Taban's house stood humble and unassuming, crafted from bricks and dirt, much like every other dwelling Chinua had observed. Their size and structure seemed uniform, a testament to the practicalities of frontier life.
Taban stopped at his doorstep. "Come in," he invited, pushing the wooden door open with a gentle creak.
Chinua and Naksh helped Jeet through the entrance. Beyond the front of the house, a small, enclosed yard stretched out, with a narrow walkway leading to the main dwelling. On either side of this path, neat vegetable gardens flourished, and to the far left, nestled beside the house, stood a humble chicken coop.
Taban led them to the house's main door and opened it. Inside, a small, open space revealed a modest dining table and four sturdy benches. From the left side of the house, Heng emerged, his movements graceful.
"You're home!" Heng exclaimed, his voice warm with surprise as he saw Taban and his unexpected companions.
"Mmm…" Taban hummed in reply, a slight awkwardness in his posture.
"Who are they?" Heng asked, his gaze sweeping over the new arrivals.
"Chinua and her—" Taban began, but Chinua quickly interjected.
"Friends. These two are my friends," Chinua stated, her voice firm, a subtle emphasis on the word "friends."
Heng looked at Chinua, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "How did you convince General Mönkhbat to allow you to buy slaves?"
"I didn't," Chinua admitted, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "He didn't know about it. I sort of… stole them from the market. How do you know these two are slaves?"
"I saw them at the market two days ago," Heng replied simply.
"The three of you can spend the night here," Taban offered, gesturing towards the small space.
"Thank you," Chinua replied, genuinely grateful.
"Go wash up first," Heng instructed kindly, "and I'll check your injuries after you've washed." He walked towards the door. "I'll take you to the wash area."
Heng led Chinua and the two brothers to the back of the house. There, a few feet from the building, sat two large ceramic water jars. "I'm going to prepare dinner and find you two some changing clothes," Heng announced, then departed.
Chinua thanked Heng once more and lifted the heavy lid of a large ceramic jar, revealing it filled with clear water. She turned to Jeet and Naksh. "Which one of you wants to wash first?" she asked.
"You don't need to stand there and watch us wash," Naksh grumbled, a hint of his old defiance.
Chinua merely sauntered over to a wooden daybed next to the house and sat down, crossing her legs. "I don't mind," she said, a casual shrug. "I've seen plenty of naked men before. You two certainly aren't the first. Besides," she added, a knowing look in her eyes, "you're a slave; I'm sure nudity is common."
"Well, if you don't mind, we don't care," Naksh retorted, already shrugging out of his tattered clothes and beginning to wash himself, pouring water over his bruised and scarred body.
Chinua watched, fascinated, as streaks of red, mingled with dirt, flowed from Naksh's body, carving a long stream into the dry earth. She followed the crimson rivulet with her gaze until it dispersed. As Naksh continued to wash, the water fanned out into a small, muddy pool.
A thought sparked in Chinua's mind. She stood up, walked to the flowing stream of water, and picked up a stick. She began to dig small channels from the original stream she'd observed, noticing that as Naksh continued his ablutions, the water now flowed in several different directions. Chinua continued to stare at the complex web of streams, at the many connections she had unwittingly unearthed in the dirt, a profound realization dawning on her.
After Naksh and Jeet had both washed, they turned to look at Chinua, who remained squatting on the ground, staring at the water, lost in deep thought. Naksh and Jeet sat on the daybed for some time, dressed now, but Chinua remained utterly absorbed.
Jeet sighed, breaking the silence. "I told him if he could save us, we'd sell him our lives."
"I didn't agree to that," Naksh grumbled, his voice low.
"The clan is gone, everyone is dead," Jeet said, a weariness in his tone. "Going back won't do us any good."
Naksh sighed heavily. "I know… I just want Aaditya dead."
"I want him dead no less than you," Jeet replied, his voice firm despite his injuries, "but we have to live for the time being."
Naksh glanced at Chinua, then back at Jeet. "Why did you agree to sell our lives to him?"
"Because he was the only one who would talk to me," Jeet answered, a simple truth in his words.
Approaching from the left, Taban entered, carrying two sets of clean clothes. He handed them to Naksh and Jeet, then looked at Chinua, who was still squatting on the ground, staring intently at the dirt.
"What happened to her?" Taban asked, a curious smile playing on his lips.
"Her?" Both Naksh and Jeet turned their heads to look at Taban, then back at Chinua, confusion on their faces.
Taban chuckled. "Oh, don't you two know that Chinua is a woman?" he asked, a knowing twinkle in his eye.
Naksh and Jeet quickly finished dressing, a blush rising on Naksh's face.
Taban laughed again, then crouched beside Chinua, gently putting his arm around her shoulder. "Hey, what are you looking at?" he asked softly.
"I suddenly thought of a way to help solve the problem of water shortage in the dry season," Chinua announced, her eyes still distant, lost in her vision.
Taban looked at Chinua in surprise. "Really? How?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.
Chinua turned her head to look at Taban, her eyes bright with a nascent idea. "I don't know yet. I need an expert's second opinion."
Taban stood up. "Who is that?" he questioned.
Chinua rose, a determined glint in her eye. "A very stubborn man who refused to help anyone in need. But I'm confident I can convince him to help me with this project." She then noticed Naksh and Jeet, now fully dressed. "Oh, you two are dressed."
Naksh looked at Chinua, a flush of embarrassment on his face. "You didn't tell us you're a woman."
"You didn't ask," Chinua retorted playfully, a small smile touching her lips. Then, a sudden realization struck her. She was supposed to have dinner with Mönkhbat at his house! "Captain… please, tell me where General Mönkhbat's house is. I promised to have dinner with my captain and my crew at his house tonight."
