29 Praise The Captain

The sun began its slow descent, painting the horizon in fiery hues, and the dry sand beneath their horses' hooves turned the road into a swirling, dusty haze. Against the gentle breeze, a disciplined group of soldiers galloped past, their horses' powerful strides leaving deep, muddy tracks on the churned earth. Though sitting behind Khunbish, her hand tightly wrapped around his waist, and half her face veiled by a handkerchief, Chinua could still catch the faint, fresh scent of damp earth in the air. Her head peeked over Khunbish's shoulder; the dust seemed to billow from the horses thundering ahead. She turned to her right, spotting Khenbish not far, sharing a horse with Khawn. A turn to her left revealed Timicin and Hye, riding just two arm's lengths away.

Chinua called out, her voice slightly muffled, "Were there any bandits waiting for you guys?"

Timicin yelled back, his voice strained over the galloping hooves, "Some of them were, but we sorted it out!"

Fifty horses galloped relentlessly, and Chinua couldn't quite discern Timicin's words. She tried again, louder, "What happened to the bandits?"

"We've taken care of them!" Timicin roared, his voice cutting through the wind.

This time, Chinua heard him clearly. A wave of relief washed over her, and she buried her face against Khunbish's back, wrapping her arms around him even tighter.

From where Hye sat, his gaze intently fixed on Chinua, he couldn't help but notice how naturally she leaned into Khunbish, how undeniably close they seemed. He watched her, sitting so peacefully behind Khunbish, almost like a wife and her husband riding leisurely across vast, green meadows.

"Has that female soldier always been so close to that male soldier?" Hye asked Timicin, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Timicin offered a knowing smile. "Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish—they've always been inseparable."

Hye's brow furrowed. "Don't you find it… strange? A woman and two men walking into the Northern training camp so easily, and the Grand General does nothing but welcome them with open arms?"

Timicin felt a pang of agreement in his heart. Hye was right; the same question had gnawed at him for weeks. He still couldn't fathom why General Batzorig had permitted Chinua into the elite training camp, let alone allowed Khunbish and Khenbish to train alongside her—in his mind, they were more like her personal servants. His eyes drifted to Khawn, adding yet another enigma to his growing list of unanswered questions. And then, there was the lingering mystery of why Batzorig had pulled him aside, specifically ordering him to protect Chinua with his life. Timicin made up his mind: when they reached the South Gate camp, he would corner Chinua and demand answers. With a quick flick of his reins, he whipped his horse's flank and galloped to catch up with the others.

Just as twilight swallowed the last vestiges of daylight, plunging the world into a realm where they could only see a few feet ahead, the soldiers on horseback spotted a flickering bonfire not far in the distance. A southern soldier immediately began to whistle, three crisp short notes followed by one drawn-out long one. Then, two other soldiers joined in, their whistles echoing the exact same melodic sequence. The three southern soldiers repeated the precise set of notes. From the darkness, an identical tone and pitch drifted back to them.

"That's ours," one soldier said, relief clear in his voice.

Haitao looked at him. "You mean it's Captain Taban and his men?"

"Yes," the soldier affirmed. "If we don't send out the signal, the night watchman will open fire on us as soon as we arrive."

Though Chinua had spent countless hours begging General Mönkhbat to recount tales of his southern soldiers when he returned to the capital, she had never known about these secret codes, privy only to the troops.

"Third brother never told me about this," Chinua murmured, a touch of disappointment in her voice.

Khunbish offered a gentle reassurance. "Chinua, don't think too much of it. While General Mönkhbat has shared many military strategies with you, there are some rules—some inner workings—that he simply cannot share."

Chinua sighed. "I sincerely hope Third Brother will share his true art of war with me, because he might actually need my help one day."

Khunbish smiled warmly. "Chinua is still young; she has ample time to learn from everyone she meets. Chinua doesn't have to worry about not being able to learn everything the world has to offer her. Perhaps the time wasn't right before, which is why General Mönkhbat only taught Chinua self-defense. But I'm sure that in our days to come, the South will give Chinua a far better opportunity to train and learn from General Mönkhbat." He chuckled softly. "To be honest, I also really want to learn from General Mönkhbat."

Chinua scoffed playfully. "Khunbish, you're not Khenbish."

Khunbish's smile widened. "While I may not be Khenbish, I still yearn to learn. I know that even with Khenbish and my brains working together, we won't surpass Chinua's brilliant mind. But we will still work tirelessly, learning alongside you. There will come a time when we may truly be able to help you."

Chinua's gaze softened. "Third Brother has always reminded me to love my subordinates like my own children. Only in that way will they be willing to risk their lives to maintain my orders. I'm not sure how good of a leader I will become, but at the same time, I just want to be someone of true value in the eyes of others."

