When Alqa woke up, she could see dim sun shining through the roof of her yurt, illuminating a small round circle on the east side of the yurt. It was decently past midday. She didn’t have any will to do anything. Everybody she had seen had died because she had blabbed to Tuva Khan. None of them needed to die. Not Baatar. Not Nergui. Suiketu, or any of them. Narantui didn’t need to break her leg. It was her fault. It was some time of her resting before she heard a voice. “Alqa. Are you awake yet?”
“Yes Qotoiyan,”
“May I come in?”
“Yes,” Alqa said. She heard Qotoiyan entering the yurt behind her.
“I brought you some food. You should really eat,”
“Every one of them died. They all died, all because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut,”
“Alqa. It’s not your fault. They would have died anyway. Death is part of life. That is how the balance of the world is maintained. Their fates were decided the day that they were born Alqa. They would have died anyway. No matter what you did. In battle, at the exact moments they did die. That is how Agaa Äv made the world,”
“I suppose, I still feel upset,”
“I understand Alqa. I wish they hadn’t died,”
“Who?”
“Everybody. Nergui, Baatar. I don’t know how much this hurts you Alqa. But I can tell it does, a lot. If you want me to leave you alone. I will,” Qotoiyan said.
“No. Stay,”
“Alright. But you should eat,”
“Fine,” Alqa said. She sat up and Qotoiyan handed her the platter. It was mostly dried meat and had a small potter cup full of gusui. She ate, she had been hungry, but she still refused to admit it.
“The Yisra of Begter is leaving around midday tomorrow,”
“Will we stay in contact?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you’re leaving tomorrow,” Alqa said. She was confused. Why would he not understand her question? It was unlike him.
“No. I’m not. I’m going back with you,”
“I am not taking away your family,”
“No you’re not Alqa. Narantui wants to come with me. And besides, I’d have you,”
“I lost my family. I don’t want you to lose yours,”
“I understand that Alqa. I want to go with you. I am not going to lose my family if I live with you. What did you think was gonna happen? Did you think I would make you uproot your life again?” Qotoiyan said.
“No. I just. I just never really considered this far. I didn’t think I would survive. And was terrified you wouldn’t,” Alqa said. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Alqa smiled. They talked until night. When night came, Qotoiyan left.
The next day she woke up early, to her own surprise, and when she left her yurt she saw Buqutai. “Hi Buqutai,”
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
“Maybe. But that’s boring. And I wanted to say goodbye to some people I know,”
“You should visit Yid. She hasn’t been doing well. You seem to be taking Baatar’s death better than her,”
“Alright. I’ll see what I can do,” Alqa said. She left and found the Yisra of begter already starting to pack up. Qotoiyan was helping, there were two yurts that nobody was taking down. Qotoiyan’s and Narantui’s. It was really going to happen. She was going to have a family again. She approached Narantui’s yurt. “Hey Narantui. Are you in there?”
“Yeah Alqa. You can come in,” Narantui said. Alqa entered and sat down across from Narantui.
“Qotoiyan told me what you’re doing,”
“Are you letting me?”
“I am. You’ll have to talk to Buqutai,”
“I assume he is your Riidagak,” Narantui said.
“Yes,”
“Get Qotoiyan and my father. And we will go talk to him,”
“Have you told your father?”
“Yes,” Narantui said.
“Alright. I’ll go get them and send them here. Do you want me there when you talk to Buqutai?”
“If you can be,” Narantui said. Alqa stood up, with a little difficulty and left. She found Qotoiyan without much problem.
“Hi Qotoiyan,”
“Hey Alqa,”
“Two things. One. Where is your father? Two, your sister is summoning you,”
“Alright. He’s just over there. Organizing cart loading,” Qotoiyan said. He walked off in the direction of Narantui’s yurt and Alqa went to where Qotoiyan had pointed. Sure enough, Begter was standing in the middle of everything telling people what to put where.
“Begter!”
“Oh! Alqa! Qotoiyan told me. Glad he found someone,”
“Narantui and Qotoiyan told you about their plans, correct?”
“Yes. I assume I will have to talk to your Riidagak?”
“Yes. Qotoiyan and Narantui are waiting at Narantui’s yurt,”
“Alright. Let’s go,” Begter said. They went to Narantui’s yurt and not long after the four of them set off to find Buqutai. They found him, eating some hardbread and boiled fat.
“Buqutai. May we speak with you?” Alqa asked. Buqutai looked up, held up one finger and swallowed.
“What can I do for you. I recognize two of you. The others I do not,”
“I am Begterii Qutuqäz Riidagak, son of Otqiijinii Qutuqäz and Sarantsatsriia Qutuqäsa. This is Narantuiiia Qutuqäsa, daughter of Begterii Qutuqäz and Narantsegiia Qutuqäsa. I assume you know Qotoiyan,”
“I recognize him. I do not know his name,”
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“I am Qotoiyanii Qutuqäz, son of Begterii Qutuqäz and Narantsegiia Qutuqäsa,” Qotoiyan said.
