The General
Mantis began to suspect something was going on when, from his perch on Monkey's shoulder, he glanced back to where Tai Lung was bringing up the rear – dragging along in the back was more like it – and saw the snow leopard, about to leave the meadow they had just crossed and enter the thick stand of pines, suddenly glance up and then leap for the branches of a tall fir and scramble upward. Mantis nearly called out a warning to the others, but couldn't see any threat in the sunlit meadow or among the trees. He watched a moment longer, puzzled, and had just about decided to say something, when Po turned, looked back down the trail, frowned, and asked, "Where's Tai?"
Before Mantis could answer, the snow leopard reappeared, accompanied by the young falcon Tigress had sent as a messenger. As the pair caught up to the others, Tai Lung was saying something about spotting the falcon and wanting to get his attention before they were all under cover of the trees. Okay, the insect thought, that made sense, sort of; but something in Tai Lung's tone was just… off.
Jifeng was too full of energy to hang around, and after he delivered Vachir's message to Tigress he was off again, soaring upward to… something. Mantis wasn't sure where the young bird was headed, to tell Vachir they were coming, to scout the path ahead, or to complete some errand of his own. At any rate, he was gone, and Mantis' curiosity about whatever had launched Tai into the tree to intercept him went unsatisfied.
He was sure something was wrong when, as they took a quick meal beside a small mountain lake in the late afternoon, Crane glided in for a landing by the water's edge and the snow leopard bounded off to meet him. This time Mantis followed, but whatever Tai Lung had to say to the bird, it was said in a few short phrases before Mantis made it onto the leopard's shoulder. Crane had that "awkward" expression, but was keeping his beak closed, Tai had a patently fake smile plastered on his face, and Mantis could feel the tension of the muscles under the thick fur.
"Okay," he said. "Tell me what's going on."
"Nothing," Tai Lung answered, an odd note in his voice. "I just wondered if Crane had spotted Akshatha's men. We can't let them get near the Emperor. You did say they were moving to a defensible position?" he added, turning to Crane.
Crane's discomfiture visibly increased, but Mantis knew the bird would never embarrass Tai Lung by contradicting him. Too damn polite, Mantis thought. "No. I mean, no sign of them. And yes, the guard captain said they would make all speed to reach the army. And there's an old fortress they can take shelter in overnight."
So that left Tai, and Tai wasn't talking. Tigress listened to Crane's report, and Mantis could see that, like Tai, what she wanted most was to continue tracking Akshatha. But Jifeng had brought word from Vachir that they would be most needed at the pass to defend the imperial party, and now the Emperor's guard captain and, perhaps more importantly, Shifu had sent the same order. Her mouth compressed in a tight line, she made her decision.
"Alright," she said, "we finish our meal and make all speed for the pass."
There was a moment of silence, then the meaning of her words sunk into one particular, black and white, head.
"Wait a minute," Po objected, "You're going to make us run all night again, aren't you?"
She didn't, though Po thought the two brief stops for rest were completely inadequate. During the longer one, with a half-moon turning yellow over the western horizon, he tried to get a bit of sleep, glad that they were finally into the northern foothills and had mostly downhill or level travel ahead of them. But it was hard to sleep; Mantis kept trying to talk to Crane in a voice just soft enough that Po couldn't hear what he was saying, but just loud enough to wake him up every time he drifted off. And Tai wouldn't quit prowling around the place. Finally, Tigress got them all moving again, headed into a gradually brightening eastern sky. Po kept glancing north onto the flat land below whenever the view opened up, seeing the long shadows creeping across the land as the sun rose, though a ridge ahead kept their own path in twilight. He tried to see if he could spot the fortress Crane had mentioned, but made out only a few nearby farms and, once, what might have been a village far off in the plain. A line of mist marked what must have been the course of the Huang He, the Yellow River.
"You ever been down there?" he asked Tai Lung, as he paused at one wide view to catch his breath and give his legs a rest, and the snow leopard caught up to him.
"A long time ago," Tai Lung replied, and Po wondered if he should have asked. Of course it was a long time ago, and Tai probably didn't want to bring up the past. But the snow leopard moved a few yards down the trail and turned, looking back to the northeast. "See that out there?"
Po moved up beside him. "What?"
Tai Lung pointed to a spot in the distance, and Po thought he could see a difference in the mist, a darker smudge in the silver. "Over there. It's a long way off, but that's where Chang'an is."
"That dark spot?" Po frowned. "Is that… smoke?" He felt a sudden concern. "They couldn't have gotten there ahead of us, around the army, could they? They can't be attacking the city!"
Tai Lung shook his head. "No. If the city was burning, it would be a lot bigger than that. That's just the normal fires, for cooking and heating. People are starting to get up, go about their day."
Po worked through that for a moment. He thought of the smoke from the noodle shop's chimney, as his dad began to prepare for opening, and multiplied it by ten, a hundred, a thousand… how many people would it take, to make a cloud they could see from here? His eyes widened as he took it in.
Mantis' voice brought him back to the moment. "Hey, guys," said the insect, as he hopped to Tai Lung's shoulder, "Anytime today, you think? Saving China, remember?"
Po looked back down the trail, to the bend where Tigress had paused, looking back at them in annoyance. "Right." He slapped Tai Lung's shoulder, causing Mantis to skitter down the snow leopard's arm with a yelp of surprise. The panda ignored him. "C'mon, Tai," he grinned, feeling suddenly energized at the thought of battle ahead. "Let's go be heroes!"
As he started down the path, at a jog if not a run, he barely caught Tai's soft comment, "Yes. Be heroes." But whether the leopard was saying it to Mantis or to himself, Po wasn't sure.
It was still most of the day before they finally rounded a last outthrusting ridge, and saw the army camp sprawled out below them, positioned across the end of a valley that cut deeply back into the mountains. Po was amazed by the throng of tents and moving figures ahead of them, a solid mass that began not far below where they stood and disappeared into a dusty haze far to the east. He stopped and took a long moment, turning his head slowly, looking from one side to another, finally realizing that the faint hum he heard was the sound of thousands of voices blending into one low, powerful reverberation, like distant thunder, or the waves of the sea. There were so many, surely there would be enough men here to fight off the invading army. Suddenly his attention was drawn to a section of the assemblage on the western edge, where bulky, familiar grey forms were moving about purposefully. He pointed down to the activity. "Guys, look! That area over there, see all the rhinos? It must be the Anvil! We should head down there! I can't wait to see some of the guys, Anguo and Chuluun and…"
"We will," Tigress answered, "but first, we need to find this General Yuan and let him know we've arrived. I'm sure that Captain… Kuang?" She glanced at Crane, who nodded. "I'm sure he's sent messages to the general, but we should also tell him what Crane knows of their plans."
Vachir had always had a bluff, straightforward approach to the world. In his younger days, he'd had a reputation for being very thick-skinned, letting insults and slights roll off him without rousing him to anger; but truthfully, a great deal of sarcasm, and even some humor, had simply gone over his head. Twenty years of Tai Lung's barbs and sneers had honed his appreciation of the more delicate shades of verbal abuse, and he was now much more aware when offense was intended. It did him little good in this case, however; he could hardly clout General Yuan Jie as he had the snow leopard.
And Yuan was grating on him as only Tai Lung at his worst ever had. He'd had Deshiyn's warning, of course, about the general's attitude towards the Anvil, but considering that he and his men were the only ones in this whole encampment who had actually engaged the enemy, had been fighting them for weeks, he would have thought the antelope would have been more than eager to hear his report and discuss strategy. Instead, he'd been put off by a series of aides, all claiming that the general was busy, and would speak with him later. So he'd been left to idle around his own camp most of the day, in a growing ill humor that had his men on edge. When Yuan had finally deigned to speak to him, he had taken Chuluun and Qorchi with him, for their steadying influence. He could not let his temper get away from him now. Someone had to remain professional and on top of things, and since Yuan was obviously an idiot, it looked like it would have to be him.
But it was not easy, not by a long shot. Yuan was not openly insulting, but there was a definite undercurrent of derision and even condescension in his remarks, little irritants like the thorns they'd encountered in the southern jungles, that caused only slight damage to thick hides but managed to find their way into armor and bedrolls and every imaginable spot until the tiny jabs nearly drove a man crazy. Vachir dealt with it the only way he could, by distracting his mind – in this case, by cataloging everything he disliked about Yuan Jie.
