Chapter 4
Wolf's Bane
The odds were against me, I do not think anyone would deny that fact. The pack of wolves was only a few minutes away and I was alone. I took out my bow; I had thirty-five arrows in the. I decided that the best idea was in fact to climb a tree. So I picked one across the stream with a good view of the area.
I was ready with an arrow in the bow by the time the first wolf appeared. As said my aim was far from perfect though my speed for pulling out an arrow was decent enough. The first fell with a shot to its side. It was followed by three others and then another one; I managed to get them all before they crossed the bank. Most were one shot kills but one I had to shoot twice. The remaining fifteen came all at once. I managed to pick off seven more before they were barking around the tree.
Things started to get troublesome when I realized that the tree was crumbling underneath me as the wolves scratched and pushed against it; the wood was old and dry from the lack of rain. Apparently it was not as secure as I thought it was. In a few moments the tree was going to give and I would be at the wolves' mercy. My only hope was to try and get some distance in between me and them. Meanwhile I was thinking I was able to hit three more before I had to throw the bow to the ground and make a jump for it. By the time I was ready to jump the trunk had broken and the tree was slowly falling; I waited till the last moment to leap onto the ground. I broke my momentum by rolling forward and ended in a crouched position.
I pivoted, sword in hand, to meet the first with a horizontal slash. The other four were set back a bit by the tree's collapse but were quick to recover. At first it seemed that they would all charge, and one did. It met its end as I thrust my sword down its throat. The last three slowly circled me, each about two meters from me. I eyed each one as they turned around; each returning the gaze with a fierce determination that I would become their next meal.
As coordinated as they could all three jumped at the same time; one behind and two in front. The result was that my arm stretched out at slashed the wolf to my left, at the same time my left foot swung backwards and hit the head of the wolf behind me. The last on hit me in my midriff knocking the sword out of my hand and landing me in the mud. Out of gut instinct I pulled in my legs and kicked out catching the wolf's chest and sending in flying.
This gave me an opening to make a mad dash for my sword. I almost reached it when I was pushed into the mud as the wolf jumped on my back and bit into my left shoulder and started to pull. I reached for my sword which was barely out of reach, as soon as I felt the metal I tightened my grip and swung it back and down on the wolf's neck. My hope was that it would be the sharp end but it was not so; however, the blunt end hit the wolf hard enough to weaken the canine's grip on my shoulder and gave me the opportunity to get away. He blow caused the wolf to falter before collapsing on the ground unconscious.
I looked around to see the scene around me; eighteen dead wolves and two live ones lay around me, trailing rivers of blood. I myself had a serious wound to the shoulder from the wolf's bite, I thought about extracting revenge upon the two remaining wolves; arm for an arm type idea. But I had no real bone to pick with them; after all they were just trying to get their next meal. I decided to leave the other two alive and unscathed.
Right now my priority was to get to that village, no matter whom the inhabitants may be. I needed to get my wound treated soon or it could get infected. For now all I could do was to tear my shirt and bind the wound to try and stop the blood flow, it would do for now. I scanned the skies for a sight of the smoke that I had seen earlier and much to my satisfaction it was still to the east south.
The last thing I had planned to do when I set off on this quest was to join a tribe for any amount of time. I was a warrior, one who killed others to stay alive; I would not feel comfortable if I stayed in one place for too long without any action or challenges. Besides I bet was a horrible sight, covered in mud and blood. But I had no choice; it was either that or risk dying.
When I reached the village I climbed a tree to get an overview of its layout. The village turned out to be fifteen yurts some larger than others including an extremely large yurt at the center of the village made out of thick logs and did not look like it was meant to be moved. Little kids ran back and forth playing, girls with dolls and the boys honing their skills with the bow and arrow with their mothers watchful eyes over them. I envied the children for that, they were a peaceful village and probably would not know of death till they were grown up and had kids of their own. In the distance to the south a cloud of dust was rising, I figured that it was the men of the village returning from a hunt or raiding party.
