Chapter 5: No Place Like Home
The Sun's rays beamed down on the path in front of Hui and Okhin. The ostrich horse that was given to Hui galloped across the border into Xu. A sign off in the distance grew larger as Long Legs picked up speed The sign read "Now leaving Shiwei province, Welcome to Xu province."
A post had a dark green banner over it, the symbol on the banner was painted white and shaped like a leaf. Hui was curious about it as they passed the banner he glanced back to speak to Okhin. Hui pointed back at the banner, Hui tapped his forehead then formed a square with his fingers, and separated his hands at a small distance. Hui formed a long rectangle with his fingers, with his left he patted down once and stuck out his right pinky. Then fitted his left index and thumb into his right pinky twice.
"That's the official banner of Xu province?" he inquired.
"No, we're just in Baigalo clan territory," replied Okhin.
Hui held his hands together then opened them like a book, then he tapped the back of his left hand with his index out on top of the back of his right hand balled in a fist. Hui tapped his fingers and formed a triangle with a questionable look on his face.
"Baigalo clan?" he wondered as he tilted his head.
"Yep, they live in the hills here, they make great archers and ride Reinyala. They're a white majestic breed of mounts," answered Okhin.
He raised his index and pointed up and he moved his hand toward the left, he tapped his fingers again to each other forming the point of a triangle. Giving a toothy smile he pointed to his right with his left index. He balled his right fist and tapped his left hand on the top of his right fist and then tapped the bottom of it.
"Does every clan have its own capital?" he questioned her.
"Not necessarily, we all congregate in the big city, Wudang. We don't have a governor like every other province. We have a chieftain that keeps all the clans here under control," explained Okhin.
Hui pointed in front of him but at nothing then cupped his ear, he motioned his hands upward as his mouth formed an O shape. He motioned a flat circle in front of him and then tapped his fingers in the form of a triangle. he repeatedly motioned his hands upward as his mouth formed an O shape. Hui pointed upward and then clasp his hands together almost in prayer. He moved his left hand to the right then left and tapped his fingers again. Hui pointed down then tapped his right shoulder twice with his left hand.
"That sounds similar to what the Fire Nation has, the Fire Lord keeps all the clans under control," said Hui.
They resumed down the path eventually they reached another border. On their side, another banner hung over a post. This banner was red with a black patch sewn on it. It resembled a hook with a dot in the center, on the opposite side was the dark green banner with a white painted leaf on it.
"Keep your eyes peeled here, don't hesitate to kill if we're attacked!" warned Okhin.
Hui lightly nodded while his hand was under his chin, then he twitched his index and thumb side to side.
"Wait why?" he worried.
"Because this is Uhkel clan territory, you can't trust these guys. One second they're friendly, the next you have you're tied to a large branch spinning over a bonfire being cooked alive," she responded.
Hui pointed randomly then threw his hands to his left, tapped his left fist atop his right then motioned a crawl and threw his hands to his right. He motioned climbing and then bumped his fists together twice, he motioned the moving of a mouth.
"Are these the cannibals Jushhi was talking about?" he asked her.
"Who was that again?" she questioned Hui.
Hui rubbed the front of his head then pointed in front of him, Hui raised his thumb and pinky and hovered it over his right palm before he moved both hands near his heart. He pointed at Okhin then pointed upward.
"The guy who saved your life," said Hui.
"Oh right...right. Yes and no, they're one of the two clans here who resort to cannibalism," she remembered who Jushi was and how mean she was to him. Then responded to the prince's question. The sun had been setting since they entered Xu province she knew it was dangerous to linger any longer in Uhkel lands.
Hui lightly nodded while his hand was under his chin, he placed his hand over his eyebrows and pointed in front of him. He placed his palm in front of him and then pulled it away from his face, and then tapped his fingers together. Then pointed upward.
"Wait so where do the Chono clan live?" Hui bugged.
"Near Wudang of course, we're several miles away though," she replied.
