Sleeping in the Sun

"There you are!"

Xiaoqing pounced on a small brown frog trying to hide under a yellow leaf. She plucked the leaf off and picked him up between her fingers, studying him with a pleased expression. "Small, but still plump enough for a snack. The trouble you gave me though, is hardly worth the morsel you are! I actually had to use my human form to spot you."

She pinched the frog's white belly experimentally, made a satisfied sound, and opened her mouth. Just as she was about to drop the squirming frog in, she caught sight of a white form passing by the mouth of the cave.

"Ah, she's going to the rock to bask again! Now I just have to lure that little physician over. Frog, you wait for me till I come back." She popped the frog under a few rocks and darted out of the grotto with a glint in her eye.

Xiaoqing experimentally flung out her arms and buoyed herself into the air with a burst of spirit energy. She gave a shriek of delight as she was able to fly through the air, easily crossing over the steep chasms and slopes of the mountain. "All that boring cultivating with Sister Bai does have its benefits, after all! This is faster than any move I could make as a snake. I shall be there before Sister even closes her eyes."

As she approached the village she landed noiselessly on the ground and marked out the rough hut Xuxian had led them to before. She mounted the few steps rapidly, checking the yard to see if anyone was there, and stopped before the door, which stood ajar.

Glancing around to make sure no one saw her, Xiaoqing made a swift movement with her hands and disappeared, leaving only a small green snake which slithered rapidly over the doorway.

Xuxian had his back to her. He was busy fixing the broken bottom of his herb gathering basket, murmuring vexedly to himself.

"Clumsy me. If I hadn't slipped and fallen I wouldn't have spoilt this perfectly good basket. Now I won't be able to go herb gathering until I've fixed it." he muttered, frowning at it. With a sigh, he turned aside to pour a cup of water from the small teapot on the table, and stood sipping it reflectively at the window, moodily considering how best to set about mending it.

Xiaoqing wriggled across the floor and reared her head, sending a tiny stream of spirit energy through the air while his back was turned. She drew back behind the door as Xuxian turned around to put the cup down on the table, and there was a gleam in the little snake's golden eyes like laughter as he started visibly. The hole in the basket had vanished. Mended itself, to all appearances. The broken reeds had been woven back together, more nimbly than human fingers could ever had hoped to do, and the ends knotted securely.

Xuxian rubbed his eyes incredulously, then picked it up and examined it holding his breath. "It is fixed. Was I dreaming? It was clearly broken just now."

Xiaoqing impatiently watched him. Hurry up, you stupid man, she thought. I even used up some of my precious spirit energy on your worthless basket, just to get you out of the house. If you don't hasten to the mountain I shall just knock you out and bring you there!

Xuxian thrust a small trowel into his belt as well as a short hunting knife, and wrapped a cold pancake in a handkerchief for his lunch, still casting uneasy glances at the basket. He finally hoisted it onto his shoulders, and Xiaoqing followed him out of the house, unseen.

"If I can only get some ginseng this time," he said absently. "It is so hard to find it during this time of the year, but medicines still require it, and it is so expensive to buy it from town."

Ginseng, is it, Xiaoqing thought, slipping through the grass at his heels. Well, I can manage that without sacrificing any of my cultivation!

Meanwhile, on the flat rock, Bai found herself a comfortable position. The huge white snake moved slowly, great wreaths of shining white scales gleaming as it settled against the sun-kissed rock ledge. She peered over the edge experimentally and drew back, satisfied. At this height, on this rock face, no mortal would be able to approach without great effort.

The snake's black eyes took on a dreamy look. She found herself seeing that face again in her mind as she drifted in and out of sleep. Remembering how gentle those large hands had been dressing her wound, and how clumsy they had become once he met her gaze. He had been kind. She had been startled to see how genuinely concerned he had been, and a warmness had crept into her heart ever since. Now, when she dreamily made out his face in her memory, that warmness seemed to grow, wrapping her with a glow from within that matched the sun's golden glow upon her skin.

Bai sighed involuntarily, trying half-heartedly to push him from her mind. She would forget about him soon, she would make herself forget him soon. He had probably already forgotten about her anyway. How many patients would he have seen since then, and how many of them young and beautiful women?

And what would he say if he knew what she really was? That thought, haunting the back of her mind at all times, caused an almost physical pain to shoot through her.

She cleared her mind with an effort. That was enough. What was the point in giving yourself pain? The sun was perfect, there was no one around; the birds were singing lazily, and the rock was smooth as silk. She would go to sleep now, and forget Xuxian with the gentle hands, and the gaze which faltered so, yet was so warm and eager…so warm…so warm...