Chapter 19 -Fair Trade: Part II
Southern Border
Ebnedzar kept to himself inside the tent for most of the mission. He knew very well that Csaba and Oran could handle themselves if there were an attack. Over the last few days, it was quiet, which unnerved him. Longingly, he wished for the fighting to end, but he knew Justinian and his family weren't ever going to stop hunting people.
While polishing his sword, a courier walked in with such stealth. The young messenger stood over him, sweat dripping down his flushed face. Ebnedzar merely smiled at the boy.
"A message from the Khagana."
Ebnedzar took the letter and flicked his hand. The boy sluggishly left the tent, and Ebnedzar shook his head. He read the letter and his stomach twisted into knots.
Rushing to his feet, he peered through the tent curtains. His son and Csaba had a casual conversation while they practiced throwing knives.
Ebnedzar didn't like Yeter, and he was confident that his son felt the same way. No matter how broken their marriage was, he knew that Oran would be devastated to learn that his wife had been stabbed. The question was what would happen if Oran found out his cousin's wife was responsible.
He strode outside and stood in front of one of many fire pits. Staring at his son smiling and playfully taunting Csaba, he crumpled the letter. He dropped the parchment into the flames and watched it disintegrate into a pile of ash.
His focus was broken as a soldier ran through the camp yelling, "Byzantines approaching! The Byzantines are approaching!"
Every Hun soldier gathered their weapons and guarded the encampment. Ebnedzar pushed through the soldiers with Csaba and Oran quickly joining him.
Eight Byzantine troops, mounted on ornately decorated stallions, rode in from the distance. These were not the soldiers you would find on the front lines. Their arrival from Constantinople was purely ceremonial.
Csaba approached and stood just feet away from the Byzantines. "Don't come any further," he ordered. "What message do you bring from your Emperor?"
The young Byzantine leader, who was followed by seven men, was unsure how to respond to the Hun king. There were a lot of people looking at him, and he could almost feel the king laughing to himself. He dug a large scroll out from behind his coat.
"I, Baduarius, General of the Holy Army, bring a treaty of peace from Emperor Justinian," he shouted, his voice quivering. "The Emperor wishes to pay a tax to the Hun people in exchange...in exchange," his words were lost to him as he stared at the Huns.
Csaba smirked. "Would you care for some water, General?"
Baduarius ears burned hot and he ignored the snickers in the crowd. "The Emperor wishes to pay a tax to the Hun people in exchange for a portion—a portion of their land."
Csaba looked at his people behind him and smiled back at Baduarius.
"A portion of our land, huh?" he took a step closer to the horseman. "If your emperor wants land, tell him to ride to Pannonia and ask for it himself. And tell him not to send a boy general to do his bidding for him."
Baduarius balked at the insult and puffed his chest. "I will relay the message, but you are to leave the border at once, Hun."
Rebel Encampment
Separating from the entourage of six soldiers, Gabrielle guided the way to the rebel camp with a map she drew according to Marbzan's coordinates. Xena followed behind her, constantly checking the trees and brush for potential attacks.
Gabrielle dismounted and continued on foot, weaving through the trees. She crouched down behind a bush and pointed ahead.
"There it is," she said.
Xena knelt down and narrowed her gaze. Just as Marbzan had said, there were a lot of rebels, and scores of soldiers stood watch over the encampment's western, northern, and eastern perimeters. They had one secluded tent to the east, which she thought housed Xerxes and Jadha.
"We will wait until nightfall to attack," said Xena. "We'll need to create a big enough diversion to drive them away from that tent."
Gabrielle studied the landscape closely. "There's a pile of firewood on the west side. If we're careful, we can ignite the wood and the fire will spread."
They regrouped at their campground and awaited the arrival of darkness. Gabrielle had a purpose in selecting the warriors who would be traveling with them. Some Hun soldiers, in contrast to those who obeyed Arielle's commands, fought like wild animals. These soldiers were made for this kind of risky work.
Gabrielle dried her sword with a piece of linen and looked at her spouse across the fire pit. Xena seemed absorbed in her thoughts as she stared nonchalantly into the fire. Gabrielle had seen that look before. She was mulling through every possible outcome of the endeavor. She was mentally tallying up the time it would take the soldiers to complete each mission.