First and foremost, there was the fact that Yuan was, in Vachir's estimation, an idiot. And worse, he was a smug idiot. Worst of all, a smug idiot with a rank he could owe far more to his family connections than to any personal ability. He truly resented that the idiot had any sort of authority over him and his men.
The antelope's horns irritated him. The admittedly impressive spirals soared a full two feet over the general's head, oiled and buffed until they looked as if they were made of onyx and gold, and it was apparent from the first that Yuan was extremely proud of them. Vachir wondered if buffing them was what had occupied half the antelope's day. For the first time in years, the rhino was aware of his own missing horn, and the fact that the metal cap he wore in its place, while polished, was dented and scratched, and had never fit quite right since Tai Lung's escape. What's more, he suspected that Yuan felt the horns made him taller than Vachir, although he was looking the rhino square in the nostrils.
And then there was the antelope's armor, red and gold and spotless as the day it was made, with no signs of wear or damage. Vachir knew that Yuan had been in battle before now, and no armor could be that well maintained, which meant this suit, intricately decorated, of the highest quality, and no doubt hideously expensive, was probably brand new, and one of many that the general owned. In contrast, Vachir's own simple metal-studded kilt and armguards appeared crude, a poor, almost rustic attempt at defense. In fact, all of the Anvil's familiar, grey and green armor, once so well-known wherever they went, seemed dated and barely serviceable compared to that of Yuan and his officers.
Vachir disliked that slight wrinkle in Yuan's nose, as though he detected a faint but offensive smell. He disliked the stupid little white ring around the antelope's eyes. And most of all, he hated the general's voice, light and dry and precise, aristocratic and so very, very spiteful, but in such a way that it would be hard to find any one thing to claim as an insult, that could not be passed off as a perfectly innocent remark.
"Of course, we are honored to have the Anvil of Heaven join us." The supercilious voice that was grating on Vachir's last good nerve continued to issue from the antelope's mouth. "And I'm sure your troops are well-rested and eager for battle."
Meaning, Vachir thought sourly, thank you for adding your unneeded drop to my ocean of an army. Meaning, you've had a nice rest hiding in the Valley of Peace after running away from Akshatha for half a month. He thought of the dead they'd left behind them in hastily dug graves, of Bayu's last stand at the Yangtze, of his exhausted, wounded men barely making their way to the Valley, and felt more than saw Qorchi move a little closer on his right. The archer would likely be inclined to let him go for his axe, but knew it would do none of them any good.
He took a deep breath. He had the Anvil to think of, of course, but there was also his own honor to be considered. He couldn't fight the antelope on this battleground, he knew, but he had to at least try to stand his ground.
"More than eager. We've," he put just a little stress on the word, "lost nearly two hundred men to this tiger." While you were polishing your armor back in Chang'an, he wished he could add.
"Yes," Yuan's mouth turned up, just a little, in a smile that wasn't pleasant. "I'm sure you are. We," and he stressed the pronoun himself, obviously including himself in the highest ranks in the capitol,"had to keep your lieutenant's contingent from haring off on more than one occasion. We were surprised, actually, that you never sent for him to join you, or returned to Chang'an yourself. There were a few incidents that would have… benefitted, from your efforts."
Vachir felt his position slipping further. "There were 'incidents' in the south that benefitted from our efforts," he replied, feeling a rumble he knew wasn't helping him at all building in his throat. "We felt we had the duty to –"
"No, Commander," Yuan interrupted, the slight smile dropping away like a discarded mask. Vachir wondered, in passing, how the antelope managed to cut him off so efficiently without ever raising his voice. "Your only duty was guarding Tai Lung, and that duty was… ended."
Vachir thought that, in a perfect world, he could snap Yuan's neck and be declared a hero for it. The
antelope had all but openly called him a failure, him and the rest of the Anvil besides. The insult would
have had him in a rage to match Tai Lung's, if he hadn't needed to maintain his control, if the barb hadn't struck far too close to his own deeply buried insecurities, his own doubts. In the moment it took to get his voice back, to ensure that it wouldn't betray his fury, Yuan added, "And speaking of which, I assume you carried out my orders regarding your prisoner?"
Vachir stopped, just stopped, his breath catching for a moment. He let it out in a slow exhale, letting his face show nothing, while studying Yuan's expression, his stance, his tone, as minutely as he'd ever observed Tai Lung's. He had the sensation of sand sliding out from under his feet, as it had in the surf at Haijing when they'd fought those pirates… He pushed the memory aside. There had been a sudden amusement in Yuan's tone, just a little, and malice, and the sense of a trap; the antelope had shifted a bit, his gaze going to a spot somewhere beyond Vachir and Qorchi, and everything Vachir had planned to say about Tai Lung being on death's door from snakebite died on his tongue. Because he knew, he just knew, what Yuan was seeing. It couldn't be, but of course, it had to be. He'd told that damn cat to stay in the Valley of Peace, ordered him to stay, done everything he could to save his life, but he should have known. And so he turned around, even though he knew enough not to let an enemy distract him, or turn his back. Because he knew this wasn't a bluff or distraction.
And there he was, of course he was, coming up to them with Po and the Furious Five, his very own willful, arrogant, disobedient Tai Lung, and Vachir, as he forced himself to keep his jaw clenched and drag in one solid lungful of air through his nose, thought, so help me, I am going to kill him myself before Yuan even gets the chance.
Mantis wasn't sure when the uneasiness had begun. Tai Lung's strange behavior the day before had caught his attention, and knowing that the snow leopard was trying to keep a secret just made Mantis determined to discover what it was. He'd had no luck with Crane, though he hadn't expected any, and the verbal sparring, as he tried to slip an indirect question past the bird's skillful attempts to change the subject, had proved an amusing way to pass the time. But that night, stuffing his head under Monkey's chin to drown out the sounds of Po tossing and turning, and Tigress and Tai Lung prowling around – what made big animals think they were being quiet and stealthy, anyway? – he had begun to think back over more than the last few days, and he didn't like the picture that was starting to take shape. Shifu was in the Emperor's camp – why? To warn him, to try to protect him, maybe… probably. But maybe also to ask for something. He had told Mantis to make sure Tai Lung stayed in the Valley of Peace when they and the Anvil had left – why? Tai's abilities would be invaluable in the battle to come, and he was in good health. Nothing kept him down for long, and Shifu knew that.
He'd worked at the problem all the next morning, perched on Monkey's shoulder. He'd been told to keep Tai in the Valley. Tai had said Vachir had ordered him to stay, too… why? Why would they want Tai the one-man army in the Valley, and not in the battle? Shifu had left the Valley, on his mysterious errand… was Tai supposed to guard the Valley? In case more rats, or other enemies, returned? But no, they would have told Tai that, and Mantis was sure Tai would have stayed. He could picture it now - Tai, once more the Valley's protector, standing there all puffed up with pride, seeing them off, sure the real battle would be the one he'd win here, alone… He grinned at that mental image. But that wasn't it, though that was likely what they should have told the snow leopard, if they wanted him to stay… To stay in the Valley, not to go to the pass, where the army was waiting to fight Akshatha, or with Shifu to the Emperor's entourage…
He'd caught Tai's muttered answer to Po, when he'd gone back, at Tigress' request, to hurry them along from their sightseeing. There had been such a dull tone to the snow leopard's voice, such a sense of resignation, when he should have been getting himself worked up for the fight that was so close… that was when he had started to worry, Mantis realized. Tai had wanted to go with them, but had dragged along at the back of the group, as if reluctant to reach their destination. He'd begun to have some very ominous suspicions as he thought about it. What had been in the messages Crane brought to Shifu and Vachir? Nothing good, he guessed. He knew that Po was dreaming when he wanted Tai Lung to return to the Jade Palace; he'd been there the night of Tai's rampage. He'd lived through twenty years of Shifu closing himself off, as he trained the Five, supposedly, to face any threat that arose, while they all knew there was only one threat he ever considered their skills must be equal to – Tai's return. Tai Lung couldn't go back to his old life, Mantis was certain. But he knew the plan, in Vachir's mind, anyway, and no doubt Shifu's, was for Tai to go back to prison. And from what he'd heard from Vachir and his rhinos, he had the feeling Tai Lung wouldn't be staying there full time, if they had any say about it. Being back in action, with Tai Lung fighting at their side, seemed to meet with their full approval. And that had sounded just fine to Mantis. He'd put the matter out of his mind, and concentrated on defeating Akshatha. But now…
He knew they must be getting close to the pass when he hopped onto Tigress' shoulder.
