"To think that we came to bind our sub-clan, to the Hawk banner," the nearest man said, smiling cruelly, "and here is the richest prize in all the lands of the Golden Horde. Gatu Orkhan will cover us in gold."
David knew that he was in dire trouble. His first thought was to flee. His second was to tell them they had the wrong person.
And neither was going to work.
Instead he tried pure arrogance. He must show no fear.
"Do you really think," he said, "that I am here, unwatched? I came to consult with the tengeri, with the eternal blue sky about this war. For this I must be alone. But the Khesig is never far away. Listen."
It stopped them. Stopped them right there.
And there was silence.
"You wish, Khan," said the leader of the group.
Just then a branch did crack higher up the slope. It could have the weight of snow. It could have been anything.
But the group froze, again.
But the leader was made of sterner stuff. "Let us take his head and ride!" he said, spurring his horse forward. He was only seconds in front of the next man.
… And sprouting an arrow through his throat. David not wait to think where it had come from. He had his sword out-following the drill Von Stael made him exercise so painstakingly. He and the next man clashed-and he was lucky, or Frankish sword drill was different or better. He cannoned into the next man and both of them lost their seats… and David the sword. They rolled together. David, desperate, bit. And somehow broke free. And as the man on foot and the remaining two closed… he had the pistol out of his boot. Cocked the lock and fired.
At that range he could hardly miss, but he did his best. The recoil pushed him back, and spun the attacker around-blood and tissue flying. It startled the hell out of the other two rider's horses.
David stood there, spent wheel-lock in one hand, Kari's knife in the other.
"Who will die next?" said another voice. There was the sound of a galloping horse, too. David risked a quick glance. There was a Hawk man, an arrow to his bowstring, up slope. Presumably a scout or a guard. And riding up the trail, hell for leather, was Kari.
The two men stood. But David was a thief. Used to reading his victims. He knew they were going to try something. And it didn't look like run. "Dismount," he said, imperiously.
They wanted to do no such thing. "You came to see me. What kind of respect do you show, when I am on foot? Dismount or die, now."
He raised the empty pistol, hoping they could not see how badly his hand was shaking. One of them slid off his horse, keeping it between himself and the pistol.
"You too. And do not try to hide behind your horse. Unless you wish to die. Do what I say, and you will live."
There were other riders coming, coming to see what the shot had been about. The second man got off his horse. Went down on his knees.
David thought he was going to keel over in the snow, right there. But it wasn't over quite yet. "We will need men who are good at seizing the initiative," he said quoting Eric, in an entirely different context, a few days earlier. He pointed the knife at a dead man. "But not fools."
The Hawk guard had now ridden his horse over. Kari was just up slope, a pistol in each hand… something David wished he had. The Hawk dismounted. "Take my steed, Young Khan," he said.
And somehow David managed to get himself into the saddle. It was no small feat, as his head was whirling. A patrol of several men had closed with the group.
"These men came to offer their clan's alliance," said David. "See to them."
And somehow he managed to turn and ride off. With Kari right next to him. Handing him something. Another one of his pistols. David reached down to take the one out of his boot and realized it was extremely sore. And that he was bleeding.
"Just keep me in the saddle until we're out of sight," he said, clinging onto it for dear life.
He did not remember getting back to their camp. But they must have, because someone had bandaged him and put him to lie down in the ger he shared with Von Stael and three other knights. That was where he was when Kildai came to visit him.
"I hear I have a reputation for mercy that I do not want," said the boy. "I want to take their heads off, and not accept their homage! They were probably spies anyway. They have never allied with us before." He scowled. "And now I have had to let them go."
David-for whom the last bit of time had been very vague-said: "You're back!"
Kildai nodded. "I nearly found your souls in the land of Erleg Khan. You idiot!"
"Ha. I did a pretty good you. Better than when your sister tried to make me out to be you. Ow. Gently."
"Serves you right," said Kildai. "I get a long cold, boring ride and an enemy that runs away. You get to kill and disarm fifteen attackers. And spare the lives of those who make their obeisance."
"It was only two," said David. "And it was mostly luck… and I didn't like it much."
"One actually. The one you shot. He bled to death. I think you came off worse than the one you stuck with a sword. He just landed on his head. But the story is now officially fifteen. And growing."
Kildai looked at him. "I did not realize that there were other people of importance in my world. Except the Clan, and the Horde. I do now."
David had begun to grasp enough of politics to realize just how important that could be.