The Caravan’s Journey - Part 5

The clouds darkened as afternoon flowed into evening. Leiyu still had no idea how far they would have to travel to get to the other side of the mountain, so he decided that they should just camp out for the night. The merchants were none too pleased about sharing a sleeping space with ghosts roaming around, even though they still couldn’t hear the voices. Just the idea of ghosts was enough to keep them on edge.

“How long does that talisman last?” Chen Yun asked. The paper scrap was still levitating in the air, although its soft glow was waning.

“About a day,” Leiyu replied. “I have more.”

Chen Yun thought this might be a good opportunity to get him to open up more. “Where did you learn how to use these things?”

“My shifu taught us some basics.” Leiyu dismounted Bakhat and tied the reins to a nearby low-hanging tree branch. He saw Chen Yun looking at him as if he were expecting more details. “Shifu taught us many things.”

Chen Yun furrowed his brow and frowned. He tried again with a different topic. “Did your shifu teach you how to use wind magic?”

Leiyu sat down cross-legged and took his flask out of his sleeve. “No, I learned that in the Northern Region.” He removed the stopper and took a quick swig. After he replaced the stopper, he slipped the flask back in his sleeve.

Chen Yun went over to Liang Fusheng and Wang Yihui. They sat upon the damp rocks and took out the dried meat and flatbread that they had saved from the caravanserai. Leiyu stayed near Bakhat and took a dried date out of his sleeve. He nibbled on it and savored its chewy sweetness. Some of the fruit stuck to his teeth, and he moved his tongue around to dislodge it. Bakhat neighed, and Leiyu reached into his sleeve again. He had stashed away some oats in anticipation of times when grasses were not available. He held out his hand, and Bakhat nuzzled his palm, eating up the small pile of grains.

***

The darkness of night settled over them like a thick blanket pulled over a tired soul. The merchants retired to their cargo wagons, and Leiyu remained outside to stand guard. Chen Yun offered to switch off with him so that Leiyu did not have to sit out in the cold all night, but Leiyu politely declined.

“It’s much colder and damper here than in the desert,” Chen Yun said. “It would be a shame if you became ill.”

Leiyu shook his head. “I’m used to it.”

“I know you’re tough, but you don’t have to overdo it.”

Leiyu smiled. “I’m fine. The cold will keep me alert.”

Chen Yun sighed and went inside the cargo wagon. He returned with a bundle. “Here’s a blanket at least.” The covering was woven from coarse silk and the inside was stuffed with cotton.

Leiyu graciously accepted it. “Thank you.” He unfurled it and wrapped it over his cloak. Chen Yun returned to the inside of the wagon.

The wind picked up and flowed through the mountain like an invisible river. Leiyu pulled the blanket around himself more tightly. The floating talisman fluttered loudly above him. He closed his eyes and curled up.

The ghost voices were starting to trickle through again. He could hear the clanging of swords and the roar of surging flames. The ground beneath him disintegrated, and his heart lurched as he plunged into an abyss.

***

When he opened his eyes, he saw a battlefield. Smoke curled upward from the ground like serpents preparing to strike. Hoofbeats pounded against the rocky soil as armored soldiers rode toward him. There were so many of them that they looked like a giant mass of heads and legs. The ground shook as he drew his sword. He held out his free hand, ready to summon the wind. As they got closer, he realized that his feet were stuck and he could not focus his magic. He braced himself.

The mounted soldiers rode through him as if he were not there.

Ghost soldiers? he thought. Or am I the ghost?

He peered at their helmets. Some of the soldiers had faces twisted in anguish and agony. Others only had bare skulls with jaws agape. Then there were ones with no head at all, only an empty space. As more of these wraiths passed through him, he felt a sharp, bone-chilling coldness that numbed his hands and stiffened his limbs.

This was a dream, of course. He should have recognized it immediately, given the bizarre imagery. But he had never had these visions before. Were these the vestiges of a battle fought centuries ago? The churnings of a feverish mind? Or a warning of an uncertain future?

Darkness enveloped him like the mouth of a dragon swallowing a fly, and he felt himself in freefall once more.

***

His eyes opened slowly. He was back in the mountain passage, huddled next to Bakhat. The light of dawn filtered through the clouds. Dewdrops beaded on his hair and blanket. The air had a crispness that reminded him of the first bite of an apple. He stood up and stretched the tightness out of his limbs. Another day was beginning. Would they make it out of the mountain before night fell again?

Chen Yun lifted the flap of the cargo wagon covering and blinked bleary-eyed. Leiyu folded up the blanket and walked over to return it.

Chen Yun took the cold silk bundle and stared at Leiyu’s damp hair. Although it was tempting, he held his tongue from casting any judgments. “Did you sleep okay out there?” he asked instead.

“I did,” Leiyu replied. “Thank you for the blanket.”

“You’re welcome. Do you want any food? I mean, besides whatever you’re storing in those infinite sleeves of yours? It’s so cold that I want to cook something for breakfast.”

Leiyu’s eyebrows perked up. “Sure, anything’s good. Thank you.”

“Do you have any fire-making talismans by any chance? The sticks around here are too damp to start a flame.”