"So," he started, edging into a conversation he knew would make Tigress clam up if he went in too directly. "What do you think Shifu is doing with the imperial party? Did he say anything to you before we left?"
"No," Tigress said shortly. She continued on for several more paces before she spoke again. "In fact, I had the impression he was staying at the Jade Palace, which surprised me. I thought he would want to join us in the battle against Akshatha and Ushi." A few more strides. Her voice dropped. "I thought he was staying because Tai Lung was… supposed to. That he wouldn't leave him alone in the Valley."
Well, that had been easier than he'd expected. "Maybe he left after we did, when he realized Tai Lung was with us," he suggested. "If the cranes, or Jifeng, brought him word about Akshatha not rejoining the main body of his army, he might have thought he should protect the Emperor…" he trailed off, knowing that what he said made sense, and just as sure it wasn't the real reason. Tigress, it seemed, thought so, too.
"He's trying to secure leniency for Tai Lung," she said. "I'm sure that's it. He's afraid they'll execute him for his escape, and attack on the Valley."
Mantis sighed heavily. "Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Was anything definite, or are you just guessing?"
"I don't know," Tigress answered, eyes straight ahead. "Shifu said nothing about it to me."
That must have rankled, Mantis thought. Not that Shifu was in the habit of explaining himself to his students, but the subject of the snow leopard was a touchy one with the leader of the Furious Five. "Okay. So what do we do?"
Tigress glanced back at the others, turned back to the trail. "We keep Po from doing anything…"
"…stupid?"
"Impetuous. Inadvisable."
Mantis considered that for a moment. Direct, outspoken Po, upset and arguing with generals and courtiers, or, heavens forfend, the Emperor himself. "Right. I'll run interference."
At that moment, they'd rounded a bend in the track and the whole sprawling encampment in the mouth of the pass came into view. Po hurried up, pointing out the likely location of the Anvil's camp, and they'd headed down into the mass of soldiers.
Mantis stayed where he was, preferring the vantage of Tigress' shoulder. He disliked references to his size, and usually had no reason to regret his decision to spend most of his life among the larger creatures instead of his fellow insects. He could hold his own in very large company, he knew. But so many, rushing about without a care to where they put their big feet…
It took only a couple of questions, answered hurriedly by busy soldiers, to direct them to General Yuan. Mantis, even from Tigress' shoulder, saw nothing of the general at first but a pair of burnished horn tips. His view was blocked by three very large, very familiar grey forms. Then the antelope leaned a bit to his left, to peer between Vachir and Qorchi, saying something that Mantis couldn't quite catch. Vachir was still for a long moment, then slowly pivoted to face them. And the look he directed at Tai Lung was positively baleful.
Mantis felt his stomach sink to the lowest part of his abdomen. He took a deep breath, and purposefully focused on the moment and his surroundings, ready for action. Things, he thought, were about to get hairy.
Tai Lung, he saw, had stepped out from the position he'd taken halfway behind Po – they could lose the whole snow leopard back there, and probably Crane as well, Mantis thought, and then squelched the notion. This was no time for humor. He saw Tai take a deep breath of his own, square his shoulders, and move purposefully up beside the rhinos. Vachir continued to glare silently, and Qorchi and Chuluun looked grim. The antelope, to Mantis' disgust, had a nasty little smirk.
"General Yuan," Tigress began, stepping forward with a respectful bow. In that armor, the antelope could hardly be anyone else. Mantis knew she was well aware of the tension, and hoping to defuse it. It could serve no purpose, to have dissention in their ranks, not with battle so near. "I am Master Tigress, these are the Furious Five and the Dra –"
"Yes, yes," the antelope broke in, dismissively. "Of course you are. Good of you to come, I'm sure we can find some use for you."
From the corner of his eye, Mantis watched Tigress' expression go from shocked, to incredulous, to infuriated. He couldn't worry about her right now, though, not with the scowl on Tai's face deepening by the moment.
"General," Tai Lung said in a silky voice with a dangerous edge, "Po is the Dragon Warrior –"
"Shut. Up." Vachir ground out through clenched teeth.
Yuan gave Tai Lung a slow, deliberately unimpressed once-over. "So, Commander, I assume… this… is the prisoner you have been… taking such good care of," he scoffed. "Well. I suppose we should be … relieved he decided to join us. Tell me, Vachir, how often did you know where he was?"
Mantis could hardly believe what he'd just heard the antelope say. It was the sheer arrogance born of rank, and rank gained by his family's wealth and status rather than his own abilities. A man who had worked his way into a position of command would be aware of the tension around him. He'd notice the dead silence of the warriors before him; he'd be aware that they were warriors, skilled and dangerous, not the courtiers and sycophants he must usually deal with. How, Mantis wondered, could he miss the look on Tigress' face, or the dull red flush rising on Vachir's? And how anyone could be oblivious to Tai Lung's golden eyes boring into him… It took a supreme sense of his own entitlement and superiority to keep the malicious little jerk standing there sneering at them rather than running in terror like a sensible person. Of course, Yuan knew perfectly well that he did hold the upper hand here. They had to deal with him, because he was the general the Emperor had sent, and he held that authority before him like a shield. Mantis held himself in a tense readiness, prepared to take instant action if the antelope actually pushed one of them into testing that shield's strength.
"General," Vachir finally got out, his tone suggesting he'd much rather have used a word far less polite. Mantis had never heard that choked tone in the rhino's voice, as tight as the commander's clenched fists. "The Anvil of Heaven has always done their duty!"
"Have you," sniffed the antelope. "Well, you certainly manned your garrison diligently for twenty years. Hard work, I'm sure. Though perhaps we should have sent some relief troops before things… got out of hand."
The rhino inhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing.
Tai Lung's incredulous laugh drew a venomous glare from the antelope. "General, I'm certain you have nothing you could have sent to adequately replace the Anvil. Though at the time I would have welcomed the change." His teeth showed in a sudden, almost feral, grin.
Chuluun actually jumped, as though to intervene in a physical confrontation, then went still as none of the others moved. Mantis inched forward, growing more concerned by the moment. Yuan's expression was hateful.
Po moved closer, brow creased with concern. "Ah, guys, if you –"
Tigress stepped forward as well, putting Qorchi between herself and Tai Lung; Mantis shifted toward her back, trying to keep his path clear of the burly archer. His attention was on the snow leopard, but now he was worrying about Vachir as well.
"General," Tigress said, more urgently than before, "Ushi's army will be here tomorrow, and we have not yet located –"
Yuan cut her off with an irritated wave. "Not now, girl!"
Tigress's words broke off in a startled choke, then she drew in her breath with a low hiss. Mantis, truly alarmed now, spared her a moment. "Tigress," he said near her ear, his words low and quick, " remember what I said about showing your feelings more? Forget I said anything!"
Yuan had barely spared the leader of the Furious Five a glance. He'd gone back to berating the rhino. "Vachir, if you were ever in control of this situation," his contemptuous gesture flicked at Tai Lung this time, "I suggest you prove it now. I will not be spoken to in such an insolent manner!"
Vachir glowered from under lowered brows. "Why not?" he rumbled in a voice so deep it was nearly subsonic.
Yuan fell back a step, his mouth working, eyes wide in astonishment. When he found his voice, it had risen an octave. "Wh – what?! What did you just say to me?!"
Po crowded up behind Tigress, nearly blocking Mantis' view. The insect scrambled onto the panda's shoulder, sure that Po was unaware he'd laid a steadying hand on Tigress' back as he tried to push past Qorchi.
