(Trumpet Fanfare)

The ACTION PACK

Presents

Yet Another

Gloriosus-Hammerhead

Production

TEASER:

The wind’s howling sounds in the background as we hear a falcon’s cry. FADE FROM BLACK TO a falcon soaring in a clear blue sky. PAN DOWN from the falcon to reveal the silhouette of several mounted figures swathed in heavy fur cloaks. Two of them bear falcons perched on their arms.

(Voice Over) "Look well, my sons," CUT TO the stern visage of the speaker, "This is what comes to those who would rely on the dead to achieve their aims." PAN TO speaker’s view, revealing a valley filled with petrified warriors. (Voice Over) "Rely on yourself to gain what you want in this life."

(Young Voice Over) "And what do YOU want in this life, father," CUT TO the elder mongol, who looks at his questioner and smiles.

"I want what’s best in life," he says, "Tell me, Belgutai, what is best in life?"

The young son, squints his eyes as he looks to his father, "The open steppe, a fleet horse, a falcon at your wrist, and the wind in your hair."

"WRONG!" exclaims Yisugei, "Temuchin, what is best in life?"

His eldest son answered without hesitation, "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women."

"HA-HA, that’s correct. Come, we march on Chin!"

CUT TO the soaring falcon, while in the background we hear galloping horses, and shouted orders.

FADE TO CLOSE UP of K’ao Hsin awakening from her meditations.

"What is it, Mistress?" asked a servant.

K’ao Hsin sits in stunned silence before answering her earnest questioner, "The Golden Horde advances on the Wings of the Falcon. Oh, to whom can we apply for help? Lao Ma, please guide me."

CUT TO a pair of horses, one a Palomino, the other a Chestnut, galloping across the grassy plains.

ACT ONE

Across the verdant plains of Chin our mares race, urgently striving to reach what was once the Palace of Lao-Ma.

*And you know our help is needed here, how?* asked the Chestnut Mare.

*I saw it in a dream,* explained Argo. *I saw a golden falcon sweeping over these vast fields, and under its ever-growing shadow, the crops were withering.*

*So there won’t be any grain to eat?*

*No, silly,* the Palomino snorted. *According to Gabrielle, dreams are very rarely literal. I recognized the landmarks, so I know where to go, but I still have no idea what the threat is.*

Ruffian whinnied her skepticism, *Argo, sounds to me like you got an over-ripe batch of hay.*

Argo’s ears flipped back as she replied, *My rider used to have these dreams, so why not me?*

(Voice Over (K’ao Hsin)) "Look at them, like leaves caught in a storm."

"K’ao Hsin, the monks have offered their monastery as temporary refuge for these people’s trip south, but they are not prepared to take this many of them."

The young woman nodded her understanding. "Then we must make the tunnels available." Lin Qi looked uncomfortable with this decision. "What is it, Lin Qi? After all we’ve been through, there shouldn’t be any hesitation."

"Dear, K’ao Hsin, your compassion is truly worthy of your mother; but we cannot house the refugees here, for we cannot guarantee their safety."

"Lin Qi? If we do not provide for them, who will?"

"We have to have our fields clear to fight these Barbarians, if we concern ourselves with these refugees, we will be in no position to offer resistance."

K’ao Hsin sighed, and looked back out the large window. "They are our neighbors, Lin Qi, we will provide for them, for that is what we’d want them to do were our situations reverse," the young warrior started. "But have no fear, I’ve sent a messenger pigeon to An Lu-Shan asking for his assistance."

"Then it shall be as you command, my lady," consented the warrior as his noble lady drew in her breath. "What is it?"

"Look there!" she exclaimed, pointing out the window. "The gods have not abandoned us."

Wending their way through the passes, orders are issued over the noise of the advancing troops as they clear the valley of the petrified army. Il-Khan Arghun gallops up to his Khan, who is supervising his army’s progress.

"My Khan, we will soon be approaching the lands of Lao Ma."

"Very good, Arghun," complemented Yisugei. "Temuchin, and our scouts, have set out to find us a suitable battlefield where we shall meet the armies of Chin."

"Yes, my Khan; and what do you want done with An Lu-Shan’s spies that we’ve captured?"

Yisugei stroked his mustache as he thought on the matter. "Let them go," he finally decided. "We can always hope that their report will draw out his entire army to face us."

