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Kells: Origins
“That's a nice horse. I'll give you thirty rubles for him.” interrupts Sveta. The men turn and stare. She stares back. One of the men smiles.
“He'll cover it.” she says looking at the smiling man. She smiles. The smiling man frowns. The trader takes his cue and disappears, leaving the horse. “What do you want?” the smiling man asks.
“I want my fifty six rubles.” Sveta says. Her stomach growls.
“What fifty six rubles?” he says.
“Tell you what. You give me my rubles and I'll let you keep that horse.” she says.
He laughs. Sveta's eyes narrow. She smiles. She grabs the horse by the mane and swings herself up. She kicks hard.
The horse jumps and bucks, twisting his lead out of the smiling man's grip. Sveta stays seated. The men all take a step back. Sveta digs into the horse's ribs with her heels. The horse kicks up into a gallop.
The men scatter. She turns the horse around them. The horse snorts and kicks as she herds them back together.
She flips off the horse and lands squarely on the smiling man's shoulders. The momentum knocks the smiling man onto his backside. Sveta has him pinned face down in the dirty snow before he has a chance to fight.
The men stand still and stare. The horse bolts off towards the trees. “Now it's sixty five rubles.” she says. She cranks his wrist nearly to break. One of the men laughs heartily.
“I like this girl. Hey girl, you got a name?” he says as he fishes in his pockets. He hands her a wad of bills. She lets go of the smiling man and snatches the cash.
“Who's business is it knowing who I am?” she says.
The men stare. The cash man laughs. “You said Bishkek right?” he says.
Sveta scowls, “Maybe.” She counts the money. The bills are dirty and worn. There are over a hundred rubles.
The cash man whistles and a boy appears. He speaks a language she doesn't recognize and the boy runs off.
“Go get your horse. Meet me here tonight after the sun drops below those trees.” he says, pointing at the tree line.
Sveta says nothing. She strides off after the horse. When she's gone the cash man says to the men, “Any man who crosses her, crosses me.” He looks to the smiling man, “Make sure there's a hot meal waiting for her when she gets back.” He walks off and blends into the crowd.
“He'll cover it.” she says looking at the smiling man. She smiles. The smiling man frowns. The trader takes his cue and disappears, leaving the horse. “What do you want?” the smiling man asks.
“I want my fifty six rubles.” Sveta says. Her stomach growls.
“What fifty six rubles?” he says.
“Tell you what. You give me my rubles and I'll let you keep that horse.” she says.
He laughs. Sveta's eyes narrow. She smiles. She grabs the horse by the mane and swings herself up. She kicks hard.
The horse jumps and bucks, twisting his lead out of the smiling man's grip. Sveta stays seated. The men all take a step back. Sveta digs into the horse's ribs with her heels. The horse kicks up into a gallop.
The men scatter. She turns the horse around them. The horse snorts and kicks as she herds them back together.
She flips off the horse and lands squarely on the smiling man's shoulders. The momentum knocks the smiling man onto his backside. Sveta has him pinned face down in the dirty snow before he has a chance to fight.
The men stand still and stare. The horse bolts off towards the trees. “Now it's sixty five rubles.” she says. She cranks his wrist nearly to break. One of the men laughs heartily.
“I like this girl. Hey girl, you got a name?” he says as he fishes in his pockets. He hands her a wad of bills. She lets go of the smiling man and snatches the cash.
“Who's business is it knowing who I am?” she says.
The men stare. The cash man laughs. “You said Bishkek right?” he says.
Sveta scowls, “Maybe.” She counts the money. The bills are dirty and worn. There are over a hundred rubles.
The cash man whistles and a boy appears. He speaks a language she doesn't recognize and the boy runs off.
“Go get your horse. Meet me here tonight after the sun drops below those trees.” he says, pointing at the tree line.
Sveta says nothing. She strides off after the horse. When she's gone the cash man says to the men, “Any man who crosses her, crosses me.” He looks to the smiling man, “Make sure there's a hot meal waiting for her when she gets back.” He walks off and blends into the crowd.
46 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2017
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