{"id":5659,"date":"2011-07-07T17:55:58","date_gmt":"2011-07-07T21:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thegreathorse.com\/?p=5659"},"modified":"2017-06-01T12:57:07","modified_gmt":"2017-06-01T16:57:07","slug":"to-skathe-a-tatar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/2011\/07\/to-skathe-a-tatar\/","title":{"rendered":"#72- “To Skathe a Tatar”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is an excerpt from \u201cEclipsed by Shadow\u201d<\/a>, an award-winning adventure through history — on horseback. Meagan is captive in a medieval village (1240 AD in modern-day Russia) she had tried to warn of impending attack by the Mongolian Horde, who were called \u2018Tatars\u2019 by Europeans.<\/p>\n

*The odd language is Old English: \u2018Bayard\u2019 is medieval slang for horse \u2026 Bayard was a bay horse in medieval French poetry, that could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Open fields surrounded the town. The horizon blurred into trees and hills, and behind it a dark column of dust rose like black smoke. A troop of knights stood in a loose formation around a band of perhaps twenty Mongolian ponies. Only one nomad sat upright\u2014every other rider lay sideways and motionless across his mount. The Englishman snorted. \u201cTatar messengers, asking for surrender.\u201d He gave a signal and a call went out. The knights parted ranks to let the single nomad pass. The man galloped away towards the horizon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou killed<\/em> them?\u201d she asked incredulously.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, ho, yes. For the nones, they die as other men.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can still escape,\u201d Meagan said urgently. \u201cWe have to leave now. There might be time to get away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMayhaps. Or mayhaps I have your rusty bayard carry your body back, what the rats leave.\u201d The Englishman swaggered back to the table. Servants began to rush about, bringing out pitchers and bowls. \u201cI have waited my bread long enough. To gluppen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Medieval<\/a>Meagan thought anxiously about rats and her \u2018rusty bayard.\u2019 A goblet filled with wine was set before her. She picked it up and drained it.<\/p>\n

The man was delighted. \u201cA witful act for a wench, such a draught! There be English in you still! Which be you, North or South?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2014I was\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hail from South, therebefore. Long live King Henry the Third, if he lives. Could be Henry the Fourth now or Fifth, being I not seen the shores of England for fifteen years, nigh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLong live King Henry,\u201d Meagan said politely. Shaken and afraid, she still watched the approach of a well-cooked duck with interest. The roast was falling off its bones, held in place by carrots and other boiled vegetables surrounding it. She made an effort not to grab.<\/p>\n

The Englishman winked. \u201cAghast are thee, alien, to think we men might pluck a likerous rose as you be?\u201d His eyes wandered over Meagan but kept snapping up like a leashed hound jerked to attention. \u201cFear not lewid men. The Lord\u2019s word is counsel here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meagan swallowed, looking at the unsavory collection of people around her bearing limps, pockmarks, warts, and filmed-over eyes. Here she was a goddess of beauty.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough the nonsense of surrender! It was not meant, so we talk of other things.\u201d The man took a handful of meat and chewed it, open-mouthed. \u201cHow best to skathe a Tatar be a matter. Tell us this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skathe a Tatar?<\/em> Meagan looked at the man. He wanted to know how to kill a nomad, but how could she make him understand? The coming army was too numerous, too fast and too seasoned. She could say that nomads struck from all sides, setting fires, wheeling away shooting arrows on the attack and the retreat. She could tell this man his city was doomed, but his eyes said the truth would not be welcome.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Copyright \u00a9 2008 John Royce<\/small><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

« Ingratitude<\/a> || \u201cThe devils ride a tainted bayard!<\/a>\u201d »<\/div>\n
\nThe above excerpt is from \u201cSee all Excerpts<\/strong><\/a>,\u201d the medieval-era section of Eclipsed by Shadow<\/em><\/strong>, and is set in 1240AD. (p. 201 Hbk)<\/em><\/p>\n

The Legend of the Great Horse<\/strong> trilogy is an adventure through history … each section is about a different time period.<\/div>\n

Eclipsed by Shadow<\/strong><\/em> (Book #1 of the trilogy) won national awards<\/a> including the Eric Hoffer Award<\/em> for best Young Adult Fiction, and the Mom’s Choice Award<\/em> for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.<\/p>\n

\n

__________<\/p>\n

Quick Links:<\/strong><\/div>\n

\u00bb See All Excerpts<\/strong><\/a> from The Legend of the Great Horse<\/strong> trilogy.<\/p>\n

\u00bb Read the 1st Chapter online<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00bb Check out Book #2 of the trilogy<\/a>: The Golden Spark<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00bb See the Media Kit<\/strong><\/a> for more information about the trilogy.<\/p>\n

\"\" Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Meagan swallowed, looking at the unsavory collection of people around her bearing limps, pockmarks, warts, and filmed-over eyes. Here she was a goddess of beauty.” —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow<\/b> (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse<\/em>’ trilogy (p. 201)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[118,242,70,165,229,227,243,244],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5659"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5659"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15109,"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5659\/revisions\/15109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegreathorse.com\/book-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}