Some confusion and surprise was
caused in the Camp by Ying Kong Shi's unexpected and unexplained disappearance.
While some of the Guard did not even realize that the Prince had arrived at the
first place. The General saw no sense in the unnecessary parade, and he
immediately sent the guards off to their jobs at the moment Shi disappeared.
Jian Ming did not visit the Royal
Guard Camp for the first time. She was honoured with a free way by the permission
of the General, and she never took advantage of Liang Dao's goodwill. Winning
this permission was partly done by her own personality, partly by the merits of
his father and brother. She rarely showed up here before, and never without a
good reason. She did not feel guilty now either. Her eyes met her brother’s, as
Xi Wang looked at them before he knelt down. She noticed the nervousness in his
brother's eyes immediately. From this she understood that the guest is probably
more important than anyone of the Ice Clan, who has recently visited the Guard.
But she was much more pleased to see his father again. She was reluctant to
leave the old man alone in the village, for she was never sure that he eats and
rests enough. For this reason, she has been more and more ready to get rid of
the old house by the river. She has already been living there all alone too long
since Xi Wang moved to the Camp, and their father worked in the village
workshop. She often felt herself lucky she managed to avoid trouble with the
Chou Lou types.
She was pleased to see her
father, as he rushed towards them, belying his age, with the mysterious smile of
the old ones hiding in the corner of his mouth. When the old man saw his
children, he turned back for a moment to look at the Prince. Jian Ming followed
his father's gaze. It was not the first time that Immortals of the Ice Clan marched
into the Camp, not the first white-haired noblemen wearing ice-silver clothes
she saw there. But looking at the young man behind his father's back, she had
to come to the conclusion that the Prince was all but ordinary. Suddenly there
was so much emotion in those blue eyes, that she did not know
which to be the strongest: surprise, fear or joy. The next moment magic
sparkled and Jian Ming was left alone with her doubts. Only a few small
ice-crystals were blinking in the grass after the snow-white whirling, but they
all melted away by the time they came to themselves. The girl stood there
blinking without understanding, just like the others, but as the General
quickly disbanded the gathering, she shook down the astonishment and finally managed
to welcome her father without any ceremony.
- Did something happen worth
mentioning on the way? - Chou Yan noted, glimpsing her daughter's dress, after they
hugged each other for a short moment.
- Really nothing, Father.
Chou Yan sighed. This game between
them was slowly becoming old. As a small girl Jian Ming already tried to
pretend, as if a scratched knee or a palm wasn't supposed to mean anything. By
now her father was forced to accept, that her daughter would never admit when
she was hurt or in trouble. True, it always seemed that these injuries did not
really bother her, she endured and ignored them, and never complained. That of
course didn't mean that Chou Yan was not worried crazily, but he owned his
daughter not to reveal it.
- Father, I want to introduce
someone. I would like your approval for her to stay with us for some time. Her
name is Bai He.
The old blacksmith surveyed the
young girl hiding behind the back of Jian Ming. He already found out a thing or
two from her glance thrown to the ground, from her slim waist, and from the
fact that she held the sword like it had never been in her hand. But as he had
no reason to deny her daughter's request, he nodded agreeably. Jian Ming bowed
with a happy smile, then turned sideways:
- Come, my little sister. Let’s make
ourselves useful. Let's check what’s there to eat.
Bai He followed her example and bowed to the old blacksmith. She walked up the stairs to the barrack's
entrance, but she did not look around in her confusion. She didn’t even realize
that no-one was beside her. She stopped only when they shouted at her.
- Little sister, where are you
going? - Jian Ming laughed, and she paused, blushed in confusion, and looked
around asking for help.
There was only one person
standing close to them. The Captain, in his heart, regretted even those few moments
when the Prince's snowstorm had distracted him from the girl. Now he could stare
at Bai He as he pleased. But she wouldn’t look up, not even for all the
treasures of the world. She was standing there confused, counting the grass
leaves under her shoes.
- My sword, little sister ... just
drop it here.
Bai He was pleased to obey and
swung the sword to Jian Ming. She passed it then to her brother.
