Retreat
And so they were running, Vachir thought morosely. This was no longer an attempt to lure their enemies away from innocent civilians – the village still smoldering across the river was proof enough of that. It wasn't even a strategic retreat, to find some better spot to turn and make a stand. They couldn't stand alone against what was coming up behind them. They were trying to outrun and evade their enemy, get to some point of safety, and let the danger pass them by.
And how they were going to do that was beyond anything Vachir could figure out. They were in hostile territory, or as good as – he had no way of knowing who in the region was allied to the tiger, or still loyal to the Emperor. If he took his men into a city, and found they had sided with the invader, it would mean the end of the Anvil. If he continued north, trying to drive his exhausted, demoralized, and soon to be starving men through the mountain passes between here and Chang'an, it would mean the end of the Anvil. And if he did neither, if he tried to turn and fight or simply gave up and let the men slow down, they would be overtaken and destroyed.
How had things gone so bad so quickly? In the space of a week, they had gone from confidently searching out bandits in the hills to… this. The Anvil had been in tight spots before, of course, but they had usually been on the offensive, and if not, they had nonetheless had a plan in mind. They had been confident, not least because he had always made sure that he, and by extension his men, had control of their situation. Now that was gone; he felt adrift, uncertain, a feeling he loathed. And it was affecting his thinking, he knew; not having that sense of control, not having a solid plan, was making him ever more unable to form one in his mind, to decide on the best course of action. The very idea of the Anvil of Heaven being on the run was soimplausible that it left him at a loss as to what to do next.
He was the last to get off the boat when it reached the north landing, and by that time he was trying to at least put on a show of self-assurance for the sake of his men. He couldn't let them know he was stumbling around in a mental fog thicker than the mist that was starting to rise from the water. He looked around in the light of the few lanterns hanging from posts on the small dock. Chuluun, he saw, was nearby, doubtless waiting to be sure he made it across. Po and Monkey were there as well, and Crane landed beside them as he watched. Tigress and Viper crossed to them as soon as they got off the boat. Tai Lung, he noted, was at the edge of the landing, under one of the lanterns, staring across the river, apparently oblivious to everything around him. In the shadows beyond the reach of the light, he could hear his men moving restlessly, awaiting their next orders. If only he knew what those were.
He walked slowly up to Chuluun, feeling more weary than he could remember. His second's eyes looked past him, scanning the river. Hoping for more boats that would never come, he knew. He shook his head. "Bayu and his men… stayed to hold off the enemy and cover our retreat. Get rid of the rest of the boats," he said, bleakly. Chuluun's shoulders sagged, his mouth pressed in a thin line.
"No…" It was the panda. Vachir turned and saw him staring back, distraught, obviously overhearing his words.
"No!" he said again, and took two steps back toward the river – as though he thought he could swim back across and change what had happened, the rhino thought – only to be stopped by Tigress' outstretched arm. She didn't exactly embrace the panda, only put her arm across his chest and let her head rest on his shoulder.
"I know, Po," she said, her voice tight with grief.
Po's head dropped, and his shoulders shook. Monkey moved up to his other side, wrapping long arms around him. Crane extended a wing across his back, his hat brim tipping down to hide his eyes. Viper was in there somewhere as well; Vachir could see the snake's tail near the panda's leg, but where the rest of her body was in the tight knot he couldn't tell.
Resignedly – as uncharacteristic as that emotion was for him - he turned back to Chuluun. "How's the head?"
"Been worse," Chuluun said dully. "Mantis looked me over, got me bandaged up, but I think he wants to put in some stitches when we stop. How far are we going tonight? We can't stay here."
Vachir nodded. They couldn't stop, even if that was all he wanted to do right now. "Don't know," he said shortly. "We have to get some distance, as far as we can manage. You and Mantis help Cheren move the wounded along." Past the lieutenant, at the edge of the circle of lantern light, he saw a group of six young rhinos, two of them badly injured. One looked like he'd taken an arrow in the leg. All that was left of the recruits, he guessed. They were lucky to have that many, from what he'd seen. "I'll have Gerel get rid of these boats; no sense leaving them here for that tiger."
