Alqa woke up with Qotoiyan beside her. “What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know to be honest. I kinda just came here without thinking. You look very peaceful while sleeping,”

“My back hurts,”

“I’m going to change your bandage. I can look at your back if you want,”

“I’ll think about it. Did I miss the funeral?”

“No,” Qotoiyan said, taking off her bandage and cleaning the wound. Alqa grimaced as the water flowed over the wound. Qotoiyan dried and wrapped it up. “You’re brave,”

“No. I’m not. I froze when you were about to fight Taben,”

“Alqa. You did great. Taben can be difficult. He’s the oldest and has always been extra protective over Narantui and I. He just wants to make sure what happened to Narantui doesn’t happen to me,”

“I know, you can take a look at my back if you want,” Alqa said. She unclipped her tsud so the top fell down around her waist, hanging over her belt. Qotoiyan gingerly poked her back in various places. She winced every time pressure was applied.

“I think you just hurt it when you fell Alqa, you’ll be alright,”

“Thanks,” Alqa said, she reattached the tsud and turned around to face him.

“You want to go and walk around now?”

“Yeah,” Alqa said, they exited the yurt and Alqa quickly saw Baatar waiting for her. He stared at them in shock and then laughed.

“Either I’m going deaf or you two are really quiet!”

“Quiet at what?” Alqa asked.

“Mating! What else would you two be doing in there?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe… Sleeping!” Alqa exclaimed. Qotoiyan laughed.

“Was that sarcasm or were you two actually sleeping?” Baatar asked.

“We were actually sleeping Baatar,”

“Oh, ok. At least I’m not going deaf. Anyway, Alqa, Narantui wants to see you before the funeral,”

“Alright,” Alqa said. Baatar started to lead her to Narantui’s yurt. Qotoiyan went to go help with funeral preparations. “Hey Baatar,”

“Yeah?”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t automatically assume Qotoiyan and I mate whenever we are alone,”

“Sorry,”

They arrived and Baatar left. Alqa approached the tent flap “Narantui?”

“Yes, come in,” Narantui said. Alqa entered the yurt. Narantui was laying on her furs and next to her, sat Taben. In the front, his weapons were laid out on top of a white tsud.

Alqa started to lay her weapons on the tsud as well but was suddenly stopped by Taben’s voice, “No Alqa, it’s a peace offering. Does the Yisra of Buqutai not do this?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t lived with them long enough,”

“What?”

“Qotoiyan hasn’t told you?”

“Wait… your name does sound familiar—,” Taben said.

“Well maybe because she unofficially mated with your brother you—,” Narantui exclaimed, she stopped herself, realizing what she had just revealed. “Bes iyi yaamgiia. I’m so sorry Alqa, you probably told me that in confidence. Didn’t you?”

“It’s fine, he was going to find out eventually,” Alqa said laughing. “What did you want me for?”

“Actually I wanted you. I wanted to apologize and to thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t have a sister,” Taben said.

“Oh, I forgive you. You should apologize to Qotoiyan too,”

“I don’t know if I can get close enough without him breaking my nose even more,” Taben said.

“Is that all? I want to go help with the funeral now,” Alqa said.

“Yeah, that’s all,” Taben said. Alqa waved goodbye and left the yurt. She walked to her yurt and grabbed her broken bow. She continued on to Nergui and rode to the Baltui vanguard camp. It was a much more peaceful sight than it had been the previous night. Through the middle, a long trench had been dug. Many bodies were already inside, some dressed in white tsu, some not. They all had been looted, every single one. Not that it mattered anymore, they were already in the grave trench. She found the warrior who had broken the bow. He was a tall man with fair skin and brown hair. He would have been handsome in life. The dead still wore their warpaint, no need to take it off, they’d use it again at the end of the world, in the Battle of Battles.

She found the entrance to the trench and walked through it, she had to skirt against the side to avoid stepping on the bodies. It smelled horrible, she wanted to keel over and vomit. How could anything smell this bad? As she traveled she saw the warrior she had killed, she would come back to him. She reached the warrior who had broken her bow and laid the bow across his chest. “Tsotkok iyod Dämaiagaäsa a,” Alqa said. She bowed to him and then went the the warrior she had killed. She said and did the same for him, minus laying the bow on his chest. She quickly left the trench after that, holding her breath for as long as possible.

As soon as she got out she gagged. The last few bodies were being prepared, Suiketu among them. Alqa looked around and, seeing nobody that looked like they needed help, she went back to Nergui and returned to the Yisra of Begter. She was walking to her yurt to grab some food out of her pack when she saw Baatar and Qotoiyan talking. She walked over to join them and they instantly got silent. “What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” Baatar quickly said.

