A Gathering of Heroes series: Anhu

Chapter 11 (Li)

I'm scowling fiercely. I know I should stop. Jintou-ge has told me countless times that it makes me look terrifyingly ugly and that if I don't stop, my face will stay that way.

Well, this is one of those times when I really don't care.

He's introduced himself this time, albeit sheepishly and at the wrong end of multiple swords. Li Tiexin is his name. But this time, I don't care what his name is. I have one hand firmly on Meiyu, who hasn't stopped sobbing since she saw me and rushed over. I don't know why they're here, and that's all I care about right now.

He clears his throat awkwardly and whispers, "Um, so, can I talk to you alone for a moment?"

I narrow my eyes too, which, I've been told, again by Jintou-ge, makes me look even worse. He flinches slightly but is still cautiously looking me in the eye. I don't say anything; it's not my call anyway. The mercenaries wouldn't lower their weapons at my request.

He doesn't say anything else, but there is an imploring look under the fear in his eyes. His eyes look different, very unlike the innocent eyes I remember from what feels like a time long past. I don't understand. I don't understand why he would be here. He knew that I would be here, so why did he come? Why is he looking at me with that strange look in his eyes?

I turn to walk away, to at least give the dirty girl by my side a bath, then something to eat. But she suddenly grips my arm tightly, halting me. Before I can ask her what's wrong, she whispers brokenly through her subsiding sobs, "You have to listen to him. You have to. And then we have to go. Otherwise, we won't get to Qiuhuo-jie in time, he says."

I freeze at the mention of Qiuhuo's name and more than a few heads turn to look at me. I force my breathing to resume and my qi to even out. Calm. More than a few moments pass before I can finally say, "Rather than that, Meiyu, what are you doing here?"

She doesn't answer, just shakes her head. "Please, you have to listen to him," she begs.

"Then we'll listen to him."

I turn to see Tianying approaching the crowd. I look back at the young man and feel my heart lurch. I don't understand.

***

We settle in the leader's tent, Tianying, Qingyu, Jiedao, Jianning, Xiaolong, Meiyu, the young man, and I. The others are on alert outside, ready to come to our aid in case the young man tries anything. Looking at his forlorn figure, I doubt that he will. What in the Heavens happened?

He looks around cautiously from his seated position in the middle of the room before settling his gaze on Meiyu and me. Meiyu looks steadily back at him, sobs completely abated. The atmosphere between them is... unsettling.

He turns his full attention back to me and, again, I am struck by the stark difference in his gaze now. Gone is that innocence and that underlying happiness that I now realize was there. Instead, his gaze is haunted. Guilt-ridden. Sorrowful. My heart lurches again, and I, almost unconsciously, place a hand over it to still it.

"I'm sorry," he begins hesitantly. "It's my fault that Meiyu's family is... well, everyone at the inn is... well... they're dead. Imperial guards attacked the place at night. Everyone was caught unawares. Everyone was slaughtered."

"It was worse than slaughter," Meiyu cuts in in an ire-filled voice that I've never before heard from her. "They tortured us! Raped us! Executed us! Laughed all the while!"

The young man's gaze drops back to the floor and I notice his white-knuckled grip on his trousers.

"They did what?" Jianning whispers in disbelief.