Falcon's Wings

Thirteen

Shan Yu stared at her with his eyebrows raised.
“Well…?” He still gave no reply. Defeated, Fen sighed. “It’s fine, everyone seems to be against women anyway.”
“I never said no.”
“Huh?” she asked. “Are you sure?” Shan Yu nodded.
“Get up.” Fen stood up. He stood if and walked around her. He paused, looking over her shoulder. With one shove, she stumbled forward. Quickly, she realised she would have to remember things.

After a few fails and a few falls, Fen kept her balance when he tried to push her sideways into a tree.
“I get it! Balance is important!” she groaned.
“Yes, it is. So is being alert.” For a moment she was confused and then her feet were swept from beneath her by a stick. Sighing, she stared up at him. He was smiling.
“That was not funny,” she stated as she stood.

He threw the stick to Fen and she caught it easily. Her reflexes were not as bad as her balance, thankfully. It let them speed up and soon they reached the mountain pass. If they were going to reach the cave she had stayed in, they would have to walk while it was dark.

As it grew dark, Fen found herself almost losing her footing more often. Eventually, they reached the cave and Fen gasped. She ran forwards and grabbed her doll, she had left it in the cave when the avalanche happened. Clutching it tightly, she turned to Shan Yu.
“I’m assuming no fires.”
“You assumed correctly.”

Yet again, they lay side by side (he still claimed it was so she did not become ill). As Fen drifted off to sleep, she heard Shan Yu ask her something.
“Were you ever married?”
“Why would you want to know?” she questioned. “But no, I never got married.”
“Curiosity,” he said vaguely. “Does that mean you've never…?” Flushing, Fen shifted and turned away from him.
“I've never done… that,” she muttered. He chuckled at her awkwardness as she curled up and closed her eyes to sleep.