It felt like it had been an entire lifetime before he actually knew what he was doing. A whole ten days after escaping the capital, Yi-Wen was finally getting things under way. Of course he had virtually lost everything important he brought with him with the exception of the sacred treasure and some middling supplies. He had been dragged from a river, held for days, plotted an escape, and gotten the treasure back. What felt like an entire side quest on a journey that’s barely begun. On the bright side, he supplies now included food, which he had sorely missed. On the flipside, he was terrible at blending in.
Having just slipped out of the mansion of his recent ‘benefactor’ like a thief in the night with just one of his bags and the treasure, Yi-Wen was slightly panicked blending in with a crowd exiting a respectable play house in the small town below the mansion. He was thankful that in the time he spent recuperating at the mansion, he managed to fill his stomach and get some clean clothes, so that his next moves could be made with a clear head. In the crowd of regular townspeople, he didn’t even mind that his nice clothes had been exchanged for cheaper but reasonable versions. They were probably on their way back to the palace anyway, along with anything else that might identify him.
As the crowd began to thin slightly Yi-Wen changed tactics. He moved through the crowd, entered the theater, and found a way to slip out the back instead. He was relieved to spot a musician troupe still in the alleyway, and he followed behind them sheepishly. They were a big group of about twenty people of various ages and appearances, most of them carrying a cloth covered object under one arm, and about half had a lantern in the other. Among them, he could go unnoticed until he could get out of town. If any of the mansion’s servants came looking for him, then the mixed group would be great camouflage. As far as he could tell though, all the commotion was taking place on the street running in front of the play house.
“They were really riled up this time!” A boisterous middle aged man lead the troupe through the alley behind the shops and stalls. Old ladies with kind eyes and sore backs waved to them as they passed and Yi-Wen tried to wave back like a normal person. A few of the troupe gave him weird looks and he put his hands down, chuckling nervously while they elbowed each other and laughed at him. One of them, carrying a long instrument under wraps, looked at him and then pointed to one of the old ladies closing up. Yi-Wen watched as the young man approached her while keeping up with the group.
“My, my auntie have you come to give us a meager offering for our hard work?”
“Ha! On with you. I doubt you do any real work!” The older woman pushed him away playfully.
“I see. Auntie wants me to ply her with songs about her beauty.”
“You bother me, boy. Take this.” She removed a bun from her stall and shoved it into his hand. “I want that song when you come back in town, you hear me?”
“My fingers will blister, tirelessly trying to capture your just your face, auntie.” He thanked her while she giggled like someone years younger.
Yi-Wen couldn’t fathom how that whole exchange took place. A secret ritual had happened and he was somehow both vigilant and ignorant at the same time. Slowly, the young man backed away from her and walked up to Yi-Wen. As he approached him, Yi-Wen felt the gaze of another young member of the troupe. A brown headed girl with freckles looked at him intensely in the lantern light before going back to chatting up the graceful lady beside her with a complimentary tone. He stared at the two for a moment before the young man drew his attention back to him.
“If you want something from the nice aunties you have to give something more than a wave.” He held half of the bun out to Yi-Wen.
“Oh.” Slowly he slowly pieced it together and accepted the bun. The two of them walked side-by-side and ate their food slowly. Watching the rest of the troupe, Yi-Wen saw several members get offered food from the ladies and men closing their stalls and shops for the day. Especially, the graceful lady with noble features. Men of all ages came to give her gifts of food and flowers. Whatever she turned down was offered to the brown haired girl instead. Who also turned down anything that was food.
“Is that a tradition here?”
“Hmm?” His new companion was preoccupied by the last bit of his bun for a moment.
“People bringing gifts after the play?”
“Mmm, in this town its pretty normal, but they,” He pointed to the girls. “Are dancers. Even on a lean night like tonight, they will have admirers gifting them things.”
“Lean?”
“Its our last night in town, our adoring audiences have already given us so much. So, tonight there’s not much to be given out.” Shouting and cursing from the other street drew their attention for a moment.
“The excess noise can’t be too helpful either.” Yi-Wen added.
“It’s not, but the mansion’s mercenaries have always been troublesome. This is nothing new from them.” His new friend waved his hand to dismiss the notion. The group congealed outside the town gate and moved much slower toward camp. Slowly, the attention of the troupe leader and his wife turned to the new addition. Yi-Wen held his breath as he could see them sizing him up from a far.
“Uncle Tam! Have you met my new friend!” From beside him, an arm shot up and the young man put all eyes on Yi-Wen.
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“I was about to ask you the same thing” The crowd parted for their conversation.
“What?”
“Ha! Do you know your new friend, Shu? Or is he another one of your strays?” Both men laughed at that, but the leader’s wife and the brown headed girl walked up next to the leader with curious faces. Shu turned to Yi-Wen.
“Well friend, do we know you?” Curiosity filled Shu’s eyes as panic filled Yi-Wen’s.
“Ah...well not yet.” He laughed nervously. “I have been hoping…” Yi-Wen struggled to form a coherent lie in his mind. While he hesitated, more troupe members started filing in looking at him expectantly. His face was beginning to burn with embarrassment.
“Surly,” The brown-haired girl interrupted. “We all know why he’s here, melting like snow in the sun.” She raised her eyebrows at Shu who finally broke down and laughed.
“Looks like we have another runaway on our hands. Hoping to try his luck at becoming a musician.” He laughed again and the crowd joined in. A few of the younger people stepped forward to pat Yi-Wen on the back, as if they were trying to tell him ‘they’ve seen it all before’. Yi-Wen nodded nervously.