Arghun grinned, "Very good, my Khan. All we need is for Lao Ma’s daughter to ask for his assistance, and our trap will be set. Do you think SHE might suspect something?"

"Hardly … she’ll be more concerned with the well-being of her neighbors that we’ve displaced, than with fighting us."

"But Lin Qi is a capable commander, wouldn’t he advise her otherwise?"

"Lin Qi is her faithful lap-dog, what she decides, he will do. And what does a woman know about waging war, anywise … eh?" sneered the Khan.

ACT TWO

"My lady," began the captain of the guards. "I’m pleased that the presence of these mares give you comfort, but how can they possibly be of assistance to us?"

K’ao Hsin smiled. "We can gain wisdom even from the animals, if we but listen." She then turned towards Lin Qi. "This is Xena’s own mount, and certainly she must have picked up some tricks of the trade from her rider."

Lin Qi exhaled gustily, "As you wish, K’ao Hsin. But, if you will excuse me, I believe I can of more use to you recruiting from the refugees to bolster our own forces."

Ruffian watched Lin Qi stalk away from them as Argo knickered. "He’s a good man, Argo," said K’ao Hsin. "He just has problems believing in those things beyond his understanding."

Ruffian snorted and pranced over to her golden companion who was lunching on some grass. The golden mare’s ears twitching and swiveling in response to her surroundings. *A Horde?* the chestnut asked. *We’re going to fight a Horde? Argo? Mate? I know I’ve done some bone-headed things in my days, but tackling an army?* Ruffian suddenly shouldered an ox who had wandered too close to them. *And will you scoot … private conversation!* she snorted at the beast who just looked at her while he chewed his cud, before taking another step closer to the pair. With a whinny, Ruffian skittered away, and then shouldered into the ox again, with even greater determination. The ox calmly relented, and rejoined his brethren as the chestnut mare looked on in exasperation. *Aargh! Never have I met slower witted animals then these oxen.*

*Easy Ruffian,* Argo soothed. *What did you expect from beasts that have to be led by the nose? Now, if you’d just relax, I’ve got some ideas on how to deal with this horde.*

*But Argo, we’re not talking about some petty warlord’s band here.*

*I know, I know … but the principles should be the same, and in any case, we won’t be tackling them alone. What with K’ao Hsin’s guards, and the help the expect to receive, the odds will be nowhere near as bad as those Xena faced.*

*Uh-huh, and just how are WE going to stop them?*

Argo looked up from her grazing, and began to make her way out of the cattle herd. *Well, if you’d follow me, I’ll show you." Argo remarked archly, flipping her tail to get the chestnut to come along.

"This will be the best way," remarked Commander Mukali to Temuchin, "the pass is wide and clear, and more than able to accommodate our army."

Temuchin grinned at the observation. "Indeed, by this time tomorrow we shall be in possession of the lands beyond, and what armies may come will have to fight on fields of OUR choosing."

The scouts laughed while their stout mounts cantered back through the chasm. Suddenly the troop stopped at the sound of a whinny reverberating through-out the defile. The riders quickly scanned their surroundings as their horses danced about in surprise.

"Look! Up there!" cried one of the scouts, pointing.

"Ho! This must be a vision. Have you ever seen anything so lovely?" asked Mukali.

"Indeed not," exclaimed Temuchin, "They are the most beautiful horses I’ve ever seen," at this, his own mount snorted and let loose with a whinny of complaint. "Next to you, Tyfun, my friend," comforted the Mongol, as he stroked his mount’s neck. "I meant to say, ‘Next to my splendid steed, they are the most beautiful horses I’ve ever seen.’" The dun-colored mount whuffled, accepting his rider’s apology.

Another neigh filled the ravine, as the horses disappear from the Mongol’s view, and the drumming sound of hoof-beats began to resound throughout the chasm.

"Gah! This is that witch-daughter’s doing. K’ao Hsin has summoned demon horses to combat us!" cried one of the scouts.

"Silence!" shouted Temuchin, reining in his mount. "Whether she has, or not, is not important," he explained feverishly to his men. "She will not stop us. Those horses will not stop us." He said pointing at the distant equine figures. The young Mongol then turned in his saddle and angrily shook his fist at the two horses who were surveying their handiwork. "YOU WILL NOT STOP US!"

"Well, isn’t he the stubborn one?" quipped the chestnut.

"Come on, that should hold them for a couple of days," Argo said, turning herself around to make her way back down the narrow path they had traveled to get there.

