May the dawn bring you wisdom,
Jian Ming repeated herself the ancient saying when she woke up. The world was
still dark, silent and waiting for the light. She slept little, without dreams,
and when she opened her eyes, it seemed it had only been a few moments since
she had put her head on her pillow. She sighed and turned on her side. She
hoped, that she would know what she wanted to do with the last stars, but
latest with the wake-up call. But she only made it to decide, that she would
take the least of stuff to the little house she planned to go with the Prince
to. If everything goes well, it's just a day and Chou Lou will be there. And
then the Prince does what he wants, and then she can go back to her father. And
finally everything will be as it used to be.
- Nice lies, Jian Ming. - she
yawned and rubbed her eyes. Nothing will ever be like before.
Her father dined at the workshop
and seemed to sleep there as well. But now she did not mind being alone. She
had packed and repacked the small bag three times, in which she wanted to take
her things, because she could not decide what kind of clothes she would need
and how much medicine she would take with her. She also threw the whip back on
her bed three times, then rolled and bundled it back into the bag again. She
washed, dressed up and went into the kitchen under her arm with her sword, that
Xi Wang had returned with a little disapproving look after their arrival.
Kai Xi Wang knew that he slept
some as his modest bedding was on the floor. Knowing that he was going to take
care of the horses in good time, and it was still about to dawn, he walked out
of the barrack as he was in his pants, without weapons, without his armor,
without a shirt. The night watch had already brought some fresh water from the
river, filling a large stone jar next to the building, so he took some. After
drinking just along the way, there was still enough water left in the jug to
fully awaken him when he poured it on his head. Perhaps he would have dropped
the empty jug if he did not put it down on one of the nearby benches in time,
when he noticed the torch in the stables. The guard, however, was in his place,
and was yawning with complete tranquillity. At the arrival of the Captain he
greeted him loudly, pulled himself out and saluted, but said nothing. Xi Wang
nodded understanding nothing, and then entered through the wide open door. It
was much warmer inside, but it was not the heat coming from the body of the
animals that made him feel all hot. In the third box someone was humming.
The guard was standing outside,
yet he cursed himself for not bringing at least a dagger with him.
You're getting careless, Captain,
he scolded himself, then walked in.
- Today is the big day. - a young
girl's voice murmured. - You must look nice...
Xi Wang's heart hammered. What is
Bai He doing here? He peered in the first two boxes. The horses were supplied
with fresh hay and water. Did the girl take care of it? But she said... No, he
corrected himself. Bai He did not answer anything to his question last night.
Still... she was a court lady... how would she know how to handle or ride
horses?
- It was always cold in the
Palace. Wherever I went, whatever dress I wore, it did not help. Deep inside, I
felt the cold in my heart. - Bai He spoke again, louder, and Xi Wang realized
that she was aware of his presence. He walked slowly to the third box and
looked in. She stood her back to him.
- Nobody forbid me to go to the
Stables. I saw enough times how the handled the horses. - she rubbed the back
of a smaller mare with a handful of straw, while the animal was cracking on her
breakfast, not minding the two human by her. - And at least I did not get cold.
Xi Wang went closer, and the
mare's ears moved. He patted the back of the animal, and as he walked behind
Bai He, his hand touched hers. One hand became motionless. But the other hand
pulled it slowly along with the straw, following the direction of the horse’s
hair, repeating the motion again and again. Suddenly the wake-up call sounded,
Bai He trembled, and the Captain was at the other end of the stable in the next
moment. He knew well: just a few minutes later the most diligent Applicants
would appear, who had lived in the Camp long enough to be aware of the fact,
that a little work early in the morning did well to their health just like it
meant extra credits at their officers. Within fifteen minutes there was
somebody in every box to take care of every horse. Xi Wang left through the
other door at the first possibility, returned in full armor. He walked rigidly
through the narrow corridor, then back, and stopped at the third box. But she
was not there anymore. He looked into the horse's eyes and then exclaimed,
-Nice work! Breakfast! Then up
the saddle!
