He could not stop staring. Zen was still asleep, his breathing calm and quiet as he rested his head against his shoulder. Their new feline addition, Xisheng, was curled up tightly in his guard's lap, its whiskers twitching every so often as it dreamed.

I wonder how long its been since you've been able to rest, little one, he thought as he quietly reached over and pet the little cat for a moment. Unsurprisingly, it didn't stir at all, but when Qi removed his hand and returned his attention to Zen, the man was staring up at him with sleepy, half-lidded eyes.

I swear I will never get tired of simply existing with you.

"Shall we continue on our way?" Qi asked with a warm smile.

Zen was quick to stand up, but also careful not to jostle the sleeping cat in his arms. It mewed a few times until it was repositioned, comfortably tucked within Zen's robe.

"I... did not think I would ever be jealous of an animal," Qi said, unintentionally voicing his thoughts.

When he realized what he'd said, he quickly dismantled the barrier around them and took Zen's hand, tugging him forward so that they could put the words behind themselves.

While he felt he needed to return to the north and face his newfound situation, Qi knew that it would likely solve nothing. It would also put his Zen in danger, and he refused to do such a thing.

South, then.

That direction also wasn't a great idea, since Lee Shaan's tribes ruled the lands to the south of the forest, but they had few other options, and none of them were much better. Besides, if they could somehow find prince Yuen and manage to rescue him from the Didui tribe, they might stand a better chance at surviving.

He was beginning to consider the safest route of action for their plan when he felt Zen's hand grab his wrist, making him stop right before he would have walked right off of a small ridge.

"It seems as if my mind is not with me today," he said, a faint hint of humor to his words as he took a few steps away from the edge, then allowed Zen to guide him around the obstacle.

They could have easily jumped down, but neither wished to wake Xisheng. So, they took the long way around, which was actually a good idea since it allowed Qi to collect enough wild berries and herbs along their way to make a reasonable-enough meal for them to share.

By the time they reached the outer edge of the forest it was close to nightfall. Very few creatures appeared during their trip, and those that were threatening were easy enough to avoid. What bothered him, though, and for good reason, were the soldiers from the Han army that were patrolling along the forest's border. They didn't step inside, but they didn't need to.

"I cannot make you invisible, too," Qi whispered, more out of frustration than anything.

Zen knew that he could not cast his spell on him. It only worked for himself... but then, how could they possibly get through so many men?

Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Qi turned to face the man beside him. Almost immediately, Zen pointed at his hand, requesting to write. Qi gave it to him, palm up. He was eager to know if his Zen had some sort of idea that could get them past the guards.

He had been excited to see what he had come up with, but as Zen continued to write, Qi's smile fell into a frown. Before he could even finish, and even though it was quite rude, Qi retracted his hand.

His sudden action made Zen look up, a frown on his previously-excited face. He couldn't deny that the man's idea was likely the best shot they had, but he also did not want to think about ever putting it into action. Instead of even commenting on it, Qi turned and headed back toward the deeper part of the woods, making Zen hurry behind him to keep up. He was unjustly upset, mad even, that Zen had told him to leave him in such a place and go find prince Yuen first.

He would have stomped all the way back to the tree they had rested against earlier in the day except that a firm hand grabbed his wrist again, forcing him to stop, then slowly turn around.

Zen reached forward at that moment and abruptly yanked one side of Qi's robe aside, making it fall from his shoulder before he pressed his pointer finger to his warm skin and quickly wrote.

"I am not going to let you sit here with me until we get eaten alive by beasts. Go find his highness and bring him back!"

Qi's eyes widened as he processed Zen's angry words. He'd never seen him so upset, and his anger was directed at him, of all people. It really hurt.

It seemed like Zen noticed how his words had affected him and considered reaching for his hand to say something else, but thought better of it. Instead, he lifted his own hand and pointed back toward the entrance to the forest.

I don't want to leave you two here...

For the first time in his life, he felt like a chastised child as he slowly turned around and began inching his way back toward the opening. Zen followed him, but he was walking slightly behind him on his left side... one of the spots he normally took when guarding him on their journeys together.

When they made it back to the edge of the forest Qi turned to face Zen, blinking away tears that were threatening to spill over. He knew that Zen wouldn't be easy to harm with his spiritual energy finally restored, but it still terrified him to just leave his most important person behind in a dark, dangerous forest. If that pack of cats came back...

He unintentionally allowed himself to get lost in thought until he felt Zen grab the side of his robe that he had previously pulled off, then gently lift it to settle back upon his shoulder. Once that was done he lifted his eyes back to Qi's, a light shining in them that made his heartbeat flutter in his chest.

Feeling Zen's finger press against the opening in his robe, Qi focused on reading what he was writing, but it became impossible to think as Zen leaned forward and sealed his lips over his own.

He hesitated for only the briefest moment before pulling his love into his arms and deepening the kiss. Nothing he'd ever had before tasted as sweet as his Zen, but before he could truly savor what would be their last kiss for some time, a strong zap of electricity had them both staggering away from each other, with Zen tripping over a tree root and falling into a thick pile of damp leaves in the process.

Qi hurried forward once he'd regained his balance, confused as to what had happened... until he noticed the little Shandian cub poking its head out from Zen's robe, growling as little zips of electricity danced along its whiskers.

He wasn't exactly sure how to respond to the frustrated creature, so Qi simply waited until Zen was back on his feet.

"Are you alright? I suppose he wasn't very happy being between us," Qi said, feeling a faint blush cover his face when he realized that he'd probably woken the creature up when he pulled Zen up against him.

"I apologize, Xisheng," he added as Zen brushed leaves from his robe and smiled.

That simple smile made Qi want to pull him right back to him, but he knew that he couldn't. Not yet, anyways. So, instead, he turned toward the opening in the forest and smiled sadly.

"I will return for you both shortly."

Looking over his shoulder, he grinned at the little cub.

"I'm counting on you, little one. Take care of our Zen."

It hissed in return, but then settled back down as Zen wrapped his arms around his chest, hugging the creature to him.

Knowing that he would struggle to leave if he did not do so now, Qi bid them one final farewell before casting his invisibility spell on himself, then stepping out of the massive forest. He knew that the simple spell wouldn't keep him safe from everything, but it would at least allow him to maneuver past the guards patrolling about, as well as possibly last until he got close to Lee Shaan's territory. After that, he'd need to rest before he began scoping out an entry point to the Didui tribe.

A smile formed on his face as he began walking through the throngs of unsuspecting soldiers, undeterred by the next set of trials he was soon to face.

I will find prince Yuen and I will bring him back. Then we will set right what has been wrong for so many years...