1 The Visitors

Tortoise Mountain was actually more of a tall hill, although it did sit in a rather flat stretch of ground, thereby making it more significant a rise, and an easily spotted landmark. As to how it got its name, there were many speculations and several curious tales. But almost everyone agreed, more or less, that it was due to its rather smooth dome shape - much like a tortoise's shell.

It lay on the edge of the inhabited lands in the rugged Western sector of the Kingdom. And marked the last of the villages that one would come across as one made his way to the dreaded White Tiger Gate. The Invasion of the demon-like, twisted animals known as the Shadow Beasts of Sundering, had assailed the Tiger Gate for almost sixteen generations. And there were still tales of some creatures that horrified the children, through the whispered warnings that grandmothers included in most of their stories.

And further to the North, towards the highlands that marked the start of the Northern Lake Sector, was the infamous Blackwood Forest. There the Long-lived Clans, the families of the blond-haired fairy-like folk, made their home, and fought their petty wars against each other. And against other sinister monsters that made their homes in the mist-covered forest territories. Any one with any sense at all avoided that area if they could.

But apart from its proximity to the Gate, Black Tortoise Village was very much like any other that one would find in the West. Most of the region was dominated by farms and wild forests, like the thin one about Tortoise Mountain, which was a prominent landmark thereabouts. Not that there was anything unusual about that, considering how close it stood to the Black Wood Forest, and to the White Tiger Gate itself.

Most of the land, around the little village and the hill, were left wild. But there were a great number of small farms about the place. At one time, if one believed all the old tales that the old folk passed down, the whole region had once been in the hands of five dominant landowners. But as time passed, their influence waned, and their descendants moved on to other pursuits, further East.

Not that it mattered to Wuying of Yue. He was now one of the small farm holders that worked the soil around the Tortoise Mountain itself. He didn't really consider himself the owner of the same, of course! He was not native to the place, and he had no inkling of its prestigious history. To tell the truth, he had no idea who he truly was, or how he got there. The scar on his left temple was said to be responsible for his loss of memory, but he had gotten used to it, like everything else.

He remained, however, a curiosity for the rest of the villagers. And was still considered very much a stranger. Especially since the death of his benefactor, about a year ago. But Yue Liming had been a well-liked, well-respected farmer, as well as a former soldier at the Garrision at White Tiger Gate. And his death, after a long illness, was witnessed by a great many people. So no one made too much noise about his choice to take over the farm. Especially since the only other choice was his far-too-young sister, who had a badly twisted left leg, so that she walked with a limp.

Most of the villagers, however, believed that he had taken Wuying in because of the similarities in their names. Their surnames, that is. Liming belonged to a Sept of the Yue Family, and that name used the character for valley. Wuying, on the other hand, claimed to be surnamed Yue, which meant moon. The pronunciation was the same, so it had led to some confusion in the early days, when he was pulled from the stream.

To tell the truth, he was also unusual because he bore the slim narrow face, and a trim, slender body that was usually associated with the noble-born of the South and the East, unlike the stockier, squarer shapes that most in the West possessed. Which had led to some controversy when he was found, no doubt.

Added to his loss of memory, that had made him an enigma indeed.

But he had to say that he was luckier than most. Possibly because of Liming's friendship with the rest of the troop at the Garrison, there were frequent visitors at his farm. And there was a bit of informal trade as well, the soldiers exchanging some of their duller rations for the fresh vegetables and fruits that the farmer was able to supply. And Wuying had taken over that as well. And made friends of his own, among the rugged fellows from the Garrison.

Which was why he had mistaken the riders as soldiers from White Tiger Gate, when they came down the road on their horses. But it had taken a moment for him to realize that the mail run wasn't due for another half-a-moon. And that their horses were of a far better quality than any that he had seen at the Garrison.

Or, to be exact, four of them were.

There was one of the mounts that was obviously unable to keep up with the rest. And from what he could see, from that distance, it looked as if it was injured or lame. And that circumstance, he realized, was probably why they were headed his way, rather than carrying on to the South, where the main road was.

