To Live Is To Fight (#2)

Chapter 8

"Nan, I'm off!" I hollered and she came out of the kitchen in lightning speed with a pout on her face. She was holding a cloth, wiping cream off her hand.

"Already?" I nodded and walked up to her with my backpack slung over one shoulder.

"I'm sorry but I only have two weeks to train and I don't think it's going to be enough so every second counts. Thank you for letting me spend the night." I kissed her cheek and gave her a hug.

"Not even for cookies?" I hesitated but shook my head. The cunning woman knew that was my weakness. Dammit.

"Alright, you be careful then. You're taking the bike right?" I nodded once more before hugging her and opening the door.

"See you for Thanksgiving Nan!" I shouted over my shoulder and shut the door behind me. I jogged to the small garage beside the house and got out a bike that I used to ride on whenever I visited. My feet barely touched the floor the last time I was on it so it fit my height perfectly now.

I slung the other strap of my bag onto my left shoulder and got on the bike, pulling out onto the small path leading up towards where the trees gathered.

The house I was looking for was on the foot of a hill nearby but even then it was supposedly surrounded by trees. Bryant would take me there sometimes when we visited grandma. He showed me how he tracked his way to and fro the house and although the last time we went here was three years ago, I could vaguely remember his directions.

Finally, after an hour of searching and cycling around the area, I got to a familiar crossroad that had a small rectangular wooden stick protruding out of the soil right in the middle of it. There was a blue arrow that was drawn on it. I knew I was close then, all I need to do was simply track my way on the opposite direction of the arrow.

My brother's ex-teacher wasn't stupid. He knew how to manipulate things to stay safely hidden in these woods. He was a master at teaching what he teaches and God knows how many people might be after him for that. At least that was what Bryant told me.

I brought up my foot to the pedal and started cycling to my right where the track sloped up a bit for a while before it started sloping downwards. In the distance, I could see a small cabin in the middle of the meadow. It was surrounded by tall trees, the leaves acted as a canopy that sheltered parts of the ground from the glare of the sun.

I carefully made my way down to where the cabin was. Once I got to a big tree, I kicked the stand on the bike and got off it. I walked up to the cabin's door, about to knock before a voice came from behind me.

"Stop right there!" The voice shouted from the small distance. It was raspy but firm as ever. The sound of it halted my next steps and I placed my foot back down to where it was. "Why are you here? What do you seek?" He said aloud.

I turned around slowly, hands on either side of my head. An old man that seem to be in his late 50's stood before me with a bucket that seemed to be full of water in his hand. There must be a river or lake nearby for him to get that water from.

He was wearing a grey, worn and frayed shirt along with a pair of trousers. He had a beard that reached just above his collar and greying hair that was tied into a bun. He was drenched in sweat and his muscles in his arms bulged and his veins were visible.

He shifted his footing, not putting the bucket down just yet. He was a master in the martial arts, anything was a weapon to him and I'm pretty sure if it ever came to it, he wouldn't hesitate to throw that bucket and its contents to an enemy's head.

"I'm searching for you, shi fu. Ni ji de wo ma (do you remember me)?"

He scrunched up his face and scrutinized me for a moment. "Cassandra Johnson. It's been a long time, qin ai de Xiao Fu!" He settled the bucket of water on the ground and walked towards me. He laid his hands on both of my shoulders.