The next morning, he resolved that today would be the last day he took the detour. The opportunity to hear a girl's singing was not worth the concern it had brought his mother. So he told himself, over and over and over again. It was not worth the guilt he felt, the hours he wasted when he could be fighting in the arena, the sleepless nights of worry it brought his mother.
And besides, he thought bitterly, it seemed like she wasn't even singing today. All that for nothing. He knew it was silly of him to presume that she would sing every day, but still he lingered outside the stone wall for a few minutes, hoping that she would begin.
A round and hard object hit the back of his head. Whipping around, annoyed, he caught a glimpse of an acorn falling to the ground. He searched for his attacker, eyes scanning the dense grove of trees that lay beyond the path.
"Hey! You!" Lon'qu glanced upwards, immediately identifying the owner of the unmistakably female voice, who was partially hidden by tree branches. At the same time, another acorn struck him on the chest, bouncing off harmlessly, but still, she was throwing acorns at him.
Ignore it, he thought to himself. Causing a scene near consulate Shuo'li's mansion was something that should be avoided at all costs. He whispered a muted curse beneath his breath and stepped away from the grove, heading back home.
He heard another acorn fall short of its mark. He was too far away for her limited range, it seemed. "Hey! I'm talking to you, can't you hear me?" Clearly, the girl didn't know when to give up. Lon'qu quickened his pace, beginning a steady jog. If he ran, he'd be able to get home before sunset.
"Where are you going?" The persistent voice kept calling. "Don't make me climb down this tree!" Probably an empty threat, Lon'qu mused. Hopefully she wouldn't actually try to jump off of the branch that she had been precariously perched – there was a muffled yell, then a thump. Lon'qu sighed and turned around.
His former attacker lay on the ground, moaning piteously and clutching at her right foot. She paused for a second and glanced around to see if she had an audience to play to. Noticing his gaze, she snapped at him. "Are you just going to stand there and gawk at me? Come help! Can't you tell I'm in pain?"
"Not enough pain to render you speechless, clearly," Lon'qu retorted. He didn't have time for this girl's silly melodrama. It was her fault for being in the tree in the first place, and her fault for trying to get down so quickly. He was under absolutely no obligation to stay and serve as a crutch to test her injured ankle, massage the purpling bruise, and help her hobble to the gates of the mansion.
Of course, so he told himself as he did exactly that. He was simply doing this out of the goodness of his own heart. The gate was slightly ajar – judging by her style of dress and her impertinent manner, she was probably a lowly servant in the mansion who had snuck out to play. Lon'qu paused in his step, thinking furiously. This meant that she probably knew Shuo'li's daughter.
"What's up?" She peered at him curiously – far too close for his comfort. "Why'd you stop walking?"
"Haven't you heard of something called personal space?" Lon'qu replied.
"Hmph. Fine," she stuck out her tongue. "Don't answer my question."
That clearly thrown gauntlet did not dignify a response, he decided. He had gotten her to the gates safely, and from there on, it was up to her to get the care and rest that her ankle needed. He spun around and began to walk away.
"H-hey! Is that all?" she yelled at him. He prayed that she would not stumble again or injure himself before he got far enough to pretend that he couldn't hear.
Thankfully, his prayer succeeded and he managed to escape hearing range of her undignified shouts. Treading the long, winding path back to his home, he resolved that he most definitely would not be returning to Shuo'li's mansion again.
Back at the gates of the mansion, the girl limped towards her room, trying to avoid being caught. Once there, she sat down heavily on her bed and flopped herself backwards to stare at the ceiling.
"Ugh," Ke'ri said. "That turned out great."
A/N: The fateful meeting! ...didn't go so well, haha.