The drill was already underway when Batu reached the rise.
Two mingans were on the flat ground below, one from Torghul's tumen, one from Orda's White Horde, working a coordination exercise across the open ground north of Sarai.
The winter air was still and the cold precise, and the horses' breath came up in white mist from both formations. Penk's relay rider stood at Torghul's coordination point on the left. Orda's formation had its own riders at position but no equivalent auxiliary at the coordination point.
Torghul was already on the rise when Batu arrived. Orda stood beside him with his arms at his sides, watching the drill with the attention of who had identified the problem and was waiting to see it confirmed. Tangqut was closer to them. Toqa-Timur a few steps behind. Berke stood at the outer edge of the group, slightly apart, as was his habit.
