Awakening

"She still hasn't woken up," Yuanzheng said restlessly, putting down the piece of wood he was whittling and looking at where Qingqing lay motionless on the bed. "Should I call Physician Xu?"

Granny Hong clucked her tongue as she busied herself sorting out some dried chillies. "Don't be so impatient," she said soothingly. "She must have had a bad fright, poor thing. Let her rest if she needs to. When she's ready, she'll wake up."

Yuanzheng got up, brushing the wood shavings off his lap. He went over and studied her anxiously. "I hope her leg will be all right. She might not be able to walk on it for a while."

"You should make her a crutch," suggested Granny Hong. "She'll need one if that's the case."

His face brightened. "That's true, Mother. I'll do that now. I can finish it in an hour."

Just as he was about to turn away, Qingqing's eyes suddenly opened. For a moment confusion and fear stared out of them, then suddenly they misted over with viciousness and she shot up from the bed with lightning speed.

In one fluid movement she grabbed Yuanzheng by his neck, and two stiffened fingers from her other hand poised against the flesh of his throat, ready to pierce through it.

"Gui Yuan, you bastard!" she gasped, eyes wide with fury. "I'll kill you."

Granny Hong uttered a scream of fright and knocked over her basket of dried chillies. Yuanzheng froze, wisely waiting for her to recognize him, sensing that Qingqing in this confused, hostile state was dangerous.

"Qingqing," he said quickly, and held up his open hands slowly. "It's us. You're with friends. Calm down."

Qingqing's disoriented eyes focused on his face and she frowned, studying him suspiciously at first. She glanced swiftly around and he saw recognition flicker in her eyes.

Abruptly she released him with a sigh, and sat down heavily on the bed with a wince, the splint making it hard for her to move.

"Ah, forgive me," she said as pleasantly as she could, bowing her head in Granny Hong's direction. "I was confused and got startled."

Granny Hong picked up her dried chillies, still getting over the shock. "Well, of course," she said hastily. "You must have had a horrible experience, Miss Qing. What happened?"

Qingqing thought rapidly. "I have no idea," she replied quickly. "I was just on the mountains, looking for my sister, and this man attacked me. I tried to run away but he had broken my leg." She paused, clearly unsure what had happened next.

"Ah, what a mercy that you met Yuanzheng," Granny Hong said emphatically. "He carried you back as you had fainted dead away. You would surely have been killed or worse by that thug. Was he one of the bandits, perhaps?"

Yuanzheng interrupted her suddenly. "Mother, do we have anything for her to eat? Miss Qing must be hungry. And we should tell Physician Xu that she's awake, too."

Granny Hong put down the basket of dried chillies, easily distracted by the mention of food as always. "Oh, of course," she fluttered. "Let me warm up some porridge for Miss Qing. Yuanzheng, you help her if Miss Qing wants some water or anything."

Yuanzheng waited till she had gone out of the hut, then turned to Qingqing. "How are you feeling?" he said awkwardly.

She looked down at her leg. "It's broken, I guess?"

"Physician Xu said it will heal with time."

"Time is what I don't have now. Shut the door."

Qingqing sighed as he closed the door obediently and turned to her, with a questioning look on his face. "You know what I am now, so what does it matter? You can look away if you want. Tell me if anyone's approaching." Her voice was curt and brisk.

With a quick chop of her stiffened fingers, she broke the splint Xuxian had so neatly put on her leg, and impatiently tore it off her leg. Drawing back her sleeve, she took a deep breath and summoned the spirit energy to her fingertips, frowning in her concentration, and then directed it towards her leg. Yuanzheng's eyes widened but he said nothing, watching in fascination as the faint green light melted into her flesh.

Qingqing bit back a sharp sound of pain as the bone's edges knitted together with an audible crunch, and her hand shook slightly. She let it drop at last with a sigh, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Dropping her leg over the side of the bed, she tested it gingerly, putting her weight carefully onto it. Satisfied, she sprang up and hopped experimentally on it, then swung round to face Yuanzheng.

"So you brought me back and got that silly physician to treat me, I suppose. Well, thank you." she said stiffly. "How you managed to avoid getting caught by Gui Yuan I can't imagine, but you very likely saved my life."

"Who is he?" blurted Yuanzheng.

A shadow fell over Qingqing's face. "Pah. The bastard wants revenge on me. But you should stay away from the mountains for now, if you don't want to become his next victim. He's dangerous. You'd better listen to me on this, mind. Don't you dare forget what I said." She jabbed her finger sharply in his direction.

They were silent. Qingqing pushed a wisp of hair behind her ear. For some reason, she found it hard to look at him.

"You don't seem very surprised at finding out I'm a snake spirit," Qingqing said at last in an odd little voice. She tried to laugh. "You know, most humans would be scared out of their wits."

Yuanzheng shifted his feet. "I--I guess I am. A little. I'm not sure."

"You didn't tell your mother." She said this simply, more as a statement than a question.

He nodded.

"Well--thank you," she said again, sounding strained. "I've got to go now."

"Must you go?"

Qingqing stopped short and bit her lip. "Then--should I stay?"

She made a little helpless gesture, smiling even though her eyes were not in it. "What would I stay for? To see everyone run screaming from me? Your old mother would probably have a heart attack if she knew."