Thar Shaddin

Cai's lip did twitch slightly towards a smile as she amended her order to something a bit more suited to a male's fragrance. Cai did not know of styrax balsam, as the resin was harvested from trees found in Nanyue, so she settled for something she was familiar with: oil scented with the more readily-available sandalwood. "Hopefully that will suit?"

Of course, if it didn't, there was always jasmine to fall back on. Cai was fond of the fresh sweet hint of jasmine. She was sure the little dragon could get used to it if needs be. The thought was an amusing one.

Another thought occurred to her "Ah, and before we leave, I will also need to find a seller of cooking wares."

It made sense to prepare for the next leg of their journey: there were no more major townships between Laoshanmen and Shanyi, though a day's detour here or there could find them in a farming village if they needed supplies. Despite that, Cai knew of a hot spring near one of those villages.

They could be assured of a relaxing evening there, so long as she adhered to the tradition of gift giving at that establishment: thus the need for cookware. Cai mentioned the inn to Piao Bai as she waited for him to select a fragrance. "It will add perhaps a day to our travel time overall, but it will be a pleasant change of pace nonetheless"

Piao Bai delicately sniffed the sandalwood scented oil. Thankfully this blend was a subtle one, unlike those that had made him sneeze earlier. With a stance that indicated his upbringing, he said simply,

"This will do." He nodded a few times, listening absently to Cai until the words "hot springs" came into view. With this his head jerked up and he stared intently, eyes wide.

Hot springs? Oh yes! Pleased would not describe the emotions traveling along the bond. He loved water and hot springs are the best kind. Despite that, his words came across as subdued. His expression turned demure as he moved toward Cai, though his mood seemed quite happy.

"I think that would be an excellent place to stop. May I?" Piao Bai stretched toward her, seeking to resume his earlier place on her shoulders.

"Whenever you are ready, Cai."

Cai added a cloth pouch to the order for ease of carrying the jars. She was glad that oil purchase was complete: with Piao Bai's shopping taken care of, the jinyiwei could divert her full attention to obtaining the goods and clothing she needed. Cai let the little dragon resume his perch along her shoulders, and took a moment to gauge the movements of the crowd.

Some liked to move through markets like horses in a field, grazing here and there and mostly enjoying a lethargic pace. Cai preferred to shop like a falcon, soaring above the meaningless prey until she could swoop in on her target with swift efficiency.

An eddy in the flow of passing market wanderers let Cai slide into the crowd. There was an art to moving through a crowd, slipping into the wake of moving people and sidestepping around the flotsam of those pausing at the edges to view a stall's goods. Cai moved as swiftly as circumstances allowed, and eventually found a stall selling the kind of sturdy travel clothes she preferred. To be safe, she bought two sets, then picked up a new iron wok and a pair of sturdy ladles for the hot spring owners. Some leather strapping from a different vendor. Dried meat and fruit from another.

Eventually the pair found themselves back at the Jade Crucible, setting the purchased goods down next to the rest of their gear. "At least we are prepared for travel again. I had almost forgotten how noisy markets were." And musicians. Blasted fools and their infantile songs. "Have you recovered any further from your earlier illness, Piao Bai?"

As Cai paused, Piao Bai took the opportunity to survey the market once more. So many people and things! Piao Bai tensed in anticipation a few times, expecting Cai to move forward. After the third or fourth opening in the crowd he looked at her quizzically. That, of course, is when she moved with a strike of precision and grace. Piao Bai would have been graceful, too, if he'd expected the move. The motions that followed were like a dance. Step forward, step to the side, sway... sometimes stacatto, sometimes legato, sometimes adiagietto, and sometimes allegretto. Piao Bai began to hum to himself, nodding his head side to side with the rhythm of things.

"At least we are prepared for travel again. I had almost forgotten how noisy markets were. Have you recovered any further from your earlier illness, Piao Bai?"

When they returned to the room, Piao Bai leapt lightly to the bed and down to the purchases, nosing through them. When will we get back on the road? If we could warm the oil, that'd be nice."

Piao Bai paused at her question. A sense of the emotions returned, but he replied simply, "My stomach is much better, thank you." Even if the heart ache of the betrayals were easily felt by Cai, he just wasn't ready to talk about them.

Cai could sense some form of disquiet from the little dragon through their link but, given what they had been through, Cai did not find that too surprising. Then again, she'd never been one to fuss over others, and she certainly wouldn't know how to start now even if she wanted to. Her own policy was to simply endure suffering in the name of her duty, and felt leading by example the best way to handle things.

