The skin on the men was blistered from the heat, and full of sores. Many were sick and dying. She knew the older men would never live through the winter. Ringlets of dried blood formed clusters around their wrists and ankles where the shackles rubbed the skin.
“Do you wonder why so many prisoners are penned like animals in so small an area? The Khan can only spare a few men for guard duty. You can see it takes at least twenty men to surround and maintain a constant guard. They are relieved of duty three times a day, so sixty men a day are involved in guarding prisoners when they should be doing other things,” Banyen said gruffly.
“Why don’t you put them to work? Why are they standing so close together? I don’t understand,” Katerina asked softly.
“Is this what you want, Katerina?” the Khan asked. “Do you still wish my help? There is a tribal meeting I must attend. I’ll join you at the noon meal. Be sure, little one, that you know what you are doing,” he said, patting her arm.
“I see there are still many questions in your eyes,” Banyen observed.
Outraged, Katerina took a deep breath. “I’ve seen animals treated better. This is . . . this is inhuman. How can one human being treat another in such a manner? They live and breathe as you and I do.”
Banyen ignored her words. “As the prisoners die, we move in the outer poles. They are in no condition to attempt escape, not even the healthiest, believe me. If they were fortunate enough to escape, they would be killed instantly.
“It would not be advisable to see them when they are fed the watered-down mush. They fight and kill to get their ration, many times knocking their bowl over in a desperate attempt to get more. They kill to be chosen for work, and they kill for food. They think nothing of slipping their shackled arms around each other’s necks and strangling one another for more food. We don’t stop them, it’s one less mouth to feed. It’s called survival,” Banyen said coldly. Women! Such outrage over suffering, and yet she recovers quickly enough, he thought. Women always wore two faces. Who was she really concerned for? Was it for his benefit, or did she truly feel sympathy for the prisoners? He admitted he didn’t know, and he didn’t give a damn.
“Yes, I know the meaning of the word,” Katerina said curtly. She knew the Mongols hated to take prisoners, and when they did they were known to be very cruel, but she had never realized just how much so until now. “What did these men do? What crimes have they committed?”
Banyen stepped forward, and with the tip of his saber he pointed at a man and ordered him to speak to the lady. “Tell her why you’re shackled and in the stockade.”
“Murder.”
“And you, what was your crime?”
“I stole horses.”
“You?”
“I was caught raiding a village.”
“You?”
“Murder.”
“Murder.”
“Is the punishment the same for all crimes?” Katerina demanded. “The punishment should befit the crime.”
Banyen grinned. “We have one here who not only raped a woman, he also killed her. Kostya,” he shouted, “step forward.”
Katerina couldn’t help herself. She stepped near the man and said in a low voice, “Are you here because you raped a woman, or because you killed her? In your mind, what are you being punished for?”
He was tall and fair-haired, with the bluest eyes Katerina had ever seen. His golden beard glistened in the bright sun. His eyes appeared puzzled, but he answered readily enough. “I didn’t rape the woman, she came to me willingly. Men have no need to rape, only animals and savages do that. Women are plentiful and willing to fall into a man’s arms. While I slept she tried to steal my pouch of coins. I woke and we struggled. She fell and hit her head on a boulder and died. That is why I’m here.”
“That’s what he says. The girl’s father tells another story,” Banyen said coolly.
“He goes with me,” Katerina said softly.
Deep murmurings came from the stockade at these strange goings-on. Who was the woman dressed in man’s clothing? Why was she asking questions, and why did the prince look as if he wanted to commit murder? One man after another was called to step forward and state his crime. All spoke readily, their eyes questioning.
“You,” Katerina said, pointing a finger at a broad-chested man with small round eyes. She watched the powerful play of muscles on his upper arms and chest as he shouldered his way to take his place near the front of the line. “What is your crime?”
“My family was dying from hunger. I waylaid a wagon full of grain and killed the men who were driving the wagon.”
“What happened to your family?”
