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eBook Category: Fantasy
eBook Description: In this historical fantasy set in late 12th century Mongolia, an old woman has grown fearful of the magical powers she has misused in the past, and sworn never to use them again. But now she must help a young shaman still learning his craft to save their Mongol chief and his people from their enemies. Several characters in this story, including the boy Temujin (the young Genghis Khan), also appear in Sargent's historical novel "Ruler of the Sky."

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: Warrior Enchantresses, ed. Kathleen M. Massie-Ferch and Martin H. Greenberg, 1996
Fictionwise Release Date: March 2002

11 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [193 KB], eReader (PDB) [68 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [58 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [51 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [91 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [117 KB], hiebook (KML) [154 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [87 KB], iSilo (PDB) [47 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [60 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [87 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [80 KB]
Words: 18488
Reading time: 52-73 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

Old Khokakhchin listened as the other women gossiped. They had been going on about Jali-gulug all day, and were still murmuring to one another about the afflicted boy as they herded sheep back to camp. Jali-gulug had fled sometime during the night, unseen by the men on guard. His father Dobon had ridden out that morning and found his son wandering the steppe on foot.

The women spoke of evil spirits and possession. This was not the first time Jali-gulug had wandered off in a trance. He saw visions, fell into fits, and sometimes babbled meaningless chants. The spirits tormented him often. Khokakhchin dropped behind the other women, wondering how long it would take these people to see what the boy was.

She had sensed for some time that young Jali-gulug was destined to follow the shaman's path. Bughu should have seen that by now, and done something about it, but Bughu was not much of a shaman. He knew chants and spells and how to banish evil spirits from those who were ailing; he read the bones for Yesugei Bahadur, who was chief in this camp, as he had for Yesugei's father. But Bughu was not a shaman who could ride to Heaven or command the most powerful of the spirits. Khokakhchin suspected that Jali-gulug had much more power in him.

Koko Mongke Tengri, the Eternal Blue Sky that covered all of Earth, had granted them a warm and windless day, although the late summer weather could change suddenly. The stream that had watered the sheep was a slender blue ribbon that wound in sharp loops over the endless grassland. Hoelun Ujin, Khokakhchin's young mistress, nudged a straying lamb back toward the flock with her juniper stick. With her golden-brown eyes and smooth light brown skin, Hoelun was still a beautiful woman; it was easy to see why her husband Yesugei prized her.

Khasar, Hoelun's two-year-old son, rode toward Khokakhchin on a ewe, clinging to the short shorn wool with both hands. The ewe bleated; Khasar fell from her back. His older brother Temujin quickly pushed his way through the sheep milling around the ewe, grabbed one sleeve of Khasar's short brown tunic, and dragged him to safety. The four-year-old Temujin had his father's odd pale eyes of green and gold mixed with brown, and his straight dark hair had a coppery sheen. He could sit a horse by himself and already showed skill in handling his small bow. Khokakhchin felt a pang of sorrow, remembering the son she had lost when he was no older than Temujin.

Temujin helped Khasar climb back onto the ewe, then led him toward their mother. Hoelun Ujin rested her hands on her swollen belly and smiled at her sons. The Ujin's third child would come soon. Khokakhchin would be with Hoelun during her labor, as she had been when Temujin and Khasar were born.

Knowing how to aid in bringing new life into the world had helped Khokakhchin save her own life. She thought of the first time she had seen Yesugei Bahadur, sitting on his horse with his sword in hand, yurts burning behind him as he shouted orders to his men; he had terrified her. Later, as she huddled with the other prisoners, waiting to learn if they would be put to the sword or taken away as slaves, she had heard the Bahadur speak to one of his comrades of the child his first wife would soon give him.

Khokakhchin had seen her chance and seized it. "I have some of an idughan's lore," she had called out to the man whose Mongol warriors had brought such ruin to the Tatar camp. "I know of birthing." Yesugei Bahadur had ridden toward her; she had forced herself to meet his pale greenish eyes, so unlike any eyes she had ever seen. "These Tatars attacked my people years ago," she continued, "and killed those I loved, and my life among them has been a hard one. I would more willingly serve you."

The Mongol studied her for a while without speaking. "My first wife may need your skill," Yesugei said at last. "You'll be taken to my camp. If all goes well, you'll be her servant, but if any harm comes to her or to my child, you will die, and painfully--I promise you that." He had then sent her on a hard ride back to his camp with his brother Nekun-taisi and another man.

The spirits had favored Khokakhchin. Hoelun had suffered in labor, but her son was born whole and healthy and clutching a clot of blood in his fist, a sign that he would be a great leader. Yesugei had named the boy Temujin, after the Tatar chief he had just defeated and killed.

Ahead of the women herding the sheep lay the wagons and black felt yurts of Yesugei's camping circle. Yesugei and his brothers were milking the mares tethered with their foals outside the Bahadur's tent. Khokakhchin caught up with two of the younger women, found that they were still talking about Jali-gulug, and fell behind them once more. She did not want to hear talk of Jali-gulug and spirits and magic. She had dealt in magic once, long ago, and had sworn never to do so again.