"The Khan won’t be pleased to hear about this," muttered the Mongol Commander.

"Then I will tell him," promised Temuchin, as he started to lead his men out of the defile. "But let us figure out how to address this little problem."

Over the cheers of the refugees, Lin Qi studied the approaching army from his post on the Palace walls. He grinned as he spotted the portly figure leading the troops on his dappled gray. Grabbing a courier Lin Qi instructed him to go to K’ao Hsin. "Tell her that An Lu-Shan has come to aid us."

ACT THREE

OPEN at Night, light from mounted torches cast their flickering orange light against the steep sides of the pass, as swarms of laborers pound and cart away the rubble blocking the ravine. To one side is a wood and bamboo bridge, with an overseer’s platform at its apex, over which Mongol skirmishers lead their horses. On the platform stands the Mongol Khan, Yisugei, and his son, Temuchin.

"The bridge was a good idea," remarked Yisugei. "The Il-Khan, Arghun, will take the skirmishers and try to secure our advanced positions."

"Thank you, father. I apologize for not being able to prevent the landslide."

"Huh … No apologies. In life all things are uncertain, I, however, can at least claim to know the joy of having a son who makes me proud to be his father."

Temuchin stood taller at Yisugei’s praise. "We will have this cleared by morning." The young Mongol promised.

"See that you do," replied his sire, gripping his shoulder. "And make sure that you, and your men, have something to eat off our kitchen wagons. It does no good to arrive at the battle, if you have no strength to fight with." The Khan pointed off towards the plains. "Look, even as we speak, our adversary arrays his forces against us."

Argo silently bears Lin-Qi, as he makes his rounds accompanied by Colonel Po’s head sergeant, Ya Li, who rides beside them upon Ruffian. "So you see, Suh, we will form up our divisions, hopefully paralleling them barbarians, what with the grounds being as you’ve described them, Suh. And I must say this is a luverly horse you’ve got here," commented the large sergeant as he patted Ruffian’s neck. Ruffian’s ears pricked up at the unexpected complement.

"just treat her with respect," replied Lin-Qi, glad for the sergeant’s chatter, for it served to cover up his own nervousness. "These horses are on loan to us, and their owner would make the Mongols appear as welcome family coming to dinner if anything should happen to them."

"Yes-suh! I understand the sentiment, being that I grew up around horses and all," the two riders danced aside to let some wagons rumble by. "That’d be the artillery, suh."

"Gods," muttered the captain. "What use would they be? It’s not fortifications we’re going up against."

"Well now, I wouldn’t be one to second-guess the warlord, but I’d say they’d do some frightful hurt to the enemy formations." The sergeant reined in Ruffian upon hearing some shouting. "Ah, you hear that, suh? That’d be the warlord’s own son, Colonel An Shang."

"No …" drawled Colonel Shang, with rapidly diminishing patience. "You are not forming here, you are forming to our left. THAT way." Colonel Sun nodded as Shang pointed in the direction he wanted the men to go. The two barely noticed their being joined by Lin-Qi and the sergeant.

"Certainly, you must be able to tell me if we are on good ground," demanded Colonel Sun.

"All I know is that the Mongol’s are that way," countered Shang, indicating the orange glow of the distant pass. "We just arrived in the twilight of dusk ourselves, so we have no idea how the ground lies."

"Gah! What a way to fight a war." Sun shook his head in dismay, anticipating the headaches he’d have to endure for the rest of the night. "Yes? What can we do for you?" He asked the recent arrivals.

"Good evening, I’m Lin-Qi," began K’ao Hsin’s champion hesitantly, "And I believe you know Sergeant Li? From Colonel Po’s Division."

"Yes, yes, and what is he doing on an officer’s mount?" demanded Colonel Shang.

The two horses started, Ruffian letting loose a snort. "With all due respect, suh. The lady, K’ao Hsin, herself, loaned me this horse, so I’d more ably coordinate things with her Captain, here … suh."

The two colonels looked back at Lin-Qi with a new respect. "Ah, please excuse us," began Colonel Sun.

Colonel Shang nodded his agreement with Sun’s apology. "Yes, night maneuvers are a bear to deal with in the best of conditions, please excuse our shortness."

"I understand," Lin-Qi replied. "Battles seem never to be fought at our convenience."

