Asena rests at the Altay Mountains

The she-wolf Asena, after fleeing from the evil warriors in Gansu, can finally come to rest at the Altay Mountains.

It is said that she had come to assist a little boy who was the only survivor of the attack in Gasnu, the last of a dying breed. The boy was alive but severely wounded. Asena nourished him to keep him alive. Soon, his health improved. He grew up, became a man – and "merged" with the wolf. In other words: Asena became pregnant.

Just then, the invading forces returned to Gansu and got wind of this. In order to prevent the wolf from giving birth, and thus the man from restoring his family that was on the brink of extinction, the commander of the army ordered his soldiers to kill both.

In Chinese sources, it is said that Asena fled from the scene in unreal speed—"as if the Gods had their hands in the affair and had helped her"—and arrived near Gaochang, modern-day Turfan. There, she entered a safe space surrounded by mountains. The land was fertile enough that Asena, after giving birth, could nourish her ten offspring. Each of them was male and half-human, half-wolf. This hybrid species might very well be the pinnacle of this mythical story.

But as they grew up into strong men, they forged a hammer to create a large hole through the mountains. Then, they left the area, with each of the ten men marrying a woman from the local families in the area. According to legend, this is where the Turkic peoples were born, as nine of the men left the area completely and "founded" individual Turkic tribes. Only one man stayed. He took the surname in honor of this mother. Thus, the ASHINA family was born: the dynasty of the later Göktürk Empire.