The Wandering God

48 A Single Form, A Solitary Shadow 2/2

形單影隻
Xíng dān yǐng zhīa
Solitary form, a single shadow.
Extremely lonely; solitary.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Here you are Sho Sensei." Ermi handed Kageyama a towel to dry his hair and face.

They sat on the veranda, eating lunch and watching the still falling rain on the pond below.

"Are you sure you do not want to use the baths?" Ermi questioned the kitsune.

Kageyama shook his head. "I will bathe when we go back to Wo You Nai. I'll take that dry shirt though."

Ermi passed Kageyama the cotton shirt she had brought, and Kageyama placed it on his lap. Then he reached to the hem of his wet shirt and pulled it over his head.

Sanli's eyes traced over the scars on Kageyama's chest. A line from a sword tip here, a star shaped scar from an arrow or spear there. The marks were familiar, and Sanli had already asked or speculated as to their origin a long time since past, when he had been a boy and had first seen them.

Most noticeable was the tapering shape of the kitsune's torso. A lean waist led up to a wide upper chest and shoulders padded with muscle from swordplay. The muscles shifted and flexed as Kageyama folded the wet shirt neatly and put it over the chair arm beside him.

Sanli looked to his niece. Ermi's face was pale, but there was a blush to her cheeks, and her mouth was slightly ajar as she watched Kageyama change from his wet shirt into the dry one.

Sanli bit his lip to hide a smile.

He had long known of his niece's interest in his yah'ying. Sanli tried not to, but he could not help but be amused by it. There was something about the futility of Ermi's wide-eyed wonder that Sanli found both endearing and entertaining.

The futility of it. Yes. Sanli had never known Kageyama to have relations with anyone, man or woman, in all the time he had known him. The kitsune also never spoke of past lovers. Sanli knew he had had one, long ago, and that the relationship had in part contributed to his banishment. Though Sanli suspected there had been other forces at play.

But since he had known him, Kageyama had never shown attraction for anyone. There had been a few times, at inns and brothels, where Kageyama had relaxed enough to spend the night in the company of a woman. But to be honest Sanli had no idea if anything had transpired beside pleasant conversation.

It wouldn't surprise Sanli at all if nothing had been exchanged between Kageyama and his chosen companion besides words and coin.

Kageyama wrapped the ties of the shirt around him, tightening it to his frame before tying them on one side. Ermi, realizing she was staring, quickly looked away and busied herself spooning rice porridge into Qingxi's mouth.

"When do you think Ao-jie will be back? I miss her," Ermi asked, as the blush on her cheeks finally settled.

"Soon, hopefully," Sanli replied, also reaching for his bowl. He heaped sour salted plums and pickled greens onto his porridge. "We miss her as well, don't we Sho Sensei?"

"Terribly," Kageyama replied, spooning toppings onto his own porridge.

"I hope she does return soon. And Zakhar Da-ge," said Ermi, spooning more porridge into Qingxi's mouth, which was thrown open like a begging baby bird's.

Kageyama and Sanli both said nothing. Zakhar had told them he would not be returning, but had not had the heart to tell Ermi. For that, Sanli was glad.

They finished their lunch, said goodbye to Ermi and Qingxi, and headed back to Wo You Nai.

"Maybe we should go after Ao," Sanli said as he and Kageyama walked back, side-by-side under the umbrella.