In general, it did not take long
for anyone to finish a bowl of rice, to which only some fruit was given as
company. A few sips of water and everyone was already awaiting the command in
front of the dining room, to run racing to the stables because who was faster
he got a better horse. Bai He did not hurry. She never sat on a horse, and she
hoped the others had discovered it too. Because maybe then they would let her
be an exception and not make her climb up an animal's back. She loved horses,
she was happy to talk to them at the Stables of the Ice Clan, but she never had
the slightest dream to ride. She was embarrassed and saddened again. Her pride
urged her to keep her word, but she was sure she would never make a Guardian if
she did not learn to ride. She shook her head and climbed to her feet from the
table. After all, she might try... maybe tomorrow... could it be tomorrow?
When she made it in front of the
dining room, she saw only the back of most Applicants.
- Do not look down... Do not look
down ... - she murmured as she walked after them. As she heard footsteps behind
her back, her heart jumped and she began to ran. She began to count the horses
for herself, and as she rushed gasping for air, she sadly remarked that they
would never be able to ride all horses at the same time. They would definitely
ride in several groups, so the excuse not sitting on a horse because she alone
didn’t get any had to be forgotten...
Kai Xi Wang smiled to himself. It
was only a meter away... That's all he would have needed to reach her. There
would have been nothing wrong with talking to her. There was a time when he
praised an Applicant because he started the morning at the Stables. Once it
happened. Suddenly it seemed as if something had pulled him out of his pleasant
thoughts with a rope. As he looked around, he saw nothing special, but his
instincts whispered that something was wrong. He noticed his sister appear near
him. He whistled to her loud. Thus Jian Ming knew right away that something had
happened. She ran over to him, but Xi Wang shook his head.
- I do not know.
They both looked around. Nothing.
Apparently everything was ok at the Camp. In the next moment, a horn sounded and
from its melody they already knew what’s the situation.
- Fire alarm! - Jian Ming groaned
and turned on her heels, searching for smoke. The loud shouts gave the answer.
- The Stables! Quickly! – an
officer was giving away commands and the Captain went pale. Bai He was still
close to them, not yet reached the other Applicants, and she was now standing
frightened in the middle of the square. They heard the animals crying and
running out of the stables one after the other, among them some Guardians driving
them.
- Call Ci Bei, fast! - Xi Wang
said to his sister, and then he also started to run to the stables. The smoke
column, which had risen from the far corner of the building to the sky, could
be seen well by now.
They drove the horses to the safe
practice area, but suddenly a fireball hit the ground right in front of them
with a huge bang. The horses roared with horror, then began to race backwards,
in the opposite direction, between the buildings. The Guardians jumped out of
their way, then rushed to the stables to fight the fire. Nobody was that crazy
to try to stop them. Out of breath Kai Xi Wang watched the horses running
straight towards them. Right towards Bai He.
- Watch out! - he shouted, and
his voice was nearly suppressed by the roar of the horse's hooves. Bai He still
heard and turned to him. Her eyes were wide of fear, but when she saw the
Captain, she walked slowly toward him. But not fast enough. Kai Xi Wang tried
to get there, but when he was only a few feet away from her, another fireball
hit the ground and the force knocked him off his feet. He called her name, but
he did not even hear his own voice anymore. Bai He yet watched him. As she saw
him lying on the ground, she looked back and decided in a second. She hurried
to him and threw herself down on him. She hugged his shoulders and his head,
then peeked back behind her one more time. She remained only a heartbeat’s time
before the horses would arrive. She closed her eyes and tried to cover the
captain's head even more, who suddenly could not move at all.
Then Bai He noticed she was
terribly cold. Clouds of dust surrounded them and she could not breathe, but
she did not dare let go of the other, just waited for the panicked horses to
run over them. However, the horses did not come and she could not stand it any
longer but looked up. A few feet away from them Ying Kong Shi was standing, one
of his arms stretched out in front of him, turquoise flames dancing at the tip
of his fingers, breeze still blowing around them, awaken by the Prince only to
stop the horses. In the other hand he was holding the rein of his horse and he
was smiling. Something moved under Bai He's body. She became aware blushing of
the fact, that whatever good will or craziness lead her before, now she was
lying upon the Captain of the Royal Guard and his face was only inches away
from hers. She took a careful breath and as she blew out, her breath became a
little cloud of fog.
