Fearless (A Mulan Retelling)

Chapter Twenty

Around mid-afternoon, their group passed Kayde, who seemed to have slackened his slightly brisk pace in the past few minutes. Iris knew that he meant for them to go by him eventually. She found it almost humorous how everyone else seemed to go nearly seven feet off of the path to avoid him upon riding by him, as if that would have done anything.

She wished that she was in the back of the group so she could turn and say something to him. Unfortunately, Ra held that spot. Not to mention Shen who was also sitting right behind her. There wasn't any way he wouldn't catch her. After a few glances backward, she saw Shen smile a little bit, seemingly at her. She was puzzled by it.

"Don't worry, Ingred... he isn't coming for us."

After having heard that, she immediately realized that her glances definitely made her look wary, and possibly even frightened of Kayde. While she knew that that was not the case, Shen couldn't have known that she already knew Kayde. This made her cough in slight embarrassment, and turn around promptly. She heard a light-hearted chuckle come from behind her.

"I hardly meant to tease you. I was only hoping to reassure you." His voice was musical. This made Iris's cheeks flush pink and she was thankful that he could not see her face at the moment.

"I know," was all she could think of to say.

It was quiet for a long minute, leaving Iris alone to her thoughts. Gods, she wished she could say something to Kayde.

"So... where does everyone come from?"Shen casually asked the entire party, disrupting the silence.

Iris was, in a way, thankful that he was trying to make conversation. It would certainly make the hours feel a little shorter if she was getting to know the group. No one responded to the archer for a long moment, but eventually, General Zayn answered. "I was born in Dormhall, a small village just south of Amag-heist, and about two weeks north from here, give or take a day or two," he said, "but after I grew out of my adolescence and into my adulthood, I moved to Amag-heist for a few years before coming here to take over my father's spot as General, which I have occupied for two years."

"Why did your father leave you to be General so early in your life? Unless you're older than you seem to be?" Iris asked curiously.

"I'm going on twenty nine here in a few moons," said the general quickly, "and my father is dead."

"Oh," was all Iris could think of to say. She could have hit herself in the face. She had forgotten about that entirely. Oh, but now she remembered.

There was a tension afterwards that sent a shiver into her very bones.

"I'm from Chamberley," said Ra, either not noticing or caring about the heavy strain that saturated the very air around them.

"The only time I ever left was when I came here a couple o' years ago to fight. Even though it has been a long time since then, I still remember the gods-awfully long journey to the soldier's camp. By the time I finally got to the camp, my legs were no longer sore... but numb. It took me at least two hours to walk normally again. You shoulda seen the other men's faces when they saw me walking like some sorta fuckin' ape."

His words immediately made everyone forget Iris's earlier question, even General Zayn, as he seemed to chuckle at Ra's story.

"Isn't Chamberley at the far northwestern corner of the country?" asked Shen curiously, "If I'm not mistaken, I can imagine it took you longer than a month. How did you make it in one piece?"

Ra then let out a laugh of his own. "You would be right. And, three months and eleven days... to be exact."

Iris's eyes bugged after hearing that. Gods, that was a long time.