"HA! Now there speaks a veteran," Colonel Sun exclaimed delightedly, clapping the young warrior on his shoulder. "Will we have the pleasure of fighting beside your men in tomorrow’s battle?"

Lin-Qi nodded. "Yes, they were attached to Colonel Po’s men, when he first arrived."

Colonel Sun scowled at Shang, who shrugged. "The warlord, my father, thought they’d fight the hardest, if they were directly protecting their own Palace."

K’ao Hsin bowed to her guest. "Again I must thank you, An Lu-Shan, for coming to our aid."

The portly warlord held up his hand to stem her gratitude. "No thanks are necessary. I am sorry, though, that my army must still arrive throughout the night. I hope that our noise won’t disturb your sleep."

"But the noise shall be as a lullaby to me," responded the young lady smilingly. "I shall sleep all the better, knowing that our saviors have come to my kingdom’s assistance."

An Lu-Shan sipped at his tea, as he looked closely at his hostess. "I hope that my troops won’t disappoint you," the warlord said gently. "I just wish there was more time to make ready. The Khan is a capable and determined foe, and not to be taken lightly."

"Indeed, and I thought you prided yourself on being the Master Warrior of the northern provinces."

"HA! Well, I may have made some boasts to that effect. It is just as well that I brought the black-powder rockets with which to fight him."

K’ao Hsin looked at the stout warlord in shock. "An Lu-Shan," she remonstrated. "The production and use of Black Powder has been forbidden by the Emperor, himself."

The warlord smiled, "My lady, K’ao Hsin, that is true. However, the Mongols are here, and the forbidden city is a long ways away." An Lu-Shan finished his tea, stood and bowed to his hostess. "With your permission? While my son is a more than capable officer, trying to orchestrate an army at night is not something I should leave to anyone else."

"Then ready your men, An Lu-Shan. Hopefully, tomorrow, fortune will smile on us."

"I will, and who knows? Perhaps we will have a surprise or two in store for these Mongols." The famed warlord, departs walking past the camera.

"Sire, we’ve been unsuccessful in driving the Mongols from the heights."

"What fool ordered this attempt!" cried the warlord. "We’ve yet to realign our forces."

"It was Colonel Po, sire."

"That IDIOT; it won’t be the Mongols who kill me, but my own officers! Colonel Sun! Colonel Shang! Ready your men, it appears this battle has started without us."

ACT FOUR

"The Il-Khan started too soon," the young Mongol muttered to himself before turning to his right to witness the banners of his father’s, and Commander Jebe’s, Divisions signal the attack. Temuchin raised the cry, "Commander Mukali! Signal our attack!"

"Steady, Ironshanks, we shall be to battle soon enough," the warlord swung himself over and stood in his mount’s stirrups to survey the battlefield. His eyes swept the grounds before him, before settling on his own left flank. "GAH! This is what I get for trying to marshall the men in the dark. You there!" He shouted at the rider at his side. "Go tell Colonel Sun to wheel his men across the creek to align with the rest of our divisions."

With an enthusiastic "Sire!" the young messenger galloped off.

"Damn Po!" the warlord cursed. "If he survives this battle, I’ll kill him myself!"

"They’re pressing us back, suh! What are your orders!" Sergeant Li shouted above the din of battle.

"Where are Po’s officers?"

"The good ones have gone down – AND WILL YOU KINDLY NOT STRIKE AT MY HORSE!" Li cried at the startled Mongol, barely parrying the Mongol’s slash with his own straight blade.

"Oh! My apologies!" cried the Mongol, just as Ruffian landed a solid kick to the rider knocking him onto a forest of Chin spears.

"As I was saying, Suh! Those that remain I wouldn’t trust to go to the bathroom without supervision!"

"Damn!" Lin-Qi cursed as he rebuffed the attacks of yet another determined opponent. "If you can get me some room, I’ll think of something."

"Suh! Yes-suh!" Sergeant Li turned himself about, issuing orders to the guardsmen who had remained close to them. The blue-clad soldiers set their mouths in a determined grin as they charged into the teeth of the Mongol cavalry, parrying saber strikes with their lances, and managed to force a cordon around their captain and the sergeant.

Lin-Qi, stood in Argo’s stirrups, surveying how the press was going. "Sergeant! Have the men reform reform about our wagons, we’ll make a stand there!"

