Into the West

It was the last weeks of Spring, and watching the road that led to the Garrison at White Tiger Gate was a wet, cold and boring duty, to say the least. There were hardly any visitors and none of the deliveries to the various traders' outposts were due either. Which was why the pair on watch were made up of one senior man who had served for years at the post, and a junior who had just been there for mere weeks.

Guard Corporal Chang Yongqin sighed as he considered his position. He had been on duty at White Tiger Gate for almost a full term, which came up to six years under arms. And he was a veteran of more than fifty raids. But he still had to stand the duty of watching the road, just like everyone else.

The one with him was new. He had just come in barely twelve days ago, and looked as if he had been half-starved when he first showed up. If it wasn't for the fact that the Garrison was so poorly manned, he wouldn't even have made it to the actual trials. But he had proved that he knew which end of a sword was which. And he wasn't too shabby with a spear. So the Guard had been happy to take him. Along with the other five that were in his group. And just as shabbily dressed.

Not that the soldiers at the Gate were very much better. Corporal Chang hid a smile at that. The almost constant fighting that they had to do, against the Shadows that were still lingering in the Old Trade Town was hard on their clothes. But the new men had not been deployed in a real fight yet. They still had a bit of training to do, before the Captain would let them out. Guard duty and the standard chores about the Garrison was all that they were good for at the moment.

Not that the Guard duty saw much action either. The Garrison Town was not a proper town, to be utterly honest about it. It had no walls and only two real - paved, streets. The Main Street ran down the center of the town and led up to the Headquarters building and the Garrison Quarters, while the Crafter's Road ran perpendicular to that, and housed all the different services that the soldiers, and the visiting traders, may require.

Still, that still needed to be watched. Which was why Chang Yongqin was there with his small group of recruits. They served to show the residents and the shopkeepers that everything was well in order thereabouts. As well as keep an eye out for any trader band that showed up at their door.

"Ho! Corporal. The road."

The new man at his side nodded in the direction of the single rough road that led up to the Garrison Town. Where three horses and their riders were coming towards them. Chang Yongqin nodded at the new man in approval, before he turned his gaze towards the newcomers. It was not unusual to get some eager and adventurous merchant once in a while. But these did not seem to fit that description:

Three riders rode along the road towards the Garrison Town, at the front of White Tiger Gate, early that Summer morning. And they were liberally splattered with mud although they wore rain-covers of straw over themselves. The Spring rains had soaked the roads thereabouts, and there wasn't any way to avoid the same, no matter what one did.

Which, of course, also made it difficult to identify the riders.

Not that Chang believed that the trio were traders. Not for a moment. If they were traders, where were their goods? At least a pack donkey to carry their samples would have been necessary, surely. And the trio's packs looked too small, too lean to match any peddlers. The weapons that they carried were also a bit of a concern; one of them had what could only be war bow, rather than the shorter, hunting bows that were more common elsewhere. Were they soldiers then? If so, what was their unit?

As they got close, however, the one at the head of the trio signaled to his companions, and all three began to divest themselves of their cover of rough straw. And the dull grey cloak that they wore underneath it.

And revealed the Guard uniforms that they wore beneath the same!

The guard at his side - a new recruit who had just arrived mere sevendays ago from the West Gate, made a grunting sound then. Chang didn't blame him; he had heard no news about additional manpower coming to the Gate, as far as he had been told! And certainly no ordinary guard would be able to afford horses!

The he remembered. Wasn't there a rumor that they were expecting three new officers to the troop? But they were due in Summer, not late Spring! And these fellows, if they were the expected new lieutenants, were almost two weeks early!

Corporal Chang shook his head with a chuckle, and signaled for his partner to stand ready. If the rumors were true, and they would soon find out if they were, and welcome the lieutenants to White Tiger Gate! And the pair moved forward to greet the newcomers.

*

Wuying smiled as they rode towards the Gate in their new uniforms. It was a little cold, but the sun was warmer now, and they were well out of the open fields. Besides, the Garrison was nice and quiet, and the small roads that made up the rough town were as good as deserted that early in the day.

Both Duman Junhe and Wumu Qian were a little surprised to see the place so dead and quiet like this, but he laughed as he explained, clicking his tongue at the horse to move it along as he did so. "The place is more alive at night. That's when the Shadows attack, and the Guard is activated to deal with the same. Most of them are sleeping off last night's exertions and there aren't that many in the first place. So their drills and practices don't start until the afternoon. We are too early, I think. At least, we have two guards along the road to greet us!"

