Chapter Eleven: The Story of the River
Crane had secured passage on a fishing boat that would take him directly to his hometown, colloquially referred as River Running South, choosing to keep a low profile and travel by river in the hope of not drawing attention to himself. To his right was Bali, an elder crane, who claimed to be the Xian of the village taking travelers, mostly mice, cats, and other such creatures, to the wetlands for vacations, work, or refuge. Crane thought that if Careen continued his campaign, that Bali would be seeing a lot more refugees and in worse conditions than his current company. He imagined the world covered in fire and ash, the darkness, closing in and trapping those who dared to stay. If Careen could not be stopped, and if the Valley of Peace were somehow lost, Crane knew that he would have to be the one to survive, to guide and lead the survivors to a new place, a place that was free and happy; one where everyone was judged not by who their father was or what kind of job they held, but by their character. If such a place existed, he promised that eventually he would find it, and if some reason it did not, he would make it himself.
"You never did tell me who you were" Bali said as he steered the boat, "I usually like to get to know my customers. Helps ease the tension."
Crane huffed and shook his head, for talking was the last thing on his mind; which was too concerned with other matters, mainly what was going to happen when he returned home. If he had to guess, it would not be a warm welcome, for his original departure was not on the best of terms of anyone, least of all his mother. He remembered calling her a controlling and manipulative bitch, not worth anyone's time, effort, or concern. In a way, he regretted this, the wiles and whims of youth twisting his brain and his heart in two directions and neither of them pleasant.
"Just get me to River Running South" Crane replied, "All the rest is irrelevant."
Bali nodded and continued on in silence, quietly observing, watching Crane as he leaned against a small railing looking out at the opposite bank. On the shore, Crane could see two monkeys, grooming each other, in the river itself, a pair of oriental small-clawed otters, named Zhunbei, roughly translated to Ready, and Wending, or Steady. These two otters, who laughed and sang among the reeds, were the prefect picture of what Crane thought a couple should be. Because these particular otters were naturally loud, following the philosophy of always making their voices heard even when they cannot clearly be seen, Crane heard their conversation that went thusly.
"As far as I'm concerned your father will just have to deal with me" Ready began, rolling onto his side as he coasted, "I'm not going anywhere, the sooner he accepts it the better."
Steady nodded in understanding and followed suit with Ready, lying on her back.
"I know dear" she replied, "But you know how he is. He's very emotional. All he wants to make sure that I'm taken care of."
Ready laughed and gently placed his paw on Steady's shoulder, after which he kissed the side of her head.
Crane drowned out the rest of the conversation after that, feeling it as an invasion of privacy and turned his thoughts away from the otters and towards his own life. He remembered, in the weeks before he left for the Imperial City, a crane named Ti, who was the most beautiful creature that he had ever seen. Crane, who had never had tremendous luck when it came to women, always awkward, stammering, and at times rambling on about nonsense, all things he acquired living with his mother; became a completely different person when in Ti's presence. She instilled in him confidence, and he in turn taught her the finer points in life, like how to have fun. Those weeks culminated along the banks of the very river he now traveled, as the fireflies gathered for their night-time dance.
Standing among the reeds, Crane, who had up until this point been eating the fish that swam up to him and gazing up at the night time sky, wondering if his ancestors were looking down on him, and if they were, if their eyes were favorable. Ti, for her part, waded as far as she dared to go and stopped, breathing for the sake of breathing. Her wings, white as the moon, reflected off of the river, causing temporary and perhaps half exaggerated blindness, to Crane, who instantly looked in her direction. After focusing for a few seconds, Crane found himself staring into Ti's eyes, easily her best external feature, despite being the color of mud; and was reminded of why he was captivated with her in the first place. To be sure, it was in many ways, her personality, which mirrored his own, Ti relying mostly on intelligence and wit rather than strength and cunning; but another part was her unnatural beauty. Although compared to most cranes Ti was ordinary, for most of the red-crested cranes had wings that shone like the moon, especially when the moon itself was out and even more so in water, there was something about the way Ti walked, a steady gait, the way she talked, only speaking when necessary and then, a bird of few words, and the way she carried herself in general that attracted her to Crane. In short, Ti's beauty was not so much an aesthetic beauty as it was an inner spiritual one. She was, by all accounts, normal, and normal was exactly what Crane was looking for.
