A Wuxia Tale: Blade in Training

Legends and Tales

(DAYU)

After spending the night on Captain Wang's sister's home, we said our goodbye to YingYing. I told her farewell first, in the guise of giving her and her brother time to properly say goodbye unhurriedly. But in truth, I had to secure AhRan on one of the two horses that we will use in this journey. AhRan and I left YingYing's home first so she won't see the boy.

After his talk with her sister, Captain Wang joined us while riding his horse.

"The destination is a temple in Anhui," Captain Wang told me as we both dismounted to start plotting our route. "It would take us a week to get there."

"A week? We can ride it in five days," I said, a bit of protest on my tone.

"Not with a little child with us," Captain Wang reminded me.

Oh right. It will not be two grown men travelling. We have a little boy with us.

A week. I look at the boy sitting calmly on top of my horse, head point straight forward with a strip of cloth still covering his eyes.

I am curious to see the boy's eyes again. Wondering if I missed something when I first saw it two nights ago. It was such a surprising moment that I didn't get to examine AhRan's eyes longer. I should study this boy to see how dangerous he can be for our future.

That will be part of this mission.

"If it will take us a week to get there, we should start already." I told my lover.

Captain Wang nodded. We separated to get to our horses. We moved to start our journey eastward. By mid morning, we transfered AhRan to Captain Wang's horse to unload some weight on mine. It will be a long travel and we have to pace the horses' strengths as well, not just us.

AnHui is a mountain and valley province. A quiet land sanctuary. That's where we will take the boy and leave him there.

In a temple. With monks...

Unpleasant memories swirled in my head. I hate temples and temple monks. I have gone through my life barely remembering things of my stay on a temple where I got abused but being in this boy's presence, everything about that moment in my life is coming into focus.

And I despise that feeling of remembering things when I was little and weak.

Uncle Shu taught me to be strong. Physically and mentally strong. My emotions, I learned to control them until I met Captain Wang and let myself fall for him. Let myself trust my lover.

But now, I feel like losing grip on my mental ability to block that moment. That dark moment when I lost my innocense on the hands of people I trusted because they were wearing holy garments.

"I decided to stay out of the road. Traveling across the forests and streams will not be such hardship. Right?" Captain Wang said as he walked his horse besides mine.

I nodded, "As long as we will get to our destination." My eyes found the boy sitting in front of my lover. The boy looked small compared to Captain Wang's size. I wonder what he is thinking.

"I'm thinking if Master Dayu can name some of the trees and plants we are seeing in this trail," the boy spoke suddenly.

I felt irritated. "Is that a habit of yours? Interrupting adults while they are talking? No one asked for your thoughts..."

"Dayu ah," Captain Wang gave me a surprised look.

I sighed. The boy's forehead creased a little. "I was actually looking for a moment when I can ask if you can teach me a little. I heard you are quite knowledgeable with plants and their different uses."