Riding the Wind
-I had sudden inspiration for this story, when I was about to eat my dinner. I think I'm getting a little over my head, with the new addition of this story, that makes my story count to 3 stories, to add chapters and stuff to. So I will be writing them in the meantime after I finish this first chapter. Anyway, this story is about a girl, called Cai Xao who travels all around China searching for the perfect master to serve. She is an excellent sharpshooter and is skilled with tactics and with the Bow she wields in battle.-
The road glistened as the raindrops continued to fall, A dark chestnut coloured horse's hooves clacked against the water covered path. The rider sighed. She was used to the rain, but it turned out her robes weren't. They clung to her tightly and itched against her ice-cold skin. She still rode on. Thunder roared across the sky; frequent flashes often followed. There has to be shelter nearby, the rider thought. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the steady beat of her horse's hooves hitting the hard terrain, her thoughts were heavy and clung to her conscience , just as her robes did to her.
There was a small thicket to the left of her. There was a slight rustle which made the rider open her eyes and stop her horse. She looked over towards the rustling thicket and swung herself off her stallion and tied him to a nearby tree branch. He whinnied loudly and shifted his weight easily. She reached for her bow, which was held by the belt that reached around her skinny waist. No wonder I'm so skinny, she thought to herself, I haven't eaten a proper meal in days! The Bramble was shifting loudly which made her and her horse nervous. She tightened her grip on the bow.
"Who's there?" She shouted above the heavy downpour. The rustling stopped.
Her horse; behind her, screeched piercingly and rose onto it's back legs. The rider turned in one fluid movement. She reached for the small arrow sack that was tied across her chest and hung tightly just between her shoulder blades, and pulled her bow up into both of her hands. She drew her left hand back... and sent a flurry of arrows in the direction of her distressed horse.
Shortly after, three heavy thumps, hit the ground and created a slight disturbance in the atmosphere.
She glanced over, glad she hit her target. Three bodies clutched death, they were wearing dirty yellow garbs that were just as soaked as hers were. Their faces were hidden. Bandits. There always had to be bandits. She pulled an arrow out of the nearest body, and slid it back in with the others. She searched through all of the bodies pockets, found one small sachet of gold and a small necklace. She 'borrowed' what they had once stole. She spat towards the closest of the bodies.
"I wouldn't mess with the best sharpshooter in the whole of China, if I were you, you greedy mongrel." She said determination running across her storming face. "Remember who did this to you," She said, drawing in a large mouthful of pressured air. "I am the Fox of Jiang Zhou, Cai Xao!" She shouted, heavily. Slipping her bow back into it's place. She rushed over to her horse, and checked him over for any wounds, there were a few small cuts and scratches, but otherwise he was alright. She grabbed the saddle and jumped up into the seat. She grabbed the reins and looked behind her to see the small death scene, blew the unanimated corpses a kiss, and went on her way.
"Onwards, Ares." She exhaled deeply. "God speed that we find shelter soon." She said to her chestnut horse. "God Speed."
Ares clacked on despite being tired from the long day, his ankles were covered in mud and grass and his horse shoes needed changing. Cai Xao had gotten off to give him a break from her heavy load. Shelter had to come by soon, otherwise they would both collapse in exhaustion. It was still raining, but it wasn't the heavy downpour that it was before. Before long, Xao stumbled upon a secluded path which led up a small hill. There was steam coming from the top of the hill.
It must be shelter, she thought, "Come, Ares! Not far to go now." She said hoping for there to be a small hut or even just a roof on top of the hill. It was a struggle for her dashing horse to climb the hill, but in the end he made it to the top, and there in the clearing, between two sets of brilliant cherry blossom trees, was a small cottage. There was a small man outside, adding dead wood , to a rattling fire. So that's why there was so much smoke...
The small man, looked up from his fire and saw a weak looking, young girl, traveling on a horse that was covered in mud and looked like it was about to collapse at any moment. He got up off his perch and rushed over to the troubled horse and his master. He brought a small pot of water along with him, the girl did look exhausted after all. He sent the pot right in front of the girl's horse. From up close he could see that the girl had bags under her eyes and was very pale, she was bloodstained too. The horse gulped down the water as he began to question the girl.
"Are you alright" He asked "I saw you coming up the hill, you look like you've seen a ghost my lady!" He gasped. "Please sit down, you look like you need a rest."
She pushed herself off her horse gently, being careful not to catch his cuts or wounds. She stumbled slightly, after getting off, but steadied herself easily. She walked over to the old man, reins still in hand.
"Thank you for your aid, kind stranger. My name is Cai Xao, I hail from Jiang Zhou, near Cheng Du. We have been on the road for several days now without shelter. I fear my horse is hurt very badly, due to an attack from bandits earlier on today, when the downpour was at its hardest. I find myself asking you for aid. Do you have somewhere out of the rain for me and my stallion?" She asked politely.
"Yes, but I'm afraid your horse will have to share the bedding with my horse, for I do not have enough. And my Lady you can retire to my cot, if you need to. It would be an honor to house a fine young warrior like yourself. Plus it looks as if you have been traveling for days without a proper meal, or change of clothes." He said, politely, as he looked into her passionately.
"I'm sorry kind stranger but in all the efforts of telling you my tale, I forgot to ask of you name."
"My name is Bau Liang, I 'm afraid I'm just a humble old man who lives in these woods. I aid travelers when they need it. My lady, your lucky you stumbled across this small hut; there are no huts or villages for miles. There would have been no shelter from the rain around this road."
"I thank you for your aid kind Liang, I am happy that you are willing to help someone such as me with my problems. Here," She said, reaching into one of Ares' saddle bags, she pulled out a small sachet of gold. "I do not have much, but this gold is for your troubles."
Bau Liang smiled, "Lady Xao I do not need your gold, I am here to help, not to charge." He said.
"Thank you again, kind sir I am in your debt. If there is anything you need me to do, please ask, I may only be a girl, but I can help in whatever ways possible."
Bau smiled a rich smile, "My Lady all you need to do right now is rest. Please go inside, the cot is in the back. I will lead your horse to the stables for you."
"Thank you..." She said, handing the reins to the man who began to lead Ares into the small stables round the back. Ares looked at Xao, "Please," she said, "Be good, Ares, I will be back to collect you later" She smiled and headed inside.
The front room was a small one, there was a tiny 'Go' table pushed to one side, with two chairs either side. There was a bookshelf, filled with tatty scrolls and a large white-ish sack pushed into the corner. Xao guessed it was full of Meat Buns. Next to the large sack, was a large jar, she looked inside to find a small amount of collected water. There was a open doorway exactly opposite of the front door. Inside the next room along there was, as promised, a small cot pushed to the side of one wall, the room was tidier than the last, it had large rods holding up the roof in the middle of the room. It was small and quaint and tidy, and it suited a man like Bau Liang. She heard her horse whiny from outside, when she collapsed onto the bed. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.