Solstice Souls

All Kinds of Thirst

"Madam, we will try our level best to get to the truth." Jiang Fengmian reassured her.

"If you've quite finished? We should leave. Still another day's travel ahead of us." Madam Yu scowled her infamous scowl and returned to the carriage.

Jiang Fengmian threw them an apologetic look and hurried after her.

"When did he go missing?" XiChen asked the woman, now that they were alone.

"Two nights ago. We thought we were safe because our family has a history of no golden cores. We cannot cultivate, and therefore are not associated with any of the five larger sects." She lowered her voice and stepped closer. "But it's not just my son. Six others went missing from our village alone, ten from the neighbouring one. Someone has to do something!"

A disciple hurried towards them. XiChen smiled politely at him.

"Madam Yu sent me to tell you we have to hurry, if we are to reach our destination by tomorrow evening." He said quickly, looking behind him.

No doubt for the flash of purple lightning, Lan Zhan thought, keeping his eyes in front of him. She was probably watching them from inside of their carriage.

"Of course." XiChen waited until he had returned, before turning to the still distraught woman. "We from the GusuLan Clan will do our best to investigate this matter. However, as these villages lie under the jurisdiction of the Jiang Clan, our influence is limited for now."

She nodded, wringing her hands.

"Whatever you can. Please bring my boy back."

XiChen bowed to her and they returned to their carriage, setting off immediately.

Lan Zhan watched his brother. Perhaps not as stoic as himself, XiChen was a complicated man. When he was unguarded, like now, Lan Zhan was able to discern what exactly was going on in his head.

"What does Brother think happened to the lady's son?" He asked cautiously.

"We don't know anything for sure..." He began. Lowering his voice, he continued. "But it's looking more and more like Wen Rouhan has something to do with it. For months now, there have been...rumours. nothing solid for now."

Lan Zhan knew he would not elaborate, especially not on hearsay. XiChen believed in the truth above everything else.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in silence, only the odd mention of whatever they happened to be passing by.

About an hour after twilight, the call was heard to stop the carriages. Lan Zhan followed XiChen out, this time glad for the chance to exercise his stiff muscles. It was a clear night, and the stars twinkled above them, winking now and then.

Lan Zhan took a deep breath and then sat down next to his brother. This was a larger campfire, other smaller ones a little ways away from them, upon which meat was roasting on spits. Lan Zhan shuddered involuntarily.

He was not a fan of meat, or any kind of spice for that matter, and he was dreading the dinner to come.

Across from them, Madam Yu sat, the orange of the fiery flames mixing with her purple irises creating something demonic and otherworldly. Lan Zhan shifted slowly nearer to XiChen.

To their left, Wei Ying sat with the Jiang Clan leader on one side and Jiang Cheng on his other. Lan Zhan couldn't help his eyes drifting over to check on him. He couldn't explain what it was, this strange desire to protect him. Ever since that night hunt, his feelings had been too muddled for him to be able to sort through them.

Those silver eyes looked troubled...and an air of melancholy seemed to surround the young man. Jiang Cheng was chatting to him, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. In fact, Wei Ying looked...lonely.

He looked up then, and their eyes met. Electricity shot through Lan Zhan for just a second, before Wei Ying blinked, and the moment was gone. A hard look came into his eyes, and then he looked away.

Lan Zhan was confused. What had just happened?

And then half way through their meal, one which Lan Zhan had not touched, Wei Ying whispered something to Jiang Fengmian.

"That's a great idea. But come back soon. Do you want Jiang Cheng to accompany you?"

Lan Zhan's ears perked up at that. Where was Wei Ying going now? And alone at that?

Soon after that, preparation was made for them all to lie down. It was a warm night, so he and Lan XiChen set their blankets a little away from the fire. Before he lay down, XiChen handed him a tiny packet of wrapped bamboo leaves.

Lan Zhan smiled at him, happy that he still had his big brother to look after him.

"I noticed you didn't eat much." XiChen smiled and turned over.

Lan Zhan pulled off the twine and ate the biscuits quickly. Then he lay down and tried to sleep. The stars were particularly enticing tonight. He tossed and turned, waiting for some noise to let him know Wei Ying was back. But only the odd cricket and the song of the cicadas greeted his ears, until finally he had had enough.

Lan Zhan stood up and skirted around the group, following the trail that he thought Wei Ying had taken. He didn't have to walk too far, before he heard the sounds of splashing and running water. As he came closer, he saw a shape standing hip deep in the shallows of the river.

His heart was glad that at least the young man was safe. Wei Ying was running his hand over the surface of the water, watching it as it ran through his fingers. As he came closer, he was able to see a long wide bruise extending from under his arm and covering most of that side. That was definitely from the level ten beast.

But what Lan Zhan wasn't prepared for, were the long, curling whip marks across his back, the scars glinting in the silver moonlight. His breath caught, stuttering as he approached the river bank.

Wei Ying must have heard him, for he turned around. Those silver eyes caught his, and once more Lan Zhan wished for his dancer to return. But in the meantime, there was a wounded man to help. Wei Ying was already climbing out of the waters.

Lan Zhan removed an ointment jar from his sleeves and handed it to Wei Ying, who was just as surprised as himself. Why had he done that? It was fresh too, something Lan Zhan had mixed into a paste just before they had left Gusu. It was a combination of opium, ether and arnica flowers, the best remedy for bruises. This particular paste would give him pain relief too.

"Please. Use." Lan Zhan found that his mouth was quite dry this close to a half naked man.

He pushed those feelings away, forcing himself to think of another young man, sadly not seen for a few days now. His eyes drifted to Wei Ying opening the jar and scooping out some on two of his fingers.

"What is this?" He asked cautiously, sniffing it suspiciously.

"Healing. Paste."

"You don't talk much, do you?" Wei Ying grinned, before applying the mixture to his bruise. He hissed.

Before Lan Zhan could stop himself, he took the jar back and scooped out more mixture, applying it directly on Wei Ying's skin. He rubbed it in, watching his fingers as they rubbed it in, trying to be as gentle as he could.

But his ears were burning up.

Wei Ying's skin was warm to the touch, smooth where he wasn't scarred, and for some reason, Lan Zhan wanted to be thorough. His fingers were calloused though, and he wanted to apologise when Wei Ying moaned. He knew the rough texture of his fingers would hurt, but he couldn't stand the thought of having a cure and not using it.

As Wei Ying turned around so his back was facing him, he removed his hair so that it hung over his shoulder in front, and that's when Lan Zhan saw his birthmark. It was the shape of the crescent moon, about the size of his thumb.

Lan Zhan decided to rub some of the paste there too, especially since Wei Ying wasn't protesting. He had gone strangely quiet, just little gasps of air now and then.

But Lan Zhan did not want to stop, so he carried on, doing all of his back. Gently, he turned Wei Ying back to face him again, but that was a big mistake.