It took just over thirty days for Dokuz to finish the mana or stadi. During the time, the Rovoaida had continued east and Alqa, Qotoiyan and Narantui had gone on multiple journeys to the nearby Baal Tusgra to collect weapons and armor. The armor they got was mostly helmets, orqhu, and meqyirdana because those were what were still relatively plentiful. They got a long light lance for the mana or stadi. Dokuz gave Alqa the mana or stadi. On one end it had a loop, which slid over the lance and was nailed on to stay in place.

All the preparations were ready, except for one thing, the thing Alqa had dreaded doing most. Asking Sere what she wanted. She approached Sere, who was playing with small ivory figurines. “Sere, can I have a very important conversation with you?” Alqa asked, crouching down. Sere nodded absentmindedly. “Sere this is important, put your figurines down and look at me,”

“Fine, what?”

“Qotoiyan, Turqa, Abagai, Narantui, Dinget, Iya, Eltentseg and I are leaving to go fight as mercenaries in Geyergliqid, and I–” Alqa said, she didn’t get to finish the sentence because Sere interrupted her.

“Can I come!?” Sere exclaimed excitedly. “I’ll be on my best behavior! I promise!”

“You would have to leave your father and brother behind,” Alqa said.

“Oh, but if I stay here, you all would leave me behind,”

“Yes Sere, we would,”

“When do we leave?” Sere asked.

“As soon as you’re ready,” Alqa said. She stood up and walked away. Sere was ready that evening, not that she actually owned that much anyway.

Early in the morning they loaded everything onto carts, two yurts per cart and one extra for supplies. They hitched them to their horses and then Buqutai gathered everybody together. Alqa, Narantui, Qotoiyan, Turqa, Abagai and Sere stood in front of the rallied Yisra. Before anything was said, Dinget casually pranced over and sat down next to Alqa, pressing against her leg. She reached down and scratched his head, at least he was coming.

She scanned the congregated people, these were all people she had known for nine years, still less than half of her life, but a long time. Her eyes settled on Dagan, she was only barely able to hold back tears, it felt like she was losing him for good, but her old life was over, she had a new life. Was it really so bad to lose that last large piece? “We are leaving,” she announced. “We are going to serve as mercenaries in Geyergliqid. I will miss you and I love you all. I thank you for allowing me to join you all for these past nine years. Without your love and aid, I would have surely died in the steppe,”

Buqutai stepped forward, in his hands, he held a bronze keburg. “Alqaiia Qutuqäsa Riidagakaa. To you I grant this keburg, the symbol of our station,” Buqutai said. He handed the keburg to her. Alqa took it. The body was patterned after the feathers of an eagle and the head after the head and beak of an eagle. She bowed with respect and Buqutai returned it, he turned around. Alqa’s heart pounded in her chest, not in fear, but excitement. She ran her finger along the feather patterns of the keburg. A deep, horrible feeling, like the teeth of a lion sinking deep into her belly, grew in the pit of her stomach.

She looked up, Buqutai was addressing the crowd, but she didn’t listen. In a few moments, it was over. The crowd began to disperse, most approached her to say goodbye, but Dagan didn’t. She returned to her yurt with her family, Narantui and Dinget. They made their final preparations to leave. Finally they were ready. Alqa mounted Iya and lifted Turqa up into the saddle with her. Abagai rode with Qotoiyan and Sere with Narantui. Their first order of business would be to find Tuva Khan and swear allegiance. Last Alqa had known, he was to the north, so that is where they would go.

They were on the southern edge of the Yisra, so they circled around the eastern edge to travel north. When they reached the northern edge of the Yisra, Sugekui rode in front of them. Alqa stopped as Sugekui approached. “May we come with you?” Sugekui asked.

“We?”

“Garltai, Dagan, Ogt, Yid, Gaa and I,”

“Yes you may,” Alqa said. The group halted and helped Dagan, Yid and Sugekui pack and load their yurts into carts, hitch those carts to Garltai and Gaa and then they were off once again. Progress was slow, the carts were slowed down by the mud and it was very frequent that they had to get off their horses and push the carts out of extra muddy spots. They made progress slowly, but they finally reached a relatively dry patch large enough to fit their yurts. Raising their yurts as quickly as they could as the wind picked up, howling like a keburg.

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That first night was uncomfortable, the three children fell asleep rather quickly, but Alqa and Qotoiyan did ot find sleep so easily. “Are you nervous?” Qotoiyan asked, he walked over to sit next to her.

“Of course, am I even ready?” Alqa asked. Qotoiyan leaned his head on her shoulder.

“I think that if anybody can handle this, it’s you. You’re determined, I know that. You out of all of us can do this,”

“But what if I can’t. I ran away before, what if I run away again. I’m just a coward,”

“You are not a coward Alqa. I know that, you should know that. You won’t run away, not if those three are what you are fighting for,” Qotoiyan said, gesturing to where Turqa, Abagai and Sere were sleeping. Alqa smiled, she had a family, but was she leading it to its destruction? She resolved to change the subject, pushing all of her fears back down into the pit of her stomach.

