Chapter 44
Return to Anahuac, 30-1 K
(Mexico, 1398-9)
When we reached the Lizard Ordu, the commander, Juchi’s cousin Timugen (Mangku’s son), threw his arms around me in greeting. I could see his command was in bad shape. He told me that he had lost about two-thirds of his men to the plague. While he recognized the disease, he had no idea how to treat it. His wife and children had come down with it, and two of the latter succumbed. Finally, word got through on treatment, but the crisis had already passed. Still, they were able to spread the word to the more remote villages and save some lives. Then the revolts started. The Huaxteca had always been a contentious lot, and one of their priests claimed that the plague was Xipe Totec’s punishment for not giving him his sacrifices. Fortunately, the revolts were piecemeal and uncoordinated, and he had been able to put them down in detail. The worst was in the south, but he had been able to put that down with the help of the Vultures. There had been very little unrest among the Totonaca, and all of that had been in the form of banditry. The Olmeca and the Putun Maya had also been fairly quiet, although there was considerable banditry among the former. Smoking Mirror had moved to Coatzacoalcos to help put it down. The local Ordu, the Xiuhtototl (the name of a local blue bird), had been hard-pressed. The Putun Maya Ordu, the Flying Fish, had been busy hunting down bandit bands from the Maya. There had been no word from the interior since the plague started, except for the Ralamari, who were still loyal and were trying to recover from the plague.
I commended Timugen on his excellent handling of the situation and thanked him for his information. I told him to send Juchi a complete report on his efforts and try to rebuild his Ordu and the yam system as soon as possible. I would not be able to stay with him, but would have to continue south. Still, I would make sure the yams were intact on my way and stay in touch with him should he need any help. He thanked me for coming and assured me he could handle his area and get the yams north going again. I would find the yams to the south fully functional. I sent Smoking Mirror a note to meet me at the Monkey Ordu if he could safely leave the Olmeca lands, then continued on my way south.
When I reached the Vulture Ordu, I found it under strength, but otherwise well rested and in good shape. The commander, Toolhulhulsote, a Nimipu, assured me the Totonaca were still very much a part of the Khanate and offered his Ordu’s services on our campaign. I gladly accepted and sent his Vultures along with most of the Horse Tumen to secure the mountain pass that would take us to the high valleys. I went on to the Monkey Ordu with an escort of a few hundred men. On the way, I could see that the Totonaca had been badly mauled by the plague, but as I had heard, they did not seem to blame us for it and were quite loyal to us. As we approached the Monkey Ordu, a lone, most familiar rider came toward us.
“Mazatl was right about you, Raven,” Smoking Mirror called out as I drew near him.
“You mean her mother was right.” I laughed. “Is your family well?”
“Yes, quite well, thanks to Mazatl. She has proven quite the herbalist and pulled us through that plague. Are there any more like that we need anticipate?”
“No, I don’t think so. That and the pox were the two worst.”
“Good. We really couldn’t absorb another one like that. How is your family?”
“I really don’t know. I had to leave them to rush east to help Juchi.”
“When he came through on his way to become Khan he told me he was sure you had never left the land, and he would send for you immediately. Did you ever leave?”
“No. We embarked with the Koryo fleet, but left it once we were out to sea and settled several hundred li south of the Salmon Ordu. But more to the point, what has been happening here?”
Smoking Mirror then brought me up to date. After I left him several years before, all was fine for some time. The Maya seemed indifferent but still cooperated. He had reestablished schools for the more willing among them to learn reading and writing in the Uighur script as well as in the Maya picture writing. He had also established artisan schools to promote their considerable artistic talents. Yet, while they went along with everything he did, they showed no enthusiasm, and he always felt like an outsider. When the plague hit, all the blame was placed on him, and the revolt was general. He had not felt confident enough to send back the Dog Ordu, but had eventually replaced them with the Quetzal Ordu. Their losses to the plague had been bad, but nothing compared to the losses suffered in the retreat to Xicalanco. All along the way, they were set upon by rabid bands of Maya. The Putun Maya had remained loyal and had rallied to his aid clearing their lands of the bandit bands. He felt he would have to leave their Ordu, the Flying Fish, there to ensure continued safety for the Putun. The Olmeca in the cities had also remained loyal, but banditry was rife in the countryside, and he had only just stamped the last of it out. Again, he felt he had to leave the Xiuhtototl there to deal with any further outbreaks. He had brought the remnants of the Quetzal Tumen with him.
