Lady Earthquake

Lady Earthquake Chapter19

"I think I should tell Uncle Mo about all this."

"Is his opinion so important?" Sun-Sin asked.

"He is the nearest thing to family that I have. I should find out what he thinks."

"What if he tries to talk you out of it?"

Ban-Li shook his head. "My mind is made up. I will travel with you. Nothing will sway me otherwise."

"You are decisive. I remember that about you. Do you remember when I tried to give you my old cloak?"

"I was rude; I am sorry."

"It was a valuable lesson in pride."

"Mine?"

"No, mine. It taught me that I might have the best intentions but could still hurt someone's feelings. I walked around sore in spirit for days."

"I did not mean to do that, your highness," Shu Ban-Li said, turning his eyes away. "I was thoughtless."

"We were both very young." Sun-Sin looked out at the courtyard, judging the time by the shadows. "There is a muster and drill before noon. I thought it was later than this. You go to your uncle's and have your talk. Then bring your horse to the parade grounds just outside the Northeast gate. We will put him through his paces and see if he is the right one to bring along."

"You will find no flaw in Tienma," Ban-Li said with a toss of his head not unlike a horse's. "More than I can say for the rider."

"Tienma? Named in honor of me, no doubt?"

"Well, he can be stubborn but brush him nicely and he is pretty to look at."

"I thank you," Sun-Sin with an ironically flattering deep bow.

Ban-Li, young enough to show happiness in movement, tore back to the rooms he and Mo rented as though he rode a fiery phoenix. Halfway up the stairs, his thoughts slowed his feet so that he finished the last dozen steps like a sober elderly man. For the first time, he realized he could not have it both ways...that he would be forced to sacrifice either Sun-Sin or Uncle Mo.

If he had more time to think, perhaps he could come up with a middle path. Just as he was about to turn around to seek a half-hour to wrestle in thought at an inn, the door to their rooms opened. "There you are! Where have you been? I cannot tell you how worried I was, coming home this morning and you nowhere to be found."

Bowing his head to the storm, Ban-Li went inside. Between exhortations to eat the leftover food Mo had brought home from the celebration of the Double-Ninth festival and his lamentations over not knowing where his charge had gone, Mo hardly had attention to spare for Ban-Li's explanation. "It is not like you to be so inconsiderate! Anything might have happened to you and I would not know. What if you had gotten in trouble? You might have fallen in the river or been trampled by a runaway horse. Or even arrested! There was a big fight outside the temple yesterday evening. What if you got mixed up in something like that?"

"I did."

"A person on their own must be careful in a city...what did you say?"

"I did get arrested. Two men forced a fight on me. It turned out all right, though. We were all three thrown in jail overnight."

The old sergeant laughed uncertainly. "You should not make such a joke of my fears, Young...Master."

"It is not a joke. I fought with two of the famous Wild Hawks."

The worried eyes searched all over the once-spotless gray suit of clothes. "Where did you get wounded?"

"Nowhere. I am not hurt. Neither are they. Maybe a little bruised. But that is not the best part." Ban-Li reached out and put a hand over Mo's clasped ones. "They took me to their leader. I am so happy. I found my best friend again, after five years of waiting."