Three Koi and an Orchid

Digging out first started with the entrance. Ruwe had her watch as the three of them used fire yi to melt the snow, and then water and wind yi to shift it away. They took turns, working in pairs. Pia manned the fire, only coming close to watch them work when she was sure the fire was going strong. As the snow blocking the entrance decreased, light and wind began to trickle through. The light was more appreciated, the soft light from sigils was no replacement for natural light.

Watching the men work with yi always fascinated her. As she added another log to the fire Pia watched the tri working yi. She could tell they were being intentionally obvious with yi, so that she could watch how they pulled it in and directed it. In Dwelling, most martial artists tended to work with one or two elements the most. Whatever they had the most affinity with and the element that enhanced that one. Yet these men seemed able to use all the elements with ease. Pia didn’t have a fraction of the control they did. One day, she’d find a way to see them use yi in a real fight.

It took the three men only a couple of hours to unpack the entrance. By the end, Ruwe, Haojie, and Yijun were soaked through with sweat and melted snow, but they stood unconcerned in the open front, looking out over the land. Curious, Pia got up to join them. Carefully avoiding stepping in the piles of snow that had fallen inside, Pia stepped up beside Ruwe, and looked out.

Incredible. The entire landscape outside the cave was an enormous portrait of glistening white. Even in the grey light of day, with no sun, the ice crystals seemed to sparkle with pride. Pia couldn’t blame it, the snow had conquered the entire landscape. The air was frigid and snappy, but it felt mild compared to the previous night.

Looking away from the entrance, Pia looked from face to face of the men, trying to gauge their thoughts. Sometimes it seemed like the three had a way to communicate solely through secret thoughts. Like now, they all gave each other a look and then nodded. The three men turned away and left her standing there, gawking. Sometimes she swore they did it on purpose.

Pia watched them walk back to the fire to warm up feeling utterly baffled and mildly affronted for being left out.

“Great conversation. The logistical planning was on par with the greatest of sages,” she grumbled under her breath.

A flick of air on her forehead made her yelp. Ruwe’s ears really were too sharp!

They stayed in that cave for two more days. On the morning of the third day, they woke at dawn and broke camp. Once more, Haojie and Ruwe took care of the tents, while Yijun and Pia took care of the horses.

Yijun showed her how to rearrange the horses’ tack when going through deep snow. The girth was shifted back a bit to allow the front legs room to stretch. A leather strap was secured to the back of the saddle, it went down the horse’s rump and looped under the tail, and then returned to the base of the saddle.

Giving Yijun an innocent look, Pia asked, “Does that help them poop easier in the snow?”

Yijun gave her a flat look, though she saw the corners of his lips twitch.

“You’re spending too much time with Haojie,” he told her, as he tossed a thick saddle pad over Wine’s back. “It helps keep your saddle from tipping forward. We’ll be covering the last trek today. There’re some steep hills and the snow won’t help.”

“That was my second guess.”

He rolled his eyes and passed her an odd-looking animal pelt. It looked like sheep skin, but the hair was long and thin.

“What’s this for? What is it?” Her fingers trailed over the long black and white hairs, curling her fingers through them.

“Yak fur hide. It goes over the saddle,” he demonstrated, tossing it over Pia’s saddle. He tied leather straps to the front and side and slid the stirrups through a slit on the sides of the hide. Now the pad would lie beneath her seat and under her calves. “The longer fur keeps warmth in, but it allows the water to slick off easier. It’ll stay lighter than sheep fur, which gets heavy when sodden.”

“That’s ingenious,” Pia said, running her hands along the pelt. It amazed her how in-depth their knowledge was. Something as simple as this could make a significant difference during a long ride in bad weather.

“Help me with the others,” he said.

The two saddled up all four horses while Haojie and Ruwe finished dismantling their camp. When she finished, Pia put herself to work. The extra firewood went back on the pile. Tying a bundle of long stalks of straw together Pia swept the hay and straw back into a circular pile.

Once done, she looked around the cave. Yijun was refilling some of their supply bags and Ruwe and Haojie were securing the packs to the horses. Each horse carried a portion of their supplies. Tudou’s pack often carried the tents and blankets, tied into a thick roll behind his saddle.

Part of her felt anxious about returning to the snow. That last ride had been hellish. Today, the weather outside seemed calm in comparison, but dread still left a heavy weight in her belly. The rice balls and dried rabbit meat felt like rocks in her gut.

Ruwe finished fastening a pack to Tudou’s back and his gaze locked onto her. “Come here,” he called out, waving to her from across Tudou’s back.

When she went to him, Ruwe surprised her by tossing her up onto Tudou’s back. Once she was on, he began to wrap her legs with thick fur covers. They stretched from her upper thigh to her ankle, hanging low over her heel.

“Why?” she asked, watching the way he lattice tied the leather across the furs.

He looked up at her and frowned, seeing her bare head, braids hanging freely over her shoulders.

