Prologue: 868 Part 1
Tsongdu, Petty Kingdom of Sa’gya
Phim Maiwa
“My lord, allow me to speak as your marshal.” Ngapo Jungahang Yangwarok said as he walked behind Prabhu Mabo Hang of Limbuwan. “We lost many men trying to cross the mighty Himalayas. The Sa’gya army, which now outnumbers ours, is trailing us; in case you forgot.”
“What are you trying to say?” Mabo Hang asked in his usual indifferent tone.
“I believe we should have never launched this raid.”
“You may be the marshal, but never forget Jungahang, that I am the lord of Limbuwan and the army works for me. They go where I tell them to.”
“Was this worth it? This raid?” Jungahang questioned.
“It is worth for all the gold which shall soon be mine.” The Prabhu of Limbuwan answered without any care. The town of Tsongdu was being looted by Kirati soldiers while the two men were engaged in the conversation.
While Jungahang’s tongue spoke against the raid, his mind saw it as the biggest opportunity yet for Mabo Hang to be killed. He, Ngapo Na Hang of Daramdin, Iching and Saiyok Hang Panthar had planned multiple assassination attempts for over a year but never carried out any since the right opportunity never seemed to arise. Fortunately for the four, their conspiracy had never been discovered. They had hoped that Mabo Hang would die in this foolish raid he himself had planned. But so far, the Prabhu of Limbuwan seemed to evade death. He was not among the many Kirati men who fell while crossing the Himalayas and the roughly 200 men garrison of Tsongdu town had, anticlimactically, given up without a fight.
“My lords!” The shout made both Jungahang and Mabo Hang turn back to see three Kirati soldiers carrying in a severely injured man. “He is losing too much blood! Where is the physician?”
“Healer!” Mabo Hang yelled. Nobody answered. Then, the lord of Limbuwan started rolling up his sleeves. “It seems I might have to get my hands covered in blood.”
“Please step back. This is my patient!” Jungahang reached the severely injured man before Mabo Hang did. The lord of Limbuwan looked extremely angry at his vassal for having shouted at him but said nothing regarding it at that moment.
“How did this happen after the town surrendered to me?” Mabo Hang asked one of the soldiers.
“Idiot riled up the Tsongdu garrison by calling them cowards and challenging them to duels.”
“Hold him down for me.” Jungahang demanded. The three soldiers who had brought the injured man there complied with the order.
Once the bleeding was stopped and it seemed like the man would live, the soldiers expressed their gratitude to the Ngapo of Yangwarok. “Thank you, my lord. We would have lost Phim without you!”
“The plan is simple. Ngapo Na Hang, you will pay the assassin. Saiyok Hang, you will make sure that there are no guards. Iching, you will leave a trail of candles to Mabo Hang’s bedchamber.” Jungahang was practically smiling that night.
“Would not the guards become suspicious?” Saiyok Hang seemed concerned.
“I saved the life of a soldier named Phim earlier today. His friends have agreed to be on guard duty today. They more or less have knowledge of the plan. You will invite them to drink in the name of Phim’s good health. That will be theirs and your alibi.”
“And who is this assassin that I have to pay?” Na Hang Daramdin asked.
“A man from the Tsongdu garrison. This way, even if he is discovered or fails, we can spin it as the locals trying to murder our dear prabhu.”
“No questions from me.” Iching said when Jungahang looked her to see if she too had any queries like Saiyok Hang or Na Hang had.
Prabhu Mabo Hang of Limbuwan finally died that night that after over a year of planning by the four conspirators. The next shift of guards found the dead body only in the morning. The corpse had a letter written in Tibetan attached to it with a dagger. This was used as proof by Jungahang and Na Hang (as direct vassals of the dead prabhu, they had the most authority) to blame the locals of Tsongdu for the murder. Furious Kirati soldiers started killing some of the townspeople in retaliation for the assassination of their prabhu. Only the intervention by the Kirati commanders Jungahang, Na Hang, Saiyok Hang and Mayor Indhang of Panchthar in restoring order among the ranks prevented a massacre.
Jungahang left quickly on the fastest horse available to deliver the news of Mabo Hang’s death to his family and the realm. Iching and a few others too left Tsongdu as quickly as possible with Jungahang. Saiyok Hang Panthar asked his son Nembang Hang to go ahead with Jungahang as well but the young man refused to leave his father’s side.
Packed with the loot, the Kirati raiders were slow. Nearly two and a half months later, they were still inside the County of Nyalam and the enemy caught up with them on 12 May.
“Shields!” Mayor Indhang of Panchthar roared as arrows rained down on the Kiratis from the mountains.
“Hear me, Kirati dogs! This was just the warning.” A man roared in Tibetan as the arrows stopped raining. “I am Chomden Tsondu, the son of Ngapo Gongpa of Nyalam. You have brought upon the wrath of both my father and his overlord, Prabhu Sherab Yontan of Sa’gya, by raiding our town. Surrender now and your pathetic lives will be spared.”
“How many?” Saiyok Hang and his son Nembang Hang rode up to Indhang, followed closely by Na Hang who had translated the enemy. The four, as commanders, were the only Kirati warriors on horseback. Among the enemy, young Nembang Hang could only spot two riders.
“I estimate 200. Half of their men seem to be archers with the other half being peasants with farming tools.” Indhang scanned the battlefield. "That said, they are up there in the mountains and we are down here. It will be an uphill battle."
“We Kiratis are mountain people as well, mayor.” Na Hang now stood next to Indhang. “You and I will lead our best 100 men in a charge. Saiyok Hang and his son should remain behind with the rest as reserves in case anything happens.”
Na Hang and Indhang ordered the charge and galloped ahead, followed by 100 Kirati swordsmen with their shields raised to deflect the incoming arrows.
“Detrul! Jotra!” The one who had called himself Chomden Tsondu shouted after his archers retreated to the back row as the Kirati charge came close.
Almost out of thin air, 300 Tibetan spearmen led by Detrul and Jotra thundered down the mountains and smashed into the charging Kirati swordsmen both from the left and the right flanks. Na Hang stopped to fight the envelopment but Indhang continued to ride uphill without looking back.
One of the Tibetan commanders, Detrul, went after Indhang. Na Hang, who was locked in a duel with an enemy spearman, saw this happening just in time to steer his mount away and charge towards Detrul. The Kirati ngapo hit Detrul with his shield with such a force that the Tibetan warrior was thrown off horseback and broke his arm during the fall.
Indhang, meanwhile, was charging straight towards Chomden Tsondu with the assumption that the battle would be over once the latter was killed. The rider beside Chomden Tsondu, Sashi, noticed the incoming attack and blocked it with his sword. Sashi and Indhang were locked into a duel for a while until the Kirati mayor pierced his sword into the Tibetan warrior’s mount. Both Sashi and his horse came crashing down.
While Sashi had now become trapped under the weight of his own horse and incapable to duel, Indhang realized his mistake. His sword was struck in the horse of an enemy and he was weaponless against Chomden Tsondu. The Kirati mayor was dismounted after Chomden landed a major blow. His life would have ended there and then if not for the timely arrival of Saiyok Hang and his son. Indhang took Nembang Hang’s hand and quickly mounted the young man’s horse before Chomden Tsondu could reach both of them.
Saiyok Hang cleared the path with his sword while Nembang Hang and Indhang followed behind on the same horse. The battle was already over with Na Hang having signaled the retreat. Each Kirati soldier was on his own as he tried to escape the slaughter at Nyalam where over 200 Kirati lives were lost.
