From a distance, Taban's eyes locked onto the familiar flag. He swiftly pulled a horn from his left side, took a deep, resonant breath, and blew. The blast echoed, a great, booming cry that reverberated through the very mountains themselves. Again and again he blew, stopping only after the fifth, powerful call. As the soldiers neared the mountain's crest, they saw it: a small, weathered flag, fluttering proudly from a long bamboo pole.
"We're home!" The front-line soldiers, their voices raw with emotion, cried out as they descended the final slope.
As Chinua and Khunbish's horse made its way down the small mountain, Chinua's eyes were met with a sight that made her heart leap: vibrant green palms and lush trees swaying gently. The air filled with the joyous sounds of children laughing and women shouting, their voices a welcoming chorus.
"They're home!"
"Father is home!"
"Brother is home!"
Children, a whirlwind of tiny limbs, sprinted towards the approaching soldiers. Taban dismounted swiftly, grabbing his horse's bridle. He unhooked a small bag from the saddle and began to distribute brightly wrapped candies to the eager, smiling faces swarming around him.
"Aiya… aiya… aiya," Taban chuckled, a happy frown on his face. "No fighting now, I have enough for everyone this time!" He beamed, delightedly handing out sweets.
Daeshim rode closer, his gaze assessing Taban before shifting to Haitao. He nudged his horse closer to Haitao, leaving Taban to his cheerful task of candy distribution.
"You are?" Daeshim inquired, his voice polite but direct.
"Captain Haitao of the Northern Army camp," Haitao replied, his posture straight. "I was ordered to escort Captain Taban and his men here."
"Oh, my apologies," Daeshim said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "I've never been to the North. Forgive my rudeness." He gestured towards the soldiers. "I'll lead you to the camp." Then, he called out to Taban. "Yo! Follow us to camp when you're done!"
Taban waved a casual hand to Daeshim, his attention still focused on the delighted children.
"Khunbish, make way," Chinua instructed softly. "Let the others pass."
Khunbish skillfully maneuvered their horse aside, allowing the stream of soldiers to ride by.
"Khenbish," Chinua called, her voice clear. "Take Khawn and Hye to camp with Timicin."
When the last soldier had passed, Chinua and Khunbish dismounted, their gazes still fixed on Taban. Chinua's eyes widened slightly as she saw a man dressed in simple, elegant Tanggolian white robes—a flowing tunic, loose trousers, socks, and straw sandals—leading ten more children towards Taban.
"If you want some, go stand in line," Heng said to the children with a gentle smile, his voice a melodic murmur.
The ten children, a flurry of excitement, quickly rushed to join the line behind the others.
As Taban looked up, his eyes met Heng's. Heng stood beside him, a handsome smile gracing his features, and Taban simply continued handing out candies to the eager crowd.
Chinua watched Heng, a soft gasp escaping her lips. "Khunbish… I have never seen such a beautiful man."
Khunbish looked at Heng, a genuine admiration in his eyes. "Me neither," he admitted.
After Taban had distributed every last sweet, the children drifted back to stand by Heng's side. He smiled calmly at them. "Everyone can go home now."
"Yes, teacher!" the children chirped in unison, then scampered, a blur of joyous energy, towards the center of the village.
Taban unfastened his personal bag and another small pouch from his saddle. "I'll be back later, after I speak with General Mönkhbat," he said, a warm smile lingering.
Heng's smile softened. "Are you coming back for dinner?"
Taban smiled faintly. "Maybe. Don't wait up for me." He turned to walk to the side of the road, only to find Chinua and Khunbish still standing there, watching him. "Tell mother I'm safe," he called out to Heng.
Heng returned Taban's smile, then slowly, gracefully, walked away.
Taban leaped onto his horse, looking at Chinua and Khunbish with an amused expression. "What are you two still doing there?"
"We… we were inspired by your actions and forgot to follow the others," Chinua confessed, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.
Taban laughed loudly, a booming, joyful sound. "Alright, I'll take you there."
As Chinua and Khunbish started to follow, Chinua looked at Taban, a question bubbling up inside her. "Captain Taban, can I ask you something personal?"
Taban glanced at Chinua, a knowing, gentle smile playing on his lips. "His name is Heng, a Tanggolian. He's the teacher here, and those children are his students," he offered, anticipating her question.