“Who will hold the mana or stadi? Whatever it is called,” Alqa asked.

“I thought you spoke Rovwai’mla or whatever it is called,”

“Rovoai’Omila. Yes I do speak it well enough, but Rynyna never told me the difference between a mana and a stadi,” Alqa said.

“Well whoever holds it should be somebody we trust, and they need to know how to use a lance,” Qotoiyan said. Alqa’s mind went through who was there and what were their preferred weapons, Dagan, hooked spear, Sugekui, bow, Qotoiyan, axe, Narantui, lance. Yes, that was it, Narantui should be the one with the banner.

“Narantui. She uses a lance already, it's just a lance with an extra weight on the end,” Alqa said.

“Alright, I’ll tell her to do it in the morning,” Qotoiyan said, with a huge grin on his face.

“You like being able to tell her what to do don’t you?”

“She’s gotten to boss me around my whole life, it's my turn,” Alqa leaned her head on Qotoiyan’s.

“I’m glad you’re coming with me,” Everything felt perfect, except for that returning feeling in the pit of her stomach.

They woke up the next morning and took down the yurts and loaded them back onto the carts. Before they left, Alqa approached Narantui with the mana or stadi. “Narantui. I want you to be the one to hold this,”

“Thank you, riidagakaa,” Narantui said, she bowed and took the lance. Alqa refrained from smiling, though it was hard. She left and mounted Iya. They rode north for about another half day before they saw the Khan’s yisra. Unmistakable do to its large size, they pressed on until they were only a very short ride away and stopped. While Sugekui, Dagan, Turqa, Abagai and Sere stayed back to set up the yurts, Alqa, Qotoiyan and Narantui unhitched their horses and continued on.

It wasn’t long before a group of Ӓrchgekui rode out to meet them. “State your names and business,”

“I am Alqaiia Qutuqäsa, daughter of Tarmaagii Qutuqäz and Bortuiia Qutuqäsa. Adopted daughter of Buqutaiii Qutuqäz Riidagak and Yesuiiia Qutuqäsa Riidagakaa. This is my mate Qotoiyanii Qutuqäz, son of Begterii Qutuqäz and Narantsegiia Qutuqäsa. And this is his sister Narantuiiia Qutuqäsa, daughter of Begterii Qutuqäz and Narantsegiia Qutuqäsa,” Alqa said, she unhooked the keburg from the side of her saddle. “We have come to swear fealty to Tuva Khanii Qutuqäz,”

“Follow us,” The Ӓrchgekui said, the group turned their horses and began to return to the Yisra, Alqa kicked Iya into motion to follow them. They were told to wait at one point and then were later told to dismount and follow yet another Ӓrchgekui. Finally they came to the largest yurt, decorated with elaborate patterns of purple and animal skins, the splendor of the Khan’s yurt far outweighed anything Alqa had seen, save for maybe the Khan’s armor. Then the flap opened.

Tuva Khan stepped out, he wore upon his head his tall conical dark purple hat. The horse ornamentation and golden thread ornamentation shone in the midday light. He wore a tiger pelt as a cloak, the stripes of fire and soot seemed almost glowing in the sun. His tsud, was pure and the darkest purple so that it seemed black, absorbing all light that it found. His curved boots were reinforced with silver and gold studs. He was tall, taller than Alqa, she guessed that Zerqaid had been taller, but save Zerqaid, she could not place anyone as taller than Tuva Khan. His belt still held a golden dagger, and a curved sword, but he did not have any bows or arrows upon his person.

“Alqa. I remember that name. It has been nine winters since we last met, I do trust that you are satisfied with the vengeance we achieved?”

“Yes lord,” Alqa said. She bowed, and laid her keburg at his feet.

“I am told you are moving up in this world,”

“Yes lord. I seek to lead an Aidyi in the war in Geyerliqid,”

“Very good. Enough power and wealth from that can even get you to where I am. Simply repeat after me. I do swear before Agaa Iija and Maisuya that Tuva Khanii Qutuqäz, son of Temujinii Qutuqäz and Mideiia Qutuqäsa is my Khan,” Tuva Khan said.

“I do swear before Agaa Iija and Maisuya that Tuva Khanii Qutuqäz, son of Temujinii Qutuqäz and Mideiia Qutuqäsa is my Khan,”

“And I shall never raise my bow against him, but shall raise it in his defense,”

“And I shall never raise my bow against him, but shall raise it in his defense,”

“I shall serve him faithfully and let his honor be my honor,”

“I shall serve him faithfully and let his honor be my honor,”

“Then, I Tuva Khanii Qutuqäz, son of Temujinii Qutuqäz and Mideiia Qutuqäsa, do formally grant you the rank of Riidagakaa. Bring glory to Qergaiäz Qutuqii. I know you shall,” Tuva Khan said. He lifted the keburg and returned it to Alqa. She bowed to Tuva Khan and stepped back. Qotoiyan went through the same process but without the keburg.