Remnants were right―there were perhaps a thousand of them. At least they were well rested and anxious to return to their home base. We spent the night with the Monkeys. I told the commander, Sensondacat, a Ka-i-gwu, to send half his force north to replace the Lizard Ordu. I caught Smoking Mirror up on my activities of the last few years that night. He envied me the peace I enjoyed in “exile” and asked if I had heard anything about the Kadohadacho and the Ani’ Yun’-wiya. I had only heard that both had remained loyal to us in spite of heavy losses to the plague, but there was so much confusion in the east that I was not sure of my information. Juchi had promised that he would keep me informed. Before I turned in, I wrote Juchi a dispatch detailing what I had learned and telling him of my planned move west.
The next morning, we set out northwestward to the pass near the snow-capped Citlaltepetl. It was late winter, and the pass along the merchant trail would be clear of any snow. As before, we found no resistance along most of the route, but only the same shallow promises of eternal loyalty we had heard before. This time I made each town responsible for a nearby yam station promising them total destruction should any harm come to the station. They were not pleased, but they were not about to argue. It worked also, for just as we were approaching the cliff-top town of Ixtacamaxtitlan, a dispatch arrived from Juchi. I sent a team to find out the disposition of the town while I read Juchi’s dispatch.
On top of his dispatch was one from Padraig. I read it first. Nial had reached my family’s encampment within five days of setting out and arrived just in time to beat off a bandit attack. The bandits had fired all the houses and were about to make their final rush when Nial arrived. They scattered quickly, but he had managed to kill most of them. Of my family, Ignace, Daldal, and Seagull were badly wounded. Theodore, Ludmilla, and Paula were lightly wounded. The others were unscathed. All but Paula had the early signs of the plague. It was too dangerous to move them north, so Nial kept them where they were to nurse them through their wounds and the plague. Ignace died first, then Daldal, then Seagull, and then Ludmilla. The rest recovered and were returned to the Salmon Ordu. Padraig then sent a large force to the south to stamp out any other bandits. I was devastated. I turned away and leaned heavily against a tree. Smoking Mirror took the note from me, read it, and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. Then he turned and took over for me. I sat down and wrote a long letter to Paula and the children, expressing my deep regret at leaving them behind once too often and taking so long to offer any poor comfort over our devastating loss. I begged them to come to me as soon as they could do so safely, for I could never again leave them alone. I sealed the letter and sent the messenger back with it. Only then did I look at Juchi’s letter.
He expressed his regret over my loss. His uncle and cousins had chosen death over exile and were accommodated. The revolts were among elements of the Hotcangara, Iliniwek, Twanhtwanh, Wendat, Great Bay tribes, Menominiwok ininiwok, Amani yukhan, Iyehyeh, and even isolated Northeastern Bands. Once he had reasserted his command, most of the revolts dissipated, but a few were serious, especially among the Wendat and Great Bay tribes. The Southeastern Tribes meanwhile had become involved in a sort of death cult and were causing no end of trouble for the Pigeon and Manati Ordu. Once the revolts were dealt with, he would have to mount a large-scale campaign against them. The Taino and Lucayo had suffered high losses, but also remained loyal except for one of the caciques on Boriquen. The local Ordu, the Agouti, had crushed him.
I turned to find Smoking Mirror and found him demanding the surrender of the leaders of Ixtacamaxtitlan. These were duly handed over, and he ordered their execution. He appointed a new governor and garrison and ordered the town’s army to join us immediately. I thanked him for stepping in like that and gave him Juchi’s dispatch to read. He breathed a sigh of relief that his and his wife’s people had not joined the revolt and then told me what had happened here. The town had revolted against the garrison and driven them out of the town with heavy losses. Under the circumstances, they regretted their rash decision and threw themselves on our mercy. I concurred with his decisions, and we continued west.
