An instant later, a hundred shafts flashed through the air to take the seven riders neatly from their saddles. One of the horses was killed and Genghis heard Arslan barking at an unfortunate warrior for his incompetence. As Genghis watched, Arslan took the man's bow and cut the string with a jerk of his knife before handing it back to him. The warrior took it with his head bowed in humiliation.
Bodies lay still on the plain, facedown in the mud. On such ground, the horses could not bolt easily. Without their riders to urge them on, they stood listlessly, looking back at the tribes. Two of them nuzzled the bodies of the men they had known, whickering nervously at the smell of blood.
Ho Sa stared in thin-lipped fury as Genghis turned to face him.
"They were good horses," Genghis said. The soldier's expression did not change and the khan shrugged. "Words are not heavy. It does not take more than one of you to carry my reply."
He left Ho Sa to be taken to the great ger and given salt tea. Genghis remained behind to see the horses as they were captured and brought back.
"I will have first choice," he said to Barchuk.
The Uighur khan nodded, raising his eyes for a moment. First choice would give Genghis the best of them, but they were good mounts and still worth having.
Despite the late season, the sun was hot in the valley of the Xi Xia, and the ground had been baked into a thin crust by the time Genghis rode toward the city. The king had requested he bring only three companions, but another five thousand rode with him for the first few miles. By the time he was close enough to make out details of the pavilion erected in front of the city, Genghis's curiosity had become overwhelming. What could the king want with him?
He left his escort behind with some reluctance, though he knew Khasar would ride to his aid if he signaled. He had considered the chances of a surprise attack on the king while they talked, but Rai Chiang was not a fool. The peach-colored awning had been erected very close to the walls of the city. Huge bows armed with iron-tipped shafts as long as a man could destroy it in moments and ensure Genghis would not survive. The king was more vulnerable outside the walls, but the balance was delicate.
Genghis sat straight in the saddle as he rode ahead with Arslan, Kachiun, and Barchuk of the Uighurs. They were well armed and carried extra blades hidden in their armor in case the king insisted on removing their swords.
Genghis tried to lighten his grim expression as he took in every detail of the peach awning. He liked the color and wondered where he could find silk of that width and quality. He ground his teeth together at the thought of the untouched city in plain sight. If he had found a way in, he would not have come to meet the king of the Xi Xia. The thought nagged at him that every city in Chin lands was said to be as well protected and he had not yet discovered a way to counter the defense.
The four riders did not speak as they passed into the cool peach shade and dismounted. The awning hid them from view of the archers on the walls, and Genghis found himself relaxing, standing in grim silence before the king's guards.
No doubt they had been chosen to impress, he thought, staring at them. Someone had given thought to the difficulties of the meeting. The entrance to the pavilion was wide so that he could see no assassins waited to catch him as he entered. The guards were powerfully built and they did not acknowledge the man who stood before them. Instead, they stared back like statues at the line of mounted warriors he had gathered in the far distance.
Though there were chairs within, the pavilion held only one man, and Genghis nodded to him.
"Where is your king, Ho Sa? Is it too early in the morning for him?"
"He comes, my lord khan. A king does not arrive first."
Genghis raised an eyebrow as he considered taking offense. "Perhaps I should leave. I did not ask him to come to me, after all."
Ho Sa flushed and Genghis smiled. The man was easy to irritate, but he had found he liked him, for all his prickly honor. Before he could respond, horns sounded on the walls of the city and the four Mongols reached for their swords. Ho Sa held up a hand.
"The king guarantees the peace, my lord khan. The horns are to let me know he is leaving the city."
"Go out and watch him come," Genghis said to Arslan. "Tell me how many men ride with him." He made an effort to relax his muscles where they had tightened. He had met khans before and he had killed them in their own gers. There was nothing new in this, he told himself, but still there was a touch of awe in him, an echo of Ho Sa's manner. Genghis smiled at his own foolishness, realizing it was a part of being so far from home. Everything was new and different from the plains he remembered, but he would have chosen no other place to stand on that morning.