Chuluun nodded, turned, gathered up his half dozen recruits, and moved out of the light. Vachir watched him go, knowing he'd have to find out just how many of his men he had left, and fearing the answer. He looked around again. He spotted Gerel, trying to organize the distribution of a pile of supplies. He frowned at the sight, knowing they hadn't had much more left than what the men were carrying on their backs, then smiled grimly. Gerel must have found supplies left for their enemies, or their boatmen allies. He crossed over to him.
Gerel glanced up, obviously pleased with himself. "Guess what was waiting for us on the dock?"
"I see. How much is there?"
The smug smile faded a bit. "Not a lot. But it'll help," he added quickly. "How far are we going, Commander?" There was a hint of a plea in his voice, wanting some assurance, some solid information.
"Not sure yet," Vachir answered. "Have to think about it, figure out who's still loyal in this region. Can't afford a mistake. For now we head north, and try to stay ahead of that tiger. For now, distribute the supplies, and have men get rid of those boats."
"Will do, Commander."
Vachir turned back, looking around him. He still could see nothing beyond the lantern light, but he could hear that the men were beginning to head out, up the road. Good. Tigress, a hand still on Po's arm, was moving the panda in the same direction; they both looked miserable. Vachir remembered he'd asked them to help Bayu in the rearguard over the past few days; no wonder this had hit them hard. The Sumatran was – had been – a warm and likeable man; most of that group were, once you got past their reticence. He was going to miss them.
He watched a group of rhinos move toward the boats. "Finish up quickly," he told them, "and catch up. We'll keep going until we find a good spot to rest." Or until, he told himself, they were simply unable to go further.
Which left only one more thing to deal with. He moved toward the snow leopard, still standing in the same spot he'd been in when Vachir arrived.
"C'mon, furball. We're going," he said as he walked up. He got no response. He stopped, eyeing the snow leopard warily. Tension was plain in every muscle of the feline's body; as Vachir watched, he saw Tai Lung's hands slowly flexing open and closed, saw his tail tip twitching just a little. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure he wanted to go closer; what was wrong with the cat? But he couldn't leave him here, and he wouldn't allow himself to show any fear of the snow leopard. Determined, he closed the last few feet between them and gripped Tai Lung's shoulder.
Tai Lung started, his breath a sudden, shaky gasp. He spun toward Vachir with a snarl, his arm coming up in a block to knock the rhino's hand from his shoulder. It was only the sense that the fury and hate blazing from the leopard's golden eyes were not meant for him that kept the rhino from backpedalling rapidly. Just as swiftly, Tai Lung spun back the other way, slamming a fist into the piling holding the lantern. Vachir heard the heavy beam crack as the light danced crazily over the dock and the water below.
Vachir reminded himself to breathe again, gritted his teeth, and stepped forward. Quickly he grabbed the snow leopard again, spinning him back around and giving him a rough shake. "Stop that!" he snapped. "Get a hold of yourself!" He gave Tai Lung another shake. "Look at me!"
Reluctantly, Tai Lung wrenched his eyes from the still-smoldering village on the bluff across the river and met Vachir's gaze. The anger was still apparent, but under it was a deep anguish. Vachir's eyes flicked from the snow leopard to the fire across the river, and back. So that's how it is, he thought. Kitty's getting a conscience after all. Hell, this is all I need right now.
"Nothing more we can do here, furball," he said quietly. "It's time to go." He waited a moment, and eventually he got a nod. "Alright, then." He got a grip on Tai Lung's arm, and headed back toward the road after the others.
' Tai Lung took a few steps, then, coming further out of whatever state he'd gotten himself into, slowed and jerked reflexively against Vachir's hold. The rhino grimaced, tightened his grip, and yanked back. "Don't test me, kitty," he grated. "I'm not in the mood." He fell in with the rhinos who'd dealt with the boats, and headed up the road, into the darkness ahead.