However, she could appreciate the value of creature comforts to others, and she ordered a bowl of heated water be brought up for Piao Bai's bottle of oil to sit in while she started rearranging their packs. "If you feel well enough to, we can leave tomorrow. I feel no pressing desire to linger here. Besides, I believe time spent at the hot springs would be a strong restorative for the both of us."

In short time the hot water arrived, and Piao Bai's oil was slowly warming up for the little dragon to remove and deal with at his leisure

"Thank you for the oil, Cai." For once, Piao Bai had the good sense to remember to say thank you.

The dragon swirled the bottle of oil around in its bowl, considering the nature of the bottle's top. A lid was held down by a hinge of some kind. These bottles were made for carrying, not display upon one's mirror table. Not to mention, oil for someone of Piao Bai's original size usually came in vats and was applied by supple servants...

Piao Bai sighed wistfully. "I agree. Hot springs sound like just the thing one needs."

From there, Piao Bai began to do something he'd never done. He opened a bottle of oil and began to rub it into his scales. The scent was pleasant and not overwhelming, a good choice. As he applied the oil, Piao Bai realized just how flexible his body could be. Most would have at least one spot on the body that was hard to reach.

Piao Bai stretched and yawned. "I probably should allow time for this to absorb in before I get on the bed." Piao Bai made himself a little pillow sized bed on the floor and sprawled across it. Before long, his eyes drooped. In the absence of something to do, napping was always a go-to.

Cai was certainly amenable to sleep, and when Piao Bai nodded off she settled in for the night as well. The Jinyiwei awoke at dawn then finished packing for their travels. With a large breakfast and their stay at the inn paid for, the unusual pair made their departure.


---During the previous night, some distance away, within a small house in Laoshanmen---

Not all the gawking eyes that day had belonged to the idly curious. Three men conversed quietly over a pot of jasmine tea, one asking "You are certain of what you saw?"

The response was adamant "Unless there is more than one tattooed woman in the Jinyiwei, then yes, I am certain. I am also certain I saw a tiny dragon perched on the Jinyiwei's shoulder."

The third chimed in "It is too dangerous. The Jinyiwei are not to be trifled with."

The first cut in over the third "Some profits are worth the risk of death. If our small branch is to ever aspire to a greater role within the Black Gate Society, we must show both resourcefulness and an eye for quality. If we can bring a miniature dragon to the feet of Baigujing our future prominence is assured. Gather as many gatemen and knockers as you can - let those who wish to join our ranks have a chance to prove their worth. We must cover all the exits from Laoshanmen with the eyes of the Black Gate. We cannot lose sight of our prize."

The three men nodded in agreement and returned to the enjoyment of their tea and other, more mundane, topics.

---


The morning egress from Laoshanmen for Cai and Piao Bai was interrupted only by Cai's requirement to report her departure and destination to the local magistrate, Chongde. With the needs of bureaucracy satisfied, the pair were soon on the road and walking in the direction of Shanyi. Cai was not sad to leave, as she found the citizens of provincial towns - even the larger ones like Laoshanmen - tended to stare at her much more than in the capital of Yulongjing. It was an unavoidable aggravation, but it did mean that she enjoyed walking out of towns far more than she did walking into them - and her mood was subsequently a lot more cheerful than it had been over the previous couple of days.

With the both of them mostly recovered from the strain of the events in Yunshan village and the trip back down the mountainside, and being better supplied for travel together, Cai decided to try being a more amicable travelling companion. It would be a long road for the both of them, and she felt she had a duty to try and be personable during that time.

There was an inevitable awkward stiltedness to the attempt, though, as the social muscles being exercised had largely atrophied from lack of use. "We will be on the road for a long time, Piao Bai, and if fortune smiles not all of that time shall be spent in pursuit of malign beings. As a newcomer to Tian Xia, are there any aspects of the empire you would like to explore as we pass through it? Apart from the hot springs, that is." At least she was trying. That had to count for something in the grander scheme of things, surely?

Paio Bai graciously settled around Cai's neck like some draconic amulet. Golden eyes gleamed as he watched the local magistrate during the morning's procedings. Chongde reminded Piao Bai of a pig and not one of the cute baby pigs, more like the big ones that would eat someone's body without a second thought. The man had a wide, jowly face and small, little piggy eyes that darted from Cai to Piao Bai. The man sweated profusely, too. Piao Bai could smell the man. He was stinky like a pig rolled in stinky mud. The next time Chondge flicked his gaze at Piao Bai, Piao Bai snorted.

Chongde jumped and actually groveled to Cai.

"You have a most unusual companion, most esteemed Jinyiwei. Laoshanmen is greatly honored to have such a presence grace its streets."

