Eric Flint: Much Fall Of Blood

The Great Khan, dressed as befitted his station, looked at Erik.

"You're supposed to bow," said Manfred, prodding him.

Erik wondered whether he should turn and run. But he looked at Bortai instead. She looked as if she was going to faint. She was holding onto Vlad's little sister. So he smiled at her. And bowed respectfully to Kildai.

"You may advance," said the General of Khesig, Pakai.

They walked forward.

Kildai smiled. "Erik Hakkonsen. I have spoken to your Khan. I conferred with the Khans of the various clans, with my generals, and with my war-shaman. I have not forgotten that when every man's hands were raised against us, you stood as our friend. You did not know who we were, and you expected no reward. Your honor is a bright beacon." He stood up and walked over to Erik. "You are supposed to kneel," he said quietly.

Erik did. Kildai kissed him on both cheeks. "Let all of the Clans of the Golden Horde, know that this man is now one of us. To strike a blow against him, is to strike a blow against the Hawk Clan, the people of Golden Horde."

The people in the ger-and, by the sounds of it, right across the camp joined in the pounding of shields and cheering.

Eventually Kildai held up his hand for silence.

Erik had had time to think. Time to look at Bortai. Time to understand what the wyvern had said to him, and what it meant to the Golden horde. And more importantly, what it meant to Bortai.

"Now," said Kildai. "You had something to ask me about the Princess Bortai."

Erik shook his head slowly.

The vast ger was still.

"No," he said. "I have spoken to her brother, Great Khan. Now I must challenge her."

Kildai beamed. "You are one of us! But so far seven men have tried. They wagered a hundred horses, as is tradition. I think a few more might also have been that courageous, but that is a lot of horses."

"Khutulun's suitor wagered a thousand horses," said Erik. He noticed that David was also there, grinning, and whispering a translation to Manfred.

There were murmurs. Smiles. The people seemed pleased that he knew the story.

"But I do not have a thousand horses," she heard Erik say.

Bortai was as tense as drawn bowstring. Her gut was twisted up in a knot around her heart…

"Hell's teeth, Erik. I'm good for a thousand horses," said Manfred expansively. "Make it a thousand and one. I can't have you outdone by some other fellow. I will stake you a thousand and one horses, my friend. Any day and any time."

Someone translated. The crowd were silenced. A thousand and one horses! That put the wealth of the foreigner at a level that most Mongol could not dream of. That the foreign Khan put such a value on the Tortoise Orkhan was quite a revelation.

Erik stood still for a few moments, aware that he was being watched by most of the flower of Golden Horde Clans. Slowly he shook his head.

Bortai felt the bottom drop out of her world.

"No!" he said. "I will only wager what I have. And that I will do."

"And what is that?" asked Kildai.

"I said, Great Khan: I will wager what I have. Everything."

There was a stunned silence.

"It's not much. My horse. My gear. My land. Myself. My life if need be."

He turned to Bortai as if there were not several thousand people watching. As if they were the only people there. "Will you accept my wager?"

Bortai, for the first time in a lifetime of telling people exactly what to do, found that she had no voice. She sniffed determinedly. Maybe he knew the story. But it didn't matter. She knew Erik. He said from the heart, with absolute and utter conviction. He knew and understood the honor he was giving her, here, before the assembled clans. It would be remembered. It should be remembered. She still found her voice was weak. But she could nod, and say 'yes', so quietly that only he could hear.

The clans, however, could see the nod. "Fight!" the chant began.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The center of the ger was cleared. Erik faced Bortai. And he really did not know what to expect.

He learned quickly enough. Wrestling is a matter of strength among some people. Among the Mongol nobility, it was a martial art-as well as marital one. It was about using your opponent's weight and strength. And, however Bortai felt about him, she was not going to give him an easy time of it. Fortunately, he knew how to land and how to get up again. And she wasn't actually trying to kill him. After a few minutes, Erik was glad of that, and stopped remembering that his opponent was both smaller than him, and a woman. Instead he fought to survive, and hopefully, to win. Fortunately, the school of skills she had did not entirely match his own… of course that also meant that she knew throws that he didn't.

Bortai's heart sang. At last she'd found a man who… understood. Understood the balance between honor, duty and love. And, what was more, could wrestle. The honor he given her had to be repaid. She certainly could not lose easily.

And then, as he twisted neatly behind her, taking her arm in a pinion hold that she did not know, she realized that she would not have to.

And then, he let her go. Stepped back. "I would never defeat my wife," he said, smiling.

She bowed, acknowledging a worthy foe. "But perhaps you would kiss her," she said, smiling back at him.

They did.

Maybe the crowd cheered.

She didn't notice.

Maybe they would tell their children and grandchildren that they'd been there.

She didn't care.

"Caesar. It has been done and the babe and mother lived to tell the tale," said Falkenberg. "But it takes a skilled surgeon. Someone like Marco Valdosta. It is neither safe nor successful that often. But it has been done."

"Explain," said Dana, knowing that there was a listening wyvern in the ger.

So the knight did. Dana swallowed and was brave. But she wondered if she should tell him that a wyvern would be accompanying them on the Via Engata.

"So, you are married," Vlad beamed. "Congratulations! I am hurt that I was not invited, but at least Dana was there."

"Well… I didn't even know that I had proposed," said Erik, "And been accepted, months ago, before we even met you, Vlad. But we'll be having another ceremony in Iceland. You'd be welcome at that," he said ginning like a man who had just discovered that the world can be a very good place sometimes. It was after terce, and Bortai and Erik had just emerged from the same ger.

Vlad looked a little puzzled. "You had proposed?"

"I didn't have a very good grasp of the language," said Erik. "It was the second thing I said to Bortai."

She held on to him very proprietorially. "And I will make sure that he says it to no other young maidens! I need all of him." She licked her lips. Dimpled. "Again. I am teaching him the art of wrestling."

Erik blushed. "So what is the news out of Hungary?" he said hastily.

"Chaos. If I had the men and the inclination I could go a-conquering. But I have neither," said Vlad. "I have consolidated my Duchy. And that is good enough. It will take years to fix what needs to be fixed. I came because Dana sent word you would be going south to take the Via Egnata home."

"Well, yes. But the news is that some vessels have been sighted nosing their way up the Danube. Venetian ships. So we wait now for them. We plan to ride down there in few hours.

"Then we will have the gifting ceremony," said Bortai. "You will come, Khan-from-over-the mountains?"

"But of course, if I am invited. What will I have to do?"

"The bride and groom sit together. The bride's father or protector brings her portion, and puts it around them. Then the guests each place a gift for the couple around them. There is a big feast, and everyone gets very drunk. Usually some people fight," explained Bortai.