The Great Khan Ch. 04

"I... don't know," Toragana said. "He might not be happy about three of his four wives going off on what could be a suicide mission."

"Do you think I could go with you?" Solongo asked. "I don't like the idea of being separated from you."

"And what of your duty to your husband, child?" Turkina asked, raising her eyebrow as she looked at the younger Sukh sister.

"He'll hardly notice I'm gone, mother," Solongo replied sullenly. "I'm sure that Chambui wouldn't mind either. She feels I am usurping her position as First Wife."

"Are you?" asked the matriarch.

"Not bloody likely," snorted the younger Sukh girl. "I fulfill my wifely duties as he demands of me and otherwise try to stay out of his way, lest he kill me on a whim. Chambui is just jealous and stupid."

"On that last point we agree," Turkina sighed, knowing now that she was tormenting Solongo for no good reason. Kula was her son, but she knew full-well what a brute he was. She had no illusions about that. "Daughter," she continued, looking at Toragana now. "Plan to take your sister and the Chinese whore with you, I'll work it out with Boldbator. With any luck, Galina will not make it back."

The Chinese girl said nothing, simply looking at the floor serenely, but Toragana knew she was hurt, terrified and seething inwardly. She couldn't blame her. She bowed humbly to Turkina. "It will be as you say, mother."

"See if you can change your son's mind about me going while you're at it, mother," Khorijn grumbled. "It is a disgrace that I must-"

"Oh, stop your whining, you obstreperous brat!" Toragana snapped, glaring at Khorijin angrily while everyone else looked on in surprise. Even Khorijin seemed amazed while the Sukh girl turned to face her while still kneeling. "Do what your khan fucking told you to do and be thankful for the stupid errant star that saved you from being married off to some other family and relegated to mending clothes and armour!"

Khorijin's eyes blazed in fury and she surged to her feet, drawing the krhiss knife from her belt, fully intending to bath in Toragana's blood. The Sukh girl didn't move, daring her to act on her impulses.

"Hold, Khorijin," Sarantuya said sternly, fixing her imperious gaze on the Tengger woman. "Seek not to harm our sister-wife, or you will have me to deal with as well."

"You think I fear you, Borjigin slut?!" Khorijin hissed, glaring at Sarantuya. "You are no match for me."

"That may be," acknowledged Sarantuya, nodding slowly. "But you cannot kill all of us. You are not that good, and certainly not in these close confines and without armour."

"Shall we find out?" growled Khorijin, the blade still in her hand.

"You are embarrassing the khan with your behaviour," Mai said quietly, still looking at the ground. "To threaten your own family, his family, because you cannot control your temper is-"

"You are no family of mine, whore!" Khorijin seethed. "You I would feel the least regret in killing!"

"But you won't," replied the Chinese girl, now looking up at Khorijin, her face expression neutral. "You always threaten to slay me, but you never have, because you know Boldbator would kill you on the spot for harming me, sister or no. More than that, though, I do not believe you to be a stupid person, Khorijin. If I were ever worried that you actually intended to kill me, you would have died from poison moons ago, lying in a pool of your own blood as you choked to death in utter terror."

The ger was completely silent as everyone pondered Mai's words. Khorijin seemed stunned by what she had just heard and even the regal Turkina seemed taken aback, though she hid it well. Mai closed her eyes as she spoke again.

"None of you have the right to kill me. That right belongs solely to my lord, the khan. Pray that I never actually conclude you are a threat to me. Any of you."

It was not said but understood that the last words spoken were for Turkina's benefit. Mai had drawn a line in the sand. She was done being threatened. Sarantuya nodded and looked at Khorijin again.

"There you have it, sister," she announced. "None of us are the least bit interested in your tantrums or bullying any more. We are all wives of Boldbator, the great khan, each with our part to play- you are his spirited warrior-wife, Toragana is his diplomat, Galina his sage and I am his standard. That is how he desires things and it is not our place to question how he would order them."

Khorijin said nothing, but her knuckles were white as she gripped the knife, which trembled in her hand.

"From now on, we fight only for our lord's pleasure, and as he commands," Sarantuya continued. "I seek no competition with you, for I have nothing to prove to you, or myself, only my husband. I am forming a bond, a sisterhood with Galina and Toragana, so we may serve the khan more completely. If you want no part of this endeavour, stay out of our way."

