Chen Feiyan I

the Gods’ Mountains outside Oika, Heguri Empire

the Escape

Chen Feiyan’s lungs told her to stop; they begged for a moment to breathe. And still, she ran down the overgrown forest path, deeper into the mountain’s shadow. It had been a long time since she last heard the voices of her trackers or the calls of their hounds. Maybe an hour passed, she thought, and yet Fei did not feel safe. She did not stop to breathe, she did not stop to rest her legs, and she did not stop for freshwater from the stream that meandered next to the dirt path.

Keep moving. You’re as good as dead if the trackers catch you.

Fei first heard of the monastery above Oika three years prior. A traveling salesman from the Heguri Empire passed through Master Guo Xue’s estate during the spring trading period. The salesman went by Aso. Aso was an officially licensed trader blessed by the seal of the emperor of Heguri. He was a short, stocky man with a full head of hair and a large mustache. He wore gold garments with black stitching in the flower pattern of the Heguri seal. Immediately Fei sensed Aso took a liking to her. Not in any meaningful way, of course. Rather, in the same way her master, the governor Guo Xue took a liking to her the first time he saw her. The same way men Aso’s age always took a liking to Fei.

Aso traded out of a stall in Guo Xue’s estate’s designated trading area for seven days. Every morning he found Fei and asked her to look at the swords he brought with him from Heguri forges. She had no interest in swords or the stocky man. She kept her distance.

Is the man a fool? It’s not wise to pursue the concubine of Guo Xue.

After rejecting Aso again on the third day, she saw her madame Tao Fu watching as Aso walked back to his stall.

Does she see his interest in me?

Fei felt concerned for the man and chastised herself for it. It was not her responsibility to look after a foolish man. And still, Fei did not wish him harm.

Perhaps if I stop by the stall and look at the swords, Aso will leave me alone.

Fei waited for the madame Tao Fu to return inside the estate’s halls to approach the stall.

“My lady, you’ll be pleased you stopped by. Take a look! They make these swords with utmost craftsmanship. Very different from the Daming swords here. They are timeless things, the blades I carry. Simply timeless. Come, come closer.”

Aso spoke the Daming dialect of her tongue, as all the licensed traders of the Heguri Empire that traveled into the Xiao Empire from the north did.

Fei picked up the closest sword to her. It was a long slender blade, with one sharp edge, covered with a deep blue sheath. A silver tassel topped the sheath. There were characters carved into the steel in the Heguri tongue; she did not understand them.

“You have good taste! That’s a Nagatane blade. One of our best forges. See how the blade shines in the sun,” Aso said as he held out his short arms, “Here, here, pass it here.”

She handed the sword to the funny-looking man. He withdrew the blade from the sheath and held it up to the sunlight.

It does sparkle in the light; I admit that.

“Wonderful,” she replied, “Nagatane deserves his recognition.”

“It is not just him; it is her as well. The Nagatane’s are brother and sister, you see. Chigusa the older brother, and Chiki the younger sister. Their father, Nagatane Chiba, originated their forge, and they continue his tradition. What fun! A family business. One day I hope my wife bears me children to become traders, just like their father. I suppose I need to find a wife first.”

Aso smiled, and Fei politely mimicked his expression.

“But the Nagatanes, the Nagatanes have forged for around forty years now. That makes their forge just a baby! But a good one, everyone says so. Very expensive. Honestly, this blade we’re holding now is very expensive. I wouldn’t let just anyone hold it.”

Fei nodded.

I have nothing to talk about with this man.

She was a captive audience to his pursuit. It was an unfair thing men like this did, perhaps even without intention.

“Have you ever thought about purchasing a blade? Perhaps as a gift for your master Guo Xue?”

“I don’t need money Aso, none of us do,” she replied firmly, “Master Guo supplies us with everything we need. We have a good life.”

Lies, of course.

“Of course, of course. My apologies, Chen Feiyan. Please have a look around and let me know if you need anything more.”