Kai Xi Wang slowly opened his
eyes and looked at her. He wondered what to say, but he could not find any
words. Bai He did the one thing he would have never expected from her. It
seemed useless, almost stupid, yet it was a pleasant surprise to him. But he
could not stay there lying forever. Her gaze locked on his, and he felt all her
moves, wanted or not, though Bai He tried hard not to even breathe. He knew he
ought to get up, and he was certain that Ying Kong Shi, who had rescued them
both, was now probably laughing at them. He was close to make any proper
comment when Bai He unexpectedly leaned on his shoulder, kneeling on his thigh
and climbed off of him with abrupt, clumsy movements, looking strictly in the
opposite direction. Kai Xi Wang jumped up quickly. He looked around and the
Prince's figure unfolded in front of him from the disappearing cloud of dust
and fog. Shi smiled and remarked:
- Everything looks fine here. –
Then he turned his horse back and walked away.
The Captain was grunting to
himself as he stepped over to the girl, who was stubbornly perching on the
ground, staring at the scattered horses and the Guardians who were after them.
He knelt beside her and grabbed her arm. Bai He was shaking like a leaf. Her
face was sweating, and Xi Wang was sure she realized only now what had just
happened. He was looking for her gaze, but in vain, so finally he called her
name until she looked at him. He saw that He Bian and Lu Shan rushed toward
them, so he began to argue louder than necessary:
- Are you crazy? What did you
think, if you jumped in front of a bewildered stud of horses, then they would
stop for your sake? Why did you not escape like the others?
Bai He swallowed hard. The
Captain hopefully expected no response, and she let him shout out in peace.
Though she was glad he came back to her. The grip on her arm now comforted her,
and no matter how angry he was, she was glad that both of them had survived
this adventure in one piece. Xi Wang continued of course, and pulled up the
girl with him off the ground.
- Have they not told you that
there is nothing heroic about suicide? You not only attract trouble, but you
run straight to it as if you had to.
Bai He pulled herself out because
she started to feel a little annoyed, as she had not yet received any thanks.
She breathed heavily and as he stopped, she said,
- I am to decide for whom I'm
going to risk my life... Captain...
Kai Xi Wang was silenced of the
shock. Bai He actually smiled at him. It was more a surprise than her words. He
swallowed, but he saw the two officers coming to them from a few meters away,
leaving only one moment for him. Not enough to consider well what to answer.
- I do not kiss you only because
here and now I cannot do it. - he whispered into her ear, then left her and
hurried to the officers. He started to give commands, so the two of them had to
look after their job, while they obviously would have been stayed to see
something interesting. As they turned back on him, he looked back at the girl,
who was still dead pale, her hair dusty and her clothes dirty, standing there
where he left her. Bai He finally ran away with a brief salute. Xi Wang shook
his head, rubbed his eyes and left to find something to drink. Possibly
something very strong.
Ying Kong Shi was still smiling,
when he heard someone running after him. Jian Ming stopped next to him gasping
for air. The Prince bowed lightly, but then walked on, pulling his horse behind
him. The girl swallowed, then followed, bursting out loudly on her way:
- What the demons’ bastard was that? There are
some memories of mine about the General asking Your Highness to avoid the fuss.
I doubt this snowstorm was the best way to it. Anyways... my stupid brother
would have survived without a scratch. He has been riding most of those horses
before, and being a Guardian he should at least stop some rushing horses.
Shi stared at her with a
questioning look, though he was not too surprised. There was always someone who
had the gust to talk to him like that. That's why he did not really mind, but
he was rather entertained.
- There are some memories of mine
about fireballs falling from the sky. -
he replied calmly, looking at the girl with tilted head. - And about your
brother lying on the ground, motionless. It would have been a nice performance
from him, even if it is doubtful he could have helped himself just as you say.
But still, it was the best. For both of them.
Jian Ming had enough time to
breathe again, so she went on as if she did not hear the Prince
- I do not like that at all. Chou
Lou is a fool, but not so much not to realize that an immortal of the Ice Clan
is behind my back. Moreover, if he sees I'm not alone, he will not come closer
to us. That makes no sense. So I'd rather go alone. But I promise I'll tell you
the tales.
