Sleep stole her last moments of the night, and Pia woke not wanting to face the day. Rising an hour early, Pia made quick work preparing for herself for the day. Changing, braiding her hair, and stretching for her run were done as quickly as her tired muscles allowed.
As she stepped out into the corridor to begin her run, Pia found that freezing rain had started to fall. Lips turning downward, Pia set off at a jog. The snow beneath her feet turned slushy and grey, quickly soaking through her boots.
Rain had always been something Pia loved, back in Dwelling. The sound of it on the tile roof, or thudding on a wooden board, always soothed her. Yet, rain had a way of setting the mood for the day. Today, the rain mirrored the turbulent emotions Pia hid in her heart.
It didn’t matter that Ruwe said he’d come back. He was still leaving her, like everyone else had. Maybe she wasn’t meant to have family ties. Perhaps in her last life, Pia had been an evil demon, and as such was punished to live a lone existence in this life.
Cry for me, heavens, she thought, and felt a little silly for her self-pitying. It wasn’t like he’d abandoned her in the grasslands. She was in his home, Cangzhi Manor, being left to his two trusted men. The rationale didn’t stick in her mind as well as the doubt settled into her heart.
The rain quickly soaked her braids, and they smacked at her arms as she ran. The sting of her wet braids against her snapped her into focus. Pia steadied her breath, in for five, out for twenty, and let the rhythm clear her mind. Pushing her legs hard to force her mind to calm, Pia ran on.
Instead of ending her run at Cangzhi, Pia continued past it, turning left at the dragon fountain and returning to the stable. If she’d timed it correctly, Pia would see Ruwe before he left.
Ducking inside the stable, Pia dripped her way down the aisle, leaving watery footprints behind. Relief poured over her as she saw Yamo in the aisle, tacked and ready to leave, but still present. Pia hadn’t realized how worried she’d been until her eyes landed on Yamo. She wanted to see Ruwe off, to watch him go.
Behind Yamo, Pia saw other horses tacked and ready to go, their riders standing beside them, waiting. Mentally Pia counted eight of them. The men looked to her as she neared, and shyness hit her as all those eyes landed on her. Freezing, Pia stood there, continuing to drip water to the floor, as her nerves locked her in place.
A blanket dropped onto her head, hands wrapping it around her head and neck.
“Little fool, where’s your outer robe?”
Ruwe’s voice poured over her head and the relief she felt made her knees weak. She didn’t want him to leave, even if she couldn’t voice it.
“I was running,” she said, voice soft and lacking the usual energy. “I didn’t know it was raining when I left.”
Sighing, he draped the blanket around her, resting his hands on her shoulders.
“Let me introduce you to my personal guard,” he said, pushing her forward a few steps.
Shyly, Pia looked over at the group of men still staring at her.
“Men, this is my apprentice, Pia. Pia, these men will be escorting me to Siji.”
In unison the men gave her a bow, hands meeting fists in respect. Pia quickly returned it feeling touched.
“Mount up at the front gate,” Ruwe instructed the men. “I’ll join you soon.”
Pia and Ruwe stood off to the side as the men lead their horses past them and into the rain. Pia watched them go wishing she could also follow Ruwe.
Turning back to her, Ruwe held out a small, rectangular box.
“This is for you. Consider it an early Solstice gift.”
Pia took it from him with eyes wide in disbelief. The box was a beautiful red and had birds engraved across the top. Her fingers traced over the delicate lines with awe. It was beautiful.
“Well, go on and open it,” Haojie’s voice drawled over her shoulder. Pia turned to find Haojie leaning over her, eyes fixed on the box. She hadn’t even heard them approach.
Yijun swatted at the back of Haojie’s head with a scoff of irritation.
“You always know how to ruin a moment,” he told Haojie.
“What moment? She was just standing there with her mouth hanging open like a fish!”
Pia looked at Ruwe, and he nodded to her. She opened the box. Pia’s breath caught as she lifted the sheathed dagger from the box. The sheath, black and adorned with shimmering white cranes, looked too refined for her hands to touch.
She pulled the dagger from the box, closed the box and slid it inside her inner robe. It was so beautiful Pia almost didn’t want to hold it for fear of leaving smears of her fingerprints all over the surface. She slid the dagger from the sheath and found that it too was a beauty.
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The silver gleamed with a grey-blue light, reminding Pia of the soft glow of the moon. It was deadly sharp, she found, testing it against the back of her hand. A gentle swipe left a faint line of red behind.
“This is for me?” she whispered, turning the blade side to side as she admired the craftsmanship.
Haojie whistled as he saw it clearly. Even Yijun’s brows rose in admiration.
“Is that Tears of the Sky?” Yijun asked. He held out his hand, silently asking Pia to see it.
Hesitating, already not wanting to part with it, Pia slowly gave it to him. Turning it over with gentle hands, Yijun admired the craft openly.
“Yes. I had the Tears forged into a dagger. Pia’s daggers are a mess, she needed something decent.” He turned to Pia and said, “Carry that with you from now on. You’re a good fit for each other.”
“Its name is Tears of the Sky?” Pia asked, bewildered. The dagger was stunning, but the name seemed extravagant for a dagger.
Haojie tried to reach for her dagger, but Yijun held it away from him. He gave it back to Pia and she resheathed it, ignoring the mock hurt look Haojie gave her. She tucked the sheath inside her belt, above her hanging sect tassel.
“The material that gives it that glow is called Tears of the Sky,” Ruwe explained, looking pleased that she’d liked the gift. “It’s a spiritual pearl that blends well with pure steel.”