As the ostrich horse continued its path shadows loomed in the nearing darkness, three hunters hid behind large stones that littered the countryside. All three hunters were in nothing but a loincloth, two of them carried spears on their backs while the other was unarmed. The third was likely an earthbender right out of nowhere the animal's legs were trapped and the ostrich horse sank. At the same time, Hui and Okhin were flung off the beast at the speed it traveled in.
Hui softened the ground for both of them to hit it and be able to walk away with bruises or scrapes. Okhin's face was scraped near his left cheek while Hui's forehead had a small cut across it, his face was covered in dirt while Long Legs struggled to break free of its trap. Hui groaned as he slowly got to his feet while Okhin used her strength to get herself back on her feet.
"Hui!" she shouted.
Hui released the ostrich horse from its binds, the beast burst out of the ground and ran off in a random direction. Okhin sighed and pointed as the ostrich horse disappeared, she grabbed her battleax and clenched the pommel of it. Hui scanned the surrounding environment for their attackers a spear flew in his path, Hui quickly rose a wall of earth. The spear hit the wall and lodged into it behind the wall he was a bit scared but was unharmed.
"Hui watch out!" Okhin yelled.
He dismantled the wall and allowed it to latch on his torso which formed a breastplate to protect him. Hui then rose a line of jagged rocks that emerged out of the ground at a rapid rate, the line smashed into the spear thrower. The earthbender threw a boulder at Hui that crashed right into him, Hui pushed the rock off his body and coughed twice before he kipped up.
Okhin flanked the earthbender while he was distracted by Hui, the other non-bender missed his spear but had a hidden dagger. Okhin sidestepped the spear aimed at her, he reached for the hidden dagger under the waistband of his loincloth and charged at her. She cleaved at his torso, the man falls with his chest exposed he bled profusely. She slammed her ax onto his head which decapitated him, the eyes on the severed head steadily closed on their own while blood gushed out.
The other non-bender who survived the attack of a jagged line of rocks came out of it slightly injured. The earthbender flung projectiles at Hui who took two good hits, one in the right leg and the other in the left thigh. Hui jumped over the third rock, the fourth trajected over to the prince. He pummeled the object and from it formed a targe. Now with his newfound shield, he used it to stop the incoming rocks thrown at him by his opponent. Okhin came to help, the man aimed another spear at Hui but saw Okhin behind the earthbender.
He chucked it at Okhin instead, she gasped and used the front of her battleax head to stop the attack. The spear clashed with the ax head and both weapons shattered, the earthbender surprised her with an elbow to the face. Unbeknownst to her, she hit the ground hard, her broken ax to her body. Hui acted fast and charged the spear thrower, he shield slammed him the spike on the shield punctured the man's throat. Then he tore it out and pivoted and as the earthbender prepared to crush Okhin, Hui tossed the shield at his head.
The earthbender however horrified Hui by catching the shield with his other arm, Hui silently screamed at the top of his lungs. He bit at his nails because Okhin was being buried in front of him, the earthbender grinned wickedly he rose the shield up he intended to cave in Okhin's head instead. She attempted to reach for the shattered ax head but it was too far away from her. Hui had little to no time instead Long Legs came to the rescue. The ostrich horse came around and dropkicked the cannibal in the head. The cannibal collapsed to the ground, Hui used his earthbending to free Okhin. She released a few tears after she saw her battleax was broken. Her lips quivered with emotion.
Hui pulled Okhin to the ostrich horse, they both hopped on as she began to sob over the loss of the weapon. She sniffled, "We've been through so much, and now she's dead!"
Hui rolled his eyes but she couldn't see he slapped Long Legs' rear and the ostrich horse sped off once again. While on their way again Okhin continued with tears in her eyes that she soaked the back of Hui's tunic again. Another banner appeared before them thirty minutes later, the banner was brown with blue painted symbols of three arrows. The environment suddenly shifted into a jungle, Okhin observed her surroundings and mentioned, "This looks like Uuguul clan territory, look up they live in the trees!"
Hui's chin rose as his head fell back and rested on his neck his eyes glittered with the moonlight while his mouth open agape in astonishment. He saw that the giant trees had treetop settlements built around them.
He motioned his hands near him then he parted them away from his head, his mind was blown.
"Wow!" he thought.