By then, the riders were almost upon him, and his own old animal, that most of the soldiers had laughingly disparaged as only good for tending crops.

*

There were five in the party that slowly approached the farm. And from the time that their slow progress had passed the road marker, he could see that one of their horses was indeed lame. Which was probably why they were so slow on the road. And why, no doubt, they had chosen to visit his farm, rather than turning back to the larger estates closer to the Gate itself.

It could only be for the old mare that he had in the back field. The one that he had already promised to Sweet Potato Lo's distant cousin, who was serving at the Garrison. It was not going to be pleasant, to refuse this group now. He realized that, as the quintet came close enough for him to see how they were garbed.

Two of their number were obviously guards of some sort, judging from their ready weapons and the way that they kept their eye on everything that went on about them, even as they rode. There were swords on their belts and those were the sort that soldiers might use, rather than the more civilian variety. But they were clearly strangers to White Tiger Garrison. He was quite a regular visitor to the troops there, and could recognize most of the veterans there. And he could only hope that they would not try to intimidate him. That would make matters more bothersome.

Of the other three, there was another who also wore a warrior's sword, although his silken garb marked him as a more wealthy man. Perhaps even a wealthy merchant on hard times. Or an impoverished nobleman. There were quite a number of such minor noble houses scattered about the West, and the quality of his horse, and his weapon, certainly hinted at the same.

The remaining pair were even more unusual. The garb that they wore was richer silk, and hinted at greater wealth than he would ever see in his lifetime. But while the older one was rotund and beardless like a eunuch, the other was slim. And very, very young. The last had the look of a somewhat petulant boy, and Wuying wondered what had got him so upset. Probably, he decided, that it was his horse that chose to become lame, while they were traveling. The pair certainly did not look alike, which sort of dashed his initial theory that these were father and son.

It was however, rather clear that the younger one's horse's limp was drawing them closer to him and his old animal. And he would have to find some way of dealing with the problem that was about to laid out before him!

Wuying waited until the five riders were closer, and well within earshot, before he tendered the quintet a respectful bow. "Welcome, welcome. This one is called Wuying of Yue, and I tend to this small farm. How may I be of assistance to you, good sirs?" he asked at once. There wasn't any point in filling the gap with small talk, in his opinion.

To his rather blatant disregard for the social norm, it was not the guards or their leader who answered, as he had expected. Instead, the one that he had taken for a merchant smiled as he leaned forward in his saddle, to beam at him!

"My dear fellow, we are travelers to the Gate and have had some rather bad luck on the road. It appears that my nephew's horse has lost a shoe. And become a little lame, as a result. We noticed, however, that you have a horse there, at the back of the house. Perhaps you can be persuaded to sell it to us? For a sum of say, two hundred silvers?"

Wuying's eyes bulged at that. Two hundred silvers? That was more than enough to buy five nags like that! What were these people thinking? Then he remembered his earlier agreement, and sighed.

"I am afraid that it is impossible. You see, good sir, I have already promised the horse to the Garrison. One of their number shall be requiring a mount soon, you see? And the deal has already been concluded. In fact, he shall be collecting the horse in a day or two. Indeed, he is likely to come tomorrow."

"But surely my offer is more generous ... "

Wuying bowed again, a little more deeply. "My apologies," he said in his quiet voice, "But the deal has already been made and I cannot, in good conscience, go back on it.

"However ... "

The merchant's eyebrows rose at his last word. "However?"

"The soldier involved isn't particular wealthy, and my old horse is one of his last options. If you wish, you may have a word with the man. I'm rather certain that he would accept your coin. Or direct you to where you may be able to purchase a better mount."

The merchant opened his mouth then, as if he would give answer to what Wuying had just suggested. But at that moment, the boy that he had named his nephew suddenly spoke up. "Uncle. I am tired. Perhaps we can rest here for one night? Uncle?"

