Before us lay a wide hollow filled with soft sand. Massive trees encircled the hollow, providing a barrier from the outside world with the canopy of leaves crisscrossing together high above, letting in small shafts of sunlight. Dens made of sticks and mud were arranged in an arc around the hollow, all around the same size. At the far end of the hollow stood two large boulders covered in moss, providing a shady shelter underneath. At the very top of the two boulders was a strange structure embedded in the tree above.
"What's that?" I asked Kai, pointing to the structure.
Kai followed my gaze before he replied, "That's Scar's den. He's our leader." As Kai started to walk away, Lawrence called, "Wait!" Kai turned around and looked at Lawrence expectantly.
"Our?" Lawrence said.
Kai stared at Lawrence. "Did you think I would be alone here? There's a whole bunch of us." Beckoning to us, he began to lead us around the hollow. A small sigh escaped his mouth before he began to speak. "Scar was abandoned by his parents when he was only twelve. He walked for miles and miles. He was alone. He had no-one to turn to for help. But that was before they took him in. He rose through the ranks and emerged as our leader. And that's how it's been ever since." Kai kept his gaze fixed on the large boulders at the other end of the hollow.
"Have you always been here?" I asked. Kai turned to me with a steely look in his eyes. "Why is that any of your business?" I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound emerged. Kai leaned closer and snarled, "Keep to yourself. I don't want to hear any more questions from any of you. Now follow me." Turning, he stalked off to the boulders, calling, "Scar! We've got them."
I exchanged a look with Violet before we went across to where Kai was standing. A flicker of movement came from inside the structure at the top of the boulders. Suddenly, a figure leaped down from the structure and landed in front of us. The figure stood. His brown eyes scanned us before he slowly nodded. I noticed there was a jagged scar that lined his jaw. So that's why they call him Scar.
"So! This is the infamous Furious Five!" Scar said, recognition flooding his gaze.
We all nodded carefully, studying Scar. For all we knew, he could be another one of Dragon Eye's cronies, like Orion.
Scar sighed and studied us. "Do you ever get the feeling the whole world's against you?" he asked. Silence filled the air. I swallowed and exchanged a small glance with Matthew.
"Three questions," Scar said, coming forward. As he asked each one, he lifted a finger. "Where did you come from . . . where are you going . . . how can I profit." He looked around at us added, "Don't all answer at once."
I looked over at my comrades, pressing my lips together. They looked back at me, each of us exchanging words with only our eyes. Then, I forced myself to meet Scar's eyes. "We're heading for the mountains," I told him. "Looking for the Jade Valley."
Scoffs and laughter filled the air around us. Scar joined in with his own snort of contempt and replied savagely, "You're looking for a wasteland, you mean." My eyes widened as I exchanged a look with Lawrence. What does he know that we don't?
"Second question," Scar said. "Where, did you come from."
"That's our business," Mark retorted bravely.
"Is it, now?" Scar replied, coming forward so he stood nose to nose with Mark. "I think it'd be best if you told me. Told us," he added, gesturing to the people who had appeared from their makeshift huts. "We have no secrets here."
"We aren't from here," Mark replied carefully, his tone threatening.
"Feisty one, aren't you?" Scar commented. Meeting Mark's eyes, he leaned close to his ear and hissed, "You'll tell me. Now."
Mark gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. It was clear he wanted to fight his way out of this. I stepped forward and gently pushed Mark aside before anything could start. "We'll tell you when we're ready," I told Scar, giving him a look sharper than flint. Scar got the message and stepped back. "Fine," he spat. "But I expect answers by tomorrow morning."
I nodded firmly. "You won't be disappointed," I told him.
"I better not be," Scar muttered, leaning close. "Or there'll be consequences."
"Like what?" Mark challenged, but Matthew grabbed him, pulling him into his chest and clamping a hand over his mouth while his other arm was secured around his throat; whispering into his ear. Mark seethed, and he hissed an answer back. Again, Matthew attempted to console him. Finally, Mark wrenched himself free of Matthew's grip and spat, "Fine."