"It amazes me to every time I pass through here, I wish you could see their city," Okhin said.
A few guards showed up while they did their rounds they halted Hui and Okhin on Long Legs and requested an answer from them, "What brings you through Uuguul lands, foreigner?"
"He doesn't talk, we're returning to Chono territory," spoke Okhin.
The guard noticed the blood splattered on their armor with a stare of concern, Okhin looked down at her armor stained in blood, "This is Ukhel blood, we just killed three cannibals that attacked us."
The guard nodded, "Good that you survived, carry on."
The guards and the ostrich horse parted their ways as they resumed their journey. After they passed through the jungle they stumbled upon a gray banner with a wolf painted on it. Okhin called out, "We're here in Chono territory. Come on, my village isn't that far away."
"You can meet my dad, hunker down with us for the evening, then leave in the morning," said Okhin.
Hui tapped his right thumb on his pursed lips twice while he gazed at Okhin with a nervous look. Especially, since he didn't know who her father was.
"Dad?"
"He's not expecting me to bring the Crowned Prince of Omashu home, so he'd be nervous too," commented Okhin.
Hui pointed at himself then he clenched his stomach while he made a horrified face then clenched at his heart. Hui pointed in front of him, then behind him and he finished by tapping his fingers together to form the point of a triangle.
"I'm more terrified of him, then what's in store back home," said Hui.
"Lighten up my dad's a big softie," laughed Okhin.
Finally, two hours later they arrived in a small community where all the yurts huddled around a small makeshift well constructed by the villagers who lived around it. The well was encircled by grassy knolls that littered the landscape. There as the ostrich horse neared the village Hui could see men and women of all shapes and sizes clothed with furs as they minced around the settlement. Some of them noticed the beast that darted in the village.
They saw a cloaked figure and one of their kin with her arms wrapped around the cloaked stranger. A short, fat barbarian pointed out to the familiar young woman on ostrich horseback, "Okhin!"
The young girl heard a voice and she turned her head to her right to see a friend, she smiled and waved at her friend. The middle yurt was a conversion of four yurts Hui assumed the elder of the village resided there. A few men worked well into the night those who needed the money at least. There Okhin eyed an average height, chubby barbarian in thick clothing. He hauled logs on his shoulder from the chopping block to the cold deck.
Hui pulled on the reins of Long Legs, the beast came to a full halt then it squawked notifying its master it is safe to get off. The rest of the villagers dropped some things while they go investigate the strangers who showed up in town. The man, however, resumed his work today was a long day, Hui slid off the saddle and reached out to grab Okhin off the saddle as well. The small crowd surrounded their kin everyone greeted Okhin and the stranger. She introduced Hui as simply Hui without the title for fear of someone wanting to harm him.
"Wow, I never would've thought everyone here sees each other like family," Hui thought to himself. He smiled and shook another hand.
The logged noticed the crowd that circled an individual, he rested his ax on his shoulder and began to walk off to the chopping block. His skin was pale, his face showed dry skin flakes due to the dry cold weather of Xu province. His elbows were ashy but he didn't have a care in the world about it, under the right side of his chin he had a splotch of white, his fingers were covered with splotches of white most notably on the tips of his fingers. The man had vitiligo, his curly long hair, and bushy beard was dark brown. His eyes glistened a light green color in the moonlight on his back was a big warhammer.
Through introductions, as they continued a girl asked Okhin, "Who's your friend?"
"This is Hui, he can't talk though," she replied.
"Why not?" another inquired.
"Because he's a silent person, guys," answered Okhin.
"Where's my dad?" Okhin questioned the villagers.
A man within the crowd shouted, "Mod!"
The lumberjack turned his attention to the crowd again, the group of villagers separated from side to side, in the middle was the stranger who removed the hood from his head and his daughter Okhin. The man dropped his wood ax and jogged down the knoll with his arms wide open. The young barbarian girl ran to her father with her arms out too, they embraced each other. It's been almost a month since Mod has seen his daughter Okhin.
Hui gulped but he stepped forward to meet the burly individual Okhin sniffled, "I missed you, Dad."
"I missed you too, daughter," whispered Mod.