“I am Buqutaiii Qutuqäz Riidagak, son of Kiingisii Qutuqäz and Alijiaaniia Qutuqäsa. And what is the cause of this meeting?”
“Qotoiyan and I are going to mate. And he wishes to join your Yisra, Narantui also wishes to join,” Alqa said.
“Is this true?” Buqutai asked.
“Yes, it is,” Qotoiyan said.
“This is the same information presented to me,” Begter said.
“Yes, this is true,” Narantui said.
“Alright. Will Narantui remain useful?” Buqutai asked.
“Yes. She will be able to walk once her leg heals, given she stays off it and allows it to heal,”
“Very well. Both of you shall be permitted to join. Now If you’ll excuse me. I’d like to finish my meal and find gifts,” Buqutai said. Alqa, Narantui and Qotoiyan bowed to Buqutai before Narantui, Qotoiyan and Begter went back to their own area. Alqa went to Yid’s yurt.
“Yid? Are you in there?”
“Go away,”
“Buqutai told me to talk to you,”
“I do not want you in here,”
“Fine,” Alqa said. She had just begun to turn away when Yid called out.
“Don’t leave,”
“May I come in then?” Alqa asked, turning back around.
“Fine,” Yid said and Alqa entered. Yid was in the back of the yurt, curled up in a ball. “He’s dead,”
“I know Yid. I know. I saw him,”
“You saw Qeratal?”
“No, I thought you meant Baatar,”
“No. Qeratal is gone. Why does Maisuya hate me?”
“You were born a human. He hates all of us. Qeratal’s fate was sealed the day he was born. Just like all of us,”
“Shut up! You still have yours!”
“But I did lose my sister. Nergui died too. And before her, almost everyone I knew. All of them,”
“Leave me alone,”
“Alright,” Alqa said. She turned and left the yurt.
They left the next day. As they were setting up camp on the first night, Buqutai approached Alqa. “Alqa, can you do me a favor?”
“If I’m able,”
“Can you tell Yesui how Baatar died. I don’t know how to tell her,”
“Alright. But you should be there. She’s your mate,”
“I know. But I’m scared of how she’ll react if I’m being honest,” Buqutai said. He left after that. The journey back took a total of sixteen extremely boring days. Qotoiyan rode on her left and when the Yisra came into sight, he reached over and touched her shoulder. “Almost home,”
Alqa smiled. “Yes. I can’t wait for you to meet Yesui. Or Dagan. And I’m going to have to find you a gift,”
“You have plenty of time,” Qotoiyan said. As they got closer, what few warriors were present rode out to meet the incoming column and conversed with Buqutai before all of them reentered the Yisra. The people who had not ridden out were all waiting for them. Shortly after dismounting Bege Buqutai approached her.
“Let’s talk to Yesui,” he said. Alqa nodded and the two of them went to find Yesui. She was resting in her yurt according to Dokuz. They went to Yesui’s yurt and stopped outside. “May Alqa and I come in?” Buqutai asked.
“Yes,” Yesui said. The two of them entered. “Alqa! What happened to your leg?”
“Nergui died. Luckily I only twisted my ankle, Narantui wasn’t so lucky when Suiketu died. She fell on Narantui’s leg,”
“Who is Narantui?” Yesui asked.
“You’ll meet her soon enough. But we are here to talk to you about something important,” Buqutai said.
“What?” Yesui asked.
“Well. I don’t know how to say this, so. Umm. I guess I should say it. Baatar died,”
“No jokes. Why are you here?” Yesui asked, she looked terrified.
“Sorry Yesui, Alqa is telling the truth,” Buqutai said.
“How! How? How?” Yesui screamed.
“He was killed by a sword. Saving my life,” Alqa said.
“Out,” Yesui said. Alqa bowed and left. As she was leaving, she heard Yesui say. “No, Buqutai. Stay with me,”
Alqa returned to Qotoiyan. “I never want to lose a child. I never want to experience what Yesui has to,”
“I’ll do my best, but you need to rest your ankle. The sooner you’re better, the better,” Qotoiyan said.
“First, I want you to meet Dagan,”
“Sure,” Qotoiyan said. They found Dokuz making gusui.
“Dokuz,” Alqa said.
“Oh. Hi again Alqa. Who’s this?”
“I am Qotoiyanii Qutuqäz,”
“Nice to meet you. I am Dokuziia Qutuqäsa. Why are you visiting us Qotoiyan?”
“Actually Dokuz. I have selected Qotoiyan as my mate. He is going to live with us,” Alqa said.