Matthew gave a sigh of relief and returned to where we stood. I noticed his kept his distance from me, as if he couldn't get too close to me anymore without conjuring up memories of our past. Sighing, I focused my attention on Kai. He stood with his arms folded, looking rather bored with what was going on. It intrigued me; how he could be so demanding and mysterious. Kind of like myself. Kai's eyes flicked over to me, and I looked away, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Then I remembered who I was. What reputation I held. So I lifted my head and stared him straight in the eyes. Kai lifted one of his eyebrows at me, and I flicked mine in return. That made him smile; even if it was only for a moment. I grinned back at him.
"Kai!" He jumped at the sound of Scar's voice, and a small laugh escaped my mouth. As Scar began to speak, Kai looked at me out of the corner of his eye and gave a playful smirk before turning his attention to his leader. "Take them to the prisoner's quarters."
"The prisoner's quarters?" Kai replied, looking bewildered.
"The visitor's quarters are currently being repaired; if you haven't forgotten." Scar's voice was full of sarcastic scorn, and his comment received some appreciative laughter from a few of the villagers. Kai's face flushed with heat, but he stood taller as he said with careful control, "Yes, I know, Scar. I just think that our visitors deserve better than the prisoner's quarters." Scar opened his mouth to protest, but Kai stopped him. "I mean, they're the Furious Five! The five most talented and skilled warriors China has ever seen!" Glancing back at us, he added, "And it looks like they're in great need of medical assistance."
Scar looked us up and down, his lip curled, before he grunted. "I suppose they can join the others," he muttered. "But that doesn't mean you should trust them," he told the outer group. "Remember that they are not official members of the Tribe, and you should not listen to anything they have to say, because as The Code says . . ." He trailed off, and the villagers answered in a loud chorus. "Blood before water." I felt bewildered. Blood before water? What does that even mean? Kai's voice was loud and clear as he joined in, his gaze fixed on Scar.
Once the calls had died down, Scar pointed to a dark cave near his den. "Take them to Mira," he told Kai. Looking at us, he added, "Mira is our healer. She will take care of you."
For a few seconds, none of us moved. I glanced over at Violet. She had always been our official healer, because Jowmo taught her how. Jowmo . . . A deep ache filled my chest as I thought of her and Sifu and Oogoway; how worried they must be about us. A sudden energy filled my limbs, and I knew that we had to get back to the Jade Valley - no matter the cost.
Violet hesitantly opened her mouth to speak, but we were ushered across the camp before she could say anything. As we neared the cave, the scents of pungent herbs filled my nostrils; mingling together. When we entered it, my eyes were immediately plunged into dim light. There were small cracks in the roof, allowing sunlight and oxygen to come through. Small crevices in the cave walls stored many different kinds of herbs. There were three different passages leading off to different sections of the healing quarters. Each appeared to be like a small, tight tunnel descending into darkness.
"Mira!" Kai called. "Are you in here?"
A shrill, crabby voice came floating through the cave. "You young ones are so demanding! Always screeching at each other to 'Come here, right now'!" An elderly woman limped out from the middle tunnel. Her gray hair was matted and sprung in all directions. Scars marred her body; some large and bulgy, others thin and white. "You'd think something was terribly wrong, wouldn't you? But no, they only want to show you their amazing catch or a new move they mastered." She shook her head, tutting, and looked at Kai. Then her gaze turned to us, and her eyes widened. "Who are these people?" she demanded.
"Relax, Mira," Kai told her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. "This is the Furious Five!"
"The what?" Mira said, peering at us.
Kai sighed. "They're from the Jade Valley, and -"
"The Jade Valley?" Mira repeated. A scoff of laughter escaped her mouth. "Everyone knows that the Jade Valley is just some mystical made-up place where some Grand Master supposedly built a palace on top of a hill and practiced kung fu all the days of his life! How could you believe something like that, Kai? Have you forgotten what we taught you? Or have your new friends distorted your views?"
Kai lifted his head and closed his eyes. Another deep, long sigh filled the still, silent air. Then, Kai grabbed Mira by the shoulders and said tightly, "Mira. I am telling you the truth. If it makes you feel better, Scar knows that the Jade Valley is real."
"Yes, I heard," Mira replied tersely. "But that doesn't mean I have to believe it is." Roughly shoving Kai away from her, she snapped, "Get out of here, boy! I have patients to treat." Kai stumbled backwards, his eyebrows furrowed. Then his jaw clenched, and he snarled, "Whatever you wish, o great and mighty Healer." He turned and stalked out of the healer's cave. Mira sighed and turned to us. "Come here, all of you," she said. "I'll treat your injuries one at a time, and then you can rest in the patient's quarters until I deem that you are fit to leave."
