‘If you are amenable, young lady,’ the woman added, turning to Ayah.
The innkeeper had used ‘taitai,’ which meant he thought of the woman as a social superior, or maybe he was just buttering up a client but it had not seemed like that. Ayah pressed her right fist to her left palm and made a deep bow. ‘I would be honoured and most grateful, taitai. My name is Ayah.’
The woman returned the bow, almost as deeply as Ayah. ‘I am Xian and I am most pleased to make your acquaintance, Ayah.’
~~~
Xian had the strangest eyes. They had a strong slant to them, suggesting that the woman’s ancestry was old and from the east, but it was the colour which was startling. Xian’s eyes were amber, almost glowing as though flames danced behind them. And Ayah could feel them watching her as she stood, stripped to the waist and washing the road off her body.
The room was indeed large enough for two people, though there was only one bed and Ayah was still not entirely sure what to make of that fact. There was room for two loveseats set about a low table, and a dresser upon which was a real mirror of silvered glass as well as the bowl and jug Ayah was using to wash. In a small room off to one side, there was a toilet and sink; the inn had plumbing! Clearly, Saventi qualified as ‘civilisation.’
Xian was obviously used to this kind of luxury. She was a civilised woman. Cosmopolitan. Sanden had told Ayah once that the big cities built public bathhouses for their citizens and that attending such a place was as much a social event as a matter of hygiene. In Garia City, he had said, bathing was divided so that the genders did not mix, but in the Iron City, there was no segregation and entire families would go together to the baths following a strict ritual of etiquette. Xian seemed like a woman who knew that etiquette and Ayah did not wish to seem like a country bumpkin next to her.
Picking up a drying cloth, Ayah turned to face Xian as she dried herself. ‘Thank you again for allowing me to stay with you. I really wanted a night in a bed after a week on the road.’
Xian smiled. She seemed to have quite prominently pointy canines. ‘It’s always a pleasure to help a fellow traveller. Tell me about yourself, Ayah. Where did you leave to come to Saventi for the festival?’
‘Well, I didn’t come for the festival, exactly. It just so happens that I arrived in time for it. I come from a village south and east of here. I… had to leave and I’m going to Lake Omash. I hope to find teachers around there for the Water or Wood Forms.’
‘Interesting. You know Earth Form already, I assume.’
Ayah’s cheeks coloured a little: she felt like she was about to brag and that was not very cosmopolitan. ‘Earth and Metal. I’m no master, but I know the basics.’
‘And you wish to learn more?’
‘I want to learn them all. I learned the Healing Art from my mother and Metal Form from the village smith.’
Xian did not seem bothered by Ayah’s ambition; instead, she nodded thoughtfully. ‘You’ve Earth as a base. A strong foundation, but you will need to take care. You must know that few have ever mastered all five of the elemental Forms.’
‘I know. The last was Emperor Anguo, the first Iron Emperor, and his reputation is half-legendary. The other masters of all five elements are legends. Most who try never succeed.’
‘But do you know why?’
Ayah used the action of putting on her tunic to delay and think about the answer, but she had to admit that she did not know. ‘I don’t.’
‘Each element is composed of varying amounts of light and dark energy. Earth, and also Sky, are neutral, Wood and Fire have more light, and Metal and Water have more dark.’
‘Yes, I know that.’
Xian bowed her head in acknowledgement. ‘To study the Forms is to take on some of the energy of the elements. To study many forms is to take on more of that energy and, inevitably, an imbalance is formed. This imbalance of light and dark afflicts the spirit of the practitioner. It requires the strongest of wills to press on with your studies when your mind has drifted away from a balanced perspective. Some fall to this quickly. Most fail before they master their fifth element.’
Ayah smiled. ‘Well, most people would tell you that I’m quite… determined. When my mind is set on something, I will keep going until I have it.’
Xian gave a laugh. ‘Perhaps you will gain mastery of all the Forms then. Tell me, are those your only clothes? A dress would be more appropriate for the festivities.’
