23 An Odd Encounter

It was early morning when Haitao woke up. He proceeded to awaken his ten soldiers. Everyone picked up the prepared bags and started to walk out of the training camp with their bag on their backs.

Haitao and Od lead the way together. When he was about to enter the mountain path, it was almost noon. Haitao looked back and saw that the other eight people were getting farther and farther away from him. He yelled at the eight men, "Hurry up, if you want to eat something delicious and fast before getting on the boat. If you don't keep going faster, you will have nothing to eat."

Erdern quickly ran to Haitao and Od. "Food...I love food..." he laughs. "I want to eat really good food at the market before we leave. Hey..." He put his arm around Od's shoulder. "What food would you like to eat?"

Od said, "Nothing…special."

Erden asked, "What's with that pale face?"

Od pushed Erden's arm away from his shoulder. He looked at Haitao and asked, "Captain, what is the probability that the boat will sink at sea?"

Haitao was taken aback by Od's question. He looked at Od strangely and asked, "Well... I don't know. Why do you ask?"

Erden asked, "Are you afraid of water?"

Od pushed Erden away, "Shut up."

Erden insisted, "Then why are you asking the captain about the possibility of the boat sinking at sea?"

Od hesitated, "it's because… it's because…"

Erden asked, "Because of what? Just say it."

Od said, "Because I can't swim."

Erden laughed, and shouted to those following him, "Hey! Fat Od can't swim!"

The news that Od can't swim has Och, Chaghatai, Terbish and Muunokhoi excited. They rushed to Od and Haitao and started making fun of Od's inability to swim.

"Why can't you swim?" Chaghatai asked.

"Don't make fun of the big guy," Terbish said as he pushed Chaghatai away from the group.

Chinua turned around and turn her head slightly and found that Timicin was walking not far from Chinua, Khunbish, and Khebish. She murmured, "Timicin was acting weird this morning."

Khunbish and Khebish looked back and Timicin was the last one standing. "Timicin is acting very weird today," Khunbish said.

Khenbish murmured, "I wonder what general Batzorig told him yesterday."

Chinua expressed her concern by saying, "Could it be news of his father?"

"Minister Esen was fine when we left the capital. Although he has a bad temper, I think he will live a long and happy life," Khunbish said.

Chinua asked, "Then why is he like this?"

Just as they were about to go up the mountain path, Och rushed behind a tree. He shouted, "Captain, nature calls."

Haitao stopped in his tracks and said, "Let's take a rest quickly. If we walk over this mountain, it's only a three-hour walk from here to Dav village."

Khunbish looked around and pointed to four trees that were very close together. He said, "Chinua, you can go over there."

Chinua bit her lower lip, quickly unfastened her belt, and rushed towards the four trees. She sat down and started to urinate, watching Khunbish and Khenbish's back. "Don't you two need to pee?" She asked.

Khunbish said, "We'll wait for you to finish first."

Chinua stood up and pulled up her pants. "I'm done," she said, and started to tie the belt around her pants, while Khunbish and Khenbish peed.

Och approached from the side of the road and saw Khunbish and Khenbish holding their penis as they urinate, he quickly grabbed Erden and pointed at Khunbish and Khenbish.

"Look, Timicin said they don't have that anymore," Och grinned.

"I'm so confuse," Erden said confusedly. "What's going on?"

Terbish looked at the two people who were confused and asked, "What's wrong?"

Erden said, "Looks like Khunbish and Khenbish still have their little brother."

Chaghatai said, "But I thought they were eunuchs."

Och said, "Just now I clearly saw them peeing holding their little brother in their hand. If it was really cut, would they be sitting down and pee like Chinua?"

Terbish hit Och hard on the head, "Do you dare to peek at Chinua?"

Och frowned, "Hey, it hurt." He rubbed his head. "I didn't peek at Chinua, normally women sit and do their business that way."

Muunokhoi said, "Why are you standing here and gossip about people. If you want to know, just ask." He went to Chinua, Khunbish and Khenbish, who began wrapping their belt around their pants. "Khunbish and Khenbish?"

Khunbish looked at Muunokhoi, "What?"

Muunokhoi said, "Everyone is wondering if you two are eunuchs?"

