The Last War

7. The Bad Husband

Many months ago...

With worried eyes, Xia opened the door of the room. Her mother lay crying in the corner like she had seen it through all the years. But this time it was worse. Slowly and quietly, she closed the door behind herself and walked over to her.
"Mother? What happened?"
But the peahen didn't listen. Carefully, the young girl laid a wing on her shoulder. Now there was a movement. With tears filled eyes, the mother looked at her daughter.
"Did father hit you again?" Xia asked.
Her mother didn't reply and covered her face with her wings. Xia sighed and sat down next to her.
"Why is he doing that?" she muttered. "Can't he love you like he loved you at your wedding day?"
"Love?" For the first time, Yin-Yu spoke a word like venom. "He never loved me."
Her daughter avoided her glance and put her finger feathers together.
"But in your wedding night. There must have been a touch of love, haven't you?"
A louder sobbing let her freeze.
"This can't continue like it is," Xia said sadly.
She winced. Her mother took her in her wings and hugged her very tight.
"I wish I could stop it, but I never could. I really wished, they had never found me."
Carefully, her daughter stroked her. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, my dear, it was all so..."
Again she cried. Her daughter didn't know what to do.
"Maybe it might have been different," Yin-Yu uttered. "But I had no other chance to protect you."
Her daughter was confused. "I don't know what you say."
Her mother laid her wings on her shoulder and looked at her.
"Maybe, you and your brother bear some resemblance to him."
"Resemblance? With whom?"
Yin-Yu wiped over her wet eyes. "He is gone. I can't live with that, that he could fade into obscurity completely. Not without that you hear about him."
Xia didn't know what to say. Her mother forced a smile, what happened very seldom.
Finally, Yin-Yu brought herself to speak. "Did you hear about the battle in Gongmen City?"
"I heard about it. It was a peacock like us. But why does it concern you?"
"His name was Shen. He should be the lord of Gongmen City."
Xia became unsure. "Was he a relative of you?"
Again a forced smile. She put her wings on hers tenderly.
"Xia, my dear child, I have to tell you something, but I was scared that you hear it, because it could bring us in danger. Me, you and your brother. But it's time for you. I want to talk."
"What are you talking about?"
"Xia, my dear. Xiang... Xiang isn't your father."
Xia stared at her mother. "What?"
"Shen - Shen was your real father."

"After that, everything broke out of her," Xia continued. "She told me everything. And I told it to my brother later."
"What did he say?" Po asked curiously.
"He was confused. He needed a while until he had realized it. But it was clear for all of us, that Xiang should never hear it."
"Understandable," Shen's whispering voice sounded through the room. He was still staring out of the window. "Very suspicious that she told her about me after my "death"."
Po nibbled his nails. "Uhm, apropos son, what about the Huns?"
Xia seemed to be glad that he asked after a different theme.
"Our town lies not far away from the frontier of China, in near of the land of the Huns. Xiang always challenged them. But this time it was a bad time. Huns ran over the frontier and raided or city. My mother helped me to escape. My brother fought longer, but he couldn't win. I managed to bring him out of the battle. Together we found shelter in a little village. The villagers take care of him, but... but they have no much hope for him anymore."
"The punishment follows swiftly," was Shen's single argument.
Xia tried to ignore it. "But then, I heard about that the white peacock is still alive and I had no other idea than to search for him."
At this moment, Shen turned around to her and looked at her with icy eyes. "And why?"
"I searched for you that you could help me. The Huns captured them. I'm afraid they could do bad things with them. I need someone who can save my mother and... her husband."
What should she say about a father, which wasn't her father?
The peacock lifted his nose. "Why me?"
"I don't know who could help me instead."
A cold smile played his beak. "Why should I do that, after she played a game with me?"
There was a hard trembling on Xia's face. "Why don't you ask her alone?"
"Good idea," Po admitted and covered his mouth immediately.
But the white lord just waved his wing with disinterest.
"I have enough to do other things. Maybe you should search for another one who could help you. What about him?"
Po made big eyes when the lord pointed at him.
"Me?"
"Isn't that your task as the Dragon Warrior?"
"Mm, yes, but, that's not a personal thing about me. It's about..."
"Silence, panda!"
"Then do it for your son," Xia tried. "Just give him a last look, please!"
Shen was going to shake his head.
"Just a little moment for the eternity."
Her eyes were big and pleadingly.
Shen narrowed his eyes. "I have to think about it."
With that, he left the room.