"Everyone's going to be upset that we lied," she whispered.
Xena blinked, lifting her eyes. "We just didn't tell them the extra step in the plan," she lamely defended.
"This could go horribly wrong."
"It could."
"We only have six soldiers, Xena. If this plan fails then Xerxes might die."
Xena shelved her eyebrows. "Are you scared?"
"I am," she admitted confidently. "I now understand why the Persians have been able to keep their empire alive. They deal with treachery inside their walls constantly, but they keep replacing people as if they never existed."
Lowering her eyes, Xena spoke softly, "I don't know if what we're doing is right, but I'm not going to let Xerxes die. We'll wait here for days if necessary."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
A soldier sprinted into the campsite and took a knee in between them. He took a moment to catch his breath. "A man arrived on horseback in the rebel camp. The Shehzade was brought out of the tent," he relayed.
Xena and Gabrielle hastily retreated to their hidden vantage point among the woods. They knelt and watched as the Persians dragged Xerxes out of the tent and threw him on the ground.
Gabrielle gasped. "It's Adarmahan."
"He's bold to expose himself."
Adarmahan had company. There were always people in Elam doing his bidding thanks to the six Persian guards he brought with him. It was just a matter of time before Shah Khosrow's entire realm rose up in rebellion, allowing a new Shah to ascend to the throne.
Xerxes, a man of royal lineage, was seen groveling on his knees, which was a sight to behold. As Adarmahan loomed over him, addressing him in a condescending tone. Momentarily sidetracked, a dazzling light gleamed in his eye. A ring of silver on his gauntlets reflected the light.
His gaze darted about the camp, and then he looked out into the forest. The troops surrounded him and slowly began to leave the camp while glaring toward the forest.
As Gabrielle saw the Persians make their way toward them, she scowled. She stared at Xena's headdress and then down to Adarmahan's gauntlet, where the sun was glinting.
"Your kozak," she muttered. "The light is reflecting off the beads."
Xena ducked down and began receding on her hands and knees. "Slowly...retreat slowly," she whispered.
As the Persian approached, Xena retreated further and more behind a tree. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, and she groped for her sword. She paid close attention to the cadence of his strides and the crackle of leaves under his boots. She slowly removed the sword from its sheath, gripping it tightly in her hand.
Gabrielle, who had been hiding in the bushes, observed the soldier approaching the tree. Her thoughts sped up as she tried to come up with a diversion. A string of beads adorned the cuff of her sleeve. She whipped out the knife from her shoe and slashed through the fabric hastily.
She strung the beaded cuff upon a branch not far from where she and Xena were seated. She moved the branch until the sun struck the silver beads and caught the Persian's attention.
The beaded cuff caught his eye right away, and he quickly plucked it off the tree. After taking a last look around, he hurried back to the camp by descending the slope as quickly as he could.
Xena let out a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes. When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she gasped. The sight of Gabrielle brought her some relief, but she could sense that her feelings were not shared by Gabrielle.
"That was some quick thinking you did back there."
"I am not playing this game with the Persians," Gabrielle growled. "We either rescue Xerxes tonight without fail or we ride to Balaam and leave him here. We are not going to try to rescue Xerxes and get caught."
In her wife's voice, Xena could hear the sense of urgency. There was no question that Gabrielle was extremely distressed. However, she did not appreciate being presented with such stark choices, especially since she could predict Gabrielle's final decision.
"The longer Xerxes stays here, the more likely he is to die. You know that."
"I don't want us to die either. Be smart about this, Xena."
"You knew the possible outcomes before we came here."
Gabrielle scoffed. "Xena, he's still alive! They are keeping him alive for a reason."
"Until they don't need a reason," she added. "We'll keep Fajim posted here so he can keep watch. The goal is to get Xerxes out alive."
Adarmahan pitched his tent in a private corner of the camp. He was able to spread out a huge map of the area on the floor there. He spent hours poring over it and rearranging the map's giant wooden figures with his sword. Gently sliding a wooden totem to the Hunnic lands, he walked around the map.
When his scribe was done writing, he walked over to Adarmahan's side of the tent. As soon as the letter was taken from him, he began to worry about the contents of the letter.