Leaning down and picking up a lily-pad with his beak, if only because he thought it was pretty, Crane gently eased himself toward her and in his head began to declare his intentions. He wanted to say some poem he had heard a few days before, but at the moment the words had abandoned and in its place, for the first time in Ti's presence, came fear and anxiety. The cost of rejection a killing blow to his heart, one that he would surely not be able to recover easily from, if he recovered at all; the price of acceptance however, outweighed the risk, for with it brought the fulfilment and the promise for which cranes are known. Now, inches away, words gone and too far in to retract without being seen, Crane made his move and quickly placed the lily-pad on Ti's wing, weaving it through like one would a broach. It wasn't the best place for it, he knew, but it was enough to make the point.
Ti turned at the gesture and smiled, admiring the gift and then looking at Crane, at the same time reminding Crane of yet another feature that he found irresistible, her laugh, the sound of it alone contagious enough to cause all who heard it to smile and laugh in turn.
"So you do like it then?" Crane said rhetorically, "Good. I didn't know what I was going to do otherwise-"
"It's beautiful Din" Ti exclaimed, "True, it's not jewel encrusted, but then again-"
Crane sighed and hung his head, at the mentioning of jewels and other fashionable accessories, he was reminded of a great and harsh truth- that he was incredibly poor, and that he would never be able to afford such luxuries. However, Ti's conclusion of the sentence warmed his heart and hardened his resolve.
"It's from you. That makes it special."
The fireflies that danced around them slowly began to encircle them, almost as if they were willing them to come together. They did not, keeping in their personal space, despite every desire, mostly on the part of Crane, to act on such things. In a way however, he did. Clearing his throat and bowing as low as he could, his beak nearly touching the water, Crane, his confidence fully restored, did the bravest thing he ever did and began flute calling. Flute calling is part of the process known as a duet, which involves a series of dances and calls made from the throat, known as flute calls, most often done during April and early May, the mating season; or to establish and or maintain pair bonds, which are life-long. Under normal circumstances this kind of behavior is followed by action, however, in this instance, a direct response was not necessary. Being late in the summer and thus, not the proper time for mating, in which the establishment of the pair bond would begin, Crane's flute call was much akin to that of a promise to be fulfilled at a later time.
The sound of Bali's horn, which he used at every stop to let passengers know of his approach brought Crane out of himself and back to his current situation. The otters, who had thus far kept pace with the boat, were now laughing and casually playing with each other, a type of foreplay. Crane, temporarily sickened at the sight of them, turned away and for the first time since he had been on the boat, took notice of the other passengers. One of them was a mouse with a quill and a scroll.
"What are you writing scribe?" Crane asked, guessing at the mouse's position given his attire, a red vest.
"Expedition notes" the mouse answered bluntly, "My master, The Great Aquila, has sent his ambassador, me, to China to negotiate on his behalf with your Honorable Emperor that a union might exist between our peoples."
Crane nodded and shook his head, rolling his eyes, for if it was one thing he needed it was an international perspective. Like most people who followed The Way, Crane cared little for the lands beyond China, figuring that there were enough problems that existed just in the country alone that there was no point in adding to them by bringing in foreigners.
"Well you can take your Great Aquila and shove up your butt as far as I'm concerned" Crane replied, "We don't take much stock in your kind here. We've been doing perfectly fine on our own for centuries, the last thing we need is people coming in and ruining it."
The mouse, whose name was Julian, sighed and shook his head in pity, for this response was the same response that he had been given to everyone he told his business to; still, something about the way Crane carried himself told him that he did not say these words out of mean-spiritedness and so immediately took a chance. Putting the warmest smile possible and extending his paw for a handshake Julian introduced himself.
"Julian Augustus Maro" the mouse exclaimed, "Would you mind if I took a statement from you?"
Crane raised his eyebrows in suspicion, for this was one of the first times that anyone had asked his opinion or to take a formal statement. It was strange, for he never considered anything he had to say to be of great importance, save perhaps for his Philosophies, which he considered a public service, even in normal conversation Crane took a passive stance, choosing to listen and only act when necessary.
"I don't take statements" Crane continued, annoyed that he was being bothered, "Try someone who knows people."
