The Sacred Offerings
Ashtien called for Ushun and Aruk.
“Merchants have arrived.”
The two elves answered with nothing more than a quiet nod, standing silently in place.
“You are not merely members of my Keshik—you are guardians who protect the lands of the Tamugai and Arantor clans.”
She could see the truth of it in the necklaces draped around their arms. These were the same beads that hung from the necks of captured orcs. Of course Aruk and Ushun had taken them in the course of battle.
Aruk’s necklace was so heavy that when they were all gathered together it looked like a wide cloth spread across the ground.
Rare among them was the necklace with a centaur’s ear dangling from it. Vesta caught sight of it and felt a chill race down his spine for a moment.
It could have belonged to Arin.
Ashtien laid the necklaces down on the pyre.
“I thank you for your service.”
She bestowed golden ingots and fine silk upon Ushun and Aruk.
“Use the silk to make wedding gowns.”
Ushun and Aruk bowed in gratitude to the Khan. Their expressions were not entirely at ease.
They were still grieving for the comrade who had fallen.
“Hasmuk Asmur.”
Ashtien called her name. The tall spear-woman stepped forward and offered her own necklace.
It looked terribly heavy in her hands.
Ashtien reached out and touched Asmur’s shoulder.
“Tell Lahan that I am grateful. I hear the brave youth found the courage to bring an arrow for Arin. This gift is for that boy’s valor.”
Asmur lowered her head deeply.
She had no choice but to accept the Khan’s generosity. She could not fault Lahan; instead, before everyone’s eyes, she defended his honor.
She paid for all the treatments and rehabilitation that were needed, and out of recognition for her own deeds she bestowed rare herbs and gold ingots.
She even accepted Ashtien’s offer of early leave with grace.
Ashtien placed the necklace Asmur had given her on the pyre.
“Vesta.”
The Khan called his name. The elves glanced sideways at the young consort, though their looks had changed.
There was no longer the same simple warmth in their eyes. Suspicion, a flicker of unease—though not quite contempt—now lived there.
These were no longer the eyes that looked upon a cute little husband.
Ashtien officially recognized Vesta’s achievements.
He had slain more than ten orc riders single-handedly and had brought down the orc commander himself.
And there was more.
“...You heard about it?”
“They say he used spirit magic.”
Even the rumor had spread that a human had wielded spirit magic.
Vesta stepped forward without hesitation and offered the necklace to the Khan.
Ashtien accepted it. Her voice, soft at first, hardened into the voice of a ruler.
“You saved my friend. You protected his family. You guarded their honor.”
Vesta listened in silence.
“You made sure no tears and no blood would be shed. On this prairie there is no higher honor.”
Ashtien spoke to him—and to all of them.
“If you had wanted to run away, you could have. No one would have blamed you.”
—Not even she herself.
“But you did not.”
The words still rang with pride.
“That courage changed everything. Yes. It changed everything.”
Ashtien placed a hand on Vesta’s shoulder.
“Since you dedicated yourself to the prairie, the prairie must remember your name. Today I offer you one name from the prairie. Will you accept it?”
“Yes. I understand it as an honor.”
“I bestow upon you the name Baatar. You will understand what that means.”
Baatar. A word meaning courage, or heroic deeds.
“Vesta Baatar. I grant you gold and silk, salt, and I honor you as a warrior of the prairie. That is my promise.”
Many elves were startled by the Khan’s decision. She was declaring that she would never forbid the consort from joining the fight.
Asmur lowered her head where no one could see.
Ashtien laid the necklace on the pyre.
With the final necklace in her hands, she lifted her bow.
The bow pointed at the sky.
Thwack—
The arrow soared high, then settled into the pile of kindling.
Flames shot upward.
Only then did it look like an altar.
The fire that burned with the spirit resin of the elves consumed every trophy the orcs had left behind.
Anger and regret burned to ash in that fire.
*
Vesta watched Ashtien return to her tent with a look of deep concern.
Ushun, standing beside him, spoke.
“That place used to look gloomy even back then. Now it’s almost pitch black.”
Exactly as she said, Asmur’s tent carried a heavy, sad atmosphere.