Aso sighed and backed away from her. He turned around to organize the supplies on the wooden table behind him. Fei wandered around Aso’s stall for a few minutes before returning to the original blade. Something pulled her back, so she looked at the sheath again. Fei noticed the symbol on the tassel. It looked like an upside moon made of polished copper.

“Aso.”

The man swung around to face her, “Yes?”

“What is that thing? The metal on the end of the sheath?”

“A keen eye! Very good,” Aso held the tassel in his palm so she could see it clearly, “This is a beautiful tassel, you know. Simply beautiful! They decorate the tassel with the symbol of the Nagatanes’ monastery. Look at this. Are you familiar with our gods across the border?”

He was referencing the upside-down crescent moon.

“Only that you have many gods, for many things.”

“Some of us follow the faith of the many gods, not all. The Nagatanes follow it. It’s not the most popular faith, but many near the borders and remote villages still practice.”

“What about the royal court at Tobe?”

“As a descendant of the one true God, our great emperor does not honor it, but he allows our people to follow it through his benevolence.”

“And the crescent moon; it must be a symbol of one of your gods.”

“One of the many gods is the moon goddess. She looks after the awareness and instincts of those that honor it. She is the eyes that cover her followers’ blindspots. The attributes are important in sword combat, aren’t they?

“I wouldn’t know, but that sounds right.”

“There’s a monastery near their forge. Well, not close, but their forge is in a small town under the mountains. The town is close to a path that will take you there, you see. A very secretive monastery, deep in the forest, high on the mountain. A very secretive path. Not many know of the path. The Nagatanes sell blades directly to the monks. I tried to find the monastery but could not! I think I found the path, but it was too long for my short legs. These monks dedicate their lives to the moon goddess. Awareness and instincts are important, but dedicate a life to it? I don’t know. I don’t know about that.”

Aso shook his head.

Fei was curious; a monastery built into a mountain? She would never see so much in this world if she always belonged to a man like Governor Guo.

I wonder if I’ll ever see my little sister again. I wonder if we’ll ever tell stories under the stars at night.

“And why do these monks need weapons? Why would a monastery need defending?”

“An interesting question. You see, our emperor allows our people to practice the old religions. He’s a very benevolent man. But some wonder if he might not always be so gracious. Emperors throughout our history removed many monasteries. The monastery above Oika, it’s hidden away, difficult to find. But perhaps! Perhaps they feel they might need to defend themselves one day. It’s just a theory of mine. But I often turn out to be on the right track. Just something funny about me.”

Fei ignored the self-flattery, “Who are they, these warrior monks?”

“They are anyone, from what I hear. The monastery takes in all kinds. As long as you are willing to dedicate yourself to the goddess, you can join. Of course, I’ve never seen the monastery myself. But I know plenty of very well-informed men. You just need to be in the right circles.”

Aso was smiling at her, but she wasn’t paying much attention.

“Anyone from the Heguri Empire?”

“Anyone at all! There are rumors some western ghosts joined them from across the sea. I do not know for sure, of course. As I said, I never made it there myself. But I hear things. As a successful trader, I’m quite connected, you know, but I don’t like to talk about it. I am a man of modesty. Just the road and my swords for me.”

Fei spotted the madame Tao Fu walking back towards the designated trading area. She had all she needed for now. Fei made some more small talk and asked about a few more blades to distract Aso’s mind and deceive the madame’s eyes. Then she said goodbye and thanked the short, funny-looking man for his time.

The rest of the week went by without much more hassle from Aso. He approached her on the last day to say goodbye, but that was it. Perhaps she gave him enough attention to keep him away. Maybe her madame told him off. Perhaps his pursuit of her was only ever in her mind.

