She was bleeding when she woke up, great, now I’ll be uncomfortable on the ride. Sighing, she got up and prepared the last of her things, saddling Nergui and mounting her. She looked around, the warriors were all pouring in, forming with their Yisra and leaving in one long line. She couldn’t tell how thick it was, probably varied. She fell in with her Yisra and then joined the march shortly after. Baatar fell in next to her. “Hi, are you feeling well? You don’t look comfortable,”

“I’m fine Baatar, really,”

“Good, can we talk?”

“Is it serious?”

“No, I just wanna talk,”

“Sure,”

“What’s your favorite food?”

“I don’t know. I guess if I had to pick, I like geres. What about you?”

“I like lion,”

“That’s hard to get,” Alqa said.

“I heard you did it,”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Iija,”

“I think Yesui left out the detail that I only wounded it,” Alqa said. She looked around, nothing felt normal, as far as she could see ahead were Qutuq warriors and horses and as far as she could see back was also Qutuq warriors and horses. The reality of the situation hit her like a charging stallion, she was going to war. She took out the medallion and focused on that, letting Nergui guide them both where they needed to go.

“What’s that?” Alqa almost jumped in the saddle before realizing that it was just Baatar.

“A good luck charm,”

“I didn’t know you had one,”

“I didn’t until a few days ago,”

“Did Qotoiyan give it to you?”

“Yes,”

“Are you scared?”

“Of what, there’s so much to be scared of,”

“Of him dying,”

“Yes, I’m terrified,”

“He’ll be ok,”

“I hope,” Alqa said. She put the medallion away and touched her necklace.

“I’m sorry for what I did,”

“Baatar. Please just forget about it, it happened, it’s over, we both apologized. Why do you keep bringing it up?”

“I don’t know,”

“Baatar, please don’t worry about it,”

“I shouldn’t have d—,”

“Seriously. Shut up about it. Never bring it up,” Alqa said. Baatar went silent and looked down. Alqa retreated back into her own head, she tried to remember the dreams she had recently, the good parts at least. Despite her efforts she never was able to get more than fragments and images back.

“Alqa. Have you seen Yid anywhere?”

“What?”

“Yid, I haven’t seen her since we got here,”

“Should we tell Buqutai?”

“I don’t want him to worry,”

“By the Stewards Baatar! What is wrong with you? Your sister is missing, and you haven’t told anyone because you don’t want them to be worried!?” Alqa exclaimed. Baatar shrunk down as Alqa spurred on Nergui to ride to Buqutai.

“Alqa wait!”

“What!?”

“It was a prank,” Baatar said as Yid joined him, laughing. Alqa turned Nergui and returned to them. She was not in the mood for this, so she hit Baatar in the arm. “Ow!”

“Don’t do that Baatar. I’m riding up ahead. Don’t follow,” Alqa growled at him.

As she rode away she heard Yid ask Baatar. “Is she always this cranky?” Why did they bother her? She joined Togntomar a little closer to the front of the Yisra. She ate a little dried meat and zoned out. That night she set up her travel yurt and quickly went to sleep. She dreamt of her home, her mother playing with her as a young girl. Her father teaching her how to shoot a bow, she had felt like she conquered the world the first time she hit a target. Then she saw a water bird, sitting in a pond and it dove under.

She woke up and got everything picked up. Soon they were moving again. It was cold, windy and miserable. She wrapped Khart’s cloak around herself but it didn’t help. The wind died down around just after midday, to everyone’s relief and with the end of the strong wind, it warmed up. That night she let Nergui wander again, but this night she was woken by a loud noise. It sounded like horses, so she got up and went to look, she wasn’t the only one, everyone in the general vicinity was awake and watching. Two stallions were competing for a mare. Alqa watched the fight, nothing anyone could do to stop them, and survive that is. Nergui nuzzled up to her and she turned, scratching Nergui’s head. Eventually one stallion retreated and everyone went back to their travel yurts, sleep didn’t come quickly due to the noises the horses made though.

On the twelfth day of travel, Buqutai spoke to the Yisra. “I need two volunteers to make contact with the vanguard and bring back a report,” This was her chance to see Qotoiyan, her hand shot up instantly. “Thank you Alqa, who else?”