She nodded, slammed her backpack on her
shoulder and simply left the Prince behind. When she looked back and saw that
he did not follow her, she grinned triumphantly and speeded up her footsteps.
At the first corner of course she
heard the horse thumping, but she knew it was too late. She felt only a strong
arm raising her off the ground, and she was already sitting in the saddle on
the back of the galloping horse and could not do anything but to cling to the
mane of the animal. When she managed to overcome the anger after half an hour,
she said over her shoulder:
- You have no idea where to go,
Your Highness.
Shi just laughed and put his arm
tighter around her waist. She grunted something under her nose, but no matter
how much she was disturbed, she thought better to stay calm and shut up.
Leaving the Camp the followed the road by the river. There were birds chirping,
the water splashing the horse's beating around them. Beyond that, however, only
silence remained, they did not meet anyone and did not talk to each other. Jian
Ming looked at the landscape around them several times, as though it seemed
unrealistic at this time of the year, she felt the scent of cherry blossoms.
She thought she was stupid, and all along she was busy convincing herself that
spring was long gone. She sighed when he came near their house, but at her
surprise the Prince stopped the horse and jumped off the saddle without a word.
Jian Ming stared at him with a questionable look in vein, she did not get a
reply. Instead, she could see how Ying Kong Shi had thrown off all
externalities that were princely and immortal in just a few moments. The Prince
bowed his head, as if he did not care who looked at him, took a deep breath and
moving his hands he covered himself in blue glow. Finally, following the
sparkles of the spell all that remained beside the horse was a dark-haired
young man, wearing a simple dress, who now grabbed the rein and walked on the
road without a word. She shuddered as cold went on her back. Not only because
she still had difficulties to understand the power of the Ice Clan's magic, but
also because she remembered why they came here. Would Chou Lou believe the tale
that this man was just a servant whom his father had entrusted to help her
move? She dived into her thoughts and continued bouncing in the saddle.
The house and its surroundings
looked like the same as Bai He and she left it a few days ago. The window
shutters closed, the door apparently untouched. She could hardly believe that
they had been here only a few days ago. So much has happened since then, that
it seemed much longer. As Shi stopped the horse, she did not hesitate and
jumped off the saddle, then without thinking walked to the entrance. But a hand
stopped her.
- Some caution might do good. -
the master of the hand whispered from very close. She swallowed hard and did
not move.
The Prince pushed her out of his
way with his hand and stepped closer to the door. However, unlike Jian Ming's
expectations, he did not bend over to the door listening, and he did not kick
the lock hard to give an unpleasant surprise to the enemy hiding inside. He
just stood motionless for a while. The girl knew only from the mild tingling of
her own skin that he was probably about to use a spell again. Shi finally
sighed, with a slight unhidden relief, straightened up and then said:
- I look around at the back.
She just blinked. She stared at
the closed door, her hand stopped in the air above the handle, but finally
shaking her head she pulled out the keys and opened the house. A few glimpses
were enough to know that nothing disturbed the peace of the little house. The
thin layer of dust on the floor seemed untouched, the furniture all in place
and the door leading to the garden was closed. She went there and opened up the
lock. She turned back and glanced around. So she will live here again for a few
days. She realized that they did not talk about the important thing at all,
where His Highness would want to stay at a time, when ordinary mortals would
rather choose the quiet loneliness of their bed instead of the noisy things in
the world. It was not mentioned before that the Prince would stay for the
night. She rubbed her forehead with her palm, and with clenched eyes she tried
not to think of how many not clarified questions remained for a single
afternoon. As a temporary solution she started cleaning. She opened the windows
wide in the kitchen and in the inner room too, gratefully breathing in fresh
air. But for the rest of the work she needed water, so she had to walk down to
the river. A voice whispered within that perhaps she should mention this to the
Prince where she was about to go, but she burst out loud immediately:
- No way! - and she took the bucket and left off
through the still open entrance.