He laughed as he waved at the same. There were two guards on duty at the main street, and as luck would have it, he recognized both of them.

"By the Heavens! It is you, Wuying xiong! The sergeant had told us that you had signed up. Oops! I mean, welcome to the Garrison Town, Lieutenant Yue!" laughed one of the pair on duty.

Wuying laughed as he nodded back at the soldier. "Oh, come now, Chang da ge! You are being too polite! Especially after that long ride that I've just had. But here! Let me introduce you: these are Lieutenants Duman Junhe and Wumu Qian. Like me, they had signed up for a three year stint here," he told the corporal with a smile, before he turned back to the pair on horseback beside him.

"And this trooper here is Corporal Chang Yongqin, Chang da ge. He was one of the several who visited me at the farm regularly, to spar with me. He has kicked my arse so many times that I daresay that he's a good man to have at your back!"

"Ah! The lieutenant is too polite. I remember having my arse handed to me too, from time to time!"

Junhe, as expected, laughed at the weak joke, cutting in smoothly. "I am sure that Wuying ge is being scrupulously honest. He's just that sort of person, Chang da ge. Now, as I understand it, Lieutenant Ah Man is second in command here. With the three of us added into the mix, I'm sure that there will be much confusion. Perhaps I can ask you to call us by name instead? When you call out lieutenant, I tend to look around, to see if someone else is about!"

"That is ... Ah! We would not dare, sir! It would be ... improper!"

That was when Wumu Qian took a hand as well. "Ah! While it isn't exactly proper and according to the rules, I understand, there are circumstances where less ... formal terms of address are permitted. At least, that was what I had read in the handbook. Besides, as Junhe here has said, it does tend to lead to some confusion. Why don't we clear it with Lieutenant Ah Man? If he clears it ... Well, we should all listen to the senior man, right?"

Wuying laughed at that, while the corporal squirmed. Then he turned to the new trooper, and smiled. "Don't think that I've forgotten you either, Lian Qi. How have you been? And the rest of the boys from An Ling Town? Are you all fitting in okay?"

The new recruit in the new uniform and haircut stood up straight and tendered a very proper salute with his spear, even as Chang stared at him. "This one is doing acceptably well, sir. I've completed my basic weapons work and have begun to take on patrol and guard duties," he replied, in a much more respectful manner that the corporal.

"So I see, so I see. And they are feeding you and your ... band of brothers well too, I see. There, life in the Guard isn't so bad, now is it?" he asked, as he saw how the young man had also lost the pinch-faced, hungry look that he and his rough gang had on their faces back in the town. Recommending them to the service had ensured that they were properly fed at least.

"As the lieutenant said. And I am grateful for what you have done for us. What you have done for all of us!"

Wuying felt his face growing a little warm at that, and he was grateful when Junhe stepped in again:

"Oh, I think you have repaid his kindness already. Or at the least, you have made a good beginning. We are going to relying on you lot soon enough, I suppose, during the patrols and such. Well, you and the veterans. I feel more confident that we shall do well, now that I have met the two of you," he laughed.

But Qian stepped in and nodded at the Garrison further up the road before they could go on with the conversation. "I think we had better arrange to have tea later, so that Wuying ge can introduce us to the rest of the men, but for now, I think it best that we go present ourselves to the Captain. And let Lieutenant Ah Man know that we are here."

Junhe laughed at that. And Wuying soon joined in as well. "Well, we are about fifteen days early, to be honest. But I doubt that anyone will fault us for that," the merchant's grandson replied with a grin, "And we are already in uniform, as he asked."

"I'm afraid that this particular set may not pass muster, Junhe ge. The conditions on the road were worse than we had expected, and we look a state! Best that we get ourselves cleaned up before we go see the man," Qian pointed out.

Wuying laughed again, and turned back to Corporal Chang. "I suppose that the bath at the ground-floor of the Garrison Barracks is still operational? I think I had best bring these two over there and sort ourselves out quickly, hmm, before we go see the Captain?" he said, "And that should give you a chance to report our arrival to the officer of the day. I suppose that's Lieutenant Ah Man?"

The soldier grinned back. "We'll do that for sure. But I think I should warn you. This early in the morning, I doubt the Lieutenant is up yet! And he may show up at the baths himself to welcome you to the Garrison!" the veteran told him, "He was beside himself with joy when the Captain told him the news, of how he snagged all three of you for the Gate. He said something about getting his money's worth from some noodles at that!"