“I’ll go,” Baatar said.

“Great, get your stuff and go immediately, both of you. You are all dismissed,” As soon as Buqutai was done talking, Alqa rushed to her stuff and threw it all together. She put it on Nergui, along with dressing Nergui in war-regalia and swung herself up. Baatar took a little more time but when he was finally ready, she immediately started to trot Nergui towards the vanguard.

“Wait up Alqa!”

“You hurry up!” Alqa yelled back to Baatar, who sped up to join her.

“Let me guess, Qotoiyan is in the vanguard,”

“Yes. So I am going to have some ground rules for you. Rule one, do not under any circumstance mention my courtship with Qotoiyan. Rule two, do not ever say anything negative about him. And rule three, let me do the talking,”

“I’ll behave,”

“Good, thank you,”

They continued forward for some time in silence, but Baatar spoke eventually “may I ask you questions about him?”

“Why?”

“Because, I like how your eyes seem to light up when you think about him,”

“Do they?” Alqa asked, she chuckled to herself.

“Yeah,”

“What do you want to know?”

“Why can’t I mention your courtship?”

“Qotoiyan’s father is very strict and doesn’t want him courting,”

“But he’s an adult,”

“I know, but just obey Qotoiyan’s wishes,”

“Alright,” Baatar said. They came to a small stream and they let the horses drink before crossing.“I have more questions,”

“Alright, go ahead,”

“What is his favorite food?”

“Bison,”

“What do you like most about him?”

“He’s really smart, and perceptive,”

“See, your eyes are lightning up,” Baatar said. Alqa laughed.

“Baatar. I’m glad you’re coming with me,”

“Why?”

“It would be very boring and stressful en route without you,”

“Well I’m glad I could come with you,” Baatar said.

“Why did you volunteer?”

“I wanted to come with you,”

Alqa blushed, “please don’t mention your feelings while we are there,”

“Why not?”

“It’s already going to be awkward enough,” Alqa said.

Early the next morning they saw the camp. It was still set up, why was it up and not being taken down.

“Let’s ride faster,” Alqa said.

“We aren’t that far,”

“They should have taken the travel yurts down by now. Something isn’t right,” Alqa said. She kicked Nergui into a gallop and rode towards the camp. Baatar sped up to follow her. It was very silent and Alqa’s heart pounded in her chest, were they all dead? She arrived in the camp and dismounted Nergui. She began to look around, Baatar a few paces behind her. They passed the seemingly empty yurts and she became increasingly scared, every moment felt worse.

“Alqa,” Baatar said. She turned around, a warrior held a dagger to Baatar’s throat. Suddenly she felt a cold iron blade on her neck. She froze, they were going to die.

“We caught some Baltui spies!” The warrior holding her announced. More warriors appeared.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Kill them!”

“Yeah! Impale them! Show those neve a lesson!”

“Tie them up for questioning,” A warrior said, Alqa looked at him. He looked similar to Qotoiyan, it must have been his father. So where was Qotoiyan? The warriors tied them to posts that held up travel yurts and Begter approached them. “You made a mistake coming here,”

“No we didn’t,” Baatar said.

“Oh, I think you did. I wonder which of you will talk first?”

“Begter, we are not spies,”

“Only a spy would know my name, this will be fun,” Begter said. He took a long iron knife from his belt and placed it on Alqa’s arm. “Last chance to tell me where your army is before you bleed,” he smiled, he enjoyed this. Then he started cutting. Alqa screamed as the knife cut into her arm. Begter removed the knife. “Oh I do love that sound. Maybe my son will want a turn,”

“Maybe, he will,” Alqa hissed, it was taking every fiber of her being not to cry. Begter left and came back a short while later with Qotoiyan and his two siblings in tow. Alqa watched as Qotoiyan’s eyes went wide at seeing her bleeding arm. He ran between her and his family drawing his axe.

“What are you doing?” She asked him.

“Protecting you,”

“Qotoiyan, move. You’re here to learn torture not mate with the spies,” Narantui said.

“I see no spies,”

“Well that’s because your back is facing them, try turning around,” Begter said. Qotoiyan looked back at Alqa then back to his family.