"General," Po said, trying to catch the antelope's eye, "don't you think we should all just –"
Yuan turned a look of pure disdain on the Dragon Warrior, clearly seeing nothing but a peasant in ragged pants trying to approach him. "No one was addressing you, panda!" he snapped.
Mantis leaped.
In midair, he saw Vachir's attention suddenly focus on Tai Lung, having caught some small motion or sound. He was fast, Mantis thought, but he would have been too late. Then he was sinking into the thick silver fur, striking the precise points he'd studied for so long, that Oogway had drilled him in long ago. If he'd only been a little faster two years ago, he thought, as he hung on, feeling the snow leopard stiffen and topple forward, landing flat on his face with a thud that made the insect wince. Then he was looking up at the ring of shocked faces above him.
"What?" he asked, trying to keep a light tone to his voice that he didn't feel. "It's not the first time I had to save him from his own big mouth!"
Vachir stared down a moment longer, then said, "Sure. I can deal with this situation. Chuluun, Qorchi, bring him along." His voice was as grim as his expression. The two rhinos dragged the semiconscious leopard up by his arms and headed back in the direction of their camp, Vachir following. Tigress turned back toward Yuan, her expression resolute, but the general had already pivoted on one hoof and walked away.
The sick feeling in Mantis' gut didn't ease up with Yuan's departure. As he watched the rhinos hauling Tai Lung away, he knew this wouldn't be good. But then, he was the only one of the Five who'd seen how Vachir and his men had dealt with the snow leopard before, when they'd first taken custody of him. He didn't want to see it again, but he was the one who'd nerve blocked Tai Lung and left him helpless, and felt it was his responsibility to see the situation through.
He jumped back to Tigress' shoulder. "I don't like where this is going," he said quietly. "Why don't you get the others settled in, somewhere away from wherever Vachir's heading. I'll go with the rhinos, you just keep Po away, okay?"
Tigress was still steaming from her encounter with Yuan, but that last got her attention. Mantis was sure she wouldn't much care what the rhinos did with their prisoner, but Po wouldn't take any abuse to the snow leopard lightly, and there was already enough tension in this camp. What a way to go into a battle, Mantis thought, rolling his eyes. At Tigress' curt nod, he leapt off her shoulder and hurried after Vachir, glancing back to see the others being herded off in another direction by the leader of the Five. Po kept looking back, trying to see where Tai Lung was being taken, but Tigress was making sure he went with her.
The rhinos didn't go far. Vachir came to halt about the time Mantis caught up and jumped onto his heavily muscled shoulder. The rhino glanced at him. "I was hoping you'd join us," he said. "Do me a favor and unstick our kitty – just from the neck up. You can do that?"
"Yes…" Mantis answered slowly. No, he thought, not good at all. He'd be ready to "unstick" the rest of Tai Lung, if it got too bad, he thought.
"Good," Vachir said. "I want to make sure he's paying close attention during our little talk."
The menace in the rhino's voice was unnerving Mantis more by the moment. He'd become complacent, he thought, over the last few weeks, watching Vachir treat Tai Lung decently, as a fellow warrior instead of his prisoner. As Chuluun and Qorchi dragged the snow leopard up into a kneeling position and held him there, Mantis found the pressure point at the base of his neck, and struck one precise blow with his foreleg. Then he jumped clear, as Tai Lung shook his head and tried to focus.
"What the hell, Yao…" he mumbled, blinking rapidly.
"Oh, no," Vachir rumbled, closing in on the snow leopard. "You're not talking to him. You're talking to me!"
Tai Lung snapped to full awareness. His head came up, his tail lashed violently, but nothing between the two extremities was working. He bared his teeth. "Damn you, Vachir! What did –"
Vachir's blow caught him across the face, so hard that he was knocked from the grasp of the other rhinos and sprawled flat on the ground. They hauled him back into position.
"Enough of that!" the commander growled. "You've run your mouth more than enough today. Now, I want you to listen closely, because I expect an answer from you – where are you supposed to be right now?"
"Snapping that stupid general's neck," Tai Lung muttered sullenly, "for the way he was talking to –"
The next two blows rocked him sideways into Qorchi. "Idiot!" Vachir roared. "Are you completely stupid? Have I failed to knock any sense into you at all?! It's a wonder you've lived this long! I swear, if we hadn't kept you safely locked away, you'd be long dead! You have no sense of self-preservation, do you? No sense at all! No brains, no self-discipline… but then if you had, you'd be the Dragon Warrior instead of the panda, wouldn't you?" he sneered.
Tai Lung snarled viciously at the jibe. Vachir kicked him in the ribs.
"You know better than that," he snapped. "If I haven't taught you better manners yet, I'm ready for another round." He glared down at Tai Lung. Tai Lung glared back, but the growling stopped. Vachir grabbed his chin and peered closely at him. "Now. Didn't I tell you to stay in the Valley of Peace?"
Tai Lung stared balefully up at the rhino, silent. Vachir slapped him. "Answer me, damn you!"
Tai Lung glowered up at him a moment longer, then his gaze shifted slightly to glower at a point past Vachir's left elbow. "Yes," he muttered.
Vachir's fist clenched, but he didn't hit the snow leopard again. "Yes, what?"
Another long moment of glaring off into the distance. "Yes… you told me to stay in the Valley."
Vachir rolled his eyes, gave a snort of pure exasperation, and slapped Tai Lung. "And yet, here you are. Right where I told you not to be! Don't you think I had a perfectly good reason for telling you to stay put? You think you know better? You think you can just run around and do whatever you want?" He grabbed Tai Lung's ear, twisting it hard enough to make the snow leopard wince, forcing him to look up again. "Do you ever even think at all?!"
Another long, tense moment stretched out. Finally, Tai Lung muttered, "I was trying to help."
"Well, your idea of 'help' has just caused a hell of a lot more trouble than we had already." Vachir let go of the snow leopard's ear and stepped back. "Now. I am going to go and talk to Yuan, and try to salvage what little I can from this situation. You are going to stay here – right here - and cause me no more damn problems for a while. You are not going to move. You are going to be in this exact spot when I come back. Because if you aren't, then we are going into battle tomorrow, while you are still going to be lying here trying to find some part that doesn't hurt! Do you understand me? Have I made myself clear this time?!"
Tai Lung had found his spot in the distance again. "Yes," he grumbled, then, as Vachir took a half step closer, "Yes, I'll stay here."
"One day, cat," the rhino muttered. Then he raised his voice, his tone almost normal again, though his smile was less than pleasant. "Thank you, Master Mantis. If you would be so good as to unblock the rest of him?"
Mantis swallowed. The last few minutes had been hard to watch. "Yeah, uh, are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked.
"Oh, yes," Vachir said, his easy tone almost as menacing as his growls. "I want to make sure he's doing what I tell him for once in his sorry little life." He gave the snow leopard one last glare, turned, and headed back toward the middle of the camp. Chuluun and Qorchi let go of Tai Lung, allowing him to slump to the ground, and left as well. Mantis hesitated a moment longer, then clambered onto Tai Lung's back and struck the remaining pressure points.
He jumped back out of reach, in case Tai was feeling vengeful, not that he'd blame him. Tai Lung pulled himself into a sitting position, shook his head, and rubbed at his jaw. He grimaced, and spat out a bloody gob. Mantis edged closer.
"Lose a tooth?" he asked.
Tai Lung shook his head. "Cut my cheek."
Mantis clambered up on the snow leopard's leg. "So that's how it was, huh," he said quietly.
Tai Lung looked surprised. "That? That was nothing. Vachir was just being peevish."
Mantis blinked. "That was peevish?"
The snow leopard shrugged. "I expected worse." At Mantis' unbelieving look, he went on. "Think about it, Yao. I showed up here when he told me to stay back in the Valley, made him look like a fool in front of Yuan, and we all know I was about to go for that puffed-up little…" He sighed. "No, Vachir was right. This time, at least. I know it. And he knows I know it. He may have wanted to beat on me because he couldn't smack Yuan, but he went easy on me."
Mantis worked through that statement for a minute. "You and that rhino," he finally said, "have the weirdest relationship I've ever seen."
Tai Lung shook his head again. "It's not a relationship, Yao. It's a game."
"Yeah?" The mantis looked skeptical. "Who's winning?"