“Where’s your cowl?”

Pia’s hand flew to her head, not realizing she’d forgotten to put it on.

From beside Wine, Haojie called out, “Oh, I’ve got it,” and pulled it from his robe and tossed it to Pia.

She pulled it on while Ruwe checked the ties on her leg covers one last time.

“We’ll be in deep snow. It should help keep them from going numb and freezing,” he told her.

Leading his horse, Yamo, and Pia’s Tudou to the front of the cave, Ruwe gestured for Haojie and Yijun to take the lead. Outside the sky was grey and dismal, and the whole world seemed to lack color. Pia wished the sun would come out.

“Watch them carefully. Follow only the path they make,” Ruwe instructed.

Pia watched. Yijun went first, then Haojie. The snow was up past their bellies and the horses shouldered powerfully through. Pia thought Yijun and Haojie must be using yi to help weaken the snow for the horses. Their horses were sure footed in the snow, but she watched as their bodies heaved up and down from the effort. Biting her lip, Pia watched until they were almost out of sight.

Ruwe looked up at her, saw the anxiety on her face. He smacked her back, jolting the breath from her lungs. Startled, she exhaled sharply and realized, only then, that she’d been holding her breath. Giving him a weak nod of thanks, Pia straightened up.

He patted Tudou’s neck and then released her reins, saying, “You’ll be fine. Just watch your balance and give Tudou his head.”

A bit of bravery filled her, and she said, “That’s how I always ride.” Then hastily nudged Tudou forward before she got a smack for her retort.

Tudou, fresh from his rest and the supply of oats and hay, stepped out with energy. Without needing to direct him, he followed the path already forged. Tudou is a saint, Pia thought. The act of balancing atop his body was a challenge. He had to sit back on his haunches and push through some of the heavier sections. Tudou was shorter than the other two horses but his heart was four times bigger. Ears pricked forward and head held high, he stepped out with energy despite the extra effort. Pia’s heart was full of affection for her little horse.

Ahead, Haojie and Yijun were slowly pushing the path along. How did they know where to point their horses? Pia wondered, watching the two steer their horses through the endless sea of white. They hugged the side of Pearl Mountain, keeping it to their right. It was the only landmark visible.

The snow stayed deep for the next three hours. Pia’d grown accustomed to long rides in the saddle, but the constant shifting of weight and the unpredictability of the footing was mentally exhausting. Her eyes felt heavy. Pia patted Tudou’s steaming neck.

“You’re the best horse,” she reminded him tiredly, and his ear flicked back at the sound of her voice. Pia often wondered what he thought about on these long rides. Did he think of food? Did he feel free as she did on his back? Or did he wish to be free of a rider, to gallop freely across the lands?

Just as the horses trudged out of the deepest snow onto lightly snow-covered land, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. The brilliant brightness of the sun hit the millions of ice crystals in the snow, sending a dazzling light in every direction that blinded her eyes. Her eyes felt as if they’d been pricked with needles. Pia covered her eyes and blinked rapidly. Now she understood why they preferred to travel in overcast weather.

Seeing her move, Ruwe rode up beside her, eyes scanning over her, checking that all was secure.

When he was confident that all was in place, he said, “We’ll keep going,” and then pointed ahead.

Squinting, she tried to make out what he was showing her. In the far-off distance Pia thought she could see a spot of darkness amidst the snow.

She cupped her hands around her eyes, trying to tunnel her vision.

“What is it?”

“Our path out,” he explained.

“It seems so far away,” Pia said dejectedly, eyes once more feeling too heavy to hold open.

Yamo sidled closer to Tudou, his flank brushing against her leg.

“It comes sooner than you think,” he told her in a rare moment of encouragement.

Pia nodded and set her gaze onto that place in the distance.

As they rode on it became obvious that the image of ‘endless snow’ was a bit of an illusion. The closer they got towards their destination, the more the ground became flat and level, with only a dusting of snow on top. The path grew wider and the four soon rode side by side.

Pia listened as the three talked to one another. Any other time she’d have her ears pricked for any information. Today, it took all her focus on staying awake. Between the dazzling light and the surprisingly warm sun beating down, Pia felt it growing harder and harder to stay awake. Sweat beaded her brow, and Pia pushed her hood off, letting her head breathe. The cool air helped immediately, and she took a deep breath, feeling a jolt of energy.

Steam poured from their horses, filling the air with the scent of sweaty horses. High overhead a hawk circled. Pia watched it. The long swoops of its wings beating caught the sun, glowing like a beacon overhead. It let out a harsh shriek as it circled above.

“Wow,” Pia said, unable to contain her awe.

Haojie let out a shrill whistle and the hawk began to dive. Pia watched as it flew straight at him. At the last second Haojie raised his arm, and the hawk circled into a landing, perched on his arm.