Chen Feiyan was not a scholar. Master Guo Xue did not permit her to read his books and scrolls. She learned enough during her childhood to be literate in the Daming dialect. Fei hid that from Guo Xue. There was much about the world, especially the world outside the Xiao Empire’s borders, that she did not know. But Fei did know about the library within the estate, the room that held books and maps and scrolls. She found the room very early on during her stay at the estate when Master Guo called for her one night. Walking down a hall on the way to one of Guo Xue’s many leisure rooms, Fei passed the large bookroom. Her eyes did not linger on it, but she logged it away in her brain.

A secret, mine to keep.

Over the next few months, she began to sneak into the library in the late hours of the night when she knew no one would be around. Fei lived in a small compound with Guo Xue’s two other concubines, but they each had their own residence, and sneaking out at night was not hard. Fei made the ground her own in the middle of the night, looking up at the stars and believing for a moment she was back home. The library itself was always empty at night. It took her a few visits before she located the maps of Heguri. Still, once she did, she read them with a voracious appetite. Fei remembered the name of the town from her conversation with Aso.

Oika.

She remembered he referenced the Gods’ Mountains, which curled through the Heguri Empire’s southeast provinces. That’s where she started her search, but the monastery was nowhere to be found on any of the maps near Oika. There was no mention of a path or trail. Even when she extended her search to the entire geographic region of the Empire, she could not find a reference to a mountain monastery. The most detailed maps of the Heguri Empire made no mention of it.

Perhaps the funny-looking man made the whole thing up. He was boasting quite a bit now that I think of it. Maybe, I am a fool.

Fei thought of the upside-down crescent moon and monastery all day and night. If it did exist, and it was in southeastern Heguri, she might be able to reach it. She could leave her caged existence behind.

They take in anyone. The monastery takes in anyone. As long as you dedicate yourself to the moon goddess, he said. They will take me in.

Fei decided to expand her search. Each night she looked for titles that had any reference to religion or trade. Perhaps the moon goddess would be her way.

One late night as Fei was skimming through the books and scroll titles, she noticed a small scroll titled, “Histories of a Border Crosser, Kitsushiro.” She pulled out the small scroll and began to scan the document. The Herugi trader Kitsushiro categorized his expeditions with meticulous, concise detail. The border he referenced in the title was indeed about trading between the empires, Xiao and Heguri. Kitsushiro detailed each trip in characters of both tongues. It was a meticulous document.

Daming was apparently not Kitsushiro’s mother tongue, but that didn’t matter. Fei managed to read it slowly and improved as the days went by. The trader noted the routes he took and the stops he made along his way. Often the trade sold metals: copper and silver. In return, he brought silk and jade north back into Heguri. It was a long scroll, but the writing was concise and brimming with information. There were no unneeded characters in his writing. Kitsushiro summarized each trip he took in both tongues, one page for each. There were hundreds, maybe thousands in all. Finally, on the third night of reading, she found it:

season: autumn

route direction: northwest from Oika along Old Crane’s Road

location: wooden path marker exactly twenty kilometers from Oika, on the side of the road into the forest, marked with the crescent moon

path: thirty kilometers deep into the forest, at the end a stone staircase, at the top a walled monastery

monastery: monks, women only, reserved

sold: light blue Daming silk from across the border, three full rolls, paid well

Fei’s lungs burned, but she had to be getting close to the end of the thirty-kilometer path. She was exhausted. Her feet bled through her sandals, and she knew she did not drink enough water. It was a hot and swampy summer day, even deep in the temperate forest. Bugs whirred around her, and she swatted them out of her eyes. Fei thanked the gods for the shade of the canopy. At least that helped. She stopped and listened.

Nothing. No dogs, no men. Only cicadas.

Quickly, she ran to the river and jumped in. Fei let herself cool off for a moment and washed her bloodied feet. She kept all her clothes on to clean them and to keep herself as cool as possible in the heat. The water was cold, and the current surprisingly strong. After washing, Fei cupped her hands and took a few drinks from the clear waters before returning to her journey. It was refreshing and crisp.

