He turned around and saw her on her horse with an anxious and excited expression. “What’s happened?” Guo Jing asked.
“Quickly, come and see,” Hua Zheng answered. “There’s a fight with two big eagles.”
“I’m training now.”
“You trained so badly that your Shifu scolded you, am I right?”
Guo Jing nodded his head miserably.
“It is indeed a terrifying fight, come let’s see it...”
Guo Jing was very tempted, but he remembered the disappointment he caused the Seventh Shifu, and shook his head sadly. “I won't go.”
“I came especially to tell you,” an excited Hua Zheng said. “If you don't come, don't expect to find me later!”
“Then quickly go alone. If you tell me later how it went, it will be almost the same thing...”
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Hua Zheng jumped down from her horse and with a stubborn look on her face she walked up to him. “If you won't go, I won't go either. I wonder if it’s the black eagles that are going to win, or the white ones...”
“Is it the pair of big white eagles, that live on cliff?”
“Yes! Even though the black eagles outnumber them, the white ones are still very dangerous; they’ve already killed three or four blacks with their beaks...”
On the top of the cliff, a couple of white eagles nested. White feathers were very rare amongst eagles, and these eagles were not only completely white but also of exceptional size. The Ancients used to say that they had never seen their equal, and considered those eagles ‘Divine’ birds. Some women even avowed them in a cult.
Listening to her, Guo Jing couldn't hold back any longer. He took Hua Zheng’s hand and the two jumped onto the back of her horse and rushed to the cliff. When they got there, they saw the white eagles fighting against seventeen or eighteen black ones, attacking them with their beaks and their talons, making feathers fly. The white eagles were bigger and stronger. A single stroke of their powerful beak on the head was enough to kill an enemy, who then fell to the ground. The others flew away; but came back soon after to surround the pair again.
The spectacle had attracted many spectators; more than six hundred men and women, from many tribes, were gathered and commenting on the fight. Even Temujin, accompanied by Ogedai and Tolui, had come and watched the fight with interest.
Guo Jing, Tolui and Hua Zheng often played at the bottom of the cliff, and saw the white eagles nearly every day flying to their nest or leaving it when going to hunt. Sometimes, the children threw them some cuts of sheep meat; the eagles then dove and snatched them with precision while in the air. By doing this, they created close ties between them and the eagles. Because the white eagles were fewer in number, the children encouraged them with great vigor. “Go, white eagles! Attack!
Watch out, enemy on the left! Quickly! Well done!”
Two more black eagles fell, but the white eagles were also wounded and their white feathers were covered with blood. Suddenly, a particularly big black eagle uttered several screams and flew away, followed by about ten of its companions. They disappeared into the clouds. Four other black eagles remained fighting. Thinking they had seen the victory of the white eagles, the spectators uttered shouts of joy. Shortly after, three other black eagles also flew away to the east, pursued by one of the white eagles. Soon, they were out of sight. The remaining black eagle tried to escape the single white eagle and was about to succumb, when suddenly, strident screeches came from clouds and about ten of the black eagles that had previously flown away appeared out of the clouds and attacked the lone white eagle.
“Excellent strategy!” exclaimed Temujin, admiringly.
The isolated white eagle was not able to, in spite of its bravery, resist the constant assault of its adversaries and fell onto the cliff, overwhelmed by black eagles. The children were very worried, and Hua Zheng exploded in sobs. “Quickly, dad!” she said while crying. “Kill the black eagles!”
But Temujin was thinking about the ruse used by the winners. “The black eagles won,” he said to Ogedai and Tolui, “thanks to a very clever strategy. Don’t forget it!”
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His two sons acknowledged this.
After having finished the white eagle, the black eagles flew towards a cavity in the cliff. One could see the heads of two white eaglets that would likely succumb to the attack of the aggressors.
“Guo Jing, can you see?” Hua Zheng cried. “The eagles have eaglets! How come we’ve never noticed them? Ah, father, shoot quickly and kill those black eagles!”
Temujin smiled, aimed his bow and shot an arrow of iron that, like the lightning, slicing through the body of a black eagle. The crowd applauded. The Khan then gave his bow to Ogedai. “It’s your turn!”