Chinua backed away slowly and walked towards Haitao, leaving behind those men who were talking about their manhood, knowing that she was the one spreading rumors.

Khenbish was offended by the question. He said angrily, "Who dares to make such a joke?"

Muunokhoi said, "Many months ago, before we learned that Chinua was a woman, Timicin told us that you two were eunuchs. Are you two really eunuchs?"

Khunbish said, "No, we are not eunuchs."

Timicin walked quickly to Khunbish and Khenbish. "How could it not be true?" he asked himself. He looked around and found that Chinua was hiding beside Haitao. He pointed at Chinua. "Chinua says Khunbish and Khenbish are eunuchs."

All eyes were on Chinua. Haitao looked at Chinua and said, "You explain it yourself." He left Chinua and walked towards Od.

Chinua smiled awkwardly, and said, "Well, everyone... please...calm down."

The men growled at Chinua.

Chinua cleared her throat and said, "Well, it's Timicin's fault."

Timicin said angrily, "You made it up, how could it be my fault." He picked up a small rock and threw it at Chinua.

Chinua quickly dodged the small stone. "Hey! A gentleman uses his mouth not his fists."

"You're no gentlemen," Timicin said, grabbing a handful of rocks and about to throw them at Chinua. He suddenly screamed. "Chinua!"

Haitao quickly grabbed Chinua's shoulder and pulled her towards him, while Timicin threw the handful of rocks at the man in black who rushed out from behind a tree on the side of the road with a knife in his hand. Another man in a tattered black robe grabbed the man in black's head and put an iron chain around his neck. The man quickly dragged him back into the bushes on the side of the road. Ten others came out of hiding and began attacking the people on the road.

Chinua quickly knocked off the sword of the man in black who attacked her. She drew out her dagger and stabbed at the man in black. Not far away, Timicin looks for Chinua while trying to fend off the swords of the other bandits.

Khunbish said, "These are no ordinary bandits. They came with a purpose to kill us."

Od said, "Don't show them mercy."

The bandits quickly separated Chinua from the others, and the two began attacking Chinua. One of the bandits slashed at Chinua with a sword, knocking Chinua to the ground.

Khunbish saw Chinua fell. He quickly avoided the bandits and rushed towards Chinua but was blocked by the second bandit.

When a black chain knocked the bandit's sword to the ground, the bandit stabbed the sword at Chinua, and another black chain hit the bandit's forehead, causing his forehead to split open. The bandit fell to the ground and died on the spot.

Chinua looked up and said in surprise, "It's you..."

The man grabbed Chinua's hand. "Let's go." He said, pulling Chinua away from the crowd.

"Chinua!" Khunbish shouted.

Timicin turns to see a man dragging Chinua away. He hurried after her.

As they got further and further away from the group, Chinua knew it wasn't a good idea to break away from her own group. She said, "Stop...stop..."

The man stopped and turned to look at Chinua.

Panting, Chinua said, "It's not a good idea to leave them. What if there are bandits hiding here." She took a few deep breaths. "We have to go back."

The man said, "You will die if you go back to them."

Chinua asked, "How do you know we can survive by fleeing into this open field? Look around. We are surrounded by trees in the open. If the enemy blocks our way in front of and behind us, we will be sitting ducks." The man looked at Chinua confusedly, like a musician playing the erhu for a cow. "Do you understand a word what I said?"

The man shook his head, "No."

Chinua said, "Fine… fine… fine… what's your name?"

The man looked at Chinua and said with emotion, "No one has ever asked me that question."

Chinua said, "You speak Magoli very well. What's your name?"

The man said, "Khawn…"

Chinua asked, "Where are you from?"

Khawn said, "The far East…"

Chinua asked, "How did you end up in the slave market?"

Khawn said, "I was sold by my parents a long time ago."

Chinua felt sorry for the young man. "I'm so sad to hear that," she said.

Suddenly, a familiar laugh sounded to Chinua and Khawn. Chinua stared at the man standing not far away, holding two axes. Chinua murmured, "Alhu…"

Drystan approached Chinua, smiling at Chinua with dark blue eyes. "We meet again... Magoli," he smiled at Chinua, holding two axes.