Listening to Rain

Chapter 3 - The Friendship Begins

Chapter 3

The Friendship Begins

Tanzong felt a stronger tug on his awareness. He massaged his face and fully opened his eyes. The vision of Shun had ended and the hint of the "other" vision abated. He had lost the opportunity to question Shun about the fate of his family or about Aojing's words. Tanzong unfolded his legs from the full-lotus position that he had assumed five or six hours earlier. Rising from his meditation mat, he put on his woven reed rain cloak, picked up his thin bamboo rod, and went out into the rain. He enjoyed the water, warmer than last night's, as it ran down through his strong black eyebrows, over his thin lips before it splattered onto his reed rain cloak. For a moment, he thought of his sister's game.

On the lower ridge, a group of lanterns shimmered through the curtains of rain drifting over the mountain. The moon was running in and out of the dark storm clouds. The shifting blue patterns made the mountain seem alive with movement, twisting and turning as if trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. Perhaps it was the intrusion of humans that disturbed its slumber.

The lantern bearers were chasing something. Following their line of pursuit, Tanzong made out a solitary figure without a lantern. The moonlight glinted off the wet bamboo frame of his large backpack. He moved up the ridge toward the terrace that spread out in front of Tanzong's cave. As the action came toward him, Tanzong took their measure, as it were. He noted how each person moved.

If necessary, he thought, I will engage them to restore Heaven's balance on the Mountain of Nine Doubts.

Tanzong focused on the lead warrior. He carried a broadsword, as did four other men. The other five carried spears.

Their natural leader, as Tanzong thought of him, was taller and moved much better than the others.

Tanzong watched him dart over the rock-strewn terrain, picking the most direct course to his target. While he gained on the man up ahead, the rest of the group moved in the ragtag motion that denotes warriors with lesser skills.

How odd, thought Tanzong, the Mountain of Nine Doubts and its immediate surroundings are unpopulated.

Its isolation was one of the reasons he had agreed to Master Aojing's suggestion to practice here before heading homeward. Tanzong wanted to be left alone, for he had realized that he didn't know where to begin the search for his family. He wasn't even sure of the location of his family villa, except that it was on a mountain in the old Shu Kingdom-a region filled with mountains.

It looked, however, as if his solitary life had just ended.

Where had all these people come from? What were they doing here on a night like this? The man they were pursuing must be of some importance. Local militia troops, as these men appeared to be, were hardly so dedicated as to come out on a stormy night, even for a big reward.

The man being chased was tiring and his well-loaded backpack was certainly no help. Must be something important in it, thought Tanzong, otherwise he would have cast it off long before in exchange for gaining ground on his pursuers.

The rain and wind had picked up. Tanzong noted that the Sage-King's music had ceased-the vision disturbed by these unwelcome guests.

There was splashing at the far end of the terrace. The moon appeared. Bathed in its luxuriant blue light, the fugitive came into clear sight.

We are about the same age, thought Tanzong, and he's only slightly shorter, but much thinner-like a river reed tossed by the wind.