As we drew near the eastern plateau, a small party approached us. It turned out to be a delegation from Michikinikwa, the governor I had appointed to Texcalla. He was still in the city even though he had turned governance back to the local leaders some years before. He wanted to assure me that the city was still loyal to the Khanate and would happily welcome me. I thought it odd that he had remained and that all members of his delegation were Texcalla. One would think he would send at least one of his original staff, unless none of them had stayed behind with him, which would also be odd. I asked the delegation about the situation on their plateau. They said only Cholula had revolted, the rest were loyal. I asked about Anahuac, and they said that Tezozomoc had returned and turned most of the Tepaneca, Otomi, and Alcolhua against us. They were even now attacking Chalca and the Mexica islands. I thanked them and sent them back with word that we would follow. Then I turned to Smoking Mirror.
“What do you make of it? A trap?”
“It does sound suspicious. I wouldn’t expect Cholula to revolt, or Texcalla to remain loyal. I also doubt if the Tepaneca and Alcolhua are united about anything.”
“Exactly. What do you suppose they are trying to do? There can’t be enough of them left to attack us. We left them in sorry shape, and the plague can’t have helped them. What sort of treachery could they be planning?”
“I don’t know, but at least we are forewarned.”
I sent out the scouts to check the surrounding area for traps, and we moved forward. We reached the edge of the plateau without incident, and the scouts reported no suspicious activity. We continued on to Texcalla and again found nothing threatening. The leader of Texcalla came out to greet me, and I recognized the same one who had surrendered to us many years before. He invited us to enter the city and share his house as long as we wished. I declined and asked him where Michikinikwa was. He said that he had fallen ill and was in bed, but we could visit him if we wished. I again declined and told him to give him our regards. He then said that at least I could join him for a sacrifice to our god Tengri; it would only take a moment. I replied that we did not sacrifice to Tengri, only the Khan could do that. He kept coming up with more reasons for me to go into the city, and I kept turning them away. He began to get desperate and begged me to enter the city for he feared his people would turn against him if they thought I didn’t favor them. I still refused telling him to send out some of the leaders of the people, and I would assure them I was not displeased. He eagerly thanked me and said he would do so. As he left, Smoking Mirror and I exchanged a glance. I ordered the men to discreetly surround the city, had the cannon massed nearby and loaded, and sent the scouts out again to look for any possible reinforcements.
I kept a large group of men with me, and as the contingent from the town approached, I had them discreetly ready their arrows. All of the men coming toward us were young, too young to be leaders, and all wore cloaks under which all could conceal their weapons. I bid them stop when they were about fifty feet away, but they kept on coming as if they hadn’t heard me. I quickly mounted and rode to the back keeping them fifty feet away. They halted, and the eldest among them asked if they did not have permission to talk with me. I replied that they did, and they could do so from right where they were. He asked if it was true that we still considered them to be our allies. I replied that we did. Could we not share a meal together then to cement our alliance? We could not.
Suddenly, with a shout their swords came out from under their cloaks, and they rushed toward me. My men’s arrows quickly cut them down. Even so, one hurled a knife at me that just missed my head. Then a surge of men ran out of the city right into the massed cannon loaded with shrapnel shot. The survivors retreated to the city. Since there was no wall, we shelled the first layer of houses, quickly reducing them to rubble. More sorties came out of the town but were quickly driven back. More and more of the town was reduced to rubble. Finally, when not one building was still standing, we rushed in and finished off the survivors. No sign was found of Michikinikwa. I doubted that he had decided to stay, so I wasn’t surprised. I figured that they had come to think that if they could kill me, the men would all go back. I wondered what the real situation was around here. Smoking Mirror was certain there were Tepaneca among the Texcalla dead. We rested a day and moved on toward Huexotzinco.
As we approached the city, a large unarmed (and uncloaked) contingent came toward us. Their spokesman drew near alone and identified himself as the current chief of the city. He assured me of the city’s loyalty and had already mobilized his army to join me on my campaign. He was quite willing to step aside if I wished to appoint a governor and station a garrison here. I asked him about the situation in this plateau and in Anahuac. He said that Tezozomoc had returned and had rallied many of his Tepaneca to his cause. He had also gotten support from elements of the Otomi, Matlatzinca, and Mazahuaca. Also some of the Mexica from Tlatelolco had gone over to him. The Alcolhua, Chalca, Tlalhuica, and the rest of the Mexica were against him. He controlled only ruined cities at this time but had a huge band of raiders that had terrorized the whole valley. The five tumen in the valley were badly reduced by the plague and had been unable to stop him. He tried to get this plateau on his side, but Huexotzinco and Cholula would have none of him. He convinced Texcalla that if they killed Smoking Mirror and me, the gods would abandon us, and all the Mongols would be destroyed. He knew nothing about the fate of the missing Michikinikwa. This sounded more like it.