Yes-suh!" saluted the sergeant. "All right you apes, fall back and reform about the wagons. At the double!" Suddenly Lin-Qi doubled over in his saddle, as Argo danced about, struggling to keep his seated.

Sergeant Li reached over to steady his superior as they fell back under the relentless Mongol pressure. The captain’s side was pierced by a black arrow.

"Archers, loose yet another round to their rear! We’ll put them to rout yet!"

"My lady! It is not safe for you in here!" cried one of K’ao Hsin’s handmaiders.

"But I must know how the battle goes," replied K’ao Hsin just as a forest of arrows slammed into the window frame, and the ceiling, with a single black shaft sprouting from her arm. The noble lady looked at the arrow in shock, as if it was some kind of apparition that had just appeared. "How extraordinary," she managed as her ladies in waiting pulled her out of the chamber.

"You’ll know our destiny soon enough, I fear," her handmaiden said grimly, breaking off the fletches, and pulling the shaft the rest of the way through, before bandaging her lady’s arm.

Lin-Qi blinks back his tears while the sergeant hovers near by. "Are you all right, suh?"

With a cough, the captain answers, "I’m still moving, and not tasting blood. I suspect I’ll live." Through the sublime acuity of his pain, he hears, whispered, *The Rockets.*

"Very good, suh! Come on, we’ve a battle to fight."

*The Rockets*

"What was that, sergeant?" Lin-Qi asked in confusion. The sergenat started to answer but was drowned out by the clamor from the arriving reinforcements.

Argo looked from her wounded rider to her Chestnut companion, *Ruffian, see about releasing the latch on the corral, will you? This might take a little while.*

Ruffian snorted her assent and side-stepped away from the group, looking past the heaving formations of the Chin army. *Oh, that’s brilliant!* she neighed in understanding as she judged her upcoming task. *Hmmm … that’s about eleven furlongs from here to the corral … call it twelve to skirt the fighting … Yeah!* And the throughbred darted forward, her tail held high like a banner in the wind.

Shaking his head, Lin-Qi focused on the sergeant. "The Rockets," he said, in his confusion.

"No, good, Suh. The barbarians are at our ranks. We can’t use them this close."

The captain, watching Ruffian dart away, focused on her course, and with dawning realization stated. "No. Not at the Mongols. At the corral."

"What’s that, suh?" The sergeant followed his superior’s gaze. "Oh, I see, suh! Very good, suh!" Ya Li exclaimed with delight. "You men, help us here."

Argo snorted, shaking her head, as she began to urge the men as they hurriedly unloaded the wagon, and began setting the racks into the grounds for the black powder rockets.

"Sir, the Il-Khan almost broke through their right!" shouted the Mongol Commander.

"Gods above, what a mess!" exclaimed Temuchin, standing in his stirrups to survey the situation when his eye is caught by the sight of a speeding Chestnut. "Is that what I think it is?" the young Mongol asked, pointing out the horse to his Commander.

"Yessir, it’s the Demon Horse! A hundred gold-pieces to he who brings down that horse!"

The Archers cheer and began to loft a swarm of arrows at the Thoroughbred.

Under the arrows, Temuchin shielded his eyes, "Such a waste," he lamented.

*Yee-Haaa!*

"Oooh, she’s fast!"

"Onward, my men, this day will be ours!" the Khan cried, as he hewed his way through the massed ranks of Chin soldiers, his body guard close beside him.

"I have to take charge of our left flank; it’s up to you to hold the line against the Mongols. This battle will decide the fate of Chin."

A stunned Lin-Qi, managed to acknowledge the order and promise "Yessir, they shall not pass."

The warlord whirls Ironshanks about and gallops towards the beleaguered left wing of his army, past Colonel Shang’s men who are managing to resist the determined Mongol charge.

"Are the rockets ready to fire?" asked the Captain.

The sergeant waited for the nod of the men who just finished their task. "They are, suh!"

"Fire!" cried Lin-Qi. There is an embarrassed silence as the blue-clad troopers pat themselves down looking for some flint and steel.

With a great neigh, she reared up in encouragement for the cattle to charge forth. Instead a couple of the oxen looked up from their grazing and stared at her while they continued to chew their cud.

*Come on you oafs! Run! Be free! MOVE IT!* She neighed again in her growing frustration. Suddenly from overhead a whistling sound is heard as smoke trails arc over the herd. Then great plumes of dirt erupts into the air with loud explosions as the rockets strike the far end of the corral.