Vachir worked his way up to the head of the line of marching rhinos – well, marching wasn't the right word, perhaps. They were moving north in a dispirited, plodding mass, but at his urging, they kept as much speed up as their exhausted and injured bodies would permit. It was dark, with no moon to be seen, and a fog was drifting in from the river; although some of the men were carrying lanterns taken from the river landing, it was hard to get a count of how many rhinos were moving up the road.
He made his way back down, toward the rear of the troop, and discovered that Crane had flown out along the riverbank eastwards, and gathered up a couple dozen half-drowned and shivering stragglers who'd been washed downstream after their boats had been overturned. One, a young rhino being supported by two others, he recognized as one of the recruits. He'd heard that one of them had been pulled down by crocs in the river; to judge by the soldier's injuries and the grim but satisfied look on his face, he'd come out ahead in that fight. Vachir found that heartening.
He made his way forward again, and couldn't deny it to himself any longer. He came up with a different number each time, but each was on the high side of four hundred. The Anvil of Heaven was down to less than half its strength.
He stood for a while, trying to absorb that. The men continued up the road past him. He looked up finally, and saw that Chuluun was coming along with the wounded. Vachir watched silently for a while, then abruptly realized he was still holding on to Tai Lung's arm. Had he been dragging the snow leopard along with him all this time? Aside from that first attempt to pull loose, he'd made no objection, hadn't resisted, hadn't even said anything. He studied the feline for a minute; he looked even more drained than Vachir felt. After a long moment Tai Lung looked up at him. The anger had faded, but the deep sense of hurt was still there. Vachir just stared back. What the hell was he supposed to do about this? Figure out what had him so upset and use it to manipulate him? Ask him what was wrong and let him have a good cry on his shoulder? Neither option sounded particularly appealing. He took the easiest course.
"Chuluun," he said, moving forward. "Keep an eye on him." He tried to catch Tai Lung's gaze but the snow leopard was staring off into the fog. "You stay with Chuluun. Got it?" He waited, and eventually got a nod.
He made his way back to the head of the line, and led the men on for another hour, before he admitted they needed rest more than distance. Wearily he ordered them to make camp, although nothing beyond a small stream and an abundance of firewood recommended the spot. He checked on the wounded, and got a report on their numbers and expected recovery from Cheren and Mantis. He found Gerel and discussed the supply situation. He made his way through the camp, wanting desperately to just sleep, or at least sit down for a while, but knowing he had to put on a good front for the men, say what he could to bring up their spirits. This was worse, he thought, than when Tai Lung had escaped, the only other time the Anvil had taken such a hit. They had expected it, then; had always assumed that one day, the snow leopard would get free and come after them. This was unanticipated; they had been chasing bandits, a routine and unexciting mission, only to find themselves facing an army. Falling back in front of that army had been discouraging enough; but the fight at the river had demoralized them completely. And, Vachir realized, there was one more thing that made the defeat seem even worse. This time, it wasn't even just the Anvil of Heaven, the indomitable war band who got only the most difficult missions, who had been fighting. They had allies, and what allies; the Furious Five, the Dragon Warrior, even Tai Lung was fighting on their side.
And yet they'd lost.
Vachir stopped for a moment, in the shadows between campfires, closing his eyes and swaying slightly. He wouldn't let himself believe it; the Anvil had not lost its edge, had not degenerated to the point where they were barely fit for guard duty. He would pull them out of this yet; Deshiyn would have recruited enough men to bring them up to strength, or nearly so, and trained them as rigorously as they always had; they would join forces, turn back on this tiger, destroy his army and the threat he posed to the empire. They would regain their reputation and honor, and go on to add to it in the years to come. If he could just get them through the next few days… and then the next few after that…
A soldier coming past noticed him, and after assuring himself that the commander was not hurt but simply tired, invited him to sit at the nearest fire and have some food. It wasn't much, some rice with a few dried mushrooms thrown in, but it gave Vachir the energy he needed to continue on his rounds. Irwan and Chay were a bit nervous when he found them; apparently the mongoose they'd captured had been left on the far side of the river in the confusion. Vachir couldn't have cared less. The creature was loud and of no use anyway; let the tiger have him back. He saw Tigress at a nearby fire at one point as he made his way through the camp, apparently doing the same thing he was – having a few words with the men, and moving on. He nodded approvingly.