Khunbish's voice deepened, filled with conviction. "Chinua may not know it, but in the eyes of Khenbish and me, Chinua has always been a great leader. Only a selfish leader, no matter how much power they gain, is unworthy and contemptible in anyone's eyes. I can't imagine Chinua ever being such a leader."

The three leading soldiers gradually reined in their horses, and the rest of the company followed suit, slowing their gallop to a trot. They rode directly into the camp, stopping not far from where the others were gathered around a large fire. Taban rushed forward, his face beaming, to greet Haitao and the newly arrived soldiers.

Taban clapped Haitao on the shoulder, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Captain Haitao, you made it!"

Haitao returned the smile, a sigh of relief escaping him. "I'm glad you're here too."

Taban's eyes sparkled with triumph. "Your plan was perfect! Most of the bandits completely misread our diversion. We only encountered a handful."

Haitao walked towards the bonfire with Taban, his voice dropping. "Were you able to make the bandits talk?"

Taban shook his head, his expression hardening. "They refused to talk, so they're all dead now." He glanced back at the newly arrived soldiers, then turned, a warm smile gracing his lips. "Everyone did well. Thank you for your hard work!" He walked directly to Chinua and clapped her gently on the left shoulder. "You are a truly exceptional soldier, Chinua. I won't forget to mention your bravery and cleverness to General Mönkhbat." He then turned and rejoined Haitao by the campfire.

Muunokhoi rushed forward, throwing an arm around Chinua's shoulders. "It's because of you that we're still alive!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with gratitude.

Chinua demurred gently. "Not me."

Och countered, "How could it not be you? You came up with the idea!"

Chinua smiled. "Actually, each of you should have thought of this idea. It just happened that I spoke first."

Erden shook his head. "We never learned anything like that."

Od chimed in, "I have to agree with Erden on this one."

"We've all learned it," Chinua insisted, her gaze sweeping over them. "Our captain taught us in our very first year of training."

Muunokhoi's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't remember the captain teaching us anything like this before."

Chinua gave a knowing look to her doubting comrades. "He took everyone fishing every morning."

Suddenly, Timicin's eyes widened in recognition. "Current River theory!" He looked at the other six, a dawning realization on his face. "At that time, we thought the Captain was just joking with us!"

Timicin and the other six all turned their heads, their gazes fixed on Haitao, who sat by the campfire, talking and laughing easily with Taban.

Och shook his head, a genuine admiration in his voice. "Our captain is truly a hero in beggar's clothes."

Terbish suddenly burst out laughing.

Erden looked at him, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Terbish grinned. "Just thinking back to those idiots who refused to be Captain Haitao's subordinates. I actually feel sorry for them now."

Od chuckled. "If all those who refused to accept Captain Haitao as their trainer are idiots, then that means everyone standing here, except Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish, are also idiots!"

Muunokhoi slapped his thigh. "Od is right! Who would have thought Chinua had God-like eyes and could judge which captain was truly the best? Now I finally understand why Chinua said that Captain Haitao is General Batzorig's smartest captain under his command!"

Chinua looked at the soldiers gathered around her, her heart swelling with warmth. She smiled genuinely. "Khunbish is right. We are still young, and we still have time to learn from our older, more experienced captains and the people we are about to meet. If we are still breathing, we can still learn." She patted Od's left shoulder with her right hand. "I am truly happy to fight and learn with all of you. Everyone regards me as a comrade in arms, and I, too, regard everyone as a comrade in arms."

Terbish's voice was firm, resolute. "As long as you consider us your comrades in arms, we will be by your side, always."

Looking at the ten faces surrounding her, Chinua said, "I have a phrase that only Khunbish and Khenbish know."

"What is it?" everyone asked in eager unison.

Chaghatai challenged, "Tell us, or you still only regard Khunbish and Khenbish as your brothers!"

Chinua chuckled. "Well, technically, they weren't my brothers, but now they're my comrades."

"Just tell us!" Muunokhoi urged, a wide grin on his face.

Chinua looked at each of them, her voice clear and strong. "Through Death Valley, we will march. Follow each other, every step of the way. Even if we don't know if we will emerge on the other side. But we will continue to march forward faithfully for our brothers, living and dead."

Od let out a joyous laugh. "Then that's what we will do! Fight side by side and die for each other. Agree?" He looked around at the faces of his comrades.

"Agree!" Everyone replied, their voices echoing loudly, filled with shared purpose.

While dinner was being prepared, a lively chatter erupted among the soldiers.

Hye, standing not far away, observed the gathered eleven people. He murmured the phrase to himself, his voice a low, bitter whisper: "Through Death Valley, we will march. Follow each other, every step of the way. Even if we don't know if we will emerge on the other side. But we will continue to march forward faithfully for our brothers, living and dead." He sighed, a profound weariness in his tone. "Of course, you know how to bring those who stand before you to their knees. But I… I will never bow to your kind of life."