CW: Ghosts, grief, panic

  The bathhouse was surprisingly light by the time Flowing Silk made it back, the sun high enough in the sky to shine clearly onto the ripples near the door. The side where Ren’s body laid was still in cool darkness though, making Flowing Silk’s fire seem all the brighter as he blew the appropriate candles back to life.

  A set of bandages he had collected from the house went towards wrapping the wound so that he could lay Ren on his back and return the grave money to its rightful place. Flowing Silk once again knelt facing the water over Ren’s body, robes and hat set aside.

  He could do this formally. He could use all the official phrases and mantras that were the standard method of calling back the dead, but Ren had never really held with standing on ceremony and Flowing Silk had always had more success with being polite and honest rather than commanding.

  “Hello Zhou Ren.” he said quietly, “It’s me, Flowing Silk Ribbon. I thought you would prefer it to be me who called you back rather than anyone else. I apologise that it took so long.” He paused, trying to keep his voice level rather than choked, “We found your murderer and he has been dealt with. Your letters and grave goods have been recovered and the letters passed to those you wished them to go to, but I should really tell you all this once you’re here… if you’ll come that is. I’m sorry, but... may I speak to you?”

  The veil reverberated as the young priest concentrated on the connection between the two of them. The candle flames flickered, and the room darkened as the gulf between life and death was bridged. A hazy spirit took form next to the body wearing their usual robes. It would almost have been enough that Flowing Silk could have fooled himself, but they were translucent, a single shimmering shade of silver like every other ghost he'd seen. Even if that hadn't given it away the robes wrapped right-side-over were impossible to miss once you spotted them. It took Ren a few moments before he sat up, rubbing at his eyes as though he didn’t believe what he was seeing. “F- You’re here?”

  “An hour after you died, sweetheart.” he replied apologetically, eyes soft, “No-one has disturbed your body bar me and Silk Petal, besides the sorcerer who wore Jing’s face.”

  “He - killed me? I’m so sorry, I should have - well, it’s too late now.” Ren sighed and stepped closer to Flowing Silk. “It was never supposed to end like this, I’d hoped my father would see reason, but I suppose that it’s too late now.”

  Flowing Silk frowned, “Your father?” a small hesitation, “Would you object if I hugged you while you talked?” That was all the prompting Ren needed to hug him first, ghostly arms folding through Flowing Silk before he adjusted and stopped just where Flowing Silk could feel the faintest breath of pressure. Flowing Silk did the same thing, resting his arms where the faint pressure was, dipping his head so he could at least pretend he was nuzzling against that wonderful wriggly hair. “I missed you. So much.”

  “I missed you too - why do you think my father wasn’t letting me leave the City?" Ren pointed out, as logical as ever. "He was convinced that with enough time I'd forget about you. I wish we hadn’t argued so much about that.”

  Flowing Silk didn’t try to stop the tears this time, but his voice was reasonably steady, “He gave me his permission to speak to you, he was horrified when you died. He asked me, just before I called for you this time, the second time, to return your grave goods and to make sure your spirit was at ease.” He bit his lip slightly and swallowed, “I’m going to run your funeral, if you don’t mind.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Apart from, you know, not being…” Ren paused, “dead. But I am, so by the Jade Emperor it’s going to be you to do it.”

  Flowing Silk nodded, composure breaking as tears fell through where Ren should have been. “But I should not have had to. I am utterly unsurprised that you couldn’t keep your nose out of things and that it got you killed, but by the Heavens I should not have had to bury you so soon.”

  The ghost nodded his agreement. “It seemed harmless enough - passing a few letters here and there from Sage Li to his ‘old friends’ around the Empire. You’d be amazed - well, you wouldn’t be - by how much he could deduce just from one magistrate declining an invitation to tea. And it seems like he’s stumbled across something big-” His eyes narrowed, sharp and calculating. “What if he’s in danger?”

  “Quite probably. Which is why I am going to send a letter to Star Anise about what happened here, seeing as she’ll go to him. Though I would like to ask Master Li personally about how everyone I know seems to be in a secret society.” Flowing Silk explained with only a faint spike of irritation at his father. His voice softened again, “I’m afraid I’ve walked into the thick of everything, sweetheart. You would not believe how wide the net spreads and how much rot there is.”

  Flowing Silk leant backwards slightly to see Ren’s face, trying to brush his hair out of his eyes by force of habit, “Is there anything you want to tell me or want me to do that you could not manage yourself? I can pass on messages to your family as well.”