He found Chuluun eventually, sitting on a fallen log and poking a stick listlessly into a campfire with a cooking pot over it. The bandage on his head had been applied in a much neater fashion, and he guessed Mantis or Cheren had stitched up the gash. Po and Viper were sitting next to him, along with one of the surviving recruits – Anguo, that was his name - talking to him quietly; all four seemed dejected. Vachir had no great desire to join the pity party; he was having a hard enough time keeping his own grief and disquiet pushed back into a dark corner where it wouldn't affect him or the men. But he had to talk to Chuluun; and there was Tai Lung to deal with as well. The snow leopard was sitting a little way off from the others, pulled in on himself physically and emotionally, staring into the fire. Vachir knew he had to find out if the cat's crazy mood had worn off yet; he wasn't sure what he'd do if it hadn't.
Viper moved aside to let him sit down by Chuluun. "There's nothing I can say," he finally said. "We've been in bad spots before, you know that."
Chuluun actually smiled a little. "Yeah, we have. Always make the best stories afterward, don't they?"
Vachir felt some of the weight lift. "Yeah, they do. And so will this. The best one yet."
"Just so long as it's not the last one."
"It won't be. We get to Chang'an when this is over, they'll be buying a round for the whole Anvil just to hear it. And all the pretty young girls hanging all over us, cooing over how brave we all are."
Chuluun chuckled. "Alright, Vachir. For that, I'll haul my wrinkled grey tail up and go after that tiger. But you deal with the Imperial Guard at the capital when they start complaining we're hogging all the wine and women."
Vachir grinned. "I'll just tell them it was all Deshiyn's idea."
Chuluun looked startled, then laughed out loud. They both knew Deshiyn had no interest in women. And wasn't much of a drinker, when it came to it.
He noticed that Po, Viper and Anguo all looked relieved by the obvious rise in Chuluun's spirits; or maybe the conversation had cheered them as well. Viper was still looking at him with some concern, but he managed to get something like a smile onto his face. "Don't worry. A few hours of sleep and some breakfast and I'll be fine," he assured her. "Most of us will. And the rest will sort themselves out once this thing turns around."
"I think Crane will be able to fly normally soon," she said quietly. "At least Mantis seems to think so. Once he can carry a message, we'll know that reinforcements are on the way."
"That we will. We'll stay ahead of that tiger for that long, at least; then turn back and finish with him once and for all." He noticed Anguo and the panda nodding agreement. He turned to Po. "Chay said you kept those crocs from overturning your boat," he said. "That was some tough fighting, in close quarters like that. Good job."
Po smiled. "Well, we couldn't let them flip the boat, with all the wounded we had in there. So…" he shrugged expressively.
"Po pulled Tai Lung and me out of the river, too," Anguo put in enthusiastically, then looked a bit self-conscious. "Guess maybe I should learn to swim now," he muttered, looking away.
"Probably a good idea," Vachir agreed. "I know you can't take it easy on that leg, but try to find some support, a stick or something, before we head out tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!" Anguo said eagerly. Vachir wondered if he'd ever been that young and earnest; if he had, he couldn't remember. The kid was making him feel old. He looked around, and immediately snapped to alertness. Tai Lung had raised his head at last, and Vachir knew the look in his eyes – helpless, despairing rage.
