9 September, 586, Southeast of Yenisei River, Gokturk Empire
Udmurt's lips twitched in pain. He could feel a burning sensation across his body and a jolt shaking the mysterious room. The confused warrior did not know where he is right now. Hesitating slightly to open his eyes, the man finally looked up and saw a familiar place. His closest companion's is tethered for a long time in the front of the yurt.
"Ah, I see. So this is what happens after we die. Am I in Heaven or Hell? It could not be helped, Lord Tengri. Our enemies were simply too many," Udmurt plead for his deities understanding. He thinks that he is already dead.
Inzhu suddenly burst in laughter. "Probably Chief has forgotten something important. Please remember it," she jest.
"Shush woman, have fear for our strong deities. Go to Kartal if he already died. Not me. Ask Madame Umay," Udmurt chide him. He thought that Inzhu have been followed him to afterlife.
"You are unconscious for almost 4 days. You woke up once yesterday but it seems you already forgot about it. We are on the journey to the town of Uybat," Dilara explain his condition and where they are moving now.
"Hoho my arete (Socrates philosophical term) and thumos (Plato philosophical term) are still sharp as it is," Udmurt try to sit and eat the hot melted chess.
Dilara checks at Harran condition. She gives some remedies mixed with viper flesh. The man suddenly cough.
"Aarrgghh! Help me, when will i become a physician," Harran suddenly open his eyes. He is rampaging in the bed.
"Need some man help ladies?" Udmurt offers.
"We can handle this," Dilara asks her cousin to rest or just watch.
Inzhu quickly binds his arms while Dilara mix herbs to create sedative remedies. Harran become unconscious again after gulping it.
"Who is he, anyway this cheese is so good. What's the ingredient? Do you already tried it Tughluq," he is seen staring at the passing landscape. His melted cheese is releasing a toasty aroma.
"With some cedar nut and nanai (cherry-like fruit from Siberia). It's my recipe's," Dilara is confident on her cooking skill.
"How can this sour fruit taste so good. Come on eat it Tughluq!" Udmurt resume his food's munching.
Tughluq is not interested for the good or other things right now. His stare is almost blank. All the young man thought about is Dahlan. He is trying to remember the middle-aged man smiles and his kindness. Tughluq did not meet his wife ever since his father-in-law funeral 2 days ago.
At the previous battle, he had actually felt strong hesitation. If only he had galloped his horse faster, instead of holding back his whip's. He had hated that feeling of indecisiveness ever since.
"Everyone, do you think my strength are lacking," Tughluq ask.
"Eat not talk," Udmurt chide him.
"Hear him Tughluq, your wounds is actually more deeper you'd thought. Eat it to recover my son. You barely touch anything since yesterday," Dilara speak with concern.
"It's always about yourself, right? You never care about Father-In-Law do you Mother?Look at how fast you already forgotten. Please i want to exercise. My body is stiff," Tughluq walk away from the yurt.
"Listen to your mother first. Unfilial son!" Udmurt shout.
"Enough, let me handle it." Dilara follows Tughluq with her horse's.
Tughluq is training away from his group. He can track them later judging by the carts trails and number of the footsteps. Alone in the wilderness of steppe, Tughluq lit a bonfire and start swinging two of his axe's. The heel of his weapons is chopping the air. There several big rocks nearby.
Hah!
The big rock shows huge crack. Tughluq dislodges his axes. He tighten his grips once more. Preparing to strike the rock as earlier.
"Koryak!" Tughluq screams. The shear forces of his attack chopped the big rock into two clean pieces.
"Son please tell me. It's fine my boy," Dilara hug his son.
"Ugh why, all of you could be so selfish. I just want to be alone for a little while. It's only been few days and everybody found it to be no big deal. My Father is viewed as what?" Tughluq ask while keep swinging his weapon.
The young man is swinging his axe's at the air. Every swing he counts, he shouts the numbers.
"295, 296!" Tughluq still do the same movement.
"How long are you going to train? End it now. It's better if we check on Yulbar. He got new yurts and new servants to fulfill his needs. You must listen son," Dilara start to get angry.
"If i refuse? You going to report this to Udmurt or Kilat right. This is not the right time to only think about Brother Yulbar. You shou--," Tughluq gazes at her.
Slap!
Layla seen her husband got slapped hard from afar by his mother. His sheepskin papakha fell to the ground. Tughluq touch at the large red mark on his right cheek. The pain in his heart is more aching than the slap he endure just now.
