Pia waved from her porch and then skipped down the stairs, stirring a whirl of blossom petals.

Lei and Chasu stood waiting in the entranceway, arms crossed, faces grumpy. Two years of hard work had bulked Lei into something less feminine, though Pia still found it funny how 'pretty' his face was. His muscle-thickened arms and legs struck a manly pose now.

Chasu, aiming to join the Veiled Cranes, remained lean and beautiful. These days, her long black hair was always kept up in a bun, keeping the silky strands free of harm.

Reaching them, Pia excitedly asked, "So?"

Chasu gave her a flat stare that made Lei laugh.

"Don't tease her, Chasu. She's more excited than you."

Without answering, Chasu slipped her hand inside her robe, pulled out a token, and showed it to Pia.

It was a square, black token bearing an etched crane.

"Yes!" Pia said, throwing her fist in the air. "You got them in time!"

"The excitement implies doubt at my ability," Chasu said dryly.

Lei rolled his eyes.

"In case anyone wants to know…I also got mine," he said, showing them his token.

It was a flat, round, green jade bearing a simple bird design. Squinting over it, Pia let out a hum of confusion.

"Is that a dove?" she asked, cocking her head in pretend confusion. A small smile danced at the corner of her lips.

He hastily pulled it back, shoving it into his robe.

"It's a Lark," Chasu told her, playing along. "It's the pretty bird division."

Pia made an exaggerated expression of surprise and clapped slowly.

"Oh, I understand now. Fits you perfectly," she told Lei.

Pia had come to terms with knowing the bare minimum, maybe less than that, about the Xieya Sect. Chasu and Lei had told her about the Veiled Cranes and the Sly Larks. Or, rather, a bit about them.

Lei had told her that the Veiled Crane was a female-only division focused on undercover work for the clan. Of course, that always raised all the questions: Why did Xieya need undercover spies? Who were they working to uncover information about? Or, who for? Pia still hadn't made sense of what exactly Xieya did, but now that she was a disciple…She was fixing to snoop. Or attempt to.

Chasu, mad that Lei had spilled the tea on the Cranes, had promptly told Pia about the Sly Larks when Lei let slip that he was aiming for that division.

"Sly Larks are quick, efficient, and skilled at sleight of hand," she'd said as Lei scowled at her.

"You're just jealous," Lei said, sticking his nose in the air. "We've got an official assignment while you're just my brother's little errand girl along for the ride."

He gave her a grin, welcoming her to join in. That comment might've bothered her in the past, but no longer. Still…Pia schooled her face into disappointment, making herself look sad and dejected. Her shoulders slumped, her eyes lowered, and her hand fell to her tassel with worry.

Chasu glared at Lei, who already looked guilty for his words.

"Ah, Pia," he said gently. Reaching out, he awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. "You know I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm just so…" her voice trailed off, and she sniffed loudly.

Her friends shared helpless, uncomfortable looks back and forth at one another.

Slipping her hand down the front of her robes, Pia pulled loose the smooth wood token hanging from a chord around her neck.

"—thrilled!" she crowed, letting the token dangle.

Eyes wide, Chasu and Lei crowded into her space, fingers reaching for her token. She pulled away with a laugh, tucking it back inside her robe.

"Who's the jealous one now?" she teased.

Ruwe hadn't told her exactly what the token signified. The wood was dark and smooth. A singular cloud, carefree and elegant, was etched into the surface. It was a similar design to her apprentice and disciple token, though more refined. Trust Master Ruwe to give her something she wanted, without any knowledge about it.

"Jealous of what?" Chasu asked.

Tilting her head toward the door, Pia started to walk, indicating that they should follow.

"Jealous that Pia gets to follow our Sect Leader's sole disciple long after we're dropped off like loose chaff," Lei answered. He dodged a stray punch from Chasu by jumping to the far side of Pia.

"I got over that ages ago," Chasu complained.

Pia grinned, remembering Chasu's jealousy, hostile and petty at every turn.

"We're all going together," she reminded them, kicking a stray pebble back onto the side of the pathway. It skittered and clacked against its fellow white pebbles. "Master Ruwe probably already regrets agreeing to let you two blockheads ride with us part of the way."

A hot wind launched at her, but she'd ducked the fist that brought it, sliding quickly out of its path. Her hand wound around Chasu's arm, pulling it tight as she let the momentum take her behind the girl.

"Missed me," she whispered in her ear before leaping away, running down the path before Chasu could continue the attack.