We camped in front of the town for the night, and I sent a messenger to Cholula. He returned early the next morning with a contingent from that city. Their Ordu, the Rabbits, would be formed and ready to join us when we reached the city. The commander of the Rabbits, Sakaceweskam, a Kensistenoug, led the contingent. He assured me that his Ordu was still serviceable even though much reduced. I thanked him and dismissed the Quetzal Ordu to visit their families and then reform at Huexotzinco and stand by if needed. We continued on to Cholula, picked up the Rabbits (there were about four thousand of them), and moved west up the pass toward Anahuac. I sent scouts out ahead of us as usual. I fully expected to find the pass defended, but it was not, and the scouts reported no sign of the enemy on the slopes or beyond. We reached Amecameca without incident. The city was abandoned and had been burned. There were signs of a recent struggle, perhaps within a few weeks. From the looks of it, the people had beaten off an attack with great difficulty, considered their position untenable, and fled toward Chalco. The attackers had then returned and vented their anger on the city. We set up sentries and camped outside the city.
The scouts again reported finding no concentrations of men―just small groups of people widely scattered and engaged in peasant activity between Chalco and us. It was hard to believe that the army that destroyed Amecameca so recently had completely left the area. One would expect them to exploit their advantage. I had to think something was going on. Still, it was possible that they didn’t think they could challenge a force the size of ours and were waiting for us to break up so they could attack us piecemeal. As Kaidu would have said, one must never count on one’s enemies to make the same mistake more than once. Tlalmanalco had also been abandoned and burned, after Amecameca from the signs, and again the fugitives went toward Chalco. We reached Chalco without incident.
Chalco was still inhabited, and there was much rejoicing upon our arrival. The city was in bad shape. Much of their wall was little more than rubble. It seemed the enemy had some cannon, but little ammunition and even less skill at using them. While they had done some damage with them, their limited skill prevented them from causing serious harm. The city was full of refugees from all of the towns and cities in southeastern Anahuac. The head of the city and the acting commander of the Chalca Ordu presented themselves to me. The former was named Mixtzin, a man about my age; the latter was Itzcoatl, one of Acamapichtli’s sons. They told me that all the cities had suffered great losses from the plague, and all the priests blamed the Mongols and the abandonment of the sacrifices for the plague. All five Ordu had also suffered greatly from the plague and were now mere shells, barely able to defend their central cities.
Tezozomoc had arrived in the early winter, and all the priests rallied to his side. Most of the Tepaneca and many of the Otomi joined them, even some from the Tepaneca and Otomi tumen deserted to him. The Mazahuaca and Matlatzinca then rallied to him, as did some of the Tlatelolco. There had been fighting ever since. When Tezozomoc first arrived in Anahuac, the Ordu were too busy trying to restore order and remove and burn all the dead to hunt him down. By the time they were able to turn their attention to him, he was too strong to defeat. He now controlled the entire western shore of the lake and much of the northern shore. His armies had overrun and destroyed all of the smaller southern towns. Only Chalca, Xochimilco, and the island towns, Xico and Cuitlahuac, were holding out. Huitzilihuitl, the current Tlatoani of the Mexica, had defeated the Tlatelolca traitors and was in control of both Mexica islands, but their aqueduct had been cut off, and much of their water must be brought in from Ixtapalapa across the causeway. The Alcolhua were also still loyal to the Khanate, although it was likely as much from hostility toward the Tepaneca as fondness for us. Their Ordu had been engaged in defending their northern border and the few Otomi towns that had remained loyal. The remnant of the Otomi Ordu was defending Tizayuca and that of the Tepaneca Ordu was defending Huitzilin, both Otomi towns near the Alcolhua border.
