山窮水盡
Shānqióng-shuǐjìn
Where the mountains and streams end.
At the end of one's rope.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I did not leave when Gakare arrived with his troops a week later, or when the rainy season turned to summer a week after that.

I did not know why I stayed. Often I would look at Kageyama's sword, and contemplate how I could hand it to the prince, and tell him it was time for me to go at last.

But I didn't.

Kageyama knew I would not leave the prince by himself, I thought. The damn fox planned it.

After Kageyama left, Sanli withdrew into himself. He was quieter, and hardly laughed or smiled at all. A preoccupied shadow of his usual self.

Just as he had done for me after Zakhar's death, I tried to find little ways to cheer the prince. I would bring him fresh baked bread, pretty rolls dyed pink with the juice of berries and smooth green cakes filled with melon paste. I got him up in the morning, insisted he dressed, and encouraged him to leave Kageyama's house at least once a day for a walk with me, to the nearby pond or the market.

It is like caring for a child, I thought. Did Kageyama think this as well?

It was time consuming, but I found caring for the little prince was not entirely unpleasant.

I made sure the prince didn't drink too much wine, as that seemed to trigger his worse moods. And knowing his propensity to not eat, I ensured he ate healthy and regulars, ordering from the best restaurants in the area.

It was receiving one such ordered meal that I learned of Sanli's brother's death.

"Why are you wearing a mourning band?" I asked the delivery man, pointing to the white cloth band around his left upper arm.

The man took my coin and then passed the lacquered boxes filled with our lunch and dinner to me with a bow. "Didn' you 'ear? The Regent is dead. Found stabbed to death in his own bedroom."

My eyes widened. "Who did it?"

The delivery man shrugged, bending to pick up the boxes from our meals from the day before. "Nobody knows. Investigating now though. The first prince has vowed not to take his father's position until the culprit is found. Nice of 'im, respecting his father like that, but it means the Green Kingdom doesn't have a leader now."

I doubt the move had been done out of 'niceness'. It was political. The delivery man offered a few more speculations and then left.

I made my way across the courtyard, lunchboxes in hand. The two soldiers from Zhangyu's guard who were on duty today were unknown to me, and I did not want to ask them. I would wait until Gakare came at the end of the day for the night shift to learn more.

It was early morning, but the sun was already hot on the pavers of the courtyard. I sighed with relief as I stepped into Kageyama's home. The thick wood beams of the building reached down to the stone foundations, which in turn reached down into the lake bed. It kept the inside of the house cool and pleasant.

Upstairs, I found Sanli awake and sitting on his bedroll, looking out onto the sunny morning canal.

"I have our food for the day," I told the prince, setting the boxes beside him. "Do you want to eat now?"

Sanli shook his head, eyes still on the sunny window. "I wonder if Sho Sensei has found Ermi," he said wistfully.

He already worries about so much. I do not want to tell him about his brother. I knew there was no love lost between Sanli and his older half brother, Xiangli, but I did not want to add to the prince's cares.

I will tell him later.

"It is a nice morning prince, why not go for a walk?"

"It is already so hot."

"If we go now, it will not be so very hot. And I do not want you to stay in the house all day."

Sanli reluctantly agreed.

We made our way out the courtyard, one of the guards tagging along behind. Winding our way through the narrow alleys, we eventually found ourselves on a moon bridge, its perfectly round arch rising high over the water so boats could pass beneath it.

Together the prince and I stood at the bridge's peak, looking down at the barges passing beneath us. Golden and orange carp flocked under the bridge, expecting treats.

I looked to one side, where the guard waited patiently. Just beside him an old man was selling paper packets of fish food from a basket hung about his neck.

"Just a moment prince."

I paid the old man for two bags, then returned, passing one to Sanli.

Sanli laughed. "You want to feed the fish? Like children?"

"You want to feed the fish. I can tell by the way you are looking at them."

We sprinkled the round green pellets into the water below. The carp rose to meet them, mouths gulping air and water and pellets alike. They jostled each other to get to the food, causing the cool sound of splashing to fill the morning air.

"Ao look! That one is a strange color. Almost turquoise. Like your mask."

I looked at the green water where the little prince's finger was pointing. "I see nothing. And carp cannot be turquoise. You must have seen something else."

"No, it's right there! Can't you see it?"

I squinted. There were many jokes accusing dragons of having poor sight. I detested such jokes. We had simply adapted to the ocean, where sight mattered little.