It was probably the weak voice of Lahan that could sometimes be heard from inside.
“...Why is a love tent like this? It feels so heavy.”
Ushun’s face was full of worry. Though she had often teased Asmur, she herself was not the type to carry such things in her heart.
She genuinely pitied her friend’s troubles. A friend’s worry should not drag her down too.
“After fighting those shedding orcs, the mood is like this. That’s no good.”
“I hope it gets better soon. I’m leaving now.”
“Whoa.”
She caught Vesta by the chin as he tried to head back to his tent.
*
“What kind of mood is this?”
Ushun complained while sitting Aruk down between her legs.
Aruk shot her a glance, clearly annoyed.
Huff… huff…
A pack of dogs had gathered around Aruk. She stroked their soft bellies as she spoke.
“...Both of them will be fine.”
Ushun let out a long sigh. She passed Aruk a cup of wine.
Aruk was worried about Asmur, but her eyes showed genuine interest in Vesta’s feats.
“Lord Vesta… I mean, should we call him Baatar?”
“Kya, Baatar! How imposing.”
Ushun made a fuss.
“Call him whatever you like.”
“I like Baatar much more. Honestly, isn’t Vesta a bit… too gentle?”
“Is that so? I don’t know much about imperial names.”
“Neither do I. It just feels different, doesn’t it?”
“It is a somewhat feminine name, isn’t it.”
The intention was not that at all.
“Whereas Baatar is very manly. Not the weak type the prairie men have now, but the strong warriors of old.”
“I’ve met many elven warriors on the prairie, but I’ve never seen a male warrior before.”
Orolbai could fight as well as any true warrior, but his actual profession was shepherd.
“That’s true. Since Ashtien is a woman, it makes sense. The numbers have indeed decreased.”
Ushun explained simply.
“These days everyone seems to want to keep the men away from the outside world. There are simply fewer of them… and in the tribe, sometimes the husband is decided on the spot for the son born there.”
“Is Aruk’s husband an elf?”
Aruk smiled brightly and nodded.
“That’s complicated. The truth is, we were never formally betrothed, yet that girl is acting like a bride now.”
“What else can you do?”
“The women of the Arantor clan fought a bloody battle among themselves, and it ended with her taking the prize.”
She was not even a childhood friend.
“Lord Vesta. Since we’re all gathered here, tell us one heroic tale.”
Aruk pulled Vesta closer. He had always thought his storytelling was weak, so he first tried to slip away.
“Ah, boring. Ah!”
“I’ll tell you. Fine.”
Vesta began his story.
“The orcs divided themselves into four groups. Three went after Arin, and the fourth came straight for me.”
“You broke through them and saved Arin?”
Everyone present was a warrior, so they understood instantly.
Aruk showed interest in orc tactics.
“...The leader who commanded the pack seemed quite formidable.”
A sharp glint entered her eyes.
“I heard you used spirit magic, Lord Vesta.”
Aruk’s eyes sparkled for a moment.
“I’m not sure if that was spirit magic.”
Vesta looked at the dagger Ashtien had given him.
“When I drew that blade, flames rose.”
“Show it to me?”
“...Now I’m curious.”
Even Aruk, who never asked for things, had spoken up. Vesta had no wish to refuse.
“The truth is…”
He shook his head.
There was a big problem.
“Since then the blade refuses to come out. The technician said the scabbard melted—that’s not the cause.”
Vesta tried to draw it again, but he failed.
Ushun, who had always been the strongest, stepped forward too, yet even she could not draw it.
By now everyone in the circle agreed it was no ordinary thing.
“I told the Khan about it. She laughed and said, ‘Haha, it will come out when it’s time.’
—When it’s time, it will come out.
She should have warned me not to force it, but she spoke so lightly.
*
As was always the case, Aruk met Vesta outside his tent.
Just before he stepped inside the tent flap, she murmured something with her lips.
“Lord Vesta.”
“What is it?”
“...Nothing. Thank you for saving Asmur’s husband and Arin.”
—Sleep well tonight.
Aruk bowed her head and vanished down the night path.
With the words she had meant to say.