“This is Alqaiia Qutuqäsa, daughter of Tarmaagii Qutuqäz and Bortuiia Qutuaäsa,”

“And the other one?”

“That is Baatarii Qutuqäz, son of Udutaiii Qutuqäz and Yesuiiia Qutuqäsa,” Alqa said.

Taben glared at her, “Nobody told you to speak neveq,”

Qotoiyan walked up to him, and punched him in the face. “Do not ever call her neveq,” he growled. Begter chuckled.

“Qotoiyan, where have you been hiding her?” He asked.

“We can talk later. For now, release them and take care of her wounds,” Qotoiyan said. Begter nodded and Narantui untied them.

“Why are you here? You couldn’t have tracked us just to see my son,” Begter said.

“We are here to collect your report,”

“The enemy vanguard is in the area, we plan to engage them tonight,”

“Take care of her wound! You did that!” Qotoiyan yelled.

“Do it yourself then,” Begter said.

“Come on Alqa,” Qotoiyan said, he left and Alqa followed him.

They sat in Qotoiyan’s travel yurt as he poured a little water on the wound and bandaged it.

“Thank you,” she said. He didn’t look at her, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, you shouldn’t be here,”

“Why not?”

“This is dangerous, we are going to fight tonight,”

“I am capable of taking care of myself,”

“I know, but the last few nights I kept having nightmares,”

“About what?”

“Your death. I’ve never been this scared, except when I thought I killed you,” he said. Alqa reached out and brushed his cheek. He looked up at her, she smiled at him.

“It’s perfectly fine to be scared Qotoiyan. This is all new and scary. I’m scared of losing you too,”

“Will you stay with us? At least until the fight is over, then you can go back to the army and bring the report,”

“I will. Do you know if there are children in the Baltui vanguard?”

“There aren’t. Why?”

“My family was killed in a night raid. I refuse to take away a child’s family like that,”

“Come with us or don’t. It’s your choice. I won’t force you to do something you don’t want to do,”

“Thanks. I’ll go. Someone has to keep you out of trouble,” Alqa said, she pushed him playfully. He smiled and pushed her back, she fell backwards. Alqa laughed and Qotoiyan laid down next to her.

“Can we just be together for now?”

“Yes. I think that would be great,” Alqa said. She reached down and took hold of his hand. She closed her eyes, the world was perfect right now.

Qotoiyan shook her awake, “come on, get Nergui ready,”

“Is it time?”

“Almost,” Alqa stood up. “Wait, Alqa. I’m going to change that bandage,” Qotoiyan said. Alqa sat down and let him change the bandage. “Let me get war paint,” Qotoiyan left, Alqa tingled with excitement and fear. When he came back, he held two bowls, one white, one red. “Do you need any other colors?”

“No. Thank you,” Alqa said. He walked away, presumably to get another color. Alqa waited for him to come back. While she waited, Alqa braided her hair into a bun so it wouldn’t get in the way of the paint, nor be easy to grab while fighting. When he did return, he held black paint. He set the paint down, “do you want to go first, since it will take longer?”

“Yes, that works,” She said.

“Alright, this is gonna be a little cold,” Qotoiyan said. As he dipped his fingers into the white paint and began applying it to Alqa’s face, she closed her eyes. It took a bit to completely cover her face and when he was done he asked, “is there anything else you want?”

“Red on my eyes, like this,” Alqa said, drawing what she wanted in the dirt. She closed her eyes again so she couldn’t see what Qotoiyan was doing, but she felt him apply the paint. When he was done, she opened her eyes.

“You look fierce,” he said, smiling.

“Thank you, your turn now,”

“Like this,” he said, drawing another face in the dirt, with lines a few fingers wide going from below his eyes to the bottom of his face. He closed his eyes.

“What color?”

“Huh, oh right. Black please,” Qotoiyan laughed. Alqa applied his war paint, it wasn’t a difficult pattern and when she was done, they both soaked their hands in water until the paint came off. Alqa went to Nergui and mounted her, Qotoiyan approached not long after. Mounted on Tagdur, Qotoiyan approached. He wore an iron helmet with a plume of blue-dyed horse hair and an iron muscled cuirass. “You don’t have armor?”