Hnh. Well, perhaps the man wasn't all bad.

After the pair had left the room, a figure emerged from the shadows. Chonde held up a hand. The Emperor was known to have keen hearing. With a gesture, the figure disappeared and emerged in another hallway, parallel to the one the pair took. The servant, head bowed, cut her gaze to the pair and circled back to Chongde once the pair had fully left the magistrate's compound.

Cai's buoyant mood (well, buoyant for Cai) did not go unnoticed. Her good mood fueled a reciprocal one in Piao Bai, enough so that he was not a lazy nobleman's son. Instead, he had taken to the ground, walking (darting, investigating) with Cai instead of riding upon her shoulders. Piao Bai felt confident that should he need a break, Cai would afford him one.

The pair traveled in companionable silence for what seemed like a very long time before Cai spoke.

"Cai, I am curious about the entire empire. I am curious about the emperor, too. Whenever you mention him, I can feel a sense of deep emotion, though it's not clear exactly which one it is." The latter comment was couched in a sly, smiling tone.

Something rustled leaves causing Piao Bai to freeze in his spot and stare in the direction of the noise. Two squirrels skittered through the underbrush and up a tree. Some sort of sparkly dust floated along the breeze. Piao Bai sneezed. Even here, hints of former astral denizens were evident. Piao Bai had never known so many of his kind survived and thrived here. Most would probably go by unnoticed, except for Piao Bai's curiosity.

"How long will it take us to get to the hot springs, again?" A long time sounded like such a ... long time.

Cai's cheek twitched slightly at Piao Bai's question about the emperor. With each passing day it became apparent just how many things she would have to become accustomed to in the aftermath of her decision to save the little dragon. And today she learned that even her emotional states were no longer entirely private.

Admittedly, Piao Bai wasn't the only one who had suspected that her devotion to the emperor might extend beyond mere duty, but Cai's reputation for inscrutability had been predicated on the kind of visage which even gamblers wished they could achieve. Only her colleague Hongjiang Mu had previously had the temerity to speculate on the possibilities in her presence, but he was a dandified prat with a terrible sense of humour. At least her Jinyiwei compatriots didn't have the benefit of the link which had apparently betrayed a hint of the reality of things to Piao Bai. "The Emperor is, in some ways, the Empire. He and his family."

It was somewhat impossible for Cai to prevent all of the warmth of feeling from filtering through the link as she spoke of Tianlong Huangdi. "For the entire history of of our empire, there has been one constant: the Tianlong. Under their guidance Tian Xia has never split asunder, and maintained a civilised quality of life, even in the face of pirates, raiders, bandits, unnatural entities and warfare. Life is still difficult for many, of course, but it would be much worse if there was no empire to protect its citizens. The Emperor, of all the Tianlong, has the most compassion for the empire and those within it. It is his influence which prevents the empire from degenerating into corruption and chaos. It is an honour to serve as one of his Jinyiwei"

A very pretty speech, really, and Cai had very carefully stepped around the questions of her own feelings - even if some hint of them inevitably slipped through via her connection with Piao Bai. "As for the Empire itself, much of it is like this: broad areas of farmland, broader areas of wilderness, and large cities which act as regional hubs for commerce, governance, and military oversight where needed. The hot springs will be a pleasant four day walk from here." Cai really did think of the prospect as pleasant. After all, the roads were decently maintained, the weather was mild, and she really did not enjoy riding.

When Cai began to speak of the emperor and the empire, he listened intently. So much so that he even drew near to her instead of ranging off as he normally did. If Cai hadn't had some sort of emotional response to the emperor or the empire, Piao Bai would not have been half as interested. Piao Bai was looking up at Cai as she spoke, golden-eyed gaze studying Cai intently. Piao Bai hoped the emperor truly deserved Cai. Whatever she felt, it was strong and Piao Bai was envious of that.


"The weather is pleasant. Will we go back into the forests before we reach the Springs?"[/i]

Cai nodded "In a day's time there will be a path from the road leading towards those foothills." The Jinyiwei gestured towards the horizon where flat farmlands scrunched into an undulating clump of hills, the latter making a pitiful attempt to form a mountain.

The tallest hill stood out against the skyline, but it was a mere toddler compared to the mountainside they had recently travelled. The hills were forested, save for the occasional earthen-toned patches where the tree-lines receded away from exposed rock terraces.

Cai mused aloud "At least this time the forest will not be haunted."

If the lands hadn't been so flat, Cai's gesture would have been useless. The farmland was interesting. Green was punctuated by wavy lines and brown, oddly shaped lumps. Occasional, distant puffs of earth indicated some kind of general activity - people moving from place to place, perhaps. The road was not vacant, but nor was it flush with traffic. Ahead and behind them, carts traveled from the trading town.