As casually as he could, he stood up, and headed toward the leopard. He gave a jerk of his head. "Come over here," he said, keeping his tone even. He was a little surprised when Tai Lung stood and came to him. "Look," he said quietly, "we both know that no matter how many boats we took or got rid of, that tiger's going to start crossing that river tonight. Why don't you find that little bug friend of yours and head back, see what he's doing?" He got no sign of acknowledgement. He went on anyway. "Head back down the road, there's no moon and it's foggy, so you should be able to keep out of sight. I just want you to find out what's going on; don't get into any fights." He waited. Nothing. "Kitty. I know you want to kill them all yourself, but no fighting. Just have a look around, and get back here before it's light. Let me know what you find out." Still no answer; the snow leopard was focused on something off in the darkness, and, Vachir thought, probably long past. He reached out and grabbed Tai Lung's head with both hands, turning the snow leopard's face toward him, looking him right in the eyes. "You. Back here. By dawn. Hear me?"
Tai Lung stared at him a moment longer, then finally nodded. "Right," he said, as if coming up out of a deep sleep. "Find out what they're doing, come back here."
Vachir nodded. "Okay." He gave the snow leopard a slap on the shoulder. "Get going."
As Tai Lung headed off, he heard a voice behind him. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
He turned to face Tigress. "Not really. But I know that look. I don't want him in camp in that mood. He's too keyed up. If someone sets him off, I'd rather it be them and not us."
She nodded understanding. "I see your point." She looked back the way Tai Lung had gone, the way they had come. "I think I'll find Monkey and do the same," she said thoughtfully. "The more information we have, the better."
He nodded. "Make sure you get back in time to get at least a little sleep. I'll really be pushing for distance tomorrow, once we decide where we're heading."
With a nod, she turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Chuluun came up beside him, staring after the leader of the Furious Five. He said, very quietly, "Vachir… does she remind you of anyone?"
Vachir glanced at his lieutenant, and nodded. "Maybe. Could just be that she's a tiger; not too many of them around. I'd heard – but anyway, it's not the time to worry about it. We can ask around after this is over, if there's a reason to."
Tai Lung was moving fast, but Mantis had the feeling he wasn't getting anywhere. He'd seen Tai focused before, of course, but just now he wasn't sure the snow leopard was even aware of his presence, or where they were going, or perhaps even that they were going. At last, unable to get a response from yelling in Tai Lung's ear, he jumped onto the bridge of the snow leopard's nose, staring him right in the eye.
"Just stop for a minute, will you?" he shouted.
Tai Lung slowed, then stopped. "Get off my face, Yao!" he growled indignantly, but Mantis could hear the confusion in his voice. He chuckled as he returned to the snow leopard's shoulder.
"Had to get your attention somehow. For a minute there I thought I'd have to – " he broke off as the snow leopard swayed on his feet. "Tai, you okay?"
"Just… very tired."
"Yeah. Sit down for a second."
The snow leopard shook his head. "If I do, I'll fall asleep. Just need to see what's going on down at the river."
"We will. I won't let you sleep; but just sit for a minute."
Tai Lung looked around, the night so dark it was nearly impenetrable even to his eyes. He had been running parallel to the road, slightly to one side; now he moved farther into the trees, found a large chestnut, and slid down against the trunk with a sigh of relief.
"You won't let me fall asleep," he said, a little thickly.
"I won't," Mantis reassured him. "You want to talk about it?"
"No."
"You'd feel better."
"No I wouldn't."
"Sure you would."
Tai Lung opened one eye and glared balefully at the insect. "You don't quit, do you?"
"Nope. Okay, I'd feel better if you'd talk about it. If you weren't so tired right now, you'd be scaring me."
The other eye opened. "Only now?" he asked sardonically. "A little slow on the uptake, aren't you, Yao? Everyone else has been scared of me for a couple decades."
"Yeah, but I know that deep down inside you're just a big pussycat."
Tai Lung leaned his head back against the tree with a heartfelt groan. "I'm too tired for puns, Yao."