Julian laughed and shook his head, refusing to believe that Crane was the type of person he said he was, despite the fact that in many ways it was entirely true, being the kind of person who made people out for himself, never taking anything at face value, one of the many reasons the Great Aquila hand-picked him for this assignment; for if relations between the two countries were ever to be realized, open-mindedness and caution were necessities.
"All the same" Julian pressed, "A crane's insight would be most beneficial. Now, from where do you hail?"
It didn't matter to Crane that he did not dance with Ti as he would have liked, for that would have solidified the union, it was enough to hear the call. As the fireflies concluded their dance and returned to the reeds, so too did Crane and Ti make their way to the village, but not before Crane caught one last fish, a cod, ultimately handing to Ti to eat. Smiling, thankful that another gift had been accepted from him, Crane laughed to himself, thankful, in turn, for the greater gift he had received. Taking flight and landing in the village square moments later, they stopped in front of Ti's hut.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Crane asked, concerned, for Ti had recently been having trouble at home, particularly with her mother, a stern traditionalist.
"You worry too much Din" Ti answered, "Besides, she'll come around eventually. You know how she is."
Crane laughed and nodded, "Reminds of my mother" he returned, "Overprotective as she is overbearing. But they can't control our lives forever, as much as they might want to. I promise you, next season when everything's official, I will make you the happiest crane in China. I'll get a job until we can get enough money to get away from here. We can start a family, have a nice little farm with plenty of space, and a big tree that touches the sky."
Ti gently placed a wing on Crane's shoulder and smiled, kissing him on his cheek at the same time.
"Promise me something" Ti said with all the seriousness in the world, "When you get to the City, don't forget about me."
Crane nodded in understanding, for there was one thing he was absolutely sure about, it was that he would never forget her; he loved her too much for that to happen. It was funny, he thought at the time, that love came so easily to him, almost as easy as breathing, speaking, or flying. It was incomprehensible to lose any of these things, just as it was incomprehensible for him to consider losing Ti.
"I leave with the heaviest of hearts" Crane declared, "abandoning the happiness I have had with everyone I have ever known for the safety and security of anonymity."
Crane had just about enough of Julian's questions; so far he had asked everything under the sun, from his hometown, to his relatives, occupation, and reason for travel. The last question, Crane partially dodged, claiming to visit his grandmother who had fallen ill-she had in fact died seven months before-and thus avoided the real reason for his trip, the gathering of information and allies.
"So" Julian continued, "How would you consider life under the Emperor?"
Crane raised his eyebrows suspiciously; for the question was not something that he had put much thought into, in part because as a monk he was removed from the majority of politics, save for the occasional prevention of a political official, which had more to do with stopping a murder than any particular political leaning. Still, if only to humor the mouse and in the hope that the question was the final one, Crane gave an answer.
"Fine" Crane replied, "I'm luckier than most. I don't go hungry every night, I have a roof over my head. Friends. What more could anyone ask for?"
Julian nodded and began ticking marks on his scroll with his quill. Crane cringed with every mark that was made, the sound unnecessarily loud, akin to claws scraping against stone. Julian, noticing this, stopped immediately and smiled sheepishly, embarrassed that he had caused Crane unnecessary pain.
"Forgive me" Julian said, laughing a bit to cover his embarrassment, "I did not mean to offend. We shall simply continue this without the quill."
Crane sighed and nodded, anything that ended this conversation was a step in the right as he far as he was concerned. He knew that in his heart, Julian meant well and was in fact trying to be friendly, but it was difficult, given his current state and his circumstances-far from his friends and confused beyond possible belief-to pay attention.
"Might I ask you something?" Julian said after a brief moment of silence, "Earlier you mentioned you were a monk, yet you also claimed that you loved someone. How is that possible? Monks take vows of chastity, serious intimacy would be nigh on impossible."
Crane nodded, for Julian's observation was an astute one. He himself had often questioned why he had taken on the responsibilities of a monk when in his heart of hears he dared himself to love and be loved. Crane had long assumed that he took up the mantle because for the greater good; now however, he was not entirely sure. He was beginning to suspect that he had become a monk to run away, to hide from his feelings and the life he had left. The more he thought about it, and remembered the rest of that faithful evening, the more it seemed like a certain possibility.
The otters meanwhile, who were still following the boat and keeping pace, had suddenly found themselves riding next to it, just below Crane and within earshot having developed a curiosity for him. Ready, in an attempt to be friendly and show support, casually rapped on the side of the boat catching both the bird and the mouse's attention, after which he began introductions.