That was indulgent. I will not stop again until I reach the monastery walls.

Fei stepped out of the river onto the banks. She listened, and still, she heard nothing behind her.

No dogs, no men. Perhaps I lost them. Don’t count on it. Run.

The Governor, Guo Xue, took Chen Feiyan from her hometown of Loghua at age twelve. Loghua was a small coastal town that sat between the two larger but still meager port cities on the Xiao Empire’s southeastern coast. The people of Loghua were Daming farmers, fishermen, and people of the river that empties into the ocean. Her childhood was full of laughter and light. Fei’s family was small; two older brothers, a younger sister, and her parents. Her father, Chen Zhi, was one of the elders of Loghua and farmed fisheries. She remembered her father as a hardworking and honest man. Zhi had a soft spot for Fei. She was the first daughter in the family and could do no wrong in his eyes. Her father and her older brothers Chen Su and Chen Lan all worked together in the family business. Her mother, Lu Jiao, stayed at home with Fei and her sister Chen Meifang.

Meifang was the youngest, four years younger than Fei. She was loving and carefree—Fei’s mother, Lu Jiao, called Meifang Fei’s little shadow. At night, the girls snuck out of the home and ran out into the wheat fields of Loghua. On clear nights they’d look at the stars and imagine what existed in the sky. Fei told Meifang stories she heard from elders, or she would simply create her own.

Fei still remembered the morning Master Guo arrived in Loghua; it started like any other. The Chen family enjoyed plain steamed dough and egg for breakfast with soy milk. Her father and her brothers Chen Su and Chen Lan went to the fisheries shortly after breakfast. Fei’s mother asked Fei to go to the market for more rice, green onion, leafy greens, eggs, and more oranges. Meifang asked to go too, but their mother needed her in the kitchen. Fei knew all the stall owners at the small village market and enjoyed shopping for her mother. She burst out of the house and ran down the dirt road to the market, nearly knocking over an older woman in the process.

As she arrived at the market, Fei noticed a large crowd gathering around one of the stalls. It was Quan Tu’s stall, one of the fishmongers. She knew Quan Tu because her father sold supplied his fish. Uncle, as he went by, was a friendly man. Tall, with muscular forearms and a shaved bald head. He was physically strong for a simple fishmonger. Fei’s father said he was a fair man, too.

“Never tries to cheat you during negotiations,” she remembered him lecturing.

Fei saw Quan Tu talking with a man in elaborate robes, sitting on a beautiful young blue roan horse. A large crowd gathered around the men, including what looked like guards dressed in ornate green-plated armor.

Men at arms? Here?

“Please, governor, try some of our fish paste. Freshly made, we’re known for it.”

The man gestured towards one of his guards, who walked over and put out his hand. Quan Tu collected some pieces fresh out of the hot peanut oil and dropped them in a bowl. He ladled over some dark sauce and sprinkled some green onion over the bowl. Quan Tu placed the bowl in the guard’s outstretched hand. The guard took a piece from the hot bowl and ate it. He looked at his master and nodded before handing the bowl to Guo Xue.

I have never seen garments so elaborate. Or a horse that beautiful.

Light green silks with gold and black patterns adorned the man. Not tall, but not short either, Guo Xue was a broad-shouldered portly man with long black hair and a long mustache. He picked out a piece of fish paste with his fingers and dropped it into his mouth. Guo Xue licked his fingers as he finished chewing and handed the bowl down to the guard.

“Very good.”

Quan Tu waved his pleasantries aways, “Anytime, Governor. Your money is no good here.”

Guo Xue smiled, “I’m aware my money is no good here, thank you. I am here to collect money for his royal highness, the Xiao Emperor, not return coin to a small village.”

Governor Guo Xue surveyed the scene from atop his beautiful blue roan horse. He looked to his right and then slowly turned his head counterclockwise. When his gaze reached Fei, he paused.

“And who are you, young lady?”

Fei looked around before pointing at herself.