Leiyu reached into his sleeve and produced another strip of paper with swirling calligraphy. “I don’t have too many of these, so use them sparingly. When we make it to the West, I’ll buy more paper.”

Chen Yun went into the wagon and retrieved a small cooking pot, a ladle, two cloth pouches, and a water flask fashioned from a cut bamboo pole. Leiyu laid the fire talisman on the ground and waved his hand over it. He stared intensely at the brush strokes and focused his qi. The symbols glowed and erupted in flame.

“The flame should last for about the same time it takes for an incense stick to burn down,” Leiyu said.

“That should be sufficient,” Chen Yun replied. He placed the cooking pot over the fiery talisman and poured water into it from the bamboo container. After a few minutes, it began to bubble. Chen Yun untied one of the pouches and poured a small amount of millet into the boiling water. He then untied the other pouch and fished out a fistful of dried goji berries. He took the wooden spoon and stirred the lumpy mass. Liang Fusheng and Wang Yihui emerged from their wagons and joined them.

“Hot breakfast!” Liang Fusheng remarked. “That’s a welcome sight after all these days of stale flatbread.”

“Here, you stir. I need to get the bowls.” Chen Yun said. Liang Fusheng made a face but took the ladle. Chen Yun disappeared into the wagon and reemerged with four worn ceramic bowls.

“Ah, even in the middle of nowhere we can get a taste of home,” Wang Yihui said. “Haven’t had millet soup for months.”

“Forgive me in advance for my unworthy cooking skills and lack of ingredients,” Chen Yun said with a half grin as he ladled the soup into the bowls. “This would taste better with some chicken and ginger.” He passed the bowls to the others, who sat close to the fire talisman.

“All’s well,” Liang Fusheng said as he sipped from the bowl as if he were drinking tea. “Where’d you get the goji berries?”

“The markets before we left home,” Chen Yun replied. “I bargained with the vendor and threw in some silk scarves to bring the price down. I was going to save them for a celebratory meal after we successfully made our delivery, but seeing as how we’re stuck on this misty haunted mountain with no certainty that we’ll make it through, might as well enjoy some of them now.” He turned his attention toward Leiyu, who had already downed his bowl of soup and was wiping his mouth with his fingerless glove. “How was it?”

“It was good, thank you,” Leiyu replied. “I appreciate food of any kind.”

Chen Yun raised an eyebrow as a stray thought passed through his mind but let it pass. “Would you like more?”

“I won’t take any more than my fair share,” Leiyu said.

“But you’re guarding our caravan,” Chen Yun said. “You need to be fed.” He held out his hand. Leiyu smiled modestly and gave him the bowl. The other merchants also deposited their empty bowls in front of the cooking pot. Chen Yun split up the remaining soup amongst the four of them, but gave Leiyu an extra ladleful. This did not go unnoticed by the others. Liang Fusheng scowled.

“So, what’s your take on our traveling situation, wind mage?” Liang Fusheng asked Leiyu. Leiyu raised an eyebrow at the sobriquet. “Sorry, do you prefer to be called Thundercloud? Or Ghost Whisperer?”

“Fusheng, don’t be rude,” Chen Yun admonished. “He might strike you down with his magic.”

“I jest, I jest,” Liang Fusheng said. He focused back on Leiyu. “You know we’re grateful for everything you do.”

Leiyu averted his eyes. “You don’t have to give me extra soup,” he said to Chen Yun. “I don’t want to cause any hard feelings with the others.”

Chen Yun sighed. “I just thought you might need it after spending all night in the freezing cold.” He emphasized the last words so that Liang Fusheng could hear.

“He slept outside? By choice?” Wang Yihui asked. “But why? He’s not afraid of the ghosts?”

“I think he’s more interested in avoiding us,” Liang Fusheng remarked. “It’s not like we’ve actually heard the ghosts ourselves. We’re just taking him at his word that they’re there. For all we know, he could be the one calling them. You never know with these mages.”

Leiyu furrowed his brow and then walked away. He headed towards Bakhat and took some oats out of his sleeve. The horse nuzzled Leiyu’s palm and partook of its breakfast.

Chen Yun frowned and turned towards Liang Fusheng. “What’s wrong with you?” he whispered loudly. “He saved our lives, you know. If you’re mad that I gave him more food, then you can have the rest of my goji berries. We’re almost at our destination, and we’ve all been through a lot.”

“Ah, keep your precious berries,” Liang Fusheng replied gruffly. Then he eyed Chen Yun disdainfully. “Those silk scarves you traded away better not have been part of the delivery.”

“They weren’t. They were just some rejects that the scarf vendor was going to discard anyway because the embroidery was crooked.”

“All right then.”

“Also, what’s with your attitude this morning? Leiyu’s been helpful to us this whole time.”

“Yeah, and I’ve already said I appreciate it. Fine, I talk too much, and I’m an ungrateful jerk. Sorry. But I also don’t get why you’re trying so hard to be friends with him. It’s been weeks and he clearly has no interest in socializing. Also, you can’t trust anyone completely. You should know that, being in this line of work.”

“I guess I should watch out for you as well,” Chen Yun said. Liang Fusheng glared at him.

Leiyu returned from feeding Bakhat. Although he heard everything they said, his expression remained neutral. “We can resume our journey whenever you’re all ready.”