There would be two supply caravans a week for the next two months until winter made traversing the passes of the Zarukhan Mountain Range too precarious for Ukhara carts. With these supplies, the earthen forts marking the new border of the Omagala Empire would develop their infrastructure throughout the winter and start expanding the farmlands in the following spring. That had been the original plan.

However, the steppe people's raids threw it all into disarray. Not a single caravan made it to its destination, no matter how the fort garrisons tried to combine and maneuver their troops. It left the frontier severely lacking in supplies. Let alone being able to build up the barebones forts into towns, they would not even be able to survive the winter at this rate. Something had to be done.

Word reached the Omagala Empire's capital through messenger birds and express riders within a week of the first attack. The decision was swift: A punitive force would be sent to annihilate the steppe raiders in the region, then bolster the local garrison in case of future attacks. Ten thousand troops set out from the capital, reinforced by twenty thousand more from various cities along the way to the north. The army was projected to arrive within a month.

The coalition of the steppe learned all this from several messengers they captured coming and going from the border fortresses. Thirty thousand was more than they had anticipated, but that only meant the two sides were even. However, they fought on the steppe people's homeland, wide open plains with unlimited space for their mounted archers to maneuver. It would merely be a repeat of the first clash against the fort garrison.

When Viyal heard the news, she was not as optimistic. The coalition forces' losses had been quite minimal so far, but that was only because of their superior numbers and the weakness of the enemy. This time, they would doubtlessly face a veteran general who had been honed in the fires of the empire's civil war. While the individual quality of their soldiers was higher, they would still incur heavy losses in an all-out battle.

She sat with Altuna outside her family's tent and discussed war plans independently from the chiefs since they were too young to join the real strategy meetings. However, they knew that these days, the coalition leaders mostly engaged in feasts at the expense of the supply caravans they raided. As expected, even prudent leaders grew complacent through repeated easy victories.

"There really isn't much to say about the region. It's almost all flat land with few hills to hide large numbers behind," Altuna explained, waving her wing across the map of the region she secretly made a copy of and brought with her.

"We would see them coming from over the horizon," added Viyal with a thoughtful frown.

"But the same goes for the enemy. We can't ambush them." Altuna sighed and closed her eyes.

"Mobility is still the most important. Even with few numbers, we would be able to chip away at them out on the field." Viyal placed a blank arrow shaft beyond the perfectly smooth rocks that symbolized the earthen forts along the river. The arrow represented the Gadat army during their march, a long procession traveling in a straight line. Then she dropped a handful of pebbles all around the arrow. "Strike them from the sides with detachments and attack in waves."

Mamai placed two cups of sweetened milk and dried and sugared meat snacks on the table beside the two girls, but they did not even notice her presence. They were so engrossed in their discussion that they did not have time to eat or drink all day. The little Diao stood by them silently, her eyes darting every which way nervously whenever her ears picked up a sound of camp life nearby.

"That would be the best, but if they see our side coming from afar, won't they form up into a wide formation before we get close enough?" Altuna argued and turned the arrow sideways. The sizes of the armies were obviously not to scale compared to the map, but it was an acceptable visualization of how the battlefield would evolve.

Viyal looked at the line of pebbles facing the long arrow. From the battle they witnessed, the Gadat preferred to fight defensively and stay in formation. The overeager garrison commander broke up his mobile fortress to chase after the mounted archers feigning retreat, which resulted in a catastrophic rout and total annihilation. He had given up his one advantage over the steppe people due to ignorance and hubris.

They could not expect the same from a veteran general who was used to leading in the field. If the two armies met out in the open, the Gadat would remain in their heavy shield formations and pick off any approaching riders with their crossbows while weathering the hail of arrows until it ran out. Once that happened, the coalition could either retreat and restock their ammunition or attempt to engage in melee combat.

"It's difficult," commented Altuna, letting her sharp gaze sweep across the map. She knew the warriors of the steppe better than Viyal. They would see their leaders as weak if they retreated from a passive enemy.

"Why did it have to be equal numbers," Viyal complained futilely. A direct clash would only result in unacceptable losses for the coalition. They faced an enemy who was better equipped and had an entire nation of potential reinforcements behind them. The steppe people needed an overwhelming victory against their elite. Only then would the flood of Gadat invaders cease. To do that, they had to leverage the only advantage over the Gadat they had: Mobility.