"And what if it does not suit me that you see fit to treat my only daughter in such a fashion?" Turkina asked, her voice having a dire undertone to it. This was a dangerous game the three wives were playing, and they could not afford to miscalculate.

"Then your son will deal with us accordingly, mother," Sarantuya said, bowing humbly. "I know it is obvious to you that we seek only to serve him, and if the only cost is your daughter having no one to fight with when she is angry, then we will find Uyghurs to craft a larger dildo for her."

Khorijin flushed angrily and scowled at the ground. In spite of herself, and Sarantuya's veiled impertinence, Turkina smirked. She then nodded. "Very well, daughter," she said. "It shall be as you say, because I do indeed believe your intent, and perhaps fighting all the time is a detriment to that goal."

She looked at Khorijin. "You will no longer fight with or abuse your sister-wives, my daughter. Not even the Chinese harlot. You are the warrior amongst them and it is the warrior's duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. On the khan's behalf, this is my command, and you will not gainsay it."

Khorijin struggled with her temper for several seconds, but finally sighed and knelt, bowing reverently before her mother. "It shall be as you say."

"Good," said the matriarch, rising from the small dais she had been sitting on. "There may be hope for you lot yet. I shall retire now to my own ger. Behave yourselves."

They all bowed as she left. There was silence for several seconds before Khorijin simply stood up and walked out. The other women all sighed heavily. "Well, that's the first two hurdles overcome..." Toragana stated. "At least we need not fear for our health now."

"Not so directly, at least," Sarantuya muttered. "Khorijin will not stoop to poisoning us, she would consider that beneath her, cowardly."

There was silence between the three women for some time, each lost in their own thoughts. Sarantuya's eyes finally opened. "I think there can indeed be a sisterhood between us," she mused quietly. "But Mai will always be the weak link in that chain. Not Khorijin, because she will eventually knuckle under, for she is a Mongol. Mai, on the other hand, will never completely trust to us or forgive what has happened to her. Am I correct, Mai?"

Mai was silent for some time before answering, although her sister-wives did not know if she was considering or merely being enigmatic. They might never know. Mai, more than any of them, had the most to lose and needed every advantage she could get.

"I would be lying if I said my life back in the capital was serene and idyllic," she replied quietly. "There may not have been threats to me directly, but the constant court intrigues can wear on one over the years, even an innocent girl."

"Not so innocent, I wager," Toragana said, smirking. "Your sexual prowess is unusual enough, but your command of poisons would indicate that men have died by your hand before as part of some court intrigue."

"And you see too clearly for your own good, my lady," murmured the Chinese girl. "It is a dint of perception one does not see in many barbarians and, were you south of the Wall, living in my realm, it would likely get you noticed and killed. Subtle intuition must remain so subtle as to never be noticed."

"I'll keep that in mind when I am dealing with a Song diplomat," stated Toragana. "For now, though, I must turn my thoughts to the dealings with the Kyrgyz."

"We will do everything we can to help you, sister." Sarantuya said, leaning forward and putting her hand on top of Toragana's.

***

The attack had been swift, but Boldbator was ready for it- the Batalji clan came under the cover of night, hoping to catch the Tengger unawares. At the head of two other clans, they stormed toward the settlement, but scouts had seen them in time sound the alarm. Though outlying gers were burned and destroyed, by the time they reached the main encampment, it was too late to avoid the traps.

Knowing that the treasure of Targetai was too great a prize to ignore, and that threats might come at any time, Boldbator had raised subtle but deadly defences not commonly used by the tribes- dirt walls, some standing high as a man, were spaced seemingly erratically around the encampment for many ald, meant to break up the momentum of a concerted charge. He had also dug pits between these short walls, and covered them in dun blankets that were hard to see during the day, and completely invisible at night. Some were just deep enough to cause a horse to tumble, while a few were deep and wide enough to swallow mounts and riders whole, often lined with sharpened stakes that would pin a mangled, thrashing horse, further disrupting the riders coming on behind.