‘I… I have a smock which–’
‘I think we can do better than that.’ Xian glanced at the window, probably judging the time. ‘Yes, I think we can. Come with me, Ayah, and we’ll see to getting you something more appropriate.’
~~~
‘I don’t think I can wear this,’ Ayah said, twisting on the spot to examine the back of the dress Xian had suggested for her. Ayah had thought – or maybe hoped – that she would get a dress like Xian’s, but what she was now wearing was something entirely different and it was not the kind of thing that Ayah was used to.
For one thing, it was short, falling to barely mid-thigh. Ayah had never shown off that much leg in her life! The garment was basically a robe which wrapped around her body and had long sleeves with wide cuffs. A wide belt knotted around her waist with a big bow. Ayah had thought it was a little revealing when she had put it on, and that the arms were shorter. But then she had walked out of the little changing room and Xian had told her that it was to be worn off the shoulder, which both took the cuffs down to her wrists and showed off a lot more chest than Ayah was used to. The dress was a lot revealing.
‘Of course you can,’ Xian replied. ‘You look beautiful in it.’
Ayah had to admit that she loved the fabric, which was a printed silk – pink flowers on a white base and very reminiscent of spring. ‘I don’t know…’
‘This is suitable attire for a young lady,’ the owner of the shop said. His name was Nattri and the sign above his shop door claimed that he was a ‘Tailor and Purveyor of Fine Fashions.’ He had greying hair and a long nose which worked well with a thin face and body to make him look like a loom hook. ‘This design is all the rage in the Iron City.’
‘Yes, maybe, but this is Saventi, not the Iron City.’
‘I’ve sold a number of these dresses to the younger ladies of the town.’
‘It’s expensive…’
‘And I’m paying,’ Xian said. ‘I simply cannot have a young lady such as yourself wandering around in clothes fit for a labourer.’ She put up a hand as Ayah opened her mouth. ‘I’ll hear nothing more about it. The dress is perfect for you and I can tell you like it.’
‘It is pretty,’ Ayah said. What she was worried about was what Xian might want in return for her largess. First the room, now a dress – a very revealing dress – and with no expectation of anything in return save, it seemed, for Ayah’s company. And the room just had one bed…
~~~
They had eaten a fairly simple meal of mutton stew in the taproom and talked about Ayah’s ambition to master the elemental Forms. It was not really until they were climbing the stairs and then preparing to retire that Ayah began to realise that she had almost no clue about Xian. Who was she? Where was she from? How did she seem to know so much about the elements and Forms? Ayah felt her benefactor looked like a courtesan, except that she seemed to be travelling alone. Did courtesans routinely understand the martial arts as Xian seemed to?
Well, she did, and she was interesting. Ayah felt she had learned quite a lot by the end of the evening, but then there was the matter of whatever reward Xian was expecting. Or was she expecting anything? Ayah watched the older woman undressing while she remained dressed and a little perplexed about what to do. Xian certainly was a beautiful woman. Her skin was creamy and, it seemed anyway, quite perfect. She had a trim figure with quite large breasts: large, but firm, and Ayah envied them. Her features were, while beautiful, also a little severe: high cheekbones and a pointed chin gave rise to a narrow face with a lot of edges, a
nd her hair narrowed it still further. Her nose was long too, but she did have full lips which softened her face a little.
Ayah realised she was staring and looked away just as Xian settled herself under the sheets and looked up to see where Ayah had got to. ‘You are planning to come to bed, aren’t you?’ Xian asked.
‘Yes, sorry. I was… away with the spirits.’ Feeling self-conscious, Ayah undid the bow over her stomach, unwound the belt, and then took off the silky dress, laying it carefully over one of the loveseats. There was not much light: only one candle burned on a small table beside the bed – beeswax, not tallow – and maybe it was not bright enough for Xian to see Ayah’s cheeks glowing. Ayah could see the slightly amused quirk to Xian’s lips, however. Or, it looked like amusement. Maybe it was anticipation. Briefly, Ayah wondered whether she was hoping it was anticipation, but she climbed into bed and lay on her back, pulling the sheets up over her chest.
