### Chapter 4: Whispers in the Dark
The spring was little more than a trickle, bubbling up between cracked stones at the base of a low hill. Elara knelt beside it, her hands trembling as she cupped the cold water and brought it to Sarnai's muzzle. The mare drank greedily, her breaths still ragged but steadier than before. In the faint starlight, Elara could see the poultice on Sarnai's flank holding, though the wound's heat hadn't faded. She whispered a quiet thanks to the sky, though she wasn't sure who was listening.
Kael crouched a few paces away, her bow resting across her knees, eyes scanning the steppe. The hill offered some cover, its slope dotted with scrub and loose rock, but the open plain beyond felt like a trap waiting to snap shut. "We can't stay long," Kael said, her voice a low murmur. "Riders patrol these paths at dawn."
Elara nodded, splashing water on her face to shake off the weight of exhaustion. Her shoulder burned, the pain sharper now, but she ignored it. "How far to your path through the foothills?"
"Two days, if we're quick and lucky." Kael's gaze flicked to Sarnai. "Your mare's slowing us down. You know that."
Elara's hand tightened on the dagger at her hip. "She'll make it. Don't test me on this."
Kael raised a hand, placating. "Just stating facts. You're not the only one with something to lose."
The words hung between them, heavy with unspoken questions. Elara wanted to press Kael about her past, about the sister she'd lost, but the steppe demanded focus. Every shadow could be a rider, every gust a warning. She filled her small waterskin, then stood, coaxing Sarnai to her feet. The mare obeyed, her trust unwavering, and Elara's chest ached with the weight of it.
They moved west, Kael leading the way with a scout's silent grace. The terrain grew rougher, the flat steppe giving way to rolling hills and shallow gullies. Elara kept one hand on Sarnai's reins, the other near her dagger, her eyes darting between Kael's back and the horizon. The Altai Mountains loomed closer now, their jagged peaks cutting the sky like a promise—or a threat.
As the night deepened, a low hum drifted on the wind, faint at first, then sharper, like the drone of a distant horn. Elara froze, her pulse spiking. "What is that?"
Kael's face tightened, her hand gripping her bow. "Signal. Riders, maybe a mile off. They're calling to each other."
Elara's stomach dropped. "Can we outrun them?"
"Not with her." Kael nodded at Sarnai, her voice flat but not cruel. "There's a gully ahead, narrow enough to hide. If we're quiet, they might pass."
No time for debate. Elara urged Sarnai forward, following Kael into a shallow ravine where thorny shrubs clung to the walls. The mare's hooves scraped against stone, each sound a betrayal in the stillness. Elara pressed herself against Sarnai's side, stroking her neck to keep her calm, while Kael crouched at the gully's edge, an arrow nocked.
The hum grew louder, joined by the faint thud of hooves. Elara held her breath, her mind racing. If the riders found them, she'd fight—dagger against swords, a futile stand. She thought of her mother's steady hands, Temur's bright laugh, the Horizon Gate's distant pull. She couldn't fail them now.
Minutes stretched into eternity. The hooves slowed, then stopped, close enough that Elara could hear the creak of leather and a man's low curse in the riders' tongue. Kael's eyes met hers, sharp with warning: *Don't move.* Elara's fingers curled around the bone amulet in her pouch, its edges biting into her palm.
Then, a shout—distant, urgent. The hooves thundered again, fading eastward. Elara exhaled, her legs trembling as the tension broke. Kael lowered her bow, her expression unreadable.
"They're gone," Kael whispered. "For now. But they'll circle back."
Elara nodded, her throat tight. "Then we keep moving."
As they climbed out of the gully, the first light of dawn touched the mountains, casting a faint glow over the steppe. Sarnai limped but pressed on, and Elara clung to her resolve. The Horizon Gate was closer, but so was the shadow of the Khan's wrath. With Kael at her side and danger at her heels, Elara took another step, the amulet's weight a quiet vow to endure.
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