Atop the towering formation of jagged rocks, Iltas remind everyone behind him to be more cautious. A small mistake could cost their lives. Last night this land experience heavy rain.
The rocks are covered in very slippy ice. Over half of the riders decide to dismount and walks with their steeds.
"Mother i could use my hands to guide the companion. Let me ride it myself ...," Yulbar speaks softly.
Yulbar half-paralyzed body is tied to the saddle and stirrup. He is shy because girls from the former Ak Yays are looking at him. Dilara walks in the front, guiding the horses. Yulbar steed's which is mare, is tied just behind her's. Dilara horse is also a mare.
"Don't complain boy, be confident." Dilara encourages her second son.
"I'll keep that in mind mother. I will try to train my hips movement more," Yulbar nod.
"Oh do my Yulbar want to get married," Dilara suddenly ask.
Yulbar did not say anything. He is trying to calmly looking at the rugged terrain. He is speechless and feels slightly embarassed.
"Morning Dilara, Yulbar." Iltas approach both of them.
"Father," Yulbar happily greets his father. He also did not mind his marriage to Tiki.
"We pick up the pace Yulbar." Dilara ignore her husband morning greeting. Her horse's start to trot.
"Hey be careful! Don't troting our horses in place like this." Iltas start to worry about Dilara. He pick up the pace himself and tail them both.
The horses did not acquire the ability to traverse harsh environments from special training; these equine breeds inherently possess a maternal ancestral instinct to do so. Still, descending is difficult for them, even for the hardiest ones.
The majority of Gokturk and Rouran cavalry utilized a crossbreed of a Roman Cavallo sire and a Mori Ponytail dam. This breed was reportedly brought eastward by Attila the Hun, extending past his empire in Europe.
Alara is different from the rest of the clansmen horses. The young stallion came from Ferghana stocks. Prized for it's size and suited for heavy cavalry. Although unlike the Mori or Attila breeds, it consumed more fodders.
"Not right now Iltas please," Dilara refuses to talk.
"I understand my wife. Don't try that again. Okay?" Iltas trying his best to smile.
"Finally my chance, please husband see me the way i am." Tiki mutter while she want to comfort Iltas.
Aarrgghh!
One of the riders slips with his horse's. Two man tries to help their fellow clansmen but they too fall from the steep cliff. More men want to rescue the three but Kilat stop them from doing so.
"What are you doing Kilat!" Iltas shout.
"Please forsake those buffon Great Leader. There is nothing we can do! From this height, they already dead." Kilat replies.
"No we can see one of them there. Perhaps the two are just below," Adam disagree.
"Really? Not even Dilara can heal those wounds. Look his knee is already destroyed. We must be haste Adam," there is no time for evacuation right now. The horde must reach Uybat first at least.
"Did you give me an order? Know your places. They are my fellow Ak Yay warriors. We have lots of ropes," Adam still want to help.
Iltas order the horde to keep their moving. Kilat now leads in the forefront of the column. Adam tied himself with ropes. He start to descend. The man with his destroyed knee fall deeper as he could not stop moving. Adam could not be seen anymore in the darkness.
"They are dead!" Adam found their dead bodies and their companion's inside the underground cave. He tied the corpses to be pulled.
"Those three beca--, they are good warriors. May God forgive them," Iltas pray for their souls.
"Husband this route is faster. The usual route besides the marshland. Probably are bogged down," Tiki stand behind his fiancee. Joining his prayers together.
"We will keep moving after this," Iltas grabs the rope. He and the others start to pull.
Arduous journey to the Siberian town of Uybat continues. Iltas will hold funeral by raft once they reach their destination.
—
The wall of Uybat can be seen. Several guards with thick gambeson are watching from the wooden bastion. Some of them came from the same clan as Heshano Subashi. Heshano hailed from the Yuhlan Clan. His clan did not exist anymore after he disbanded it few years ago.
Almost all of his clansmen follow Heshano decision to settle in Uybat. He peacefully replaced the previous Tudun (administrator/town mayor) whose family already ruling for centuries. Heshano held a Kurmak Council among the upper class townsmen and merchants.
The town elected him as their leader after he won the majority of the vote. Many of his clansmen followed in their former chieftain's footsteps, fully abandoning their nomadic way of life.
"Ah Iltas the Fishes Bringer. Don't say you bring the goods from your epithet again hehe," Shargot order the man to open the front gates.
"As you say i bring that. However i have more variety of items now. Check it out," Iltas point at the Buqa wagons.
"Frankly we don't need fishes. Our storage is already full of them. Some of the clans beat you to it," Shargot and other guards checks the wagon crates.
Iltas already know some of the guards from the time of Ak Hun Campaign. Although they are from different spearman regiment. Istami mixes the placement of young millitary drafts at the time randomly. Some of them even fight alongside other ethnic groups.
The guards are lax when dealing with the Buqa Clan. Some of his clansmen already entering the town.
"Done?" Iltas touch his right shoulder.
"Still for the necessary documentation, on the behalf of your boys. Fill this parchment senior." Shargot hands the ink.
"See it's not only fishes from Baikal. There are the lake seal skin, it's meat and that giant weird fish (sturgeon). How many tea brick can i get?" Iltas start to initiate his clan commerce.
Shargot as the Head of Wall Guard is given rights to trades. He asks Iltas to follow him into the bastion office.
"Like i said earlier. As you can see, west from here is the creek of Yenisei," Shargot want to accept his offer, if he brings the goods that they wanted.
Dogan Bey of the Wei Lu Clan links the creek with the town. Build a small canal that flows to the town moat, bolstering its wall defenses. He completed the construction in 584, the first year of his second reign as "Tigin".
The town of Uybat accepted various goods as form of currency, as well as the good old barter. Among the available commodities in Uybat, tea bricks were the most sought-after by merchants.