Arslan returned quickly.
"He comes in a litter carried by slaves. It looks much like the one Wen Chao used."
"How many slaves?" Genghis replied, frowning. He would be outnumbered and his irritation showed on his face.
Ho Sa replied before Arslan. "They are eunuchs, my lord. Eight men of strength, but not warriors. They are no more than beasts of burden and forbidden to carry weapons."
Genghis considered. If he left before the king arrived, those in the city would believe his nerve had failed. Perhaps his own warriors would think the same. He held himself still. Ho Sa wore a long blade at his belt and the two guards were well armored. He weighed the risks and then dismissed them. Sometimes, a man could worry too much about what might happen. He chuckled, making Ho Sa blink in surprise, then seated himself to wait for the king.
The bearer slaves held their precious burden at waist level as they approached the pavilion of silk. From inside, Genghis and his three companions watched with interest as they lowered the palanquin to the ground. Six of them stood in silence, while two unrolled a length of black silk across the mud. To Genghis's surprise, they drew wooden pipes from the sashes at their waist and began to play a subtle melody as the curtains were pulled open. It was strangely peaceful to hear the music over the breeze, and Genghis found himself fascinated as Rai Chiang stepped out.
The king was a slightly built man, though he wore a set of armor perfectly fitted to his frame. The scales had been polished to a high sheen so that he gleamed in the sun. At his hip, he wore a sword with a jeweled hilt, and Genghis wondered if he had ever drawn it in anger. The music swelled at his appearance and Genghis found he was enjoying the performance.
The king of the Xi Xia nodded to the two guards and they stepped away from the pavilion to take positions at his side. Only then did he walk the few steps into the pavilion. Genghis and his companions rose to greet him.
"Lord khan," Rai Chiang said, inclining his head. His accent was strange and he said the words as if he had memorized them without understanding.
"Majesty," Genghis replied. He used the Xi Xia word that Barchuk had taught him. To his pleasure, he saw a glint of interest come into the king's eyes. For a fleeting moment, Genghis wished his father could have lived to see him meet kings in a foreign land.
The two guards took positions opposite Kachiun and Arslan, clearly marking their men in the event of trouble. For their part, the two generals stared back impassively. They were mere spectators at the meeting, but neither man would be taken by surprise. If the king planned their deaths, he would not survive the attempt.
Arslan frowned at a sudden thought. None of them had seen the king before. If this was an impostor, the army of Yinchuan could smash the pavilion flat from the walls and lose only a few loyal men. He stared at Ho Sa to see if he was unusually tense, but the man showed no sign of expecting imminent destruction.
Rai Chiang began to speak in the language of his people. His voice was firm, as might be expected of one so used to authority. He held Genghis's stare with his own and neither man seemed to blink. When the king had finished speaking, Ho Sa cleared his throat, his face carefully blank as he translated the king's words.
"Why do the Uighurs ravage the land of the Xi Xia? Have we not dealt fairly with you?"
Barch
uk made a sound in his throat, but the king's gaze never left Genghis.
"I am khan of all the tribes, Majesty," Genghis replied, "the Uighurs among them. We ride because we have the strength to rule. Why else?"
The king's brow furrowed as he listened to Ho Sa's translation. His reply was measured and betrayed no hint of his anger.
"Will you sit outside my city until the end of the world? It is not acceptable, lord khan. Do your people not bargain in war?"
Genghis leaned forward, his interest roused. "I will not bargain with the Chin, majesty. Your people are enemies as old as the land, and I will see your cities broken into dust. Your lands are mine and I will ride the length and breadth of them as I please."
Genghis waited patiently as Ho Sa rendered the words for his king. All the men in the tent could see the sudden animation that sparked into Rai Chiang as he heard them. He sat up straight and his voice became clipped. Genghis tensed warily, waiting for Ho Sa to speak. Instead, it was Barchuk who took up the translation.
"He says that his people are not of the Chin race," Barchuk said. "If they are your enemy, why do you delay here in the Xi Xia valley? Great Chin cities lie to the north and east." Barchuk nodded to himself as the king spoke again.