Ti's mother stepped outside, her frame tall and commanding of both respect and fear, it was obvious that she was the head of the family, a rare, but not unheard occurrence. As soon as Crane saw her, with her glaring and condemning eyes and his disapproving sway, he cowered and lowered his head underneath his wing, too afraid to directly look her in the eyes. The brave words he had uttered yet seconds before all but forgotten as if they were merely for the sake of the wind.
"Ti" she began, "What's a Lao doing on at our doorstep? You know we don't allow their kind here."
Ti huffed and rolled her eyes, her mother believing that she belonged to high nobility, and although had come into some money, and thus were easily one of the wealthier families in the region, they were not so well off to move to the Imperial City or to even have considerable land of their own. It was annoying to say the least, that she acted more important than she really was, so annoying that Ti had had just about enough of it.
"And why is that mother?" Ti returned sharply, "Just because the Laos live in reed huts and we live in stone that automatically makes us better? Just because they're from a long line of farmers and we're from caravaners that makes it okay for us to bring them down? Who are we to judge? What right do we possibly have?"
Ti's mother said nothing and only presented her daughter with the same glaring and icy stare that she gave to Crane; who unlike Crane, did not cower before it, having grown accustomed to its use.
"That's enough Ti" she declared, "Say goodbye to this-thing-and go to your room, we'll discuss this in the morning."
Crane, at the prospect of being called a thing, as well as Ti's courage against her mother, came out from underneath himself and suddenly found his own. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, his head held as high as he could lift it, his wings relaxed, Crane looked at Ti's mother with the straightest face he could possibly produce.
"I am not a thing ma'am" Crane began, trying to be respectful in the hope of catching her off-guard, "I am Lao Din, son of Lao Shin and Yan Fan; and while it is true we are farmers, you will never find a better cultivated field of rice than those on our farm. Our rice is pure and simple, much like the people who planted them, we want only what we can see, and ask only for what we rightfully deserve-"
Crane stopped and sighed, collecting his thoughts, his next words would mean the immediate beginning or the sad and dismal end of the next few phases of his life. After a few seconds, his heart and his head clear and acting on the same purpose, Crane spoke again.
"I do not know if I am what your daughter deserves, I don't think anyone ever will be; but I do see her. I see her for what she is, for who she is, and I think it's the most beautiful thing in the world. If you would allow it I would give her everything she needed, it would not be all glamorous nor would it always be plentiful but what I can provide I will provide. I will love her every day as if it were the first day I saw her; because I do it already, I always have-"
It was at this moment that Crane received a violent slap to the face sending him to the ground in pain. Ti's mother stared at him and spat at his feet.
"You will never marry my daughter Din" she returned venomously, "I'd rather see her die than subject her to that!"
Ti stepped forward and administered a head-butt to her mother's torso, after which she helped Crane up and attempted to wipe the mud off of his wings. It was a futile effort, but it was still an effort. As for Ti's mother, she said nothing and only grabbed her daughter by the neck and proceeded to drag her into the house. Crane, despite his attempts and his pleas to stop her, pulling and tugging in the opposite direction as well as giving a few well deserved slaps and jabs of his own, ultimately found himself standing in front of a closed door, the sound of beating escaping through the walls and out onto the street. He wanted to break down the door and rescue her, but he did not in the event that the threat was carried out. Crane thought about what the world would be like without Ti in it; he wagered it would be incredibly lonely, a vast hole, forever empty. With these thoughts in his mind, Crane resigned himself to his fate and shuffled, defeated, down the street, heading for the small hill and the temple that rested at its peak.
"She survived" Crane said, talking to himself and for the most part thinking out loud, at the same time confusing Julian, "She was never the same again, but she survived. Broke both wings, setting myself back a week. I couldn't just leave her, not there. I told her that I would find work in the city and send every coin back; that I would be everything she needed me to be."
Ready sighed and shook his head, all too familiar with such experiences; granted not to such extremes, but still, in many ways the otter could emphasize. Julian, who by now had been caught up to speed, Crane divulging his tale completely, could think of nothing else to do but write down his own thoughts on the matter. Steady, for her part, gently reached up on the side of the boat and grasped Crane's wing, causing Crane in turn to look down and smile.
