It was six days before Yesui returned and she was very secretive about where she had been. Over those six days, Alqa had spent a lot of time with Yid and Baatar. Two days after Yesui’s return, Baatar approached Alqa. “Want to help prepare the bison for eating?” He asked, he was quiet and still sounded shy but he was friendly. It was surprising, he had rarely spoken to Alqa before and never without his sister present.
“Sure,” Alqa smiled. He started walking away towards the meat rack. The bison was hanging from its back hooves. Alqa took it down and laid it on a wooden table. The bison had already been skinned, gutted and salted so as to preserve it.
“Buqutai said he wants bana,” Baatar told her.
“Ok,” Alqa said, she took an iron knife from a leather pouch and sharpened it with a whetstone. She oiled it and cleaned the oil off. “Do you want to cut or do you want to fold?” Alqa asked.
“What do you want to do?” Baatar responded.
“I can do either. Which would you rather do?” Alqa told him.
“I don’t have a preference, do whatever you would prefer,” He told her.
“It seems we both will just do whatever,” Alqa laughed. Baatar smiled, it was the first time Alqa had seen him smile.
He thought for a moment, and said, “I’ll fold,” Alqa smiled and nodded. Baatar walked off to get some other ingredients. As he did, Alqa prepared the iron disks and some more knives.
Baatar came back with Ogt, Baidar and Tsetse. They carried baskets of tairaag, spice mixtures imported from the east and dough. Tsetse left and came back with a few jars of honey from the honey-eaters. Baidar and Baatar waited patiently while Alqa cut chunks of bison off, squished them into patties and then handed them off to Ogt who diced them and passed them to Tsetse. She then put the meat into a mortar with tairaag and the spices. Most times bana did not have spices, Alqa had never had spiced food other than the most basic of spices, such as asafoetida powder. There was no doubt from the horrible putrid stench the spices gave off, that they were mostly asafoetida powder. Of course the plants didn’t grow in the steppe so this powder would have had to be purchased, bartered for or looted in a raid.
Tsetse grinded the meat, spices and tairaag together before either Baatar or Baidar scooped out a small amount and put it into the middle of a circular disk of dough. They then folded and twisted the dough around the bana and put them off to the side. It took quite a long time. Once all the meat was cut off, Alqa went to get a spit and iron pot. Baatar and Ogt followed while Tsetseg and Baidar finished their tasks. Ogt picked up an iron pot and went to get her horse and take it to be filled at the stream. This left Alqa and Baatar alone. He didn’t look at her, just at the ground, while she dug a small ditch with a small iron shovel. “Alqa, look,” Baatar suddenly ordered. Alqa looked up. From the south came a cart full of pots and long hollow reeds. Two warriors rode alongside it and a team of four horses pulled it, a team of six slaves rode in a cart that came behind the first.
They watched the slaves dismount their cart and start unloading the cargo. “What is it?” Alqa asked.
“I don’t know,” Baatar told her. They soon returned to their work and Alqa finished the ditch and they worked together to start setting up the spit. The sticks were sharpened on the bottom end and each stuck one in the ground at an even distance from the ditch. Then Baatar laid the last stick across the top. It fit into two carved slots on top of the stand sticks. Ogt returned with a full water pot and Baatar grabbed a bunch of dry grass as Alqa and Ogt worked to hang the pot on the middle stick. Once they had it secure, Baatar filled the ditch with the dry grass and Ogt got a wooden fire starting kit, she used it with such mastery and got the fire started quickly. They waited until the water boiled, then called Baidar and Tsetse over, they brought the bana over and dumped them straight into the pot.
It was a while before the bana started floating but when each one did it was swiftly plucked out by Ogt with a pair of long, thin sticks and placed on a wooden platter. There were so many bana that Alqa lost count. Once all the bana were out and done, Ogt, Baidar and Tsetse took the platter to be stored for the night’s celebrations. “Uh… Alqa. Do you want to go see what that cart brought?” Baatar asked, looking down. It was odd to Alqa, it was like he couldn’t maintain eye contact.
“Sure,” Alqa responded, smiling. For all Baatar’s shyness, he was really friendly. They walked up to the area where the slaves had put the contents of the cart. The liquid inside the pots was a brown-ish liquid with the viscosity of water. “Is that beer?” Alqa asked. She had never seen such an expensive beverage before. Then Alqa noticed that Baatar was no longer next to her. She looked around and then spied him only moments before he stood up and looked at her.
“I found wine!” He called her over. Alqa approached him, the wine was dark reddish-purple and gave off a strong,sweet, aromatic aroma.
“I found beer, I think. How do you know that is wine?” Alqa asked.
“It smells like wine,” Baatar responded, matter-of-factly. Alqa looked at him, he looked so relaxed, he was never relaxed.