"Oh, I see," Chinua murmured, a slight flush still on her face. "You clearly love children. You must have many of your own."
Taban burst into another loud laugh. "Soldier, on the contrary! I don't have any children. In fact, I can't have children. My partner is infertile."
"There's no law in Hmagol that prohibits a man from having multiple wives," Chinua pointed out, a little confused.
"True," Taban agreed, his voice thoughtful. "And Hmagol's law doesn't say that a man must marry multiple wives and have children. This desire for many children was what our ancestors wanted, not me. I ask you, soldier: if your citizens are happy and prosperous, would you bring war to them?"
"A leader in his right mind would never do something like that," Chinua replied immediately.
Taban smiled warmly. "Exactly. And a husband in his right mind will not cause trouble in his own household. If my partner is faithful to me, why should I look for another?" Taban's horse began to pull ahead of Chinua and Khunbish.
Khunbish quickly whipped his horse, surging forward to catch up with Taban. "That is to say, Teacher Heng is your partner?" Chinua called from behind Khunbish, her voice laced with surprise.
Taban turned in his saddle, looking back at Chinua, a sly smile on his face. "Soldier, your duty is to protect the country and the people, not to interrogate the private lives of individual citizens."
As they rode through the bustling street towards the South Gate Camp, Chinua's eyes widened at the sight of many men tied to posts and crammed into cages. "What's wrong with these people, tied up like this?" Chinua asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"These people were brought in by local traders," Taban explained.
"So, you mean," Chinua asked slowly, a dawning realization, "I can buy a slave here?"
"No one in this village would dare to sell you a slave," Taban said firmly. "If you want a slave, you'll have to cross the vast lands into Tanggolia."
"Oh… why?" Chinua pressed.
Taban turned to face Chinua fully, his expression serious. "In this village, General Mönkhbat declared long ago that slaves cannot be sold or exchanged here. That's why slave traders usually keep their slaves in cages or tied up, moving them through. This," he added with a soft laugh, "is where I saved my partner."
"How did you save him?" Chinua asked, intrigued.
"Many years ago," Taban recounted, his voice growing distant with memory, "on General Mönkhbat's orders, I destroyed a small platoon that was attempting to attack us from the east. The platoon leader of that small group was Heng's cousin. Xin Zhiyuan suffered a heavy humiliation because of it, and in his rage, he ordered his entire family to be beheaded. But Heng, was helped to escape across the border. He was captured by slave traders, and that's how he ended up in this very market, all those years ago."
Chinua smiled at Taban, genuinely touched. "That's an interesting story."
Taban returned her smile, a teasing glint in his eye. "Now, that story isn't nearly as interesting as the tale of the female soldier who entered the Northern Camp. I shared my story with you, soldier, so when will you share yours?"
Chinua looked at Taban in shock, her breath catching. "You… you know?"
Taban laughed, a knowing glint in his eye. "It's not hard to figure out." He pointed to his own earlobe. "Ear piercing."
Chinua's left hand instinctively went to touch her earlobe, just as her gaze fell upon a tall, powerfully built man tied to a post, his body brutally beaten. She saw blood dripping from his mouth, and despite the horrific wounds, the man still refused to die.
"Stop," Chinua said suddenly, her voice sharp.
Khunbish immediately reined in his horse. "What's the matter, Chinua?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
Chinua, her bow still in her left hand, reached out with it and gently lifted the man's face. It was so violently beaten that his eyes were completely swollen shut.
Chinua spoke, her voice low but clear. "If you're alive tomorrow morning, I might be able to set you free."
A low moan of pain escaped the man, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet a faint, defiant smile seemed to touch his lips. He chuckled, a ragged, guttural sound. "Ma tos…"
"Let's go," Chinua said, her voice resolute.
As the horse began to move away from the half-dead man tied to the post, Chinua's eyes remained fixed on him. The man's face, though terribly disfigured, carried an expression that told Chinua he was neither of Mangoli nor Tanggolian descent. He must have been what they called a "man of the far east."
"Khunbish," Chinua asked, her voice thoughtful, "what do you think that man of the far east did to deserve such a punishment?"
"Generally speaking," Khunbish replied, his voice heavy, "slaves who escaped and were caught would be punished like this."
