Where the Wind Blows

Whispers

Making their way to the medical tent as ordered, her companion, the same one who had hauled her into his own line, was almost gushing down in excitement at what he had just witnessed, though the tears that were still raining down his face and the angry trembling of the clenched fists at his side had him lowering his excitement a little.

"Don't cry Little Blossom, that was an amazing display.  Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked, knowing the same question would be on the lips of everyone who had been lucky enough to witness it.  Not only had the boy driven their War God across the full perimeter of their training ground with speed and agility none of them possessed, but to have actually managed to keep to his feet for as long as he did, was an accomplishment none of them could dare to hope for.

Looking at him briefly, her mind instantly tried to shut him out.  Tall, and clean shaven, his long black hair was only partially top knotted on his head, the rest had been left to flow freely about him.  Large in stature, he dwarfed her, but then, they all did.  "What is your name?" she asked to steer him away from the question having no idea how to answer him considering his eyes had yet to leave her face.

"Huan Lao-Tzu or you can call me Xuěbào" he said in reference to the snow leopards his people raised in the far south where he was from.

 "Ahh so you're from the South.  I have never been there." she said softly as they entered the medical tent.  

Making her way to the medical officer behind the desk who rose at her entry, he took one look at her bloodied arm and the slight limp, before he ordered her to the small pallet on the other side of the room.

Turning to thank her companion for his assistance expecting him to leave, to her horror he waved it away and began to follow her.  Having thought that would be the end of the prying, not only did he continue to question her training, the medical officer had  forced her down onto the pallet.   But the moment he had his hands on her open gown with the intention of removing it, her own snapped up sharply to stop him.

Yanking it closed, she glared at him.  "What do you think you're doing" she asked completely taken aback by the mans sudden attempt to disrobe her while thoroughly forgetting where she was.

"Your arm." he said softly, but the way he was looking at her, instantly put her on edge.  If he opened his magic enough to scan her body with more than just a quick glance, he would see more than she cared to exhibit.

Her form was male, but being wounded had lessened the effect of her barrier, if his energy was strong enough, he would not only see the barrier but possibly what it was hiding and she had no intention of allowing him to see anything but her arm.

Forcing herself up into a sitting position, she allowed the man to remove the top robe only in order to heal her arm, the rest she would take care of herself.  And it didn't take too long for him to close the wound with a little magic before cleaning and bandaging it.

"Little Blossom, no one here has the kind of skills you possess, is that why you share the tent with Lord Ye Hua." he asked.  It would explain the Crown Princes interest in the boy, one they had all assumed was for carnal pleasure, but now he wasn't so sure.  

"Uhh, I share it because all the other tents are full." she answered which merely gained her a frown because he knew for a fact, there was enough room to take at least 10 more recruits and with the new trainees being prepared in Qing Qiu, even more space would be made available.

If that was what The Crown Prince had told the boy, then he had no right to correct him, he thought to himself, but it only added one more mystery to a fast growing one.  Unknown to Bai Qian, the men had discussed their thoughts on the boys presence, because they all knew no child would have made it past the recruitment desk unless he was either there for the Crown Princes personal pleasures, or there was something exceptional about him, and having just witnessed a display none would have thought possible, it was clear now which option it was.