Taban looked at Chinua strangely. "Is this your first time in the south?" he asked.
"Yes," Chinua confirmed.
"It seems that you have a close relationship with General Mönkhbat," Taban remarked, a slight knowingness in his voice.
"Yes, we're close. Why?" Chinua asked, sensing a hidden meaning.
Taban paused, then delivered the blow gently. "Did you know he already has a wife?"
Chinua was taken aback, her eyes wide. "What? He has a wife… why didn't he tell me?"
Taban shook his head slowly. "Since you know he has a wife, you should step back."
Chinua looked at Taban, a flicker of hurt mixed with confusion in her eyes. "Why should I take a step back? It doesn't make sense. Anyway, just tell me where his home is."
Taban tilted his head, assessing her. "What are you going to do when you get to his house?"
"Well," Chinua said, gathering her composure, "eat and chat with his wife."
Taban simply nodded. "Alright." He looked at Jeet. "Can you still walk?"
Jeet chuckled, a dry, raspy sound. "I can."
Taban led Chinua, Naksh, and Jeet towards Mönkhbat's house. As they approached, they could hear the cheerful voices of men from within the sturdy walls. Taban walked directly to the door and pushed it open. Chinua, Naksh, and Jeet followed inside.
"General," Taban announced, a teasing note in his voice, "I found the lost goat."
The men seated at the table turned to the door, and their eyes fell upon Chinua. Muunokhoi immediately leaped up and rushed towards her.
Muunokhoi scooped Chinua up from the ground in a powerful embrace. "Chinua, you're still alive!" he exclaimed, overjoyed.
"Hey… hey… put me down, put me down!" Chinua protested, laughing despite herself.
Mönkhbat emerged from the back of the house, carrying a steaming pot of food, which he placed on the table. "You found your way here after all," he said, a warm smile gracing his features. "Taban, stay for dinner."
"I just brought you your lost goat," Taban demurred, a playful wink at Chinua. "I'd better go home and spend time with my family before we head out tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Mönkhbat replied. His gaze then shifted, studying Naksh and Jeet, then settling on Chinua. "So, these are the two you said you were going to save?"
"Yes," Chinua confirmed, her voice firm. "This is Jeet, and that is his brother Naksh. They belong to me now."
Och stood up, walked over to Naksh and Jeet, and looked the two brothers up and down. "You two look like warriors… badly beaten warriors…" He cleared his throat nervously, clearly not wanting to offend the two men who were visibly taller and more imposing than him. "I'm Och…" He backed away slowly, carefully, and settled back onto his seat. "Damn… they look scary…" he whispered to Terbish.
Mönkhbat smiled, a welcoming gesture. "There are still seats over there. Please feel free, as if you were at home." He then looked at Chinua. "Come here, sit here with me."
Naksh and Jeet took seats at the same table as the northern soldiers. "I am Naksh, and this is my brother Jeet," Naksh introduced, his voice gruff. "We sold ourselves to that woman."
"I am Timicin… a soldier of the Northern Camp," Timicin offered, a friendly smile. "We are friends of Chinua."
Od turned to the two brothers. "I'm Od."
Terbish smiled, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing slightly to Naksh and Jeet. "Terbish."
"I am Chaghatai," Chaghatai added.
Erden offered a warm smile. "I am Erden."
Muunokhoi beamed. "I am Muunokhoi, and I like peace. Since you two are Chinua's friends, we also regard you two as our friends. We can talk politely without fisting." He then pointed to Haitao. "That's our captain… Haitao, the captain of the Northern Army."
Jeet looked to his left, his gaze falling on the last remaining soldier. "What about you?" he asked.
"Khawn," Khawn replied succinctly.
"Let's eat," Timicin declared, breaking the introductions.
At the dinner table, Chinua took a seat between Khunbish and Mönkhbat. Chinua looked at Mönkhbat, a curious question on her mind. "When did you start a family?"
"Let me introduce you to my family," Mönkhbat said with a chuckle, pointing to an older man sitting across the table. "My father-in-law, Zamir."
Zamir stood up, bowing his head tenderly to Chinua. "It's our pleasure that Chinua came to see us."
Unfamiliar with southern customs, Chinua instinctively stood up and returned his bow.
"Please don't do that!" Zamir quickly exclaimed, gesturing for her to sit.
Mönkhbat smiled, gently pulling Chinua back to her chair. "Next to my father-in-law is my mother-in-law, Delbee… and here," his voice softened as he gestured to a woman beside him, "is my wife, Amgalan."
"Your wife?" Chinua looked at Amgalan, who wore no makeup and was dressed simply, unlike the elaborate attire of many princesses in the palace. A faint pang of something akin to sadness touched Chinua's heart. "Nice to meet you," she managed. Her gaze then swept across the table, finding Hye sitting next to Haitao. "Why are you here?" she asked, surprised.
"General Mönkhbat invited me," Hye replied.
Chinua looked at Mönkhbat. "You did?"
"I did," Mönkhbat confirmed. "He finished copying the record you asked for."
"There are ten books," Chinua stated, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"I finished it just when General Mönkhbat invited everyone to dinner," Hye said with a slight shrug.
Chinua was about to speak, but Mönkhbat cut her off. "Everyone, have a good meal and rest tonight. We will go to the Southern Camp tomorrow morning."
"Isn't the place we are today the Southern Camp?" Chinua asked, confused.
Mönkhbat shook his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "No, that's the South Gate Training Camp. The Southern Camp isn't like that." He chuckled softly, looking at Chinua. "You'll know when we get there tomorrow." He then began to eat, leaving her with the mystery.