“Yeah, nothing,”

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“No. I don’t think I will,” Baatar said.

“Come, sit down,” Qotoiyan said. Alqa smiled and sat next to him.

“If neither of you are gonna tell me what you were talking about, it must be something you don’t want me to know,”

“Oh, it is,” Baatar said.

Qotoiyan leaned over and whispered into Alqa’s ear, “we were talking about you,”

“You told her, didn't you?”

“Yes, he did. Why were you talking about me?”

“I had questions,” Baatar said.

“Like, what are his favorite things about you? What is his least favorite? How did you two meet?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Did he answer?” Alqa said, looking at Baatar, but aiming the question at Qotoiyan.

“He told Baatar some but not all,” Qotoiyan said.

“Like what? What did you tell him?”

“I told him a couple things I like about you, and I was gonna tell him how we met. Is that alright? You don’t look happy,”

“I hope you didn’t tell him any secrets,” Alqa said, Qotoiyan smiled.

“No I didn’t,” Qotoiyan said. He looked down. Alqa felt her heart sink and she looked at Baatar.

“Did he tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Don’t play dumb Baatar. Did he tell you or not?” Alqa asked, she was growing frustrated. Had he really told Baatar? She felt betrayed and exposed. Qotoiyan stood up suddenly and stormed away. Alqa watched him leave. She had been wrong, but what if she wasn’t wrong? Baatar looked up at her.

“Alqa, I can say with complete honesty that I do not know what you’re talking about,”

“Bes iyi yaamgiia,” Alqa muttered. She started chasing Qotoiyan, “Wait!”

He didn’t respond. She chased him all the way to his yurt. She stopped outside. “Qotoiyan, can I come in?”

“No. Go away,”

“Qotoiyan, please,”

“Do what you want, I don’t care,”

Alqa entered the yurt, Qotoiyan was laying on his furs, his back to her. “Qotoiyan, May I talk to you?”

“You sure I won’t just lie? How do you know my name is Qotoiyan?”

“I trust you, Qotoiyan,” Alqa said. She sat down beside him, he rolled over onto his back.

“You didn’t show it,”

“No I didn’t. I should have. I’m sorry,”

“It’s really hurtful when you don’t show trust,”

“I’m sorry,”

“Just go to the funeral. And then go back,” Qotoiyan said.

Alqa left the yurt as tears welled in her eyes, did he hate her? Would he ever forgive her? She returned to the Baltui vanguard camp, warriors were starting to line up so she joined. It wasn’t long before the funeral began. She couldn’t focus properly on what was happening, all she could think about was Qotoiyan. She walked down the grave trench, throwing one shovel-full of dirt on each body and bowing. At the end, she, like everyone else, threw one strand of hair into the trench.

After the funeral, she returned to her yurt and began packing. She was almost done when someone tapped her shoulder. She spun around, her hand going to her dagger, but it was only Qotoiyan. “Are you here to tell me not to find you again?”

“Of course not,”

“Taben was right. I’m not worthy of you,”

“Don’t say that. I get that you don’t want people talking about it. But I know what I want,”

“What?”

“Not here,” Qotoiyan said, he led her to his yurt and they went inside.

Alqa sat down, “so what was it that you wanted?”

“I really don’t know how to say it,” Qotoiyan said, sitting down next to her.

“Is it good or bad?”

“I think it’s good,”

“Well that’s a start. Is it important?”

“In the grand scheme of things, no. To me, it is very important,”

Alqa took his hand a gave him a reassuring smile. “Tell me,”

Qotoiyan sighed. “Alright. Alqa, I want to—,” he said, but then he paused.

“Qotoiyan. You look scared. Why is this so hard for you?”

“I don’t know. It shouldn’t be scary. Maybe it’s too soon. Maybe I’m a fool,”

“You are not a fool Qotoiyan. You are the smartest person I have ever met, and probably the bravest. You can do it. You can also wait if you’re not comfortable with it yet,” Alqa said.

“I want to mate with you,” Qotoiyan blurted out.

“We already did,”

“I want to do it officially,” Qotoiyan said. Alqa felt her heart skip a beat.

“This isn’t a joke?”

“No. I know it’s too early, and—,” Qotoiyan said, he didn’t finish the thought as Alqa kissed him.

“Yes, though. After the battle,” Alqa whispered. Qotoiyan smiled, Alqa met his gaze. “I—,”

“Dust!” The cry echoed through the camp, Alqa’s heart froze. She and Qotoiyan ran outside, sure enough, wisps of a dust cloud could be seen in the east. Begter approached Alqa, with Baatar next to him.

