Butterfly Swords. Jeannie Lin

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СКАЧАТЬ clay pots rattled around them as the wagon rumbled along the road. They attempted to rearrange themselves and Ryam bit back an oath as her knuckles struck him across his nose.

      ‘I’ll look outside,’ he said after they had travelled a distance away.

      He picked his way through the crates. A sliver of light cut through the darkness as he lifted the canvas.

      ‘No one’s following.’ He let it fall back down.

      ‘Do you know where we are?’

      ‘That way is north to Changan.’ He indicated with his thumb. ‘We’re headed south.’

      Deeper into the warlord’s territory. ‘We need to get out of here. They’ll start searching the roads soon.’

      ‘There are woods to the right. We can jump and run for it.’

      ‘Let me see.’

      She crawled over his knees to peek out at the roadside. The area he spoke of wasn’t far, just beyond a stretch of wild grass.

      ‘Jump and run?’ she asked.

      He nodded. ‘Jump and run. The grass will break the fall.’

      The driver handled his team of horses, oblivious to them. She lifted the cover and crouched low, preparing herself. With a deep breath, she launched herself away from the wagon. Her knees buckled against the hard ground and a shock of pain streaked up her legs. Before she knew it, she was rolling in a blur of grass and sky.

      She ended on her back, gasping for breath. Sharp stones dug into her spine and she tried to remain as still as possible. If she moved, she might shatter to pieces.

      A moment later, Ryam’s head and shoulders blocked the sky above her. ‘Are you all right?’

      Miserably, she shook her head no.

      ‘Is anything broken?’

      Everything felt broken. It hurt to breathe. She wriggled her fingers and made a face. ‘I don’t think so.’

      ‘Good. Come on.’ He hoisted her to her feet.

      Her knees protested as she staggered through the wild grass, but she ignored the pain and struggled to keep up with Ryam. As soon as they cleared the tree line, she collapsed to the ground. He crouched beside her and lifted her arm gingerly, inspecting the broad scrape on her elbow. In the last two days she had suffered more bruises than in all her sparring matches. Mother would scold for days if she ever made it home.

      ‘The grass … did not … break the fall,’ she accused.

      His face broke into a wide grin. ‘Tough girl.’

      ‘I have five—four brothers.’

      His clear eyes held on to her as if he would never turn away. No man had ever looked at her like that.

      ‘Do you need a minute?’

      He stroked her cheek with his thumb and everything became brighter. His mouth was so, so close and her throat went completely dry.

      ‘N-no. We should go.’ She struggled to stand, but her knees hadn’t stopped shaking.

      He offered his hand to help her to her feet. His fingers combed lightly through hers, but immediately let go when she stiffened beside him. She was left standing at a loss, covered in dirt from head to toe. She swiped at a strand of loose hair, but it swung defiantly back in front of her face.

      ‘Are you still planning to go all the way to the capital?’ he asked.

      ‘I must,’ she said. ‘As fast as we can. I need to warn my father.’

      ‘Then we had better start moving. It’s a long way.’

      In Changan, she’d have to justify her disobedience to her family. They believed she was now wedded to Li Tao, gaining them a strong military ally against their enemies. What her father didn’t realise was that Li Tao was the enemy.

      Everything had changed since they’d left their home in the mountains to install themselves in the imperial palace. Father and Mother had become so suspicious. Their discussions now centred on politics and hidden motives. She wanted to forget the turbulence of the imperial court and the constant power struggle, but she couldn’t.

      The warmth of Ryam’s concern stayed with her as she fell into step beside him. It didn’t make sense, this giddiness that spun her around whenever he was near. When they reached Changan he would go his own way. He would be nothing but a memory and she would never be able to explain this time with him, this feeling blooming inside her, to anyone. Not when she couldn’t understand it herself.

      Ryam guided them northwards, in the general direction of the imperial city. Ailey asked him only once whether he knew where he was going as they climbed over twisted roots, turning and winding through the green.

      The forest spread in tangled vines around them and folded them into shaded darkness. Clear line of sight extended only for several feet in any direction. Any search party would need to spend a considerable amount of energy to track them. Ryam exhaled, letting the tension drain from him momentarily in the shelter of the woods.

      ‘We should have some cover in here,’ he said.

      Some of the trees grew so thick that ten men could encircle the trunks. It was another sign of the empire’s wealth, the lush woodlands at their disposal, fed by several great rivers. Enough wood to build the most magnificent of cities and palaces.

      They reached a stream and followed it. A canopy of cypress and ginkgo grew along the bank. The roots crawled like snakes along the earth, dipping tapered fingers into the water.

      ‘These trees are sacred.’ Ailey ran her fingers along the trunk of one as she walked by. The fan-shaped leaves flickered yellow-green with the breeze. ‘They live for thousands of years. Longer than the empire. We see them in temples all the time.’

      Changan wouldn’t be hard to find. They only had to head north in search of the grand canal that flowed into the capital. All the major roads would lead them there as well, but they needed to stay hidden.

      Ailey walked along the reeds that lined the water, arms held out for balance. God’s feet, she moved with such graceful confidence. ‘Grandmother always spoke of the forests of the south. She learned her technique from a southern master.’

      Her hips swayed their seductive rhythm before him. He nodded absently and considered dunking his head into the cold water. All he needed to do was get her home and get out of there.

      ‘Is there anyone in your family who doesn’t wield sharp weapons?’ he asked.

      ‘Mother disapproves of my swords. She says no man would want a woman with such rough hands.’

      She hopped over a tangle of roots, light-footed and sure over the uneven ground. He saw absolutely no problem with her hands or any other part of her.

      ‘Mother was so happy when Father arranged this marriage,’ she continued sombrely.

      ‘So СКАЧАТЬ