DingXiang looked at the map again. “I recommend removable hoof boots instead of fixed metal horseshoes. Your route is mostly sand. Sand can wreak havoc in a freshly shod hoof if it gets beneath the shoes. Hoof boots will give your horse protection over the rocks, but you can remove them when you pass through sand.”
“I have never heard of hoof boots.”
“People were using them a thousand years before metal shoes,” Cang said. “They are still quite common out here. They are made of leather and cloth, and secured with ties. Simple yet effective. They are custom-made for each hoof, but I can have a set for you first thing tomorrow. Enjoy a good night’s rest at my inn, free of charge. And if you don’t mind my saying so, you could do with a proper pair of riding pants. We appear to be roughly the same size. I will find you some.”
Long bowed. “You are too kind. Thank you. I still feel like I should repay you somehow.”
The apprentice grinned and nodded toward the foreigner’s curved sword, lying on the ground. “If you feel that strongly about the need to repay us—or at least repay me—you could let me keep that sword. It does not appear to have been made in China, and I would enjoy examining its construction.”
“My pleasure,” Long said. He walked over and picked up the sword, unwrapping the cord and counter weight from the hilt. “Sorry about your door,” he said. “Allow me to fix it.”
“You will do nothing but rest while you are here,” DingXiang said. “My word on that is final.”
Long nodded his thanks and looked the sword over, running his finger across a large, fresh nick in the blade. He turned to the apprentice. “The iron counterweight seems to have damaged the sword in this spot.”
“So much the better,” the apprentice said. “A notch like that should reveal the folded layers of metal within. I am eager to examine it, but I must take this horse out for some exercise first.” He took the sword from Long and gave his own bow of thanks. Then he untethered and climbed atop the remaining Mongolian horse in the stable and rode off with a big wave and an even bigger smile.
“I had better get to work,” DingXiang said. “For what it is worth, Warlord Xie stopped here a few weeks ago and told me to expect you. I did not want to say anything in front of my apprentice because it is none of his business. I want you to know that I have great respect for what you are doing. Now go inside and get as much rest as you can. You are going to need it.”
Long woke the next morning feeling rested. He ate a quick breakfast, changed into a pair of heavy cloth riding pants, and followed DingXiang outside to receive instructions on how and when to use GuangZe’s custom hoof boots. GuangZe was very accommodating, and within half an hour the lesson was over. Long slipped the boots into his saddlebag, waved goodbye to DingXiang, and rode into the Gobi’s seemingly endless sea of half-frozen sand.
GuangZe’s hooves sank deeply into the shifting sands. The poor animal had to work several times harder than normal for every step he took. Long was happy to see that the sand did not deter the horse, but it did make GuangZe wary, and he changed his gait considerably. Between the shifting sand and his new pants, Long felt like he was learning to ride all over again.
After half a day, Long was finally getting used to the new riding motions when the terrain began to change. The ground beneath GuangZe grew firm, and massive rock beds rose ahead of them out of the sand. Long stopped to put on GuangZe’s hoof boots, drink some water from his water skins, and check his map.
The map included crude sketches of major rock formations to serve as reference points, and Long felt fortunate that even after the recent rock slides, he was able to figure out where he was. Up to this point, he had been attempting to ride due west, using the sun as his only compass point. Judging from the map, he had veered a fair amount to the north. This turned out to be just fine, because north was the direction of the pass he was supposed to take through the rocks.
He saw the pass less than half a li away and grinned. Though the deep sand was slowing them down, they were still making excellent time. By his calculation, they would reach Tunhuang in three days or less. He had more than enough food and water to get him there, and the fur-lined coat and hat NgGung had given him were doing an admirable job of keeping the cold at bay.
He reached the pass and was relieved to find that it was open, as DingXiang’s apprentice had said. Strangely enough, once they were between the towering boulders, Long’s dan tien began to warm. He halted the horse and looked all around, but saw nothing.
Then he looked up.
A large man dressed head to toe in black dropped a net over Long. The net was ringed with rocks, and it pressed down on him with incredible force. It was difficult for Long to raise his arms, and nearly impossible to raise his head in order to see straight.