"So," Mantis asked, after a long moment. "Was it the tiger? Monkey said he was on the hill, that you both thought of going for him, but he was too well guarded."
"Did Monkey tell you that he and some of Chuluun's recruits saved the townspeople from a burning building? That they'd been locked in there?"
Mantis shuddered. "Yeah. He said something about that."
The silence stretched out for a long moment. Then Tai Lung said, so softly that Mantis could barely hear him, "I forgot about them."
Mantis wasn't sure he'd heard right. "What?"
"I forgot about the people," the snow leopard said, his voice rising. "I got up the hill, intending to save them. That was the whole point of my rushing up there! And then the archers came out – and I went for them, and then I saw the tiger… By that time Monkey had the villagers out and safe." He dropped his head onto his knees and slammed a fist back into the tree. "If he hadn't been there, they'd be dead. If I had been all they could count on, they'd be dead!" He raised his head and turned a desperate gaze on Mantis. "I'm better than that, Yao! I… used to be…"
"I know you are!" Mantis insisted. "In case you didn't notice, Tai, that was a hell of a battle back there! Things worked out, Monkey and the rhinos were there – how many times have I told you, you can't do everything yourself? You weren't all they had to count on! You have to depend on the rest of us to do our part, too. I admit, you could have done better; but you're not perfect, I hate to tell you! I think we all lost our bearings in that mess at one point or another." He was silent a moment, then cocked his head to look up at the snow leopard. "Remember when we rescued the hostages from the alligator river pirates?"
Tai Lung hesitated, then nodded.
"Half of them got away because you wouldn't leave those people on that sinking boat. Or when we helped look for survivors after the flooding in Jingzhou? How many times did I have to haul you out of the water because you dove in after one more person you saw trying to swim against the current, or trapped on a roof? We practically had to have Gaur sit on you to make you stop before you wore yourself out. So don't try and tell me about what sort of heartless monster you are, Tai!" Mantis was surprised at his own vehemence; this had been building up inside him for a while without him even noticing it, he guessed. "And what about when we went to stop those rebels marching north along the coast? You want to tell me you were just out for yourself then?" He pressed on before Tai Lung could answer. "Because I remember how worried you were about the harm they could do to the common people if they joined up with their allies to the north. About how they'd trample the fields and burn the farms, and leave the people with nothing, no food or shelter, with winter coming."
"Yeah, well," Tai Lung said, the weariness showing in his voice again. "From what Vachir said, it sounds like Ushi and his army did that to them anyway, and worse."
"Well, at least maybe we kept a little more damage from being done. How could we know our own were going to be as bad as the rebels? You going to tell Vachir about that fight?"
Tai Lung laughed bitterly. "Why? So he can point out how I was only fighting for my own glory? That I was pinning all my hopes on that battle, that I would finally prove myself the great hero who deserved to be named the Dragon Warrior?" His voice dropped low. "Because he'd be right, you know."
"That's not all there was to you, Tai," Mantis said quietly. "It was never only that."
"Are you sure?" The voice wasn't Tai Lung's. They both looked up, Tai Lung leaping to his feet. Mantis saw the snow leopard's startled expression turn to one of betrayal and defeat.
"I guess you are," he said resentfully as Tigress walked up, followed by Monkey. "And you're here because…?"
She shook her head. "He didn't send me to watch you."
"But you thought you would anyway."
She shrugged. "In part, yes. Mostly, I want to know what Akshatha and Ushi are up to, and how much time we have before they come after us."
He nodded, and turned back toward the road. "So let's go see." His voice became a sneer. "Now that I've doubtless confirmed all your worst fears about me."
"Not really," she said, halting him in his tracks. "I think Mantis is right, to a point; you do, or did, have better impulses, and weren't always seeking your own glory and ambition. Is that what Po sees in you?"
"I have no idea," he said sardonically. "If he ever tells you, please let me know." He began to walk south, toward the river. "Shall we?"