“They died from starvation. One babe in arms and two barely able to walk,” he said simply.
“Your name.”
“Rokal, mistress.”
“He goes with me also,” Katerina said quietly.
“It would appear that you have a soft heart for a sad tale,” Banyen said mockingly.
“I have no heart,” Katerina said coldly. “But I can judge a man’s worth by the look in his eye. Remember that.”
Banyen’s eyes mocked her. “I’ll remember.”
The selection continued till the noon hour, when Banyen called a halt. “Enough for now. Tomorrow you can question the prisoners that are working today. I don’t want you to come to me later and say you were cheated, that the best had the work detail.”
“Tell me, what happens when the snows come and the weather is bad? Where are the prisoners taken then, to which yurt? I can’t believe you leave them in the stockade.”
Banyen’s eyes darkened with rage. “They stay right where they are. Fir branches are tacked to the animal skins overhead and to the sides to prevent the wind from driving at them full force. They huddle together for warmth.”
“That’s inhuman. An animal is treated better than that,” Katerina said viciously.
“They should have thought about the matter before they committed their crimes,” Banyen said coolly. “I repeat, I didn’t say I approve. It is the way of the league. Only the Khan can change the rules.”
“It’s wrong. The punishment should fit the crime. These men have nothing to look forward to but their death. It’s inhuman.” She spat.
“How generous you are with other people’s lives. If you were slain, I wonder what would happen to your killer?”
Katerina’s eyes darkened.
“Women rise again and again.” Suddenly she stuck out her booted foot, catching Banyen behind the knee. He went down, his hands outstretched to break his fall. Katerina stood aside, her hands on her slim hips, laughing in delight. “The position becomes you, groveling in the dirt. It’s where you belong.” Turning, she walked slowly back to the yurt, her slim haunches swaying seductively before Banyen’s murderous eyes.
* * *
Katerina’s nerves were on edge; the days were passing too quickly. She knew she had to make fast work of her selection or she would get caught in the snow and ice when she went through the Urals. Still, she forced herself to make a slow, thorough appraisal of all the men. She couldn’t afford any mistakes, now or later.
For three days she stood near the stockade, breathing heavily through her mouth as man after man stepped forward. She let her eyes measure his form, his muscular capability, and the tilt of his head. She listened with a keen ear to his crime and stared deeply into his face with eyes that were keener and sharper than her ears. She also watched Banyen, covertly. His agate eyes gave away his feelings. When they lightened she knew he approved of her choice; when they darkened to indigo she knew he didn’t approve. For the past three hours his eyes had remained a deep, dark shade of blue, which not only amused her but delighted her. She watched carefully to see if any of the prisoners would reveal some feeling about the prince. Only Kostya, the first man she had chosen, revealed anything, and she was uncertain what name to put to his expression.
Banyen was impatient with her lengthy, time-consuming choice of men. H
e listened with half an ear as Katerina ordered one of the men to flex his arm as if in preparation for a weapon thrust. He saw her eyes narrow, and mentally calculate where the weapon would have landed. He fixed his sights on a point to the far left of the stockade, where Katerina’s gaze also rested. She nodded. His impatience quickly turned to anger as she continued with her methodical system of choosing an army. “One would think you were choosing prize cattle for showing,” he snapped.
“Not cattle. Human beings that are being treated like cattle.”
Banyen ignored her words. “The noon hour approaches and the sun will be unbearable. Make fast work of the last or you’ll be standing here alone.”
Katerina swiveled till she was facing him. “Don’t ever make the mistake you just did. Don’t ever tell me what to do. Do you understand? You’re here by sufferance. Remember that. You do what I tell you, not the other way around.”
Banyen’s eyes became mere slits as he noted an amused look in some of the prisoners’ faces. Kostya eyed him strangely, as he always did, and the man named Rokal was grinning. He knew he should say something, do something, but he held back. Let her think she had him in her power. If it amused her to humiliate him in front of the prisoners, let her; his time would come.
