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Asimple, wholesome supper awaited them: nuts, berries, and roots from the forest and flaky, roasted fish from the pond. They ate by lantern light, speaking quietly though thetengaruwere no longer guarding them. In the tranquil twilight, the clearing seemed to be alive. It seemed its truest self by night, like the whole of the Great Forest.
Hideki picked at the roots with a grimace. “I don’t understand why they brought us here. We weren’t responsible for what happened.”
“They must have their reasons,” Shiro said. “But it makes me uneasy, not knowing who called them to our rescue or why.”
“The queen said everything had to do with you,” Wei told Xifeng.
For once, all of their eyes on her made her uncomfortable. “She was speaking toallof us, I’m sure,” she said quickly.
Hideki sighed. “As for the five kingdoms of Feng Lu reuniting, that will never happen as long as mankind exists. They won’t do it under the banner of one man, at any rate, as they did centuries ago for the Dragon King.”
“I wish you hadn’t ranted about the treaty,” Shiro told him. “It isn’t our place to decide the trade stipulations. A bit of jade is a small price to pay for peace, even if it won’t last long.”
Xifeng leaned forward. “I find it fascinating, the politics of kings.”
“What it must be like to be the Emperor.” A spark appeared in Wei’s eye, and he speared his fish as though he held a sword. “Marching into weaker territory, bribing and threatening to get what you want. Commanding an army to do your bidding where words fail.”
“True, but he can’t use physical might all the time,” Shiro said. “The politics of kings, as Xifeng put it, requires balance. He would not agree to this treaty unless it benefited both parties.”
“But mostly him,” Hideki added, and the dwarf sighed.
“It must be like using an apothecary’s scale,” Xifeng said. “Knowing when to add more of this or that. Evening out the two sides so theyseemequal, though one may hold only dirt and the other gold dust.”
Shiro regarded her in surprise. “You’re a poet.”
“And you’re a nobleman.” She chuckled, gesturing to his plate. “No one in a poor family would risk dining that slowly.”
“I’ve emptied my plate three times,” Wei agreed, and they all laughed.
“My family is high in our king’s favor,” Shiro admitted. “But I’m the only one in his employ, whereas my brothers lead lives of leisure. When one has the misfortune of being born small among the tall and handsome, one must prove oneself in any way possible. What better choice than politics, the realm of the powerful?”
“You work directly for your king?” Wei asked.
Shiro nodded. “I had to work ten times harder than a regular official to get to the same place. But I got there. I ignored the taunting and focused on winning the respect of my kingdom. It didn’t earn me any more approval from my family, but what do I need of that when I have the king’s?”
Wei listened with his chin lowered. “But you are noble, and already that sets you far ahead of a poor boy. I don’t mean to imply your life has been easy, but your family’s relations with the king was your open door.”
Hideki regarded him with interest. “Do you wish to be an ambassador yourself?”
“I want to be a fighter. A warrior in the Emperor’s army.”
“And do his bidding where words fail?” Shiro asked, repeating Wei’s earlier statement.
“Swords speak a stronger language when needed. But where is that opportunity for me?”
“Perhaps in this journey we’re taking,” the dwarf said kindly. “You may find your goal at the end of it, but now, I believe sleep is what we should all find.” He grimaced, one hand flying to his shoulder. “It’s nothing,” he added, seeing their concern. “The scythe nicked me when I stabbed that attacker. I’ll wash in the pond first. Those waters must be cool and healing.”
“I owe you my life, Ambassador. He would have killed me.”
Shiro waved Wei’s thanks away. “It was what anyone would have done for a friend.” They bowed low to each other.
Xifeng smelled sweet jasmine and bamboo as she lay on her pallet. Wei pulled her closer and draped a blanket over them both, and she fell asleep instantly. But despite how tired and comfortable she was, she woke several times, heart racing from nightmares of a cave in which ink-black serpents glided toward her, their eyes like drops of blood.
The third time she woke, Xifeng sat up. Wei slept like a child, his hands pillowed under his cheek, and Hideki and Shiro slumbered peacefully nearby. The sky was still bright with stars, though low clouds had begun to shroud the moon. She padded down to the pond, savoringthe sensation of the soft grass between her toes, and splashed water on her fevered face.
“You do not sleep well.” That ancient voice, like leaves of autumn and snow in winter. Thetengaruqueen approached, her body so frail it seemed transparent. In the dark, with her horns and tail less defined, anyone might think her simply a small, old horse. But there was no mistaking the human awareness in those eyes.
“I’ve been dreaming, that’s all.”
