In the morning Alqa woke to find Dagan missing. She rushed outside and saw a group of children wrestling and there was Dagan, having the time of his life. Alqa walked over to them and upon seeing her one of the boys exclaimed, “the lioness slayer!” Alqa giggled and roared like a lioness.

“Now I'll slay you!” she roared and the young children screamed and ran around her in circles as she chased them.

One of the older boys, but still younger than Alqa, stopped her, “I’m stronger than you,” he told her.

“Oh, are you now? Come on then! Prove your strength!” Alqa laughed and he lunged at her, Alqa stepped to the side and he fell on his stomach but quickly rolled back onto his feet. “Too slow," she laughed. He waited then punched, he hit Alqa in the chest and she stumbled back. She rushed in and grabbed his shoulders. He grabbed hers and they pushed against each other. Then Alqa brought her knee up and hit him hard in his crotch. He collapsed in pain.

“No fair,” He groaned.

“Fair isn’t a thing in life, get used to it,” Alqa said.

“What’s your name?” he asked her.

“Alqaiia Qutuqäsa, what is yours?” Alqa answered.

“Sugekuiii Qutuqäz,” Sugekui told her.

“So are you all Qutu?” Alqa asked.

“I’ve never met any foreigners,”

“Really?” Alqa asked, they had started to wander away from the group and sat down outside Alqa’s yurt.

“Yeah,”

“I have never met any foreigners either”

“It’s weird isn’t it? Qara met a foreigner. She isn’t a foreigner now though. She’s Qutuq now,” Sugekui said.

“Who is it?”

“The honey-eater,”

“I've never actually seen a honey-eater,” Alqa laughed.

“They look like us really. She has dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes but one of the males was blond like me and another had red hair like you,” Sugekui told her.

“What about the third?” Alqa asked.

“He looked like Rynyna,” Sugekui told her, picking up a rock and tossing it from hand to hand.

“Renena?”

“The female honey-eater. She’s really nice. The honey-eaters speak a strange language. But she’s teaching me,” Sugekui told her.

“Say something,” Alqa said, interested to hear the language of the honey-eaters.

“Ok. Go gadas pros tro moilii kai go ka’int gadas ot Avroi mas go boro’int alar kai lasto,” He said with a hint of mocking in his voice.

“What does it mean?” Alqa asked.

“I love eating honey and don’t love the Taa but I can’t ride and shoot,” He translated, and started laughing. Alqa laughed with him, they talked about random things for a while before they said goodbye and went to go do work.

One day Yesui called Alqa over to the horse pens. “There are a few lactating mares, do you know how to milk a horse?” Yesui asked her. Alqa nodded, she had milked horses before. “Good, get to it,” Yesui told her and walked away, leaving a few wide wooden bowls with triangle-shaped lips to pour it out to collect milk. Alqa approached the first horse and bowed before her. She then approached the mare on her knees holding the bowl in her hands and looking down. Eventually, she got to the mare and placed the bowl under the mare's teats. Then she looked down and asked the horse for the blessing of using her milk. Once she had done all of that she began milking the mare. She slowly filled up the bowl and then repeated the same process for each mare. Filling one bowl of each of the mare’s milk. She poured half of the milk into leather bags and carried them one at a time into a large yurt. There she hung them on racks and a couple of warriors took over the making of gusui from there. Alqa placed tairaag in each of the bowls and heated them over an open flame.

While she was doing that, a warrior named Khagtai came over and took over the process. Alqa went over to Nergui and put a bit and bridle on her, then she stepped on a mounting step and swung herself onto Nergui. Alqa rode off with her bow and practiced her horse archery by shooting at small wooden posts. “Hi, Alqa!” Sugekui yelled. Alqa pulled Nergui to a stop and trotted over toward Sugekui.

“Hi, what’s up?” Alqa asked.

“Nothing, I just wanted to try mounting Baiyarma, you think you could help?” Sugekui asked.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Sure,” Alqa said, pulling the reins and directing Nergui over to the horse pens, she entered and dismounted. Taking the reins she tied Nergui to the fence. “Which one is Baiyarma?” She asked.

“This is Baiyarma,” Sugekui told her, stroking the head of a gray and white horse.

“She’s beautiful,” Alqa whispered, approaching and stroking Baiyarma behind her ear.

“How do I mount her?” Sugekui asked.

“Get her a bit and bridle first,” Alqa told him. Sugekui left and came back a couple of minutes later with a bit, bridle, and reins. Alqa took them, “Baiyarma, can you open your mouth please?” she softly asked Baiyarma. Baiyarma opened her mouth and Alqa slid the bit into her mouth and tightened the bridle around her head. Gripping the reins, Alqa led Baiyarma over to the mounting step, she kept Baiyarma in front of it while Sugekui approached. “Swing your leg over her and then sit up straight. Keep hold of her with your thighs, don’t fall off,” Alqa instructed Sugekui. He did as he was instructed and Alqa handed him the reins. “Kick her once to start moving, twice to trot, three times to canter, and four to gallop. Get used to all of those and make sure it is hard so she knows. Keep your legs straight so she doesn’t go too fast,” Alqa explained to him. Sugekui kicked Baiyarma once and she started walking forward. “Use the reins to control her direction, up to stop or slow, left and right to turn left and right!” Alqa yelled to him as she led Nergui towards the mounting step. She got Nergui to the mounting step and mounted her.