But I was human now, so my sight was as a human's was. And still I could not see what the prince was pointing to.

A barge passed beneath us, blocking our view of the water. Sanli sighed and leaned against the stone ledge of the bridge beside me, elbow touching mine.

We were quiet, listening to the whir of summer cicada and the soft water sounds of the canal beneath us. I overheard snatches of conversation from people passing over the bridge behind us, simple happy things like what they would eat for their evening meal, and where melons were selling cheap.

"Do you know Ao, it is a year ago today we met you in Nan'ye," Sanli said suddenly.

It was? Has it already been that long? Or had it only been that long? I could not tell if the time felt long or short. It felt as though I had always known the prince. And Kageyama. And Zakhar. I could not imagine not knowing them.

Ermi and Zhangyu as well. Even that annoying rabbit.

I remembered something. "Did you know, that Ermi was in love with the fox?"

Sanli nodded. "Haha, yes I knew."

"Does he know?"

"Oh definitely not. Or he would be even more awkward around her." Sanli grinned, elbow nudging mine. "Mu'ren, can't see what is right before them."

"There is no such thing as a turquoise carp, prince."

*~*~*~*~*~*

By the time we returned, sweat was running in a trail down my back bone and beading under my breasts.

I hated the feeling. I wondered if I should bathe now, or later, before sleeping. It was a pain here, with no servants. I had to draw the water from the well, and carry it to the low wing that served as both bathhouse and outhouse myself. Perhaps I could convince the prince or the guards to do it for me...

My thoughts of bathing ceased the moment we entered the courtyard. The single guard we had left behind had multiplied by twenty. Gakare stood beneath the cherry tree, his huge form bent as he talked to...

"Zhangyu!" cried Sanli, starting forward. "Why are you here? Did you find Ermi?"

Zhangyu turned, and I instantly felt a pang in my stomach. Something is wrong. I was suddenly very conscious that I had left Kageyama's sword upstairs, beside the chest in my room.

Zhangyu's face was solemn as we approached.

"What's wrong?" Sanli asked fearfully, seeing Zhangyu's face. "Ermi, is Ermi..."

"We do not have a lot of time," Zhangyu began, speaking rapidly. "I cannot explain everything, so you must trust me. The tigress is on her way here now. She and my mother intend to frame you for Uncle Xiangli's death-"

Sanli staggered mid stride. "What? What are you talking about?"

Zhangyu grunted. "You don't know? Your older brother is dead. The Regent was found dead at his estate in the Central Regions a week ago, with knife wounds in his chest."

"Wh-what?" Sanli's shock caused him to pale. I cursed silently. Now I wish I had told him earlier.

"I don't have time to explain," Zhangyu continued. "My fiancé is on her way here now, with fake evidence she and my mother have trumped up against you. Before she can use it, I intend to try you and find you innocent. You cannot be tried for the same crime twice."

"But- but- I didn't kill Xiangli," said Sanli dumbly. The prince's arms and legs were shaking.

My heart twisted for the prince. I stepped forward and threw an arm protectively between him and Zhangyu.

"This is nonsense. You know he did no such thing. He was here, in Luzhou, with me. How could he have gone to the Central Regions? And  why would he want to kill his brother in the first place?"

Zhangyu frowned at me. "You cannot be here, when the tigress arrives."

"Don't ignore me! What is the basis of your accusation?!"

Zhangyu looked away. "Kageyama Sensei was caught leaving the scene of the Regent's murder with a bloody knife."

I chilled. This. They will tie this back to Sanli.

"Sho- Sho Sensei? Is he ok? Where is he?" said Sanli. His arms and legs were shaking so badly now I feared he would collapse. I grabbed one arm to steady him.

"I am sorry. But please just trust me," said Zhangyu. He still did not look at I or the prince. Then he held up a hand. "Guards, arrest my Uncle, Third Prince of the Green Kingdom, for conspiracy against the Green Throne and the murder of the Regent. Take him to the cells in the royal residence. He will face trial tomorrow morning."

Guards immediately stepped forward, grabbing each of Sanli's arms. Sanli tried to shake them off, but shock had made him weak.

"Let him go!" I shouted, elbowing away the arms that sought to grab me as well.

"Restrain her, and keep her here, until this is over. She must not meet with the tigress." Zhangyu said. Then to me, "I am sorry. Please understand I am doing this for my Uncle's sake."

