Urduja, Tala and Liwanag look tired and defeated they have spent several days trailing their horses. Cheongsun and Uddiawan are behind them. All five are in muddied clothes

  "I think I see them." Shouts Urduja "go around the rocks so we can herd them into the pen again.", she signals to the other vassals-in-training. Cheongsun and Uddiawan circle around the rocks to the left and Tala and Liwanag take to the right side of a line of rocks ancient Kharaks had built centuries ago when they first started domesticating horses.

  "First it's wrestling humongous giants at the gym with Tan Po", says Tala. "And now it wrestling this damn horse!".

  "I'd rather wrestle with my horse than those oily giants at the gym", says Urduja.

  "I miss Tawalesi.", Liwanag says with a sigh.

  "When can we go home? I wanna surf", Tala is close to tears. She's having a bad day.

  "Shut up you pussies don't make it harder on yourselves stop moping and get kicking!",Urduja yells and chases the horses towards the other vassals who are positioned to herd the horses into a corner.

  Kharaks ride bare back before they earn the right to saddle a horse. And when a horse allows you to ride him bare back he is now your horse. It becomes the horse's job to make sure you remain mounted even in the thickest battle. Kharak warriors grow up on a saddle. The horse and the man are one. To train a horse Kharak style you must convince the horse you are stronger and better than it is. They tether you to the horse. You must not let him out if your sight. He will try to leave you, run away. It must give up trying that. You are against a beast stronger than you. But if you hurt this horse no Kharak will respect you and the horse will never be yours. So after months of feeding the horse, bathing it, sleeping beside the horse, and trailing him around the tundra to a point beyond fatigue, you will win the respect of this horse. The horse will finally trust you and allow you to saddle him. As it accepts the saddle it will also accept the bit and the reigns. No Kharak warrior uses a whip on his horse. Horses follow spoken commands. Whips only for stupid human enemies.

  So four Tawalesis and Cheongsun learned to master a horse. It took months of wandering around the steppes to catch a horse. a horse that you tether yourself to until it realizes that there is no escape. A horse that is dependent on you for food and water. A horse that understands your body language. A horse who knows that you are its master. This horse is the extension of your being .

  Mastering a horse is not an ordinary achievement. It takes, endurance and determination to earn the respect of a steppe horse.This horse is a magnificent animal. Big and muscular and strong willed. But bound to its master a horse is extremely loyal.

  Kharaks love silk. Under their lamellar tunics is silk that is soft and yet strong enough to protect its wearer from stray fragments. Silk doesn't tear, is stronger when wet. the leather tunic is heavy, but generally Kharaks don't wear metal armor. The Kharaks relied on lightning speed attacks . Helmets for quick attacks and fur hoods for protection from wind and cold.

  "How much do these horses eat?", asks Cheongsun carrying bags of oats for their horses.

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  "All this gear is so heavy" complains Tala

  "And it's so cold", complains Urduja

  You don't have the right body mass", observes Cheongsun.

  "I miss the warm waters of Tawalesi", sighs Liwanag

  "Come on. Tether the horses. Stop punishing yourselves", Uddiawan disciplines them.

  "Water , straps, common ladies!", Cheongsun cheers them on as he is used to this kind of biting cold.

  There are many kinds of swords. The Kharak favorite is that curved sabrethey callkhild, double sided blade best for slashing and hacking on horseback. Scimitarsfor close fighting on foot with multiple enemies.But for puncturing through metal or leather, best use a straight blade.There are various straight daggers we refer to as khutge. And spears are called jods and maces are heavy and are meant for smashing. There are many kinds of shields. There is the long bow and the crossbow.There are whips, nets and axes. Proficiency at any of these weapons required hours of training.

  There are catapults and ballistas for attacking castle walls. And the inventive Song formulated an explosive : nitrate, sulphur and charcoal. Black powder they called it. Part of Khans weapons of war. Urduja and her handmaidens had to learn about war. And no one will say that Uddiawan, although already a crone and advanced in age, was spared the training.

  After evening meal, the four Tawalesi, Dusshela, Sumita and Cheongsun would get together for language lessons . Zhenjin insisted that they learn both Turkic and Xinese and speak it elegantly. After 4 years of this grueling regiment, the four Tawalesi, Cheongsun Queen Dusshela and Lady Sumita were completely Khannic.

  Dusshela had her own set of horses. She had elephants. She had a steady stream of visitors coming in from Hastinapur and Gulistan.Dusshela's advisers were planning to retake Hastinapur from the Kaurvin. Dusshela often consulted Khublai and Zhenjin.

  The vassals are a brotherhood. Bound in love to one another.

  The vassal heirs are taught to fight as a team. They are taught military tactics, land analysis, the deployment of armed men and many such things.

  Vassal Heirs are automatically drafted into the Palace Guard. And it's one more thing to learn: how to command the infantry in Xinese.

  The vassal heirs lived together with Zhenjin at Weilan where there were several luxurious pavilions built for them. Although Queen Dusshela and Lady Sumita were often with the Vassal heirs, Dusshela and Sumita are quartered at the harem.

  Just some details about the Kharaks. Because their culture is so tied horses, certain expressions are unique to the Kharaks. Often if one fails to follow instructions you could be called "stupid mule" or a "stubborn donkey", "horse manure” are common insults.”Camel spit” is a common insult of the Kharaks. Ako “bactrian brain” is used to denote someone who is too stupid to follow simple instructions. All animals are inferior to horses. Their horses are given to them by their gods. And their horse gods Tengri and Khimori often disguise themselves as horses to come into this world.

  Urduja and her handmaids excel at everything set before them believing that in doing so they may be allowed to return home to Tawalesi. Their homesickness is apparent. Urduja bore no ill will against anyone in the Khan court. in truth, she and her handmaids adored Zhenjin. But once ocean-born and pledged to the surf the tides, you are always called to the sea. Urduja, like all Tawalesi, just wants to surf. She is not alone in her alienation. With her are Tala, Liwanag and Uddiawan.

  However it is also true that when you tame an Arabian steppe horse you will be bound to it too. And after the four Tawalesi mastered their first horses, their love for these animals transformed them. Yes they continued to long for the sea but they were new people. The four Tawalesi along with Cheongsun the Goryeon heir, clothed in silk would race their horses in the gardens of the walled city. These were the best times of their vassalage. Everything was difficult: the wrestling, the arms training, falconry, the civil service exams but horse riding and owning and caring for a horse was the best thing to happen to anyone. Urduja loved her horse and named him Tanggol.