Tezozomoc had learned much during his exile. The Ordu scouts would report no sign of the enemy for days; then suddenly they would find their town surrounded and attacked on all sides. When the Ordu would sortie out of a town, they would find the enemy behind ditches filled with sharpened wooden spikes, preventing them from using their horses. Then they would be showered with darts propelled by atlatl. They had found it necessary to fight defensively from inside the cities. This had only been partially successful, since when repulsed, the enemy would melt away at night and soon appear somewhere else. One by one the towns were becoming indefensible and had to be abandoned. Each victory would bring more of the peasants to Tezozomoc’s side. Soon only the Alcolhua would stand in his way.
It wasn’t hard to see the problem. Most of the peasants in the valley were Otomi, with little but forced allegiance to the cities and their foreign rulers. Although Tezozomoc was also a foreign ruler, he seemed to be winning, and the winning side was always the best. From what they were telling me, it looked like the wily Tezozomoc had mastered camouflage, infiltration, and mobility. I guessed he was using the horses only for transportation since his people were hardly the match of ours on horseback. The camouflage was also simple: his forces would dress and act like the ubiquitous Otomi peasant. That way they could be anywhere and seem to belong especially with the bulk of the peasantry either uncommitted or on his side. The infiltration was an easily learned skill. He was a stimulating foe.
Smoking Mirror had gone to check on his relatives after we finished talking to the leaders. While he was gone, I had the men start to repair the city walls and set up defensive positions around the town. I sat down to think over the situation. I had on hand the equivalent of one and a half tumen splintered into several separate commands. I decided to keep the Horses intact, but send the other Ordu pieces to replace the Otomi Ordu and elements of the Alcolhua Ordu. It was unfair, perhaps, but I didn’t really trust the Tepaneca Ordu. The Mexica Ordu was best kept protecting the lake, and I sent them a message to that effect. When Smoking Mirror returned, he reported that his relatives had suffered heavily from the plague, but the survivors were now in good spirits since our advent. I told him what I had in mind to do.
“The only way to defeat Tezozomoc with the forces at hand is by turning his strategy against him. I want the loyal Otomi to infiltrate his forces and tell me when, where, and how he plans to attack. With enough notice, I can spring a surprise on him and begin to roll back his gains. As we are more successful, the peasants will desert him.”
“It is a good plan, if the Otomi will cooperate. Are you sure they will?”
“No, but it makes sense for them to do so, if there is any ambition among them. They have been mostly treated like chattel in this valley. If I promise them the Tepaneca lands, or much of them, they will be highly motivated.”
“They are the only ones who could do it for you. Any of the others would be spotted and killed.”
“I know.”
It seemed prudent to assume there were spies everywhere, so I sent Smoking Mirror to intercept the Otomi Ordu en route through Alcolhua lands while I made a big show of sending out patrols and scouts to look for the enemy. So the effort was not a total waste, I told the scouts to count the number of peasant men they saw while on patrol. Word began to filter in that there had been an attack on one of the smaller Tlalhuica towns, then on one of the loyal Otomi towns, then on one of the northern Alcolhua towns. I didn’t move, but kept on sending out patrols and scouts and tallying up the scouts’ peasant numbers. Smoking Mirror returned from his mission and told me that the Ordu had agreed to help, and about two hundred of the men were “deserting” to Tezozomoc’s army. More and more hit-and-run attacks were reported in the north, obviously suggesting that I should take the Horse Tumen and head north to stop them.
At last, the scouts reported a dramatic rise in peasant numbers in the area, so I decided to take the bait. I led the Horses north about a day’s ride, and then we filtered back part of the way at night hiding in a forest. We remained hidden the next day lighting no fires and making almost no noise. Toward evening, a lone peasant was seen on the path through our forest. He was captured and proved to be one of our Otomi spies. He informed me that by dawn, about twenty thousand warriors would surround Chalco. Since we had left, they would dig the ditch only north of the town this time. At dawn, they would fire rockets into the town and then attack on all sides. Another of our spies had gone into the town and warned Smoking Mirror. I got the men up, and we rode in a big circle around to the east remaining in the forest. Before dawn, we left the forest and moved first south, then east, at full speed, changing horses frequently.
