Anshi: The Lost Eagle of the Steppes

Nar Arslan and Bolormaa

Nar Arslan settled under the blankets next to his wife and snaked his large hand over the rounded expanse of her belly. She was heavily pregnant with their much-awaited second child. A girl. He knew it was a girl, or at least hoped for a copy of Balormaa, pretty, hard-working, charming. They already had their boy, firstborn which was fitting. Hardy, was exuberant, and sharp-eyed. She sighed happily, groggy as she woke.

"My Lion of the Sun, you are restless. May I heat some milk for you?"

'No, Crystal Mother, no need. Go back to sleep for the night."

She turned over, awkwardly and opened her eyes.

"Your voice says differently."

"I will be going on patrol in the morning.

'She was sharp and alert at once. "Why?"

"I scented a whiff of smoke that was not ours before I retired. I reported to Chief Anshi and he would like us to scout the area."

"Wise. We have been traveling for over a month now. I would have been surprised if our Lost Eagle Tribe had not stirred up some interest by now. But right now my brave husband needs to sleep!" Bolormaa struggled to a sitting position and whispered, "I still have a little bit of lap left. Lay your head down and let me rub your temples. It will relax you."

H did as she bade him and felt a strong kick to his jaw from the babe within her womb.

"Bossy. Like Mother, like daughter." He murmured, smiling at his wife's light giggle. She continued until she heard a faint snore. She was so proud of his decision to follow the Singer. Even though their Chieftain's mother's people were from the western Steppes, there was a kinship of sorts that sprung from this shared area, between him and her family. She also had experienced his songs around the campfire, and she saw why people had killed to obtain the powers behind the voice. He was inexperienced but was a natural leader of this caravan. But the mating that had produced this charismatic young man, Kasakhi and Mongolian, and from people even further West, was a heady mix of blood. Strong and mystical.

It was a good place for them to be during this time in their lives. Her husband shared few pieces of his history, but she rarely pressed. He was an orphan and the past was something he rarely spoke of. His excitement at joining the caravan was the first thing he had seemed passionate about in the years she had known him. He had quickly become devoted to the younger chieftain, always at his side, as devoted as any from Gusu.

She lay back next to Nar Arslan and closed her own eyes. This week was her turn to babysit the Chieftain's kid sister as she continued to learn the ropes. Gleaning to be done. They were close to closing up camp and moving on. The next stop would be an important one since she would probably deliver there. Only six more weeks. She smiled, anxious and excited at the same time. She would make sure the two of them went armed until the presence of strangers was investigated. The girl from Cloud Recesses knew how to handle swords well enough, yet Bolormaa had an unborn and a new tribe member. who was sister to the Chieftain, to protect.

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Xiao Mian was also having difficulty sleeping. She was feeling frustrated. She was just about to explode from the unfairness of it all. Everything had been going well. She was just getting used to the endless chores and the daily grind when that bully, the heifer, that ugly lump of a girl, deliberately kicked over her precious basin of camel milk and when Xiao Mian demanded an apology, the girl told her to get stuffed and swore she would do it again whenever she wanted. Xiao Mian pointed out her resemblance to a bovine and demanded an apology a second time. That was when the bitch had punched her in the throat. Well, quite naturally, that deserved an answer, so Xiao Mian had pulled our a fist full of her scraggly hair. The fight was on at that point, the other girls surrounding them and egging the battlers on. They punched, kicked, scratched, and screamed invectives at one another. Lan Qiang, hearing the fuss, leaped into the fray and one of Xiao Mian's uppercuts caught him in the chin and he was knocked to his knees as the screeching women traded blows over his kneeling figure. Anshi emerged from his yurt along with Dawa Tuya and Lan Ge Ban. By this time, the dazed Qiang was on his feet again and the four had to use all their strength to pull the girls apart. Anshi grabbed them both by the nape of their necks and dunked them into a nearby watering trough. When he pulled them out, and when they surfaced, sputtering, and still shouting at one another, he dunked them again, and again until they finally emerged and kept their mouths shut.