The rest of the group looked surprised at that, but Wuying recovered quickly. Ah! To think that he had been remiss in such a simple thing as hospitality! So he bowed again, and gestured at the hovel behind him. "Of course, of course! It is but a small hut, but we would be pleased to have you! Please, dismount and make yourselves at home," he declared as he bowed again.

Then he turned back to the little house, and as he had expected, Xiao Tao was peeking at the exchange through the cracks in the old wooden door. And she had that opened at once, when Wuying approached. "Guests, big brother? Shall I put more vegetables in the stew?" she asked, in a wide-eyed manner that did not fool him in the slightest. She had to have been watching the whole exchange!

"Yes, you may do that. But none of your tricks now! These people look wealthy, and they have three well-armed guards. We cannot afford to tick them off," he warned her, "So best behavior from you, understand?"

"Yes, big brother."

He sighed. When she sounded this compliant, it usually meant that she was up to her tricks again. But what could he do? They had another five coming to dinner and sharing their cramped little hut. That was going to be a challenge already!

"Ah! My apologies, Master Yue. But it will only be the three of us. I've sent two of my men ahead, to inform the household of our problems with the horse. Well, so that they do not expect us. We are sorry for the trouble, of course."

Wuying looked up to see the rotund merchant standing before him, and he dipped into a bow at once. "Of course. It is no trouble at all. But I must apologize: the meal is rather a humble one. We are farm folk hereabouts."

The fat one smiled, and the youngster that was half-hidden at his back stared at the interior of the hovel as Wuying replied. But the merchant waved aside his apologies, even as his nephew was clearly distracted by what was cooking:

"Oh, do not be too worried about that. Not something as inconsequential as that. Besides, my nephew has some simple dried rations as well. Why don't we combine the two meals? It would make a pleasant change from all the dried meat and fruit! And that awful dried waybread!" The fat man shuddered, as if he had been tortured by being force-fed the same! It was almost enough to make Wuying laugh.

"No, no. That would be too ... "

A noise from the door behind them made both turn to face it. And Wuying noted that the bodyguard had come up behind them. And that he held a sword in his hands! Then he blinked. That was his sword!

"What is this? This is a soldier's blade! How did it find its way here?"

Wuying stepped over to the large man, nodding again as he did so. "Yes, it is. It was left to me by Xiao Tao's late father. It has always been my ambition to join the Guard, over at the White Tiger Gate, you see? He thought that I should practice my moves with the real thing."

"The White Tiger Guard?"

He looked up at the strange tone in the tall man's voice. Was he amused? Was he mocking his ambitions? Wuying could not tell. The tall man's face held no trace of that when the shorter man looked up at him. "You are ambitious. The Guard is known to have strict standards. And the survival rate is rather low, according to the recent census. Why not join the Town Guard instead?"

That was a reasonable question. He shrugged back, and gestured at the village lights, half-hidden behind the hill. "I trust you have seen the same, about the village? Most of them are related to the mayor. And are no more than dogs for the same. They do not know anything more about the true dangers of this place. Or of what is really threatening the Realm," he sighed.

"And the Tiger Guard does?"

Wuying nodded back. "Their Captain knows enough to send his men down once every two moons, to make sure that the mayor doesn't go overboard. And to keep his thoughts of robbing the off-duty guards from becoming actual incidents. He also buys food and sundries from us farmers directly, to prevent being gouged by the bigger farms and such. I would willingly serve under such a commander."

"Even though he is one of the elf-blooded? Even though he is one of the Long-lived?"

"Especially so," he replied, "He has been around, and that makes him more reasonable when it comes to the everyday tasks that need to be done. And he doesn't push the men too hard. Although he does demand obedience when it is required. None of those who were wounded on duty complain."

"You make him sound almost too good to be true," laughed the fat merchant then, "And I have heard some good words about him from other sources too. You are lucky, I suppose, to have such a laudable target so close at hand. But here! Wasn't the selection for the Guard last moon? Didn't you try out then?"

The man sighed, and gestured at the farm. "I had every intention of going last year. But Xiao Tao's father passed away suddenly, and there was no one else to help with the farm. I thought that I had better stay, and get things ironed out first, before I go. Xiao Tao is only twelve, and that's too young to have too many options. And the selection is being held over at Jiangling, at the Inner Ring city."

