She couldn’t sleep. The horse trotted obediently for the rest of the morning. Ping considered eating as she rode so that she wouldn’t have to get the horse moving again after she’d stopped. But eventually she’d have to stop to pee, and her bottom was getting sore. She reined the horse in and slid awkwardly to the ground. Ping was glad to be able to stretch her legs, and she was surprisingly hungry considering she’d done nothing but sit all morning. She and Kai ate the strips of dried meat and drank kumiss from the sheepskin that Hou-yi had given them. All too soon it was time to get back onto the horse. “You hold the reins, Kai,” Ping said, “while I get on.” As soon as Kai took hold of the reins, the horse started rearing and whinnying. It didn’t like the dragon anymore than the Ma Ren had. Ping took the reins again and tried to calm the horse. Its back was as high as her shoulder. She grabbed hold of the felt saddlecloth, but she couldn’t mount it. It was too tall.
