Two days had passed.
Two days of journeying through breathtaking landscapes, avoiding civilization and being stuck with three men of the Lin Kuei as your captors.
With each mile walking, you were drawing ever nearer to the majestic mountains, whose very proximity seemed to cool the air with each step taken toward them.
Their peak was to be your goal, the hidden village lay on them. Resting in icy cold winds.
In this newly developed stage of your traveling, Scorpion and Smoke remained entertaining company. The youngest most so.
Their constant presence around you was a lovely contrast against your status as prisoner and the encumbrance of your shackles.
With at least one of them always walking close to you, they had been able to convince Bi-han that they were no longer necessary. You would not be able to run after all, when one of the men was an arms length away to hold you.
It was Kuai Liang, of course, who had been the one to suggest this.
Gratitude had welled within you, as he had removed them for the first time. His fingers working on the tight knot around your wrists, his hands warm and careful not to hurt you further. Your wrists bore testament, littered with the painful imprints of tightly bound restraints. Blue and violet they had painted your soft skin.
You had noticed Kuai Liang watching you with regret in his eyes, as he first saw.
Walking from then on, had been less horrid.
During the nocturnal hours, Kuai Liang would work to uphold your freedom.
Bi-Han was convinced that you were silent and sneaky as a cat and that you would flee the first chance you got. He thus demanded you to be bound to a tree or one of the brothers during the nights.
Kauai Liang worked around this by telling him, that you had been once again secured in chains.
And he would.
Sit before you, during the nightfall, his hands on yours once again. Something that had happened so often now that you asked yourself if he was only looking for an excuse to touch you.
But then while tying the knot, his gaze would fix upon you, delving deep into your eyes, his expression betraying a trust most profound.
A subtle nod from you would follow, and with gentle hands, he would place the rope chain around your wrists, securing it with a tenderness that contrasted the hardness of your captivity. A knot that you could easily escape from was tied. One that would not hurt you in the slightest.
It was a gesture that left you surprisingly comfortable for the night.
Your fidelity to the trust he bestowed upon you was unwavering.
Never did you harbor intentions of escape, nor did you ever raise a hand in defiance. As much as this bothered you, you thought it unwise to run.
You were to exhausted. Too hurt. Too desperate. Too proud.
Bi-Han, for his part, held his distance, a silent observer.
You would notice him continuously glancing at you. Constantly and ever watching.
You could not read his intentions. Not ever.
He was silent and had seized his interrogations. He had also never put his hands on you again.
The other two were a completely other deal however.
They seemed much more captivated by your presence than you had anticipated.
Of the trio, the youngest, Thomas, developed an uncommon fondness for your company.
He often walked alongside you, his curious nature manifesting in a ceaseless stream of questions. Initially guarded in your responses, you now answered without restraint.
You blamed his boyish charm and unrelenting nature.
And of course, that cute smile of his.
It had all commenced innocently enough when he asked you why you had chosen to save his life, the day after he awoke.
You had been surprised he remembered that much.
Your reply flowed easily, heavy with reminiscence and empathy.
"You reminded me of my boys at home. I could not bear to let you die," you explained.
The answer resonated with compassion, and it did not escape the older brothers' notice.
Both had snapped their heads around.
You felt both surprised and intimidated by that, asking yourself if you had said something wrong.
"Your boys at home?" Thomas inquired, his youthful curiosity unabated. "You look too young to have children of your own."
You thought you saw Kuai Liang flinch at the word 'children'. Yet in that moment it escaped you why. You did of course know nothing of the men's feelings.
Of their beating and aching hearts at fearing that you were long engaged with another.
A fear that was unjustified. Both seemed to ease their posture at your following answer:
"They're not my sons by blood, but they're like family to me. More like younger brothers."
You smiled, walking beside him, the landscape unfolding before you.
Thomas was not one to let up, watching you with wide eyes, probably imagining you surrounded by young men like he was, begging you to spend time with them.
"Are they part of your clan, or adopted, like I am?", he inquired.
The Lin Kuei were made of multiple families, the same blood having been carried for millennia, carefully mixed and chosen to neither inbreed nor lose the original bloodline.
He was an outlaw. Always felt like it.
Bi-Han always made him feel like it.
"Indeed. Some joined or were adopted, and others were born into it. Similar to the Lin Kuei. Yes there is no holy bloodline within us, I suppose. Blood means less to us than honor and tradition.", you explained.
You heard a snarl from Bi-Han. Hoping you had not offended him.
"And you still consider them family? Are the Ubytsyi that close?", The boy continued his onslaught of question.
You nodded. It was nice talking to him. With him. It felt less like an interrogation.
"I do, at least, consider them such. I've trained my boys until they were young men and watched them then grow to battle-hardened men. It brings me great joy, much like I can see you find joy in your training."
Thomas beamed at your response, and the questions continued to flow.
As he spoke, you often observed Bi-Han, who kept a watchful eye on your interactions but offered no objections. His silence was an Enigma.
As the days passed, Thomas's companionship and inquisitiveness became a beacon of light in your otherwise grim circumstances. He appeared oblivious to the true nature of Bi-Han's intentions, seeing you merely as a fellow traveler on a journey to meet the Grandmaster, rather than their captive, about to lose her head.
You had decided then, to ask some questions on your own.
Both because you were indeed very interested in the highly secretive Lin Kuei, but also because you felt it was improper and not very nice to not seem interested in the boy, while he was so fascinated with you.
"Are your brothers instrumental in your training?" you prodded him gently, igniting his enthusiasm.
"Oh indeed! They would have me stay much longer than any other boy. After training, Training would begin for me.
They'd circle around me, beating me again and again. Until I would get a single good hit in. Then I was allowed to go home with them. It was very harsh indeed!"
He spoke ardently of their relentless tutelage, the demanding hours on the training grounds, and the countless beatings he endured until he could hold his own.
"You're painting us as merciless, Thomas," Kuai Liang interjected, trying desperately tp preserve the benevolent image of their character that you held.
This was not needed. Neither was his worry about you liking him less for it.
You answer calmed his nerves:
"I'm certain they only had your best interests at heart," you consoled. "Sometimes, those who love us most push us to our limits so we may grow and protect ourselves when it truly matters."
Thomas then regaled you with stories of his life in the Lin Kuei, from training routines to favored techniques and weaponry. His descriptions painted a vivid picture of the Lin Kuei village, its lantern-lit streets, grand dojo, and serene gardens.
"You should see the gardens! Especially when winter really breaks. If it comes swiftly, the lilies freeze, and their beautiful red is preserved in the ice.
Then, the streets will be iced over as well. And Bi-Han would shove me around, watching me struggle to keep on my feet on the slippy ground."