"Thank you" he continued, "It's nice to have someone who understands."
Steady laughed and turned to Ready, who nodded.
"Don't mention it Din" Steady returned, "What are acquaintances for?"
"Saying hello and forgetting names on the street while you pretend you've known each other for a long time" Crane answered, taking her statement literally, becoming somewhat comfortable in his surroundings, "That and the occasional loan."
Ready nodded in turn and gave a laugh of his own, personally appreciating his mate's humor. It did his heart good knowing that he was able to laugh with her, which only furthered his own resolve in making their union official. Although it would be difficult, especially without the presence of a daoshi, solidifying it under the grace of the ancestors, it would be worth any price to achieve true happiness.
"I like your style Din" Ready said, giving the best compliment he could, "You get it. We could use more understanding around here. You sticking around for a bit?"
Crane shrugged, in truth he wasn't entirely sure how long he was staying, enough to gather the information he needed and what help he could possibly find; after that, he found it incredibly unlikely that he would bother to stay- the place holding too many memories, both good and bad in equal measure.
"Not likely Zhunbei" Crane replied, "There's too much pain here. It is better if I simply do what I came here to do and move on."
Ready sighed, saddened but not completely disheartened, trying his best to understand the situation. Rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, the otter tried to recover himself, ultimately relying on Steady to pick up the pieces.
"It's just that" Ready began, "Things have gotten really, really bad around here. Not just for your kind, for all of us."
Steady nodded in full agreement, "Yes" she said, playing off him, "They're demanding tribute- protection money-if we pay it we're giving into their whims, if we don't we're beaten or worse."
Crane did not have to ask who these people were, for he already knew. It was obvious, at least in his mind, that Careen, if not directly involved himself, had gotten control of the area by way of the local nobility. In his youth, he knew a family of otters, most likely Steady's, who controlled much of the river trade; in addition to them and Ti's family there was also the Langs, a family of tigers, who specialized in ship-building and blacksmithing; and the Rens, a family of farmers who specialized in indigo as well as rice, made up of cranes and a peacock by marriage. All of them were incredibly wealthy by Fujian standards and their influence would carry tremendous weight in terms of the province's political structure, an absolute necessity for control.
"Which families are in control?" Crane asked, cutting right to the chase and wasting no time.
Ready and Steady hung their head in shame and sighed collectively. It was obvious that their hesitation was a safeguard, a means of protection. Julian, who caught this immediately, well versed in the art of political matters, calmly made his way to the side of the boat and looked down, smiling at them with all the friendliness in the world.
"Have courage and faith" Julian exclaimed, "If not in him, than in each other."
Ready lifted his head, his eyes wet with tears.
"If you knew what we were dealing with mouse" Ready returned, "You would know that courage has nothing to do with it. These people; they will stop at nothing until everything is theirs. They have killed and tortured those they deem irrelevant and unworthy. All in the name of Careen; who in turn, sees them as nothing more than a means to end."
Steady gently placed a paw on Ready's shoulder, trying her best to comfort him; it didn't work, but he still appreciated the gesture.
"Don't worry" Steady said, her voice a little lighter, "They will get theirs in the end. Din will see to that."
Ready shook his head, annoyed, for he knew it was impossible to face such a threat alone, much less when you are going up against four of the wealthiest families in the region. They would have numerous spies and allies in every possible crevice imaginable.
"He won't be doing it alone" Ready began, his confidence slowly returning the more he thought about it, in the back of his mind still doubting himself but choosing to ignore it, instead focusing on the hope and the promise that Crane had brought.
Steady smiled and nodded, for she had been thinking the exact same thing. Looking up at Crane and hoisting herself onto the boat, lending a hand to Ready, Steady sighed and rolled her neck in anticipation; she did not consider herself a fighter, but she knew when to answer the call of opportunity.
"We will help you" Steady exclaimed, speaking for them both, "We're not warriors, but we're smart, capable, and willing. Will you have us?"
Crane, although surprised by the offer, could not risk turning away potential help; besides, as far as he was concerned, he would need all the available allies he could muster. Turning to Julian, Crane was about to extend an offer of his own, but before he could do anything the mouse had already extended his hand, forcing him into a handshake; no words were necessary. Nodding to himself and satisfied that he had already made some progress in his quest, Crane glanced to his right casually just as the run-down dock made its way into view.