Tai Lung, to Mantis' relief, chuckled softly. "That's the question, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't have done that to you, Tai," Mantis said quietly, after a moment, "if there'd been some other way. I remember how things went when they took you away, and I –" he hesitated, thinking better of mentioning that he'd followed the Anvil and their prisoner for some distance from the village, and had seen the first time Vachir had lost patience with the snow leopard. He didn't have anywhere really safe to go with his statement, but bringing up Tai's first serious humiliation hard on the heels of his latest probably wasn't a good idea. He let it drop. "I couldn't let you go after Yuan, okay? He's arrogant, he's abrasive, and he was insulting everyone, I know, but we have to deal with him. He's the Emperor's general. And taking a swipe at him is only going to get you killed!"
He regretted that as soon as the words left his mouth; he had his suspicions, but he didn't want to examine them too closely, and he certainly didn't want to say them out loud in case they were true. But the way Tai looked at him, startled for a moment then despondent, dropping his head and mumbling something inaudible, brought all of the insect's worst fears into the light. He scrambled up onto the snow leopard's shoulder. "Tai? Tai! Did… are you…" he shook his head, and finally plunged in. "Just talk to me, will you? Is it… that bad?"
Tai Lung glanced up at him with a small, bitter smile. "Why do you think Shifu and Vachir wanted me to stay in the Valley? Vachir's orders from Yuan…" he trailed off.
"You knew he wanted you dead? Is that what you're saying?" Mantis asked, incredulous. At Tai Lung's nod, he went on. "Even before we left the Valley? And you came with us anyway? Here?!" Another nod. Mantis covered his eyes with a foreleg, then paced rapidly back and forth on the grey-furred shoulder. "Dammit, Tai! Now I want to smack you! You're crazy! Okay, okay, we have to think here. I'm not going to let them do it, of course, we'll figure some way to fix this, but we have to keep you away from Yuan from now on…"
"Yao…"
"Tigress figured that was why Shifu is with the Emperor, she had it right, I hope, maybe he can, I don't know…"
"Yao, just keep Po out of the way, when the time comes. Just… I don't want him to – "
Mantis leaped onto the snow leopard's muzzle and stared him straight in the eye. "Tai Lung, you are not going to just give up! You hear me? That's not your style! If we don't give up on you, you don't give up on you! Got it?"
Tai Lung's smile returned, at least a little, from the muscles Mantis could feel moving under his feet. "Sure, Yao."
"I mean it, Tai!"
Tai Lung carefully plucked the diminutive warrior from his face and set him on the ground. Then he settled into a cross-legged position, right hand cupped in his left, and closed his eyes. Mantis eyed him suspiciously. "You're going to meditate?"
"Um hmm."
"Right here?" He glanced around at the bustling activity around them. Rhinos were stomping about everywhere he looked. One particularly robust fellow passed by close behind Tai Lung, mussed the fur on his head, and asked, "Back again, Trouble?"
"Back again, Lao," the leopard replied. "Yes, right here," he added to Mantis, when the rhino had gone.
"Because Vachir told you to."
The small, regretful smile was trying to grow into Tai Lung's usual smirk. "Um hmm."
Mantis stared pointedly at him.
The smirk arrived in full force. "I've already caused him to lose face once today. If I wander off now, he'll have to carry through on his threat. And if you don't nerve-block me again, I'll have to pound him into the ground if he tries. And we need him ready for battle tomorrow. So…"
"We try to find inner peace."
"Damned elusive thing, isn't it? Rude of Po, to keep it all to himself."
"Yeah," Mantis agreed, but couldn't find enough enthusiasm to come back with a quip of his own. He settled down next to Tai Lung, but his own attempt at meditation amounted to little more than sitting quietly and staying out of the way. If the snow leopard achieved anything deeper, or if he was only avoiding discussion, Mantis didn't know. The afternoon wore on, the light becoming more golden, the shadows longer. Chuluun, whom Mantis had seen somewhere nearby most of the time since Vachir had left, came over to give Tai Lung a cup of water and a pat on the shoulder before going back to organizing the camp. Tai went back to meditating. At last Mantis just draped himself over the snow leopard's shoulder, staring disconsolately in the direction Vachir had disappeared. What a mess, he thought. How were they supposed to deal with this? He wanted to go find the others, talk the situation over with Tigress and Crane, but how could he tell Po, or even Monkey and Viper, about this? And he had to admit, he was afraid to leave Tai alone. He didn't know if he needed to protect the snow leopard, or protect the rhinos, or Yuan's soldiers, from him, but he wanted to be sure he was there to do it.
At last he saw Vachir, returning from what he supposed was round two with Yuan, and hoping this one hadn't left the rhino with an even greater desire to take out his frustration on Tai Lung. Or, he shuddered, seeing the grim look on the commander's face as he headed toward them, even worse, that Yuan hadn't sent him back with orders to execute Tai on the spot. He stood and backed toward Tai's ear. "Tai," he said softly, "Vachir's back."
He felt a slight tremor, an intake of breath, then a slow exhale. "Thanks, Yao," Tai Lung said softly. He sat a moment longer, then carefully rose to his feet and faced the rhino.
Vachir gave a short, satisfied nod at finding Tai Lung where he'd left him, but said only, "Come on. Let's find your friends." Not the most promising statement, Mantis thought, but at least there seemed no immediate threat. He hoped that whatever the rolled paper in the rhino's hand was, it had nothing to do with his friend. Tai Lung had seen it, too, and had a look of dull resignation that Mantis didn't like at all. What was wrong with Tai? Why wasn't he protesting, trying to find a way out, if nothing else making a run for it? Instead, he followed Vachir with a hopeless, trapped look that made Mantis' breath catch painfully.
Monkey was sprawled on the ground near a small fire, where Po and Viper were working over a meal. Tigress and Crane were sparring nearby, but they stopped, and Monkey sat up, as the trio approached. Vachir looked around, then seated himself next to Monkey, unrolling what turned out to be a map and weighting down the corners with stones. Tai Lung hesitated, then sat as well. Mantis slowly climbed down, and went to Po and Viper, anticipating what was coming. Vachir busied himself with his map, waiting until the others joined him, then looked up, glancing around at them. Last of all, he studied the snow leopard, tight-lipped. Tai Lung stared back, apprehensive. Vachir considered a moment, then pulled out his flask, fiddled with the cap, and took a long swig. He passed it to Tai Lung, who stared at it numbly.
"Okay," the rhino said, his voice tight. "First things first. I'm guessing your friend here didn't tell you, but you need to know. Yuan sent me orders for Tai Lung's execution before we left the Valley. That's why I told him to stay put; I was hoping to change Yuan's mind, unlikely as that was, but Tai Tai's arrival here today, and his little exhibition earlier, didn't help matters."
Tai Lung took a gulp from the flask, avoiding the shocked faces around him, his gaze fixed on Vachir. The rhino stared into the fire ahead of him. "Take another," he said bleakly.
Tai Lung slowly took a second, long drink.
"He wants you beaten to death," Vachir said flatly. Tai Lung stared at him, shaken. The flask slipped from his fingers, landing with a clatter, its contents soaking into the ground. Vachir stared at the flames. Tai Lung stood stiffly, then backed away, stopped, then turned and headed in an apparently random direction. Vachir finally looked up. "Don't leave our camp!" he said sharply. Tai Lung didn't respond.
A moment later, the shock seemed to wear off the others. Po jumped up. "Tai!" he called, starting after the snow leopard. Tai Lung didn't turn. Tigress caught the panda's arm, holding him back.
"Let him go, Po," Vachir said. "Let him sort this out."
Viper choked back a sob and buried her face in Monkey's chest. The langur wrapped his arms around her, still looking dazed. Po turned to Tigress, hurt in his too-bright eyes. "Did you know about this?" he demanded.
She sighed, still holding his arm, not to restrain him but simply for the contact. "I suspected it," she said. "I thought all along it might come to this."
"And you didn't say anything? You didn't tell him to stay in the Valley, or -?" he broke off. Tigress looked away from his accusing glare, her expression pained. Po turned back to the others. "I'm going to Yuan," he announced. "I'm going to sort this out, make sure he knows that Tai –"
"No!" The word came from Tigress and Vachir simultaneously.