"Sir, I have some apprehension sending this to the Shah," Jakur explained.
"Hmm?"
"We have not found the bodies of the Shehzadaler," he said quietly. "The Shah will question that."
Adarmahan shrugged. "We will say the girls burned in the fire. Was there not a fire at the caravan site?"
"Yes, but—"
"Then that's what we'll say. It is clear the Khagana set measures to keep her daughters safe. Yet, she is here."
Jakur took off his turban and bowed. "Sir, this is just from my observations, but I do not believe that woman in the cage is the Khagana."
He spun around, wild-eyed. "What do you mean?"
"The—the Huns would have come looking for her already if they knew she was missing."
"They don't know the location of this place."
"I'm just expressing my observations," said Jakur.
The scribe moved cautiously out of the way as Adarmahan swept by him. He sighed and accompanied him outdoors. He was taking deliberate steps because he was afraid of the consequences of his suspicions being confirmed.
Adarmahan stormed into the tent, sneered at Xerxes, and attempted to inspect the woman crouched in the corner of the cage. He went outside and brought in a torch to shine in her face.
"Show your face!" he yelled.
Jadha threw her head back, revealing a black eye and bloodied lips. She felt nothing as she watched Adarmahan's eyes burn with wrath. Her veins were beating frantically from the strain of the blood flow.
Xerxes chuckled when he saw the realization engulf Adarmahan. "You honestly thought you could catch her," he mustered another laugh. "She is always one step ahead of you."
Adarmahan inserted the torch through the wooden bars of the cage, and Xerxes ducked as the flames came within a few inches of his face.
"Perhaps you should study your enemies closer, Adarmahan."
Adarmahan snatched up a guard and dragged him hastily into the tent. Take Jadha outside, he said. Xerxes got to his knees and sat up straight. Adarmahan held the torch to his face to keep the Shehzade away.
True to her military training, Jadha volunteered to accompany the rebel guards. She turned and gave Xerxes a gentle grin. After that, she was led out of the tent.
"Don't harm her. She has done nothing to you," Xerxes pleaded.
"She will die for her empire, just as she was born to do."
Xerxes thought back on the final words he had exchanged with his mother. He recalled her determination to defend the empire until the end. The welfare of nations other than Persia never entered her mind. Anyone who didn't conform to the rules was either executed or cast out. His brothers also met violent ends as a result of the decisions they took while in power as Shahs, but at the hands of their own subjects. Adarmahan was treated with a similar disdain. He was so set on Persia being the dominant power.
"Why?"
"Hmm?"
"Why—why are you doing this?" Xerxes asked, his voice frail as were his muddled thoughts.
"The House of Sasan has overstayed its seat on the throne."
Xerxes scoffed. "My family started this empire. We built this empire. We are Persia!" he spat. "You won't get rid of us by killing me."
Adarmahan smiled and added, "Sometimes it's best to start anew," as he left the tent.
Pannonia
When Arielle could stand on her own two feet again, she took frequent strolls around her room. She thought long and hard about how to fairly punish Farah for her actions. Nonetheless, she was torn because Farah was her sister-in-law and Yeter was, properly speaking, also her sister-in-law. It was a tricky situation, and she was worried that she'd make the wrong decision.
She paced in her room, gnawing on her nails down to the nub. She didn't know whether it was the dire situation making her sick, or the child she carried. Either way, she had no medicine to aid her because Revkah was out of reach.
"Dammit, Ursula," she grumbled.
She briefly snapped out of her daze as she heard three soft taps on the door.
"Come in."
Aurora opened the door slowly, flashed her mother a short smile, and then closed it. After straightening her headdress, she lowered her head.
"You wanted to see me?"
Taking her daughter by the hand, Arielle sat down on the bed next to her. Only seldom did her daughter look at her directly in the eyes; otherwise, she kept her gaze fixed elsewhere.
"Have you decided on Teyze Farah's punishment?" asked Aurora.
Arielle fumbled in her answer, "Not yet. I have thought about giving her lashes."
The horror on her daughter's face made her feel horrible.
"But I decided not to," she quickly added. "I...ah...I didn't ask you to come see me so we can discuss your aunt's punishment."
