Falcon's Flight

Twenty-Two

Fen only stopped talking to Sarnai when Odsar insisted that Fen probably wanted some time to herself. She didn't mind too much, Sarnai was curious and she liked talking about her life and culture.

As she stood and turned to leave, she froze as she saw Shan Yu by the entrance.
“How long have you been standing there?” she asked, immediately feeling a little more nervous.
“A while I wanted to talk to you but you were so enthusiastic and interesting, I couldn't interrupt,” he said.
Fen smiled as she got to her feet. “Really?”
He nodded as he started to head outside. “As much as I generally dislike that way of living, it is still interesting to hear you talk of ancestors and silk worms.”
“I never knew they were that interesting,” she said as she followed him.
“They are when you talk about them.”

She smiled to herself and she remembered what Odsar had said about Shan Yu.
“You mentioned something the other day and then I was talking to Odsar and she seems to think you want this to be more than an odd friendship,” she said. Admittedly, she hoped he would say yes, that he wanted to be more than friends. Otherwise the conversation they had was a little odd if he just wanted to be friends with her.
“She’s right.”
“That’s an awkward way of saying you like me,” she said, smiling at him. She wasn’t sure how else to respond.
Shan Yu stopped walking and turned towards Fen. “I suppose it is an awkward way of saying I like you.”

It was like her breath had been stolen, she had no idea what to say to him.
“Really?” she stammered.
“Yes.”
“Oh,” she said. “I… wasn’t expecting that.”
“Why not?” he asked, furrowing his brow. Fen sighed, as much as she had wanted him to say he liked her, she hadn’t expected it at all.

“Well, you’re Shan Yu, I don’t think you’re supposed to fall in love with a little Chinese girl from a village in the Tung Shao Pass,” she rambled. “And I don’t think I’m supposed to fall in love with the leader of the Huns.” A smile spread across his face as Fen looked up at him and then she covered her face with her hands as she realised what she had said. But it was true.
“It’s not typical but does that matter?”
Slowly, Fen shook her head. “I guess it doesn’t, does it?”

“No. But what does matter is how you feel,” he said. “And if you do love me too…?” Shan Yu seemed to want reassurance which felt a little odd. He wasn’t the emotional type.
“I do,” said Fen, smiling and nodding. “I do love you too.”
“Then it doesn’t matter if it’s typical, or if your village would approve,” he said. Fen felt a little sad for a moment, it didn’t matter but the people from her village couldn’t disapprove even if they had wanted to since they were all dead.
Fen smiled. She was glad she hadn’t had to admit her feelings first, otherwise it might never have happened. “No, it doesn’t matter.”