"Haunted? Hnh. I enjoyed our visit to the grove." Piao Bai found Cai's descriptor curious. Where he came from, it was invasions of the phsyical realm that were hauntings. The difference in perspective amused him.

As they neared one of the fields with the brown lumps, Piao Bai realized two things. First, the lumps were mostly hay, propped by wooden stakes. Second, some of the lumps had arms and faces. The arms waved languidly in the breeze and the brownish,vaguley face shaped parts were turned up to the sun. Again, he was amused. Piao Bai thought the land was more 'haunted' than the people realized.

Farther behind them, a pair of farmers followed, hats low against the glare of the sun. Nearer, the gallop of hooves could be heard fast approaching and the pair were soon overtaken, left in a cloud of dust. Piao Bai sneezed violently and his eyes watered.

Now, he missed his palanquin very, very much.

"I wonder what their hurry is...

The Jinyiwei smiled "If only every haunting proved to be as benevolent as our night in the grove. No, the hauntings I am sent to placate are inevitably the result of malevolent beings who prey upon Tian Xia's citizens. It was such a haunting, in the very forest we shall pass through, that first introduced me to the manager of the hotsprings. Remind me to tell you the tale if you are ever inclined." Cai didn't immediately volunteer to start, as it didn't seem like the most pleasant of topics in hindsight. Instead, she enjoyed the tranquillity of the surrounding landscape as she walked. A tranquillity temporarily disrupted later by the beating of hooves along the highway.

The calm measured pace of her stride was forced to shift cadence as she stepped off the road to avoid the rider. Cai covered her mouth and nose with a sleeve as the rider galloped past. A quick glance to see the Tianlong colours and the large embroidered badge of office on the outer robe was all it took for her to recognise the rider as an imperial courier. "Ah, that one is on formal business, carrying official documents to Shanyi. The couriers of Tian Xia are critical to the smooth running of the government - so much so that interfering with their ability to discharge their duty is a serious crime. It is a prestigious position."

Not that Cai envied them. Anything involving frequent riding seemed like a harsh lifestyle. At least Cai got to walk if she so chose. Cai stood at the side of the road a while longer to let the dust settle in the aftermath of the courier's passage. When the air was clear enough to be pleasant to breathe, the pair set off again.

Cai suddenly realised she'd not really explained their travel plans beyond the topic of destinations. By way of conversation she added "Tonight we will stay at a traveller's waystation. It will not have all the comforts of an inn, but it will have a roof and walls to shelter us from the night air and poor weather. They are stationed along the major roads between cities, about a day's walk apart, to aid citizens in reaching regional capitals when circumstance calls for such a journey. We shall turn off into the forest path to the hot springs after our stay at the second waystation."

Piao Bai started to ask about the tale. After all, they had a while to go and the terrain had become uninteresting. But, as if in response to Cai's speaking of it, the beautiful day decided to be mercurial.

A breeze had begun and far in the distance behind them, dark clouds gathered and a summer storm hit Laoshanmen. Piao Bai's nose twitched and itched, prompting him to rub his nose. It was an odd feeling itch, not like the one that tickled his nose from the dust billowed up from the horse's hooves.

Cai's comments distracted him.

"I've never ridden a horse." Not that he could remember anyway. But, maybe he had. Having said the words, he felt as if they did not ring true. Piao Bai fell silent as he began to wonder about why he'd changed forms now. If he had been able to all this time, then why hadn't he? Could he again? Why couldn't he?

"Looks like we left Laoshanmen just in time. Should the storm catch us between the way station and the hot springs, the hot springs will be more enjoyable for it. No?"

Cai was not so certain "If it catches us in two days time, certainly. But if it catches us before then, we shall have a soggy sojourn ahead of us. If we are lucky, we will be under cover when the rains pass over." Cai's steel rain hat would give some ease in the form of a dry head, but she wasn't looking forward to the sensation of wet clothes dragging at her every movement, let alone the extra weight she knew a soaked travel pack developed.

Not wanting to think too much about bad weather, in case doing so somehow brought it their way, Cai returned to Piao Bai's earlier remark, though only in brief. "Riding a horse is a case of inviting pain into your life for a bit of extra travel speed." Cai inwardly conceded it was actually a lot of travel speed but, nonetheless, at what cost? Her joints ached enough after a cold night as it was without the added strain of an aching everything that seemed to happen after riding. No, unless a matter was of life-and-death urgency, Cai would use her own two legs which were more than accustomed to a life spent on her feet.