“No,” Alqa said. Concern spread over Qotoiyan’s face. “I will be just fine. I promise,”

“Please be correct,”

They joined the group of warriors moving out, everyone had their own unique war paint pattern. Alqa stayed close to Qotoiyan, Baatar rode over to them.

“May I ride with you or is this more of a, how do I say it?”

“Rule one is void. If Qotoiyan is ok with it, you may ride with us,” Alqa said.

“It’s fine with me. But Alqa what is rule one?”

“I’ll explain later,”

“You two be quiet,” Narantui said, then she looked directly at Alqa. “You better prove yourself or we will not let you around our little brother,”

“Don’t talk down to her, Narantui,” Qotoiyan said. Alqa looked down, why didn’t any of them like her? What had she done? “Don’t listen to them, just stick with me,” Qotoiyan said, Alqa nodded and touched the medallion. Suddenly they halted.

She looked up, twenty-nine travel yurts. Her heart pounded in her chest, this was it. The Yisra started forward, slowly and silently. Warriors lit torches and drew their weapons. They were about one hundred horse lengths away when Begter spurred his horse into a full gallop. The rest of the warriors followed, Alqa took up her bow and knocked an arrow to it. At around fifty horse lengths the warriors began to scream, howl or ululate. Alqa joined in, howling. The world seemed to slow, adrenaline surged through her body and three words repeated in her head, Erkhe amudrul amudrul.

The Baltui saw them, or heard them, it didn’t matter, they ran to their horses and counter charged. Alqa veered off to the right, looking for something to shoot. She watched Qotoiyan charge directly towards and Baltui warrior, she raised her bow but couldn’t release. Qotoiyan’s axe embedded itself into the warrior’s chest and he fell over, Qotoiyan pulled the axe out as he fell. Alqa spurred Nergui to join Qotoiyan. The smell of smoke filled her nose as the yurts were set ablaze. Qotoiyan turned and rode over to her. All around her there were screams and terrified horses, Nergui wouldn’t stay still. Then she saw Naratui’s horse fall. Three Baltui warriors approached her, one on foot the other two on horseback.

“Narantui!” Alqa yelled, drawing back her bow. She looked at a Baltui warrior about to swing downward at Narantui. The arrow struck somewhere around his liver, the sudden pain causing him to drop his sword and swerve away. Alqa wasted no time, she had to prove herself. If she didn’t, would she even be worthy? Narantui wasn’t getting up.

“Alqa! Behind you!” Qotoiyan yelled, Alqa spun in the saddle just in time to see a warrior swinging his sword downwards, she put her bow in the way. The sword failed to cut through the bow and got stuck, but the force of the blow knocked her off Nergui. When Alqa hit the ground, she first saw Nergui flee, then she saw her broken bow next to her. She stood up and drew her sword, the warrior turned and charged again.

She saw Qotoiyan’s axe embed itself into the warrior’s side and he fell at Alqa’s feet. Alqa turned, and ran towards Narantui, the two warriors were almost there. She stood between them and Narantui, the warrior on horseback fell as an arrow struck him in the chest, but the last one was too close. He held a hooked spear. Alqa rushed him, he thrust the spear and she sidestepped it, she made a forty-five degree cut from his collarbone to his hip. He stumbled back and fell. Alqa watched him die, she felt immense pride. She had won a fight, a real fight. The skirmish was over soon and Alqa ran to Narantui, Qotoiyan joined her.

“Narantui! Are you alright?” She asked.

“I can’t move my leg,”

“Maybe because it’s under a horse,” Alqa said.

Qotoiyan looked at Narantui’s leg. “It’s broken,”

Narantui sighed, “Qotoiyan, please go get father,” Qotoiyan ran off to find Begter. “Alqa, I saw what you did. That was brave. And to save me?”

“Well, I can’t just let you die,”

“I think you’re good enough for Qotoiyan,”

“Thank you, that means a lot,” Alqa said, smiling.

“Are you two going to mate?”

“Like officially?”