"How do you know?" Chinua asked, surprised.
Khunbish looked back at her, his gaze steady. "Has Chinua forgotten? I, too, was once a slave."
Chinua's heart ached with sudden sadness. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Once they emerged from the bustling marketplace and turned right, the South Gate Camp lay just a few hundred yards ahead. From their vantage point, Chinua could see many soldiers training on the open ground. When Khunbish spotted Haitao and the others resting under a tree, drinking water, they spurred their horse towards the training ground.
Khunbish no longer followed Taban, but instead charged his horse a few yards from the resting group. He swiftly brought the horse to a halt, dismounted first, then helped Chinua dismount.
Chinua saw Hye sitting, holding a bowl of water, his still-bound hands enjoying the afternoon sun. "Clearly enjoying yourself?" Chinua quipped, walking past Hye, a small smile playing on her lips.
Hye took a long sip. "Well, you think it's time to let me go, don't you? Now that we're so far south, I don't think I can find my way home without your help."
"Releasing that bond isn't something I'm going to do," Chinua said, her smile widening as she looked at Hye. "Someone else will do that for me."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Mönkhbat's powerful hand clamped onto her right shoulder. "Chinua!" Mönkhbat's deep voice boomed firmly from behind her. His grip on her shoulder tightened, unyielding, as his arm wrapped around her neck.
Mönkhbat laughed, a hearty, booming sound, and whispered conspiratorially beside Chinua's right ear, "Surrender, little princess."
The surrounding soldiers, mid-movement, froze instantly. Their eyes snapped to Mönkhbat and Chinua. A ripple of excitement surged through them as their revered commander and leader suddenly engaged in a playful skirmish with a northern recruit. "Whooh… whooh… whooh!" the soldiers cheered, their voices rising in an excited roar.
Chinua snorted, a defiant glint in her eye. "I'm not going to surrender! You dare to attack me when I'm lacking water?"
Chinua's defiant words only made Mönkhbat tighten his arm around her neck even further. "Suck it up," Mönkhbat laughed, his grip firm.
The northern soldiers, including Hye, were utterly bewildered by the sudden, playful attack. Haitao, however, knew better. He understood he couldn't intervene; the one attacking Chinua was the Grand General of the South, the third prince of Hmagol, Prince Mönkhbat.
Khawn was about to rush forward, but Khunbish calmly grabbed his hand. Khawn watched Khunbish, who was sipping placidly from his bowl, and then turned his gaze to Chinua, who was valiantly trying to defend herself from Mönkhbat's unexpected assault. He saw the same calm, knowing expression on Khenbish's face.
"Chinua!" Timicin roared, a mix of alarm and confusion in his voice.
"Don't move!" Haitao shouted at his subordinates, his voice sharp. "The one attacking Chinua is General Mönkhbat!"
Chinua, finally finding her footing, seized Mönkhbat's right arm and, with a sudden surge of strength, threw him over her shoulders, sending him sprawling to the ground. Her arms pressed hard against Mönkhbat's throat, her right knee pinned his left arm to the ground, and her right leg pushed Mönkhbat's body away from her, keeping his dangerous right hand at bay.
Mönkhbat tried twice to strike Chinua but couldn't connect. With a sudden burst of cunning, he grabbed Chinua's left-hand fingers with his right hand and bent them backward. He quickly maneuvered, grabbing Chinua's body, and the two rolled on the ground until Mönkhbat emerged on top. He swiftly pinned Chinua to the ground, twisting her left arm back.
"Ah…!" A sharp cry of pain escaped Chinua as the agony shot through her shoulder joint. She quickly tapped the ground, a rapid signal of surrender to Mönkhbat.
Mönkhbat smiled down at her, then knelt. He reached out and gently patted Chinua's face. He helped her stand and turned her to face his soldiers, his voice softer now. "Don't make that face in front of me. Since you chose this path, you'll experience more pain in the future. Come to my tent. I'll give you medicine." Mönkhbat then turned to Shuai. "Prepare dinner for the soldiers."
Haitao and his seven men watched Mönkhbat walk towards his tent, speechless. But Chinua, despite her pain, quickly caught up to him, and Mönkhbat casually draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked away together.