So the process began. Mira worked surprisingly fast, making poultices and stitching wounds together. Her fingers were nimble and agile as she grabbed herb after herb; us eating some to help build our strength, and others on our wounds to help them heal. All the while, Violet was watching Mira with great interest, an impressed look in her eyes. "You know a lot," she commented.
Mira looked up from her work and studied Violet carefully. "I suppose," she replied. "I know how to heal more ailments than I can count - cuts, scrapes, bruises, bites. Just try me." Looking over at us, she pointed to the tunnel on the far right side of the cave. "The sleeping quarters are down there," she told us. "I will go get Scar soon so he can inspect you." We all slowly started shuffling across to the tunnel. Looking back, I noticed Violet had stepped forward towards Mira shyly. Her voice was quiet as she spoke.
Mira said something in reply; her voice sounded both hostile yet curious at the same time. The rest of their conversation was lost as I started descending through the tunnel. I was swallowed by darkness. Dust covered every inch of the tunnels' surface, filling my throat with each inhale I took. I coughed violently as we continued to descend. Eventually, we came to another cave with a sandy hollow like the one in the outer camp. A shaft in the tunnel allowed light and air to come in. Beds made out of clumps of moss and leaves were scattered across the ground.
"Well, I guess this is our home for the next few days," Lawrence said, going to the clump of bedding nearest to the entrance.
The other boys quickly followed suit. I sighed as I came to the bedding in the very middle of the cave. "Do you think they might try and attack us in our sleep?" I wondered out loud. "After all, Scar didn't take particular liking to us staying in the healing quarters."
A gentle, light-hearted chuckle came from within the depths of the tunnel, echoing into the cave. "I doubt Mira would let them." I recognised Violet's voice as she came into the light. She looked around, her eyes filled with wonder. "This is nice," she commented. "A lot better than other places we've had to sleep over this journey."
I shuddered at the memory of one night - we'd had no choice but to sleep squashed together under a makeshift shelter we'd attempted to build. It had been raining heavily, and we'd all gotten soaked. I was surprised we all didn't die of hypothermia.
"It feels like a whole lifetime has passed since we left," I said with a sigh.
"It does, hey." When I looked over at him, Matthew offered me a small smile. Suddenly, I couldn't meet his gaze. Memories swirled around in my head - how many times had he smiled at me like that before, back when we were . . . I couldn't finish the sentence. It brought too much pain. I looked away, my head feeling fuzzy. Sneaking a peek at him out of the corner of my eye, I saw he had looked away, too, sadness clouding his gaze.
As the conversation continued, I allowed myself to slip away in my mind; images filled of my time with him took over one by one: how he'd sat with me watching the lights of the village below the Peach Tree, whispered to me how he'd always be there for me, no matter what happened. How he never gave up on me. How we ended up getting together right before we went to fight at Osaka. That fight beside the river after Lawrence left, and how it ended with him kissing me.
My eyes squeezed shut tightly as I felt the tears begin to form. I quickly got to my feet and announced in a voice I hoped was steady, "I need to get some water." I couldn't look at any of them as I scrambled out of the tunnel and up into the main cave. Checking to see that Mira wasn't lurking somewhere in a darker part of the cave, I walked out into the open. My feet slipped into the sand silently as I stared up at the sky. The moon shone brightly down into the hollow, casting a silver light onto my skin. The stars twinkled above; the spirits of the dead Masters.
A sudden loud sob escaped my jaws, and I clamped my hand over my mouth. No-one must see me like this. I have a reputation to uphold. So I dashed to the camp entrance on lithe feet, crawling through the brambles and feeling them slice at my skin before I took off up the hill as fast as my legs could take me. I thought I heard the bushes rustling as I ran, but I dismissed the thoughts, turning left, and then right. As I came to a stop, my jaw dropped.
Before me was a beautiful meadow. The blades of grass were tinted silver in the moonlight. Daisies were gathered in clumps here and there, dotting the ground with colour. I picked one up and twirled it in between my fingers. The grass was beautifully soft beneath my feet. Out of nowhere, the images came again, taunting me. Rage mixed with anguish boiled in my veins, and I screamed, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I felt my body collapse to the ground, and I started sobbing. Something I had never done in my life. Usually I would have been able to hold the tears back, as I trained myself to do back when Sifu used to beat us day in day out. But the torrent of emotion that was hitting me now was much too strong for me to bear. I needed to let it out, get it out of my system. And so I did.
