112 Dispatching

Bǎo held her in his arms. He'd wrapped her in the soft blanket he had brought with him, ever hopeful she would still be alive.

She trembled and moaned in her sleep, reliving the experiences of her ordeal. 

With each tremble Bǎo's anger grew. He couldn't hear any of the words being said around him, all he could hear was a rising tide of anger, of disgust, of abject hatred. Looking down into Xin's sleeping face, he made up his mind. Lying her down, gently by the fire, he stood up and grabbed a sword. The swordsman looked up but said nothing. He watched as Bǎo walked toward the hut and went inside.

Talking outside fell away as the screams and pleading came from inside the place. Bǎo was dishing up his own retribution. 

Then a loud crash came from inside and the screaming became louder, more hysterical, the pleading even more urgent.

Bǎo walked out leaving a deep, orange glow, growing behind him. As he walked away he didn't look back as the place erupted in flames, and the final screams of dying men could be heard behind him. 

The sword dripped with fresh blood; Bǎo's face an impassive neutrality. "They won't be passing any information on. Come let's move, time to get my lady back for much needed treatment."

With that, he bent down and lifted the small scrap of humanity onto his back and tied her there so she wouldn't fall. Then, gathering his bundle and pouch he stood waiting for the rest to follow suit. 

We'd found three of her pride still alive. Badly beaten and cut, they had been hog tied and thrown behind the hut. They heard it all and were helpless. Now there was a look of black anger their eye. Once their wounds were healed I would take them on and retrain that emotional power into a controlled direction, but until then, " you three, help the ones we found. Take it in turns to support them back, they'll need medical help as soon as we can get it." Each had been branded. No, they would never forgive or forget the men of Mu.

I touched Bǎo's arm. "Let's take it steady, we don't want to jog her around. She'll need to stay sleeping if she's to stay out of pain. It took us half a day at a jog, it'll take us a day to walk back. Let's send runners back to Shipao. Second Master, I mean Colonel Chen can send a wagon and a physician; they could meet us part way."

Bǎo nodded. He hadn't spoken since he'd seen Xin. His silence worried me. I looked at Hao, he just shook his head as if to say, 'let it go. He'll recover as she does.' I nodded as Hao sent two runners ahead of us.

Once more,  we were walking out of the pine forest. I knew it wouldn't be the last. The hut finally burst into a blazing torch and the screaming stopped. We watched as it collapsed in on itself.

I knew there would be consequences for this and the ripple effect through Twin Hammers would take this incursion to another level. Most of the serving soldiers had passed through Xin or my hands at some point; they all knew and loved her.

Hao had been silent too and I wondered what was on his mind. He watched me as I looked over in his direction. It was a look I couldn't identify.

Turning back to face the way home, I let my mind wander, settling back into a gently flowing river. I swam out to its centre and let my mind relax. I had done all I could, all I wanted to do. Now I was of more use, calm and emotion free. Xin was rescued and the men had payed a price before death. I wanted to find that stability of thought so when Xin woke up, I could be of most use to her. I could be that calming voice which would lull her back to sleep. I could tell her of the house in the hills behind the forge and the stream running past it, leading to a lake of water lilies and large, fat fish. I smiled at the thought and drifted into that lake, washing my hair, playing in the waters with Xin and catching our breakfast. 

One day we will do that again.

I stopped abruptly, bringing my senses to the here and now. 

We were being followed.

The daylight hadn't reached yet, but there would be enough to make out....

I turned to Hao, "the torching of the hut has attracted attention. Were being followed."

Although he couldn't hear or sense them, he trusted my skills and nodded. "Let's send Bǎo and his men on, they must get Xin to safety." I nodded. Hao walked ahead and I saw him talking with Bǎo. He stiffened but nodded and drew his men around him. Bǎo gave the gesture to keep moving, but be alert.

I automatically dropped to a crouching position and those who saw, came over and did the same. "We have attracted unwanted attention," I felt the men bristle. "Yes, you'll get your first blood but we must be careful. No injuries, no passing this point." I looked around and they nodded. Hao came over and, dropping to a crouch looked at the men. "We have a job to do." The nodded with affirmation, "bowman, take your positions, swordsmen, strategic placement. Niao?" He didn't know whether to tell me what to do or defer.

"Let me have four bows, four swords. We'll scout round the back and box them in. Any who think of returning, won't."

All nodded, "good plan. Okay, take those who know you best, I can't have both our warrior women being harmed."

 

There hadn't been too many following but they would probably be missed eventually. We dispatched them in the forest, allowing the ants to do their work. None were alive. We didn't need anyone being attracted by their calls. They were far enough back too, so their rotting corpses wouldn't be noticed. The swordsmen had separated their heads from their bodies and carried them almost like trophies away from the scene. I raised an eyebrow.

"I presume you will dispense with these promptly and not on display either. I want nothing left behind which could attract their unwanted aggression." Hao said as he looked at the gruesome sight. He wanted so much to display them on spikes but this was not the best way. There were others and they would put them in place. This on-going battle would come to an end and he and his troops would go home so as to do the same there. It was time to speak with his brother.

 " Throw them deep into the pines and let the ants eat their brains out."

"Sir."

With that, body and soul had been separated; these men would not get to the other side but wander as ghosts, stuck in the forest which had proved their undoing.