Min couldn't help feeling the same excitement as the rest of the Gem Court as they proceeded through the expedition camp. They were all wearing their finest: Min in her white robe edged with red, the same as Jai-lin and Shisa. Nima, in her orange-edged robe, preceded them, a polite six steps behind the Dowager Pearl. All five were flanked by attendants in black silks.

The Gems descended through the cultivator camp. It was the first time that they had officially left the royal seraglio since their arrival. Min had, of course, been down here plenty on Brotherhood business. Now, most of the camp had turned out - not just to watch them, of course, but to greet the new arrivals whose presence the Court of Gems was here to welcome.

They descended numerous staircases, passing through the narrow streets of the encampment that clung to the side of the mountains. The lower reaches of the camp were, of course, below the notice of the Court of Gems, though Min had been down into the laborer's quarters several times herself. People watched out of building windows as they went, and as they passed, others joined the procession.

They proceeded through the forecourt of the officials, where various camp duties were carried out. The scribing house was the largest building here, backed up against the flank of the mountain itself, with its storerooms and barracks dug deep into the mountainside. All of the scribes had come out to watch. There was no sign of Scribe Wu. She wondered if he’d survived the attack on the mountain earlier this week, and hoped so. Their dealings had been straightforward and honest, and she'd liked the young scribe.

The Dowager Pearl continued on into the arrival plaza. Here, the shelf on which the camp perched stuck out from the mountain a good 200 spans. Storehouses were cut into the mountain on the east side, but the rest of the space was left clear except for a pair of guard towers built on either side of the narrow bridge over the ravine. The guard towers were hung with bright flags today to welcome the newcomers.

The Dowager Pearl led her charges forward, then arranged them in a semicircle with Nima at the center. Others filled in behind them, leaving a respectful space that their attendants enforced with glares and occasional body checks.

Min shielded her eyes, peering across the ravine at the road beyond. "I don't see them yet," she whispered to her brother.

"Shh," Nima scolded, arranging her own hands neatly in front of her.

Min felt the heat of the sun pressing against her wide-brimmed hat. The straw of her hat had been dyed red, but otherwise resembled a peasant's hat. It kept the sun off of her face, which was what truly mattered. She hoped the newcomers wouldn't be long.

Hundreds of people packed into the arrival plaza behind them: scribes, camp officials, high-ranked military in the front rows, and then anyone who could get away from their duties behind.

There was a disturbance as another group came pushing through the crowd. The crowd parted to give way as Young Master Feng, his own master, and his cultivators arrived. They took up a place just opposite the Court of Gems.

Young Master Feng looked furious as he took up his place at the right hand of Sect Master Liwan. He was wearing his presumably best cultivator's robes, in his sect’s orange and purple cross-hatchings. It was an unfortunate color combination. Min always felt sorry for the sects who seemed to have been handed awkward colors. Only nobility of the various courts were permitted to use a single solid color. All other affiliations had to use multiple colors together.

Only cultivators and nobles were permitted to use the seven lux colors. Groups such as the Oaken Band were limited to browns, blacks, grays, and half shades. The Oaken Band themselves used brown and gray stripes, the brown bands twice as wide as the gray, to identify themselves when needed, but the Brotherhoods all tried to stay in the shadows. Her own bracelet, with its delicate tangle of copper wires, would identify her to anyone who needed to know as an important member of the Oaken Brotherhood.

Jai-lin pointed. "Is that them?"

Min peered at the path leading down the mountain. From here, they could see it stretch nearly half a li downward before it curved out of sight around a bend. Now, coming around that bend, was a procession.

The frontmost walkers carried poles with banners trailing from them: yellow and blue stripes, a much better color combination than Soaring Heavens. They bore the logo of the newly arriving sect, a crescent moon with a raven's feather.

This was the Moon Whispers sect. Like the Soaring Heavens sect, they had no connection with Riceflower Province. That was by Imperial design. Sects were rarely permitted to engage in a tower cull in their own territory, lest they think of a tower as belonging to them, rather than being granted access by grace of the Emperor's divine wisdom.

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While the Soaring Heavens were an ambitious new young sect with Young Master Feng as their rising acolyte, Moon Whispers was a well-established sect that Min had heard of even before this expedition.

They sent plenty of representatives. She counted dozens of servants in the first rows, easily identified by the way they wore tunics in the sect's markings. Then came the marching ranks of outer disciples, at least a dozen of them, their cultivator's robes glinting brightly in the sunlight. They carried long spear staffs with curving blades and brightly colored ribbons tied to them.

Min could hear Young Master Feng's loud whisper to one of his own subordinates. "Those showy things - no serious cultivator has used one of those in a century."