I started to descend from my vantage point, looking downward to check if there was anyone below me. Not seeing anyone I lowered myself from the tree and started to walk away from the village, behind me the warning horns blew to announce incoming riders. I really did not want to mess with their world; it would not be just to bring war to this peaceful village. I had not walked four meters when I heard yells and screams behind me. I unsheathed my sword and began to backtrack towards the village I was wounded in my left arm by my right still worked fine. As I came into the village the raiders were already there many had been killed from both sides. I counted seven men, three of which had dismounted. The one closest to me was about to kill a kid when I came at him. He looked up just in time to see my sword cleaved him through the middle. He fell limp over me. The second came at me charging, sword drawn. He swung sideways and I blocked it nearly falling backwards without the aid of my second arm, I threw my weight into a forceful shove and took my turn at attacking two strikes from above causing him to lower his sword, a trust in the stomach finished him off. The last dismounted man had been taken care of by one of the village warriors.
I looked over at the village's stables and saw that two of the horsemen were releasing the horses from their pen while the other was setting fire to the yurts. I ran towards the first two but the third horseman blocked me by waving his lance at me. I reached back for my bow and, when I felt nothing but air I remembered that I had not picked it back up at the stream alongside the wolf. Darn it, this was my second mistake of the day; first getting caught up with the wolves and now this, and could cost me my life. The raider stabbed at me a few times each of these I sidestepped and tried to charge him, but every time he would back up a little at the lance point was in my face. I did not have time for this, the raider was leading the horses out of the pen and the only warrior left was busy with the other horseman. I looked around and found a bucket filled with sand, I grabbed it and flung it at the rider. In mid air the bucket spun and dumped its contents all over the rider. While he was wiping the sand out of his eyes he could not lift his lance against me. I rushed him and chopped off his arm; in a gush of blood that followed I grabbed his lance and used it for his demise.
The horsemen had almost gotten the last of the horses out of the pen when I appeared in front of him, he turned his horse to strike at me but before he could raise his sword I ran his mount with the lance. The last horseman recovered after falling off and grabbed a spear that he carried at his side.
The following fight took longer than it should have, but given the state in which my arm was in I guess it can pass. Initially the two of us traded blows and parries neither able to pierce the other's defenses. At last my grip was starting to weaken and I was unable to properly block an attempt to my torso. I did divert it to my right leg and yelled in pain as the metal pierced skin and muscle. I dropped to my left knee and couldn't get up, the raider pulled out the spear and prepared to stab me when an arrow head suddenly grew out from his chest, the other rider had been killed by the village warrior and he came to my aid. As I lay, there one hand on my sword with the other clutching onto my leg, I finally got a good look at the rider's face he saw that he was not Chinese, rather he was Mongolian! Panicking over the fact that I had killed one of my kin and the pain in my leg, I faded out.
When I finally woke, it was dark. I looked around and saw that I was in one of the yurts. I tried to get up but someone's hand forced me down.
"Do not get up," a soft voice of a woman told me, "You have been seriously injured and need rest." I could not see her face.
"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked, wanting to know my situation.
"I am Shira, daughter of Taguarti Sorgan." She was wrapping something around my leg. "You are in one of my father's yurts." Great, indoors. Even though it was just a yurt not being outside made me feel like I was in a prison. That kind of thing happens to a person that, even though he was born inside, spent enough time outside that he finds it the most comfortable place possible.
"My father is the khan of this village, he will be glad to know that you are awake."
"How long was I asleep for?" I asked
"You have been asleep for a week. You have lost much blood and your leg is severely injured, not to mention your shoulder needs mending."I felt my shoulder to find it had been wrapped in a bandage, presumably the same type of material the girl was using the bandage my leg.
"Thank you for your kindness but I must be going, I can't stay." I was angry at myself, how come I had to help the village or even come and see the village in the beginning. All it brought me was trouble, wolves, raiders, and now an injured leg and shoulder.
