Look to the past.

[RidePlayer]

A man dressed for the Mongolian tempatures gasped for air as he ran. Marcus Dalwin tried to think what events lead him to this moment. He had traveled to Mongolia for a exbeition for his universities history class. While his students where chatting he had heard a strange buzzing coming from a rock formation off in the distance. Heading to investigate the buzzing got worse and worse and he got more and more off the beaten trail. Curse his curiosity.

When he emerged he was disoriented. He wondered rolling roughly down a hill. He groaned in pain as he got back to his feet. Looking around trying get his barings. Where was the road where was the rock formation that he had been drawn too? He was completely turned around and nothing looked like it did when he arrived.

As he wandered aimlessly for what felt like hours he was getting tired and hungry. Suddenly a sound that resembled horses drew closer. The number of them though even in a country like Mongolia surely no one used that many horses nowadays right?

 

[SwanLake]

Tolai urged her horse faster, her mount's breath heavy as it raced faster still. She was being summoned home by direct word of her father, something that had never happened to her before and parts of her warred with fear, pride, sorrow and happiness. There had been a moment of rashness where she had thought to make the six day journey by herself but Setsun, her second voiced a worry about the distance and the path that she had chosen. In the end she took Geli, the best archer in her andai, Toghul and Dayir, both skilled warriors but with subtle differences. Yeke as her first would lead the andai and command the Ten until her return.

Off in the distance was övög deedsiin duu khooloi, the voices of the ancestors, a sacred place that they would be required to stop at in prayer until the new sun. Nodding over her shoulder to Geli, the second rider veered off to the left and another look at Dayir had him going left. Toghul the heavier of their riders kept with the heard as Tolai surgered forward. By the time they they would make it to the övög they would have joined up again knowing that their area was safe.

Unlike her other riders a second unmanned horse rode with her. The trail was clear of man but animals crossed her path and she shot them with her bow stopping to dress them before making her way again.

It was the same for Geli and Dayir, no one seem but game had been found. It meant a good dinner of fresh meat today and she slowed their horses to let Toghul catch up with the herd.

"It'll be a cool night." Dayir mused playing with a feather, dragging it slowly across his knuckles as he stared up at the sky.

Tolai hmmm and nodded her agreement. "We'll keep a fire for camp but it should be fine..." The horse she rode snorted, nostrils flaring with a new scent and her words fell silent on her lips as everyone drew a weapon.

Toghul who had just joined them slipped from his horse halberd in hand and Tolai joined him scimitar in herds as they tool the hilled high ground as the horses followed at a clipped pace around the bend.

Aimlessly wandering was a single man, dressed-?

Tolai wrinkled her brow and signed silently to Toghul who signed back his shared confusion. There was no sign of anyone else and still hearing the horses she knew that archeres would be within aim.

"Chi khen be?" Tolai demanded showing herself to the stranger with Toghul at her side. He was a paleling, one who was not uncommon on the trading roads but this was far from the trading settlements and he wore nothing that spoke of where he was from or who he belonged to. "Chi khen be?" she repeated advancing upon the man.

 

[RidePlayer]

Marcus paled as the horses with people dressed in very old looking clothing broke into sight upon horse back.

He thought maybe they were some kind reenactment but as they drew there weapons he noticed the glint and sharpness these were no actors those weapons were real!

He raised his hands when the woman who he guessed was in charge addressed him again with the phrase "Chi Khen Be"

Keeping his hands raised in a non threatening manner he noticed if she wasn't currently holding a blade at him she would be quite beautiful.

He pointed to his mouth shook his head in a no geasture and tried to say in her tongue "my....words...not well...speak english." Hoping he didn't just say something that would earn him his head at this armed and possibly deranged woman.

 

[SwanLake]

The man was quick to throw his hands up in a non-threatening pose before speaking.

English. "I speak your words." Tolai replied in an accented English. While english wasn't uncommon on the trade roads, this was far from the trading settlements and she narrowed her eyes at him as she reevaluated him. There wasn't a single sign that his man had a weapon of any sort, his clothing was seemingly well man but lacked any kind of armour and his posture spoke of a upbringing that was elevated yet again his clothing lacked that flair that those of his standing seemed to crave.

Nothing about this man was threatening and she lowered her weapon, as she did so the two saddled horses that belonged to her approached but kept out of arm's reach. Toghul followed suite and relaxed casually against his halberd, it was a lie, he could maneuver that polearm faster then a running man and Tolai knew she was safe. Still she ordered Dayir to follow the man's trail to confirm if he was truly alone or not. Geli stayed mounted and held her bow and arrow nocked and ready yet not drawn.

