"You really do have the devil´s one luck.", Jil chuckled while she shook her head after she hear from Shiren what happened in the prison.
She came up with some other people as the warning bell sounded, right after Shiren was found in the prison and one cage was found empty. Some people were searching around the territory but did not find anything.
Shiren now stood on a table with one bandage on his head with Jil and few other people, even the sleepy rhino, until he reported what happened in his view. He told everyone he saw Viper doing something strange and as he wanted to look after him, Viper lost no time as he saw he was seen braking up his chains and he immediately punched the door open and pushed Shiren aside. To be honest, Shiren did not understand why Viper did punched him down but at least it looked good and realistic in his story. He felt unwell to lie while Jil was here.
Jil and Shiren were alone they begun to talk.
"Man, I'm tired to always get into those trouble like I am a magnet for such things..."
Jil answered kindly: "Then you better go to bed now where you can't get in trouble. Well, maybe but you are more saver in there."
Shiren chuckled: "I am not that sure by that. Maybe something will get into my tent, hit my… tail and go away again."
"Common. It will be alright. Now go to your bed and don't move! I don't let you be unguarded again! But… before you go to sleep… one question… What in the name on China did you do at the prison?", she asked and Shiren felt a little bit scared with her asking that. What should he answer? The truce? How would Jil react, all things considered she won't understand Shiren's personal problems which where illegal at the first place.
"I mean,", she explained her question: "Yes, that guard wanted you to do his job but why do you specially go to the prisons? As far as I know you you would chill somewhere, reading a scroll, eat something, sitting on a warm fire or doing everything at the same time. But the last thing you would ever do is visit those places."
Shiren nodded and said stammering: "Y-yes that what I would probably do. But, you know, I eh… yes, well, you see, … eh, that's, ehhh… kinda… exactly the point."
Jil did not understand what Shiren was talking about, what he saw and explained: "Okay. I eh… may tell you the truth why I was there in the first place: You know, there is this scroll I am carrying all the time…"
Jil did not interrupt him but sit on the table and listened accurately.
"and...", Shiren spoke on: "Well, it's about a technique and… nah, what am I saying: It's HIS scroll I am warring and reading and I may had some questions on it and tried to ask! As I came in the rhino gave me his job and I was gonna ask him."
Jil's view did not change all the time while Shiren was speaking what made him scared. Is she happy about it or will she declaim him now as a traitor or will she punish him for his curiosity?
"And then he attacked as the time was right?", she asked and Shiren slowly nodded.
"He was way faster than me. I was not able to respond at any way."
"Are you kidding me?", Jil asked irritated and Shiren grew more and more scared. What did she find out? Shiren seemed not to be a good liar if Jil found out trough his sentence. Now what would Shiren had to expect? He assumed Jil will force him to stay here and cause no more trouble if he would be lucky.
But she was going to say, what gave Shiren a relief: "Of course, with your wound, you wouldn't even able to take one fight!"
The wound! Shiren better should not forget he apparently got a bad wound that won't heal that fast!
"But I at least had a chance to cry and warn everyone earlier..."
"Hey...", she put her hand on his head: "Don't put yourself into so much pressure, okay? You are no elite solder who can do anything perfectly. I doubt you got experience working in a prison."
Shiren was happy she did not suspect him doing anything like he really did but on the other hand it hurt hearing that but she was still his master though.
"I eh… yeah, better go to bed unless you want anything else from me."
"No. You know, I had not much sleep as well so we both now can go sleep."
Right as she was on her way back to her tent: "Master Jil.", someone spoke up behind Jil. She did not look around because she already hear who was talking to her.
She was not that much familiar with this voice but she hear it today often times, specially the last day while the whole discussion stuff she was tired of.
"Mister Junjie.", she saluted him with a sceptically tone. Junjie won't be that kind of man who speaks to someone without any reason. Specially not at that time.
Though he helped her today finding her students and secure Héping. They did not work together that much but she had to show respect.
Respect to that guy who started that war in the first place.
Though Jil is fighting with the alliance against the Jade-Palace she never was a big fan about fighting against the Jade-Palace. She knew Shifu and the rumours and stories about him.
He was a brave man she expects at last to conquer the world with the Chi.
But she understood the fear of so many people from the alliance and she knew about her duties to her land.
So Jil did not like Junjie because of his personally but despite the fact he started the war against Shifu made her sick. Though she showed respect to him. The man who fights with her and all those people which want to prevent a danger of the Chi.