Their thoughts went in circles. Viyal wondered what the chiefs' plan was, but they did not reveal anything outside their meetings. Not a single person from the steppe would betray their own people, but Gadat spies could have already infiltrated the coalition camp. They were no longer in their small tribal units where everybody knew each other. People from different tribes came through the Zakhira's camp on a daily basis. Who could tell if one among them was an enemy spy?

"What are you doing?" asked Tashi as he approached with Yunil in the late afternoon. Judging by their wet hair, they did some sparring and washed themselves afterward. At this point, the Nokkoy no longer hid it from Viyal and showed off her prowess in several training sessions. At her rate of growth, she could become one of the strongest warriors among the Zakhira in a few years.

"Despairing," Viyal responded with a sigh.

"Worrying about things you can't affect, you mean?" Yunil said, glancing at the map on the table between Altuna and her sister. Then she pushed aside the tent flap and looked inside before turning around and furrowing her brow. "Where are Lavaro and Layavi?"

"Huh?" Viyal's heart skipped a beat, and she jumped up from her seat. Yunil kept the tent flap open for her as she ran inside and looked around with increasing horror. Her mother and Aunt Zalavi had gone to the coalition market and left the twins in her care for the day. She had entertained them until Altuna came by and then sat outside with her for their serious discussions. It would appear they had slipped away unnoticed and gone off on their own.

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"It should be fine," said Altuna with a shrug, but Viyal did not share her lack of concern. Her aunt had given her a task, so if anything happened to the twins, even something as minor as tripping and chafing a knee, it was on her.

"Did you see where they went?" Viyal asked Mamai, but the little Diao did not understand and only shrunk under her intensity. Seeing this, she calmed herself and took a deep breath.

"What's the big deal? Everybody here knows who they are. No harm will come to them," argued Yunil. She remembered running around the camp with her sister when they were still only toddlers. Their parents had let them roam free, knowing the tribe would look after them.

"It's not just the Zakhira anymore. There are a lot of strangers coming through!" Viyal flared up, taking her sister by surprise. Then she looked at everybody and requested, "Help me find them."

"We knew you would notice and panic about now," the familiar voices of Savira and Vayari called out to her in unison. She spun around and found her brothers' wives approaching, carrying one of the twins on their backs each. They were fast asleep, likely exhausted from playing all day.

"Thank you for looking after them." Viyal sighed in relief. "How did they end up with you?"

"We found them wandering close to the training grounds," explained Savira, causing Viyal's face to go even whiter than it already was. She looked over her shoulder at Lavaro and continued, "This little rascal was pulling his sister along to watch the warriors even though she said it was dangerous."

The training ground had riders training in mounted combat. The thought that her little cousins could have been trampled by Shinoona due to her carelessness twisted Viyal's guts. Vayari saw her expression and smiled wryly.

"Nothing happened, so everything is fine. If you need help taking care of them next time, do tell us," she said, shifting Layavi's weight on her back.

"Thank you so much for keeping them safe. Oh. Please come in and unload them," noticing her rudeness, Viyal held the tent flap open for her sisters-in-law and invited them in. They nodded with warm smiles and walked inside to put them down on their beds. Tashi quickly helped start a fire to illuminate and heat the room as the sun was about to set. Their family would return soon, so they needed to prepare a warm home to welcome.

Savira set up tea on the fireplace while Viyal asked Vayari to help with the cooking preparations. Mamai stood next to them and made sure to learn their every move. As the handmaiden, it would soon be expected of her to do these tasks. Yunil and Altuna watched from the sidelines, one too clumsy to cook and the other too coddled to ever have learned it. Soon, a warm atmosphere and the delicious smell of food spread through the large tent.

Usually, the wives cooked the meals while their husbands were out. It was rare for Nayavi and Zalavi to be out and enjoy some time off, so Viyal felt like surprising them with this. The chief's family could also have somebody cook for them on the camp grill, most often Mannogur since he had the best secret seasoning. But after thinking about matters of war for the whole day, Viyal wanted to distract herself with some menial tasks.

"What is this? A warm meal waiting for us?" Nayavi and Zalavi opened the tent flap and wondered. They carried baskets filled with food and snacks from the coalition market. The traditional Zakhira meal cooked by the children would be complemented with specialties from various other tribes.