All the emotions I had kept inside of me for all these years - my anger against Sifu and my comrades, my sadness from my crumbled relationship, my anguish after I learned of Violet's supposed death, my shock and disbelief of seeing Matthew standing alongside Dragon Eye pointing a gun at Violet's head, my hate towards Matthew for what he had done to me, my longing to get back to the Jade Valley, all came crashing down on me in that one massive floodtide of emotion.
During all this, I didn't even notice that someone had come up behind me and gathered my shaking body into their arms, rubbing my back and murmuring words of comfort. Not until I had actually stopped crying. My eyes felt raw and sore, and my cheeks felt wet. My head pounded as I looked up at the figure that had been holding me for all this time. Kai's kind, worried amber eyes stared into my own. "You okay?" he asked. His voice was rough and croaky, but he cleared his throat soon after.
I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. His lovely, broad, comforting chest. "I don't know," I admitted.
"You wanna talk about it?" Kai gently turned my torso so I was facing him. "Or would you rather just sit here for a while?"
I swallowed. Opening up to a person I hardly knew? It's not like you have much choice. I exhaled slowly. Kai was still watching me carefully, waiting for my answer. "I guess, yeah," I whispered, lowering myself back down into his embrace. His arms held me close and firm. "I won't interrupt," he promised me quietly. "Talk for as long as you need."
So I did.
I told him everything. Absolutely everything. All about my training and my relationship with Matthew and the betrayal and everything that came after. And all this time, Kai was silent, his breathing even, his heart thumping steadily. Finally, I finished, slumping against him with a sigh. "I've never talked that much in my life." Kai laughed, a sound I realised I hadn't heard in a long, long time. It was deep and hearty. It reminded me of a bear's roar, in a way.
Kai looked down at me and gave a small smile, gentleness in his eyes. "You've been through a lot," he commented. "After hearing all that, I'm not surprised you ended up out here." He grinned, looking out at the view beyond us, and I couldn't help but smile myself. Suddenly his smile faded, and his voice grew sad. "You're not the only one who's messed up in the love department," he murmured.
I blinked, watching him. I hadn't expected Kai to have had a lover. I quickly got off him, settling myself on the ground. Kai sighed, and leaned back on his hands. "Her name was Yvonne," he began. His gaze shimmered like shoals of fish. "She was beautiful," he whispered. "Everybody loved her. When I first got the courage to say hi to her, she no much as glanced at me. But, as we got older . . . things changed. We started talking more and more every day, until I asked her to be my mate on the day we became full-fledged members of the Tribe." He smiled. "She was so shocked. I'll never forget the look on her face . . . she was all silvery from the moonlight, like you are now." He looked at me, and my heart jumped in my chest suddenly. I swallowed and turned my attention to the view beyond.
"She became a Warrior, even though I told her not to. She refused to listen to me, though." He sighed. "I guess that's how we started fighting. She thought I was being too over-protective of her. I suppose she was right. Yvonne liked her freedom the way it was. I guess I got in the way of that. It wasn't long until she started ignoring me occasionally . . . and sneaking out at night. One day, I followed her. And . . ." His eyes filled with tears. "There she was, with another guy I didn't even know; one who wasn't from the Tribe. He looked to be much older than us. They were kissing, and I just lost it right there. I started screaming at her, telling her she took advantage of me and my love for her. I told her I wished she was dead; that I'd never met her." His gaze grew dull. "The senior warriors brought her body back to camp the next morning. It turns out she'd jumped into the chasm, and a rock had pierced her temple."
"Kai . . ." I whispered.
"She was everything to me, Skylar." Kai turned to look at me. "After that, I swore I'd never fall in love again. And that's how I rose through the ranks to get to the position I am now. Deputy." He didn't meet my eyes for a few moments, and when he looked at me, I was startled to see anguish -- and something else -- in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but he shook his head and looked away.
"I'm sorry," I told him, staring at the blades of grass.
"I'm sorry for you, too," he replied. Without knowing what I was doing, I grabbed his hand and squeezed. Kai didn't resist. He only squeezed back. And that was how we remained for the rest of the night, our hands entwined, until I could stay awake no longer.