“Oh. Congratulations. Welcome Qotoiyan. I assume you are looking for Dagan,” Dokuz said.
“You are correct,” Alqa said.
“He and Sugekui were over with Sarghagatii, learning how to make bana. They are on the south side. Somewhat close to where your yurt was actually. Quite lucky,”
“Thank you Dokuz,” Alqa said. The two of them left Dokuz and went to the spot where Alqa’s yurt had been. Close by she saw Sarghagatii, Dagan and Sugekui making bana. “Dagan!” Alqa called. Dagan turned around and ran over to her. He threw his arms around her.
“You’re back!”
“Yes. I am. And I have someone I want you to meet. This is Qotoiyanii Qutuqäz, and he is going to be my mate,”
“Hi! I’m Dagan!” Dagan exclaimed.
After eighteen days of boredom and confinement to her yurt, Alqa was finally comfortable to walk without the sticks. Qotoiyan had left the previous day and Alqa needed to get a gift for him. So she went to Narantui. “Narantui. May I come in?”
“Yes,” Narantui said and Alqa ducked into the yurt. “What do you need?”
“Has Qotoiyan told you anything about what he wants?”
“Not recently. Sorry,”
“That’s fine. Thanks for your time,” Alqa said and left. She thought about what to get him for a long time. He had a helmet, he had a cuirass. A bow? Possible, but hard to get a high quality bow. An axe. Yes. A new axe never hurt anybody. Well ok, maybe they did. She went to Bege and saddled her, getting her ready to go. She took with her some rations and rode off. Three days to the nearest Baal Tusgra. She arrived and dismounted Bege. One Tusgra Gaalaak approached her.
“Name and business,” he said.
“Alqaiia Qutuqäsa. I’m here to get an axe,”
“Oh, luck is with you. Got a shipment of weapons from the war not but a couple days ago,”
“Alright. I’ll check those out. Thank you,” Alqa said and the Tusgra Gaalaak walked away. She walked to the smithy and as she approached she saw a half empty wagon of weapons outside. She entered and the slave inside yelped. “Sorry mess! Sorry mess! Not enough hands! Not enough!”
“Do you have any axes?”
“Yes! Have axes! I makes room! May look!” The slave exclaimed. Alqa giggled under her breath as he laid most of the weapons on a felt blanket on the floor and picked up as many axes as he could find and laid them on benches for her to choose from. She looked at each of the axes, picking them up and testing their balance. She settled on one with four rows of four bronze studs near the head and a nice shape. It was iron and had a long back spike.
“This one,” Alqa said, holding up the axe to the slave.
“Yes! Yes! Yours! Your axe!” the slave exclaimed and Alqa left. She stayed the night and went back in the morning. When she arrived Qotoiyan was not back yet. So she hid the axe in her yurt and went to talk to Narantui.
“May I enter?”
“Yes,” Narantui said and Alqa entered the yurt.
“Do you know when Qotoiyan will get back?”
“He said he was going to organize some things for the celebrations and visit our family to invite them. I don’t think it will be too much longer,”
“Thanks,” Alqa said. Two days later, Qotoiyan returned. The two days after he returned, Alqa saw him and Buqutai talking and the next day, a large hunting party left. Qotoiyan approached her.
“Would you like to go riding with me?”
“Sure,” Alqa said. They saddled their horses and started riding. Alqa took him all around the area and showed him all the landmarks. They returned as the sun was beginning to go down. It took three days for everything to be transported and with every single wagon that arrived, Alqa became more excited.
Fourteen days after returning from the Baal Tusgra two hunts had been completed and the meat salted. She was almost ready to go to sleep that night when she heard Qotoiyan outside her yurt. “May I come in?”
“Yes,” Alqa said. Qotoiyan entered.
“Everything is ready if you’re ready to do it tomorrow,”
“I’m ready. More than ready Qotoiyan. I honestly can’t believe this is actually happening,”
“Me neither, get some sleep. We have a long night tomorrow,” Qotoiyan said. He kissed her forehead and left. The next day, Alqa woke up late in the morning and went outside. All around her she could see movement. So much movement in fact that it felt almost as though she was at the War-Yisra again, or preparing for Buqutai’s succession celebrations. Alqa had a quick breakfast and then took Bege to the river. She bathed herself thoroughly, something she had not had a chance to do in a long time. She got out and got dressed before returning. It was almost time.
Alqa went to her yurt and changed into the orange tsud that Yesui had given her. She came out a little bit later and people were starting to gather. Alqa finally felt her stomach fluttering, it was finally time. She turned and went back into her yurt, she picked up the axe and went back outside. Qotoiyan was already waiting for her, she wondered if he was as nervous as she was. But all that was not important anymore.