- Take care of it, Xi Wang. We're
leaving now. Everyone’s hungry.
The Captain frowned in worry, but
didn't say a word. Gripping his sister’s sword he looked after the two girls.
Bai He's behaviour had already
appeared to him in the Palace. She was the first woman he had met in his life,
who was interested more in his weapons than in his personality. She seemed to be as
delicate and fragile as a flower. The beautiful dresses and jewels of the Palace
would have been more suited to her than her sister's simple dress and that
sword. Suddenly he had a bad feeling. He could hardly wait to ask his sister
about what had happened. But he was first and foremost a Guardian. He glanced
at the General, who tilted his head toward his barracks.
- Go on, son, and fetch your father.
If I am correct, we're having lunch today there.
Xi Wang nodded in confusion.
- Yes sir. I already looked after
it, but ... the Prince ...
- His Highness will be here when
he feels so. Do not worry.
- Sir, I'm sorry about my sister
...
- Enough, Captain. - Liang Dao interrupted
him. - We'll talk about this later.
The old Chou Yan stepped beside them,
bowed to the General, and poked his son in the side, who finally followed the
two girls with his father beside him.
Liang Dao looked around. Everyone
in the Camp has returned to their usual duties. The Patrol left to check the
eastern end of the Snow Fog Forest, the Candidates began with their training in
the fields beyond the stables, and the Guardian to whom the old blacksmith had
entrusted the weapons in the village was trying to grab the pack from the back
of his horse.
- Take them to my barracks. - said
the General, and the Guardian stood attention.
- Yes sir.
The General waved there two of
his men to guard the building, then followed the others.
The barrack of the General
had two parts, being well parted from each other by the furniture.
The private area, where only a single bed and some small wardrobes were placed,
was separated by curtains and painted screens from the exterior, more spacious
room. Here already was so much space enough for the fireplace decorated
with metal dragons, for the shelves filled with bamboo scrolls, a huge map set up by
one of the walls, the General's armour and weapon stand, and a huge
table in the middle large enough for a dozen people to have a seat.
Xi Wang had to acknowledge
that the
well-planned special feast had gone with the wind. He was desperate to
stop his
sister, who considered necessary to take the lead into her hands. As the
General did not protest at all, Jian Ming took the other girl's hand and
joined
the cook, who had already begun preparing the feast following the
earlier
instructions of the Captain. The two girls brought in some pots for
handwashing from a small building next to the barracks, while the men
occupied the
table under the leadership of the General. The weapons were laid down,
but left
in their hands on the table. Bai He was embarrassed when she appeared
with the
rice bowl in her hand. The old blacksmith, however, motioned favourably
toward
the centre of the table:
- Put it there, daughter. - and in
the very next moment he turned back to the General to continue their usual small
talk about weapons and youth. Bai He obediently placed the steaming bowl on the
table and tried to ignore the look dropped towards her.
Kai Xi Wang was grateful for not
having to attend the conversation. As he wiped his hand, he was unaware of his unstopping staring
at Bai He. Jian Ming, of course, noticed it immediately, when she
appeared with the eating bowls in one hand and with a jar of wine in the other.
She cleared her throat and he kicked his brother just to be sure, when turning
back. Xi Wang groaned, but then he tried to listen to what his father and the General
talked about. Liang Dao was worried about the applicants:
- We must see, that the
candidates are weaker than before year after year. Most of them have never seen
a sword, they do not know anything, but how to make rabbit traps and pub fights.
Unfortunately, I cannot reject them and I am very sorry for the time wasted on
them. At the Selection I get rid of them at least.
Bai He's thin fingers, that were just
about to place the chopsticks next to Xi Wang's bowl, froze in the air. Once, a
long time ago, in the Palace, she heard that only the finest could join the
Royal Guard after the rigorous and dangerous selection. But not this stopped her
hand. She did not understand why, but the General's comment about being unable
to reject anybody put a bug in her ears. Then she glanced down at the rice
bowl and the chopsticks, and shook her head. What thoughts... and how
unnecessary...
