrow must be released before the first mark is reached and so on for the other four markers. Hitting the ring from the first mark is worth four points. Three points from the next mark, then two, then one." Avor jumped up again. "I can not believe it. Another new record. Fifteen hundred and fifty feet."
Electra watched the muscular young archer bow to the Great Khan. His huge wooden bow looked very heavy and she wondered at the strength it would take to pull the string taut.
This last archer, if his record distance held, would have the exact distance his arrow had flown written down beside his name in stone. She stood beside her brother and applauded his feat.
Avor left their blanket spread in the grass to go in search of Bataar. "I must claim my horse and make ready for our event. Will you stay to watch me in the next competition?"
"Of course. I will be here waiting to congratulate you if you win."
Avor nodded with some hesitation, as though he was not sure he believed she would really stay to watch.
Electra lay back on the blanket gazing at clouds gathering in the blue sky. Summer was coming to an end and the time of rains would soon be starting. She should make a visit to Helsop before the road became muddy and impassable.
She tilted her head up to see a worried Rabar standing at the edge of her blanket. She quickly sat up.
"Has one of our patients taken a turn?" she asked anxiously.
"No. I have just returned from the ship." Rabar frowned. "It may be nothing, but a small boat was seen observing our ship last night."
"Someone was spying on our ship? Who were they? Do we know?"
Rabar shook his head. "No. It was dark and they were dressed in dark clothes. They stayed silent, as though listening."
"Do you think they may have heard the sailors speaking in the Taz language? Would they recognize the language?"
"I think it is possible. Sound travels easily across the water."
"What would the Great Khan do?" Electra rubbed her bottom lip with her teeth. "Surely they would not attack our ship. We are guests here."
"They might do anything. I admit I am worried." Rabar closed his eyes and grimaced. "Have Muller and Tandor already left?"
"They have. They took pack animals and told Twenty Quivers they were searching for medicinal herbs and might be gone for some time. They plan to meet us in Venito in six days. I haven't told Avor they are gone yet."
"Where is Avor?"
"He is preparing to compete in the next event. I promised him I would watch."
Rabar sat down next to Electra. "After this event we will leave quietly. No one will expect us to leave while Muller, Tandor and Hilgard are out collecting."
"I suppose we must not take the chance of staying for the last days of the games. Avor will be disappointed, but he will have to understand." Electra looked out into the field and saw Avor waving to them. She waved back. She knew he would not leave voluntarily.
A trumpet blew and the competitors lined up according to the lots they had drawn. At a signal from the Great Khan the first man shouted out 'choo' and his horse galloped down the field at full speed. He shot one arrow after another at the suspended ring as he flew by the marks. His third arrow set the Khan's ring swinging in the air from its brightly colored string.
A huge cheer went up from the crowd, as the archer trotted around the field in front of the people watching from the perimeter, reveling in their applause.
The second archer set the ring swinging twice in a row. The second arrow hit the still swinging ring and held on for a second before coming loose and falling to the ground.
Avor was next to make his run. Electra could see that he had been practicing as his first two arrows came very close to hitting the ring. He seemed to take a fraction of a second longer with his third arrow. It sailed true and stuck in the ring. Avor was so surprised he neglected to send out a fourth or fifth arrow as he galloped to the finish line. The crowd cheered loudly as he took his victory lap and he even garnered a nod from the Great Khan.
Electra jumped up and down, cheering madly, and Avor acknowledged her with a grin. He left the field and sat with the first two archers to watch the remainder of the competition.
Many of the archers set the ring swinging, but only Bataar set it swinging with all five of his arrows. Two other archers were lucky enough to stick their arrows in the ring. But Bataar ended with the most points and the prize turned out to be the very ring that had served as a target.
When the match ended, Electra went to congratulate Avor and Bataar.
Bataar showed her the ring he had won. "Good prize." He smiled as he held out the ring that seemed too big for his fingers.
Electra took it. "Beautiful." The ring was hammered gold with a large red ruby held in place by two tiny gold arrows on either side.
Avor looked at the ring but did not seem at all envious. "That was an amazing run. Five arrows, five hits."
Bataar smiled. "But no sticks."
Avor beamed a smile. "I was lucky."
Bataar waved his arm in a beckoning motion. "Come, eat."
Electra shook her head. "Rabar thinks a storm is coming. He wants us to go with him to secure the ship. We may have to weigh anchor and move to a more sheltered spot."
"Surely he doesn't need our help to move the ship," Avor argued.
"Let us go ask him since he did request us both. He is the captain, after all."
Bataar seemed surprised to learn that Rabar was the captain of their ship.
"We will return as soon as we can," Electra said to Bataar, pulling a reluctant Avor along with her.
Princess Electra Book 3 Gypsy Music Page 36