Tughluq could not help but think about Dahlan kindness in this moment. Layla grabs her husband's papakha.
"Don't forget to eat," Dilara remind him once more before leaving.
"Its different Mother, why are you so cold?" Tughluq mutter.
"I'm her daughter; it should be me who mourns him more but ...," Layla could not her tears.
Tughluq put his papakha on the bag. He fixes his long hair, without its scrunchie, it look like a lion mane. The young man turn his back on his own wife. Tughluq acts ineptly, he could not bear to see Layla eyes. Tughluq purposefully avoids Layla since Dahlan funeral.
"I'm sorry i could not protect even the Ak Yays. There are barely any warriors left in your clan. Many have become widows ...."
"Hey looks at my eyes, why you avoid me. You apologizing again for what?"
Layla also hated that Tughluq avoids him these past few days. The two sits in front of the bonfire. Tughluq still could not look at her own wife in the eyes. His heart is filled with guilt.
"Mother does not hold back is she? That slap probably would knock some men out cold."
"Wha-- you talk now, why Mother so angry though. I heard she is quite wild in her youth."
"Perhaps Nana is the mirage of her youth. My mother never become a warrior but she is fiery temper in nature. Nana, Yulbar and myself was born in Ray, the capital of House of Mihran. One of the seven noble houses in Sassanid Iran."
Tughluq continue his story, he and his siblings moved with their parents. Back into the Yeniseian Land. At first Tughluq are struggling to live as a nomad. Layla could not comprehend how to life a full sedentary lifestyle in the village, let alone living in a huge city. The Siberian Girl gazes at her husband in awe.
"Then i meet you last year and we married. As a man, i'm ashamed i could not hold my promise. Now the Ak Yays is decimated."
Layla is dissapointed, he keep dwelling in his guilt again. The sun has set and their surrounding becoming dark.
"It's not your fault, the one who should be blamed is Tiki not you. How about the time you live among the city folks. How's the comfort there Husband?"
"It's not important how i live there. Enough of the story and your blaming. Now i want to build makeshift tunduk (small part of the yurt). There are cave behind me, hidden by rock. Tomorrow we will be in Uybat. Uncle Heshano surely are eager to meet us."
"Duh fine Tugh-- Tughluq," Layla help to tie the rope.
Loud wolf howls can be heard from distance. The sounds echouse throughout the empty plains surrounded by rocks and small shrubs. Layla is afraid to take her provisions from the horses. Tughluq moves to grab their ingredient.
"Oh it's the wolf cubs," Tughluq throw chunks of smoked meat. Soon the adults of it pack appear. Tughluq then gives two of the yak meat from his bag.
Drip!
Siberia usually experiences rainfall three or four times from late spring until mid-summer. Today, however, is the sixth time it has rained this year around this area. Tughluq quickly brought their four horses into the cave's entrance. The rain is mixes between warm waters and icecicles.
Tughluq enter the tunduk with a more cheerful attitude. "Hahaha what are you doing?" Layla is closing her ears.
"Nothing, did you shoo away the wolves?"
"Shooing what my Layla? they are good spirits. Did you know Bumin Khagan were helped in the war by his companion wolf."
"You are too superstitous, i'm still afraid you know. Their gazes and teeth are so scary," Layla muttered while she prepare the food.
The dinner is almost ready, she mixes the meat into the soup and some thyme. The soup is called korbashi or paca. Rain in the outside start to pour more. Tughluq uses his empty jar to fill it with water. Nothing is going to waste. Careful management of provisions is needed unless they want to die from starvation.
"You add way too many meat in the soup. We need to ration it. We are still in war against Uncle Kure. Probably for the next two or three years."
"Sorry but why so long?"
"Well who knows if we can win this before the Kurmak against Bayrak and the Li Ling Clan. Buqa despite absorbing Kilja and Ak Yay, still don't have strong backing from the Clans dwelling to our sou--."
Alpha wolf from it's pack suddenly appear. Layla screams and hug her husband. She is afraid from the animal that sit calmly.
"Oh good boy, here." Tughluq immediately gives him the meat from soups.
"Wasteful wahhh," Layla muttered, she still afraid.
"Hehe he is hungry," Tughluq pat his head while the large wolf is eating. It probably already half-tame after feeding the cubs.
Tughluq closed the cave with earlier caves, before he do that, he makes two signs from smaller rocks in the middle of night. This is so that he, his family or perhaps other people could easily found this place if needed. The rain pour the entire night. Tughluq prepare to go into Uybat the next morning.