Deep in thought, he walked on the terrace of his new palace. It was still cold. He didn't know how long he has walked. Thousand questions crossed his mind and always the same mixed feeling. Should he go or not?
He looked into a direction when he heard a clicking sound, which came around a corner. Carefully, he walked over to it and looked around the corner. The old goat sat on the wall and rubbed with her cane on the stone floor.
"It's cold, isn't it?"
Shen snorted. "Not cold enough."
"I felt the icy atmosphere."
"Spare me with your wisdom," Shen cut her word and wanted to continue his walk.
"Do you need a little company?"
She had stood up and looked at him.
"As you wish."
"Just if you allow."
"I allow it."
Together they walked along the wall. For a while nobody spoke a word, until Shen couldn't keep his question any longer.
"You know so many things. Say, is she and her brother, my real children?"
She stopped. He stopped, too. She looked ahead, he looked at her from the side.
"I see pain."
"What about... Ouch! Not this again! Let my feathers!"
"Anger from past days."
Thoughtfully, she eyed Shen's feather. Shen made big eyes.
"Are you going to say something about my future?"
But the goat didn't reply and put the feather, which she had pulled out before, on the floor.
"A new trick?"
But instead the old woman held out the feather what Xia had shown.
The peacock narrowed his eyes. "What do you want to say?"
"I know, you still don't believe that she is your daughter, right?"
"You don't know why."
"I know the reason. And you believe it more than her."
The lord swung his robe and turned around with disappointment.
"I burned it! You can't know it!"
"You said, I would know about many things. And this is one of many things what I know."
"And what do you want to say with that?"
She placed the two feathers side by side.
"If she doesn't love you, why did she wear this all the time?"
"To make a fool of me."
The goat shook her head sadly. "Your view is covered with many dark clouds of anger."
"My mind was never clearer enough than today," Shen growled. "At least give me a clear answer. Are they my children or not?"
"Shen," she began gently. "You have to find it out alone. Find it out with an open heart."

With worried face, Xia walked on a terrace on the other side of the house up and down. Po watched her from the distance. But at the moment when he was going to say something to her, Shen appeared. The peacock gave him a warning look and Po disappeared around a corner.
After that the lord went to her. Xia looked at him unsurely, until Shen interrupted the silence around them.
"Alright. I will come with you."
In Xia's eyes glowed a shimmer of hope, but before she could say a word, Shen stopped her.
"BUT... just to make some things clear." He pointed his finger feather on her beak dangerously. "And I don't care about that you are my real daughter or not, I will never accept you as a part of me, get it?"
She nodded intimidated and Shen was satisfied. "Fine... and you!" He looked back. "You eavesdropped long enough."
Shily, Po peeked around the corner and left his hiding place. "Uhm, my feet didn't want to move too far away."
Shen rolled his eyes. "Nice."
He passed the panda, but before he reached the house, Po muttered a sound. "Uhm?"
Shen turned around. "What?" he asked annoyed.
"Uhm, can... can..." Nervously, Po tapped his fingertips together. "Can I come with you?"
Before Shen could open his mouth, Po was faster. "Please! Please, please!"
His eyes grew wider and his pupils became bigger. Shen wasn't impressed of that sight, but that panda would follow him regardless he says, yes or no.
A deep sigh let the panda tense.
"Alright."
Po rejoiced innerly. "Yeeah!"