“Right. I am sure he’s just another young master eager to see what the minstrel life is like. Look at ‘em.” The middle aged troupe leader gestured to him while eyeing another woman from the crowd. The woman slinked out and held Yi-Wen’s hands for a moment. Chills went down his spine being so close to a woman and he stepped back taking his hands into his sleeves.
“S-sorry, I wasn’t expecting...” Everyone stared at him for a moment.
Shu broke the silence. “Oh, the dancers are going to just eat you up.” Everyone was jeering, laughing, and exchanging glances as Yi-Wen began to regret everything. “Now, now Uncle Tam, he’s probably not used to touching women. I will do it.” The brown haired girl snorted, but Shu shushed her before leaning over and nodding to the woman who approached Yi-Wen earlier and handing her his instrument.
“What is happening?” Yi-Wen asked unable to leave the situation with the sounds of rowdy mercenaries still searching the streets so near.
“We are checking your hands that’s all. Now hand them over.” Shu stole a glance at the brown haired girl who nodded and adjusted her bag. Reluctantly, Yi-Wen slid the band of his own bag around, adjusting it on his shoulders, and gently presented his hands.
“Now let’s see.” Shu deftly grabbed one of Yi-Wen’s hands in each of his own, flipping them over and back, examining the fingers, and finally manipulating his knuckles. He switched hands a few times while Yi-Wen waited. The process felt draining to Yi-Wen somehow.
“What are you looking for?”
“Proof,” Shu unceremoniously dropped Yi-Wen’s hands and turned back to the crowd. “He’s an actual musician everyone! Looks like something string related probably a sheng or something.” A small whoop went up from a pair of willowy men lugging large and cumbersome looking packs.
“That’s great we could use someone to help those fools get around.”
Shu shook his head. “It doesn’t look like he’s been playing for long though uncle.”
“Excuse me, I have practiced for years.” Somehow, Yi-Wen decided then to be offended.
“Well, you hands don’t look like they’ve touched an instrument everyday for the better part of your life.” The young mans retort left Yi-Wen feeling dumbfounded and foolish in the eyes of most of them. Shu smiled and crossed his arms.
“No matter, he looks pretty sturdy, he can help lug.” The gruff looking leader crossed his arms as well before reaching a hand up to stroke his beard.
The brown haired girl sighed. “Uncle Tam, if you only have him around to lug instruments he won’t get any better.”
“Nonsense they can-” He cut himself short looking at the two willowy young men and then Shu and then back to her. “I see your point.”
“Without you two, we barely have zither players.” The leader’s wife finally spoke up from behind Yi-Wen and he nearly jumped out of his own skin. He didn’t even see her move.
“Don’t mind Auntie Tam.” Shu steadied Yi-Wen with a reassuring hand.
“Shu can teach him.” The brown haired girl offered. Yi-Wen looked at Shu anew, looking him up and down. He had a handsome face with long black hair and pale skin, but hardly looked like as refined and graceful as he had always seen the zither players at court. He looked more suited to the gaming tables at a banquet hall. He raised his eyebrows at his examiner, but if Shu noticed this expression disbelief he didn’t show it.
“I think Jia is right in this case, dear.” The wife joined the husband, the woman handed Shu his instrument, and the troupe divided up, with the members gathering behind the leaders and Jia walking over to Shu. Yi-Wen looked between the two groups.
“You heard the boss lady. Lim and Lam, you are on your own.” The gruff man gestured for the zither players to grab their packs from where they had started setting them down. “We are going to camp outside town for tonight, but if you are going to learn how to play well, you are gonna have to ask those two where they are going.” He pointed to Shu and Jia before turning his attention to camp set-up.
“Wait, I thought I was joining you- I mean you don’t even have my name or anything like that.” The young man was beginning to feel like he was being manhandled between the troupe members. Shu laughed before covering his mouth with a hastily produced fan.
“Everyone lies about their name when they run away to join a troupe anyway.” Jia clarified. “My brother and I are our own troupe. The leaders just shuffled you over to us. You should be thankful your days won’t be filled with only manual labor now.”
“Thankful? I didn’t have any choice in the matter at all.”
“Your options are limited when you are imposing on others. When you are better, we will bring you back to join the bigger troupe if you want.” Her words took him aback for a moment.
Yi-Wen cleared his throat. “Ahem...So you and he are siblings?” He immediately tried to speak normally while his face burned with embarrassment and shame.
“Yes, we are.” Shu stepped closer and leaned over to put his face next to Jia’s. “Practically, twins.” Only now that they were next to each other could Yi-Wen see that the two did have a strong family resemblance. While the shape of their heads and facial features were similar, Jia did not inherit the same pale complexion or black hair, while it was fairly dark with the one lantern in Jia’s hand he could still tell her hair was dark brown and her face seemed to have a reddish hue from cheek to cheek, with freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose.
“You’re a dancer?” Yi-Wen pulled his face back in surprise after examining her by lantern light.
“We wear makeup when performing. It is a normal practice.” She was unphased, but clearly Shu was clearly offended on her behalf.
“Now, Shu and I have to be in the next town by night fall tomorrow so we are going to start moving tonight. You should join us.”
“Or not?” Shu added with a spiteful grin. Yi-Wen sighed, but nodded. Leaving as soon as possible suited him better anyway. “Great, I will tell the troupe we have decided to take you on and are leaving tonight.” Excitedly, he toddled off, while Jia shook her head.
“Is he...always like this?”
“Yes, but eventually it stops being annoying and you just learn to enjoy imagining what it must be like to be so animated all the time.” She smiled briefly and Yi-Wen nodded.