"You won't be able to leave if you want to or not for while. Any ways it is night and we are in wolf country, if you leave now you'll be dead by morning for sure." She responded as if humored by my comment.
"Great, that bit of knowledge would have been useful a few days ago. I had to find that out the hard way."
"Yes we could tell," This was a new voice; I turned my head to look at the entrance of the tent where a well-dressed man stood. "Your coats were soaked in blood, my wife has taken off the stains but the smell, it will never leave. I do not think we will have to worry about wolf packs for a few years." He let out a small chuckle.
"I take it you are Taguarti Sorgan?" I took a guess, hoping that I wasn't mistaken. I did not want to insult anyone, especially the leader of the village in which I was staying.
"Savage yet wise, a strange combination I might add." He pulled up a stool next to me and sat on it. "Yes I am he. I take it my daughter told you of me." He whispered something to Shira, and she retired.
"First of I would like to say thank you on part of the whole village for saving us, our men were off trying to fight off another of the same group and we were left defenseless. The Wolves are indeed fearsome fighters." He said after Shira left. "Pray tell me about yourself. Where are you from and where are you going to?"
I was afraid he would ask those questions. I wasn't ready with an answer for it either being that I had just woken from a week long sleep, instead I changed the subject "Who are the wolves?" This would be harder than with Jebei, with him I could just ignore any questions I didn't want to answer and he would have to suffice with that. Now it was different, the man asking me was the village's leader and was generously housing me, I couldn't afford to be rude.
"The Wolves are a tribe that has migrated down from the north. Their reputation as incredibly skilled fighters proceeded them when they arrived four years ago. Their khan is a merciless man who thrives on attacking other villages. It seems you do not want me to know of yourself, I will respect that. By what name should I call you stranger?" He stood up as if to leave.
"If you want a name you may call me Junchi." I said hoping that it was sufficient.
"Junchi, eh. So be it. Do you wish anything before I leave you tonight?"
"It would be most helpful for a brighter fire, it is dimming and I am not going to go to sleep for a while, not after the one from which I just woke up from. I would also like my sword to be brought to me; it is my most valued possession."
"Yes I know," I looked at him, puzzled by his remark. "When we took you inside it took two men to pry it from your hands, you've got quite a gripe. I shall send in my daughter to tend to your fire."
After a few minutes of silence Shira came back into the tent with some fire wood. She placed the wood down on the opposite side of the fire and laid my sword next to me. After that she started up the fire, soon it was bright enough so that I could see her face. She was beautiful, at least in comparison to the women that I had seen during my life, namely my mother and the other women of my tribe. Now that I think about it she was the first woman that I had seen in twelve years. Her eyes were a light green, rare for Mongolian women, and she had long brown hair that reached down to her back. I diverted my gaze else wares so that it appeared that I was not looking at her.
I was about to ask her when she thought that I would be able to walk when she answered my question. "You should be able to walk within a few months, but I'm afraid that you won't be able to leave the village till after next winter."
"That long," The words slipped out. "Sorry, are you sure it'll take that long?"
She smiled, increased her beauty, "You are impatient, but I guess that should be expected from a nomad." She finished stroking the fire and began to leave. At the entrance she stopped and turned, "Is there anything else that you want tonight?"
"No, thank you." I responded.
"In that case I will be leaving."
What a day, I thought to myself as I lay there immobile. Then I remembered that I had been asleep for the better part of a week. Too much time was wasted and too much more was going to be spent in the village. I thought of all that had happened since I first saw the trail of smoke from the village things went from bad to worse. First the wolves, then the Wolves; ironic enough. Then raiders who actually turned out to be Mongols, I had killed them thinking they were Chinese and now a wave of guilt washed over me. I prayed to my ancestors and Mother Earth to forgive me, killing Chinese was in my blood it was my imposed will and right, but killing Mongols was another deal altogether. I finally came to the conclusion that it was for survival, and by what Taguarti said it seemed that they were as ruthless as the Chinese.