The three new lieutenants shared a laugh at that. And it was the shortest of them, the Lieutenant Wumu Qian who shook his head at last. "Ah! I have to admit, he has a good point there," he laughed.

*

Fortunately for the three of them, the Lieutenant did not surprise them in the bath. But he was waiting for them when they were done, and emerged from the bathhouse in a decent-looking set of uniforms. As usual, he was dressed in a well-worn and somewhat scruffy suit himself.

"Ah! Good. You three are properly dressed. The Captain mentioned something about proper salutes and such, so I thought I had better remind you first. Well, there's not much point in my telling you the details now, since you're going to the Captain's office. Come look for me when you are done, hmm? Or if you have any questions. It will make things less complicated, that way."

He waited until all three of them had nodded or agreed with him, before he gestured down the corridor towards the stairs. And proceeded to lead them up the same. "Well, you are lucky since Wuying here is more than familiar with the place. As you must have realized by now, the Garrison block is actually two buildings, linked on the ground floor. That's where most of the common areas, like the armory and the baths are. The enlisted men are usually housed on the second floor of both blocks. They bunk six to a room, but I'd like to think that it's comfortable enough," he told them.

"You lot, on the other hand, get to stay on the third floor of the North Wing. That's because the South Wing's third floor holds my office and the Captain's office. It's also where our quarters are, so it's less confusing. That's where we are headed now, by the way."

The Captain, as Lieutenant Ah Man had told them, was waiting in his rooms when they got there. And he smiled when the trio flashed him a proper salute. "I see that you have remembered what I told you, the last time that we met. Sit down, and I shall begin the brief."

There were only three chairs, across from the desk he was seated behind, and the Lieutenant soon ducked out of the same. Wuying could only presume that it was set up that way for them. He had never been before the Captain's table himself, or seen the array of weapons that lined the entire wall of the same:

There was a large variety of blades and pole-arms, along with smaller weapons, to the right of the desk, and they covered the whole of the wall itself, as far as he could see. But the Captain did not give them any chance to wonder at the same, once they were seated.

"White Tiger Gate leads from the Kingdom into the Grey Mountains, just as the Red Phoenix Gate opens into the Salt Hills, and the Wide Steppes. These are the only two entrances into the Kingdom, and they had enjoyed trade and passage in the past, as well as the links between the Realms therein. Well, Red Phoenix still provides a comfortable passage, while White Tiger has fallen into harder times. We did not realize that matters had become so unstable in the Realms outside the Kingdom and White Tiger was overrun when the Long-lived City of Frosthaven fell to the Shadows."

The Captain paused and waved a hand at the other wall, across his weapons, and Wuying saw that he had an old map of the Trade Town there, the area that stood just outside the Gate. There were small pins that were stuck into the different zones marked onto the same. And there was only one of them, just outside the Gate itself, that seemed partially clear of them.

"That is the current situation here. We had managed to reclaim the Gate itself, and we have begun to clear the area beyond it. This has taken us a good part of almost sixty years. And we spent close to a hundred before that, finishing off most of the Shadows that had come into the Kingdom itself. And not without cost either.

"The wealth of the sector has always been tied to the crops and such grown here. And the population here. Only the Black Turtle Sector holds less people than we do, and that is almost two-thirds covered by lakes and rivers."

He stood then, and moved to the wall, and pointed at the map again, and Wuying could see that he was highlighting the half-cleared zone just outside the Gate. "That is your target. We are almost done with the Greenstone Bridge here. When you see it, you will instantly understand why it bears that name. Finish the job there, and get us into the Trade Town proper. That is your first task as members of the White Tiger Army," he told the trio, "I shall send two sergeants to guide you on the early part of your clearance, so that you can learn to deal with the situation there on your own. But that will only last about a sevenday. Best that you do not rely on them too much."

The three of them nodded at his words. It was not the first time that they had heard something like this. Lieutenant Ah Man had mentioned something similar when they met during the examinations.

"Well, I have always preferred action to planning, so you three shall be joining the expedition across the Bridge tonight. So that you can have a first-hand view at what you will be doing. Leave the preparatory work to Sergeants Nan and Liu for now, and go get some rest. I expect you three ready in your fighting gear in the square at nightfall."