"You won't get anywhere with Yuan," Vachir continued. "There's more to this than what happened today, or even when Tai Lung escaped. Yuan's ego is involved, and arguing about it with him will only make things worse, only make him more determined to hurt Tai, to get back at us. All of us. Especially you," he added, looking up at Po.
The panda stared down, bewildered. "Me? I never saw him before today! Why would he…?"
Vachir grimaced. "He wanted to take out Shen. You beat him to it. I'm guessing he wants to take out Ushi and Akshatha, and here you are again, Dragon Warrior. He didn't miss Tai making a point of that, by the way. To Yuan, you're just a common villager who made him look bad, and who looks like doing it again. If he can throw you off, or get back at you through your friend, he will. Petty little monster."
"But…," Po stammered, obviously having trouble comprehending such malice from a man he'd only seen for a moment, "but what about Tai? What do we do?"
"Don't know," the rhino said grimly. "Not sure what we can do. I'm still working on that."
"Master Shifu is with the Emperor," Tigress reminded Po gently. "I'm sure he'll talk to him about Tai Lung. Wait until we hear from him, Po, don't rush into a confrontation with Yuan."
"Exactly," Vachir said, giving Tigress an approving glance. "We need to focus on our enemies right now. Ushi will be coming through that pass soon. We don't know if Akshatha's rejoined him, but it won't matter, the ox's army is big enough. Some of Yuan's long-range scouts reported odd movements back in the hills, could be our tiger, or it could be reinforcements. Remember, Ushi just went through his old home, and while he mixed it up with the local government, and caused some damage, that doesn't mean he couldn't find some old friends to join him. The scouts didn't want to give away their presence, or come down into bowshot, so they're not sure what we're dealing with, but we'll still have a hell of a fight tomorrow." He studied the map in front of him, and scowled. "At least, I'm saying it's tomorrow. Yuan is guessing the day after, figuring Ushi will form up his army in the pass, then wait until daylight. I told him we kept getting attacked at night, but he wouldn't listen."
Tigress left Po somewhat reluctantly, and settled into the spot Tai Lung had vacated. Po, still looking obstinate, dropped down beside Monkey. The lid on the cookpot rattled, the contents coming to a boil and splashing over into the fire. Viper raised her head, and moved the pot away from the flames.
Tigress was studying the map. "Where is the Emperor's party now?" she asked. "Shouldn't they be here by now?"
"They should," Vachir agreed, "I'd feel a lot better if they were. But an entourage that size, with a bunch of nobles and bureaucrats, doesn't move quickly, even in an emergency," he added disgustedly.
"Then shouldn't reinforcements have been sent out to them?" Tigress asked.
"That's what I would have done," Vachir snorted. "Hells, I'd go myself, but Yuan wants all his forces here to keep Ushi in the pass." He shook his head. "I suppose, with his bodyguard, the Son of Heaven's safe enough until he gets here," he added doubtfully.
"But we don't know Akshatha's position," Tigress said.
"No, we don't," the rhino concurred. "Right now, at least at the `last report, the imperial party is here," he indicated a spot on his map, "at an old fortress. It was superseded by a larger post here," he moved his finger to another position, "and has only a small garrison and not much in the way of supplies, it's little more than a watch post now, but the construction is still sound enough. If worse comes to worst, they can shut themselves in there until this is over."
"But if Akshatha attacks him there," Tigress mused, "how long can they hold the place? We don't know how many men the tiger has with him, and if we're pinned down here…"
"I know. I'm more worried about Akshatha catching them in the open tomorrow before they arrive, but if they start early and move quick they should be here by late morning or early afternoon. It's not that far, really, and the scouts can keep an eye on things, let us know if there's trouble." He glowered at the map, no happier about the situation than Tigress. "Well. Best thing is to rest up, and take out Ushi as soon as possible. Yuan wants to be in the front with his personal force, of course."
"And we are…?"
"We stay back to protect the Emperor."
Tigress glanced up, looking west to where the Emperor's party was encamped at some poorly defended fortress at least a half a day's march from help. "How far back?"
"As far as we need to," Vachir said, nodding.
"We know Ushi has help; if there are traitors among the imperial party…"
"Hopefully not that far up," the rhino said dourly. "Though I'd like to know where that garrison came from, originally. And your Master Shifu is there. Way I heard it, he more than held his own with you at Gongmen. Get some food and rest, and we'll see how things stand tomorrow." He looked at Po. "And I'll do what can be done for Tai Lung. Let me think about it." At the panda's nod, he stood up.
"You're sure I shouldn't…?" Po asked quietly.
"I'm sure. Stay with your friends. We have to work around Yuan, if it can be done. Just be ready for whatever we have to deal with tomorrow. That's where your mind needs to be right now."
The Emperor's cooks had prepared yet another remarkable meal, and Shifu had eaten his fill and complimented the staff, but he had hardly tasted the exquisite dishes and now they were sitting like stones in his stomach.
He had met, briefly, with the Emperor when he first arrived, and had been greeted warmly. He had offered both his advice and his fighting skills, and the golden pheasant had graciously accepted. The Emperor had expressed his sorrow at the passing of Master Oogway, although he had sent a messenger with his condolences at the time. That memory had Shifu worried, for the heron sent with the message had arrived the day after Po's combat with Tai Lung, and the village had been full of stories of the people's fear and relief. It was not the image of Tai Lung that Shifu wanted in the Emperor's mind just now, but realistically, it was what he knew he would have to contend with. But he hadn't had the chance. With an invading army so deep in the realm and closing on the capital, the Emperor was not seeing anyone but his closest advisors and the messengers that moved between him and his army. There had been no time for Shifu to bring up his personal request.
He needed fresh air, he thought, some room to think. He left the upper story of the fortress, which had been taken over by the Emperor and his nobles and higher bureaucrats, and took the stairs down to the ground floor. The doors at the bottom were open, leading in to a large room with heavy, carved stone pillars in two rows down each side. It was an impressive construction, even now when its age was beginning to show. The small garrison left here had tried to make the place presentable for the imperial entourage, but the wooden floor, though swept and scrubbed, had loose boards and deep gouges from years of use; the pillars had crumbling edges to their decoration and a few had cracks that were still visible despite attempts to repair them. Kuang's gold-armored men had taken up positions around the hall, guarding the way to the upper floors.
Shifu crossed the hall, and passed through the main doors. They were heavy, thick wood with metal bindings and a massive crossbar that could be dropped across inside, but at the moment they were standing open to allow a greater flow of air into the hall. Four of the Emperor's guardsmen stood on watch just outside, on a broad step. Shifu descended the few steps to the courtyard, and took a deep breath of the cooler air. The high walls blocked the setting sun, casting the courtyard into shadow, but the sky overhead was still bright blue, studded with puffs of golden clouds.
He walked slowly across the open space, observing from pure habit how the area before the main building was defended; flat and clear of obstructions, easily covered by archers from the walls and the tower's upper floors, while defenders could attack from either, or from the storerooms and outbuildings to either side. The gates, positioned in a propitious eastward direction, were shut tight, and guarded. Someone, Shifu saw, had had the sense to take down the Imperial pennants that some industrious though imprudent person had set to flying from the ramparts on their arrival. No sense advertising their whereabouts, when enemies might be searching for them even now. If only, he thought, they could move on, reach the much better defended army camp! They should have left this fortress early this morning at the latest, but there had been some confusion with the supplies, and grumbling from the entourage, unused to haste or exertion. There was time, so the scholar Chongde had kept insisting, for a bit of a rest; messages from the army indicated that there would be no fighting for at least two days yet. And if a small company of enemies did turn up, they were better defended here than on the open road. Captain Kuang and his men, and the fort's garrison, could surely handle any difficulty.
Shifu climbed a narrow staircase onto the walls. Some of Kuang's men were here as well, but most of the sentries were the fort's regular troops, the usual soldiers one could find anywhere in China. Bulls, goats, sheep and pigs, an occasional goose that Shifu privately thought looked ridiculous in armor – the helmets never did fit quite right and tended to slide into odd positions. A few rhinos, a takin, and an old, one-eyed macaque sergeant, under the command of a gorilla captain that Shifu didn't remember ever seeing stand still since they had arrived. He was moving around in a back courtyard behind the tower now, going in and out of the smaller buildings, looking for who knew what. Shifu watched him disappear into the kitchen, and when he didn't reappear almost immediately, hoped the fellow was finally settling down to eat something.