"I think they are not the friends they once were, my lord khan. This king would not be displeased if you make war on the Chin cities."
Genghis pursed his lips in thought. "Why would I leave an enemy at my back?" he said.
Rai Chiang spoke again once he understood. Ho Sa had paled as he listened, but spoke before Barchuk could.
"Leave an ally, lord khan. If your true enemy is the Chin, we will send tribute to your tribes for as long as we are bound together as friends." Ho Sa swallowed nervously. "My king offers silk, falcons, and precious stones, supplies and armor." He took a deep breath. "Camels, horses, cloth, tea, and a thousand coins of bronze and silver to be paid each year. He makes the offer to an ally, where he could not consider it to an enemy."
Rai Chiang spoke again, impatiently, and Ho Sa listened. He grew very still as his king spoke, and dared to ask a question. Rai Chiang made a sharp gesture with his hand and Ho Sa bowed his head, clearly disturbed.
"In addition, my king offers you his daughter, Chakahai, to be your wife."
Genghis blinked, considering. He wondered if the girl was too ugly to marry off amongst the Xi Xia people. The bounty would please the tribes and keep the small khans from their plotting. The idea of tribute was not a new one for the tribes, though they had never been in a position to demand it from a truly wealthy enemy. He would have preferred to see the stone city smashed, but not one of his men could suggest a plan that might work. Genghis shrugged to himself. If he ever found out how, he could come back. Until then, let them believe they had bought peace. Goats could be milked many times but killed only once. All that remained was to get the best bargain he could.
"Tell your master his generosity is well received," he said wryly. "If he can add two thousand of his best soldiers, well armed and mounted, I will leave this valley before the moon turns. My men will dismantle the fort across the desert pass. Allies need no walls between them."
As Ho Sa began to translate, Genghis remembered Barchuk's interest in the libraries of the Xi Xia. Ho Sa paused to hear as Genghis spoke again, interrupting the flow of his words.
"Some of my men are scholars," Genghis said. "They would enjoy the chance to read scrolls of the Xi Xia writing." As Ho Sa opened his mouth, he went on. "But not philosophy. Practical matters, subjects that would interest a warrior, if you have them."
Rai Chiang's expression was unreadable as Ho Sa struggled to repeat everything he had heard. The meeting seemed to be at an end and Rai Chiang made no counteroffer. In that, Genghis saw his desperation. He was about to rise when he decided to push his luck.
"If I am to enter the cities of the Chin, I will need weapons that will break walls. Ask your king if he can supply those with all the rest."
Ho Sa spoke nervously, sensing Rai Chiang's anger as he understood. Reluctantly, he shook his head.
"My king says he would have to be a fool," Ho Sa said, unable to look Genghis in the eye.
"Yes, he would have been," Genghis replied with a smile. "The ground has dried and you can load up the gifts on new carts, with axles well greased for a long trip. You may tell your king that I am pleased by his offer. I will show that pleasure to the Chin."
Ho Sa translated and Rai Chiang's face showed no sign of his satisfaction. All the men rose together and Genghis and his companions departed first, leaving Rai Chiang and Ho Sa alone with the guards. They watched the Mongol generals mount and ride away.
Ho Sa considered keeping silent, but he had one more question he had to ask.
"Majesty, have we not brought war to the Chin?"
Rai Chiang turned a cold gaze on his officer. "Yenking is a thousand miles away and guarded by mountains and fortresses that make Yinchuan look like a provincial town. He will not take their cities." The king's mouth quirked slightly, though his expression was stony. "Besides, it is to our advantage when our enemies attack one another. Wherein lies the danger to us?" Ho Sa had not been present for the meeting of ministers and did not recognize the words.
The mood among the tribes was almost that of a festival. It was true they had not taken the stone city that sat in the distance, but if the warriors grumbled at that, their families were thrilled with the silk and spoils that Genghis had won for them. A month had passed since the meeting with the king and the carts had come from the city. Young camels snorted and spat among the herds of sheep and goats. Barchuk had disappeared into his ger with Kokchu and Temuge to decipher the strange writing of the Xi Xia people. Rai Chiang had provided scrolls with the Chin script under their own, but it was a laborious business.
