Page 83 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

She tied the back of the wagon in place and covered the bodies with a blanket. She wiped her eyes and turned to Jambal’s family. “You two start back to camp.” She cleared her throat to stop the rasping. “Tell Amar I am negotiating with the khan and I will return in a couple of days. Hold the funerals without me.”

“He might not let you go,” Yesugen said, glancing at Dagar. “You should come with us.”

“I promised I would return,” she said. “If I don’t keep my word, they will never trust us.” She hugged both women. “I will be fine. Make sure my brother knows not to come for me.”

Yesugen nodded. “I wish you all the support of our ancestors.”

“I will do my best to ensure she is safely returned to you,” Dagar said.

Hope filled her.

Yesugen and Tegusken both got onto the wagon, the spare horse tied to the back, and rode away. Shuree didn’t mount her horse. She would walk next to Dagar. “Let’s go.”

* * *

A different guardwaited at the edge of the tribe and when he recognised Dagar, he waved them through.

Shuree focused on her surroundings. It was close to midnight and fatigue hovered around her like a swarm of flies. She stroked her horse’s nose to calm herself as she followed Dagar through the camp to the horse herd at the edge. It was unsettling how familiar the setting was. She could almost be in her own camp if it wasn’t for the unease swirling in her belly. They were all Rhoran tribes, so why were they constantly at war with each other?

“You can leave your horse here for the night.” He showed her where she could stow her tack.

“Is your father willing to talk to me?”

“I cannot speak for him. He will see you in the morning.”

Her muscles tightened. “And in the meantime?”

“I would like to hear what you have to say. You can stay in our guest yurt.”

“Will I get my sabre back?” She’d left her bow in the wagon.

He nodded. “When you leave.”

So Dagar thought she’d be allowed to leave. She unsaddled her horse, brushing it and then taking the tack into the nearby yurt, conscious of Dagar’s gaze on her. Though nothing in his body language was threatening, her shoulder blades itched. Experience told her the Erseg couldn’t be trusted, but Dagar hadn’t sent anyone after Jambal’s family, so perhaps he was a man of his word.

When she was finished, she followed him into a yurt on the edge of the camp. A lantern glowed and she blinked a couple of times to get used to its brightness. The yurt was much like their guest yurt with a mattress to one side and a low table with cushions surrounding it on the other. Dried meat and cheese were on the table, along with a bowl of water, some clothes and a washcloth. A couple of storage chests were against the curved wall.

“I requested the yurt be prepared,” he said. “I will wait outside while you clean yourself.”

“Thank you.” She waited until he left before she examined herself. Her clothes were stained with blood and other bodily fluids and her hands were filthy. She washed her hands and face first, trying to rid herself of the stench. Then she quickly stripped and washed the rest of her body, before she dressed in the dress and pants. They felt wonderful and were the same style as she had at home, only the embroidery was a little different. She tied her dirty clothes into a bundle and then fetched Dagar who stood outside the yurt.

“Can I wash my clothes somewhere?” she asked.

“I will get someone to do that for you,” he said. “Place them by the door and I’ll take them when I leave.” He moved back inside, his presence filling the room. His dark eyes studied her and made her skin prickle. The intensity was terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

She sat at the table across from him and chose a piece of cheese from the platter. Her stomach was a little unsettled, but she hadn’t eaten in hours and she needed the energy. She also needed to keep control of this conversation. “Why are you willing to listen to me?”

He smiled, just a slight upturn of his mouth, but it made him so much more attractive. “I am grateful you didn’t kill my brother. I have no desire to be khan.”

She raised her eyebrows, willing her heartbeat under control. “I thought every man wanted to be in charge.”

“And I thought every woman wanted to tend her family.”

She raised her cup in acknowledgement. Perhaps together they could convince others that peace was the way forward. “My tribe is my family,” she said. “I want them safe and happy. Will you tell me why you raided us? Was it simply for the harvest or was your aim the women as well?”

“The women were unexpected,” Dagar said. “Father was not impressed.”

“And yet he did not return them.”

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