Delivering My Love

Chapter 1

Zan Yu tucked his waterskin into the side of his leather satchel and shouldered his bag. He gazed over to where his siblings laid on their cots, pretending to be asleep. His little brother had mashed his eyes shut and his youngest sister had her hand covering hers. He felt his dimpled smile emerge when a watchful eye peeked through her small fingers. His other sister, however, was unabashedly staring at him as he approached the door. He hesitated, communicating with her wordlessly as they shared one last goodbye. She nodded at him, her long brown hair slipping from behind her ear. Pulling the cloak over his head, he opened the door.

The night wind was soothing— definitely more welcome than the blistering heat of the day. The trees of the awaiting forest whispered in his ears. He made his way across the grounds, growing more anxious with each uneasy step. They would be looked after. He was promised that. Still, he had never left them alone for more than a few days. He had no clue how long he would be gone this time.

He felt his forehead dampen with sweat, plastering his brown curls against his skin. The earth beneath his feet grew darker. Spots of green and yellow faded to brown. Centuries of horses' hooves had eroded away the grass that had once probably grown here— though he had never seen it— when he finally reached the stables. His nose crinkled slightly from the lingering stench escaping through the gaps of the structure. The moonlight dimmed as he stepped through the open doors into the wooden building.

Distant sounds of a woman talking softly floated to his ears. He passed stalls with stallions and mares of a variety of colors, gleaming jet black and chestnut coats blurring in the corner of his eyes. His pace slowed as he reached the back of the stables where another set of doors remained askew.

"Promise me you'll stay behind and look after father. He pretends he doesn't need you, but we both know who gave you those treats while I was gone in the spring. You got so fat, it took us weeks to slim you down. I told him not to do that again, but he claimed that he 'didn't know what I was talking about.'" A bark responded to her words, and laughter filled the air. Zan Yu stopped when he reached the final stalls.

A woman crouched in a stall with a brown mare who had riding saddles already strapped around her back. A large, excited dog had jumped up to lick the woman's face, its wagging tail thumping against the mare's back legs. The mare seemed unfazed, as if she was used to the canine's behavior. The woman giggled as the dog lapped at her face, holding the dog tight against her for a moment before letting go. Zan Yu waited where he was, not wanting to disturb their goodbye.

"I love you. I'll be back, okay?" The woman stood and swiveled towards him, jumping and cursing when she saw him. Zan Yu backed away, hands in the air. "F*ckin' sh*t! You scared me! How long were you standing there? Why didn't you say anything?" Her hand pressed against her throat as she tried to slow her breathing. Her curly, frizzy brown hair was tied up, away from her face. She wore lightweight clothing— a white blouse and brown riding pants. Her riding jacket hung on the corner of the stall door with her satchel mostly hidden underneath.

"I didn't want to interrupt your goodbyes. I just wanted to give you privacy," he stammered. The woman stared at him for a moment, and then peered down at the innocent face of her panting follower.

"Shu, you knew he was here, didn't you? Why didn't you say anything? What if he was going to kill me?" The dog joyfully barked at her and then trotted over to Zan Yu, wagging its tail expectantly. He grinned and reached down to pet it. "This is exactly why I'm not bringing you along. The only good you would do is dinner if we can't find food," she muttered so the dog would hear, but it was too busy enjoying the attention of its new friend.

"Shu, huh? Boy or a girl?" he asked, scratching the dog's belly as the woman put on her jacket. He liked dogs, and so did his siblings. Though they had begged him for one time after time, he had remained firm. They did not have the resources to take responsibility for another being. In compromise, they visit the kingdom kennel every Sunday which they all thoroughly enjoyed.

"Girl. She's fairly young, she'll be double her size when she's done growing," she replied, tugging her long hair out from where it had been tucked inside of her jacket. He felt a pang in his heart as her hair reminded him of his sister. After pulling the strap of her satchel over her head and adjusting it to settle against her hip, she whistled for Shu. The dog tumbled to her feet and whined at her owner.

"I'll be back. I always come back," the woman murmured, patting Shu's head one last time before whistling again, this time lower. Shu licked the woman's hand before trotting down towards the exit from where Zan Yu had come in earlier. They watched Shu leave in silence, and Zan Yu waited until they could no longer see Shu in the little light that broke through the gaps in the roof.

"I'm Zan Yu, are you the navigator?" he asked, turning back to the woman. She stared at him for a moment. This cloak was surely coming off as soon as he got into the forest. He shifted his feet, unsure of whether or not to speak again.

"I am Jingfei Ying, and yes, I will be leading our group." She hesitated, once again looking him over. "What is your family name?"

"Jiang." She paused briefly, then nodded.

"You're a servant, aren't you? You have siblings. You left them alone?" she asked, her tone a bit softer.

He swallowed. Was she supposed to know this much about him?

"My mother worked in the kitchens, but she passed away. I have three, and the cabinet promised to take care of them while I'm gone." Her intense hazel eyes saddened. He had thought that she already knew his mother was dead because of her last question.

She turned away, reaching for the mare's reins.

"This is Ms. Ma," she said, brushing a hand against the mare's mane.

She kept her back to him as she led the mare out of the stall and out the stable doors. He followed behind her.

"You have the package? I'm only going to ask once, so make sure you remember to keep track of it," she said over her shoulder. His hand flew to his side, patting against the worn leather, relaxing when he felt the curve of the scroll.

"Yes, I do. I know my duty," he responded. They stopped just outside of the doors, where two dark stallions had been tied to wooden posts.

"Which one will I be riding?" a deep voice asked from behind them. They both jumped, this time disturbing the mare, who tossed her head. Jingfei shushed the horse, stroking her mane before speaking to the man.

"Your choice, Tai Shi." The man nodded before striding over to the stallions. The moonlight shone brightly, and yet the straight locks of hair that hung just above his eyes seemed to completely absorb the light. The cloak he was wearing must have been as heated as Zan Yu's.

Tai Shi was slightly taller than Zan Yu, and that was all Zan Yu could tell about the man. Tai Shi swung himself on top of his selected horse, tugging on the reins to keep the stallion in place. He leaned forward and appeared to whisper to the horse for a few moments before straightening.

"Come with me," Jingfei said, snapping Zan Yu's focus away from Tai Shi.

"Your stallion is An," she introduced. She led him to An, pulling a wooden stool over when he struggled to climb on. He was grateful for the cloak shielding his face from further embarrassment if they saw him blushing.

When he was finally seated on top of the horse, he tugged the cloak over his head, fully concealing his face. That was one of the requirements— adequately hiding their identities at least until they were deep into the forest. Jingfei, now astride Ma, came as close as the horses allowed her before taking off towards the forest. Tai Shi swiftly followed and Zan Yu trailed after him.

They soon reached the edge of the forest, the trees now towering in front of the moon, pulling the light away much like Tai Shi's hair had done. Jingfei whistled two times, both low and deep. She slowed, waiting. Just as Zan Yu reached them, a sharp whistle called back. Jingfei started up again and the group slipped into the woods, making their way between the trees. Zan Yu's heart squeezed inside his chest as he threw one last goodbye back to the children sleeping on the floor. The light shuttered out, and he focused his eyes on Tai Shi's back. The hooves thumping against the forest floor matched his heart, a drum that sounded his fears and promises that he hoped no one could hear.