Ruwe's horse, Yamo, was already tacked in the stable and ready to go. Seeing that, the three sobered and quickly got to work. Pia hurriedly readied Tudou while Lei and Chasu readied their own.

"You're late," Master Ruwe stated, peering in the doorway of Pia's stall as she checked his feet for any rocks.

Pushing her braids away from her face, Pia gave him a skeptical look.

"You were early; we were right on time."

"Being on time is being late," he reminded her before walking away to check Yamo over once more.

Pia rubbed Tudou's forehead, smoothing down the newly sprouted white hairs that sprung up between his eyes.

"You're getting old, my friend," she whispered, bending to kiss his nose.

When Ruwe left the stable, the three disciples hastened after him. They met Ruwe at the main gate only minutes after he'd gone, excitement buzzing beneath their skin. Finally, they were free to explore the life outside of Cangzhi! Free might be a loose definition, Pia thought, but still. They were getting out of Cangzhi at last.

From atop Yamo, Ruwe sat waiting, his personal guard behind him. Ruwe's shadows went wherever he went.

"You fools," Ruwe said with a laugh. His guard joined in the laugh good-naturedly while Lei, Chasu, and Pia shared confused looks.

He pointed to their saddles, saying, "Did you forget something?"

All three looked from their saddles to him. He held up his sword. They gasped in shock. Dropping their reins, the three ran back into the barn and quickly rushed out with their swords.

Shame-faced, they mounted their horses, tucking their swords into their rightful place on the saddle. Ruwe shook his head at them but held his tongue. He rode out first and his guards fell in behind him.

"Happens to the best of us," whispered one of his guards, giving Pia a playful wink as he rode past.

Cheeks flaming, she nudged Tudou to take up the rear.

"We're off to a good start," she muttered as Lei and Chasu sidled beside her.

"At least we didn't leave them at home," Lei said.

Chasu and Pia agreed.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

As they rode, joy sprang forth in Pia's heart. Back in the saddle, on the path ahead. A destiny in mind! No longer trapped inside the confines of Cangzhi, where everything was scheduled and routine. Freedom was on the horizon.

"Where are we going first?" Chasu asked, holding a map open over her saddle. Her horse, a small chestnut, plodded along with sleepy eyes.

Pia hid a smile when she saw the map was upside down. Her friend was terrible at map reading.

"We're going to Caihe, the capital. It should only take a week of riding."

"Oh," Chasu said quietly, realizing what that meant.

Lei and Chasu were traveling with Pia only until the capital. They'd go their separate ways there, meeting guides from the Sky Larks and Veiled Cranes, respectively. Ruwe and Pia would ride on alone—or as alone as riding with a personal guard could be.

"I thought we'd get to adventure together a little more," Chasu admitted, tucking her map away. Despite her prickly personality, she was having the hardest time dealing with the parting.

"I told you she secretly loves us," Lei said, piping up from the other side of Pia.

Pursing her lips, Chasu kicked her horse forward, moving up to ride beside one of Ruwe's men. Lei and Pia laughed, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the changing landscape before their eyes.

The path stayed straight and flat for a long while, passing between crooked trees and thick brush. Pia remembered the first time she saw those peculiar trees with limbs that seemed incapable of growing straight.

Feathery ferns popped in and out of the grass along the path's edges. They reminded Pia of Divine Ascent, bringing a nostalgic smile to her lips.

Tipping her head back to drink from her waterskin, Pia's eyes landed on Pearl Mountain. As they'd ridden, the mountain had slowly edged back into view. Despite spring, the mountain top still showed stark, white peaks. Overhead, a hawk screeched.

Casting her eyes over, Pia's brow rose.

"You brought Windswept?"

Defensively, Lei's shoulders rose up to his ears.

"I couldn't leave him behind. Besides, I don't know exactly what I'm doing once I meet the Sky Lark in Caihe. At least I know I'll have eyes in the skies if need be," he explained.

It made sense. Part of her was envious for his familiar. When she'd asked Ruwe about getting familiar, he'd laughed.

"You need a familiar like I need a second apprentice," he'd said, flicking her in the forehead with his fingers. She still didn't know if that'd been a compliment or an insult. It had been a resounding no, though.

Pia breathed in deeply, smelling the sweaty horse, the deep, earthy aroma of the forest, and the hint of blossom on the wind. It was calming, almost meditatively so. Beneath her skin, a buzz like the air before lightning seemed to tingle. It writhed and pulsed, wanting to be let free.