"Who you are?" Tolai asked in accented english this time hoping for an answer.

 

[RidePlayer]

Marcus analyzed the situation why were so many people dressed so historicly and brandishing real weapons.

Were they delusional? For now though he saw there weapons lowered but still ready. He had to be careful.

He said gesturing to himself "Marcus Dalwin please I fell from some old shrine and found myself wandering for hours. I have completely lost the road or how to get back to town."

He eyed the weapons again "I don't know why you brandish weapons but I promise not to hurt you if you will just let me go I can give you what little money I had." He slowly reached for his pocket cursing as he realized his wallet must of either fell out in the tumble or even back before he found the old stones that drew him.

He said "I'm sorry I have lost my money somewhere please I'm no threat and I'm sure if local authorities learn of me being missing it will cause problems for your group." He hoped his bluff would make these deranged 'warriors' think twice of killing him. Weapons or no if police with firearms showed up they would be helpless.

His eyes lingered on the weapons abit and there clothes they looked so authentic as if he would of spotted them on display in the museum.

 

[SwanLake]

"Marcus Dalwin." She repeated knowing the word for please to not be a tribe name. "Tolai." The others she gave no name to, she may be their leader but she did not own their name just their loyalty.

As Marcus spoke Dayir returned and shook his head no and the frown on Tolai's brow deepened. This was even more unplaced and with the words he made she was even more baffled by this man then before.

"You have broken words." Tolai informed him. "You lost, yes I know." She confirmed for him but past that... "We not traders." She waved her hand to her group. "No trade this, money." The unfamiliar word tumbled from her lips with hesitancy. "You problems? You threatened? We fix, where you journey to?"

Behind the man Dayir signed this discovery of a campsite and Tolai vobalized her oder that he take Geli and the horses and start set up.

"Tonight we camp, you will join." The way she spoke to Marcus let him know that it wasn't an invitation but as she turned and waited for Marcus to follow and continue talking.

 

[RidePlayer]

From her town he knew he had no choice. He followed behind her keeping a good distance so she did not think he was going to attack her.

From the broken words he knew conveing his full message would not work this group aparently mostly spoke the local Mongol. He wished he had not lost his guide book when he wandered away.

He said "Im from a university in England was here with my students Оюутнууд I wandered off during a break and got lost ."

He hoped his words for the most part was getting through. He saw the looks and the whispers silently cursing that he didn't know more of the language.

When they arrived at the camp he saw even there camping gear was old and traditional did these people seriously walk out of the history books.

Nothing made sense he heard the buzzing from the stones then he found none of the landmarks he had seen around before he was drawn to them.

 

[SwanLake]

"Come, come." Tolai urged waving for Marcus to catch up. "England across the sea." It was a place she had heard of, travelers loved to share stories of the far off lands they had visited and she wondered if in her life that would be a place she would one day see. Hearing that he had students was a confliction for her internally, she loved learning new things but he was alone and children needed to be protected. Surely he wasn't the only one, she couldn't imagine this would be his reaction if they were alone. "Yes, students. Teachers are important, growth comes from their words." She praised arriving at camp.

The horses were split into four lines and loosely tethered to a running line. In the middle was a fire and Geli had already started boiling the rabbits and pheasants they had hunted earlier today. Forged vegetables, tubers and mushrooms were added and then it was covered and settled deeper into the fire's reach.

On each side of the fire, between the warmth and the horse lines were rolled out sleep gear, two of the three already laid flat. Tolai whistled and her two saddled horses, untied and free, came to her call and she quickly unpacked her mounts and unsaddled them. Two other horses that had kept their distance the entire time joined Tolai and the first two when she rustled a pouch making her way to the already set running line for her. Giving each horse a handful of sweet feed before looping then to the run, she turned her attention to the two that had been saddled and pulled a brush from her pack with her foot and started brushing the fur loose.

"Where is your journey?" Tolai asked again. The information would be helpful but it wouldn't be as useful to Marcus as he would have hoped as he would be coming with them as a new man in the middle of nowhere belonging to him. "Here? Or away, where?"She clarified pointing off in all different directions with the brush.

 

[RidePlayer]

Marcus said "I'm honestly not sure my students and I where visiting some old graves
learning about this countries history. While my students did there own thing took in
the sites.

I wondered off and found some old stone formation before I could find my way back I stumbled down a hill losing my place and wondered for awhile before you found me."

He stood unsure if he should be doing something to help. He still felt uneasy about the weapons but they seemed interested in helping him as long as he didn't upset these people who seemed very tied to old traditions.

He said " You say you will try to help me? Where exactly are we going? If theres a town nearby maybe I can call my collegues and let them know where I am."