Jack Weatherford

She takes the baby girl, Temülin, in her own lap.

She has one extra horse, but she won't take Bershta because she knows.

She doesn't know who the men are.

She has no idea, but they're coming.

They're coming in the dark.

They're coming for a woman.

They know there's a girl there.

This family of outcasts has acquired a wife, and they know.

that they're coming for that.

And so she leaves Sochigl, the other wife, she leaves this old lady, Granny Kowakchin, who actually has her own cart, and she leaves Boerste.

They pile into Granny's cart,

and it's only an ox to pull it, so they don't get too far before the attackers get there.

But Mother Erlun is right.

She's able to get her children off to the mountain, to Burkhan Khaldun, to the mountainside, away from them, because the men are so focused on this cart and finding out how many women are in there and who they are and all.

So Mother Erlun saved her family, but at a cost.

Suddenly,

Temujin realizes he has obeyed his mother, but he's lost the most important thing in his life.

And I do think this is the defining moment of his life.

The story began back when his mother was kidnapped, but now the kidnapping of his wife, and he gets to define what will he do?

What should he do?