- I think all is here. -
Jian
Ming said loudly, when she and the cook placed the meat stalls in the
men's reach. Those chopsticks came down to the table louder than they
should. Bai He
turned and walked to one empty space without a word, but the other
girl's voice
stopped her. - I wish to sit next to my father, little sister. I hope
you do
not mind.
The head seat was left empty for
the Prince intentionally. The General, the blacksmith, and Jian Ming sat on one
side, thus Bai He was forced to occupy the one by the Captain, otherwise she
would have disturbed the balance. As she sat down carefully in the chair, she
glanced at him and was unable not to see the joy in his eyes. She dug in her
short hair embarrassed, as she still did not get used to it. She looked
around from the right to the left, then finally lowered her eyes again. Xi Wang
cleared his throat:
- I'm grateful, Sir, for allowing
my family to rest. I promise my sister will leave the Camp immediately as soon
as possible.
Liang Dao nodded politely toward
the girls, apparently ignoring the fact that Kai Xi Wang did not even mention
the other girl with a word.
- Captain, considering the
circumstances I think our young ladies will need more time. Be sure to have
them a room where they can take care of themselves and relax the excitements.
But ... I would also like to know what happened on the road. I admit it is a bit
annoying that something like this happened so close to the Camp and just right
now. My instinct tells me it was not a coincidence. By the way, the
commander of the Patrol spoke of three riders.
- Nothing special happened,
General. - Jian Ming smiled at him a little faster than necessary, which was
apparent to his father as well.
- Kai Jian Ming ... Do not spare
the words. Do not forget that you can be here thanks to the General's
benevolence.
The girl sighed deeply and
started again:
- Father, nothing happened, really.
Only that stupid one tried his luck again.
- Chou Lou? Again? – Xi Wang
questioned wide-eyed her sister, and became angrier with every new breath. -
When did you want to talk about this? Look at yourself. Do you call this nothing?
And Bai He? - he pointed to the other girl with a broad grip, but when their
eyes met he became mumbled.
Bai He went pale as every pair of
eyes hung at her by the table. Jian Ming smiled to encourage her, so she began
to speak slowly, but so quietly that the others bent forward to hear her words.
- Three horsemen attacked us not
far from the Camp ... After Jian Ming threw them out of the house before...
- What are you talking about? - now
it was Jian Ming’s turn to start complaining, but her father silenced her by
touching her shoulder and then he nodded to the other girl to continue.
- Two of them behaved similarly,
they wanted to take us with them for good, and if there was no Patrol ... - she
shuddered and sighed with a leaned head.
- You were very brave, my little
sister. - Jian Ming said with pride in her voice, then added: - Father, I'm
serious, you have no reason to worry. So far I've been dealing with the fool
villagers like Chou Lou, so it will be afterwards. Now let the General eat. He
certainly is not interested in my problems.
- Maybe still. - Liang Dao said. –
If it's really interesting what you tell me about the third guy.
She turned to the General, but
could not avoid her brother's stern look. She had to spit out what she wanted
to hide all along. Whatever she said before, she was a little annoyed too about
it herself:
- He was a stranger, General. He
wore a dress I had never seen before, and he did not say a word. Not the last
time, not now. Strange and not understandable what he’s doing with
those two bastards.
- Are you sure you have not seen
him yet? – Xi Wang asked, and his sister shook her head.
- I have not seen him or his
strange sword, brother, and I do not want to see him again.
Jian Ming considered the
conversation as closed with this, and reached for one of the jars to pour wine for
them. But in the middle of the movement, she sensed on her face the ice-cold flow coming from
outside and straightened up turning toward the entrance. The
General and the Captain jumped up from the table immediately, went by the two
girls, and their swords appeared in their hands.
The particles of air seemed to
have changed into millions of tiny glittering diamonds. Still, as if it were
some kind of sign, the General waved down the Guardians appearing in the door
and the Captain also. The guards were obediently swung their swords back into
the scabbard, but Xi Wang held it up in front of him, despite his father's
disapproving look. They waited motionless, blinking to find out what or who was
hidden in the shine by the door of the barrack.
Ying Kong Shi was already cooled
down a little after the conversation with Snow Bird and the short flight that
followed. He has already overcome the shock he had felt about his own reaction.
