He spread his hands. ‘As you wish, Princess, but do not expect too much support from the other khans. The Lord Jungir will shortly be celebrating the birth of an heir. All the omens say it will be a boy.’
‘You lie! Jungir is sterile.’
‘I never lie, Tanaki! You know that. One of the Khan’s wives is pregnant.’
Then she had a lover,’ snapped Tanaki, before she could stop herself. But her heart sank. The Khan’s concubines and wives were kept in a walled palace, patrolled by eunuchs. There was no way a man could infiltrate such a fortress. And even if by some miracle he did, the scores of spies among the concubines would carry word to the Khan.
‘Will you come out – or will we come in after you?’ shouted Tsudai.
‘Come in!’ she yelled. ‘Why not come yourself?’
Tsudai chuckled and waved his arm and twenty riders raced for the walls, hurling ropes which looped over the pointed stockade timbers. As the Nadir leapt from their saddles and swiftly clambered up the walls, Tanaki drew her swords. The first man to show himself died, his throat ripped open. The second fell, his lung pierced. As the others came in sight Tanaki waited, blood dripping from her silver blades as they advanced from left and right. She leapt and spun, killing a man with a reverse sweep across the neck, then jumped from the battlement into a wagon loaded with sacks of wheat. Scrambling clear, she ran for the hall. Four men moved to cut her off but she swerved into an alley, then doubled back and waited. Six warriors raced into view. She charged into them, cutting and cleaving, breaking through their line.
On the battlements knelt a warrior holding a sling. He whirled it round his head and let fly, the small round stone cracking into Tanaki’s temple. She staggered and almost fell. A man ran at her . . . spinning, she hurled her right-hand sword. It punched into his chest and he fell back, scrabbling at the blade. A second stone screamed past her. Ducking she stumbled to a barn, pushing her back against the door. Her head was swimming and a terrible dizziness overcame her. Two more Nadir warriors came into view. She half fell and they leapt at her. Her sword came up, part severing a man’s arm. A fist cracked against her skull and her swords were torn from her grasp. Twice more the fist pounded at her face. She fell to her knees. Men were all around her now, tearing at her clothes. They dragged her into the barn, hurling her naked to the straw-covered floor.
‘Well, well, we do not look like a princess now,’ came Tsudai’s voice, cold and mocking. She struggled to stand but a foot was pushed against her face and she fell back. ‘I said five men a day, but these twelve warriors have at least fought for you, Princess. I will leave you in their tender care.’
She gazed up through swollen eyes and watched the men untying their rawhide belts, saw the lust in their faces. Something inside her quivered and snapped. Tears ran to her cheeks.
‘Make her scream a little,’ said Tsudai, ‘but do not mark her unduly. There are many more men waiting.’
The general walked out into the sunlight, where he stood for a while listening to the sounds of grunting men and the low moans which came from the once proud princess. Then she screamed, long and piercing. Tsudai allowed himself a smile. He had waited a long time for this moment. Four years since the haughty princess Tanaki had first spurned his offer of marriage. He had given her a second chance mere months before. Now she would begin to understand the depth of his hatred. The scream sounded again. More animal than human, he thought. Curious how so much despair could be carried in a sound with no words . . .
*
The screams drifted on the breeze, carrying high into the mountains. ‘Dear Gods, what are they doing to her?’ said Kiall.
‘What the Nadir always do,’ hissed Beltzer. ‘They’re raping her. My guess is they’ll kill her soon after.’