Rogue Angel - The Spirit Banner Part 43

Dazed and nauseous from the blow to her head, Annja stumbled to her feet, using both hands to draw her sword as she did so.

She had a split second to see the surprised look on Davenport's face as she drew her sword out of thin air and then she was turning around to face her enemies, stumbling a few steps to the side as dizziness threatened to overwhelm her.

There was a loud rustle as the archers fitted their arrows and drew back on their bows.

In that split second, the solution came to her like a bolt of lightning from the eternal blue heaven.

"I claim the Right of Challenge!" she called out, in as loud a voice as she could manage. She staggered again and only the fear that she would be dead before she hit the ground kept her on her feet.

Her shout hadn't sounded very loud to her, and she was getting ready to call out a second time, when she realized the clearing around her had gone eerily silent.

Wearily, she raised her head.

The crowd was staring, but not at her. Following their gaze she saw that the archers were still standing in their staggered line, still facing her with drawn bows, but their leader stood with one clenched fist in the air above his head.

Everyone was watching him expectantly.

He made sure the archers knew they were to hold their fire and then he walked toward her, his boots crunching through the snow.

To Annja, it seemed to take forever for him to reach her.

"What did you say?" he asked patiently in his excellent English.

Annja took a deep breath and then said it again, "I claim the Right of Challenge."

She said it confidently, almost regally, as if knowing he couldn't deny her. She just hoped history had it right, that such a thing had indeed existed under the Khan.

Holuin was silent for a moment, thinking, and then replied in a cold, angry voice, "Only the People of the Felt Walls may claim the Right."

He turned around, preparing to return to his place in the line, but Annja had heard the slight hesitation as he had answered her and wasn't about to let him off that easily.

"You lie," she said, and then repeated it louder so that everyone else could hear.

Apparently a few of the warriors spoke English, for her words sent a ripple through the crowd.

"The Great Law was for all men, not just members of the clan. It applied to Mongols and foreigners alike. Otherwise, it would not have prevailed. No man was above the law and no man was beneath it!" Annja shouted.

"What do you know of Chinggis's laws?" he replied haughtily.

Belatedly, Annja realized that she had trapped herself. If she admitted to leafing through the Great Yasa, then she would effectively be admitting her guilt with regard to several of the charges against her, such as grave robbing and disturbing the dead. But she quickly came to the conclusion that the charges no longer mattered; they were about to execute her, anyway. What did she have to lose?

"I've read the Great Yasa. I know the truth. I demand the Right of Challenge!"

Holuin stared at her silently for a long time. Was that respect she saw in his eyes? A grudging recognition of her bravery? She didn't know, didn't care. Just as long as he granted her request.

The leader turned and spoke to the crowd for a long time in Mongolian. They listened to him respectfully and then began cheering when he finished. Annja had no idea what was said, but the tightness in her chest eased somewhat when she saw the archers lower their bows.

He turned back to face her. "Very well. You shall have your challenge. It will take us an afternoon of hard riding to reach the Wolf's den. There you shall face your opponent. If you win, you and your companion will be set free."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her guards to help her to her feet.

"Are they going to kill us?" Davenport asked, from where he stood several feet away, flanked by his own set of guards.

Annja stared at Holuin's departing back.

"Not just yet," she replied.

But considering what was ahead for her, she wasn't certain if that was a good thing or not.

41.

The next several hours seemed to pa.s.s slowly, something for which Annja was grateful. She knew that the longer she had to recover, the better off she would be. Her head had started to hurt less, but she knew she was a long way from being healed. At least the dizziness and nausea had subsided. She just hoped she could keep them at bay long enough to defeat whoever it was she was going to have to face in combat when they arrived at the Mongol's permanent camp. If she couldn't, well, she wasn't going to have to worry about a headache anytime after that, that was for sure.

After being returned to their ger ger and having their hands and feet untied, Davenport demanded an explanation for what had just happened. Annja did her best to help him understand. and having their hands and feet untied, Davenport demanded an explanation for what had just happened. Annja did her best to help him understand.

"Genghis built his empire not on the basis of bloodlines, as the old clans had done, but on the basis of ability. Those who performed well rose to the top. Those who didn't, regardless of their heritage, fell to the bottom.

"Over time, as his empire grew and he couldn't personally handle every single issue that arose, he began to codify a set of laws that would govern as much of societal conduct as possible. He let regional and clan rulers still govern by local custom only if that custom did not violate his overarching laws, which would become known as the Great Yasa, the Great Law."

"Sort of like the difference between state and federal laws," Davenport remarked.

"Right. But remember, war was a fact of life for the people of the steppes and there were certain customs that reinforced their martial heritage, customs Genghis rightfully knew he couldn't do without. One of the older customs that he kept intact was the right of the accused to challenge his accuser in front of the court."

Davenport nodded. "Just about every civilized culture has discovered that this makes sense. It's why we have both a prosecution and a defense in our courts today."

Annja smiled gently. "Yeah, well, despite all their advances, this particular custom isn't going to win any awards for being at the front of the civil rights movement. When you challenge someone in the Mongol culture, it is a fight to the death. If you win, you get to go free. If you don't..."

Her companion stared at her with horror on his face. "My G.o.d, Annja," he said. "What have you done?"

"What I had to do to get us out of this mess," she said.

In hindsight, though, she was starting to have doubts. It had bought them some time, that was for sure, but would it be enough to save them?

Fully healed and with a decent meal in her gut, she was confident she could handle the best the Mongol leader could produce to face her. But she was far from any of those things and that sent more than a few shudders rippling down her spine.

She'd just have to take it a few hours at a time and hope for the best.

After being allowed to rest for a short time, Annja and Davenport were given a hot meal and a change of clothes to keep them warm on the journey deeper into the mountains. The leggings, s.h.i.+rt and jacket Annja was given stank of sweat and unwashed male flesh, but she didn't care. It kept out the cold and would provide some cus.h.i.+oning for her bruised body on the long ride.

The guards came for them shortly after that.

Holuin was waiting just outside the ger ger. He was mounted on one of the short, stocky horses so common to the Mongolian steppes, and there were two other horses next to him for Annja and Davenport.

"The trail is rough and dangerous at this time of year. You are going to need your hands to navigate the trip. Do I have your word you won't try to run?" he asked.

At first it seemed a strange request, but then Annja remembered that honesty and forthrightness were praised as virtues among the Mongol people. If a Mongol warrior gave his word, he would rather die than break it. Annja had exhibited knowledge of the Great Yasa and as a consequence Holuin was treating her as he would any other member of the clan. If she gave her word and broke it, her life would be immediately forfeit. If she gave her word and Davenport broke it, the same would hold true. It was not a simple request.

Nonetheless, Annja answered for both of them. "You have our word," she said.