He was willing to accept the fact that he was pleased to see the Princess. He
just did not realize what that really meant. Maybe he would have been so happy
to see his old friends as well. Then he changed his mind. Probably not.
Although Xian Xue was not
there to
comment on his bragging spells, he held back. He let the ice crystals
swirling around
him disappear into nothing as quickly as possible. He spent the rest of
his
power with fists clenched to hold back his feelings, that wanted to
burst out all
along, and to force a cool, distant expression on his face furthermore.
He
stopped at the door. As he approached, he greeted those by the table
with a
light nod. He did not miss of course that Xi Wang's fingers were still
over his
sword's grip even when taking a bow, and that Bai He dropped her head at
the
last moment when the Prince looked at her. But all that did not matter.
He took
a deep breath as he looked at the other girl. Yan Da, or Jian Ming, he
corrected himself, watched him with no interest, as he walked to the
table. And as
the General tried to greet the Prince loudly and politely enough, the
girl simply
stepped away after the a few moments of respect, and then poured the
remaining
wine for his father from her jug in her hand .
Shi swallowed. He had to remind
himself that she did not remember him. Not at all. Not of who she was, or what had
happened before, and not of that ... He shook his head. There were a few things
in the past that he did not want to remember either. He just wanted to enjoy
the moment. From the corner of his eye he saw the courteous movement of the
General offering him a seat, and sat down beside the table, watching the girl
all along. And he did not care not for a moment that Xi Wang groaned disapprovingly.
Jian Ming always had some sort of
strong determination towards men, whether being family members, a good
acquaintance, or the last rogue. She was soon left without a mother, and as a
blacksmith's daughter she was forced to find her place in the world of men by
her own strength. She did not have a weak heart, and already saw and experienced
a few things before. However she was glad now to have something in her hand to
cling to without being noticed. When the glow eased, and her eyes, painfully
dazzling, finally saw something, she was embarrassed by the behaviour of the
young man in front of her. It was only a short time since they had looked into
each other's eyes, and she remembered the Prince's look. She tried not to show,
but she was almost itching because of the overwhelming, impossible feeling that
the Prince had something that was hers. Something that was once lost or perhaps
taken away from her. She was unsure about this intuition, but she urgently had
to get her thoughts in order, and she was grateful when Shi finally turned away
from her to take the head seat.
- I'm fetching some wine. - she
said, not waiting for a reply, and started out with the jug in her hand.
- There’s still a bottle of icewine.
The Prince must be thirsty. - the General noted fussily as he nodded toward
Ying Kong Shi, hoping that their special guest would appreciate this gesture.
Shi only responded with a nod.
Suddenly there was a strange
voice coming from the far end of the table. Bai He raised her head and looked
awkwardly at the Prince when she realized that it was the old Chou Yan. Shi,
however, did not seem to be hurt. He did not make a comment and did not change
his expression either. The blacksmith first laughed at the General’s expression
in his hoarse voice, and then he started to mumble not too silently:
- Icewine ... ice fruits ... ice
flowers ... - He chuckled again. Xi Wang poked him in the side, and Jian Ming deeply
sighed. The old man stopped, but he kept on smiling at the Prince as if he knew
something.
Ying Kong Shi glanced at them
with wide eyes. The General quickly tried to save the situation and began to
explain.
- Your Highness, Master Chou Yan
may be thinking about the icewine that I received from his daughter as a gift
last year. Despite her young age Jian Ming learned very well how to make
excellent icewine.
The girl did not expect the
praise, or the enthusiastic and inquisitive expression from the Prince, that he
dropped towards her again. She bowed quickly and left with the jug in her hand.
- Everyone in the Kai family
seems to be the master of something. - Shi commented on her. - I'd love to see
that vintage…
The blacksmith responded, now in a
serious tone:
- Icewine can be made of only
such wine that’s filled with enough fire.
Shi cleared his throat. His eyes must
have been dazzling a moment ago. He had seen a young girl dressed in everyday
clothes, who ignored him. But as soon as he noticed the whip tied to her belt,
the memories of the distant past floundered. He suddenly needed twice as much
effort to concentrate on the present.