She respects him as a fighter and that he helped rescuing her students so she turned around with her head and saw him staying behind her with some distance.
Her silencing made a signal for Junjie to speak up what he did:
"I did not want to buy too much of your time.", he begun to say gently: "How is your student doing? I hope this attack on him while being hurt from the previous battle isn't bothering him too much."
Jil shook her head: "No, he looks fine. I teach my students to see over such damage. He is a great example doing this. He almost looked like his wound from today already cursed."
"That's very impressive. Because such a wound should be very bad..."
"Thank you for your words but I really need some sleep, mister. Do you got to say something else?", Jil asked impatiently.
"Oh, no, not at all just… maybe you should be careful about him. We cannot afford more and more prisoners escape like this or..."
"Do you want to say Shiren did that with all of his mind? Freeing master Viper? Don't be ridiculous!", she answered very dominantly.
Junjie did not slow down his gentle tone or reacted on her words on any way in his tone. He did not get louder or more quiet, he did not got salty or impatient. He stood with his gentle tone which did just want to give her a bit of an advice: "I just want to say have a close eye on him. We all won't having that trouble obsess so he should stay out of danger..."
Jil did not longer play attention to the words of this guy and winked away: "Thank you but I got this under control! Worry about your own stuff! If you don't mind, I will now go to bed and get some sleep. Good night, mister!", she said and went into her tent.
"Good night, misses.", he answered quietly.
At the next morning Shiren woke up normally, as he usual did: Before the others woke up. It was not common since they started their journey and left their training facility Xun behind them and Shiren slept longer than the others.
Maybe this time it was just because Shiren slept the half previous day. It felt uncommon though.
As he got up he did not feel any harm. His head was okay and his mind was clear. His body felt rested and ready for action. Well, maybe after a good breakfast because he was hungry.
Was that still an effect from master Viper`s Chi? Normally he would be sleepy at morning times.
It was very interesting to think about but he was already in danger trough the fact he was healthy though he should be heavily wounded.
He could cozen to be healthy or to ignore that pain but there has to be just one ambush and one Shiren who is not thinking than acting and fighting perfectly like nothing happened.
Shiren was not good in keeping those secrets. If he knew something that's forbidden or he should better not tell Jil, she always found on earlier or later. So in order to get distance to her or any chance to get detected, should he stay here because of the pain?
Even thinking about made him in danger. How should the others react or what should he say if someone asks what he is thinking about? He probably will forget he should not know about any Chi thingies.
He also now remembered he told Jil he was actually talking to master Viper because of a scroll he possessed. That was not convenient keeping secrets. So he really should get some distance to everyone he knows or rather who knows him.
"Shiren, common.", he hear Lao yawning. He laid on his back and looked sleepy at Shiren: "It's morning, we just woke up and you are already lost in thoughts? What's wrong with you?"
Crap! Lao was asking something! Okay, easy. Wait. That means he even got paranoid if someone is asking him something? Now that could become very dangerous if other familiar persons seeing him reacting differently than he usually would do.
"Eh… hello?", Lao asked and winked with a wing before Shiren's face: "Are you alright?"
Shiren shook his head to wake up. "Sorry, looks like I was still half sleeping.", he chuckled.
"I agree...", Lao said and closed his eyes again.
Now Shiren needed to not even think about he spoke with Viper. But he must remember than he still is kinda hurt.
"I'll be outside a little bit.", he explained to Lao who just responded with a mumbling: "Mhm… Do what you can't leave..."
So Shiren slithered out of the tent and looked around. The sun was just about to rise over the mountains, the sky seemed nearly yellow from the sun and not that much people were around. He yawned and welcomed the sun with that. Now what should he do until breakfast? Maybe he could go and have a look for Hao and Chang. Maybe they could be awake already.
On his way he met someone he saw yesterday. Someone who came to help while the fight with the Ladies of the Shade. He was not able to remember her name but it was that eagle who protected Lao. According to his memories she was kinda together with Lao or something but he seemed to not appreciate her closeness to him. And because he did not see her in the fight against Peng she must had been a solder.
As he came closer to her and she saw him she smiled and greeted Shiren kindly:
"Oh, hello there! Weren't you… eh, Mi Ren?"
"Shiren.", he corrected her and stopped moving and looked at her.
She was warring dark blue cloths and yet no armour like yesterday.