“Hey, I’m going to go get ready for tonight, you need me for anything else?” Alqa asked.
“No, see you later Alqa,” Baatar said. He looked into her eyes and even though he quickly looked away. Alqa felt like he was finally starting to become less shy. Alqa was sitting alone in her yurt, she assumed Dagan was out with Sugekui. Talking to Baatar had reminded her of Qotoiyan. Why was she still thinking about him though? It made no sense to her.
The sky had turned orange when Alqa heard Yesui at the entrance to her yurt. “Alqa, are you in there? May I come in?” Yesui asked.
“Of course,” Alqa responded. Yesui entered, she held a large wicker basket which she set down in front of Alqa. It held a folded up tiger orange tsud with snow white trim. It also held a boiled leather headband with a crown of white feathers glued into the top.
“Take off your clothes,” Yesui ordered.
“Why?” Alqa asked, confused.
“Because I need to make sure this fits,” Yesui explained, pointing at the tsud.
“That’s for me? I thought it was yours,” Alqa asked.
“Nope, it's yours. Is this your first Succession?” Yesui told her. Alqa nodded. She took off her tsud and let it drop to the floor. Yesui handed her the tsud and Alqa put it on. It had a peacock blue sash that had previously been hidden, which she also put on and then she put her belt on. The tsud was loose but not uncomfortable.
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“It's a little loose,” Alqa told Yesui. Taking a sewing kit from the basket, another thing Alqa had not seen, Yesui began tightening it until Alqa told her it was good.
Next Alqa took off her boots and trousers, putting on the new trousers, which were the same color as the tsud but had no white trim. The trousers fit well and only needed very minor modifications by Yesui.
“Do I have to wear that crown?”
“If you want, I made it for you,”
“Fine,” Alqa said. Once she was dressed, Yesui handed her the feather-crown thing and Alqa put it on. Yesui braided Alqa’s hair, two braids hanging down to her shoulders and one wrapping around the crown of her head, but the rest was left unbraided. Yesui left and Alqa sat alone in her yurt, it was fairly daunting to be going out, she had never drank beer or wine before, so that would be interesting.
Eventually, Alqa heard the sounds of people starting to come out of their yurts. Standing up and adjusting the feather-crown thing, Alqa stepped out of the yurt. She was instantly met with the sight of people mingling, Alqa stepped forward towards the crowd and suddenly she felt hands on her shoulders. Alqa grabbed her knife and spun around, it was just Yid. Yid laughed hysterically, “You were so scared!” Yid exclaimed, grasping her gut. Alqa’s brain immediately went to her fleeing the destruction of her Yisra, she HAD been scared. She was a coward. No more cowardice.
“I was not scared!” Alqa shot back.
“Oh. You weren’t?” Yid asked mockingly. Alqa walked away from her, sheathing the dagger as she did. It wasn’t much longer before everybody started gathering around Buqutai. He stood in front of his yurt and Alqa could see empty carts behind it, but they weren’t the same as had arrived earlier. She wondered when they had arrived but didn’t think much of it. Buqutai raised his hands in a motion for silence and everybody hushed up.
“As you are all well aware, some days ago my father, Kiingisii Qutuqäz, son of Buriiii Qutuqäz and Miidiia Qutuqäsa died. Tonight is my ascension to the position of Riidagak and as is our tradition, I have acquired a gift for each and every one of you,” Buqutai announced. “Yesuiiia Qutuqäsa come forward and receive your gift,” Yesui approached and bowed, locking her knees and bending at her hips with her arms rigid at her side.
A slave carrying an off-white felt package approached and taking it, Buqutai opened it. The item that now sat in the open was a beautiful composite bow, the orange light reflecting off it made it seem as bright as the sun. Many people got gifts after that, most children got toys, many warriors got weapons, some got armor and finally it was Alqa’s turn. “Alqaiia Qutuqäsa, come forward and receive your gift,” Buqutai announced.Alqa heeded the summons, she walked forward and stopped just in front of Buqutai, she bowed in the same way as all the children and warriors before her had. Buqutai received another off-white felt package from the slave and opened it. Inside sat a madder red felt saddle with tassels of golden thread, long enough to hang below Nergui’s stomach. The saddle had elaborate scene of bison being hunted by wolves while an eagle flew overhead. The bison were made in brown thread, the wolves in navy blue and the eagle in snow white. It had three leather straps. One that went around Nergui’s chest, one that went around her stomach and one that was meant to rest just below her tail. Alqa bowed again and returned to the crowd, carrying the saddle. She didn’t pay attention for the rest of the ceremony, marveling at the beauty of the saddle. She finally had a saddle to ride Nergui. That would make riding more comfortable for both of them.