- It seems that everything in the
camp is alright. - he turned to Liang Dao and tried to speak in a bored voice.
- It is my great pleasure your
being satisfied, Your Highness. - the General answered politely. - Today's Patrol
has already left, but if you wish, I'll send an owl after them for the report.
- That's really not necessary. - Shi
shook his head. - Today I didn’t intend to stay too long. But tomorrow morning
I will come again and we’ll have plenty of time to deal with all the important
things.
- Your Majesty, if you wish,
I will present the applicants tomorrow. The Selection is only a few weeks away,
and luckily there are some really promising candidates. Special people will
join the Guard also this year.
- Excellent, General. I wish to dedicate
more and more important tasks to the Guard.
- Does that mean that you will
honour us with your visit more often, Your Highness?
Ying Kong Shi couldn’t have
wished for a better chance. He just have to say yes and his wish has already
been fulfilled. He nodded smilingly.
Kai Xi Wang, however, wasn’t
overjoyed. His pride was still hurt by the defeat he had suffered from the
Prince's hand. He couldn’t even forget that the girl next to her suffered
because of the Prince too, and now he had to see that Bai He, with a radiant smile,
had followed all the moves of Shi. He took a sip from his wine but didn’t dare
to speak. But her sister did.
- My little sister, are you okay?
- she asked when she returned with a filled jug. She did not wait for anybody
but filled their cups, while watching the mortal girl still. Bai He's rosy face
turned red when she was caught, and wished she could disappear by some spell.
For the first time while they were
sitting at the table, the Prince looked at the girl more thoroughly, and
uneasiness nestled in his heart from what he had seen.
- Is something wrong? - Shi
looked at the General, but did not get a reply. However, Xi Wang jumped from
the table, and before anyone could intervene, he started to shout.
- Yes, something is wrong ...
Your Highness ... And it wasn’t because of the Ice Clan, that Bai He is here
with us today.
He still held his sword in his
hand. As he walked toward the Prince, Liang Dao shivered, but felt the old
blacksmith's palm on his arm.
- Leave him be, General, let
the boy make a fool of himself alone.
Xi Wang saw the nervousness of
the others, but did not care. He was shaking, for it was hard to keep at least
the faint appearance of the respect that a Guardian could address to an
immortal.
- She was wrongly accused,
embarrassed then left to her fate!
Ying Kong Shi stood up. His face
remained unresponsive, and there was no threat in his posture. He watched as the
Captain stepped closer with each word and almost reached the end of the table.
- Bai He almost died in Snow Fog
Forest. She is alive thanks only to my sister and to the Healer.
- Enough, brother. The Prince has
nothing to do with that. - Jian Ming interrupted him and grabbed his free hand,
but he shook himself and made another move.
- Do not talk to me, Jian Ming.
Today's attack would have never happened if Bai He was safe in the Palace. I'm
right, yes?
With pain in his eyes he looked
at the mortal girl, who wanted to hide under the table, but as she could not
make it, she went pale or red here and there. She didn’t bother before, she had
long forgotten, that her clothes were dirty, but now that she knew the Prince
was watching her, she became embarrassed. She moved to reach out to her hair,
but her hand stopped in the air. Suddenly, she felt something strange. It
wasn’t unknown, she felt this way when she picked up a cherry tree branch a few
days ago. The short time that passed by since seemed to be an eternity... She
wanted to be free, to be the master of her own destiny. She lowered her hand
and looked at the pattern of the planks of the table. The silence in the room became
so thick and she almost began to choke. She sighed and looked surprised because
the air she breathed in was cold.
Ying Kong Shi laid one hand on
the table. Ice flowers ran out of his fingers, and the Captain tightened his
sword as he sensed the power of the spell. His father whispered his name, but
it did not hold back Xi Wang's hand. Under the Prince's palm now the other
sword appeared, which he had taken away from Xi Wang in the palace during the
duel.
- You'll still need this. - said
Ying Kong Shi softly with a squeaky, but also threatening smile in the corner
of his mouth. Kai Xi Wang reached for the sword, but Shi leaned on the weapon. -
It's a nice thing to protect the honour of those who need it.
