“Is he asleep again?”
Nox1Literally nox (night). Nox is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. ZaiWin uses it because he is the Governor of Nox. ZaiWin2Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos) looked up to face ZenTar3Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind).’s inquisitive and suspicious expression.
“He exhausted himself a bit too much last night,” he replied, making sure the brat remained as comfortable as possible, taking into account that they were both riding on the same saddle. He’d pulled his own cloak over his sleeping body, trying his best to keep him warm but, even so, he could still feel the reminiscent of the cold that had seeped into him the night before.
“You really think it’s wise to teach him all that? I mean, teaching how to use all those Tien’Elhar4Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language. daitai5Literally dai (light) + tai (mark), or Holy Markings, considered Heavenly Blessings. They’re the source of power. is one thing. It can even come in handy, like we’ve seen. But elemental daitai …?”
ZaiWin looked down at the tuft of silver hair resting just bellow his chin and sighed. He knew what ZenTar meant. He’d carefully considered all those possibilities himself.
“It’s for our own safety. If he looses control, like he did back at the inn, we’ll be lucky if we’re quick enough to escape certain death. And while the red array he used before apparently requires his voice to be activated, his ice markings just simply manifest themselves without him uttering a single word. We’re lucky that he’s too naive and doesn’t really harbor any ill intentions towards us. If you or I were in his place, we’d already killed everyone around us and simply escaped.”
“My point exactly,” ZenTar countered with a worried expression. “The more you teach him the less … naive he’ll be. A time will come when he’ll realize just that.”
“Ah! Aren’t you guys always saying I’m too cynical where Celestials are concerned? And that they cannot abide death, much less nurse the idea of taking another person’s life?”
ZenTar averted his gaze, scowling.
“And yet we know it differently.”
“That we do,” ZaiWin agreed with an ironic smile on his face. “And I have never forgotten it, not for a single moment. Unlike you.”
“It’s not like I have forgotten it …” ZenTar mumbled, sounding almost like a scolded child.
“No. You simply choose not to think about it. As if that could somehow alter reality.”
“I just don’t think that holding on to things that happened such a long time ago will do us any good. Especially when there’s nothing we can do to change them or even correct them. We’d do better focusing on our present situation.”
“And yet you worry about some stinky brat,” ZaiWin mocked, to which ZenTar frowned.
“I’m not worrying about some stinky brat! Unless you’re talking about yourself!” he retorted dryly, but ended up taking a deep breath. “I know you it was never your intention but, although I do believe in your ability to think clearly and to remain prudent in your decisions, you have changed. And it hasn’t been much more than a month.”
ZaiWin could openly deny it, but he knew himself, and knew ZenTar all too well, to hope to be able to convince him otherwise.
“It’s like you said. I’m trying my best to focus on our present situation. It’s just that … things are a bit more complicated than I’d anticipated.”
ZenTar sighed, his green gaze falling on the Snow’s sleeping face.
Seeing him like that, the boy looked harmless enough, even clearly vulnerable. And he would have blindly believed all that, if he hadn’t seen with his own eyes the piles of bodies that had resulted from his little tantrum. And yet, for now, regardless of what he thought about that whole matter, regardless of how he felt about that strange kid, there was nothing anyone could do about it. And he couldn’t help wishing they would reach their destination as fast as possible. The quicker they got to the bottom of all their questions, the faster they could agree on a way to solve that problem.
“I trust that you know what you’re doing.”
ZaiWin gave him a fake smile.
“I hope your trust is well deserved.”
When Snow woke up, most of the morning was already gone.
The first time he’d fallen asleep while riding, he’d woken up in fear, dreading what ZaiWin would do to him. The following times he’d just felt awkward and embarrassed. But by now even that was gone, he realized, feeling ZaiWin’s arms release him so he could straighten his back. He didn’t know when it had started but, even though he generally disliked other people touching him, lately he just felt too comfortable leaning against him. Maybe it was because of his warm body temperature, he wondered, his back still warm from leaning against his chest. Whatever the case, he was all too aware that he’d gotten way too comfortable around that dangerous man, which could never be a good thing. The more comfortable he got, the bigger the chances that he would be caught off guard, when ZaiWin finally decided to get rid of him.
Turning back, he glanced up at his stoic, perfect face.
If only he were a bit uglier. Maybe then he’d feel less relaxed around him. After all, unlike MenTar6Literally men (lake) + tar (wind), with his easygoing personality, Nox ZaiWin was an intimidating, powerful man, that hid inside himself an even more dangerous, deadly monster. He wasn’t, by any means, someone he should be feeling comfortable around.