"I'm bored," she said then. "I wonder if Master Ruwe will let us run for a bit?"

"Ugh," Lei said in disgust. He shook his head emphatically. "Keep me out of it. I'm enjoying the break from training."

Nudging Tudou forward, Pia rode around the outskirts of the group, then trotted to come up beside her Master. She greeted him with a grin.

"What?" he asked, sensing her restlessness.

"Honestly, I'm bored. Can't we go any faster?"

He sighed, giving her an unimpressed look.

"We have a week of riding to do and nowhere in a hurry to be. Shouldn't you be enjoying your last few days with your friends?"

"I'm just itching up inside. I've got all this energy and nowhere to put it!"

When he didn't relent and agree, she tried a new tactic.

"How about I run on foot?" she asked. Seeing the look on his face, Pia hurried to add, "I'll take my sword!"

Finally, his lips twitched slightly.

"Fine. Take off his bridle and—"

"—hook it over his saddle," she finished, already reaching forward to slide Tudou's bridle off.

She latched it to her saddle, grabbed her sword, and bounded from Tudou's back. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Pia was running. Finally, letting free the wild energy that'd been stifling her.

"It makes me feel old," said one of Ruwe's guards with a sigh.

"What? Seeing a girl outrun you on horseback makes you feel old?" another quipped.

Ruwe grinned, reminded of his own early days as an apprentice. Tipping his head back, he looked up at the bright sky and sharpened his hearing, tracking every step Pia took.

Pia ran on straight adrenaline. Years filled with days of daily runs had left her itching to go. Ducking under a branch, she slid into the forest, following a deer path parallel to the main road. Over downed logs, through brambles, through rocks, then back onto the main path.

Up ahead, a fork in the road appeared, and she slowed to a jog and then a brisk walk. She walked in circles until her group finally appeared. When Tuduo neared, she vaulted back into the saddle, her muscles warm and tingling.

"Feel better?" Lei asked, having moved to ride beside his brother.

"Much."

The week of riding was peaceful and calm. Sitting around the fire at night with Ruwe, Lei, and Chasu, Pia felt deep nostalgia. All it needed was thick, sweet-smelling grasses stirred by the winds and the chorus of crooning meadow crickets. Looking into the thicket of the forest around them, Pia would wonder what Haojie and Yijun were up to, and Ruwe would bump her knee with his own. And then, Chasu would pull her flute from her pack, and the lilting melody would wash those thoughts away.

On the last day, the forest melted away, and ahead of them stretched a wide open field split only by the road they traveled. Ahead, a sprawling city lay surrounded by stone walls.

Pia whistled in amazement.

"It's massive," Chasu said, equally awed.

"Beggars," Lei said, tossing his hair. "Wait until the day you see Siji."

The two young women rolled their eyes.

"Are you nervous?" Pia asked them.

"Not at all," Chasu lied.

"Completely!" Lei said.

Both their words came out at the same time.

"You'll both be great," she said reassuringly.

"Why are you dawdling?" Ruwe called back to them, already halfway down the path.

Grinning, they trotted to catch up.

The closer they got to Caihe, the more amazed Pia was with its size. She'd thought Cangzhi to be enormous…she was wrong. Caihe was…inconceivably huge. It stretched for what seemed like hundreds of li in either direction.

The wall itself stretched high above the ground. Above the main gate, Pia saw guards posted, and she was amazed, realizing that the entire length of the wall was a defensive patrol. The main gate was guarded by both foot and mounted soldiers. They wore blue and white uniforms with a single black tortoise insignia on their shoulders. Each carried a polearm bearing a wickedly curved end.

"Is this the main gate?" Pia wondered. "It doesn't seem very busy."

"No, this is a military access point. It's closed to regular traffic," Ruwe explained.

"Oh, the perks of connections," Lei whispered gleefully. "No waiting in line for hours. No checkpoints."

She hid a grin when Ruwe turned and glared at his brother, not wanting to risk his ire on her.

At the gate, Ruwe flashed his credential token and official seal to the captain on guard. Greeting 'Duke Zhi' warmly, the captain allowed them all entry. Chasu and Pia hid a grin as two guards did a double take at Lei. He pretended not to notice, but Pia saw the flush on his cheeks.

Once inside, the group rearranged. Two of the personal guards went to the front. Ruwe and Pia rode next, with Chasu and Lei behind them. The rest of the guard rode at the rear.