  “I - tell Father and Hua that even if we’d argued, I still love them.” He sniffed, still trying to pretend there weren’t tears in his eyes. “And-” he stopped, taking a moment to gather himself, then pushed his arms against Flowing Silk's chest to get some space and Flowing Silk went along with it. Ren met his gaze squarely with the expression he only used when truly serious, “You, find somebody else. Live. I’d - I’d better not watch over you and see you moping about because of me.”

  Flowing Silk couldn’t help but cry, not even trying to hide the tears or the grief, “I’ll try love, but I’m so sorry, it may take me a while. You will not be easy to forget and you know it. But I can love while still keeping you in my heart.” No, he wasn’t going to be able to stop crying now, but he could try and give a little good news, managing a watery smile, “Hey. Guess what?”

  “What? Um. You found the princess and she proposed to you?”

  The priest nearly choked on the laugh that accompanied his tears, “No, still following them, but… Ren, I have a brother.”

  “A brother? But - how - he - what? That’s wonderful.” The spirit’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You’re sure he’s actually your brother?”

  Of course Ren would immediately be wary. It was... reassuring in a way, that he'd tried to do what Ren would. “Apparently we look so like that we could be reflections of each other.” he said, still attempting to smile through the tears, “He’s standing outside, and he is one of Silk Petal’s friends. He really… I cannot really compare our skill, he is rather more knowledgeable than me, and is going to train me in the Graceful Swan style before we part ways, though please do not spread our relation.”

  Ren spluttered. “Graceful Swan - you don’t mean - the White Dragon is your brother? The man that disappeared into the north for two years to fight Dom Mak? And then returned just in time to sing at the Autumn Court - and win the prize from the Emerald Dragon, no less.” He paused for a second, then chuckled, shoulders relaxing, “Sorry, next I’ll be asking for a souvenir. But it’s good to know you have someone to look after you.”

  Flowing Silk smiled, but his mind was scrambling to take in this all this new information, “Yes, that seems to be… I am not surprised that he’s the White Dra… Dom Mak? Really?”

  “Him and the warrior-sage Kang So Lin, yes." Ren confirmed. "Everyone thought they’d died until they showed up again last year. Even Sage Li didn’t believe the rumours at first.”

  “I’m not travelling with him though, I am travelling with…" Should he say? It wasn't his secret, but he needed Ren to be reassured that he'd be fine, and if Flowing Silk didn't say now then Ren would just ask and Flowing Silk wouldn't be able to say no. He spoke quietly though, just in case someone was listening. "Shenmi Sheng and Xiong, his grandson, who you may be amused to hear turned into a bear and sat on Wan. Everyone apart from Wan approved.”

  Ren blinked, and the sheer bewilderment made everything seem normal for a moment. “A bear? Really? Wait - the Shenmi Sheng?”

  “Yes, sweetheart.” Flowing Silk gave a watery smile, tears a little drier now. “Your face is quite the picture. Do you see what I meant by walking into the thick of everything? And I have these, though I am not sure you’d know much about them.” He leant sideways, unwilling to let go of Ren, but wondering if he should retrieve one of the wheels.

  Without using any pressure, Rem guided Flowing Silk's arm back to him. “I don’t recognise them, but I can feel them from here. They must be truly precious to have such Chi of their own.”

  “You see it?" He realised a more important question as soon as he said it, "What do I look like to your sight?” he asked gently, running his hand around the not-there pressure of Ren’s face again, “Do you like who I have become?”

  Ren took the opportunity to step back, looking Flowing Silk up and down properly, Flowing Silk spread his arms to help. “It looks like life on the road has suited you if this is what you look like now. But your spirit - that feels the same as ever.” The ghost stepped forward to hug him again.

  “And that was always what we loved about each other,” Flowing Silk murmured, holding him as close as he could for someone who wasn’t solid, “Not titles, for all I am a Master; nor strength, for all I actually have some now; but my heart and soul. You are still as beautiful as ever in those respects too.”

  “And you still possess your mind, your wit, your drive, do you not?" Ren's eyes were as bright as ever, just as clever, always there to counter when Flowing Silk's mind tried to turn on itself. Gods he'd missed him, this.

  Ren's chest inhaled, the breath he always took before a rant before he paused and let it go. "If it were mine to decide - but this world is not for the dead.”

  “No, love.” Flowing Silk hesitated, then kissed him gently on the forehead, “I do not want to let you go, though I know that I must, and you will either become a minor god in no time or reincarnate.” He hesitated again, “I left to try and make you proud of me, love, did I manage?”

