The Wandering God

41 Walk In The Snow To View The Flowering Plum 1/3

踏雪尋梅
Tà xuě xún méi
To walk in the snow to view the flowering plum.
Enjoy plum blossoms in winter.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The season started to change, and with it, the relationships in the cabin.

"Is it true... that you once defeated a whole army with a toss of your head?" Sanli asked me, as we sat around the table in the cabin one day, playing with the faded five color cards.

"A toss of my head?" I snorted. "That is ridiculous. Why would you even waste your breath asking if that is true?"

Now that all the men knew of my hidden identity, Sanli had taken to asking me questions at odd moments like this when I could not escape.

He had always been curious about my past, but I couldn't help but feel that his questions seemed to have become more... intrusive, as of late. More demanding.

"It isn't?" Sanli persisted. "You didn't slay a thousand soldiers with a single glance?"

"Of course not!" I said, exasperated.

Outside it was snowing hard. Recently the snow had been starting to thin, till in places our boots would sink down to hard earth. Today it seemed winter, ashamed of its shabby appearance, had decided to paint the world fresh white.

"What about the story where you—"

"Oi, San, why don't you let her relax and enjoy the game, alright?" Zakhar stepped in.

"Why don't you pay more attention to your cards? Perhaps then you wouldn't always lose to me so badly," Sanli retorted.

Zakhar glared but said nothing.

"I'm going to win this hand," said Kageyama quietly.

In fact, the kitsune did a round later, laying his cards down in triumph.

Now I was the only one who had yet to win. "Again," I said irritably.

Sanli dealt the cards, and we began a new game. It seemed with the new game, the prince had also decided to renew his questions.

"What about the story of you being lovers with Liu Zhua? And the Golden Emperor? Are those both true? Or was it just one of them? None of them?"

"A gentleman doesn't ask a woman about past lovers," I said, discarding an unwanted card.

"What about present ones?" asked Sanli, eyeing Zakhar.

"Watch it, prince," Zakhar growled back.

"Oh my, did I say something I shouldn't have?" asked Sanli innocently.

"Constantly," said Kageyama, discarding.

I picked up the kitsune's card, and then lay down my own hand, complete. Sanli looked surprised.

"Perhaps you should pay more attention to your cards, prince. And then you wouldn't lose so badly?" I asked.

We ended the game with that.

Zakhar stood. "Well, I'm going hunting."

Sanli frowned. "It is snowing. And we have plenty of meat."

"I'm going anyway. Care to join me Ao?"

"I will, in a moment. I'd like to speak to the prince."

Zakhar gathered up the things we would need and left. Kageyama took the hint and made himself scarce.

Sanli had moved to the kang, where he sat, staring into the fire as though there were no one else in the room.

I sat beside him. "Look at me, prince."