Surely this important man on the beautiful horse does not mean me.

Master Guo smiled at her and nodded.

“Chen Feiyan, sir, I live nearby. My father is a fisherman.”

Quan Tu cut in, “It’s true, her father is a great fisherman. He supplies my stall and pays his taxes on time. He will be looking for his daughter shortly,” he turned to look at Fei, “Little Fei, why don’t you run home to your mother now. She’s looking for you.”

“She sent me here to shop; I don’t think she’s expecting me back just yet, Uncle.”

Guo Xue slowly turned his head back to Quan Tu, “The fish paste was plenty, thank you. I’ve moved on from your stall.”

Uncle was not smiling anymore, and neither was Guo Xue; he looked back at her. Fei’s heart raced. She did not like attention, and now the whole crowd stared at her. Slowly, more and more began to gather around the man on the horse and his guards. A clamor rose from the onlookers. Fei watched other stall owners pause what they were doing to watch the scene unfold.

Fear started to take hold of her.

“I think I’d like to speak with you privately, my dear. Guards, please escort the lovely little Fei to my wagon.”

Fei backed away, “I’m sorry, sir, but I can not. My mother sent me to the market for supplies. I need to return home soon.”

Where is my Dad? Where are my brothers?

“I don’t think you understand,” Guo Xue beckoned his men, “Guards, please show her the way.”

The guards in the elegant green-plated armor advanced on her. She looked around for friendly faces.

The crowd is scared. Who is this man?

Uncle bowed his head and looked away.

“Uncle! Help me!”

Quan Tu, the fishmonger, did not raise his head.

Fei turned and ran. She ran as fast as she could through the crowded marketplace, using her small frame to duck under obstacles and weave in and out of traffic. Fei knew the market like the back of her hand and flew like the wind. She raced past the produce stalls and jumped into the chicken pen. There was more space through a chicken pen than through a crowd of people. Fei spotted an opening ahead into a field of long grass she knew would lead her back behind her house. As she ran, she turned her head and saw the guards were surprisingly close on her heels. Instead of weaving through the crowd like Fei, the guards shoved shoppers and stall owners aside as they ran.

Fei heard the guards yelling, “Stop! Stop in the name of Governor Guo Xue!”

Another yelled, “Stop now! Stop running!”

Fei saw the opening to the field ahead of her. She was close. As Fei ran towards the exit of the market, her foot gave way. She tripped over a stall and fell onto the ground. Panicked, Fei jumped to her feet and rushed ahead, but it was too late. She lost her momentum, and she felt the grip of multiple strong men grab onto her torso and legs. They picked her up and carried her back through the market. Familiar faces watched quietly. She was embarrassed and terrified.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

Fei thrashed and kicked.

“You’ll shut your mouth if you know what’s best for you.”

Fei pounded her fists on the back of the guard carrying her. But it was no use. His back was broad and covered in steel.

The last Fei saw of her village was from the back of Guo Xue’s wagon as it headed down the road towards Chogde. She noticed guards on horseback staying behind to block the road. She hoped her father and brothers wouldn’t come for her. The weapons the guards carried looked terrifying, and their green armor looked strong. It would be a losing fight.

As they turned the bend in the road and lost sight of Loghua, Fei began to cry.

Please come for me, Father.

It wasn’t for three years until Fei came of age that Master Guo Xue officially made her his concubine. Between being taken and being made a concubine, she lived a simple existence, confined to her quarters at the estate. She never saw her family or the village of Loghua again. Fei never learned the fate of her parents, her siblings, or the fishmonger Quan Tu.

Did Quan Tu or the other cowards at the market tell her family that they took her? Did they borrow horses from villagers and set off after the wagon? Did they even know what direction to go?