  Ren's hand crept upward, cradling Flowing Silk’s cheek. “I already was, dear one, I already was.”

  The priest didn’t have the words to reply to that, letting his tears speak for him as he lowered his head to kiss Ren gently. Ren shifted slightly in response, moving his hand to rest on Flowing Silk’s hair and smiling against his lips as Ren slowly faded away.

  By the time Flowing Silk opened his eyes he was alone. A moment later he folded up, dropping to his knees as he finally succumbed to his grief with a wail that echoed in the empty room.

  —

  The priest eventually managed to stumble out, face pale and having difficulty maintaining his balance, eyes aimlessly searching for something to fix on.

  As he walked past, someone reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. Flowing Silk blinked once before turning his head to look at them blankly. Oh. Han had apparently waited outside the bathhouse for Flowing Silk to gather himself. He'd expected them to wander off.

  “You said you wanted training, didn’t you?” Han said, taking in the state his brother was in. “No better time than now.”

  His slow mind stumbled, “But the funeral robes, and the messages…”

  “Can wait for an hour. You need to settle your mind first.” Han tossed a bundle of white cloth toward Flowing Silk, who caught it completely on instinct, “Put those on.”

  Suddenly Flowing Silk was a student again, and the abrupt shift was enough to push him out of his daze. The clouded thoughts were still there but- far away, too far for him to reach right now. It was… reassuring, for the world to be made simple for a short while. All he needed to do was follow his teacher's instructions. He could set aside everything else for now, the grief, his duty, even his entire self. For now all he needed to do was learn, even if his fingers and emotions still felt numb.

  Flowing Silk nodded and obediently unfolded them to take a look, moving a bit more like a person and less like a wooden doll. He held up the robes to see the wide sleeves that dangled down like feathers better.

  “The robes - the gi - of the Graceful Swan are their pride." Han said, and Flowing Silk let the words roll over him, accepting their truth into his core. "You wear your pride as your armour, you wield it as your weapon. Those have no chains, no blades, but I expect you to show them the same respect as if they did.”

  “Of course,” Flowing Silk replied, his voice sounded odd to his own ears, as distant and young as the childhood that now seemed so carefree. “Like the robes I wear now, they show who you are connected to, by wearing them you represent more than just yourself. You are more than just yourself. I wear the Gold of the Phoenix, the Flames of my first style and the white of death. I understand the value of the Graceful Swan’s gi, and will respect them as I do my robes.”

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  Flowing Silk set them aside gently, making sure they did not touch the ground before he slipped off his own robes, the sleeveless tunic underneath revealing the long burn marks twisting round his hands and lower arms. The four vivid scar marks on his right arm that looked like he’d been raked by a tiger’s claw briefly seemed to catch Han’s attention, the Grandmaster frowning as Flowing Silk set down the robes with the same care he’d given the gi. Flowing Silk then clothed himself in the other garment, lifting his arms cautiously to test how they moved.

  “Arms up - your stance is solid, good, but you need to loosen your shoulders. Bring your hands in, feet out - yes, there. This is not fire you’re commanding - your movements from stance to stance are where the truth of the Style lies.”

  Flowing Silk blinked in surprise at the contact, a little more life in his eyes. He closed them and breathed out. His stance relaxed slightly as he calmed himself for a few moments. Oh, that was better. This felt right, just like the Pure Flame had.

  He felt Han’s hands leave his shoulders. “Now keep your eyes closed, then move your right foot across and circle round. Start moving, and keep your feet turning as you go.” A prod at his side, stomach muscles flinching at the poke. “Protect yourself with the sleeve here, let it hang down across your body, arms in when you’re defending.”

  “Which way am I travelling?” Flowing Silk murmured, turning his arms inside the sleeves so the underside, and the feathers, were on the outside. Wings, move as you would to keep them between you and the enemy.

  Han's voice was soothingly even, almost becoming part of the background, “Let your feet lead you - there are only twelve paths you can walk, feel them and choose one. There. Now strike - bring the power from your gut and turn your body across as you bring the arm up.”

  Almost as soon as he moved for the strike Flowing Silk realised he hadn’t quite followed the instructions, bringing his arm up and then shallowly down to turn the strike into a spin, feathers flaring out in a move that was more of a defensive than offensive motion.

  “No! Stop. How to explain this…” Han thought a while frustrated at himself. “Two monks came before the Master Banzen, asking him, ‘Great Master, which is the greater weapon, the sword or the bow?’. He replied to them, ‘Wú. The greater weapon is the one that wields them.’

