Your hands trembled as they hovered over the table, which was full of herbs and dried reptiles and insects. The odours mingled in your nose like freshly brewed tea. Except that you could smell where the bitterness was hiding.

Khotun Khan was either a desperate man or put far too much trust in you. As soon as you had accepted his instructions, he had had boxes full of medicine brought by his doctors.

They had all looked at you with envy and appreciation. Although the Mongols didn't like the fact that a woman, and one who wasn't one of them, was looking after the sick, they couldn't deny how well your medicine worked.

Unlike them, you didn't perform operations, but you were also able to stitch up wounds until there was someone who could help properly.

In the end, you weren't any better versed in medicine, you just didn't believe too much of the superstitions they used to treat their sick.

You trusted in science and confirmed results. You had already experimented on yourself at one time or another.

How else would you have found out that a certain poison was lethal in large doses but anti-inflammatory when administered in small drops?

You had administered this very poison to the Kahn to calm him for the next few hours.

Now you were sitting in the hull of the ship, with the captain's cabin above you, and you had to make medicine.

Wood creaked. The sound of the waves beat against the belly of the ship as it cleaved the sea like a sabre. Unlike in the prisoners' cells, it wasn't damp here.

Quite the opposite in fact, you could feel warmth warming your fingers and the ground you were kneeling on didn't wet the fabric of your trousers.

Exhaling softly, you grabbed a bundle of dried herbs to smell them. Some of the things that had been brought to you for succeeding in the task were foreign to you.

Perhaps they came from the countries the general had conquered. Or they were herbs that the Mongolian doctors didn't want to share before.

In the back of your mind, you toyed with the idea of administering poison to the Kahn first. On the other hand, you had to live long enough to reach the shores of Japan.

Also, you weren't sure how much a man of his size would need to be given to feel the effects. With the first two doses it would be very likely that it was too much and he would quickly become ill. Maybe not die, but then his trust in you would be destroyed immediately.

Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes and smell a few bundles of herbs again. These were slightly dried, but still a little fresh. Strange, considering that the Mongols had been travelling on the high seas for weeks.

The last empire they had plundered was miles away and the days had been warm and dry. This bundle must have been delivered not too long ago.

Thinking, you glanced at the stairs leading up from the hull into the captain's cabin. A thought awoke in the back of your mind.

And a plan formed.

A quick glance at the herbs told you that it couldn't be something from the Mongols. The leaves were slightly reddish in colour and had a sweet scent.

Perhaps they were completely useless for healing medicine, but the scouts didn't know that. They simply collected what they could find and then hoped that someone else would find a use for them.

This was your chance. You climbed up the steps until a door blocked the way. Old wood creaked under your knuckles.

Salty air filled your lungs with every breath. It was stuffy. Footsteps sounded, heavy. Someone was swearing in Mongolian. The door opened with a flourish and the captain emerged.

His face was puffy, his nose and cheeks slightly reddened. The smell of wine emanated from him. And milk. The men of the Kahn loved fermented milk.

"What?", the word hissed between his teeth.

As a precaution, you took a step back, then raised your hand with the bundle of herbs.

"Where did that come from?", you asked.

His black eyebrows furrowed, he stared at what you held between your fingers. Something in his gaze was wary.

"Why is this important?"

You turned the herbs in your grip.

"I don't know them.", you were looking straight at him. "If I don't know where this is coming from, it could be dangerous. What if the Kahn gets sick? Do you want to be responsible?"

A twitch chased through his shoulders. Fear was reflected in the brown colour of his eyes. He glanced briefly over his shoulder, as if he felt he was being watched, before moving further into the doorway to cut you off completely.

"If I tell you, what can you do with it?", he asked through clenched teeth.

You raised your eyebrows. He was afraid. That meant he wasn't allowed to say where the herbs came from. Maybe there was some information in this conversation that you could use.

"Nothing at all.", you lied. "But I could guess whether the herbs are poisonous or good for healing."

Now the captain frowned.

"How?"

"By weather.", you shrug your shoulders as a matter of course.

"What?"

You acted like he was the stupid one.

"Everyone knows that herbs heal or poison depending on the weather. Too much rain spoils the roots, then they produce poison."

"And sun is good?", he scratched his beard.

"Yes. Sun makes the plants grow strongly. The larger the leaves, the more healing. Blessed by the gods, if you like."

The captain eyed you for a long moment, but you didn't look like you were talking absolute rubbish. It didn't seem like he had any idea about healing or herbs either. So he just stared at the herbs in your hand again before snorting and shrugging his shoulders.

"The scouts got it from an island.", he said.

You tilted your head.

"An island?"

"Yes, an island. Don't ask so many questions, stupid woman, or I'll cut off one of your hands."

"Is there much sun on the island?"

"It's the realm of the rising sun, now be quiet and work or you will regret it!"

Satisfaction spread through your chest. Bowing your head, you thanked him and returned to the bug. But before you went down the last step, you looked up at him and smiled wanly.

"If you want to kill me, you should make it look like an accident.", you advised him. "Otherwise Khotun Kahn will punish you."

He pulled a face before the door slammed back into the lock.