It was these devious defences that the Batalji clan now foundered in, trying madly to force their way through from three sides. Horses and men piled up, herded by the unpassable walls into the traps beyond and dying in droves. While scouts dashed to rally outlying families and clans to battle, Boldbator prepared a furious counter-attack, not wishing to let the enemy close to the treasure, or his family.

It may not have been to his liking, but Boldbator led the attack on foot, knowing that the traps would be just as deadly for his horses as they were for the enemy. Tengger warriors surged forward with long lances, aiming mostly for the enemy warriors, but settling for attacking the ponies if they had to. Men who were expert archers also held back, firing a deadly rain of arrows into the wallowing foe, once oil fires near the traps had been lit, further adding to the Batalji's confusion.

Khorijin whooped loudly as she led the charge against the attack from the south-east, eager to taste blood. She leapt in the air and drove her long lance through the leather breastplate of a rider, before pulling it free and thrusting at another. She whirled about like a demon, clearing a bloody path for her men to follow. Few had made it through the network of walls and pits, meaning they were now pinned between Khorijin and their own troops behind.

She mounted a pony she grabbed hold of and began exhorting her troops, pointing with her spear, her clear voice ringing over the din. She made another savage thrust and knocked a man from his horse, blood gushing from his throat. She remained stationary as her men surged past her, pulling her bow from her back and beginning to shoot at targets of opportunity. Her men began dropping their lances and pulling axes and swords off their belts, the press of bodies too thick to allow proper wielding of a long-hafted weapon. They struck down their foes savagely, clambering over a pile of Batalji bodies to come to grips with the warriors behind.

Kula stomped forward, roaring like a bear as he took on the attackers from the northwest. More Batalji warriors had made it through the defences here, and the battle was much more fluid than the sheer press and meat grinder Khorijin was experiencing. Larger units were not making it through, but swift arvahns were, meaning his men often had to chase them down, without being on horseback. His archers were very busy, but every Mongol could also shoot at a full gallop, meaning his men were not immune to casualties.

But small unit tactics were not beyond the younger Tengger son, and he hastily ordered a layered defense of the area his brother had assigned him. Even as some of his troops moved forward, others were bringing up the rear, often with lances and shields and in tight formation. The Batalji attackers making it through were too few to break open such formations and soon were finding themselves hemmed in. They had the advantage of mobility still, but the area they could wield that advantage in was growing smaller. Kula and his bahatur were charging forward, letting enemy troops stream by them on either flank, leaving them to his defense in depth formation.

He slashed about with two axes, cleaving man and pony with murderous ease. No armour seemed to be proof against his brute strength and his passage was marked by pools of blood. His bahatur, ten of his most competent warriors, fanned out about him, lances and blades making short work of the confounded enemy.

His wounds from the battle not long before screamed, threatening to open, but the pain drove him into a berserk rage. He seemed almost immune to injuries inflicted upon him, shrugging them off and fighting harder. It became impossible to tell if the blood he was covered in was his own or those of his victims.

For his part, Boldbator moved forward slowly but relentlessly, archers raining steel death down on the confused enemy while his lance-armed infantry pressed in. He had correctly guessed that the Batalji numbers would be greatest here, to the northwest, since the clan came from the grasslands beyond. Their khan sent two wings of his army around the flanks, hoping to divide the Tengger forces, but was now stymied by the insidious traps.

He fired his bow into the throngs illuminated by the flickering lights with unerring accuracy as he marched behind his keshig, who kept their shields raised to protect the khan. Gerel kept yelling loudly, making sure his orders were followed. On either side, heavily-armoured zuuns protected their flanks, making sure that Boldbator wasn't flanked, while a third followed behind.

Boldbator looked down to his side, his eyes glinting in amusement. "You're sure this is what you want?"

"The Tengger are my clan now, my khan," Toragana said, hoping her voice was louder and clearer than it sounded to her as she kept her shield raised. "I may not have been the greatest khan the Sukh clan ever produced, but I am the one they have, and I would prove our worth in your eyes. Not just negotiating for a bunch of stupid wood, but the battlefield as well. No better time than the present, right?"

Boldbator laughed, pleased at his newest wife's daring. With a loud call, he signaled a general charge and his warriors surged into the enemy ranks.

