A messenger in dusty armor arrives on a lathered horse. "The Atabeg has spoken," the messenger says grimly. "You are exiled from Tikrit. Your brother, Shirkuh, is a wanted man for a blood feud. You must leave tonight."

The next morning, the family gathers at the mosque before dawn. Najm ad-Din places a small sword in Yusuf’s hands—a child’s training blade, but real steel.

Young Yusuf slips into the room unnoticed. He walks to the map on the table and places a small wooden horse on the city of .