“Bring the report now! They are less than a day’s ride away,” He ordered. Alqa nodded. She ran to her yurt and threw what remained away as quickly as possible. She was putting it onto Nergui when Qotoiyan caught her.

“Alqa. Find me. I’ll want to stick with you,”

“I will,” Alqa said, spurring Nergui as Baatar joined her. They rode as fast as they could to the army. The Army was marching towards them as they arrived, ten Ärchgekui approached them, in full armor and their horses with full war-regalia. It was the most fabulous Alqa had ever seen, antlers and horns seemingly of pure gold, large gold decorations adorning every strap and bit of leather. Exquisitely quilted armor of purple and yellow. Every part of the war-regalia displayed the power of the Ärchgekui who rode the horse. Alqa’s mind could only imagine how spectacular the war-regalia of the Khan’s horses might be.

“Halt there!” One of the Ärchgekui ordered. Alqa and Baatar stopped their horses as the Ärchgekui approached.

“I am Alqaiia Qutuqäsa, daughter of Tarmaagii Qutuqäz and Bortuiia Qutuqäsa. This is Baatarii Qutuqäz, son of Udutaiii Qutuqäz and Yesuiiia Qutuqäsa,”

“What is your business?”

“We have an urgent report from the vanguard,”

“This way,” The Ärchgekui said. He led them to the Khan. Alqa was not disappointed. The war-regalia seemed to shine with the fire of the sun reflected in the gold ornamentations. The quilted armor was reinforced with scales of bronze. The chanfron was made from bronze, inlaid with gold ornamentation and the horns spiraled upwards and wrapped around them were strands of pearls and beads of precious metals and gems. Tuva Khan himself sat upon the horse dressed from head to toe in bronze scale armor, he wore a tall bronze helmet adorned with a tall horse hair plume, dyed dark purple.

Alqa, Baatar and the Ärchgekui who had led them dismounted. Bowing before their Khan. “Agaa Khan. The Baltui vanguard has been destroyed and dust has been sighted on the horizon. Begter Riidagaak predicts the Baltui are less than a day away,” Alqa said.

“Bes iyi yaamgii. Thank you Alqa. Return to your Yisra and prepare for tomorrow’s battle. Erkhe amudrul amudrul,” he said, turning to an Ärchgekui. “Bring orders to halt to every Yisra. Bring as many of your peers with you as you need. Go. Now!”

Alqa and Baatar bowed and remounted their horses. They rode quickly to their Yisra. Alqa dismounted and approached Buqutai. She bowed as she had done to Tuva Khan. “Buqutai Riidagaak. Tuva Khan has given orders to halt this column,” She said. Buqutai turned Achaku and rode out of the column Alqa went with him, looking forward they saw the front of the Qutuq horde halting and beginning to form the camp. Buqutai announced the orders to the Yisra and everybody began to immediately set up their yurts. The whole army was buzzing with anticipation and excitement. Alqa for her part, couldn’t figure out if she was excited or scared. The whole camp had been set up by midday and the vanguard returned late in the afternoon.

As the vanguard approached, Alqa stood up and started over to the vanguard. “Alqa,” Yid said.

“What Yid?”

“Where are you going?”

“Please slow down,”

“Where. Are. You. Going?”

“To see somebody,”

“Nope. You’re gonna. Help me. With something,”

“What?”

“Nope. You. Are-,”

“I know what you said. What do you want help with?” Alqa said.

“Just follow,”

“Ugh. Fine,” Alqa said as Yid led her away. Yid took her to a yurt.

“I need you. To talk to him,”

“Him?”

“Yes. I can’t,”

“Why can’t you?”

“I’m scared,”

“Of what?”

“I dunno,”

“Why do you want me to talk to him?”

“Because you’re good with males,”

“What makes you say that?” Alqa asked.

“Everyone saw you,”

“Whatever. Who is this male?”

“His name. Is Qeratalii Qutuqäz,”

“Anything else?”

“He’s really handsome. And strong,”

“What do you want me to say,”

“I dunno. Just please help me,” Yid said. Alqa sighed. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Trying to convince a male to court Yid of all people. And to top it off, she had never heard of this male before.

“Qeratal. May I come in?”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Alqaiia Qutuqäsa,”

“Come in Alqa,” Qeratal said. Alqa entered the yurt. “I assume Yid sent you,”

“You’re smart,”

“Tell her to talk to me herself,”

“Alright,” Alqa said. She quickly left the yurt and glared at Yid. “Go inside and talk to him. You won’t get what you want by sending other females to talk to males for you,” She returned to her own yurt, intending to go visit Qotoiyan in a bit but as she entered she saw her furs and just couldn’t resist the urge to take a nap. She took off her belt and boots and laid down, quickly falling asleep.