This trade dynamic strongly reflected the economic influence of the Western Wei and Sui Dynasty.
"How about the fox pelts if you want. My horde could not offer you much right now," Iltas offers his best goods.
"We already hunted so many of them yesterday bwahaha! If you want to sincerely trade, this is the wrong place. Go ask Lord Rangan, Renchou or Amrak. Perhaps one of them allows you to trade with their middlemen into China. We are not their tributaries so we don't have direct access," Shargot explain.
"I will consider your words. I don't have enough clansmen to conduct trade with big cities in Sui Dynasty as of now," Iltas sips his water pouch.
"Let's cut the chase Iltas. You want us to fight alongside you right? That is not your rights to begin with. Buqa Clan is a small clan. Tangri punishment is harsh for those who besmirched their own kut (legitimacy/life force). You born from the lowly one. Such is our tore (law) ...," Shargot continue his speech.
Iltas drink all the water in the pouch while Shargot keep warning him. Tiki ask permission to join the conversation.
"May i speak?" Tiki ask.
"Sure after i secure my deal first. Are the remnants of Yuhlan want to trade or not?" Iltas offers it once more.
"Oh senior next time bring more exotic goods. Slave per--, that necklace. You are not Turk but Paleos!" the 30 years old man scream.
"Hehe not Paleos but a Hun. She is my second wife," Iltas jest but half-serious.
"Huh a Hun, that lizard followers. I will cut them up! They are our sworn enemies," Shargot shout.
Tiki blushes after hearing Iltas words. He whispers something to her. Explaining that Shargot demeanor suddenly change these past few years. He likely screams in random situation. No one knows what trigger his relapse moment.
"You make my wife afraid. I could not let it slide. What's you compensation? How much you want to be pummeled," Iltas intimidate him.
"Oh you already defeated some of them. Fine i will join your cause. Perhaps other brethrens want to follow you as well," Shargot want to be part of Buqa Horde.
"How about the wall defence if you abandon your post. I'm not asking you too join," Iltas feign ignorance.
"Who cares, how many season i already dwell inside those walls huh? It feels like prison. The townsfolk could man these bastions themself just fine," Shargot gives him the answer. He become his kinsmen now.
Iltas and Tiki exchanged a look of quiet frustration, the cold wind outside the Town Hall suddenly feeling a bit sharper. Four days too late. With Heshano and his family already on their way to Balkash for the winter. Perhaps he will not return until early spring.
The Khar Lake Clan to the south is the only close acquaintance he has left. By their oath, they declare themselves to be the sworn allies of the Burqa, yet they refused to send even provisions during the previous battles.
"How am i supposed to defeat that Li Mu or whatever that clan name is?" Iltas muttered while thinking deeply in the Town's Tavern. Owned by former member of Yuhlan Clan.
"Is it Li Mu Clans, Li Xin Clans or Li Ling Clans," Tiki asks.
"Their name is so similar. I got confused even more so by our predicament. Perhaps the ladder could not be climbed no longer. The Li Lings could destroy Kure and his goons just fine," Tiki suddenly grabs Iltas hand.
"How can someone who defeat me in strategy utter those words. Before Kure i'm their leader. How about you embrace me tonight?" their face is so close.
Udmurt carried by two of his clan's riders enter the tavern. He realize that he probably came in a bad time but he too are in pain. Udmurt are enduring the burning sensation across his bodies. He must speak to the Great Leader of Clan Alliance now before he pass out.
"Ah good work Great Leader, may i speak from here?" Udmurt sitting against the wooden wall.
"Tiki," Iltas want to discuss strategy with Udmurt.
"Duh always task, where is me time ...," Tiki pout. She left the tavern, greeted by Manila outside.
"She sulks towards you hehe. That mean the girl is lovel-- ugh," Udmurt mutter. The pain in his chest flares up.
"We could talk about this later," Iltas is concerned. He grabs Udmurt shoulders.
"No please look at me. Call Adam, this is regarding the future of Ak Yays and Qara Yays. We must move to more quiter place. There are probably Kure or Bayrak ears here," Udmurt suspects.
The bards and waiters suddenly gazes at them. Tavern is not the place to talk about this matter.
Iltas lit a bonfire near the canal. "Oh thats Tiki yurt is it?" he muttered while helping Udmurt sit near the warm.
"Please let me recall my clan history once more. The Three Yays: Ak Yays, Qara Yays and Chukonu Yays were originally a big clan called Savas Silahuh. A disupte happened 50 years ago. Splitting the horde into many clans. Qara Yays themself splits when i'm still 8 years. The Ak Yays start their foolishness first," Udmurt explain.
"Huh you blame us? It's your father fault!" Adam is angry.
"Whose who are wrong or to be blamed that day among the three of us. It's all in the past now Adam. Although the buffoonery of the Ak Yays is astounding," Udmurt nod.
"You want to insult your own kin so bad huh?" Adam gazes at the sickly man. Udmurt did not budge, he retaliates likewise.
Iltas calm them down before both of them could go too far in argument. Each side start to explain their circumstances.
"I already heard from Yulbar. Shargot and some of the townsfolk will volunteer to our causes. As for the Chukonu, i will convince them. Before that you need a bigger clan to be more convincing." Udmurt start to pledge his loyalty.
The Qara Yays were disbanded and absorbed into the Buqa, following in the footsteps of their Ak Yay brethren. That night, Iltas decided to replace the original clan tamgha with a new one. True to its name, the new tamgha featured a black bull motif, whereas the bull had previously been grey.
This merger between 4 clans marks the establishment of their new clan, the Qarabuqa Horde. The Qarabuqa boast over 600 cavalry of horse archers and lancers—a number that increases significantly if the women eager to fight are also counted.