Eventually they were all dismissed to put their gifts in their yurts and then returned to the assembly. Alqa found Baatar and Yid at the front and stood next to Baatar. Buqutai stood in front of his yurt and looked around like he was looking for something. Then Alqa spied Yesui, holding the bison horn in her hand, she walked towards Buqutai. Alqa could see that the horn had been rimmed with gold. Yesui reached Buqutai and knelt down before him, holding the horn up to him and looking at the ground. “Buqutaiii Qutuqäz Riidagak. Will you take me to be your mate? Will you accept my sole devotion and obedience?” Yesui asked of Buqutai. Alqa looked at Yid and Baatar, their faces told her that they were just as shocked as she was. Alqa turned back to Yesui and Buqutai to see what would unfold next. Buqutai gently picked the horn out of Yesui’s hands and handed it to one of the slaves. He took Yesui’s hands and lifted her up.
“I would be honored to accept you as my mate, Yesuiiia Qutuqäsa Riidagakaa,” Buqutai responded. He leaned to a slave, and whispered something that Alqa couldn’t hear. The slave returned shortly with a palomino stallion, the same horse that had been given to them at the Tsugurubug. “To hold up my end, I grant Toqemu to you, along with his war-regalia. And I offer my sole devotion and obedience” Buqutai told Yesui.
“I would be honored to accept, Buqutaiii Qutuqäz Riidagak,” Yesui responded.
Shortly after the party started in earnest, now with two things to celebrate, the general consensus was to party twice as hard. Yid quickly left her brother behind, which left Alqa and Baatar alone. “You want wine or beer?” Alqa asked Baatar shortly after Yid abandoned them.
“I don’t know, which do you want?” Baatar responded.
“We are not doing this again, once per day is enough,” Alqa told him, laughing a little.
“Wine then, we can circle around to the beer,” Baatar told her. Alqa smiled and they went to get some wine. They chose drinking horns and filled them with wine. Alqa took a sip, it was sweet and strong. The strong smell did not lie. “Is it good?” Baatar asked. Alqa nodded, it was good and she liked it. The food was set out in a buffet and so was the drinks. Buqutai lit a large pyre and the warriors and children began dancing around it in a group of three concentric circles. These circles moved in alternating directions and both Alqa and Baatar joined in.They all whooped and howled while dancing. That lasted for some time and was pretty tiring.
Alqa and Baatar left the dance, and sat down. “Would you like some food?” he asked. Alqa nodded. “What would you like?” he asked.
“Wine and I don’t care what else,” Alqa told him. He left and returned with platters of food and they sat cross-legged across from each other with the two platters. The platters had bana, flatbread, boiled fat, bone marrow, rendered fat in small wooden bowls, boiled beets, fried barely dough balls and fried cheese curds. Baatar left again and brought back two small bowls of tairaag and carved wooden spoons. He finally sat down and they started eating.
“You didn’t have to wait for me,” he told her.
“Well it would have been rude, you got the food after all,” Alqa told him, smiling. He smiled back at her. Eating took a good bit of time and all around them, warriors and children were drinking wine, beer and gusui. By the time Alqa and Baatar were done eating, many warriors were drunk and Alqa was feeling a little tipsy.
Alqa stood up, stumbling as she did, they walked around a little. Then they came across a comedic sight. Baidar and Tsetse, both naked and completely drunk, were squatted down, knees extended out and they were bouncing from one leg to the other. There were six spectators. “Is it a competition?” Baatar asked, turning to Alqa who shrugged. They watched, and quickly figured out it was a competition of who could stay up the longest. Tsetse won, then they got up, reset and started again. “What will you bet that Tsetse wins again?” Alqa whispered to Baatar. He smiled, thought for a moment and then replied.
“A kiss?” he suggested, that was the moment Alqa realized that he was also somewhat drunk. She laughed, and to her own surprise, she was drunker than she had originally thought and agreed.They waited, watching Tsetse and Baidar until, predictably, Baidar fell again. Baatar looked at Alqa and smiled.
“Not here,” Alqa told him and started walking away to a more private area. Baatar followed her.
Alqa stopped once they were alone. Baatar approached her, “what do I do?” he asked. Even though he was drunk, Alqa could tell he still had some of himself. Alqa shrugged, she wasn’t sure herself and it was an overall awkward situation. Baatar waited for a second then hugged her. He brought his face close to hers and kissed her. It was sweet and surprising and actually kind of pleasant. He didn’t pull away as fast as Alqa thought he would but she really started to panic when he started to move his hands across her back. Alqa slowly pulled out her dagger and put it between her and Baatar, pointing towards him. She was now in full panic mode and didn’t even think about hurting him, he stepped forward, pushing her off balance. Alqa stumbled and fell back, she quickly scrambled to her feet and watched Baatar stumble back too. He quickly retreated, holding his stomach. Alqa sheathed her dagger and returned to her yurt for the night.