Her bronze eyes showed no suffer or pain from the last day. She looked very fine as she was not in the middle of a war in a stronghold.
"Hello, eh… Mrs. Eagle.", he greeted back and smiled as well. He felt dump to just tell her Mrs Eagle but he did not know her name so this was the best way, he thought.
She giggled and said: "Oh, it's Shuilian. I'm surprised Lao never mentioned me. But as we all know him, he is very moderate. I went into the barracks as Lao was heading to your Kung Fu training facility. I think he would introduce me as a far childhood friend."
"A childhood friend?", Shiren asked and spoke on: "He mentioned someone there. But in his stories you were described as more or less… crazy. He said he had not a lot of friends so I assume you are that one he was talking about."
She giggled again: "Oh, that's so like Lao. But to be honest, somewhere… everyone is crazy in a different way. Wouldn't you agree, Shiren?"
Crazy? Well, she did not look like a crazy person but did not negate she was crazy so she was speaking about another level of craziness. Were Shiren crazy? Well, he wouldn't say that about himself but surely every other person would say that. Going up before the training starts was seen crazy for some people for example. Spending hours in a library and reading the same scrolls over and over again was crazy for some people.
"Yeah, at some way.", he agreed to her.
"Though I cannot believe he never wrote a letter to me. I wrote him every month and begun to assume he was dead or more worse: he did not care any more..."
Shiren was not sure what she was talking about and he thought it would be the best to not ask about the live of other people. But he had to say something: "Well… eh… you know, our facility wasn't very easy. Living on a mountain, being separated from the next village… I am sure he wanted to write you but just did not find the time. Our training is very exhausting."
Her face seemed to hear him but not to feel better and she answered: "Well than he must be super powerful. Our training is not easy too, you know? It's less living but more: Get up, train, eat, train eat, 30 minutes resting, fighting and go back to sleep."
Shiren nodded and agreed as he thought back to his days on the barracks. He knew what she was talking about. And still solders are never true heroes or well, maybe. Maybe Shiren should read some books of the history of solders.
"But enough of this. It's not time for that. Now, if you could do me a favour, could you go and tell Lao I want to talk to him?"
Shiren was not sure about that but one thing he assumed to happen: Lao would dodge her more specifici. He smiled and answered: "I guess you can go and tell it to him on yourself."
She soughed but agreed: "Well, I guess you are right. Man, what am I thinking? Oh, sorry I guess you are bussy. Why else would you go up that early?"
She winked with her wing and turned away again before Shiren was able to react or respond.
Now back to Hao and Chang…
As Shiren found their tent they were already dismantling their tent and got ready again to march on.
Chang was recognizing him first and said: "Look who we have here! Our hero has returned."
"Hero?", Shiren asked with an incomprehensibly smile.
Then Hao turned to him and smiled without responding to the baublery. "Hello Shrien. How are you today?"
"Fine.", Shiren answered and looked at their work. It was almost finished and the last material was getting to the bags again. "Well, according to the circumstances of course.", he added.
Chang now looked up: "Man, you scared us as you were impotent. Are you sure you are fine? Those violations were strong."
"I said it's okay. I know my limit and it's not reached yet. I will hang back in the fights for now and see how I can help in other ways."
Hao soughed: "To not get yourself in those trouble again would help. Would help me. Please promise you will stay here! If someone is kidnapping you in the middle of the fight what could be done very quickly… or say, someone is ambushing you again! You can't fight with such a wound. You are helpless! Please don't risk it for nothing! I cannot say how doleful I would be if something happens to you!"
Chang added: "Despite the fact we have to explain it to your parents. We can't say we lost you because you, already hurt, wanted to stay at the front. And those enemies in this area see the weakest victims. I assume the next enemies won't be easier as well."
Shiren soughed and looked around. Would he be able to tell the truce to them? They were his family. They wouldn't try to harm him in any way. Specially Hao would never do something. The worse thing that could happen is that she would going to stay near by him here. Which was not even that bad. So, if someone should know the truth it should be his family he can trust about that issue.
And to be honest, Shiren did not even know what Viper was doing with that Chi. Shiren did not know anything and he is still willing to help the alliance. He did not know Vipers daughter but capturing a villager shouldn't be that hard, he tough.
"You need to understand us, Shiren, we want.."
Shiren interrupted Hao and shook his head: "No, it's okay. And…", he looked around before he continued speaking: "To be honest… I want to tell you the truth."