Orel came in the morning with the tribute tallies under his arm and stopped at the tent entrance. A brief pause, then he crossed.
Batu was already at the table. He gestured once and Orel came forward and spread the tallies out.
The records were organized by territory, working outward from the main camp. Orel's hand in it was clear, each tributary's last reported figures beside the date of reporting.
The established clans ran clean. The Burjin had sent a written tally recently, standard levy in horses and grain, the figures matching the agreed terms under the wolf's track seal. The Tergesh record was current to Jaran's departure. The Ulus submission was logged. The Sartat, the yellow banner clan, the Yargach, all present, all under seal.
Then the records thinned.
The Kipchak clans east of the Ural ran on approximations. Estimates built from what riders had reported in previous seasons, adjusted upward or downward by what the patrol lines had observed.