“You really undervalued Tears of the Sky,” Haojie said with a laugh. Pia looked at him and he continued. “That dagger is more valuable than most martial artists’ swords. Tears of the Sky pearls only form when the moon god cries. They’re rarer than a smile from our charming Duke.”
Haojie yelped as Ruwe gave him a punch in the shoulder that sent him tumbling backwards. Dipping into a roll, he quickly sprung back to his feet, grin still on his lips.
Amazed, Pia pressed her hand against the sheath, pushing it against her stomach as a warm glow filled her. What a gift. Besides the token for Xieya, it was the greatest thing she’d ever been given. She smiled; mood greatly lifted.
Seeing her smile, Ruwe crossed to Yamo and picked up the reins.
“It doesn’t matter how valuable a weapon is if it doesn’t harmonize with the owner. Pia, I think you’ll find it suits you well.”
Pia could only nod as the lump of gratitude and unhappiness clogged together in her throat.
“Thank you. I will cherish it,” she managed to spit out, voice rough with emotion.
Yijun tugged on her braid, bringing her attention back to him.
“He’ll be back before you know it.”
Chiming in, Haojie added, “With fresh training hell for you.”
Ruwe left the stable and the three followed him to the doorway. Internally, Pia wanted to beg him to stay, or to take her with him. The feeling of being abandoned grew with every step he took away. The age-old fear of being left behind and forgotten filled her heart. Half the time, Pia didn’t even know where she stood with her Master. Yet, as he left, Pia’s heart ached. All the times he’d coldly forced her through her exercises in the plains and she’d thought he hated her contrasted with all the times he’d been endlessly kind and concerned with her safety. The thoughts roiled in her mind, waves of thoughts crashing together, making her heart hurt even more. She touched the tassel hanging on her belt, letting its cold surface reassure her.
Ruwe mounted Yamo just outside the stable, and with a wave, he turned and rode off. At the gate, his guard fell in around him, and then they trotted out of the gate, and the rain blurred their departure. Pia discretely blotted her eyes, telling herself it was just rainwater dripping from her hair.
“Ready for more Demon Pillars?” Haojie asked teasingly.
She croaked a laugh.
“You really do ruin a moment,” she said, agreeing with Yijun’s earlier comment.
Pia returned to Cangzhi to change into dry robes and eat her morning meal. Eating in the now empty main room of the manor felt lonely. The room was quiet, and the dimness filled the room with a cold shadow.
When the male servant came to get her dishes, she said, “Can you bring my meals to Lunar Haven from now on? I’ll eat in there.”
He nodded and Pia left.
At least in Lunar Haven there was only supposed to be one person. It’d feel too much like Dedication, sitting alone in a massive house that should be filled with people teeming about. The servants stayed out of her way, which Pia liked, but it made it even lonelier.
The walk back to the training area had her half soaked once more.
Haojie alone waited for her.
“Yijun has a task from the sect. I’ll be the spotter today. You remember how to do it? You brought your clay?”
A sect task? Pia wondered. Maybe she could sneak some information out of Haojie.
“Yes and yes,” she said. “Which should I start with today?”
“How’re your hands today?”
Pia held them up, showing her the mostly healed skin. Yijun’s salves might smell terrible but they worked. Only slightly pink skin lingered where the rope had burned her palms and the welts had drained, turning to hardened callouses.
“Perfect. Today, you’re going to do the rope rappel as a climb, then come down the logs.”
“Any tips for climbing the rope?”
Humming under his breath Haojie thought about it.
Bringing his pointer finger up, his face lit up with excitement.
“Don’t let go!”
Pia gave him a baleful look before going over to the tower. She almost wished they’d sent Haojie on the task.
In the rain, the ground around the tower was mushy from the rain and the melting snow. The ground half-frozen and half-thawed created a slippery mud that clung heavy and thick to her shoes. Grasping the rope, Pia hopped up, and braced her feet against the wood of the tower. Instantly her shoulders, still overworked from the day prior, ached and whined from her own weight.
The clay on her palms helped, especially in the rain, but the water sluicing down the rope made it hard to keep a grip. Gritting her teeth, Pia began to pull with her arms, one hand over another, and brace with her feet for balance. It was tough. Her feet constantly slid off the wood as the mud smeared under foot. Frustration blossomed hot within her when Pia looked down and saw herself only at the halfway point. It’d already felt like she’d been climbing for ages.
Giving herself a big heave, Pia stretched high on the rope, trying to cover more distance. Her right foot slipped . In an attempt to rebalance, she leaned too hard against her left leg, causing that foot to slide out from under her as well. Both legs dangled helplessly, and she desperately clung to the rope with her palms. Her shoulders screamed in protest, and her grip began to slip. Her heart skipped a beat in fear, then took off racing as she slid again. At first, it was a slow slide, but as rainwater seeped between her white-knuckled grip and the rope, it quickened. The mud-covered soles of her feet couldn’t find any purchase on the tower.
Then, everything happened in a blur. Her grip hit the rope knot, and her hands popped loose. In shock, Pia’s legs shot forward, and she instinctively pushed off the tower, hoping the momentum would bring her closer to the rope. The world spun around her as she plummeted downward.
Am I upside down? The thought flitted through her mind just before her head slammed into the wall of the tower. Pain exploded behind her eyes, and her vision went dark. Rain continued to pelt her unconscious body as she swung precariously from the tower wall, her leg wrapped tightly around the rope.
From below, Haojie complained, “I said don’t let go.”