“Is that something else I should remember? The list grows overly long,” he said arrogantly.
“Whatever pleases you,” Katerina snapped. “Remain quiet so I can finish with my selection.”
“You have only to command and I will obey,” Banyen ridiculed as he slouched against a gnarled tree trunk. Why was she so hostile to him? He’d done nothing to her, save sling her across the horse’s back and bring her into camp. What was that strange look in her eye when she stared at him? He could feel the animosity every time she was near him. Was it just him or was it all men? What was the reason she disliked him so? He corrected his thoughts: “dislike” was too tame a word. Did she hate all men? Evidently not, he answered himself. There had been an approving look in her eye when she chose Kostya. Did she fear men? No, he answered himself again. If she feared men she wouldn’t be standing where she was now, with the plans she had in mind. No, it was himself. Why?
His mouth tightened as he watched the swell of her breasts, the sway of her hips as she walked up and down in front of the men. He liked the look of her long legs in the tight-fitting trousers. Those legs, he knew, could be pliant or firm, whichever she chose. She could be soft and she could be hard. He didn’t know how he knew, he just did. Katerina Vaschenko had passions that he would wager had never risen to the surface. He grinned. He was just the man to unleash them and bring them to a roaring, tumultuous conclusion. His eyes widened slightly at Kostya’s look. He’s thinking the same thing, Banyen fumed. Bastard!
An hour past noon Katerina finished her selection. She had her hundred and fifty men. She fixed a steely eye on Banyen and walked away from him. Tomorrow the prisoners would be readied for the trip back to the mountains. One more day and she would leave the camp. She turned as she heard footsteps behind her. “Women walk behind men,” Banyen said through clenched teeth.
“If there was a man about, perhaps I would do as you . . . suggest. Seeing nothing more than a prince, I’ll continue as I am. Furthermore,” she said, turning, “I walk behind no man . . . or prince. Why don’t you go about your . . . duties and leave me alone.”
Damnable woman! He wanted to grab her by the long, shining hair and pull her to him till he felt her body grow soft with desire. Why in hell did she have this strange effect on him? What was there about her that intrigued and heightened his desire? He wanted her, but he had wanted other women, too. What made this one so different from the others?
A smile tugged at the corner of Katerina’s mouth as she imagined the look of frustrated outrage that would be settling over his face. He wanted her, she saw it in his eyes every time he looked at her. “Good,” she muttered to herself. Men filled with passion became reckless, foolhardy. Her eyes were merry as she shortened her stride and wiggled her hips seductively. “I hope his eyes fall from their sockets,” she muttered through clenched teeth.
* * *
“Come with me, child, I want you to see the sun come up over the Khanate. It’s a beautiful sight, and I wish us to view it together. There are several things I want to discuss with you.”
They walked slowly, uncle and niece, through the compound, where everything was quiet and still. A new day will begin soon, Katerina thought. And what will it bring? she questioned herself.
The Khan pointed a pudgy finger to the east. “A new day, for both of us.”
Katerina looked at the huge orange ball covered with what looked like gossamer wings and sighed deeply. “It’s been a long time since I saw anything so beautiful,” she said huskily. “You’re right, Uncle, this is a new beginning.”
“Child, tell me your reasoning as to why you didn’t want the prisoners told of your plans. It would seem a little late to tell them on the morning they are to leave. Banyen does not approve, but then, of late Banyen approves of very little of life’s goings-on. He’s been here two years now, and I still don’t know him. Your reason?”
Katerina shrugged. “Would it have made a difference? They have no choice. They go with me whether they like it or not. This way they have less time to worry on the matter. I expect no trouble from any of them. Your prince is the one that worries me,” she said sharply. “I’m giving the men a chance to live, why would they reject the offer? Is there something you know that you aren’t telling me?”
“No.” He raised his round head and looked at the huge ball rising in the sky. “Another week and you’ll be in the Urals, and that, my dear, is when your problems begin. You can’t beat the snows. It’s too late.”
