Nader Shah. Historical novel. Yunus Oghuz

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      It was as if the wolves were waiting for the second howling of the grey wolf. Hearing its second howling, firstly, the wolf at the boy moved off. The other wolves which had seized the throat and the legs of Aghbileng freed the dog and moved off. The dog had no strength. Though Aghbileng wanted to stand up it couldn’t. The wolves had badly wounded the dog. The wolf which was grappling with Qarabileng also stopped. As if the dogs also were enchanted by the voice of the howling wolf. The dogs neither barked nor attacked the wolves that had stopped “the fight”. The wolves withdrew siiently, after a moment they were not seen behind the other side of the hill.

      But the grey wolf standing at the rock, didn’t want to go. The wolf howled once more: “Au-u-u.Au-u-u…”

      The little boy couldn’t come to himself remembering all what had happened a moment before. Though the danger was past, his body was trembling. But his trembling wasn’t because of fear.

      The boy squatted at the bottom of the rock. He grew dumb, his body sweated because of excitement. That time the last howling of the grey wolf made him come to himself: «Au-u-u…Au-u-u..

      The voice of the grey wolf was heard from the top of the hill. After some time it wasn’t seen behind the hill.

      Just then the boy remembered the story of “a grey wolf’ which his grandmother used to tell him in childhood.

      The boy took his stick in a cowardly way and stood up. With one end of the stick he wanted to set in motion the wolf lying near him motionless. But the wolf had already died. Qarabileng was licking the bleeding wounds of Aghbileng.

      …That little boy was the great warlord of Azerbaijan, the conqueror who would shake the world, and an eminent ruler before whom all would bow saying “my Shah”. The little boy was the future Nader Shah..

      CHAPTER I

      …In Daragoz there began a clamor, the people were yelling at the top of their voices, because there were no armed men to fight against the Uzbeks of Khorasan who had all of a sudden attacked because there remained only old people, women and children in the winter quarters. Usually when the brave men of the Qirkhli branch of the stock of Avshar were in winter quarters, they would either go to battles foltowing the order of the Shah of Qizilbash or would guard the eastern borders of the Empire of the Safavids. The Uzbeks of Khorasan knew it very well, by attacking the Qirkhli of Avshars they wanted both to get plunder to increase their wealth and to force the women and children they captured to work like slaves.

      The Uzbeks of Khorasan knew exactly the time when to attack.

      In the streets of Daragoz one could hear nothing be t cause of the noise of crying, screaming, and shouting, wailing and neighing of horses. The Uzbeks of Khorasan killed the old people and captured the boys, beautiful girls and women and filled the prisoners into the cart which they had brought with them.

      The mother embraced fourteen year old Nader and ten year old Ibrahim and sat close to the corner of the shack built from earth-bricks. In the shack there was nothing except kitchen utensils and threadbare bedding put on the old chest. Nader considered himself to be the head of the family and wanted to show his manly features to his mother and little brother. That was why he had taken the only knife and was ready to attack:

      – When they enter inside, if I don’t cut them I am not the son of my father, – he said and drew back into the arms of her mother.

      His mother embraced him:

      – Nader, I beseech you, hide that knife! The brave men of Qirkhli are not here, the Uzbeks consider themselves stronger. Calm your mind! Let us be out of danger… As soon as our brave men come they will take vengeance on them.

      But Nader had no patience:

      – Mother, what are you saying? If they harm you or my brother, I shall never absolve myself!

      Just at that moment somebody kicked the door of the shack. Because of kicking, the frame of the door broke into pieces and fell on the floor. It raised clouds of dust. The Uzbek of Khorasan who rushed into the shack had a Damask sword in his hand, on his shoulder hung a bow and an arrow. He had worn boots made of skin. Firstly, he could see nothing. He waited for the dust to settle. After some time he saw one woman and two boys squatting in the corner sitting close to one another. In that poor shack there was nobody except them. The Uzbek screw up his courage seeing the shack without a man:

      – Hi, woman, where is your jewelry? – The Uzbek of Khorasan shouted.

      – What? What jewelry? Don’t you see our poor shack? We have no jewelry, – mother said.

      The Uzbek of Khorasan cried:

      – Don’t speak stupidly! I know that even a poor Avshar has jewelry. You can’t deceive me, – he said and approached the woman. – Let me see your neck!

      The Uzbek had a sword in his right hand; he wanted to take the kerchief off the woman with his left hand. Just at that moment Nader stood between his mother and the Uzbek.

      – Don’t touch my mother or I shall kill you! -Nader shouted and got ready to fight.

      The Uzbek of Khorasan, who didn’t expect such kind of courage from a teenager, remembered the Damask sword in his hand and came to himself. “Shall I kill children of the Avshars?” – he thought for a while and calmed himself. Firstly, he decided to punish and frighten the child. He smacked the face of Nader by the back of his left hand:

      – Don’t interfere, whelp! Or I shall kill both your bitch

      mother and you!

      Nader staggered because of the blow, and he leaned his hand against the wall for support and could stand with difficulty.

      The Uzbek of Khorasan again wanted to take the kerchief of the woman and touch her breast.

      – Hi, you bitch, show me whatever you have! If I wrangle with everybody so much I shall return to Qayin without plunder. Be quick!

      At that moment he felt pain on one side. Firstly, he supposed that the pain was the ache of hurt from wresiling. It gave Nader a chance to thrust the knife three times into his side. It was too late when the Uzbek of Khorasan understood what had happened. He was losing his strength, Nader said scornfully:

      – But I had told you not to touch my mother or I should kill you!

      The Uzbek of Khorasan crashed onto the floor. Mother, who stiffened in astonishment seeing the scene before her eyes, began to tear her hair:

      – What did you do, my child? Now they will come and kill all of us!

      Nader didn’t change his posture:

      – Let them come, I shall kill them too!

      Mother said anxiously:

      – You get into trouble not only me but yourself and your brother. What must I do now? My God, help me!

      Nader took the knife which was covered with the blood of the Uzbek and hid it under his shirt without wiping the blood. Then he raised the Damask sword:

      – What СКАЧАТЬ