Aurora picked at her nails as she spoke, "I know why you asked for me."
"Oh yeah?"
"Mother, I already know that you're pregnant," she said, matter of fact.
"Oh." She clenched her knees tightly. "Looks like you did know why I asked for you." she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I'm going to tell your sisters soon, but I would like to solve this problem between Yeter and Farah first."
Aurora sat up straight in bed, crossed her legs, and faced her mother. After a short while, Arielle assumed her daughter's position and gazed intently into her eyes.
"Why don't you send Yeter back to Anosbord?"
"It's a lot more complicated than you think, Aurora. The Shah released her into my care because she was communicating with Gokturks outside of the prison."
The princess crinkled her nose. "Did you find out who she was talking to?"
"Unfortunately, no. Every trail we had led to a dead end and then—" she stopped herself and smiled weakly. "I shouldn't be telling you this."
"I want to know. I'm not a little girl anymore."
Arielle snuffed a small laugh. "You're thirteen, tatli kiz. You shouldn't be preoccupied with political affairs."
"You promised I could learn from you and help you with empirical documents, but you ignored me in Persia!" she lashed out, and her mother flinched. "We didn't do anything you promised. You know I'm not good at archery or using swords. How will I become a great ruler one day if you keep ignoring me? You had more training than me! Grandma told me you were taught how to be a ruler at nine years old!"
"Okay, okay." She grabbed her daughter's hands. "I will teach you, I promise."
"You said that in Persia."
"This time, I mean it. I will have you attend all my meetings and have you help with decision-making. You'll be with me so much you'll be sick of me," she jested.
Aurora half-smiled.
"There's that smile I know so well," she said, swiping her thumb across her daughter's cheek. "Just let me get through the current issues first, and then you can be my shadow." she winked.
Wasifah entered the room a few seconds later, assuming the Khagana was alone. The sight of Princess Aurora sitting on the bed caused her to halt and turn back.
"It's alright, Wasifah. Tell me your message," said Arielle.
The officer bowed, her eyes flickering to Aurora. She said slowly, "I have received word that Ebnedzar, Oran, and King Csaba are returning from the border. They will arrive in two days."
"All three of them?"
"Yes, Khagana."
She frowned and asked, "Then who is manning the border?"
"Ah, I was told that the entire army is riding back with them."
Fajim ran back to camp, trying to make out his tent in the darkness. Campfires and torchlights were prohibited due to the proximity of the campsite to the rebel camp. The moonlight was their only source of illumination.
When Xena saw who was entering the camp, she immediately got to her feet. She let go of her sword and sighed with relief.
"Jadha was executed by an archery squad," he said. "Adarmahan figured out she was not the Khagana."
Gabrielle gently brushed by her spouse. "What about Xerxes?"
"I'm not sure. He didn't come out of the tent. I assume he's still in there."
"We need to get him out of there tonight," Xena said. "Create a big enough diversion on the west side of the encampment. We need as many rebels away from that tent as possible. Gabrielle and I will get Xerxes out of the tent."
The six troops quickly assembled their weapons and began the descent toward the camp. Gabrielle grabbed Xena's arm and drew her away from the group.
"As soon as we get Xerxes, we ride to Balaam."
Xena smiled while tightening her bracers. "Now you're confident we're going to rescue him?"
"I have to keep telling myself that or my worst fear will come true," she admitted.
With her arms around Gabrielle, Xena cradled her face with her gloved hands. She gave her a gentle peck on the lips before pressing her forehead to hers.
"You really think I'm going to let a couple of Persian rebels kill us?" she teased.
"A couple? More like a hundred Persian rebels, Xena..."
"Two rebels, one hundred rebels," she shrugged a shoulder, "makes no difference to me."
Gabrielle playfully rolled her eyes and snatched her weapon off the horse. "Come on, let's do this before I change my mind."
They were only a few yards away from the camp, hiding behind the tent on the eastern side. Xena was taking a new approach. Darkness was something she had never experienced while carrying out orders. All she could do was trust the men implicitly and cross her fingers that they understood her silent instructions.
She waved her hand and motioned for Fajim, who was only a few feet away, to start. He nodded briefly and then crept off westward into the grass. He made a bird call noise on a little flute to signal the other five men.