“Such a beauty,” Haojie said, feeding the hawk a piece of dried meat from his pack.

“Lei must be close by,” Yijun said, looking across to Ruwe.

Their leader said nothing, instead looking straight ahead, a stubborn set to his jaw. Pia looked at Yijun, who shook his head at her. She kept her mouth shut.

Haojie released the hawk, pushing it off. It flew back into the sky with a mighty flap of its wings. Her eyes stayed on it until it grew too far away to see. The four continued on their way. Sleepiness brushed aside; Pia found herself eager to see what lay in wait for them. She loved the grasslands, the caves, and the snow, but whatever was ahead had her intrigued. A new place to see, this time, likely with buildings and people!

As they hugged the mountain side, Pia began to see breaks in the mountain. It had been a sheer wall of ice, snow, and rock. Now, natural grooves and breaks appeared in the mountain as it tapered off into the hills. More spots of brown and green popped into view atop the mountain, no longer appearing only as a frozen peak. The horses turned upward, heading toward that dark pathway.

The path out was a rocky slope that ran up the side of the mountain. It had a steep incline, and the dusty top layer of the path scattered under the horses’ hooves as they dug in deep to keep their footing. Once more the horses heaved upward, their riders leaning, calves and thighs burning to stay out of the horses’ way. When the horses finally made it to the top and the ground levelled out, all four breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back into their saddles.

A brief feeling of pride blossomed in her chest as she saw the looks of strain on the men’s faces. It had been a tough ride for them too, not just her.

At the top, Pia pulled Tudou to a stop and looked back. They were high above the plateau now. Everything looked so far in the distance. Just a sea of sparkling white, almost appearing blue in the shadows. Had they just been down there? She couldn’t see their tracks in the snow from up high. It was like they’d never been there. A feeling of non-existence crept over her. That age-old feeling that she left no mark on the world around her. Her lips turned down.

“Pia,” Yijun called back to her, breaking her from her thoughts.

Turning her head, Pia saw that the others were getting far ahead. She turned Tudou around and trotted to catch up.

“Are we on a mountain? Or is this a hill?” she asked Yijun as she caught up to him.

For once, Ruwe had taken the forward lead.

“It’s part of the mountain,” he said, pointing to their right where the mountain towered above them again. “Though I guess you could call it a hilltop.”

Around them were trees and rocks, brown meadow bushes topped with snow. Pia smiled to see little Snowbirds with their bright yellow beaks and distinctive red feet flying in and out of the bushes. It had been so long since she’d seen a bird. The snow had chased most wildlife into hiding.

The path turned into a road wide enough for two of them to ride side by side. Haojie and Ruwe were ahead of them, so Pia stayed close to Yijun. Her eyes were drawn back to Yijun’s horse. It was a lovely grey gelding with a dark black mane and tail. His legs were thick and strong, and his body was broad and powerful. Shun’s family really bred magnificent horses.

“Yijun,” she called to get his attention. When he looked over, she asked, “What’s your horses name?”

“You really are terrible at introductions,” he teased, reminding her of the first day they met.

She grinned.

“His name is Ransa.”

“It fits him,” she said, admiring his color.

An idea came to her then, seeing the other two a decent distance away. With her calf she pushed Tudou closer to Yijun.

Leaning towards him, she whispered, “Say, Yijun, do you know why Haojie’s horse’s name is Wine?”

Yijun’s warm eyes turned up when he smiled. Leaning his head towards her he whispered, “I do.”

Pia gave him a scowl. They never told her anything!

“So tight lipped around here,” she grumbled, knowing he wouldn’t tell her.

With quick fingers he reached out and tugged on one of her braids.

“You’re persistent at least,” he teased.

“You hang around Haojie too much,” Pia said, echoing his words back at him. Yijun might be the more solemn of the two, but he was certainly not above teasing her as often as Haojie.

Inside, Pia felt torn. That quick, friendly gesture had taken her thoughts right to Conch and Fewl. How often had they tugged her braids in teasing? She missed them terribly and guilt ate at her. She hadn’t sent either of them a letter. Sadness curled around her guilt. No letters had come for her either. Logically, she knew that it was likely that any letter they sent went to Yinye...where she was not.

The further they went the more trees filled the land around them. It reminded Pia a lot of Dwelling. These were different, with blueish-green needles and tall pointed tops. The branches grew outward at odd intervals and none of the trunks seemed to grow straight. Pia shifted in her saddle, hissing as her sore legs moved.

She kicked her feet loose of the stirrups and brought them up one at a time, stretching her hip and calf out. Rolling her ankles she worked to get them loose.

“We’re almost there,” Yijun told her, watching her stretch. “Just another mile.”

Grateful for the knowledge, Pia picked up her stirrups again. Another mile wasn’t bad. A tiny buzz in her chest, like bees circling honey, had been alive from the time Ruwe told her they were headed home. What was home like? Pia was dying of curiosity.