Winter had come at last, though it was mild in that valley. Khasar and Kachiun had begun to drill the warriors Rai Chiang had given to them. The Xi Xia soldiers had protested the loss of their fine mounts, but those animals were far too good to waste on men who could not ride as well as Mongol children. Instead, they were given spare ponies from the herds. As the weeks fled and the air turned colder, they learned how to handle the bad-tempered, hardy beasts in a line of war. The army readied itself to move, but Genghis fretted in his ger as he waited for Rai Chiang to send out the last of the tribute and his daughter. He was not able to predict how Borte would receive the news. He hoped this Xi Xia princess would be attractive, at least.
She came on the first day of a new moon, borne in a litter very similar to the one her father had used for the meeting. Genghis watched as the honor guard of a hundred men kept close formation around her. He was amused to see that the mounts were not of the high quality he had come to expect. Rai Chiang did not intend to lose these ones as well, even to escort a daughter.
The litter was placed on the ground just a few paces from Genghis as he waited in full armor. His father's sword was on his hip and he touched it for luck, mastering his impatience. He could see the soldiers of the city were angry at having to give her up, and he smiled with genuine pleasure at them, drinking in their frustration. As he had requested, Ho Sa had come out of the city with them. He, at least, wore a cold expression of which Genghis could approve, showing nothing of his inner feelings.
When the daughter of the king stepped out onto the ground, there was a murmur of appreciation from the warriors who had gathered to witness this last sign of their triumph. She was dressed in white silk embroidered with gold, so that she shone in the sun. Her hair was bound high on her head with pins of silver, and Genghis took in a breath at the flawless beauty of her white skin. In comparison to the women of his people, she was a dove amongst crows, though he did not say it aloud. Her eyes were dark pools of despair as she walked to him. She did not look at him, but instead lowered herself elegantly to the ground with her wrists crossed in front of her.
Genghis felt the anger in her father's soldiers swell, but he ignored them. If they moved, h
is archers would kill them before they could draw a blade.
"You are welcome in my ger, Chakahai," he said softly. Ho Sa murmured a translation, his voice almost a whisper. Genghis reached down to touch her shoulder and she rose, her face carefully blank. She had none of the wiry strength he had come to expect from his women, and he felt himself becoming aroused as a faint trace of her perfume reached his nostrils.
"I think you are worth more than all the rest of your father's gifts," he said, giving her honor in front of his warriors, though she could not understand the words. Ho Sa began to speak, but Genghis silenced him with a sharp gesture.
He reached out with a sun-darkened hand, marveling at the contrast as he raised her chin so that she had to look at him. He could see her fear and also a flash of disgust as she felt his rough skin touch hers.
"I have made a good bargain, girl. You will bear fine children for me," he said. It was true that they could not be his heirs, but he found himself intoxicated with her. He could hardly keep her in the same ger as Borte and his sons. So fragile a girl would not survive. He would have another ger built for her alone and the children she would have.
He became aware he had been standing in silence for a long time and the tribes were watching his reaction with growing interest. More than a few grinning warriors nudged each other and whispered to their friends. Genghis raised his gaze to the officer standing with Ho Sa. Both men were pale with anger, but when Genghis gestured back to the city, Ho Sa turned as sharply as the others. The officer snapped an order at him and Ho Sa's mouth fell open in surprise.
"You I need, Ho Sa," Genghis told him, delighted with his astonishment. "Your king has given you to me for a year."
Ho Sa drew his mouth into a thin line as he understood. With bitter eyes, he watched the rest of the escort riding back to the city, leaving him there with the shivering girl he had come to give away to wolves.
Genghis turned to face the wind from the east, breathing in the scent of it and imagining the cities of the Chin over the horizon. They had walls he could not break and he would not risk his people again in ignorance.
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