Then the tall, blond-haired man turned and stepped over to the wall that held his weapons. Casually, he plucked a spear from the same, and held it out to the Northerner in front of him. "You are skilled in pole-arms, according to the reports, although you did not bring one with you. This should serve you well enough for the time being. It got me through six seasons myself."

Wumu Qian looked surprised as he received the weapon, and bowed at the Captain. And his eyebrows rose the moment that he held the spear in his hands. "This is too great an honor," he said simply, "I am not worthy of such a princely weapon. I had thought to ... borrow a weapon from the common pool."

"That would work too. But, as you can see, I had collected a great many in my years here, and it seems rather a waste to just leave them resting here in my office. So, please, give the spear a chance to serve once more, hmm?"

Then the Captain pointed outside the window, into the town outside. "There are a few worthy weapon-smiths here, in the ramshackle town that has grown up about the place, so you can have your own made once you are more comfortable," he told the young man then, and smiled as he gestured at his own wall of weapons, "Besides, it is not as though I am short of weapons of my own."

Then he turned to Duman Junhe. The merchant brat bowed as he rose from his chair. "I have all the weapons that I need, Captain. But I would ask for additional arrows if you have them to spare. I have a feeling that the two quivers that I brought along are not going to be enough," he said then.

To that, the pale-haired officer smiled. "No doubt, you are correct. Well, we tend to use shorter bows than yours, and war bows tend to require longer shafts. Tell Lieutenant Ah Man. He will see to it that you are amply supplied."

Finally, he moved to Wuying. "You seem to have your gear in order, and hardly need anything from me. As expected from someone who has seen this place already," he said with a smile, "Especially your blade. It looks old, and possibly enchanted to deal with the enemy across the Gate as well. Perhaps I may take a look at it?"

The request was politely worded, but Wuying knew it to be an order all the same. So he bowed as he replied. "An honor, Captain," he said, as he lifted the weapon from its scabbard and held it out, "I would be greatly pleased to hear your comments, sir."

But the weapon screeched - an agonizing sound! And the Captain drew his hand back swiftly as soon as he saw the marks that had appeared on the blade. Two characters, in a language that Wuying did not recognize, flashed in front of the pale-haired man then, causing his eyebrows to rise. Something warned Wuying that his senior officer understood what the words meant, but he said nothing. This was not a secret that the Captain looked ready to share.

"Interesting. An ancient blade. A storied blade. And one that is bound to you? That is rather unusual, and you have already marked it. For good or for ill, I cannot say. But it shall serve you well enough, beyond the Gate.

"So it seems you three are ready for what you are about to face. Go and have a good rest. You will leave for the trial tonight, and we shall see what we shall see," the Captain said as he walked back around his desk, and turned back to his books and reports.

After a moment, the trio realized that they had been dismissed, and tendered a bow before they left the man's austere office.

As expected, Junhe sighed the moment that the door closed behind them. "Well, that was interesting. Shall we hunt down the Lieutenant now? I'm sure that he'll have more to tell us about the trials tonight!"

*

There was a cookhouse, of a sorts, at the corner of the South Block, closest to where the General Armory was. And that was where the three of them found the Lieutenant after they had talked to the Captain. He was enjoying a bowl of vegetarian noodles, and he waved for them to join him when he saw them come in. There were a few other troopers there, and they all greeted Wuying warmly too.

It was almost midday by the time that they got there, so the three of them decided to eat as well. And according to the older officer, most of the Guard ate their midday meals there, since it was supposed to be free. But some of the troopers slipped the cooks a few coins now and again, to keep the rations ... more palatable.

"There are some traders that bring in goods from further away, but we get most of our foodstuffs, and that includes the animals, from the farms and ranches close by. Wuying should be able to tell you about that. The ones renting his place has been supplying us with most of our vegetables for one thing," Lieutenant Yen Ah Man told them, "So far, it has been beneficial to both sides. We get cheaper goods for our meals, and they pick up coin without having to bargain too hard for it!"

Then he sighed. "There was a time when the people were really afraid that the Abyssal Creatures - the Shadows, would come over the Gate and kill them all in their sleep. But between us and the Gray Robes, we have managed to plug the hole here. And the people know about it. The Shadows will have to go through many, many layers of protection, not to mention the defenders here, before they can get pass us now.

"But of course, there are still some who are afraid."