Ying Kong Shi decided he had
wasted enough of his magic power for today, and relied on his other senses,
when he wanted to make sure that they were alone and safe for the time being.
He was surrounded only by the sounds of nature, and the noisy chirping of birds
suggested that if there was anyone close, he was silent and motionless like a
stone. So his listening would be useless. He turned his head right and left as
he walked around the house, but he did not notice anything suspicious in the
nearby. He heard the girl fiddling around the windows, but as he reached the
corner, he forgot everything.
The sight hit him in the chest,
and even one breath was enough for the rest of his senses to be completely
covered by the garden. He began to suffocate with the odour of the countless
flowers, that covered every free inch of the area behind the house. Jian Ming
seemed not to bother with the lawn and weeds, so leaving out the place of
stepping stones she planted flowers all the way up to the low fence of the
distant kitchen garden. It would have been an unnecessary fatigue to count the
plants, their amount was simply too dangerous. Shi was glad to have at least
some air compressed into his lungs. He felt like being under water, his ears
were ringing, and strange stars sparkled in front of his eyes. He was gasping
for air, but all he achieved that the fragrances made him completely drunk within
a few moments. He was dizzy and sick, just like when a foolish servant placed
too many snowlilies in his room, and he barely managed to stagger to a nearby
tree. He wagged the thin trunk to lean on and cursed. If someone attacked them
now, he could hardly defend themselves. He remained on foot, but he knew he
would not make it back to the house if he didn’t pull himself together soon.
Giving in he tried to breathe normally. His stomach became strangely calm, it
stopped to bounce back and forth, and finally the sick feeling surrendered to
the unlikely but much more pleasant feeling of repletion.
He ran his fingers through his
hair, closing his eyes with a sigh of relief. It was a mistake.
He was sitting again on the back
of his horse, with Yan Da before him in the saddle, holding her tight with one
arm. The girl apparently was deeper in her thoughts, and perhaps her anger had
evaporated as well, as tension seem to have left her when she leaned loosely
against his chest. Shi felt the warmth of her body, and with his arm he could
follow her every breath. He swallowed heavily, as the only fifteen minutes old
memories returned much more vividly than reality. He shook his head with
clenched eyes, forced the memory to let go of her and to jump off the saddle. Yan
Da, however, was not as quiet as Jian Ming. She also dismounted and blocked his
way.
Shi was now certain that she had
planted such flowers in her garden out of mistake or ignorance that had a great
magic within. He could not decide whether to open his eyes and ultimately he
was weaker than the memory. He wanted to see what did not happen, but
hopelessly seduced him already.
Yan Da was smiling, just like on
that day by the riverbank. Her eyes were still full of tears, but she was
laughing at the idea from Shi to kill the Bear Clan's tyrant leader. She
cried and shouted not long before, with such power that the spell in her voice
sent her bitter words into the waves of the river. However when she spoke
again, her voice was silky and warm as the south wind, and Shi wished he could
listen to her forever instead of that crying echoing from the river. She
stepped closer to her, and Shi, as his eyes involuntarily dropped to the whip,
could not avoid seeing the movements of her hips.
His heart hammered in his chest.
The noise almost suppressed the sounds of the garden and the distant forest,
but Shi did not open his eyes. He did not want to end the vision. Though the
river was no longer visible, there were no more screams. He saw the Princess
only and heard her voice only, and there was nothing annoying about it at all.
Rather more of excitement. Shi licked his lips as his throat went dry. The
memory made another move and the Princess was standing right in front of him.
She raised her chin to be able to look more easily in the other's eyes. Shi
lowered his head so that their faces could be closer to each other. Suddenly he
felt something pull him hard around his waist, more precisely a little further
down. The pulse dictated by his heart now flew through his entire body, on his
fingertips it felt like his magic spells, it clutched his throat a few times,
and finally set him on fire from head to toe. Shi was forced to endure
helplessly that had just happened to him. The different energies found each
other in his body and welcomed each other as old friends. The life power that
he received from the Fire Princess, when Yan Da rescued him after her brother's
torture. The cool flames he inherited from his father and a long non-existing
clan. The Heartburning Fruit and its effect that he felt even years later. And
the unexplainable warmth that took him on, every time he saw the Princess.