"You are doing this for YOUR sake," I snarled back, kicking at one of the guards who held me. He doubled over, clutching his groin, but another stepped forward to take his place.

I watched as Zhangyu's guards took Sanli's seal from about his neck, and Tenzetsuto from his belt. Then they lifted his hands before him, and fixed them through a set of wooden stocks, scribed with zih to prevent breaking and to weaken the wearer.

It was the same thing used to restrain common criminals, murderers and horse thieves.

"Stop!" I cried. I struggled, but one of the guards lifted me easily over his shoulder, while another bound my hands behind me, followed by my arms and ankles.

Sanli did little to resist, still in shock. But when they started to lead him from the courtyard, he tried to turn around, eyes desperately searching for me.

"Ao? Ao, where are you? Ao!?"

I struggled against my bonds, screaming at the guards to put me down.

"Take her inside, and keep her here," Zhangyu said, turning away to follow Sanli and the other guards out of the courtyard.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I fought Zhangyu's guards every step of the way. Up the stairs, and along the hall. I succeeded in kicking one of them in the jaw, and head butted another in the nose.

All that did was make them extra happy to throw me into my own room and bolt the door behind me.

I rolled on the wooden floor, struggling to sit up. My hands had been bound behind me using soft linen rope, and my arms around my middle. My ankles had been bound together as well.

Quickly I scooted across the floor to where Kageyama's sword leaned against the chest.

I knocked the sword to the floor, wincing at the clatter it caused. I froze, hearing the guards positioned outside my door shift, but they did not come in to check on me.

Fools. You should have checked the room. I will be gone before you can blink.

Using my body as an anchor, I pushed at the guard of Mutou with my chin, trying to unsheathe the sword and expose the sharp blade that Kageyama claimed could cut anything. I cut my chin a little in the process. I cursed quietly to myself as I felt a clean pain, and then warm drops dribbling from my chin and down my neck. But at last the blade came free.

Now, sword exposed, I maneuvered my body, trying to find the blade again with my hands bound behind my back. My fingers closed on cool metal, and quickly but carefully, I started to pull the sword up and down against my bonds.

I had not been sleeping in this room since Kageyama had left, and my room was dark, the only light coming from a thin line of daylight that snuck through the gap in the wooden shutters and the bright white glow from Sanli's guard dog seal. They are intruders. The seal had already begun to fade though, and the light was not so bright as when he had first scribed it weeks ago.

Finally I felt the linen around my hands loosen. I took a moment to rest, breathing heavily, then started on the bonds tying my arms to my sides. When they were free, I took Kageyama's blade and easily sliced the linen ropes around my ankles.

Then I stood, sheathing the blade.

Time to go.

The door to the hall was guarded. I could try to fight my way out, but did not want to risk capture again. They would tie me tighter this time, and take away the sword.

I put my ear to the wooden sliding door that led out onto the balcony of my room, overlooking the canal. I heard movement.

Someone must have exited Kageyama's room and now stood guard there. Wise of them.

I musn't give them time to catch me.

I clasped Mutou in one hand, thumb on the guard to hold the blade in the sheath. I looked around my low room, wondering if I needed anything else.

Not really, no.

Clasping Mutou, I threw the door to the balcony open.

The guard had a second to turn his head before I had leapt to the rail of the balcony, and then thrown myself out, over the canal.

I hung for one moment, surrounded by blazing morning sun, and then fell down, down-

-with a great splash I sunk into the cool green world of the canal. I could not see them, but I imagined the carp scattering with my arrival.

I turned, quickly kicking out and heading for the lotus filled lake. Above me I could hear the shouts of Zhangyu's soldiers from the balcony, felt their eyes searching the water for my form.

I kicked myself deeper, Mutou held out before me in one hand, trusting the murky water to hide me.

When I reached the lake I pulled myself amongst the slimy stems of the lotuses and then surfaced, gasping breath.

My gasps echoed off the leather undersides of the huge leaves. But as I had predicted, they hid me from view.

I watched from my hiding spot as Zhangyu's guards frantically ran from balcony to balcony of the house, looking down at the canal. When I did not surface, they returned into the house, and I heard them spilling into the courtyard a moment later, to continue the search through the city.

I grasped Mutou tight in one hand. I took a deep breath then dove once more, kicking off through the clinging stems. I needed to reach my destination before the soldiers did.

*~*~*~*~*~*