With panicked lowing, the cattle pressed against the gates, and began their frantic charge down the grade towards the black-clad horsemen in front of them, as the second wave of rockets arrived.

"An Lu-Shan!" shouted Yisugei. "We meet at last!"

"You should not have come!" returned the warlord, reining in his mount. "For today you die!"

The Mongol Khan gave a great laugh. "HA! It will be YOU who dies this day!" Brandishing his curved saber, Yisugei urged his mount forward.

Giving the Mongol a quick salute with his own straight blade, An Lu-Shan spurred Ironshanks into action.

The two mighty warriors galloped at each other, and as they passed, the sound of steel could be heard from their cuts and parries. Their very speed carrying the two past the other.

"Come, Tyfun," urged the young Mongol, and his spirited pony started to pick up speed as the Mongols sought a safe way to cross the fields in light of the stampede. With the passage of the last of the cattle, the Mongols suddenly swept into the stampede’s wake, and pierced the confused lines of Chin soldiers.

An Lu-Shan grimaced, and clinched his teeth in fury as he wheels his mount about for another pass at the Khan.

Yisugei, turning his own steed, laughs joyously, and charges again at the Chin warlord.

On this pass, An Lu-Shan snakes his sword arm over the Mongol’s cut, and drives the point of his sword into Yisugei’s breast, un-horsing the Mongol in the process. "HA!" He cried in victory, lifting his sword to his men in celebration.

"NO!" cried An Shang, as he rode determinedly through the ranks of soldiers to avenge his father’s death, outstripping his companions. The soldiers, spying him, plead for Colonel Shang not to ride out to engage the young Mongol.

The riders swing, their swords whistling while the two gallop past each other.

"Come, Temuchin," comforts the Mongol Commander. "Let’s go home and bury your father. Chin will wait."

The rest of the Mongols nodded their agreement with Mukali’s statement, and offered their own condolences as they turned away from the massed Chin forces. Jebe looked at his comrade’s tears. "Mukali, why do you cry?"

Mukali wiped away his tears, and nodded towards the retreating figure. "He is Temuchin, a True Son of Yisugei and Ho-elun. He will not cry … so I cry for him."

The Mongols disengaged, when from behind the line of wagons, the answering trumpet note is heard.

The dust settled, and the jostling ceased, as the Mongol’s desisted. The Chin soldiers stand in shocked silence, their gasps and labored breathing filling the void that was previously filled with the din and clamor of combat. They stared in disbelief at their unexpected deliverance from death.

"What is it?" asked Lin-Qi.

"A ‘Cease-Fighting’ has been called, suh. And answered," replied the sergeant. "I never thought I’d live to see the day."

"The fighting’s over?"

"Aye, and now we get to tally the dead," Ya Li remarked grimly.

ACT FIVE

"You’ve saved us all," remarked the lady.

Colonel Sun knelt, placing his helmet on his knee. "I’m afraid not," (long pause) "While we may call this a victory, it is closer to being a mitigated disaster."

"A mitigated disaster?" K’ao Hsin asked, smiling. "What would an unmitigated disaster be?"

"That’s when we lose," remarked Sun. Pointing to the hill-top, he added. "That standard is a promise that the Mongol’s will return. And with An Lu-Shan, and his heir dead, you’re all that stands in their way."

K’ao Hsin shivered, and drew her cloak more tightly about her. "Will you serve me, Colonel Sun?"

The veteran smiled, "It would probably be for the best. I’m sure An Lu-Shan’s subjects won’t complain too much about being under your dominion."

"You did a good day’s work, suh."

"(Grunt) You think so, sergeant?"

"Yep, you stick with me, suh, and we’ll make an officer out of you yet … in ten or twelve years."

Captain Lin-Qi gasped in pain even as he laughed, nodding his approval of the sergeant’s remark.

*Well Ruffian, our job’s done here,* remarked the golden mare.

*I’m certainly glad of that!* the chestnut heartily concurred, then plaintively asked. *Let’s not get involved in any more of these battles, eh, mate?*

Argo whuffled in amusement. *Agreed … If I’ve learned anything, it’s never get involved in a land war in Asia.*

Ruffian whinnied her agreement as the two noble mares, turned and started to canter off into the sunset.

*Hey! What did that horse mean by us being slow-witted?*

GALLOP ON, ARGO!

GALLOP ON, RUFFIAN!

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