Kaoru named her daughter Song, and we both wept in memory while I visited them. The village midwife, who also served as its leader, told us that the Tortoise King’s army had sent a couple of scouts by to see if any survivors had stumbled across the village.

But now that I was recovering, I could tell without her saying that they were lied to, and found nothing. The headwoman would hardly sell out herself like that, let alone her own mother and others like her.

Yes, it was pretty clear this old woman was one of Mistress Fu’s many children, especially since the old crow was recovered enough to insist on hearing how many circles those scouts had been led in.

“Only two, ma. I want them gone even more than you do, and they’d try something stupid if they got too frustrated.”

A weak laugh, nothing like the bawdy crow I’d met in a tailor shop nearly a year before. But considering she had also just received word that the remains of those who’d died at and around the monastery had been properly put to rest, I was just happy that she could feel anything but soul-crushing grief.

Kaoru was still at that point. She nursed her daughter when little Song was brought to her, but couldn’t seem to do much else. She laid in a straw cot by the fire most of the time, looking into it for some sort of answer. I suppose, like having a child, losing those she cared about was something she’d never before experienced.

I did what I could, learning to change diapers and how to deal with the finicky parts of caring for human-shape babies. Even if it hadn’t been forced on me, I would’ve volunteered. I’d have to do it for my own litter soon enough.

Cultivating was still hard, but I did what I could and taught Li what I knew of elemental cultivation. He seemed to have an affinity for water, and took to kitchen duties as if he were still on punishment detail.

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I didn’t stop him. The work gave him purpose, helped his cultivation, and kept him from dwelling on what he’d seen. He woke up screaming far too often, but all I could do was try and comfort him while he shook in terror. There was no easy way through, and I was waking up far too often when I smelled woodsmoke or cooking meat. You’d have to be as insane as the Tortoise King or his followers to not have nightmares from such horrors, and Li clearly wasn’t any more twisted than I was.

It was a rather nice spring afternoon when my own time came. Couldn’t believe how much human birth hurt, but other than that it was fairly safe and ordinary, and I was nursing my twins before the sun had set that day.

My little Chang and Chen. A boy and a girl, born at the dawn of a prosperous age. I’d see to that personally.

Mistress Fu took a few careful flights between the village and Rivermill, arranging a wagon to transport our new families along with some winter excess the villagers could send on. I’d checked for rabbit pelts or meat, but apparently my kin were scarce on the ground since the day I’d awakened. Sad, but since the hunters knew to leave rabbits alone for a few years I figured we’d be around again.

One of the hunters noted how rabbits always bounce back, but he’ll be fine in a month or two. I only broke his leg a little…

The snows melted, and the spring sowing began. I tried to participate, but was told quite flatly that new mothers weren’t allowed to perform heavy labor. Instead, I was the guest of honor at their spring festival, alongside Kaoru and a handful of other women who’d given birth over the winter. Apparently we were a sign of fertility and the future harvest, and there were… well, let’s just say that some of the women in town would be on display next year. Apparently applying for the seat of honor was something of a pastime among the village youths during the festival.

This was also the day the wagon arrived to town, and was loaded by a very familiar-seeming young man. I couldn’t quite place him… well, until he rushed to a shocked looking Kaoru and nearly crushed her and little Song in an embrace.

Well, that was going to make for an interesting ride back...