Not many Batalji warriors made it through the defences, but the ones who did headed straight for the cluster of gers.

***

Bolormaa trembled in her mother's lap as Solongo held her tight. They were sitting in the royal wives' ger, along with Sarantuya, Galina, Turkina and several servants. She was aware that two bahatur stood guard outside the wooden door, but the sounds of battle drew closer and it was unnerving. Solongo found herself wishing that Toragana was with them- not only because she was her sister, but the elder Sukh daughter had some measure of skill with a blade, should the enemy reach them. She doubted that any of the women here were much use in a fight.

She looked around, seeing what the others were doing. Turkina and Sarantuya were sitting together quietly, not saying anything, but holding one another's hands. Galina, the khan's Chinese concubine, was kneeling before a small fire, making salt tea. The dozen or so servant women were huddled in a corner together, looking frightened.

She shivered as she heard hooves thunder by outside, accompanied by angry shouts. There seemed to be some confusion and then the clash of steel and the shriek of horses. The walls of the ger shook from the violence and cries of anguish reached them. The wooden door burst open and then one of the bahatur toppled backward through it, blood spurting from a ragged wound in his neck.

Seconds later, a fearsome warrior stepped through, his right eye missing and a long scar creasing his face. He stood over the felled Tengger warrior and grinned as he saw the women.

"Nergui..." Turkina said quietly, her eyes narrowing.

"Well now," the Batalji khan said gruffly, stroking his chin. "Turkina, wife of the dead fool Arslan and mother of the pretender Boldbator. And Sarantuya of the Borjigin. What a find."

He started to move forward, his yataghan dripping blood on the packed earth floor. "The décor of this ger is so drab, perhaps a few sprays of blood-red would liven things up."

He paused momentarily as Mai stood and walked forward, almost seeing to float as her midnight blue silk Chinese robe, decorated with silver cranes, concealed her feet. She stood between Nergui and the other women, her face serene and her eyes closed.

"And Boldbator's famed Chinese whore!" barked the khan jovially, amused by her attempted intercession. "What do you think you are doing?"

Sarantuya and Solongo tried to conceal their gasps of shock and Turkina scowled as Mai gracefully untied her robe and pulled it open, allowing it to pool at her feet. Her pale, perfect body glowed almost like ivory in the firelight. Had she betrayed them for her own life?

"A trained and shaved cunt will not save you, whore," Nergui growled, but he had yet to resume his advance. "I will fuck you in half and slit your throat. No trick will keep you from death."

"You mistake my intent, o khan," she said quietly, standing demurely. "I just wanted you to be standing still."

"What?!?" he snarled.

"So much easier to hit than a moving target..." Mai replied as she reached into her coiled hair and withdrew a single, slender golden pin. Her glossy raven hair tumbled down her back, but before the khan could react, she deftly flicked her arm forward- the golden pin buried itself in Nergui's left eye. The khan shouted in pain, dropping his sword as he clutched as his face. But within seconds, he began shake, a horrible choking sound emanating from his throat.

Solongo and Sarantuya watched in wide-eyed shock as Nergui began retching, his face turning blue while his swollen tongue bulged obscenely from his mouth. He collapsed to his knees, his gasps growing wearing as he lost the ability to breathe. A trembling hand reached up and yanked the needle from his eye, followed by a spurt of blood that made Bolormaa cry out in fright. Solongo held her daughter tightly, whispering to her.

Nergui tried to stand, but pitched onto his back, shuddering violently. His exposed skin was almost purple now, blood seeping from his mouth, eyes and ears. His seizures ended suddenly and he went still, his legs and arms contorted and locked in positions that looked like rictus.

Mai was the only one who moved, bending down and recovering her robe, slipping it back on and tying it loosely. She then moved forward and stood over Nergui's body, facing the other women. She planted a dainty foot on his chest, her face serene and inscrutable.

"I, Galina of the Tengger clan, have defeated Nergui, khan of the Batalji clan," she said quietly. "Let none dispute this act."

She then returned to her place by the salt tea, resuming its preparation. They all continued to look at her in amazement, even Turkina. No one had expected this. It took all of her exceptional courtesan training to swallow her fear, to not let them see the terror she felt within.