Shifu sighed and leaned on the battlement wall, staring westward into the hazy distance. What was going on out there, where they should be already? The Anvil of Heaven had reached the main army, so the messengers had said; they had gotten transport upriver from Fancheng, and had arrived fairly fresh and spoiling for a fight, one magpie had told him with a grin. The Five and Po – and, regrettably, Tai Lung – should be there by now as well.
What was Tai Lung thinking? Shifu was afraid he knew exactly what was in the snow leopard's mind. Tai Lung had lost everything the day Oogway had refused to name him the Dragon Warrior, and he had let his rage overcome him, had lost everything except his one last hope – to escape and claim the Dragon Scroll, by force if necessary, and thereby prove that he was everything he had always desired to be. It broke Shifu's heart to think of what Tai Lung had gone through, what he had put himself through, because he could not accept Oogway's decision. But was that truly the case? Part of it, yes, but how much was Shifu's own fault? He had encouraged Tai Lung to think that he could become the Dragon Warrior. No. More than that. He had let the possibility grow into a certainty in his son's mind, had never tried to caution him against letting the thought become an obsession, never led him to consider what he would do if the title wasn't given to him, never insisted that he cultivate the discipline and humility proper to his calling. But Tai Lung had been so gifted, such a prodigy, how could Shifu imagine that any could ever surpass him? How could he have known that the qualities Oogway was looking for were the qualities found in a simple noodlemaker's son, not in his own?
It was as he had said to Tai Lung the night they fought, he had been too proud, and his pride had doomed Tai Lung. He could not let him go, no matter what he had done, any more than he could have struck to kill when the snow leopard tried to take the scroll. It had been for his sake, not Tai Lung's, he was sure, that Oogway had appealed to the Emperor and had Tai Lung imprisoned instead of killed. He realized now, though, that he had thought only of himself in that, as well. He knew the conditions Tai Lung's skill and determination to escape had imposed on the snow leopard, but he hadn't let himself think too much about what his son's existence had become. Even if the men in the Anvil of Heaven had been unfailingly gentle with Tai Lung – and he knew that Vachir had hardly been selected for the job for his kindness – Tai Lung's subsistence was little more than a living death. He had focused on the necessity of the thing, he realized, on what would happen if Tai Lung broke free, and let the fear of that possibility grow in his mind. And the hurt, he had to admit it, the pain it had caused him that Tai Lung would attack him, would strike him down when he couldn't bring himself to do the same.
And then, when the worst came to be, when Tai Lung had nearly killed him trying to satisfy his obsession, Po had stepped in, after Shifu had all but written the panda off as his greatest failure. He had seen the Dragon Scroll, had despaired that it could give Po, or anyone, the promised powers, and had grieved even more that Tai Lung had destroyed his life for nothing. But there was something there, something he couldn't perceive, but clear as day to Po. And Po had become the Dragon Warrior, and had won, and in winning had taken away the last thing left to Tai Lung.
How Tai Lung had survived, Shifu didn't know. That he had been left empty and purposeless was clear. How Po had found him, was one of those mysterious happenstances that Oogway had smilingly taken for granted while everyone else shook their heads in astonishment. That Po had given Tai Lung some reason to live had been both a surprise and a relief to Shifu. But what had been the use? He could only hope that Tai Lung would be allowed to live, if only in prison, but wasn't that only more selfishness on his part? How could he send his son back to that? If Tai Lung had come here, he could only be seeking his own death. He had made it clear that he knew he could never come back to his old life. He had nothing to look forward to. He could only be hoping to take on this invader, and fall in the battle. It would be the death he wanted, and one that until recently had seemed impossible. Better, certainly, than to waste away to a quiet, hopeless death in Chorh-gom. But Tai Lung was too good a fighter, Shifu knew. He might not find the end he hoped for, and then what? He couldn't let his son be killed in some painful, degrading manner. If he couldn't save Tai Lung's life, and more, find some way to make sure it was a life, he would have to steel himself to do what he couldn't do all those years ago. He would do it, this time.
But the pain of even thinking such a thing was almost unbearable.
"Don't worry," a voice next to him said. He looked up, into the homely face of a goat sentry. For a moment, he wondered how the soldier could know what he was thinking, then realized the goat was talking about the other great concern in his mind, the situation they were all in. "Don't worry, Master, we're all keeping good watch. No one will get close to this place without us seeing them. And if they do, they won't get in to threaten the great ones in the hall. Why, our sergeant's such a good archer, even lacking his eye, that I think he could shoot down a whole army before they reached the walls!"
Shifu forced a smile. "I hope it won't come to that. In the morning we'll be on our way, and hopefully in a day or so, you'll have no more to do than watch the road for bandits."
The goat chuckled. "There's some here, like our captain, who will say they hate to miss the big battle. But truth be told, I think most of us will be glad to see things stay nice and quiet."
"I'm not going to let that happen!" Po said yet again.
"Of course you're not," said Viper. "But we have to have a plan. This isn't something we can fight our way through."
"Yeah," Monkey added morosely. "We cross Yuan and make him lose face, he talks to the Emperor, and before you know it Vachir will be guarding us all in Chorh-gom!"
"All except Tai," Po growled. "Because he wants to kill him. Because of something I did!"
"We were all at Gongmen," Viper said. "And it's not just that, it's the Anvil, too. He's jealous enough of them as it is, can you imagine if Tai Lung was fighting with them all the time? Yuan could never equal their popularity. That's probably half the reason –" she broke off abruptly, unwilling to say the words.
"And the other half is Tai not knowing when to shut his mouth," said Monkey. "'You don't have anything to equal the Anvil'. What a time to come out with that one! You'd think he knew just what not to say, and said it anyway!"
"That's Tai all over," Mantis said with a roll of his eyes.
"Maybe he can just get out of here for a while," Po was musing. "Vachir wanted him away from Yuan, maybe he could… I dunno, hide out somewhere until all this is over, until we can talk to the Emperor and make him see that Tai has changed, and then we can get him back –"
"First off," Mantis said, wishing he actually had fingers to tick off the points, "you don't just walk up and talk to the Emperor. Second, even if you could, you don't just 'make him' see your point. And third, this is Tai Lung we're talking about! How do plan to make him sit out the battle we're about to be in?!"
"Well, I don't know!" Po snapped back. He was becoming frustrated. There was a way out of this, there had to be, but he couldn't seem to find it. "We're supposed to be protecting the Emperor when he gets here, right? Maybe we can talk to him then. Or maybe we can get Tai to go help Shifu, get the Emperor here, and he'll see…" He stopped abruptly, the whole picture coming clear in his mind. "Guys! I think I know what we need to do!"
Tai Lung was stalking around the camp, annoying the men who had become used to him and alarming those who hadn't, but Vachir wasn't worrying about that yet, as long as the cat stayed in the Anvil's camp. He had the feeling that Yuan wouldn't try to challenge the Anvil for him yet, and he was sure things would get ugly if anyone other than the Anvil tried to put their hands on the snow leopard. Tai Lung was here to get himself killed, that was obvious, and Vachir wished he knew what had set him off after he'd agreed to stay back , but Yuan's vicious little slap at the Anvil and the Jade Palace masters was hardly the heroic death in battle the cat was looking for. If Yuan's men tried to take him, he might go quietly, but more likely he'd insist on going down fighting. The problem was, how many of their own men would he take down with him, on the brink of battle?
He sat down for a quick supper with his officers, discussing their battle plans, and was quietly amused to remember that he'd talked it over with Tigress first. That wasn't like him, he'd always put the Anvil first and seldom got down to second, considering almost everyone else of no consequence beside his elite troops. But he had come to respect the Furious Five, and particularly their leader. He enjoyed fighting alongside them, and regretted the time after this battle when they'd have to go their separate ways. Perhaps they'd run into each other again, he thought.