Two of the soldiers quietly entered the camp and snatched a log from the stack. To start the fire, one soldier doused the stack of wood with oil while the other dropped the flaming log on top.
They dove back into the underbrush and waited. In a matter of seconds, the Persians saw the fire was swiftly growing. Black smoke enveloped the whole western side of the camp as tents in the area caught fire.
Adarmahan ran out of his tent and screamed, "Put out the fire! Our location will be known!"
Gabrielle and Xena looked from the east as dense ash and smoke covered the entire encampment.
"It's working," whispered Gabrielle.
"We go, now!"
They made a break for the tent and fled across the field. Two guards stayed behind to keep watch over the tent, and luckily, they were too preoccupied with the fire to pay attention to any suspicious noises. Gabrielle took out her knife, made a small cut in the tent's fabric, and quietly entered.
Xena took a brief look around before vanishing into the tent. The sound of boots approaching the cage roused Xerxes. Xena wrapped her hand around his mouth through the gaps in the wooden bars. He twisted and turned, making stifled pleas for help.
His gaze shot upward, and his breathing slowed as he made out the dark figure standing above him. Xena raised a finger to her lips and smiled down at him.
In the meantime, Gabrielle stabbed a rebel in the back with a knife, which she drove through the tent to reach him. After a long, loud groan, the second rebel came into the tent, weapon in hand. She pulled the knife out of the rebel's chest and sank it into the second one's throat.
He sank to his knees and toppled forward, slashing his neck open. The injured rebel charged in from the outside and was promptly smacked in the face by Gabrielle. He collapsed on his knees, bleeding heavily from his back, after stumbling downward.
With a fast turn of his head, she had him on the ground after grabbing him by the jaw, snapping his neck. She scowled, backed up a few paces, and then started looking for the keys on the Persians' belts.
Once she located the keys, she went through the entire set in the lockbox. She unlocked the cell door and beamed at Xerxes.
With an eyebrow raised, Xena cut the ropes from around his wrists and ankles. "I didn't know you were going to go all rogue on me, Gabrielle."
Gabrielle sighed, completely spent after the fight. "I don't intend to die tonight. Let's get out of here before any more of them show up."
Xerxes beamed with happiness and appreciation. As he climbed out of the cage, he grabbed onto Xena's shoulder for support. He winced and almost went down from the strain.
"My leg...my leg is broken," he whispered.
"Alright, come on, Persian," she teased him.
Xena reached out and clasped his arm around her shoulder. She dragged him behind her, and he staggered along.
Gabrielle stayed inside the tent and periodically peered out to see the rebels put out the blaze. She waited until Xena and Xerxes were out of sight before she kicked the torches into the tent and ran for the woods.
Fajim stepped in to help and took the brunt of Xerxes' weight. Xena raised an eyebrow as she turned around to see Gabrielle fleeing the burning tent.
She spoke to Xerxes, quickly, "Ride to Pannonia. Fajim will ride with you."
"Wha—where are you two going?"
"To Balaam. Go on now."
He hung onto Fajim and said, "Thank you for coming to get me," he told her.
Xena smiled slightly, flicking her wrist. She looked around after he and Fajim had left and saw her wife standing by her. She grimaced, folded her arms across her chest, and then smiled arrogantly.
"Did you set that tent on fire?" she asked.
Gabrielle grinned. "Like I said, I have no plans of dying tonight."
As they listened to Adarmahan's screams from within the camp, they exchanged knowing glances and nervous twitches. He rushed over to the tent and peered inside, where he witnessed the guards' charred bodies. To get away from the thick smoke in the air, he took a few steps back.
"Huns!" he shrieked to the army. "Huns are here!
Xena pushed Gabrielle forward into the brush. "Go, go," she whispered.
Pannonia
Due to her ongoing recovery, Aracsilla had to spend a lot of time in bed. She threw several tantrums and threatened to leave her room after the third day of remaining in bed. From that day on, Farah ensured the princess' safety by stationing two guards outside her door at all times.
To keep her occupied, her teenage brothers kept her company by playing games. Today, they were making birds out of wooden sticks and twine. At first, she didn't want to participate until Aman showed her how to make the wooden bird fly using twine.