Fei ran deeper and deeper into the forest. It was colder now, and mist crept into the trees as the sun dove down the sky overhead. It was getting late. Fei needed shelter soon. Even in summer, it might be a cold night this deep in the forest and this high into the mountain. Fei noticed the slight incline of the path over the many kilometers she had now run. She knew there was an elevation gain. Had she stayed in Loghua her whole life, her father and mother would have taught her to survive in the wild. The Daming river folk were self-sustaining and free people. But a concubine’s life was a claustrophobic existence. Her legs were unfit, and her feet delicate.

As Fei turned a corner around a large beech tree, she spotted moss-covered stone rising off the path ahead to her left. She nearly screamed with excitement. Fei paused at the foot of the stone steps and listened. The wind picked up, and all she heard was the rustling of the forest trees.

No. No, Fei heard it again. Through the sound of the singing cicadas, the faint bark of hounds cut through the summer evening.

I did not lose them. Run.

Fei ignored the pain of her bloodied feet and sore legs and began the long ascent up the stone steps. She watched her footing as slippery dark green moss-covered many of the steps. The mist thickened around her. She could not see where the stone steps ended ahead of her.

After coming of age at fifteen, Chen Feiyan’s life was miserable. They confined her to the concubines’ residence and the gardens at her master’s estate. They expected her to remain clean and presentable should her master call for her. Master Guo’s visits could happen at any moment and usually included mild pleasantries before he would have her. He branded it “making love,” but she was always clear in her mind what it was. Fei remembered how her mother always warned her of mens’ eyes and told her that her body was her own.

“It will be your decision who to give it to when you get older. Never let a man take it from you,” her mother would say.

She was the third and latest woman Master Guo Xue took as a concubine. The eldest, Zhong Bai, was seven years older than Fei. She was a cynic and lazy. Zhong Bai often told Fei that lying on her back for the rich man twice a week was a low price for a life of leisure. Fei wasn’t sure what Zhong Bai enjoyed in life other than foreign wine and napping. She was tall, slender, and very fair of skin. Zhong Bai detested physical exertion and spent most of her life seated or lounged. The other, Duan He, was a naive fool. A year and a half younger than Fei, she idolized Master Guo. Fei wondered if Duan He even knew about her abduction from Loghua. Duan He believed herself to be lucky. She was the shortest of the three and curved, where Zhong Bai was slender. Her father was a poor farmer. Duan He said they ran into financial problems before gifting his daughter to Master Guo to settle his debts.

The madame of the estate, Tao Fu, was older than Master Guo and reminded Fei of the golden eagles of the south. Sharp of face, eye, and tongue, her responsibility was to watch over the three women. If they fell out of line, the madame Tao Fu faced equal punishment from Master Guo. Fei pitied her and hated her. She never met Master Guo Xue’s wife, the mother of his three male heirs. Keeping the concubines away from her was one of Tao Fu’s core responsibilities. Tao Fu was good at her work. Fei did not even know the names of Governor Guo’s wife and sons.

Even as her legs burned as she climbed higher up the stone staircase, Fei didn’t yearn for the estate. She did miss Loghua, though. Fei missed running down the dirt road to buy supplies for her mother. She missed the smell of her mother’s home-cooked meals and the playful banter of her older brothers Chen Su and Chen Lan. Fei longed for her little shadow, Meifang.

Still, she climbed higher. The hounds were within distance now. She didn’t have to stop and focus on hearing them anymore. Fei looked down but could not see the bottom. It looked like a bottomless pit of mist.

How close are they?

There was no time for fear. Instead, Fei climbed. Her body wanted to give way, but her mind would not let it.

Don’t you give up on me now; we’ve come too far. Never again. Never again.

Step after step, she climbed, and as she looked up, she finally saw what she thought might be the end. A large stone wall emerged out of the thick mist, standing twenty meters high above the mountain face itself. Fei watched the wall end to her left against the side of the mountain, but to her right, it stretched as far as she could see until it disappeared back into the mist. There were no lights on the wall, but she thought she could see light emanating up over the wall from the far side. Fei didn’t stop moving while looking at the monastery’s exterior. She made it. It felt too good to be true. As Fei grew closer up the steps, she noticed the entry, a large wooden door as tall as the wall itself. She rushed to reach it but stopped suddenly, and just in time. The steps of the staircase ended before they could reach the door. Between Fei and the door was a drop into the air and into the mist.