He'd included the Five and Po in Yuan's plans for the Anvil, since Yuan hadn't seen fit to assign them somewhere else, or even mention them. The little twit really had a mad on about Gongmen, it seemed. Vachir hadn't wanted to pass that insult along to Tigress, but she'd caught on and headed off with Crane to try to talk to the idiot. Hopefully he wouldn't be too busy polishing his horns – the rhino snorted at the unintended double entendre – to listen to her. It would serve him right if he blew her off and wound up with the greatest kung fu masters in China in the front line with him, stealing all his glory. But he had reasons to keep them with the Anvil, if at all possible.
He'd been thinking the situation over, looking at every possible angle, as he made the rounds of his camp, and he didn't like the answers he kept getting. He wasn't going to let Yuan have Tai Lung, that was the one certainty. The cat deserved better than what the antelope had planned for him. He'd seen such executions before. When he was young, and new to the Anvil, they had brought in a notorious gang of bandits who'd attacked and killed a magistrate who'd begun to disrupt their operations. He'd had guard duty in the market square during the executions, to make sure any friends or kin of the prisoners didn't try to interfere, and the business wasn't pretty. The bandit leader, a burly hog, had taken nearly two hours to succumb. It wasn't as though he hadn't used the whip and the rattan on Tai Lung often enough over the years, the cat was determined to be a problem, after all, but that made the thing even worse. He knew exactly how much Tai Lung could take. To have to watch that – and that was if Yuan didn't take it into his head to make Vachir do the deed himself – no, that was simply not what Vachir was going to let happen. But his options were exceedingly few, and none to his liking.
It took some getting used to, having all his men together, for him and them. There were no problems, just the opposite – there were still reunions between friends separated for years going on. He checked in with his quartermaster, Shouren, sidelined two years ago with a number of broken ribs – thank you, Tai Lung - and saw he had taken his makeshift replacement Gerel under his wing. Good. Gerel had finally shown a talent for something, and should be encouraged. Cheren was positively garrulous, for him, with all his medics and more than adequate supplies on hand. Vachir let the man talk, and asked a few questions, making sure he was prepared for the next day or so. If they were the unit nearest the Emperor's party, who knew what they might have to deal with?
Finally, after the third time Deshiyn found him and had a word with him about Tai Lung's prowling about, Vachir corralled the snow leopard and parked him near his own campfire.
"You're bothering people, cat," he said gruffly. He pulled the flask out of his belt and passed it over. "Here. Drink that and sit still for a while."
Tai Lung stared at the flask. "Is this your answer for everything now?"
"It is where you're concerned. Take a drink, and we'll talk about our problem."
Tai Lung sighed, uncapped the flask, and took a swig. "Well, I won't be a problem much longer, will I?"
"Guess not." He waved off the snow leopard's attempt to pass the flask back. "No, you need that more than I do. Okay," he went on, with a gusty sigh, and then stopped short, because the word that wanted to come out of his mouth was, Run. Get out of here, no one can abandon the pass to come after you. Get as far as possible, back to the trade routes, far away from China. Best for everyone.
But he couldn't. He was shocked at the thought. He had done his duty for twenty years, had guarded the snow leopard, prevented his escape, and he was stretching his orders far enough as it was. He couldn't disregard his obligations, to the Emperor, to the Anvil, to the point of aiding the flight of a condemned criminal, even if it was the only way to save the snow leopard's life. And when had he started to care so much, anyway? No, he knew how far he could go, and the best he could offer.
"Okay," he began again, "I don't think we're getting you out of this alive. Maybe even leaving you back in the Valley wouldn't have been enough. Yuan wants to get back at us for his own inadequacies, and you're the one he can get to. Bad luck for you." He nudged the flask in Tai Lung's hand, and the snow leopard took a reflexive drink.
"Now," he went on, "I don't want to give him the satisfaction. I don't want to give him you, either. You've done well these past few weeks, you've been an asset to us."
"What a surprise," Tai Lung muttered.
"It was at that. And a pleasant one, I might add. Gave me some hope that… well, never mind that now."
Tai Lung took another pull on the flask. "You really meant what you said before you left the Valley, didn't you?" He looked at the flask. "You sure you want to waste this on me?"
"Yeah, we got supplies now, I can spare it. And yeah, I meant it. I would have lightened up on the restrictions on you, so long as you gave me no trouble. Neither here nor there, now." He picked up a stick, poked at the fire. The sun had set, and a chilly breeze had begun to blow down from the nearby mountains. "What you missed, when you walked off, was me telling the others what Yuan wants us to do tomorrow. Well, he thinks it's going to be the day after, and I just hope he doesn't get caught off guard by the attack. The Emperor's party comes in tomorrow morning, and we're supposed to hold back and defend them."
"And stay out of the way of Yuan's heroics, I assume. Because he and his men will never let any enemy get past them to where we are."
Vachir chuckled. "That's about it. But you and I know what we're up against. You think we won't see any action?"
"I'd say Yuan has put us right where we need to be."
Vachir gave a rumble of assent. "It's where I would have chosen. It's our duty to protect the Emperor. The Five and Po will be with us, so you can keep an eye on the panda, too."
Tai Lung shook his head, and took another drink. "Po doesn't need me," he said gloomily.
"Finally figured that out? But you know you'll be watching his back, anyway," Vachir grinned.
"You know me too damn well," the snow leopard grumbled. "It's annoying, Vachir."
"Well, it's your own fault," the rhino said. "So, we are going to have a fight on our hands, especially if Yuan isn't ready when the attack comes. Now, I said before, you think you're going to go out in a blaze of glory, and I'm starting to think that might be best. You always wanted to be the hero, right? Here's your chance. Die gloriously, protecting the Emperor… and you don't even have to worry about what'll happen afterward, because we're here, we won't let the bastards win. Sound about right?"
That occasioned a larger gulp from the flask. "Sounds good to me," the snow leopard said, so hastily he nearly choked on the liquor. "Only one problem I can see – what if Akshatha's not up to the job? He's tough, I'll grant, but…"
"But you're tougher. You're such a damn monster in battle, what happens if you find yourself still standing when we win."
"Yeah."
Vachir sighed. "You stick by me. I mean it. You can remember to do that? It looks like you might make it, I'll take care of it."
Tai Lung blinked at him in surprise.
"You understand me? You turn up dead from an axe blow, who's to know where it came from? I'll do it quick. Damn sight better than what Yuan has planned."
Tai Lung took another long, slow drink. "You'd do that for me?" he asked finally.
"Yeah, I'd do that." Vachir grimaced, and poked at the fire.
"Thank you, Commander," Tai Lung said quietly.
Vachir gave the fire a savage prod, and then threw the stick in. "Yeah. Damn Yuan anyway. Finish your drink, cat, and get some sleep. I'll need you at your best tomorrow."
Tai Lung tipped the flask up, draining it. "Oh, I won't get any sleep tonight," he said, rather thickly. He handed the flask back. Vachir caught it as the snow leopard's grasp slackened before the rhino had a grip.
"Yeah, you will," he sighed. "I drugged your drink."
It took Tai Lung a long moment to register the information. "Wha… what? You… Vachir, you bastard…!"
"Yeah, you bring out the best in me, cat."
"I…" the snow leopard blinked, and shook his head. "I should…should…"
"You should lie down and sleep, like I told you. Don't worry. Cheren knows what dose to give you, and he says you'll be up all bright-eyed and ready to kill people in the morning."
Tai Lung was already starting to slump over. "Oh. Well. I s'pose… that's 'kay then…"
Once the leopard was out, asleep in an ungainly sprawl instead of his usual compact ball, the rhino continued to stare into the fire. The last several weeks, with Tai Lung fighting alongside the Anvil… Vachir knew that was what he'd wanted. Not to go back to Chorh-gom, not to content himself with small sorties while Tai Lung helped train men back at the prison. He wanted this, to be out in the field, with the snow leopard. This was what the snow leopard was born to do.
And this was what, in a day, two at the most, he would die doing. Damn Yuan anyway. What a waste.
A soft snore drew his attention. He glanced down, and as he'd done in the Valley, laid a hand on the snow leopard's head. "You are a problem to me, Tai Lung," he said quietly. And tried not to think that, all too soon, he wouldn't be.