Riders of Qiber part 1

Spring had sprung. The usually small and timid river Saev had decided to try out for the big league and was now three times its usual width. A desert kingdom's farmer population would have celebrated for less, but here in the temperate coastal plains that sort of behaviour was mostly a nuisance since it actually made the surrounding land less farmable. Not that anyone farmed very much anyway. Kal watched the lapwings wheel across the sky over the drenched river banks. Somewhere in the reedbeds a bittern honked. Far away, where the river ended, the city was visible in a bluish haze.  Even the billowing smoke of civilization looked sort of joyful and picturesque today, as if it had the common decency to avoid ruining the view on an otherwise beautiful day.

A sharp whistle tore through the whoops of the lapwings and Kal set off towards it. Uncle Oss must finally have found some interesting tracks to follow. They had been on the prowl up and down the valley for two days now and Kal had begun to suspect that all larger animals had gone for higher ground just in case.

As Kal jogged up the hill the ragged shape of uncle Oss came into view. He wasn't kneeling on the ground as expected, but stood in the saddle and pointed with his spear in what seemed like an exceited manner. Kal accelerated to show willing and soon stood panting in the shadow of his steed.
“Good afternoon uncle!” exclaimed Kal, grinning widely. “Must be a marvellous set of fox tracks you've found.”
Oss' grin was as wide, but more sparsely populated.
“Have you no respect for your elders, you frightful squirt?” he asked. “The view is better from up here.”

He reached down and more or less tossed Kal up behind him in the saddle. Kal peered at the horizon and noticed movement just on the edge of the woods on the far side of the river.
“Horses!” she shouted.
“Yes, and a lot of them too,” Oss replied. “Go get that joke of a steed of yours so we can get moving or we won't catch up with them before sunfall.”

Kal slid from the steed's back and ran some way towards a nearby grove of trees. She put a finger in her mouth and whistled a short signal. A large grey-brown shape darted out from under the trees towards her and as it drew near she leapt to grab hold of a rein and swing herself onto the back of the big animal. Although the steed moved with blinding speed and didn't slow down noticeably as its rider got on, the gait seemed a bit untidy. Lopsided. Girl and steed flew past Oss down the hill.

“Joke, eh?” she shouted over her shoulder. “I hope you fed yours extra strong carrots this morning.” Oss laughter rolled behind him as he gave chase. Down by the overflowing river they slowed to a soft trot. The herd on the far side could just be made out through the heat shimmer.

“They used to ride horses, you know,” he said conversationally. “Several hundred winters ago.”

Kal stared in disbelief.

“Ride horses?” she said. “That's stupid. Next you'll be telling me they hunted moose.”

Oss stopped scratching his moose behind the ear and turned to Kal.

“Told you this story before, have I?” he said.