“Or unofficially,”

“Well, it already happened unofficially. But we haven’t talked about doing it officially,”

“He’s lucky, Taben and I weren’t lucky with our first courtship,”

“I’m sorry,”

“It’s all good, Taben has a pregnant mate waiting at home, the baby will probably be here when we get back,”

“What happened when you first tried courting? If I may ask,” Alqa asked

“He embarrassed me in front of everyone with his cowardice. Based on what I saw, I don’t think you’re going to do that to Qotoiyan,”

Alqa heard heavy footfalls approaching and turned back, Qotoiyan and Begter were approaching with a small group of companions. “Get Suiketu off her!” Begter ordered. The warriors scrambled to lift Suiketu’s head and move it off to the side. Begter crouched down next to her leg, “I think she will walk again,” he said as a look of relief washed over him. Begter and the warriors took her away.

Qotoiyan stayed with Alqa. “Thank you,”

“I had to prove myself,”

“You didn’t need to. Narantui and Taben both have been hurt in the past,”

“I know,”

“She told you?” Qotoiyan asked.

“Yes, you sound very surprised,”

“She never talks about it. If she told you that means she trusts you,”

“I’m glad,”

“Alqa, we need to find you a new bow,”

“I know,” Alqa said. She walked over and picked up her bow, cut halfway and split by impact the rest of the way through. She looked around with Qotoiyan. Eventually she found a bow with a draw weight that was acceptable for her use.

Qotoiyan approached her, “it’s nice. Do you like it?”

“Yes, it’s good,”

“Good. Now, what was rule number one?”

“You actually remembered!?”

“Yes, it clearly has something to do with me,”

“Rule one was for Baatar to never mention our courtship,” Alqa said.

“That was sweet of you,”

“Alqa!” Taben yelled. “Get away from my brother!”

Qotoiyan stepped between them, “what is wrong Taben?”

“Your precious neveq can’t even keep her horse. She doesn’t hold her loyalty, she shouldn’t hold yours,”

“What did I tell you about calling her that?”

“Do I care? She is a stain on your honor!”

“You may be bigger than me, but I’m a better fighter!”

“If I win, you banish her,”

“I will not,” Qotoiyan growled, his hand moving to his axe. Alqa watched, frozen in shock. Were they really about to fight? She ran in between them.

“What are you two doing? You’re brothers! I don’t care if you like me or not. Qotoiyan will choose who he courts,”

“The neveq speaks,” Taben hissed with poison in his voice. Alqa saw Qotoiyan rush past her and tackle Taben. He pinned him and began relentlessly pounding him.

“Qotoiyan! Stop!”

Qotoiyan let Taben up. Taben’s nose was broken and he was bruised badly, “he called you neveq”

“I know Qotoiyan,” she said. She looked Taben in the eye, “if you want to fight, you’re fighting me,”

“To the death!” Taben loudly announced.

“Not a chance,” Qotoiyan said. “I am not going to have either of you kill the other,”

“Then you do it yourself!” Taben yelled at him, drawing his sword. “I challenge you! To the death!”

“What is the meaning of this!?” Begter bellowed. Both Taben and Qotoiyan lowered their weapons. And bowed their heads, Alqa did the same. “None of you will fight each other, Alqa. Take report of the complete destruction of the enemy vanguard back in the morning. Taben, you stay away from your brother and Alqa. Qotoiyan, stay away from your brother. I would tell you to stay away from Alqa but your sister told me what she did, she has my approval,”

Taben stormed off and Begter left as well. “Let’s go find Nergui,” Qotoiyan said.

They walked off and found Nergui on the southern edge of the camp. Alqa rushed over and began stroking Nergui’s neck. “It’s ok, you’re alright. I know that was scary. I failed, I’m sorry. You’ll be ok, will you forgive me?” She whispered to Nergui, who sputtered. Still stroking Nergui, Alqa turned to Qotoiyan. “Were you actually prepared to die over that?”

“Yes, I don’t like when people call you that,”

“I don’t either Qotoiyan. It’s offensive. But I don’t need you to risk your life over it. It was really sweet though,” Alqa said. She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

“Are you tired?”

“Very,”

“I’ll take you back so you can sleep,”