(no subject)
The Turkmen had come to the Palace when the moon was a little past full, and it was rising new now as Hektor settled himself in silence among the hay, to watch the other horses and to wait. Priam was going to see the bronze stallion Yima today, and his thoughts had been ranging too far afield to forbid Hektor's following. The boy thought it best if he hung back a little, though; there was that about the horse which made him think too many visitors at once were a bad idea.
And he was right, for when Yima had only himself as company in the paddock the stallion was as calm as any beast in Troy. When one of the grooms approached he grew wary; and when three came he squared himself to fight, as Hektor had seen other stallions do at mating-time. It was a near thing indeed for the grooms, who came in on tiptoe and moved like men who wished they had spears. The stallion was faster by far than they and nearly took one man's head off before he could escape. Priam shook his head wearily, watching the horse snort and stamp his great hooves. "A bad temper is one thing," he said to the Horse Master, "but this is madness. If he were even once to get loose-"
"It would be a slaughter, I know," said Alektryon. "Intractable isn't a word I use often, sire, but for a beast like this it's not strong enough. That horse is some god on earth wanting vengeance."
"For what?" asked Priam; Alektryon only shrugged. "I don't know, sire. Maybe he was meant as a curse to the Turkmen, and they passed him off to us. I've heard of such things in Thrace."
Priam gave a great and weary sigh, passing a hand over his face. "I would send him back to the god, if we could only put him to a few of the mares first."
"If the truth be told, I'd give him to Poseidon now, and spare us having that strain to tame in the generations to come," muttered Alektryon. "Roustam said it, they're all foul-tempered. I doubt there's any mare in Troy whose blood could cool that fire."
The king shook his head a little, watching the beast; then he turned, looking for his son. "Well, Hektor?" he called. "You have a liking for the fierce ones, I know; what do you think of this fellow?"
Hektor came forward a little, eyes upon the stallion and then on his father. "He would be worth keeping, sir," he said. "Oinops has been as bad at times, I have seen; not as often, I know, but I think he could be gentled, given time."
Alektryon snorted, muttering to himself, but Priam merely stroked his beard. "How much time, think you?" the King asked.
It was not often that Priam asked such questions, Hektor knew. He felt sure in his heart that his father looked to teach him a lesson, and stop him reaching too far beyond what he ought to try, at his age. He would have confessed to not knowing, had they been alone; but Alektyron was there, and with the Horse Master as witness Hektor knew his own honor was in it. So he only said, "More than most of our horses, but not so much that he could not be gentled at all. I think it might be done with a little care."
The King and the Horse Master looked at each other over the boy's head. At last Priam looked to where Yima stood once more, wild and proud; he let out a long, considering breath. "You are the only one who has seen the horse who has spoken up for him," he said. "Everyone else, from the least of the slaves to the spearmen who got him away from Podargos, would see him on the altar. Very well; he is in your charge then."
Hektor stared at his father, shocked past speech. Priam almost smiled as he said, "If he can be tamed at all, it must be by one who believes it possible, must it not? You are the only one who thinks so, my boy. You may call on the servants as needful, of course, but from now until the next new moon, the horse is your only duty. Bring him to bear by then, or he goes back to the Horse Father."
The boy bowed, knuckling his brow in homage, and the King returned to the Palace.
And he was right, for when Yima had only himself as company in the paddock the stallion was as calm as any beast in Troy. When one of the grooms approached he grew wary; and when three came he squared himself to fight, as Hektor had seen other stallions do at mating-time. It was a near thing indeed for the grooms, who came in on tiptoe and moved like men who wished they had spears. The stallion was faster by far than they and nearly took one man's head off before he could escape. Priam shook his head wearily, watching the horse snort and stamp his great hooves. "A bad temper is one thing," he said to the Horse Master, "but this is madness. If he were even once to get loose-"
"It would be a slaughter, I know," said Alektryon. "Intractable isn't a word I use often, sire, but for a beast like this it's not strong enough. That horse is some god on earth wanting vengeance."
"For what?" asked Priam; Alektryon only shrugged. "I don't know, sire. Maybe he was meant as a curse to the Turkmen, and they passed him off to us. I've heard of such things in Thrace."
Priam gave a great and weary sigh, passing a hand over his face. "I would send him back to the god, if we could only put him to a few of the mares first."
"If the truth be told, I'd give him to Poseidon now, and spare us having that strain to tame in the generations to come," muttered Alektryon. "Roustam said it, they're all foul-tempered. I doubt there's any mare in Troy whose blood could cool that fire."
The king shook his head a little, watching the beast; then he turned, looking for his son. "Well, Hektor?" he called. "You have a liking for the fierce ones, I know; what do you think of this fellow?"
Hektor came forward a little, eyes upon the stallion and then on his father. "He would be worth keeping, sir," he said. "Oinops has been as bad at times, I have seen; not as often, I know, but I think he could be gentled, given time."
Alektryon snorted, muttering to himself, but Priam merely stroked his beard. "How much time, think you?" the King asked.
It was not often that Priam asked such questions, Hektor knew. He felt sure in his heart that his father looked to teach him a lesson, and stop him reaching too far beyond what he ought to try, at his age. He would have confessed to not knowing, had they been alone; but Alektyron was there, and with the Horse Master as witness Hektor knew his own honor was in it. So he only said, "More than most of our horses, but not so much that he could not be gentled at all. I think it might be done with a little care."
The King and the Horse Master looked at each other over the boy's head. At last Priam looked to where Yima stood once more, wild and proud; he let out a long, considering breath. "You are the only one who has seen the horse who has spoken up for him," he said. "Everyone else, from the least of the slaves to the spearmen who got him away from Podargos, would see him on the altar. Very well; he is in your charge then."
Hektor stared at his father, shocked past speech. Priam almost smiled as he said, "If he can be tamed at all, it must be by one who believes it possible, must it not? You are the only one who thinks so, my boy. You may call on the servants as needful, of course, but from now until the next new moon, the horse is your only duty. Bring him to bear by then, or he goes back to the Horse Father."
The boy bowed, knuckling his brow in homage, and the King returned to the Palace.