  “You must have the intent to strike, to win, and you must put your conviction and your body into your movements. If you do not intend to win, and let that truth flow from you, then the battle is already decided against you.”

  Flowing Silk stopped, uncertain of whether to lower his arms. Conceding defeat would be easy, his heart was heavy enough and his self-esteem low enough that what Han was asking seemed impossible to do with how he felt right now.

  He breathed out. How many times had he said he was not sure he could do what was asked of him and done it anyway? What of the times when people had called upon him and he had risen to meet their expectations without even thinking about it? What about all the times the other Pure Flame Masters had told him to command the fire when he had seen from the start there was another way?

  “My strength is not like others’ strength.” he found himself murmuring, “The gentlest river can wear down a boulder.”

  “But the river does not stop; it flows on day after day, sure in its course, from the high mountains to the seas.”

  “And that is my strength, quiet, subtle, but it does not stop, it does not cease.” He opened his eyes, “Drat. This is going to be difficult, I am not very good with starting and stopping motion in single strikes.”

  “Then it is a good thing we do not. You do not cease moving - but your stance must be true between each step. As the Swan moves across the water, so must you move across the ground - always strong but always sure. Now show me the strength of the river flowing through you.” Han moved to stand in front of Flowing Silk, the Grandmaster settling into his stance like he was greeting an old friend.

  Breathe in, raise your arms. Remember the grace of the Swan, of the movements you first saw Han doing with the style. Get used to the motion first, get used to it and let it flow.

  He breathed out with his first step, soft but sure, sweeping round until it was time to shift the weight to the other foot, another sweep to bring him round again. He wasn’t moving directly forwards, but around Han, eyes open just a fraction to make sure he didn’t crash into anything.

  “Good, feel the Path beneath your feet.” Han watched him with approval this time. “Ready?”

  No, Flowing Silk commented internally with a hint of wry amusement, But that has rarely stopped things happening anyway. Keep quiet and watch, just like with Master Yinghao.

  When Flowing Silk did not reply and simply kept moving Han nodded, a - signal? There was a sound behind him, and his turn was quick enough to see a ball flying toward him with a familiar young girl - Chun Wei - sitting in mid-air next to a similarly floating stack of balls.

  Ducking the first was easy, another step taking him out of its path as well as letting him build up more momentum in the wings. Now he had two people to keep an eye on, and the spirit still kept throwing the balls. Flowing Silk briefly wondered if the pile would end and dismissed the notion as not only unlikely, but unimportant to the lesson.

  “Now keep feeling the path, and look ahead. See the path which steps between the rain drops.” Han said as he used his sleeve to bat a ball back past Flowing Silk. “Many are the paths of Earth, but only one is the Graceful Swan.”

  Again, Flowing Silk had to think like the River. No resistance given, just flowing around the obstacles. But surely the style was the Swan, not the River? What was the difference? He dodged, no, not dodged, avoided a few more balls to give himself time to think. The Swan rode on top of the River, what significance did that have here?

  “Now take that flow, and move from it - attack me.”

  No, not yet, he was in the wrong place to do that and Han knew it. Flowing Silk kept moving. Currently I am the River, the motion is all I am. The Swan is carried by it but not bound by it, their head and wings are still free, even as their legs are submerged. Another moment’s thinking and he smiled, It is like that game for children where you rub your stomach and pat your head, that is why the style is complex, you must be both river and Swan-on-the-river.

  A smile flickered at the corner of his mouth, I wonder what happens if the Swan takes off? And whether it would be cheeky to try and get around being both by switching to the other?

  He sprang, powerful legs kicking off to jump to Han’s right, landing with a simple leg sweep designed to take someone off balance. Han’s leg swept round with him almost lazily, letting Flowing Silk’s Chi push him out of the way of the attack. Flowing Silk used the failed leg sweep to take him away again, back into the circling motions of before, though this time he was smiling slightly.

  “Perhaps you now understand. Tell me - ” and as Han asked, he moved to strike, quick slices with his wings moving him from place to place around Flowing Silk, never quite letting his brother close to striking distance himself - “What is the difference between attack and defence?”

  Flowing Silk did not quite have an answer to that yet, but he could watch how Han was moving now. The slices were taking him between different flowing routes like he was shifting between different currents, one wing-beat at a time. Rats, he needed to think, not overthink, he needed to get some space between him and Han so he could think without the pressure, look for a place to fly!