The merchant and the warrior nodded in agreement. There were very few options indeed, for a farm girl with a limited education. And they must have noticed her limp as well. That made her choices even more sparse. The best that he could hope for was to marry her off to some other farming family. And he had already told them about the situation close by.

"Well, I am more curious about your abilities with a sword. You seem a little scrawny to join the Guard, although you seem to know a lot about it. Since I'm a little bored by the ride, how about a match? Maybe you can surprise me. Xiang ge here should be able to afford twenty silvers as a bet. Beat me and that is yours! What do you say?"

"What?" the rotund merchant turned to his guard in surprise, "Are you playing a joke on me, Baisheng? Your name itself is enough of a warning. 'Hundred victories'? Why are you bullying the poor man?"

"Like I said, I am bored. And I think he can use the practice. If he wants to try out for the Guard, he should be able to hold his own against me, no?"

Wuying laughed, once the shock of the challenge was over. "You are too generous with your praise, Baisheng ge. I'm just a farm boy who has learned a few tricks. But I'll have a go! If anything, it will teach me what to expect, from those outside the Guard here."

"There! It's settled. Come on then?"

The tall man tossed the battered sword at him then, who caught it almost by reflex. That earned him another approving nod, as he led the way back outside again. In what could generously called a yard in front of the house.

"Standard rules then. We fight until first blood. Or someone acknowledges a hit. No point in making this too elaborate, hey? And Big Smelly over there will be the judge."

Wuying nodded. It was simple enough, and he had played at something similar back at the Gate, with the guards at the Garrison there. And the man did mention that he was just bored. This wasn't a real fight. It was more of a spar, and he had had precious few of those, here at the farm itself. It was not an opportunity to be missed! Not if he wished to join the Guard the next year!

The stranger must have felt the same. He struck with strong and hard blows, and Wuying knew better that to try to block them after he tried out the first of them. He jumped back and tried to keep out of their way, although he guessed that he was not likely to get past the tight weave that the taller man had put up for his defense. And the big man was grinning, as if he was enjoying himself!

So he switched, using light thrusts and quick parries instead, rather than try to match the stranger's strengths. He shifted often, relying on footwork and speed, and did everything that he could to outmaneuver this Baisheng. Then, after a quick fleche, he suddenly found himself at the tall man's back!

Both of them had their blades' out of line, and the normal way to deal with the situation was to take another two steps forward, to garner the space needed to turn about, and face one's opponent.

But Wuying also knew that he was slower than the tall man, and such a move would not be to his advantage. So he chose something else, something riskier! Something that was wholly unorthodox!

He stamped his right foot into the ground, halting his forward motion, even as he twisted to his left. The sword in his hand he pulled back, until the hilt was almost touching his own chest, before he threw it out again, flicking it at the tall man's exposed back as the latter stepped away.

He heard the fat man's gasp then, and the tall man's grunt of surprise, as both of them realized that he had caught Baisheng completely undefended! Then he remembered, the blade was still sharp, and that this was a naked fight!

So he twisted it just before he hit the man in the shoulder-blade, the flat of the blade just catching him with merely a scratch, before he fell, off balanced, into the sod. The fall was rather a spectacular one, as he couldn't quite manage to break his own fall in time. He felt the blade whine in his hand too, as he crashed into the yard.

"Oh my! That was unexpected! Wuying wins!"

The tall man was laughing even as the fat merchant made his announcement. And he stepped over to extend a hand to help the scrawnier Wuying back to his feet. "Indeed! That was a move that I had never seen before! Curse it! Most of your moves are new to me! How did you do that? Tell me! Tell me!"

Wuying smiled as he straightened up and patted down his clothes. This was a first! This Baisheng must be some sort of a martial arts nut, to be so enamored by his curious move! Yet, even as he lifted his sword to demonstrate, he realized suddenly why it had felt so light:

His sword had snapped into two!

* * *