The Captain's eyes blinked. He
grabbed the sword at the very moment Shi straightened up. The Prince folded his
arms with satisfaction and nodded. There will be plenty of time for that too.
There will be an opportunity to teach the Captain a lesson, who thought he
could stand against him.
- We should really eat now. - said
the old blacksmith not too softly, so that everyone could hear it. Jian Ming
reached for his father's rice bowl to serve him. Xi Wang and Shi looked at each
other for a few moments, then the Prince nodded again.
- Tomorrow, Captain.
- Tomorrow, Your Highness. - he
nodded back, then sat back with a dark look. He glanced at the girl next to him
who did not dare to move. The Captain desperately searched for the right words,
and finally said quietly:
- I'm sorry ...
Bai He was surprised about
herself. Instead of giving a small sign of gratitude to the unrequested
goodwill, she became angry. That one word of the Captain was the last drop. It
was enough of regret. It was enough of pity. She no longer wanted to be a poor
mortal whom everyone thinks she needs help from others. The words of the
General and the Prince were chasing each other in her heart until she was
almost dizzy and had to hold her head in her two hands.
- Are you all right, little sister?
- Jian Ming asked worried, when Bai He jumped from the table.
- I'm fine! I'm fine now. - the
other girl tried to grab her hand across the table, but Bai He pulled away from
her. - Leave me now, my sister.
She walked around the table and
didn’t care about everyone watching her. From the corner of her eye, she saw
Jian Ming turn after her frightened. For a moment her fists had clasped, so
that she could not unknowingly raise them when she came behind the Prince's
back. Finally she stopped in front of the General.
- No! - cried Xi Wang and his sister
at the same time, but it was too late.
Bai He fell on her knees with the
grace of a court maid before Liang Dao, but her words were quite different:
- General Liang Dao. Now I am
here to participate in the Selection and to become a member of the Royal Guard.
Xi Wang jumped up and knelt
beside her. He tried to hold on to her shoulders and turn her toward him:
- Are you crazy? You wouldn’t
endure a day. You will die before the Selection ...
Bai He, however, pulled away
from him, ignoring the pain she saw in his eyes. She wasn’t sure she should
have said these words, since she had never heard of how the future Guards would
apply to the Selection. The Captain took hold of her arm again and wanted to
lift her from the ground. She torn herself out of his grip and knelt back,
gazing at the General.
Liang Dao frowned. He agreed with
the Captain, but the girl stepped on the road from where she had no return. He
nodded and Xi Wang bowed his head desperately. He knew he couldn’t do anything.
He stood up and straightened himself up. He didn’t look at her any more, but stepped
to the door and exclaimed:
- Lu Shan! Here is another applicant.
Then with his two swords in his
hand he bowed to the Prince, to the General, and finally to his father, and
walked quietly out of the barrack.
- My daughter, I'm afraid you do
not know what you did. - Liang Dao commented and looked at her with some
concern as she straightened. - You made the decision, and I cannot do anything
else, but to support you.
Bai He stared at the floor and
smiled. She didn’t really know what she was doing. But she knew that the one who
could give her strength would cross her path very often. And that was enough.
Shi could not deny that he was
surprised, but the feeling soon disappeared. Now it was just one thing and it
had nothing to do with the mortal girl. Bai He glanced at him when
the guards escorted her out, but the Prince had not paid attention to her by
that time. The nearby Jian Ming attracted his thoughts and gaze, and he already
planned the next day for himself. He wondered what to say to the girl, who was
apparently very nervous. But before he could speak, Jian Ming rushed after the
others.
Shi smiled.
- You're right, General. This
year's Selection is going to be very interesting indeed.
The old blacksmith had enough of
waiting, and began to eat kicking off etiquette. The General waved politely
toward the table, but Shi who wasn’t there for fried meat, thanked him for the
hospitality and said goodbye, stating that hey could expect him to arrive the
next morning. When he disappeared crossing the threshold, the General shook his
head and sat down beside Chou Yan, so that the food at least wasn’t wasted.
Otherwise he could have heard the cook for a week complaining for having worked
so much for the festive lunch in vain.