"How was your trip?" he inquired further.
"Lonely and dangerous, I met someone along the way that escorted me here," revealed Okhin.
"The young man standing before us with his arms crossed, I wager?" he guessed.
She nodded and pointed at the young man, "Dad this is..." she paused.
She instead decided to formally introduce Hui, "...Crowned Prince Hui of Zu," she finished.
Mod was wide-eyed and shocked, his mouth agape when he realized he was in front of the crowned prince. Never did he think he'd ever meet a royal and now the dream came true through his own kin. He knelt before Hui the kneel transitioned into a kowtow. The crowd behind them were gone they returned to their homes after Okhin and Mod hugged each other.
"You honor me with your presence, Your Highness. Thank you for bringing me my daughter," he thanked the prince.
Hui gave a toothy smile and pointed at himself then at Mod, then slightly frowned and brought his fingers together on each hand as he pinched at something.
"I assure you it was nothing," smiled Hui.
"Dad, Hui was wondering if he could spend the night with us. Then he could be on his way in the morning," said Okhin.
"Yes! Yes he can, I'd be delighted to have the prince in our home," agreed Mod.
"I'd just keep this to ourselves, because Elder Akhlagch would probably have Oma Kingdom soldiers here by morning," mentioned Okhin.
"That's fine the crowd has dissipated, you two are just in time for dinner," said Mod as he gestured them to follow him into the yurt.
It looked small from the outside but from within it was much larger than Hui expected. In the center of the first section, there was a small fire pit where a stew cooked, beside this were couches to rest on. There were walls created through earthbending that separated the other half of the yurt into bedrooms. Okhin saw that inside the pot there were meat and sheep possum innards that boiled in it. The liquid was water mixed with a blend of traditional Chono spices and red peppers.
"Sheep possum stew!" she beamed excitedly, sheep possum stew was her favorite food.
"I also have salted milk tea if you'd like some while we wait for the stew to finish," offered her father.
"Hui?" he reached over to the prince with a small clay bowl in his hand.
The fluid inside the bowl had a rice color although no rice was used in the creation of the drink. The crowned prince took the bowl off his hands and sipped some of the contents. Hui's face reacted with light disgust and he trembled from the salty taste a bit.
"It's a strange new flavor for a foreigner but believe me you'll get used to the taste," implied Mod.
Mod stood up and searched a nearby area for stew bowls. Once he found them he filled each one to a certain point with soup and handed each one to his daughter and her friend. When he sat down and got comfortable he dipped his spoon into his soup and ate.
After a few spoonfuls of food he requested a tale from the prince, "Hui, you must regale me with your adventures."
Hui looked up at Okhin's father and tapped his lips then pointed at his ear.
"I'm silent," Hui brought up.
"Dad, Hui can't talk, he's a silent person," said Okhin.
"Oh," noticed Mod then he apologized, "I'm sorry I didn't know."
Mod began to speak to Hui in Kingsmen Sign Language, they held a conversation as Okhin watched between spoonfuls of stew.
"My late wife was deaf, I...apologize if my signing is a bit rusty. It's been a while since I've signed," said Mod.
"No worries, it didn't come up right away," declined Hui.
"I'm sure you have stories to share, how did you meet my daughter?" he inquired.
"I saved your daughter from bandits who wanted to have their way with her. Then I traveled with her to Gu Ming in Shiwei, stayed at a nobleman's house. Watched the execution of insubordinate subjects, camped out in the mountains with her. Chased by Meng clan mercenaries in Biapo, killed Uhkel barbarians on the way here, and absorbed the beauty that is of treetop villages owned by the Uuguul," Hui told Mod his misadventures with Okhin.
"Quite the outstanding journey you two had," remarked Mod.
"Thank you again for bringing my Okhin to me in one piece," thanked Mod.
"You're welcome," smiled Hui.
"Why'd you leave the palace?" Mod questioned the prince.
"I had a falling out with the Earth King, we came to a disagreement and I needed to get some air," divulged Hui.
"Oh I'm sorry to hear that perhaps he misses you," commented Mod.
"By missing me, he sent Meng clan barbarians after me then yes," fretted Hui.