When they were about finished with the preparations, the tent flap was opened again, and cool air streamed inside. But on it was a familiar scent. It was Amiro and Gavro, returning directly from the gathering of chiefs. They were surprised by the veritable feast, then picked up on the hints and gestures from their wives that it was not their achievement. It only increased their consideration of this meal.

"You smell of wine," Viyal commented with a frown, addressing her father. She knew her mother would not reprimand her husband for feasting with the other chiefs since it was considered normal when spending time among peers. But she was piqued by their complacency while the children worried about the future.

"And you reek of unnecessary worry," Amiro responded with an exaggerated sniff. He ruffled Viyal's hair and sat down beside his wife before pulling his daughter onto his lap. "I see that you have been spending all day thinking about the coming battles."

Viyal leaned back against her father's muscular chest but froze at those words. Then, she remembered that they left the map on the table outside. He must have seen it before entering the tent. She looked at Mamai, who flinched under her gaze but did not understand the reason for it. She could not expect the little Diao to clean up after them yet. Then she glanced at Altuna with a meaningful furrowing of her brow, but the Shuva did not grasp the signal and tilted her head quizzically.

"What do you think about joining our next strategy council?" But to Viyal's surprise, Amiro suggested this instead of admonishing her. Before she could misunderstand, he quickly added, "Strictly as an observer, of course."

"Would I really be allowed inside?" she peered up at her father with a questioning expression, suppressing the urge to cry out in joy. She would love nothing more than to hear the plans of the chiefs and hopefully gain peace of mind after learning that they had everything figured out.

"You are the coalition co-leader's daughter. The world currently revolves around him and the Snowblood," Gavro chimed in, reassuring his niece with a grin. "The other chiefs will listen when he demands it."

Viyal looked between her uncle and her father, then nodded in understanding. She thought nothing of what would have constituted an abuse of power in her previous life. What was the point if one made it to a position of power and did not use it for their own benefit? If an opportunity presented itself, she would speak up about an idea she had regarding how to handle the empire's punitive force.

"I know what you are thinking," Amiro growled and ruffled Viyal's hair again.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Father," she said, blinking her eyes innocently and feigning ignorance.

The tent flap was opened again, and in came Noro and Saro. They held the doorway open for Zagaro. The twins must have returned home but found their tent empty before judging that the whole family was gathered here. When the elderly Mosyv saw his daughters, his usually harsh mien softened into a warm gaze. His dense gray beard covered his lips, but he was doubtlessly smiling underneath it.

The whole Mosyv family was gathered now. Shizuru recalled her cold home in the large Akashi estate. Her meals were held alone in the large dining room at the oversized table, accompanied only by a silent maid waiting on her. Compared to that lavish lifestyle with all the best amenities money could buy, tribal life was harsh and inconvenient.

But now, after years of living as Viyal, she understood what happiness truly meant. She would not trade this loving family for anything in this or the past world. If her prophecy of world conquest meant she would lose them, she would rather not have it.

"Where is Rowen?" Viyal suddenly realized and looked around the tent. Sometimes, he would sit silently in a dark corner and look like an inanimate suit of armor put on display. However, today, there was no sign of him.

"Rowen, come inside. The princess asks for you," Noro and Saro called out toward the tent door, smirking all the while. A moment later, it was brushed aside, and the old knight peered inside almost gingerly. He had been waiting outside like a mere guard, seemingly considering himself nothing more than a sword of the chief's family. Even now, he needed an explicit invitation and would not come and go naturally like Tashi and Altuna already did.

"The family would not be complete without you," Viyal stood up and declared, extending a hand toward him. He took it and bowed deeply.

"You are too kind, young lady," he said, sounding genuinely moved.

"Now, let us eat," Amiro clapped his hands and announced joyously.

Viyal watched her family begin the meal, chatting about their day. Forgotten was the fact they were here for war. It almost felt like they were transported back to their seasonal migratory route. And soon, it would be like that again. They would beat back the Gadat and return to their peaceful steppe life. Viyal would grow up, celebrate her thirteenth birthday, and begin her path toward world conquest in due time.

She smiled at the thought, not knowing that this was the last time her whole family would be together like this.