‘I will leave you with your Iron Horse, general,’ Jebe said as the sun rose. ‘Perhaps I will find a name for my own men in time.’
‘I will think on it,’ Jochi promised. For a moment, he lost his light manner. ‘I have few friends, Jebe. Shall I call you one of them?’
Jebe did not reply at first. The khan’s son walked a hard path and he felt a chill at the thought of being caught between Genghis and this tall young man. Perhaps it was the debt he owed, or simply because he truly liked Jochi, but he had always been impulsive. With a quick gesture, he drew a knife and gashed his palm, holding it out.
Jochi stared, then nodded. He copied the gesture and the two men clasped their right hands together. It was no small thing and the men around them were silent as they looked on.
In the distance, two scouts were riding in and the moment was broken as they both turned. From the sheer speed, they knew in an instant that the scouts had news and Jebe put aside his plans to leave until he had heard.
They were Jochi’s men and Jebe could only stand and listen as they reported.
‘The enemy are in sight, general. Thirty miles south and coming west.’
‘How many?’ Jebe said, unable to stop himself. The scout saw Jochi nod and answered.
‘I cannot count such a force of men and horses, general. More than all the khan’s warriors, perhaps twice as many. They travel with huge beasts I have not seen before, armoured in gold.’
‘The shah is in the field,’ Jochi said with satisfaction. ‘My Iron Horse will ride to see them. Will your Bearskins come with us?’
‘I do not like “Bearskins” at all’, Jebe replied.
‘It is a fine name, but we will discuss it as we ride,’ Jochi replied, whistling for his horse and bow.
CHAPTER TEN
Though they made good time on the hill trails that Jochi knew well, it took most of the day for the tumans to reach the point where the scout had seen the shah’s army. In mountainous lands, it was sometimes possible for two armies to pass only a valley apart and never know the other was there. Yet if the scout’s estimates were right, such a host could not be hidden. In late afternoon, the generals were close enough to see a trail of reddish dust that hung in the air like a false horizon. Jebe and Jochi came together to discuss a plan for the first contact with the army of the shah. With older men, deciding who would ride to the other might have been delicate. Jochi was the son of the khan, while Jebe was seven years more experienced. With the red lines still fresh on their palms, neither made an issue of it. They rode to a central point to discuss their plans and observe the enemy.
Jebe had lost the light mood of the morning. He nodded to Jochi as they trotted abreast, ahead of twenty thousand. As a man he liked the khan’s son, but he did not know him as a general and Jebe felt the first prickle of annoyance that he had to allow for another force on the field.
The Mongol armies rode through a high pass towards the dust trail. Ahead, the light was brighter as the land opened out and both men aimed their mounts at a ridge that overlooked the plains beyond. Jochi at least had scouted it before. The dust hung like storm clouds in the distance and he could only swallow dryly as he imagined an enemy force large enough to cause such a sight.
At last, the generals halted, both men raising an arm to stop the warriors at their back. Their own dust trail moved in sluggish tails on the warm breeze. The enemy would know they were watched, but it was impossible to move such large forces without being seen in daylight.
Jochi and Jebe sat their mounts in grim silence as they watched a bannered host rumble west, just a mile away. It was an army to dwarf the khan’s tumans, both in foot soldiers and a huge number of mounted men riding the wings. The bottom of the valley was flat for miles, but still seemed too small to hold such a mass.
Jochi could see spears like the pines of a forest even at such a distance. In the brass light of the sun, iron armour glittered in the ranks. He looked across to Jebe to see how he was reacting and found the general leaning low in his saddle, staring in fascination.
‘You see the bows?’ Jebe asked, squinting.
Jochi had not, but he nodded, wishing Tsubodai was there to assess this force they would face in battle.
Jebe spoke as if he was already making his report.
‘Double-curved, like ours. They have good shields as well, larger than our own. So many camels! I have never seen so many in one place, nor seen them ridden to war. They will be faster over rough ground than our horses. We must be sure not to let them use that advantage.’
There was something about Jebe that always lightened Jochi’s mood.
‘Do not forget those huge beasts,’ he said, ‘with horns, or teeth or whatever they are. They too will be new to our men.’
‘Elephants,’ Jebe replied. ‘Jelme talked of seeing one at the Koryon court. They are fearsome animals.’ He gestured at the black wings of the shah’s army, cutting the air with his hands.
‘They use their cavalry on the edges, protecting the centre. That is where we will find their generals.’ From the ridge, he could see the entire structure of the shah’s army laid out before him. A smaller group of horsemen rode in the centre, their ranks perfect. Jebe sucked his teeth while he considered. ‘You see the boxes on the backs of those elephants? Surrounded by riders? Those will be senior men.’ He paused and whistled to himself. ‘They are fine horsemen. See how they keep formation.’
Jochi glanced sideways as he replied.
‘Frightening, aren’t they?’
Jebe chuckled.
‘Do not be afraid, Jochi. I am here now.’
Jochi snorted, though in fact he was afraid. His father’s army could be swallowed up in so many and he could not see a weakness in the dark lines.
Both men were aware that they had been spotted almost as soon as they showed themselves on the ridge. Riders were racing up and down the shah’s lines and the Mongol generals watched with interest, learning everything they could. There was much they did not understand. Though Jebe had heard elephants described, the reality of seeing those huge animals looming over the riders was intimidating. The great heads looked armoured in bone as well as glittering metal. If they could be made to charge, he could not see how to stop them.
As Jebe turned to point out a detail to Jochi, a vast host of Arab horsemen broke away from the main column and formed up in swirling dust. Horn calls brought the rest to a halt and, even in that, they could see the discipline of the shah’s men. Jebe and Jochi looked at each other in wild surmise.
‘They are going to attack us!’ Jebe said. ‘You should withdraw, Jochi, and take word to your father. Everything we have seen here will be useful in the days to come.’
Jochi shook his head. His father would not look kindly on him if he simply left. The information could be carried by a single scout and they had not come to the shah’s lands to retreat before his armies.
Jochi felt a pang of resentment that Jebe was with him. He had come a long way to lead his warriors and it did not sit well with him to defer to a more senior man.
‘We