The scruffy-looking, stubble-chinned lieutenant sighed then. "I suppose that there's no way to convince everyone. That's why I have always admired those who put their trust in us, and in the soldiers here. Their faith gives us strength! And when ... Well, ordinary folk like Wuying here decides to join the Guard? It really makes me feel like I have not wasted my time."

He reached out then, and caught the blushing young lieutenant by the shoulder. Then he grinned again. "But that doesn't stop me from kicking you three in the arse if you make any stupid mistakes! Now, to keep you from doing that, the Captain has put in place a trial period."

"A trial period?"

"That's right. Now there's three of you. So that means that two of you will be resting while one of you does the patrolling. That's the normal cycle, which should give each of you sufficient rest, since we only work at night hereabouts. You should get enough time to get yourselves ready for your next shift that way. We don't have anyone from the major Healing Orders like the Golden Hand, but the Gray Robes are more than capable of handling any minor injuries that you might sustain. And we have two surgeons out there in Kongmin Town who can patch up anything apart from mortal wounds."

Qian coughed then, politely. "Er ... you mentioned a trial period?"

"Ah! Yes, that! Well, it seemed a little unfair to just throw you three out through the Gate and expect you to fight the Shadow Creatures and all, without any preparation. So, we have devised a way so that all three of you will head out and deal with the monsters together. For ten nights anyway. And you'll have two senior sergeants showing you the ropes. Then you will back to the regular cycle. After one day off, of course."

Junhe blinked. "Ah. So we are supposed to fight these Shadows then? I trust that they are vulnerable to ordinary weapons and such? I mean, I use a bow, primarily."

"Yes. Yes, they are. And I think that's why the Captain gave Wumu Qian a spear. But that may have more to do with the scarcity of wood hereabouts. I think he doesn't want you to go about hacking down saplings for a shaft," the lieutenant chuckled, "And I have already seen Wuying's sword skills from before. We've seen him practice often enough, against some of the veterans."

Then he scratched his head. "Ah, right! The Shadows! They look like ordinary, normal creatures - you know, dogs, cats, lizards, that sort of thing. But they are all black in colour, and they are resistant to blows. Well, they are all black except for their eyes. Those are red and seem to glow on their own. Oh, you'll see what I mean.

"And they'll only come out at night. If you try to seal a zone in the day, without fighting them off, the spell just doesn't seem to take, and we'll be back to square one. That's why we have to fight them at night. It's the only way."

The three younger men exchanged a look. It was clear that the lieutenant's injuries was causing him some trouble. Or it had something to do with the way that his brain was skipping from one topic to another, rather than staying on the one at hand. It was no surprise that the Captain had barred him from leading any more patrols in a while.

"Well, if we are to be going out there tonight, I suppose we had best get some sleep first. You mentioned that the company orderly had already moved our bags up to our rooms, sir?"

"Here, Qian. What did I tell you about calling me sir? We are all of us Lieutenants, so don't do that! And yes, you lot should get some rest. Your bags should already be up there, in your room already. You'll be sharing one, with more beds than you'll need, really. You might want to swap the extra ones for a second desk or something. Ah! I am talking too much again!"

Abruptly, the man laughed and waved a hand at the three of them. "You will get used to my foibles in time. Or not! Anyway, good luck for tonight! Listen to your sergeant if he has something to say. They have been here longer, and they are still alive! That means something, you know?"

Then he strode off, seemingly remembering something else that he had to get done. The three younger men watched him as he disappeared around the corner of the block. Then they looked at each other again.

Wuying sighed and slowly shook his head. "He had been a little absent-minded before, but it never been this bad. I think it must be true: he must be under a great deal of stress, having to do the work of five men. At least, since he came back here."

"Well, we are here now, so let's take over some of the load. Maybe that will help him get better again. Honestly, I almost didn't recognize him! He had gotten so thin! And we've only met about two moons ago!" Junhe exclaimed.

"That's something for later. I'm more interested to find out more about these creatures that we are to be fighting. Like their weaknesses and their types of attacks. I think there are some troopers that are still awake. Doing their laundry, I think. Perhaps I should go ask them," Qian volunteered.

"That sounds good. But remember! It's an all night duty. And even with the nights being shorter now, we are still going to be tired after travelling all the way here. Best that we catch a quick nap in the afternoon, so that we are fresher tonight," Wuying reminded the pair, as he got up from his bench. He would have to wait and see how things were going to turn out that night!

* * *