Then Xian made a sound a little like an amused chuckle, leaned over, and blew out the candle. ‘Goodnight, Ayah,’ she said, and then she turned on her side, back to her companion, and fell silent.
‘Goodnight, Xian,’ Ayah replied. She lay in the dark, looking up at the barely visible ceiling, and tried to work out whether she was disappointed or relieved.
16th Day, Second Marita.
‘Wood Form!’ Ayah bolted forward to the wooden barriers marking off a square where a number of martial artists were sparring.
Amused, Xian followed Ayah to the rail. Xian seemed to be amused by Ayah quite a lot. ‘Wood has a lot in common with Earth,’ she said. ‘There are more strikes in Wood, but it’s largely a matter of philosophy.’
‘You seem to know a lot about the Arts.’
‘I know a little about a lot. The essence of Earth Form is solidity. The essence of Wood is pliability and persistence. Young trees bend in the wind, flexing to avoid breaking, but their roots dig deep.’
‘Well, rooting is part of the philosophy of Earth too.’
‘Exactly. But Wood also takes its nature from vines and bamboo which can entangle and drive through obstacles. A vine can demolish a stone building given time to get a good grip. Bamboo can punch through almost anything given time to grow.’
‘Right…’ Ayah watched as men, and a few women, grappled. The Earth Form she had learned was more about taking someone to the ground or pushing them away. Wood seemed to be more about holds, and the punches being thrown were with a closed fist rather than the open hands she employed. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, is there a Form you use?’
‘Fire. When I actually need to use anything.’
‘I’ve never seen Fire Form.’
Xian smiled. ‘And I hope you don’t need to see me using it. This is a celebration of spring and fertility. I’d hope we don’t need to get into a fight.’
‘Well, I guess that would be nice.’ Ayah went back to watching the fighters, trying to learn something from what she was seeing.
~~~
There were no masters of the Wood Form there. There were some who had progressed far enough to learn to use a staff – which was the signature weapon of Wood Form – and integrate it into their grapples and close-combat strikes. However, none of them claimed the honorific of ‘Dashi’ – grandmaster.
There was Dashi Hashimar, grandmaster of Earth Form, who was giving exhibitions of his Form and pointers to the local students who had mastered the basics. Ayah watched the old man – his thinning hair was grey, but his body was as solid as a man twenty years his junior – carefully, trying to glimpse some hint of how he did what he did. Perhaps his greatest ability was to root himself so strongly to the spot that none of those who tried could move him, but he also seemed to have an amazing ability to push men away from him across considerable distances and without the least effort. It had to be some manipulation of qi.
‘He drives his qi down through his feet,’ Xian said, confirming Ayah’s suspicion. ‘He lowers his centre of gravity, if you will, until one would need to uproot the ground he stands upon to shift him.’
‘I thought as much,’ Ayah said. ‘I should like to be able to do that.’
Xian smiled. ‘I thought as much, but you would find it easier to learn to push. That is an outward expression of qi force and you, I think, have more affinity for the external use of your qi.’
Ayah blinked up at the strange woman. ‘I do?’
‘You do, but I also think you have much to learn before you are ready to learn such techniques.’
Sagging a little, Ayah nodded. ‘I know, but it can’t hurt to watch a true master at work and perhaps pick up some tips for when I can learn them.’
‘I agree. Learn what you can, whenever you can, Ayah. An enquiring mind is a blessed thing to have.’
~~~
It was as they were eating warm, honey-flavoured oatcakes for lunch that Xian’s enquiring mind showed itself. They were standing close to the pool at the centre of the square – partly because the water might be useful for washing the sticky food from their fingers – when Xian frowned down at the low wall around the water feature.
‘Now why would someone scrawl a symbol like that on the pool here,’ Xian said.
Ayah looked down and, at first, saw nothing, but there was something drawn on the stone. Someone had used grey chalk, or something similar to it, to draw no kind of glyph Ayah had ever seen before. ‘I’m amazed you saw that. I’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘I’m not surprised. I believe it to be a spirit rune.’
‘I didn’t think the spirits used any written language.’
‘They don’t, but humans use such scribbles to represent the speech of spirits.’
