“My dear lady!” Said Subutai pleasantly when we arrived at the meeting place. “What is your worry, desire? What can I do for you?” The Duchess wore a simple light cotton gown and was alone. Even the guards were some distance away. She was very pale, scared, and clearly was not sure of what to do next. We saw she was frightened. It was normal after the display on the hill. Most likely, she was on the wall with the rest of the city and saw everything that was there to see. She probably saw the entire parade of horror and imagined even more.
She saw the blood, gore, and suffering. What else was there to conceive? Yet, we left a few things for imagination, and, if you were a sensitive type, it could be the most terrifying thing. It was apparent, she was overwhelmed with the internal dilemma coming from her heart and from the soul. She was doing something she did not want to do but thought that was the right thing to do. Was she right?
“My Lord, you told me just a few days ago that I could call on you in times of need so, I am here. This is the most troublesome time of all. I am glad that Lord Batu is here as well. Lord Batu is known for fairness and consideration, and I trust that it is true. The time for compassion has come, and I wanted to ask you for mercy.” The Duchess was holding her tears back, but the voice betrayed her time and time again.
“Yes, of course, my Lady. What can we do for you? Do you need food, water, something else?” Subutai was smiling with the innocence of a cat that just swallowed a canary. Oh, he was cunning and diplomatic if he had to be. He never seized to astonish me; that’s how corrupt he was. “Tell us your desire, my Lady. We promise to do whatever we can to fulfill it. We are here to serve if we can. So, what is your worry? Please, talk to us openly. We are here to listen and to help if we can.”
She smiled with a countenance full of hope and anticipation. She hoped for the human response in the most horrific situation. If they did not experience it and were just told the stories, this horror, they would not believe any of that. No one could be that cruel, that inhuman. She wanted to trust the words despite better judgment. The entire city populace was covering the walls waiting for a miracle. Air was thick, still and quiet that was interrupted only by the buzzing of the enormous fat flies surrounding the human mount on the hill but still evolving around the entire city. That was the time of the feast for them, and they enjoyed every second of it. The Duchess and the people were hoping for a gesture of goodwill. Was there any goodwill left anywhere? In my empire? In the world? I did not want to interfere, but I wanted to see it too.
“My Lords, my husband and all these noble people you are tor… killing over there. Please, I beg of you. Let them go or kill them quickly. What is the point in such violence that cannot even be described? They are humans, and you are humans. And, the slaves… Children… What did they do to deserve that? Why… Do you make war on them too? How could that help you? What do you want from us? From them… You came to take the city. So, take it. Attack, scale the walls, kill all of us and be done with that. You can do it, you are so powerful.” Now, she was crying. She was not weeping, screaming, even moving. There was no sound coming from her. The little drops of tears were leaving the wet scars on her pale, perfect face.
“Duchess, I offered you once before, and I am offering it again. Listen to me and take my offer. I will not offer it again.” Subutai dismounted and slowly walked on his short, badly bowed legs toward the Duchess.
Most of Mongols had the short badly bowed legs because of the lifetime on the move, on the horse, in the saddle that started very early in your life. That was not very attractive to some, but the Mongols apprised it differently. The badly bowed legs told the story and demonstrated the character of the person. The grimace on the Duchess’s face showed the revolution she experienced as a result of his offensive smell. Yes, we smelled.
I don’t know if Subutai ever really washed his body. Maybe his mother did it for him when he was a child. Washing was not widely accepted by the Mongols. We believed that the body oils and the offensive smell protected us from the sicknesses propelling the demons of the illnesses away. Thus, we all smelled, but it was our smell, and we did not really notice it until the new smell offended or attracted our senses. Both happened and often. Actually, we rarely noted unpleasant odors, but the pleasant ones drew us in so much. That was different. Well, nonetheless, a respectable Mongol would thoroughly wash the body twice a year. That was a custom most of us followed. Yet, Subutai was not that respectable, and he followed only the traditions he liked. What he liked was not precisely what I did. After all, we were different people.
“My Lady take the women and the children and leave this place of death. We would guarantee you the safe conduct anywhere you may want to go. Do not go to Suzdal. Suzdal is not what it was before. We are there already, and most of Suzdal is not. We’ve been there for a little while already. I will give you a hundred of my best bodyguards to protect you. This is the best I can do for you, my Lady. Take it and save as many people as you can.”
The commander of my personal Khazar Tumen and a few bodyguards were right next to me watching the scene. They were with us for a long time and knew what was coming. I softly whispered to them to get the troops ready for the attack, and the messenger went to the camp. I knew Subutai all too well. He was preparing the stage for something, and that something could only be the end of the city. Subutai would use this situation to our advantage one way or another so, the troops had to be ready. Some small units and the individual soldiers started to move closer to us, closer to the gates. I saw probably a thousand regulars concentrating around us, and the entire Tumen was assembling on the hill just a short distance away. Cannons were never moved in the first place so, they were in place and aiming at the gate and the walls. Well, I saw them running to the high ground and closer to the city.
Good people. Subutai saw it too. He looked at me and smiled. What a sly dog. Just do not call him that to his eyes. You may lose your head or get a knife into your eye. He knew that I would understand him. After all, he raised me. My eyes searched the camp, and I noticed the units of my Tumens, forming all around the city. I could not see the Tatars, but I knew that they would be hiding among the hills ready to chase anyone breaking through of our iron ring. Also, they were prepared to protect our rear in case if anyone tried to relieve the city. I had no idea who would attempt to do that, but I would rather be safe than sorry. My army was very well trained, and everyone knew his place during the battle. I did not have to worry about that. Thousands of my people fought as one man. The horrible death was a reward for not following my orders, and this rule was firmly enforced. After all, they were good people, and I trusted all of them with my life.
“We cannot leave, My Lord Subutai. We would not leave Kiev. This is our city, our home, the only home we have. We will fight along the side of our husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers. That’s our way of life. Would your women abandon you if the roles reversed? I think not. We cannot live without them so, we will share their future equally. Whatever it may be.” She was staring toward our camp with a life mount, maybe not even seeing it. She was searching for people she knew, the friends, the relatives. She looked so tall, so strong, so commanding in front of almost bridged ancient walls of Kiev and Kiev was looking at her with the wide-open eyes full of horror and admiration. She was so proud, and I admired her spirit as well. She was a good woman, and every leader should have a wife like that. My wives were not like that, but I will find the right one soon enough. I am looking already every time I get a chance. I met many beauties, but they were not what I want. Maybe I should look outside the steppes, maybe the Khazar woman.