It is raining heavily outside the dweller that afternoon. Banou is pregnant for six months and she continue to walk around doing her work and taking care of those children. While the young lord ask the witchdoctor to preform prayers every day and night to the god. Wanting a son to be his successor. He watch the belly grows bigger each day. His greed for a son consume him that he ask his men to source the land for anything to ensure that a son to be born. Some men came back from another tribe and the witchdoctor said that that during pregnancy, he must continue to have sex with her to ensure that the baby understand it must be born as a male. He agree with the ideal and every night Banou is torture. She is made to drink his sperm and serve him in the bed as well. She try not to anger him in anyway and accept what he wants to do. Sometimes, he allow his men to report to him when there is an emergency while having sex. Thus She feels humiliating when his men are standing around while waiting for him. With her big tummy and heavy breast, she try to hide fast after he is done. She hates the life she is having now.
Finally the day of delivering the child arrives. Maybe because it's her second time delivering she have her child push out within four hours. It is a boy as the Mo Ker wanted. He is delighted as he carry the child. At the age of twenty two, he becomes a father of a boy. He looks at the rosy cheek child who is asleep. He rock the child gently and look at Banou who is fast asleep. Now he have more responsibility to take on. This child he have to protect.
The follow six months, the border of the grassland is unsafe thus many tribes have send their men to guard the land. However because there is no unity there is petty internal conflicts and they fight among themselves. Hence within the seven month, the Tang army managed to break through the barbarians. This cause unrest within all different camps. The Khan summon all tribe leaders back to revise ways to counter back. Mo Ker is made the leader to lead an army to fight back and take the land back. They need to push them back to their land.
Banou watch the men gather in the center of the camp, listening to Mo Ker. She is planning in her mind if the war brings into this camp here, it's her time to escape and she needs to plan well. She look at those children who are surrounding her. She have to bring them along if the time comes. When the men goes off to pack their items to bring along for the long fight, Mo Ker watch Banou from where he is standing. His small eyes stare at her, he knows that the smart woman is planning something in her mind. He must do something to keep them where he wants them to be.
It is very windy that day the men ride out. The eagles in the sky are not flying much. The dwellers are moving slightly. The soldiers take most of the horses. They have packed most of the meat and wine. Leaving little goat meat and milk behind. The camp is left with a small team of twenty men. The captives along with all those small children watch the soldiers dress in their armor. The flag with the eagle is raise and rides in front with Mo Ker. Banou that night was warn by Mo Ker not to do anything stupid. He had those men to watch all the women and children. If anyone is caught running off, they will be kill on the spot including her.
The strong wind continue to blow for many days. Banou try her best to keep the women captives and the children safe. Everyday Banou try to make the children understand that they cannot make the guards angry with them. So they learn to maintain silence and play quietly. While the babies are harder to control thus whenever they cry, Min Min and Banou rush to see if they hurt themselves or hungry.
Within three days, the goat meat is gone. They have only five goats remain in camp. They needed to go outside to trade for meat with the nearby camps. Thus five men are selected and ride out. They did not return for days. In the end, some of them slaughter two goats to satiation on the current situation. However the fifth day, Banou feels unsettle. She keep looking out the main entrance. Something is going to happen. The ground feels like a herd of horses are stomping towards their way. In a distance, she hear a sort of shouting. Quickly, she and Min Min gather the children into the dweller for the children. She shut the door tightly. It's just a matter of time. They hear shouting and screaming. Metal hitting each other. The dweller even have arrows pierce through. The children panic and scream. Some cry and hug Banou tight. While Min Min gather the rest who are petrified. They herd together in the middle of the dweller. For a long time, the sound never stop. Finally when the silence comes, someone is kicking the door down. At that moment Banou is the only one trying to stay calm but she is trembling at the same time. She look around to find any weapon around for defence. There is nothing but arrows that have flown in during the attack. She pick now of it up and point to the door. Whatever it takes to protect herself and the others.
The door is finally break open. At that moment she hear the person yelling in Mandarin. Her eyes open wide.
"Help! I am from Tang Dynasty!"
"Commander Li! There are more women and children here!"
The sound of footsteps come near the dweller. A tall man enters it and Banou wails loudly the moment she see him. She rush to him and hug him tightly.
"Mother! I'm sorry, i'm so late!"
Banou couldn't talk but she keep crying. Li Xing keep hugging his mother and order to bring some water for her. The children in the dweller did not want to leave Banou and keep calling her mother. This confuse Li Xing he counted the number of children including the babies. He order the men to each carry out the children.They have to hurry up and leave the camp before the sun sets.