Before long, we could hear the rockets and soon found ourselves cutting our way through a surprised rear guard that was holding the enemy’s horses. We rounded up the horses and stampeded them ahead of us toward the city. The forces were struggling on the walls, and cannon was occasionally heard firing into the assaulting forces. I had the men split and fan out around the city, trampling and firing arrows into the attackers. As we pressed our advantage, the men in the city counterattacked, and soon the enemy were fleeing desperately to the rear or to the lake. When we reached the lake, we turned back and chased down and killed as many as we could find. When we finished, late in the morning, it took the rest of the day to pile up their dead. There were a few Tepaneca elites among them, but Tezozomoc was not among them. The wounded were dispatched except for a few obviously Otomi warriors. These were patched up and sent home with a warning that if we found them again among our enemies, they would die. They gratefully told us that Tezozomoc was in the ruins of Azcapotzalco preparing a trap for the Horse Tumen, which he thought would be in the north. They also assured me that we had destroyed about half of his whole army.
I was fairly sure the Chalco area was secure, so I mounted up the Horses and moved west along the lakeshore. I moved slowly so that word of the defeat would have time to spread and sink in. By the time we reached Xochimilco, my spies reported that most of the Otomi had deserted Tezozomoc. He had planned an ambush in the north, but most of the men he sent to spring it had instead gone home. Only his own Tepaneca and the few remaining Tlatelolca were still with him. The Matlatzinca and Mazahuaca had withdrawn to their valley in the west and would likely be approaching soon to cut a deal. Meanwhile, many of the Otomi deserters were forming bands to attack Tezozomoc’s forces.
I picked up my pace, and soon we were moving through the deserted Tepaneca cities again much like we had so many years before. My scouts reported a concentration of Tepaneca in the same Chapultepec area again apparently lying in ambush. They couldn’t get a good fix on the numbers, but it seemed like a large group. Somehow, I doubted that Tezozomoc would stand and fight. I sent a message to the Mexica to have an arc of boats full of warriors in position around the lakeshore of Azcapotzalco by dawn. We drew near to Chapultepec, and I set up a skeleton camp with many fires and a lot of noise. Meanwhile, I led the Horses on a wide arc around the forces on the hill and directly to Azcapotzalco. By dawn, we were in position around the ruined city and had already apprehended several of their messengers. Once the sun was up, we showed ourselves to the besieged. We began to fire the cannon at what few targets remained. Defenders organized and tried to rush us, but there were too few of them. A few boats tried to escape but were cut off by the Mexica. Attempts were made to surrender, but I would have none of it. Finally resistance ended, and I sent the men in to finish off any survivors. Finally Tezozomoc had been brought to ground. He was among the dead. One of our shells had caused the house in which he was hiding to collapse, and his body was dragged out of the rubble. I made quite sure he was dead this time, by having his head removed before burning. I still wondered how he ever escaped us at Mayapan. I had the city demolished completely and forbade it ever being rebuilt. In a way, I was sorry I never got to meet the man, but then I might have shown him mercy and that would have been a big mistake.
The rest of the Tepaneca were rounded up with little trouble and presented to me. I had the elites separated from the rest and executed. I gave the remainder the city of Tlacopan to rebuild and organize under an appointed governor, Ixtlilxochitl, one of the Mexica leader Huitzilihuitl’s sons. I gave him a strong Otomi garrison and charged him to rule well. I gave the Mexica control of Chapultepec and the area around it. I gave the Alcolhua control over the two Tepaneca cities nearest to them across the lake, Ecatepec and Tulpetlac, as well as the surrounding towns and land. I gave the Xochimilca Tlapan and the rest of the Tepaneca land, except for Tlacopan, of course, which I turned over to the Otomi. I then called a meeting of all leaders in the valley.
We met in Tlatelolco at the palace of the administrator of Anahuac. The first task was to replace the administrator, Amantacha, who had died during the plague and, since communications had been cut off, was never replaced. Looking things over, I could see that there was no one with enough stature who could be spared from more pressing tasks to take over this one. I appointed instead a council of leaders to settle matters between them, and should a consensus not be reached, they could appeal to me or to whomever I appointed once I left the area, for a final decision. They agreed and promised to cooperate. I then charged them to concentrate all their energy in rebuilding their people.