While on his way to visit his sister, Edemen passed by his mother, who was sitting by the door and twiddling her thumbs. When he put his hand on her shoulder, she beamed up at him.
"Why don't you go rest, mother? Aman and Aladar are entertaining Aracsilla. She doesn't need you watching her right now."
"I just want to be close by," Farah said quietly.
He laughed, "But, she's fine, mother! Look at her. She's having a great time."
"Thank you, but I'll stay here," she decided.
Edemen huffed and started to leave, but was stopped in his tracks by the sound of drums and horns. His mother whirled around, looking toward the window in panic. He moved over to the pane of glass and turned to face her.
"Father is here. He brought the army back with him."
She cried out, "Oh god," and covered her head with her hands.
Upon first arriving at the tribe, Csaba sensed something was off. There was no one there to greet him from his family, and he saw that the Suevi family had been blocked by a wall of troops. He then blew a whistle at Oran and beckoned him over.
"What's happening over there?" he asked.
Oran looked at his clan and frowned. "I don't know."
He gestured to his father, and the two of them walked toward the territory of their clan. Ebnedzar came close to pushing through the barrier of men before they sensibly moved out of his way.
He bellowed his wife's name, "Ursula!"
When she came out of the yurt, she was overjoyed to discover her husband and son waiting for her outside. She went up to them and kissed both Ebnedzar's and her son's hands.
Ebnedzar shoved her back. "What is this?" he growled. "You can't barricade our clan in from the rest of the tribe," he whispered.
"I had to, Ebnedzar," she explained. "I won't let someone come and attack my family."
"Attack? Who attacked us?"
Ursula eyed her son cautiously. "Yeter was attacked. She's still recovering."
Ebnedzar lifted an eyebrow at his wife as Oran dashed to the yurt. He looked at the crowd and the line of troops protecting the area.
"You tell them to disband right now before I do it," he ordered.
A few minutes later, a pale and black-eyed Oran emerged from the yurt. He looked around to see his cousin chatting with other soldiers. He pushed his way through the crowd as he marched toward Csaba.
Ebnedzar turned around. "Where are you going? Oran!"
Csaba beamed at his cousin, but his grin evaporated at the sight of his cousin's angry strides. Oran pushed him hard in an instant, and he staggered backward.
"Oran? What's all this?" He made an effort to laugh it off. "You still upset that I won last week's knife contest, huh?"
"Your wife stabbed my wife," Oran said through gritted teeth.
Csaba's eyes widened. "Wha...what?" he laughed. "What are you talking about?"
When Csaba didn't go down easily the second time, Oran pushed him again, and again, and again, until Csaba fought back. He took a couple of shaky steps back when Csaba punched him in the jaw.
Csaba groaned as he rubbed his knuckles. Oran charged at him, encircled him, and threw him to the ground before he could get out of the way. Before long, they were on top of each other, rolling around. The soldiers stood on the sidelines of the fight, undecided about what to do.
Together, Anastasia and Navaz exited the Adame and witnessed the brawl outside. To stop the fight, Navaz dashed down the steps.
Ana hurried after him and tried to pull Csaba away. "Stop it!" she yelled. "Stop!"
Once Navaz had captured Oran, he dragged him away. Anastasia caught Csaba's arm and yanked him back.
"What is going on?" asked Ana.
Csaba spat blood and wiped his mouth. "He—he said Farah stabbed Yeter." He felt blood trickling out of his nose and wiped it on his sleeve. "She...she didn't do that, did she, mother?"
She wiped the blood off her son's lip. "You didn't get the letter?"
"Letter? What letter?" he heaved heavily.
"I will tell you what happened."
"No!" he pulled away from her. "You tell me; did Farah stab Yeter or not?"
Anastasia clasped her hands together. "She did, Csaba." She motioned for him to follow. "Come with me." she saw him hesitate and take a step toward Oran. "I said come with me!"
He shot Oran a distant stare, shook his head, and then walked behind his mother. He became aware of the army's stare and averted it immediately.
After letting Oran go, Navaz gave him a sharp strike to the jaw. Oran collapsed to the ground with a grunt.
"You should know better."
