At the far end of the bridge the walls of the city towered high above them and the brazen gates stood open in the gateway which was really wide but looked narrow because it was so very high. Half a dozen soldiers, leaning on their spears, stood on each side. Aravis couldn’t help thinking, “They‘d all jump to attention and salute me if they knew whose daughter I am.” But the others were only thinking of how they’d get through, and hoping the soldiers would not ask any questions. Fortunately they did not. But one ofthem picked a carrot out of a peasant‘s basket and threw it at Shasta with a rough laugh, saying:
“Hey! Horse.boy! You’ll catch it if your master finds you‘ve been using his saddle.horse for pack work.”
This frightened him badly for of course it showed that no one who knew anything about horses would mistake Bree for anything but a charger.