The Last War

8. Through the Snow

"Alright, Ling. I trust you that you supervise all as long as I'm away."
"Yes, grand aunt."
Soothsayer and her grandnephew were on their way outside over the stairs to the big yard. Ling followed his grand aunt a little annoyed while she continued: "Make sure that the Mengs don't paint the house with a wrong color."
"Yes."
"Always count the guards."
"Yes."
"Change your clothes every week."
The little sheep rolled his eyes. "Yes."
"And one thing more..."
"Yes, yes, yes. YES!"
"Don't forget to water my flowers."
He sighed. "Yee-es."
"You come with us?"
They had reached the end of the long stairs where Po and Xia waited. The panda eyed the soothsayer in surprise. "Why?"
She smiled. "Someone had to keep an eye on both of you."
"Aha, okay."
Po looked in the yard. They weren't alone.
"That's all what we take with us?"
In front of them stood a carriage with another little sheep on the coachman's seat and a big goat at the other end to pull it. And next to them stood a very bigger ram and stared at the little group with grimly look. Po waved his paw at the ram. "Hi, stomach for a little adventure journey?"
The ram snorted with hard breath.
Po forced a smile. "I see you explode of excitement."
He waved quickly and turned back at the old goat. "Uhm, just a little question about this around."
"Ask what you want, Dragon Warrior."
"Yes, this, is this land from your family? And when we came here, the name 'Changkong'. Is that the name of the city or from the area?"
"To your first question," she said. "It was a part of my family land. It was a place with some little huts. And they didn't want to keep this life. Shen gave them the choice to live in a city if they built it for him. And they did. Together with my relatives who lived around. And to your second question, 'Changkong' was the name of the little village and the plateau where we are standing now. But I'm sure Shen wants to give it another name."
"What a name?"
She smiled. "He is still thinking about it."
"Oh." Po rubbed his forehead. "What about 'Shen City'?"
"Too unimaginative."
The panda winced. The peacock was walking down the stairs. He wore a thick silver robe of sheep's wool. "The name should have a symbolic meaning."
Po nodded. "Okay. But I thought, first the name and then building a city."
The peacock had reached the end of the stairs and looked at him with his head raised.
"I'm not like the others."
Po swallowed. "I see."
A cutting glance and Po changed the theme.
"Uhm, very nice coach."
Po let wander his eyes. Then he pointed at the sheep which had climbed down from the coach.
Po smiled. "From wolf to sheep. A very peaceful change."
Shen gave him a venomous look and Po kept silent again.
The sheep opened the door and the lord put his first feet inside.
"How should we fit into this?" Po asked.
After so long, the lord gave him a smile. "You will take pot luck with Wulong."
"Who is Wulong?"
The panda's question was answered with a loud snorting behind him. Slowly, Po turned around and waved at the ram hesitantly. "Hi, buddy. Should we climb on his back?"
"Don't worry, Dragon Warrior," the old goat calmed him. "He will pull a rickshaw for you."
Indeed, the big ram had a rickshaw in his hooves.
Po tipped his fingertips together. "Very nice. But he is very taciturn."
"She can give you company," Shen said mockingly and pointed at Xia.
Now it was Po who pointed between himself and her. "We should sit together?"
"If you want to travel by foot."
"No, no. I just thought, she would... with you..."
"Either this way, or not!"
Po raised his paws. "Alright. Let's take a seat."
He pushed Xia ahead to the rickshaw.
The lord snorted. "You come with me."
The old goat looked at him. "As you wish."
"And something more." With that Shen bent forward to her and whispered: "Tell your brother-in-law, he should keep an eye on them."
He waved his eyes to Wulong.
The goat smiled. "I'm sure he will do it."
After all travels had taken their places, the carts began to move.
Ling accompanied them to the main gate.
"Don't worry! I will take good care for all!"

When they had passed the first hill, Po loosened his eyes from the city and looked at his travelling companion.
"What I forgot to ask, hm, say, are you in this case a princess?"
"Ehm, yes, I am."
"Wow, I never sat next to a princess. That's an honor for me."
She smiled.
"But for a princess you are okay."
"How do you mean it?"
"Well, I thought, princesses would be very... uhm... well, you behave normal, not pompous. And that was a compliment."
She covered her beak with her wing and laughed. "I'm glad to hear that."
Finally, both laughed.