There must be a drawbridge to cross.

She didn’t have time. The hounds were getting closer.

Fei called, “Hello! Hello!”

I hope someone is awake.

She picked up a large rock from the earth on the side of the steps and hurled it at the door. It let out a loud thud.

She called again, “Hello! Please! I want to enter! I need help!”

The door let out a large creak as it slowly opened. Below Fei could hear the hounds clawing at the stone, climbing higher and higher up the steps. She looked over her shoulder and saw faint but clear outlines of torches ascending. In the doorway, Fei saw a slight figure but could not make it out in the mist.

“I heard you the first time,” the woman’s voice said in broken Daming.

“Please! They’re following me through the forest. I need shelter; I’ve heard of this monastery!”

Fei could now hear the footsteps of the men ascending below her now.

“Are those them? The men chasing you?”

She nodded, “Yes, yes.”

“And why do they seek you?”

“Please, there is no time!”

“There is time for my questions. I won’t be letting you through the gate without you answering them.”

“I’m a captive. I was taken from my home as a child and held as a slave for the last seven years. Please, I need protection; if they catch me, they’ll bring me back to my master, and who knows what he’ll do to me then.”

The men were approaching now. They were within distance.

Fei pleaded, “Please… please. I’m in your hands. If you help me, my life is in your debt.”

“How many are there?”

“I don’t know, ten? Fifteen at most. And dogs.”

“I can hear the dogs.”

She looked at the figure; her fate was in the figure’s hands. A second large creak began. A wooden bridge emerged from under the doorway, covering the gap between Fei and the gate.

“Come then, my child; we are a sanctuary for those in need. But know that once you cross this threshold, you can not return, not in this life at least.”

Fei didn’t hesitate; as soon as the wooden bridge was close enough, she jumped through the air and landed on the wood. Fei raced to the stone on the other side and ran through the gate and to the monastery’s safety. The door behind her did not close, and the bridge did not retreat.

“Pull it back, can’t you hear them!” Fei pleaded.

She stood behind the figure now, in the safety of the courtyard. The figure did not turn to face her. Instead, it walked out onto the bridge to meet the men ascending the stairs. Slowly, the figure pulled out a long slender blade from its cloak. It was a single-edged Heguri blade, like those Aso sold. The blade glistened through the darkness and the humid mist.

“You may go inside; I will finish here.”

From the courtyard, Fei watched the figure disappear into the mist. The moon emerged above them; the crescent, waning but bright.

How is it so bright here?

And yet, there were no torches. Moonlight lit the courtyard around Fei, but she could not see past the gate and the mist. The figure was gone.

Suddenly, two cloaked figures from inside the courtyard rushed past her, both carrying long blades. They flew past her as if they were gliding through the air without touching the ground.

That can’t be.

Like the first woman, they wore long, light blue silk cloaks, disguising their identity. Quickly they were out of sight, too, and through the gate.

Fei waited. First, there was no sound. Then she heard the men and their hounds arriving at the top of the steps. There was an argument, but Fei could not make out what was said. Suddenly she heard a man scream, followed by the unmistakable sound of steel on steel. Again and again, the blades clashed beyond her sight, and another man let out a blood-curdling yell. The hounds were growling and snapping; steel danced beyond her vision in the darkness of the mist.

Finally, after a minute of fighting, there was silence.

Fei stood still, ready for the men and hounds to rush through the open gate. There were simply too many of them for three women to fight. It was quiet for another long minute. The three cloaked figures emerged from the mist and into the courtyard, the waning moon illuminating them. She could not make out their faces, but their shimmering blades were dripping in blood.