They made their way quietly back toward the ferry landing, finally reaching the place without encountering any of their enemies. Keeping under cover, they got as close as possible to the river.
There were boats already at the dock, though nowhere near as many as there had been on the south bank when the battle started. They were too far away to overhear conversation, though most of it would have been in a foreign tongue and incomprehensible anyway. Several bears and a loudly exclaiming knot of the otter boatmen were gathered around the damaged remains of the boats Vachir had ordered scuttled before they left. Another grouping of enemy troops and otters were at the west end of the dock, where Gerel had handed out supplies. As they watched, Ushi stepped out of the shadows beyond the lantern light, bellowing orders and imprecations at his men in a surly voice.
Tai Lung glanced sidelong at Tigress, a slight, malicious smile starting to play across his face. "We stole their dinner, I guess," he barely breathed. Beside him, Monkey smothered a chuckle behind his hand.
She nodded. "It was probably for those boatmen to use on their way home. Now their boats are gone, and they'll have to make their way on foot, with no supplies. I doubt Ushi's in the mood to spare them any of his stores."
"Look!" Mantis broke in. Another boat was pulling in to the dock. A company of dholes and hyenas disembarked quickly, followed by a seemingly endless stream of rats. In their midst, Rahas glided sedately down to the dock, and crossed over to the agitated ox. Ushi glared at the cobra.
Tigress looked grim. "The supply problem might hold up the ox, but that snake is trouble. If he and his rats are here, we should go. I don't want them catching up to us tonight."
They slipped back into the shadows, and, as soon as they were sure they were out of sight of the dock, sped up the road as fast as they could.
Vachir felt like he had barely fallen asleep when he was suddenly jolted awake by someone shaking his shoulder and calling his name. The voice alone sent a surge of adrenaline through his body; his eyes flew open and he bolted upright, spurred by the sight of Tai Lung's face almost directly over his own. Instinctively, he lashed out, catching the snow leopard a heavy blow on the side of the head. When the clout produced only a smirk and a mocking chuckle, he smacked the feline again. His initial alarm had faded, and now he was simply aggravated.
"Damn you, Tai Lung! Wake me up like that again, I'll have your hide for a hearth rug! Don't ever do that again; last thing I want to wake up looking at is you!" he growled.
Tai Lung still looked entirely too pleased with himself, but at least he kept quiet. If he'd started up that mouth of his, Vachir was sure he'd have to try to pound him into the ground, and never mind that he could fight back. Waking up like that had figured in not a few of his own nightmares, the ones that rivaled any that had the cat rousing the garrison in the middle of the night.
He took a deep breath, then another, willing himself to calm and wakefulness. He looked around. The dim grey light filtering through the clinging mist told him dawn was approaching. Most of the men were still sleeping. He kept his voice down.
"Alright. Tell me what you found out," he said gruffly.
The last of Tai Lung's smug look faded away, and he looked serious. "They are coming across the river. Not too fast; most of their boats are gone. And the otters aren't too happy that we commandeered their supplies. Ushi's across already, but I didn't see the tiger." He waited until Vachir's irate grumble at the ox's name died down. "But that cobra showed up while we were watching, and he's got his rats with him."
Vachir considered that. "Then we'll have to assume they're watching us. They have been at least since the battle below Yunjiang."
"Likely before." Tai Lung stifled a yawn. "They knew where you were camped; I can't think of any other reason for them to blow that dam. And they were spying on me, for at least a few days before that; Po heard them a couple nights before we were attacked." He blinked and yawned again. "I suppose they were following him."
Vachir studied the snow leopard for a moment. "Lie down; get some sleep before we have to head out. I need to think about our next move." He turned to find his pack, and started rummaging in it.
"I'm fine," Tai Lung muttered, belatedly. "Don't need to rest."
Vachir looked at the exhausted feline in annoyance. "Will you just do what I tell you for once?" He took the snow leopard by the shoulders and tipped him from a sitting to a prone position. He got no objection; Tai Lung was asleep almost before his head touched the ground.
