Shuli Go Stories Vol. 5: The Two Keepers

Part 5

The Brilliant River formed out of sixteen separate flows that came down from the Zhosian mountains, but the unimaginatively named Brilliant Falls were considered the true source of the water that slaked the thirst of a third of the Central Empire. They were a towering drop of over a hundred yards that fed a river basin two hundred yards wide, and the sound of the crashing water could be heard from half a mile away.

Lian and Quan heard the sound just as the sun was beginning its long descent beyond the horizon, though in the summer the night never truly turned black. "We'll go see it in the morning," Lian insisted, "you'll want as much light as you can get for the falls."

They camped for the first night in the Empire, out in the open, on the crest of a small hill too steep for the wheat and millet fields around them to reach. Eating a small meal of their prepared provisions, they were feeling safe enough to sleep without watch, and they awoke in the morning well rested. Quan, in particular, was energetic, the excitement of seeing his first natural wonder hitting him that morning. He was not disappointed.

"Wow," was all he managed, over and over again, as they stood on the edge of the Brilliant Falls and watched the water cascading down into the deep gorge that had been hollowed out by thousands of years' worth of the onrushing torrent.

"It's pretty great, right?"

"That's just... incredible."

Lian let him stare until the smile faded from his face, replaced by the dumbfounded look of wonder that she'd expected.

"Let's go. We can stop back here on the return trip."

"Yeah. Yeah, sure," he mumbled back, remounting his horse and following his mother back towards the well-trampled path that headed back towards the main road.

They rode in silence for the rest of the morning, the steep foothills gradually turning into more undulating rows of crests and valleys. The main road was about a mile from the river, but roughly tracked its course, meandering northeast towards Daming, still a few days ride away.

Lian's stomach was starting to ask for lunch as they approached a small grove that had been cleared away where two roads met – their road north and south, and the other east and west. The fields astride each road were growing tall with golden and pale crops, and they almost didn't see the young woman leading her donkey along the east-west path, until they all entered the clearing at the same time.

The young girl startled at the sight of the pair. She was slender and poorly dressed, a typical peasant from the area, but the fear in her eyes surprised Lian. The Shuli Go smiled, trying to reassure the young girl, who quickly bowed her head and quickened her pace, heading west.

"Is she ok?" Quan whispered to his mother. "She seems nervous."

"Just smart. It's not a good idea to trust travellers in these parts."

Quan though, saw his first opportunity to talk to an Imperial citizen who wasn't also in charge of a garrison of soldiers. A citizen who appeared close to his own age and whose fear offended him in the way those from close-knit communities tend to distrust fear of their own. His every instinct told him to try and assuage this girl's trepidation. As the pair reached their closest point to the young woman, he said, in his most non-threatening voice, "Good day, ma'am."

She froze for a split second and turned to look at him, but his attention had had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead she seemed more terrified than ever, and practically started running down the western road.

Lian smacked her son on the back of the head, toppling the Zhosian hat he wore to keep out the sun.

"What?" He turned to her, stunned. Surely not all Imperials were so unkind as to not even return a greeting.