“There’s no cause for worry, Uncle. I’ve gone through the snows before. Mikhailo knows I’m coming. He’ll string the pass with bells, as he’s always done. You must have faith in me; I’ll succeed. Now tell me what else is bothering you. I see many questions in your eyes.”
“Your assurance that you intend to give me the colt and the filly.”
“But that was understood and I gave you my word,” Katerina said glibly.
“What is this hostility you have for Prince Banyen? I want to understand what it is—”
“Don’t press me, Uncle. I don’t like his mocking eyes and his arrogance. I resent his manner in regard to women, myself in particular. Evenly matched, I know I could bring him to his knees, and I think he knows it also. Time will tell. I warned you when I first came here that I will not allow him to interfere with my plans. If I have to kill him I will.” Her hazel eyes were pinpoints of flame as she gazed at her uncle. “If you think he can ferret out the secret of Whitefire, think again. Because we are flesh and blood means nothing when it comes to the horses. One wayward move on his part and he dies, is that understood, Uncle?”
The Khan cringed at her words. He shrugged. Banyen was a man and she was a woman. He knew in his heart which of them would win. “Understood,” he said softly. “Look,” he said, pointing his arm in the direction of the stockade. “Banyen is preparing the prisoners. By the noon hour all will be in readiness. The food sacks were made up last night, and the barrels of water are being loaded on the wagons now. Blankets and carpets will also be given you. Does it meet with your satisfaction?”
Katerina nodded assent. “It’s time then for me to speak with the prisoners. If you don’t mind, Uncle, I’d prefer to do it alone, but before I do that, there is one other question I want to ask you. This . . . army you have garrisoned here, is this the army you plan to use when you attack Moscow? I overheard you talking to one of your tribal elders about the high price you’ve been paying for soldiers. Where are these soldiers and how many of them are there? If you’re buying an army, why is Prince Banyen working and training these men? What does it mean? If he’s needed here with your men, why are you sending him to the Carpathians with me? No lies, Uncle, I want the truth from your lips.”
&
nbsp; “You are your father’s daughter, there is no doubt of that. You pick at something as a dog picks at a bone. Leave me to my reasoning, whatever it may be. I’ve agreed to your demands, and other than my two small requests, I have not badgered you.” Suddenly there was a ring of iron in the jovial voice. “Leave it, Katerina. Go, talk to your men, and then join me for breakfast in my yurt.”
Katerina agreed and strode off, her back stiff and straight, her thoughts whirling. The old fox was clever, and sly. What was he up to? She would watch Banyen as carefully as he planned to watch her. Sooner or later he would give away his plans. Men were fools in that they thought women were stupid.
Her voice was sharp and clear when she spoke to the prisoners. She fixed her eyes on Kostya when she spoke, and was pleased to see the light of interest in his eyes. “You men have been specially chosen by me to travel to the Carpathian Mountains. With the Khan’s permission, I’m giving you back your lives. I’m going to train you to be Cossacks through the long cold winter. I warn you now that there will be no escape from the House of the Kat. You will all remain in your chains until we get to the mountains. Once we are there, your irons will be removed and you will walk about as free soldiers. I ask that you give me your loyalty, and in turn I will feed you, clothe you, and pay you an adequate sum of money that will be yours to do with as you see fit. What you did in the past does not interest me. It’s what you do in the mountains that concerns me. It won’t be easy, I can tell you that now. I’ll talk with you again when we get to the House of the Kat.” Loud murmurings and buzzings followed her as she strode from the stockade. Her step was light, purposeful, as her stride lengthened. She could almost feel Banyen’s glittering eyes boring into her back.
Perhaps it had been a mistake to let him see her hostility. Sooner or later he would begin to wonder why she felt as she did about him. Certainly her past actions were too strong to be laid to his tying her to a horse like a sack of flour. She would have to temper her tongue and be careful when she was around him.
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