After the outer sect disciples came five inner sect disciples, two men, three women, all with long flowing hair and even more elaborate robes. None of the disciples wore jewelry. While wood and wire jewelry did not flout imperial law restricting gemstones to members of the appropriate courts, most cultivators wore no jewelry at all until after they had been awarded a royal spouse. At that point, they would be entitled to wear simple, less precious gemstones in the color of their spouse's rank: garnet for members of the Red Court, lapsi lazuli for members of Blue, and so forth.

And then, behind came not one but two Young Masters wearing the tall, boxy hats that marked their rank. Min could hear Feng's intake of breath. She glanced at him through the corners of her eyes. His fists were clenched, and she could practically feel the rage and lux rising off of him. "They dare," he hissed. "They may flaunt their wealth. I'll show them Soaring Heavens needs no such displays."

Finally, bringing up the rear was a palanquin carried by more sect servants. Its trappings and hangings were yellow and blue, but its inlays were gold. This must be a very high-ranking sect member.

Young Master Feng was the highest-ranking member of the Soaring Heavens sect here, and had until now been the highest-ranked cultivator in the entire expedition. Min couldn't help but feel a bit of amusement at his predicament. In less than a week, he had lost his intended spouse and his place at the top of the rankings. It couldn't have happened to a nicer cultivator.

Perhaps she could develop some allies within the Moon Whispers sect and have Feng dealt with. She wasn't sure Brother Stone had delivered a strong enough message and was worried about reprisals from the Soaring Heaven's sect. If she could have them removed...

As the procession reached the bridge, she banished other thoughts. The newcomers marched across, banners and robes waving brightly in the breeze. The servants and outer sect disciples fell into rank just on this side of the bridge, leaving plenty of space for the rest to cross. Then came the inner disciples, followed by the two Young Masters who approached the Dowager Pearl, bowing low before her. Then the palanquin bearers at last entered the plaza. They carefully set down the palanquin before retreating to join the other servants. The two Young Masters approached the palanquin, drew back its hangings, and then bowed respectfully.

The palanquin held two people. The old man rose first. He stepped down before extending a hand to the old woman with him. She was decked in head-to-toe blue robes, so she was a very high-ranking noble lady. Not quite a princess, but far higher than Min.

The lady dismounted. She had sapphires bound up in her hair and silver jewelry holding more sapphires at ears, neck, and wrists. A colossal display of wealth. The Moon Whispers sect must be incredibly wealthy, and this, then, would be one of their Grand Masters. He wore long robes that dragged along the ground as he approached the Dowager Pearl. He bowed to her, more of a head nod than a bow, and then, to Min's shock, the Dowager Pearl inclined her own head to the master. They smiled at each other.

"It is good to see you again, brother," the Dowager Pearl said.

"And you as well, sister," the Grand Master replied. "It has been a very long journey. Allow my disciples to greet your bevy of gems." He gestured, and the two Young Masters, one male, one female, approached the Court of Gems. They bowed low.

Min sized them both up. If they were here, then they were in the market for a cultivator spouse. She would have to set some of her people to speaking with the servants of the sect, if possible, and learn about them. A Young Master from a rich sect could be a very valuable asset, not for herself, but perhaps for Jai-lin.

After exchanging courtesies, the Young Masters backed off and allowed the sect disciples to perform their greetings. The first rituals concluded, the Young Masters and disciples continued toward the next rank of officials.

Min's attention began to wander. She glanced at Young Master Feng, who was grinding his teeth and staring daggers at the rival sect. She couldn't help but smile.

Then she happened to look back down the road. Someone was stumbling up the path toward them. A woman, she thought, based on the long bedraggled dark hair and the slight frame. Min couldn't help giving a yelp. The Dowager glared at her. Min pointed.

The Dowager turned. Her eyes widened. With a snap of her fingers, she summoned two soldiers. The soldiers raced across the bridge and met the girl just past the foot of the bridge.

The girl drew herself up. To her absolute astonishment, Min watched as the soldiers dropped to their knees and bowed very low in front of the newcomer. Then they straightened. The girl proceeded them across the bridge. She strode through the crowd, now whispering. Min stared.

The girl was wearing a brown cape. One much like Min's brotherhood used. In fact, it looked almost identical. Underneath, though, she was wearing nothing but stained white linen undergarments. They were covered in mud and blood. Yet the girl carried herself with power and grace. Her eyes passed across the crowd and then fixed on the Dowager Pearl. She marched right up to the woman before placing her hands together and bowing over them.

"Dowager Pearl. I am Indigo Princess Hiroko. I have survived to return to you."

Just about the time Min had finished comprehending what she was hearing, the uproar broke out.