Clearly sensing that he was being stared at, even though he didn't make a single movement to look straight at him, his blue eyes still turned his way, as cold and hard as rocks. Those eyes still scared him a bit, since those were also the eyes of the monster that had terrified him for so long. But, somehow, he had come to believe that his fears were all unfounded, product of his own wild imagination. Even though he knew in his head that that man probably wanted him dead, he had also foolishly started to feel safe in his presence.
Frowning in anger at his own stupidity, Snow turned forward and decided to use his time in more useful, productive ways, than filling his head with useless thoughts and conjectures.
Closing his eyes, he focused on feeling the energy coursing through his own body and slowly, but precisely, made it flow through each and every one of his golden daitai, making sure they remained cleansed and true to their nature, like ZaiWin had thought him. He didn’t dare touch his ice daitai, afraid of causing trouble for the rest of the group should he find himself unable to control them again. He’d have to test them a few more times, until he felt confident enough to use them in the presence of others.
When they stopped at midday he was already eager to climb down of Black’s back and start with his other practice. And so he impatiently waited until MenTar invited him to follow him, under the pretense of helping him fill their water flasks.
He didn’t know when he’d made them, but he couldn’t help stare in amazement at the three arrows MenTar presented him. All cut from straight branches, they had been carefully carved, their points sharpened, and there were even three small white feathers strapped to their endings.
“These will have to do, for now. Want to give them a try?”
Snow nodded excitedly, holding the bow MenTar handed him, and tried to remember all the instructions he’d given him the day before. The new arrow rested much more stably against the string, and it was much easier to hold. Pulling the string back, he felt the soft wood slide over his left fingers.
“Try to hit that tree.”
He immediately accepted MenTar's suggesting, lightly lowering his head to take aim. It was close enough, he figured, taking a deep breath, holding it in, making sure his arms didn’t tremble before he released the arrow.
The wheezing sound it made as it cut through the air made his heart beat faster and, true enough, it reached the tree in the blink of an eye.
“Well, you have good aim, that’s for sure,” MenTar complimented him with a bright smile, and Snow couldn’t help smile in return,
Quickly crossing the distance to recover his bran new arrow, Snow carefully checked it to make sure it remained undamaged.
Easily catching up with him, MenTar looked at the arrow in his hands.
“Since its tip is also made of wood, it will be hard to actually pierce a tree with it. But it will pierce through flesh well enough.”
For an instant a shiver ran down Snow's spine at the images MenTar’s words conjured in his mind. But then he quickly replaced those dead, vacant eyes, with those dark monsters with bodies covered in bright red marks.
When he realized what MenTar was doing, he’d already carved a big X on the tree trunk with his small dagger and, stepping back all the way to where he’d been before, traced a line on the ground.
“Try hitting that X from behind this line. I’ll give you twenty tries. Then we’ll do some more exercises to strengthen your muscles.”
Snow nodded, unwilling to waste time, and quickly made his way back to the line. MenTar handed him the other two arrows and gathered all the empty flasks, to go and fill them on the nearby stream.
Snow stood behind the line and held the bow in one hand, carefully repeating all the previous gestures. His ribs still hurt when he pulled the string, his back aching, but he quickly ignored all that, focusing on the X carved on the tree.
Even though hitting the tree itself was easy enough, hitting the X was an entire different matter, he quickly concluded, wiping sweat from his forehead as he made his fourth trip to recover his three arrows. Luckily they all seemed to be rather sturdy, he concluded after carefully observing them, looking for any split endings.
As to be expected, MenTar had already concluded his task, and was now sitting under a tree, lazily watching him fail time and time again.
With a sigh, Snow returned to the line and prepared himself to shoot one more time. By then his left arm was hurting so much that he could hardly force it to stop trembling.
“Enough. I guess twenty is too much for you right now,” MenTar decided, scrambling to his feet, and Snow lowered the bow, turning to him with a protest hanging from his tongue. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our limits. Accepting them and respecting them makes of you an intelligent person. Trying your best to surpass them, makes you a persistent and brave one”
Snow shut his mouth, averting his gaze with the clear sensation he’d just been wisely manipulated into doing what he wanted.
“Okay. Give me that and hold these.”
Snow returned the bow and arrows to him, and accepted the filled water flasks instead.
“Make sure you carry more or less the same weight on both hands. Now spread your arms. That’s right,” MenTar assured him when Snow gave him a doubtful glare. He felt really stupid, holding a bunch of water flasks in his hands, arms wide open as if he hoped to take flight at any moment. “Now, don’t lower your arms and keep them straight. I want you to walk to that tree and back again, twenty times. No running either!” he added and Snow looked at the tree. He hadn’t even started, and his muscles were already aching … Taking a deep sigh he went on his way.