  He rocked back on one foot and kicked off directly forward, half diving into a roll that carried him straight past Han and out the other side. Space! Think! Don’t panic! Grace, not frantic flight!

  “Good, now keep going. Keep the motion, keep the stance.”

  Don’t panic. Don’t panic, get some space, think about the question, let the river flow, don’t let your thoughts scramble, sink back into the flow if you can’t manage the next bit just yet. Breathe. Wings up, keep moving, breathe.

  Han seemed to have let up the assault for now, but Chun Wei showed no sign of ceasing her throwing. That didn’t bother Flowing Silk, it was the question and trying to work out how to attack at the same time as everything else that was tying his mind in knots. Deal with one thing at a time.

  Combining the patterns into a bigger one to move from was unlikely to work. Han would already have noted her pattern and made his difficult to combine with it. So the answer was that he would have to slip between different patterns to deal with them, perhaps only for a half-step rather than a full step, but moving between them nonetheless.

  That brief moment where the Swan broke the surface was both the strength and the weakness of the Swan, you could strike if you wanted to but dodging was far harder as well. Now he just had to steady himself enough to be able to apply that knowledge.

  Han moved again, stepping just into Flowing Silk’s range as though inviting him to attack. Flowing Silk promptly moved away, shifting to another flow with something almost like a flinch, expecting a trap and buying himself a little more time to think and to calm down. Again Han stepped forward, keeping the distance between them just close enough for there to be a subtle pressure, enough to set Flowing Silk on edge and hating hims-

  His breathing was too fast, a distant roaring sound like the ocean as he suddenly found himself trying to track everything at once. This was too much, he was barely above water! He was trapped and he needed to escape and run and-

  His back hit the bath house wall and Flowing Silk’s calm shattered. He broke away and kicked off it, reaching for wheels that weren’t there as he landed in a curl of flame. He blinked rapidly, then realised what he’d done. Flowing Silk abruptly froze, shock and shame holding him still apart from his shaking hands.

  Han relaxed his stance after a moment. “I guess I pushed you a bit hard there. A thousand pardons, brother.”

  Flowing Silk came to his senses enough to jump into a bow, “My apologies. I am so sorry. I have no idea what happened, I just…”

  “Well, the good news is your instincts are to defend yourself. And it’s probably a good thing that you use a style you’ve mastered for real fighting until you’ve progressed further - but why such a reaction here? If I may ask?” Han’s tone wasn’t that of a teacher any more - it seemed he could change from wanderer to grandmaster to concerned friend like so many masks, much like Flowing Silk could - when he wasn’t panicking.

  “I- I- I…” Flowing Silk couldn’t quite force himself out of the stance yet, but he did manage to force his arms to lower a little, swallow and then breathe, “I am so sorry, it- Sometimes my mind betrays me and my body is not my own. My body starts to freeze up as the pressure builds, then something happens to shatter it and I bolt."

  Han blinked in a mirror of his brother’s mannerism, then realisation crossed his face, "Like earlier?"

  Flowing Silk gave a single nod, "Similar, but my mind just gave up at the information overload rather than shattering in panic."

  His brother nodded thoughtfully, "Perhaps we should calm this lesson down a little. Do you know why you felt so pressured?”

  "Because you kept telling me to attack while I did not have the heart for it. You pushed closer and closer until I was trapped. That on top of the balls and analysing everything else was too much for me to handle." Flowing Silk bowed his head, "I am sorry, Grandmaster. I shall endeavour to be a better student in future."

  Han firmly shook his head, "No, the failure is on me for not being a good teacher. I should have realised you were struggling." He walked over to stand awkwardly next to Flowing Silk, clearly not used to giving comfort, "I apologise, I am used to teaching people who are already skilled in the style, not beginners. What about pushing you to attack unsettled you?"

  Flowing Silk looked at him in faint disbelief, but when Han did nothing but look at him cluelessly Flowing Silk realised he really would need to spell this out, "I lost my loved one today. Ren was the person I was doing all of this for." He looked down at his hands and chest, feeling his own weakness. "I am not very good at doing anything for myself, but I can face anything as long as I am doing it for someone else."

  The Grandmaster looked thoughtful, as if this were just another puzzle to solve. It was… oddly reassuring, seeing the symptoms as an obstacle to overcome like anything else. "And now you have nothing to drive you, no reason to move?"

  Flowing Silk nodded numbly and found himself hoping against all probability that logic could solve this, that it really was as simple as finding a philosophical workaround. "He told me to live." he said softly, far too aware of the way his voice croaked.