All of them continued eating until about an hour later that the time came to go to bed. He didn't want to further a conversation that perhaps Hui didn't want to have. He finished his meal and yawned he offered his room to Hui in a handful of signs, "You're welcome to sleep in my room."
"Thank you but that isn't necessary," declined Hui.
"Trust me it's necessary, Your Highness," repeated Mod.
"I will sleep near the fire, and you two in separate rooms..." muttered Mod.
Mod led Hui into his bedroom while he snapped his fingers at a drowsy Okhin and pointed toward her room. Okhin dragged her feet over to her room once both of them were inside Mod went outside and picked up some rocks. He threw the rocks just outside Okhin's room while he grabbed a large animal trap and set it outside of his bedroom just in case. He was protective of his daughter even if Hui didn't have those intentions. Mod grabbed himself a large animal pelt and hit the hay.
The next morning the rocks and large animal traps were gone, Hui shuffled out of the room prepared for the trip. He rubbed his eyes on the way out of the yurt when he saw Okhin strapped the saddle on the ostrich horse. She asked him when she felt his presence, "Do you think you will be fine?"
Hui pointed at himself then tapped his right fist on the lower half of his left palm, he pointed his left index and pulled it down with his right hand in a diagonal direction before he nodded and tapped his right shoulder with his left hand.
"I can hold my own," he smiled.
"We could offer an escort into Uuguul lands and have them escort you to the border of Shiwei," she offered.
Hui shook his head and declined, he pointed at himself and then at his head, he spun his hand in a tight-knit circular motion. He shook his left index left to right, then raised his thumb out as well and repeated the motion, and placed his left thumb on the center of his right palm, and lifted his left index up and down. He pointed at himself again and then motioned for a left turn, he placed his left hand in front of his mouth and stuck out his thumb. He opened and closed his index twice then finished with he waved both hands in front of him and then pointed down with two fingers with each hand.
"I think my best bet is to travel to Wudang and turn myself in. At least then I could get a chongmingniao to Omashu," tempted Hui.
Okhin surprised him by throwing her arms around him for a final goodbye hug and then whispered in his ear, "Thank you."
His arms were up because he didn't expect her to hug him randomly but then he accepted it and smiled. Okhin gave Hui a peck on the cheek which stunned him. He allowed Long Legs to feed a bit longer while Okhin went up to the yurt. Her father came out of the yurt and saw that she seemed a bit upset, he turned his attention to his daughter, "Go with him."
"What?" she asked Mod.
"You seem upset, its because he's leaving. Go with him," he repeated.
"But don't y-," she was interrupted.
"I live a quiet life here, little one. Go with the prince I can see it in your eyes that you like him. He's a prince, after all, someday that will make you Queen-Consort," explained Mod.
"I don't like him, Dad," declined Okhin.
Mod rolled his eyes, "Do not lie to me, child I've known you for eighteen-winters, and you're a terrible liar. You've prayed to Yue Lao for a unique partner. There he is..." he pointed at Hui, "...don't let him go easily."
She entered the yurt as her father waved goodbye to Hui and gave a slight smile, the prince waved farewell in return and hopped onto the saddle of the ostrich horse. Long Legs took a few steps forward when the barbarian girl burst out of the yurt and screamed, "WAIT!"
"Wait! Wait!" she continued.
Hui jerked on the reins of Long Legs, the ostrich horse halted in its tracks. She brought up, "My dad suggested that I go with you."
He opened and closed his index twice then finished with he waved both hands in front of him and then pointed down with two fingers with each hand.
"To Omashu?" he wondered.
Okhin nodded as she crossed her arms and bit her lips, she picked her things off the floor and strapped them to the animal. She hopped on Long Legs and wrapped her arms around Hui's waist and gazed into his eyes as he returned the gaze too. They slowly leaned in and gently kissed, "I'm ready."
Hui gave her a toothy smile, Hui smiled and then pointed at himself, he pointed at his head then at her, he tightened his left fist near his belly and shriveled up his face in disapproval. He tapped his lips and then his right ear.
"I knew you couldn't resistance the silence!" beamed Hui.
THE END.