"The Messenger" - Chapter Four (The End)

The Messenger

Chapter Four

By Douglas E. Gogerty

After defeating a large Rus army, the two tumens of Mongols headed east. The two generals were confident that the other Rus princes would not attack. Further, the Mongols did not pillage and plunder on their march east, which eased the minds of the defeated Rus Princes.

With the Caucus mountains to their south, they continued due east for several days. There was nothing for The Messenger to do but ride. With no one to negotiate along their current path, the entire Mongol army relaxed.

They reached the Volga River, and found the nearby town deserted. This fact did not put them on their guard. They continued their relaxed march east.

The Bulgars, whose territory the Mongols were marching through, did take notice of that army. They prepared an ambush on the eastern side of the Volga River.

The Bulgars caught the Mongols completely off guard. The Mongol cavalry scattered in the face of the large Bulgar contingent. Fortunately, very few Mongols were killed. In fact, The Messenger alone killed more Bulgars than the Mongols lost in the ambush.

However, it was a defeat as the Mongols could not immediately regroup. This was not a planned retreat, and thus there was no place to turn and charge the pursuit. Further, the Bulgars were not organized and stopped the chase once the Mongols left Bulgar territory.

The Mongols did not take this defeat lightly. Thus, when they were able to gather their strength, they sent The Messenger to meet with the Bulgar leaders. Nothing became of this meeting, so the Mongols turned towards the Bulgar army. They wanted to even the score.

Eventually, the Mongols and Bulgars did meet again on the battlefield. The Bulgar army was routed, and once again The Messenger killed more Bulgar soldiers than their entire army killed Mongols. Generals Jebe and Subutai decided that they had seen enough of the Bulgars and turned south.

They followed the Volga river for a while. The Messenger was sent to meet with the a different Cuman group than the one the Mongols fought the previous year. However, this group did support those Cumans; hence, the Mongols were looking for tribute.

The Messenger's reputation was well established by this point. No one was willing to attempt anything against the still young man. The Kanglis Cumans listened to the proposal, and respectfully declined.

No one attempted to prevent the young messenger from leaving. No one even made an aggressive move towards the young man. They simply allowed him to return to the Mongol generals without impedance and give their reply.

With the report given, the Mongols prepared for battle and the Cuman army ran. The Mongols followed them towards the Ural mountains. The Cuman army was not organized enough to halt their retreat and attack the charging Mongols. Further, the Mongols were too disciplined to allow that type of tactic to work against them.

The Cumans were running out of places to run as they approached the mountains. Thus, they were forced to meet the Mongols upon the battlefield. They halted their retreat and waited for the Mongols to gather themselves up and meet them on the battlefield.

The Mongols used their regular tactic to encircle their foe. Also, The Messenger gathered up a few men and pushed hard. The Cuman before him were pushed back greatly. The men with The Messenger protected his rear as he pushed forward slaying huge numbers of Cuman soldiers from his horse.

As his small group pressed forward, they eventually made it to the leader of the Cumans. With a blow from his pike, the Khan of the Kanglis Cuman was killed, and the remainder of the army fled. The Mongols took to the pursuit.

The new leader of the Cuman asked for a halt to hostilities, and The Messenger was sent to negotiate. A huge amount for tribute was agreed upon, and The Messenger led the convoy which conveyed the treasure.

A band of former soldiers fell upon the convoy of treasure with the design of taking a large portion of it. The 30 men ambushed the caravan on the trail. The Messenger gathered the convoy closed together and single handedly protected the tribute.

When the bandits scattered in their failed attempt, The Messenger chased each one down and beheaded them. He added the heads of these men to the treasure as he returned to the Mongol army.

The amount of wealth the two tumens obtained in their march around the Caspian Sea was immense. Nearly half the army's caravan was treasure. Each soldier had accumulated a great amount of wealth. It was time to rendezvous with the great Khan.

They continued east unmolested. They had been exploring for three years, and the journey took its toll on everyone. General Jebe was feeling poorly, and many soldiers were experiencing some illness.

The Messenger's wife also had the sickness. Before reaching the Syr Darya River and the waiting Mongols, she died. In revenge for the death of his family, The Messenger had killed thousands of men. However, now he had no family left. He avenged her father, but now she was gone.

He went to Genghis Khan, and asked to be relieved of military service. With the stories of his bravery and military skill, the great Khan was reluctant. Very rare were the talents which The Messenger showed. The growing empire could use those skills. The eventual return west would require well trained soldiers.

However, the story of The Messenger's losses persuaded the mighty leader to listen to his words and let him go. Genghis Khan heaped upon The Messenger great riches before he left. He took a great horse, plenty of silver and gold, and a valuable letter.

What happened to The Messenger, who was not even 17 when he left, is unknown. There are many stories of a great warriors wandering around Asia and Europe. Perhaps one of these was about the young messenger's adventures. We may never know for sure.

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The End.