  "Hmm…" Han studied him for a moment, then smiled, "If you need a reason to move, would it help if I asked you to assist me? I have something that needs taking to a man on the East Coast by the name of Likan Yun.”

  Flowing Silk frowned in spite of himself, “The master of the Imperial Navy? But I'm…”

  Grey eyes met his own steadily and Flowing Silk trailed off. Han looked so certain, a solid rock and a steadying hand in a world crumbling around his ears. “It is only a temporary solution, and I hate to impose upon your time, but I do need somebody I can trust to carry this particular message.”

  … Ren had said to find someone else. True, he had almost certainly meant it in the romantic sense, but finding someone else to be his motivation was also important. He could dedicate his quest to Ren's memory, walk every step to honour his love in the Heavens, but he'd never receive an answer or payoff.

  Flowing Silk looked at the sky, insultingly clear of clouds.

  Ren wouldn't want him to be living for a ghost.

  The world finally seemed to stabilise, Han's steadiness spreading through his mind to shore up the tattered remnants of his heart. "I'll do it." Flowing Silk found himself saying, offering Han a shaky smile, "If I cannot move for myself then it is only appropriate that I try to help my brother, is it not?"

  Han gave an approving nod, "Very true. I am honoured to accept your help, no matter how foolish Silk Petal thinks I am for trusting you so quickly." Han bowed formally, fist in palm. "However, we are lacking in time. We shall end here for today.”

  Flowing Silk mirrored the gesture with the relief of knowing how this script went. “Thank you Grandmaster, I am honoured to be learning under you.” A pause, then speaking more quietly, “And I am sorry that I panicked.”

  Han’s expression flickered for a moment. “I cannot say all I wish on the matter - but if you are travelling eastward, perhaps the Forest of Eyes might prove illuminating to you.”

  “I shall bear that in mind, thank you, though I would need to consult with the others first.” Flowing Silk’s eyes were still serious, but he was calm now, “I would like to speak to you more about what you know that may be useful to us, and vice versa, but we have a few more days yet, and I should not delay seeing to the first preparations much longer. Thank you for returning me to my senses-” the smallest of hesitations, he was still not quite used to the word, “brother.”

  His brother gave a reassuring smile, “I’ll need to talk to - some others, first. These aren’t only my secrets to keep or tell. And what are older brothers for if not to knock some sense into you?” he ended the sentence with a grin.

  Flowing Silk just about managed to keep a straight face, “I wouldn’t know. Master Li, my adoptive father, punctured everyone’s egos instead.”

  Han didn’t have a quick reply to that, his expression instead becoming sombre. “Flowing Silk, promise me one thing? That you won’t hate me too much when I can finally explain everything? Because I’m not sure how I would bear that.”

  Part of Flowing Silk wanted to sing at the return of trust, of how quickly Han had bonded to him in return, but there was a more important matter to deal with first. He straightened, attitude shifting as if he had gained a few years worth of wisdom in an instant. “Han-Chi-Tao, I follow the Golden Phoenix. I consider myself bound to try and make fair judgements and from everything I have seen of you I doubt you will earn my censure. You do not belittle others because of your own insecurities or for your amusement, nor do you make the law, which should be pure and just, dance for your amusement or bend to suit your whims.”

  He looked up, grey eyes clear, “I do not believe you would do that, not someone who the Emerald Dragon has chosen as their Champion or that Ren speaks so highly of. I am certain that your reasons are good and, given sufficient time, that you will explain them once the immediate crisis has passed. I have chosen to trust you, and I will listen.”

  Han was silent a long while before he nodded to himself. “Thank you.” he said quietly, “That means more to me than you know.”

  “It is surprising how much it can help anyone just to listen until their words run out.” Flowing Silk stepped forward to put a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Is there anything else I can do to help ease the burden on your mind?”

  Han shook his head silently. “Just knowing I’ve found you is help enough. Stay safe, brother. I’d hate to lose you so soon after finding you.”

  Flowing Silk’s hand tightened for a moment, “And you.” His expression softened to a smile, “Though I should hope we would have time to train at least once more before you go.”

  “If you can catch me again.” Han said - then with a spread of his robe’s wings, leapt into the air, clearing the distance to the top of the compound wall with a single bound. “Go and deliver your messages, they’re probably worrying by now.”

  Flowing Silk bowed and changed back into his priestly robes. He carried the swan gi carefully as he headed up towards Tai’s office to discuss the funeral preparations.

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