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〃how should i know？ anyway i dont think i should bother about it if i were you。 weve got to get there first。 do you know the way？鈥�
〃i know my way to tashbaan。 after that es the desert。 oh； well manage the desert somehow； never fear。 why； well be in sight of the northern mountains then。 think of it！
to narnia and the north！ nothing will stop us then。 but id be glad to be past tashbaan。
you and i are safer away from cities。鈥�
〃cant we avoid it？鈥�
〃not without going along way inland； and that would take us into cultivated land and main roads； and i wouldnt know the way。 no； well just have to creep along the coast。 up here on the downs well meet nothing but sheep and rabbits and gulls and a few shepherds。 and by the way； what about starting？鈥�
shastas legs ached terribly as he saddled bree and climbed into the saddle； but the horse was kindly to him and went at a soft pace all afternoon。 when evening twilight came they dropped by steep tracks into a valley and found a village。 before they got into it shasta dismounted and entered it on foot to buy a loaf and some onions and radishes。 the horse trotted round by the fields in the dusk and met shasta at the far side。 this became their regular plan every second night。
these were great days for shasta； and every day better than the last as his muscles hardened and he fell less often。 even at the end of his training bree still said he sat like a bag of flour in the saddle。 〃and even if it was safe； young un； id be ashamed to be seen with you on the main road。〃 but in spite of his rude words bree was a patient teacher。 no one can teach riding so well as a horse。 shasta learned to trot； to canter； to jump； and to keep his seat even when bree pulled up suddenly or swung unexpectedly to the left or the right … which； as bree told him； was a thing you might have to do at any moment in a battle。 and then of course shasta begged to be told of the battles and wars in which bree had carried the tarkaan。 and bree would tell of forced marches and the fording of swift rivers； of charges and of fierce fights between cavalry and cavalry when the war horses fought as well as the men； being all fierce stallions； trained to bite and kick； and to rear at the right moment so that the horses weight as well as the riders would e down on a enemys crest in the stroke of sword or battleaxe。 but bree did not want to talk about the wars as often as shasta wanted to hear about them。 〃dont speak of them； youngster；〃 he would say。 〃they were only the tisrocs wars and i fought in them as a slave and a dumb beast。 give me the narnian wars where i shall fight as a free horse among my own people！ those will be wars worth talking about。 narnia and the north！ bra… ha…ha！ broo hoo！鈥�
shasta soon learned； when he heard bree talking like that； to prepare for a gallop。
after they had travelled on for weeks and weeks past more bays and headlands and rivers and villages than shasta could remember； there came a moonlit night when they started their journey at evening； having slept during the day。 they had left the downs behind them and were crossing a wide plain with a forest about half a mile away on their left。
the sea； hidden by low sandhills； was about the same distance on their right。 they had jogged along for about an hour； sometimes trotting and sometimes walking； when bree suddenly stopped。
〃whats up？〃 said shasta。
〃s…s…ssh！〃 said bree； craning his neck round and twitching his ears。 〃did you hear something？ listen。鈥�
〃it sounds like another horse … between us and the wood；〃 said shasta after he had listened for about a minute。
〃it is another horse；〃 said bree。 〃and thats what i dont like。鈥�
〃isnt it probably just a farmer riding home late？〃 said shasta with a yawn。
〃dont tell me！〃 said bree。 〃thats not a farmers riding。 nor a farmers horse either。 cant you tell by the sound？ thats quality； that horse is。 and its being ridden by a real horseman。 i tell you what it is； shasta。 theres a tarkaan under the edge of that wood。
not on his war horse … its too light for that。 on a fine blood mare； i should say。鈥�
〃well； its stopped now； whatever it is；〃 said shasta。
〃youre right；〃 said bree。 〃and why should he stop just when we do？ shasta； my boy； i do believe theres someone shadowing us at last。鈥�
〃what shall we do？〃 said shasta in a lower whisper than before。 〃do you think he can see us as well as hear us？鈥�
〃not in this light so long as we stay quite still；〃 answered bree。 〃but look！ theres a cloud ing up。 ill wait till that gets over the moon。 then well get off to our right as quietly as we can； down to the shore。 we can hide among the sandhills if the worst es to the worst。鈥�
they waited till the cloud covered the moon and then； first at a walking pace and afterwards at a gentle trot； made for the shore。
the cloud was bigger and thicker than it had looked at first and soon the night grew very dark。 just as shasta was saying to himself； 〃we must be nearly at those sandhills by
now；〃 his heart leaped into his mouth because an appalling noise had suddenly risen up out of the darkness ahead； a long snarling roar； melancholy and utterly savage。 instantly bree swerved round and began galloping inland again as fast as he could gallop。
〃what is it？〃 gasped shasta。
〃lions！〃 said bree； without checking his pace or turning his head。
after that there was nothing but sheer galloping for some time。 at last they splashed across a wide； shallow stream and bree came to a stop on the far side。 shasta noticed that he was trembling and sweating all over。
〃that water may have thrown the brute off our scent；〃 panted bree when he had partly got his breath again。 〃we can walk for a bit now。鈥�
as they walked bree said； 〃shasta； im ashamed of myself。 im just as frightened as a mon； dumb calor mene horse。 i am really。 i dont feel like a talking horse at all。 i dont mind swords and lances and arrows but i cant bear … those creatures。 i think ill trot for a bit。鈥�
about a minute later； however； he broke into a gallop again； and no wonder。 for the roar broke out again； this time on their l