‘Do you know what it says?’
‘Not a clue,’ Xian admitted. ‘I’m sure it’s some request to bring favour to the crops.’
Ayah’s gaze shifted to the water and her brow furrowed a little. She could feel… There was something about that water, the way the sun glinted on it or the way it rippled or… ‘Why try to hide it?’
‘Sorry?’
‘Why write some simple request to the spirits and hide it against the stone? Wouldn’t you want anyone to be able to read it?’
‘An interesting point. Well, I suppose we’ll find out if there’s something malign about it. I do hope not. It’s much too nice a day to have evil spirits wandering about.’
Ayah agreed, but neither of them used the pool to wash their fingers clean when the oatcakes were eaten.
~~~
As the evening drew in, torches were lit in the square and the exhibitions of martial arts turned to competition. There were plenty of Earth Form practitioners willing to fight for the honour of winning – and a kiss from the Festival Queen, which made Ayah think they were not expecting a girl to win – and some Wood artists willing to try their luck against them. Ayah considered entering, but she would have had to change and did not really want to. There were also a few Metal Form swordsmen fighting for the honour of winning, even without the offer of a kiss, and Ayah considered matching herself against them too. She went so far as to retrieve her sword from her room, but she ended up simply watching the bouts with Xian, unwilling to risk the dress the tall woman had bought her against a random mishap with a blade.
‘You could change and join in,’ Xian suggested as they watched two men doing fake battle and Ayah shifted her sword in her hands.
‘I don’t… feel like it,’ Ayah said, and wondered why she seemed to be tenser than there was any reason to be. Something did not feel quite right about the evening and she could not put her finger on what it was.
‘Perhaps it’s as well,’ Xian said, and Ayah looked up at her because the tone of her voice had lost its humour. ‘There is something I do not like about these swordsmen.’
‘What?’ Ayah asked, hoping that her new friend might pin down what Ayah was feeling.
‘Aside from that young lad with the topknot, a smith’s apprentice, I think, they all came in together from outsid
e the town. They’re all dressed differently, but they carry swords which match too well.’
‘Bandits?’ There were still a few bands of bandits around, though not so many this long after the war against Garia City.
‘Perhaps, but they may simply have come to town for the festival.’ Xian paused. ‘Except…’
Ayah frowned when Xian did not continue. ‘Except?’
‘I saw some of them speaking with a man earlier and he was not one of them. Still, they seemed to know him and take orders from him. He was old and had the look of someone who has seen much and learned much and not all of it to his benefit. And there were chalk stains on his clothes.’
‘The marks on the side of the pool?’
‘And he did not look like a farmer seeking better crops.’
Ayah’s gaze swept around the square, as much of it as she could see anyway. ‘Should we do something? Warn someone?’
‘Of what? Some men who look like they might be trouble and another who has chalk on his clothes? No, we wait and see how things unfold. But it was wise of you to get your sword.’
‘Yes… On the bright side, I may get to see some Fire Form.’
Xian laughed. ‘I did not take you for quite such an optimist.’
And that was when the screaming started. Somewhere out by the gate, it seemed, someone screamed and others took up the cry. Ayah was a little distracted since she had returned her gaze to the swordsmen in time to watch one of them run his blade through his opponent’s guts. It took a second for the screams to start among the audience, which suggested that whatever was happening at the gate, it had begun a little while before the screams had started there. Ayah’s sword was already in her hand, however, and Xian had shifted her stance. Both of them were ready for whatever happened next.
The swordsmen were now swarming out into the crowd yelling for people to clear out of the way and stand aside ‘or else.’ Given there was a boy no more than six Great Years of age bleeding to death on the ground, what they meant was pretty obvious, but just to make it certain, when one of the swordsmen spotted Ayah’s drawn sword, he charged at her. Ayah slapped his blade aside with her own and then Xian moved forward, her arm a blur as she rammed her fingers into the man’s stomach just below his ribs. The air rushed out of his lungs and he was falling, his sword clattering onto the hard-packed dirt.
The Iron Princess Page 5