Ogedai pulled back the bow and also knocked his target down, as did Tolui. The black eagles started to panic. Other officers and soldiers also started to help the white eaglets, but the remaining black eagles had gained height, and it became very difficult to reach them.
“A reward for those that will make a hit!” shouted Temujin.
Jebe, a skilled archer, wanted Guo Jing, his pupil, to have his moment of glory, and handed him his own war bow. “Knee on the ground,” he recommended in a low voice, “aim for the neck.”
Guo Jing complied, putting his right knee on the ground. His left hand firmly held the powerful bow, and he drew the bow with his right hand. After ten years of training with the ‘Six Freaks of Jiangnan’, even though he had not assimilated their sophisticated martial arts, nevertheless he had acquired strength in his arms and outstanding precision when aiming a bow. Seeing two eagles flying one above the other to the left, he turned, aimed for the neck and released his projectile.
It was precisely, as the popular expression described it: "The bow bent as the full moon, the arrow flashing like a meteor". The first eagle didn't have the time to escape before the arrow pierced its neck, continuing its way and planting itself in the flank of the second bird! Only one arrow for two eagles, which fell like stones! The crowd noisily applauded and the other eagles didn't stay any longer and rushed to disperse themselves.
“Offer the two eagles to my father,” whispered Hua Zheng in the ear of Guo Jing.
He obeyed. He collected the two eagles, ran to Temujin, and kneeling, he offered the two eagles to him respectfully.
Temujin appreciated, above all, skilled fighters. He was delighted to see Guo Jing suddenly bringing two eagles down with a single shot; especially since these eagles from the North were dangerous birds. The span of their wings passed one meter, their feathers were as hard as iron, and they were so strong that they could seize and carry away in the air ponies or large sheep! Even tigers and leopards were afraid of them! To kill two eagles with a single arrow constituted a remarkable exploit. “Brave boy,” Temujin said while accepting the offering. “You manage the bow quite well!”
“It is master Jebe who taught me.”
“The master is Jebe,” said Temujin while laughing, “the disciple is also jebe.” [In Mongolian, jebe means ‘skilled archer’.]
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“Father,” Tolui said, wanting to help his sworn brother, “you promised a reward to the one that could bring an eagle down. My anda killed two of them with one shot. What reward will you grant him?”
“Whatever he wants,” answered Temujin still smiling. “Guo Jing, what do you want?”
“Is it true?” insisted Tolui, delighted. “What ever he wants?”
“Do I have the habit of lying… even to children?”
During all these years, Guo Jing had lived under the Khan's protection. Everyone in the tribe liked him for his simplicity and his kindness, and no one rejected him even though he was Chinese.
Seeing the Khan in such a good mood all had turned towards the young man, hoping that he would get a good reward.
“The Khan is so good to me,” said Guo Jing, “and my mother has everything that she needs, you don’t need to trouble yourself giving me a reward...”
“That is a good example of filial piety,” Temujin said. “You always think about your mother first...
But for yourself, what do you wish? Speak without fear.”
Guo Jing thought an instant, and then knelt before Temujin. “I don't want anything for me, but I have a wish for someone else.”
“What is it?” asked Temujin.
“Dukhsh, the son of Senggum, is cruel and mean. If Hua Zheng marries him, she will be very unhappy. I implore the Khan to not give her in marriage to that dishonorable man.”
Temujin was disconcerted at first, but then exploded in laughter. “These are indeed the wishes of a child! How could this be possible? I am going to give you a very precious object.” From his belt he removed a dagger which he handed to Guo Jing. All the officers displayed their admiration and appreciation noisily; it was Temujin’s favored weapon with which he had killed innumerable enemies. If he had not made a solemn promise, he would never have parted with it. “Take my golden dagger,” Temujin said, “and kill some enemies for me.”
“I will,” Guo Jing answered. Guo Jing thanked him and took the dagger. He had often seen it on the Khan's belt, but it was the first time that he examined it closely. The girdle was of pure gold, and the end of the handle was decorated with the grinning head of a tiger, also in gold.