Shi could not stand it any longer
and dropped to the ground beside the tree. He was shaking as he tried to cast a
defence spell, which he succeeded only for the second time. He was not even
sure that an ice shield could help him. He remembered that Jian Ming would be
angry for freezing a part of her garden, and this obviously did not help. He
rather succeeded in recalling the accusing face of Snow Bird in font of him. He
forced his eyes to remain open, and after a few minutes he thought he could
trust his legs. The cold cooled and calmed him down, even if not completely. He
stood up slowly, and rubbing his temples he returned to the house.
But the girl was nowhere. Shi
went all sober and scared to death. Where could she be?
He ran through the front door,
not caring for the horse that was poking him playfully with its nose, and he
started to check the ground. As he walked a few meters away from the house, he
noticed the grass that had just begun to straighten out after her steps. He
started to run in that direction.
The traces led to the river,
first he only heard it, but then he could already see the glittering waves. He
was pale as he found the empty water bucket on the ground. He turned around
nervously, but did not see a soul near the water. He shook his head. It can not
be... It is impossible to lose her only because of just a few minutes of
weakness. He should have protected her, but he was stupid to let his feelings
weaken him. Those feelings in which he has never believed before.
He bowed his head, then kicked
angrily into the bucket.
Jian Ming coughed and gasped for
air a few feet away from the shore. Shi lifted his head and then ran up to her.
She was wiping her eyes, but he already reached her, wading into the water, and
without thinking he got her in his arms. Jian Ming was still coughing,
semi-blind, so she could not talk, she was just drifting in his lap. As they
reached the higher place where the grass was dry, Shi stopped and set her on
foot. He tried to hold her steady with one of his arms, turning her face with
his other hand. She coughed and the Prince kept asking her whether she was
fine, with his fingers trying to wipe her face and taking out the weeds from
her hair.
After a few deep breaths, Jian
Ming finally got herself together.
- What's wrong with you? - she
moaned, then coughed some more.
- What's wrong with you? - the
Prince asked back, his voice being as hoarse as hers. - What are you doing
here? Was there somebody here? Are you hurt?
Jian Ming tried to push the man
away with her two hands on his chest, but Shi was of course stronger. His arms
were holding her by the waist and his fingers were resting on her face, instead
of letting her go. She could not get free. The restless and abrupt breathing of
the other, and his heart jumping under his shirt surprised her very much. She
sniffed.
- I came for water. And I thought
I'd swim too. - she remarked, and then with a smile she added: - Did you
possibly worried about me, Your Highness?
Ying Kong Shi heard these words
and immediately released her, then retreated a step. His confused gaze
shuddered, and when he finally realized that Jian Ming's fully drenched clothes
stuck tightly to her body, he even turned away. She could have sworn that Shi
blushed.
- Never get out of my sight
again. - the Prince murmured, then hurried back to the house.
Jian Ming was standing stunned in the grass.
She could not explain Ying Kong Shi's behavior, only by that we has really
worried about her. But in fact this was no real explanation either. What does
the Prince want from her? Is it really only the sword, Yan Zhu and the other
enemies? She pulled her shoulders, holding her hair together she twisted off
the rest of the water and refilled the bucket in the river. When she walked
back slowly, she finally smiled.
He sat at the top of the tree
closest to the house. He had nothing else but to sit silently and motionless on
the branch and wait for something interesting to happen. He was there for half
a day already. It gave enough time to the stupid birds to get used to the
feeling, that whispered in their stupid little brains that there was something
near them they could not see or hear. What they did not have to worry about,
let them just chat and jump in peace.
Only one long breath gave him
away that he was happy for the arrivals. He kept his immobility with perfect
self-control, but he smiled broadly. That was enough, he did his job. Now it
was just a matter of waiting for the right moment to leave. Slowly, carefully, he
began to move his muscles one by one. By the time the girl went down to the
river a quarter of an hour later, and the man followed her, he already managed
to get the stiffness out of his body and landed with a soft leap. He rummaged
out a ring from his black jacket and pulled it on his finger. In that very
moment he disappeared.