The interior of Caihe was even more astonishing. Unlike Dwelling or even Cangzhi, which favored space and land breaks, Caihe buildings were stacked one on the other. Homes and businesses were so close together, barely even leaving room for streets and allies. Along the main road, vendors and shop carts selling wares spread far and wide.

Not to mention the people. There seemed to be to be an endless number of people bustling here and there, running, laughing, shouting, and singing. It was an endless parade of everyday life.

The guards knew the place well, guiding them through the roads to the Snowglen Inn, the first drop-off point.

The three friends dismounted.

"This is me," Chasu said with false bravado.

"Good luck," Pia said. Then, before the girl could protest, she hugged her tightly. Letting go, Pia stepped away, giving Chasu a final reassuring smile.

While she worried about how her friend would do, the parting lacked the sorrow she might've felt in the past. It felt natural, like parting with a schoolmate, knowing they'd probably meet again. Part of her felt callous but her heart just couldn't ache like it used to before.

Lei also snagged a quick hug, though it was longer than Pia's. The two had been friends for longer, after all. Pia mounted Tudou and waited for Lei beside Ruwe.

Ruwe gave her a searching look that put her on edge.

"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing. I just wondered how you'd take parting with them."

The question didn't put her at ease. Trying to find the right words was a challenge. Finally, perhaps too breezily, she said, "I'll miss them, but I knew it was coming. I'll probably see them again."

His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't press her on the matter. Once Lei mounted, the group waited for Chasu to enter Snowglen and then rode away towards the next inn, the Cinderfox. Lei's meeting place with the Sky Lark.

Lei was quiet as they rode, and Pia saw the growing anxiety on his face.

"Nervous?" she asked.

"The reality of it is sinking in now," he admitted.

"You'll do great. A pretty boy with the pretty birds," she teased, trying to lift his mood.

Tudou's ears flickered back at her words as if he, a pretty boy himself, found that offensive. But, it did make Lei laugh, and some of the nervousness fled from his face. Until they reached the Cinderfox and his face went pale. This time, Ruwe, Pia, and Lei dismounted. Lei hugged his brother, which Ruwe surprisingly not only allowed but returned, and then Lei hugged Pia, too. When he let go, she pulled a pouch from her robes and handed it to Lei with a smile.

"Be careful to read the labels," she warned.

Curious, he peeked inside. When he saw what they were, Lei hurriedly pulled the strings closed and jammed the bag inside his robes.

"Poison as a parting gift might be taken the wrong way," he told her, and though his tone was admonishing, she could see he was pleased with the gift.

Ruwe and Pia stood outside while he entered the inn.

"He'll be fine, right?" she asked her Master. Through the window, she saw Lei take a seat at a table, his sword clutched tightly across his chest.

"He has a good guide meeting him," Ruwe reassured her.

"That's good," she said, turning back to Tudou.

"We'll walk from here," Ruwe told her as she stepped into the stirrup. Dropping her foot, Pia picked up her reins.

As the two walked side by side, Pia's eyes scanned the busy city, taking in the chaotic sights, the busy noises, and the overwhelming scents. Scents of smoke, cooking meats, burning bread, animal feces, flowers, sweets, and spices swirled in the air, making it hard to determine what anything was or where it came from. In short, it was overwhelming.

"You took their parting well," Ruwe said, and though his words were a compliment, there was a bit of worry in his voice.

Looking at him, Pia saw that his brow was tight once more. He was worried.

Rolling her shoulders to break the soreness, she said, "We're friends, sure. But I don't feel close to them like I did Fewl and Conch or Haojie and Yijun. Maybe the best way to put it is...I feel numb to parting? Like I lost the people I care most about already?"

She frowned. It hadn't come out quite right. The look on Ruwe's face hadn't changed, either. Clearly, she wasn't reassuring him well.

Trying again, she said, "I've just been working on focusing only on the 'now' rather than what did or could happen."

Not sure that was any better, Pia sighed and tried to change the subject away from her. She didn't want to talk about things like parting and emotions. It was easier to not ponder over them. Then, she was fine.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

She thought they were heading back the way they'd come, but nothing looked familiar. The street was slowly widening, and fewer vendor carts littered the road ahead. It was quieter and more residential already.

"We have a room at Frost Lotus Pavilion," he told her, pointing down the street.

Looking ahead, Pia squinted. At the end of the street, the road came to a T, forcing people to go left or right. Straight ahead sat an elegant pavilion house surrounded in pink and white blossoming trees. Embroidered banners hung from the central pillars displaying delicate flowers done in precise stitches. Impressed, Pia thought it must be a scholar's parlor.