Vachir shook his head in incredulity at the cat's obstinacy; what did he think he was trying to prove? As though he thought he could put one over on him, after all these years. As if he thought Vachir wasn't all too aware of how damn stubborn he could be. The rhino stirred up the embers of his fire, and added some wood, giving himself a little more heat and light. He filled his cooking pot with water, and set it over the fire. As he waited for it to boil, he pulled out his map, weighting the edges with stones to hold it flat. He studied the map intensely, vaguely aware of the camp waking around him as the light grew brighter. The mist began to thin out, and a chilly breeze came up. He moved a little closer to the fire, rubbing his arms; he reached for his blanket to throw around his shoulders.
The blanket didn't move when he tugged at it. Neither did the snow leopard who was curled up on top of it. Vachir regarded him for a moment, then shook his head ruefully. "You are a problem to me, Tai Lung," he muttered. He left the blanket where it was, and went back to his map.
The map showed him what he already knew; he had to make the passes through the Qinling Mountains to get to Chang'an, and he couldn't do that without supplies. He'd have to head for Xiangzhou, to cross the Han River and stock up; but he didn't dare trust that the city wasn't held by Ushi's partisans. The ox was from this region, he remembered now; considering that he had been banished and disgraced, Vachir hadn't expected that he would have any sort of support here. But he'd let his own dislike of the ox color his judgment; Ushi had been popular, well-liked by many in the court and the army. And while Vachir had a deep and reflexive loyalty to the Emperor, he knew many others did not. He didn't understand it; but he couldn't deny it.
He straightened up, stretching his back and arms. He glanced around, started his tea steeping, thought about calling someone over to find him some breakfast – the smell of food cooking was beginning to waft through the camp. He looked down at Tai Lung, still sleeping soundly. Who would have thought, after all these years, he could trust the furball to run around loose and not escape or attack anyone? He'd even sent him out scouting last night, and he'd come back, and with valuable information. If his futile obsession hadn't led him to make such a disaster of his life, he might have amounted to something.
Of course, it wasn't entirely the cat's fault, Vachir reflected. He hadn't been raised right. His head had been filled with dreams – no, assurances – that he would be the Dragon Warrior, and this by the man who was in no position to make that decision. Shifu had given the leopard nothing but praise and encouragement, never trying to curb what must have been all too apparent, his growing arrogance and sense of entitlement, his sense that his fighting skills put him above all others. Vachir shook his head in amazement. Who would raise a son like that? He thought of his own father, retired from the army and settled with ill grace into civilian life. If Vachir or any of his brothers had started to get as conceited as the snow leopard, the old man would have knocked him down with his remaining arm until they learned some respect.
At least Shifu seemed to have done a better job with Tigress; she was a level-headed young woman with admirable fighting and leadership skills. But it just pointed up how badly he'd failed with Tai Lung, didn't it? If the snow leopard was always that high-strung and unstable, why had Shifu continued training him? Why hadn't he tried to keep him at least a bit more grounded, teach him some humility? Why had he let him go on, heading straight for catastrophe, until it all went to hell and Vachir wound up in charge of a deranged and useless snow leopard who was a danger to everyone around him? He knew the high regard and respect Master Shifu was held in, but he felt he could cheerfully throttle the red panda for mishandling Tai Lung so badly.
Vachir turned back to his map, then frowned as a thought occurred to him. He considered his notion, worked through the possibilities, and finally smiled to himself as the first rays of the sun broke through the trees.
Chuluun walked up, carrying a cooking pot that he set by Vachir's fire. He looked pointedly at the pot already there. "Am I going to get any of the tea this morning?"
Vachir grinned. "Since fuzzy's out cold, your cup should be safe. It's the last of it, though."
"You have any idea where you're going to get more?" Chuluun asked, settling down and dishing up rice and vegetables for both of them.
Vachir nodded. "Actually, I do."