Giving Nergui a kick she walked towards Sugekui, “Come on,” Alqa laughed as she passed him. Sugekui kicked Baiyarma and followed her. They rode for a bit getting farther away from the yurts. “Let’s speed up, kick Baiyarma twice,” Alqa told Sugekui and Sugekui kicked Baiyarma twice, Baiyarma sped up into a trot.

“This is fun,” Sugekui told her.

“Yes, but it's hard, once you have mastered this you get to learn to fight up here,” Alqa told him.

“Will I get a bow like yours?” Sugekui asked.

“Yes,” Alqa answered, she felt at ease with Sugekui, he was fun to be around.

“Is it hard to aim with a bow on horseback?” Sugekui asked.

“Of course, notice how you’re bouncing on the Baiyarma? That motion makes aiming hard,” Alqa explained.

“Why are you here? Where is your Yisra?” Sugekui asked. The question caught Alqa off-guard and she didn’t respond for about half a minute.

“I am here because we were attacked by raiders, I don’t know where they are, or even if they are still alive,” Alqa explained. Tears started to stream down her face but she tried hiding them. Sugekui was silent and looked sullen. Alqa wiped her tears and looked forward again.

“I’m sorry Alqa,” Sugekui said, he sounded like he felt really bad. Alqa didn’t want to talk anymore and kicked Nergui’s flanks four times. Nergui galloped away and took Nergui back to the horse pens. She dismounted Nergui and took off the bit and bridle. She kissed Nergui goodbye and went back to her yurt.

It took a few days before Alqa got over it and apologized to Sugekui, they both agreed to leave the topic alone and went on rides together until Buqutai announced a hunt. Alqa quickly volunteered and prepared Nergui for the hunt. This hunt would be different, it was the Khan’s hunt. They rode out, a force of thirty, most of the warriors of the Yisra. They met other Yisra at a rallying point after two days of riding. It was the largest encampment Alqa had seen, yurts stretched almost as far as she could see in any direction. Yet she couldn’t shake it out of her mind that she shouldn’t be here. She was a child after all, this was for the adults.

As they approached a large force of armored warriors, horses dressed in full war-regalia, horns reaching to the sky approached them. The precious metals and gems gleamed, some wore scale armor of metal or leather, others wore metal cuirasses, some wore tsu reinforced with metal plates sewn inside, she could make out the outlines of the plates through the tsu. All held weapons. Some chose bows and kept their distance, some had hooked spears, some swords, and some axes. They were led to their area and they set up their travel-yurts, smaller yurts that could be more easily brought with them on journeys.

There would be four more days of waiting for the rest of the Yisra to arrive. They spent their time playing shooting games, horse races, wrestling, and feasting. At the end of the four-day waiting period, the Khan called everybody to assembly and Alqa stood with the rest of the warriors. “We are still missing a Yisra, does anybody here know why the Yisra of Maqudan does not come?” The Khan announced. Alqa knew, for that had been her Yisra but did not speak up at first.

Yesui looked at her, “If that is yours, you should speak, the Khan will want to know what happened to it,” Yesui whispered to Alqa. Sighing Alqa stepped forward, out of the mass of warriors.

“I do, my lord,” Alqa stated in the strongest voice she could muster, standing in front of the strongest warriors of every Yisra of the Qutuq made her feel small and weak. The Khan ordered his slaves to set down his palanquin.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“I am Alqaiia Qutuqäsa. Daughter of Tarmaagii Qutuqäz and Bortuiia Qutuqäsa,” Alqa responded.

“Tell me, what happened to your Yisra,” The Khan responded.

“My lord, nineteen days ago, we were set upon by a horde of raiders. I do not know how many survived,” Alqa told him.

“The Baltui grow bolder, this is worrying,” the Khan announced. He stepped forward, towards Alqa, a presence menacing and awe-inspiring. His clothes were elaborately inlaid with golden thread amongst the purple so dark it was almost black. And he wore a cloak of fine tiger fur. The pelt seemed to burn with fire, broken up by stripes of black ash. Around his neck, he wore a necklace of teeth from dangerous predators. On his left waist sat a long sword, curved wickedly. On the other, a quiver holding three composite bows and many arrows sat within the quiver. On his head was a tall, conical hat. It was the same dark purple as his clothes and inlaid with elaborate patterns of golden thread, on the point was the head of a horse, in gold. The edges were ringed with many busts of rearing horses, also cast of gold. Thrust through his belt was a small, curved dagger, carved of solid gold.

He placed his left hand on her right shoulder. “I am sorry for your loss Alqa,” He whispered to her, then stepping back he took a bronze dagger from a member of his ärchgekui and cut his right palm. Sheathing the knife, he spoke in a loud voice, projecting it so that all present could hear. “I make a blood oath and swear this to you, Alqaiia Qutuqäsa, daughter of Tarmaagii Qutuqäz and Bortuiia Qutuqäsa. Your Yisra shall be avenged, with fire, blood, iron, and bronze. The Baltui shall suffer tenfold for the deaths of your Yisra,” and all at once, the Qutu warriors let out roars and shouts of war. Alqa smiled and bowed before the Khan. She was then dismissed back to her new Yisra. Shortly after, leaders of the hunting parties from all the Yisra met in the Khan’s tent to discuss the plan of the hunt. That took only a short time while Alqa prepared Nergui to ride, alongside the rest of the hunters.