this man gets to the closest inn where he can stay safely for tonight," Wen Yu told one of the guards, turning away.
"Wait," the man shouted. "Please, it is for the Jade Rabbit!"
Wen Yu stopped and turned back around. "What?"
"I am doing this for her," the man said, and Wen Yu took a few steps towards the gate again.
"Do you know anything about the Moon Poems?"
"What?" Now the stranger looked confused.
Wen Yu turned to the guards. "Let him in."
"I can't do that, honorable student." One of the guards shook his head. "It has to be Liu Yi himself who vouches for him."
After a moment's hesitation, Wen Yu turned back towards the apartments. "Stay there," he called over his shoulder, heading back across the courtyard.
Liu Yi was sleeping when Wen Yu entered the bedroom, curled up and looking far too small and fragile. Wen Yu shook his shoulder, trying to be as gentle as possible. "Liu Yi." He brushed hair back from Liu Yi's face, keeping his voice low. "Wake up. There is someone here I think you should meet."
Stirring against the pillows, Liu Yi murmured and tried to turn over. Wen Yu shook him again. "Wake up."
"Wen Yu?" Liu Yi eyes fluttered open, then he smiled, slow and sleepy. "Are you coming to bed?"
"No." Wen Yu felt a little regretful about that. It would be nice to curl up with Liu Yi right now. "There is someone who wants to see you at the gate."
"Oh." Liu Yi sat up and seemed to realize he was naked, casting about for his clothes. Wen Yu collected fresh trousers, sash, robe, and boots for him before helping him dress. He took Liu Yi's arm as they both headed back to the courtyard.
Both of the guards and the stranger looked up as Liu Yi and Wen Yu drew close to where the three of them stood.
"Liu Yi." The stranger's face lit into a smile, which dimmed slightly when Liu Yi did not smile back. He cocked his head to one side. "You're ill. I suppose that makes sense."
Liu Yi's eyes narrowed. "What do you know of my illness?"
"Liu Yi?" one of the guards asked. "Should we let him through?"
"Yes." Liu Yi waved one hand, gripping Wen Yu's arm with the other. Both guards stepped back, and the stranger walked towards them.
The stranger stopped a few paces from them, crossing his arms over his chest, and studied Liu Yi as one would study a particularly rare and unusual manuscript. Wen Yu didn't like the way he looked at Liu Yi at all, and he tightened his grip on Liu Yi's arm, glaring at the stranger.
"Interesting." The stranger began to circle them slowly, eyes on Liu Yi alone.
"Enough." Liu Yi tone was sharp. "I do not believe I have had the pleasure of your name."
The stranger stopped, blinked, and bowed. "My apologies. I am Mei Hua."
"I still don't understand," Liu Yi said. "What do you want with me?"
"It's more what you have that I need." Mei Hua cocked his head to one side. "Maybe we should go inside and discuss this."
Wen Yu didn't really want to, but after a moment Liu Yi nodded.
"All right," Liu Yi said, turning back towards his apartments. Wen Yu half supported, half carried him back across the courtyard, and Liu Yi allowed it.
When they were back in his apartments, all sitting in the main room, Liu Yi continued, "What is it that you know of me and my illness?"
"I know very little of you, actually." Mei Hua perched on one of the chairs, knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around him. "I've only been looking for you for twenty years, after all."
Liu Yi went pale. "What?"
Mei Hua shrugged. "The fish helped me get lucky."
"I don't think I understand." Liu Yi closed his eyes and took a long breath. "Please start from the beginning and explain why you are looking for me?"
"Oh." Mei Hua's eyes widened. "The Jade Rabbit made a pearl for us to use to make a bridge between my mountain, which sits almost fully in this world—well, closer to this world than not I suppose—and the Moon Palace, which is in the Celestial realm. But the pearl was lost." Mei Hua looked away, seeming to become shy.
"Wait," the man shouted. "Please, it is for the Jade Rabbit!"
Wen Yu stopped and turned back around. "What?"
"I am doing this for her," the man said, and Wen Yu took a few steps towards the gate again.
"Do you know anything about the Moon Poems?"
"What?" Now the stranger looked confused.
Wen Yu turned to the guards. "Let him in."
"I can't do that, honorable student." One of the guards shook his head. "It has to be Liu Yi himself who vouches for him."
After a moment's hesitation, Wen Yu turned back towards the apartments. "Stay there," he called over his shoulder, heading back across the courtyard.
Liu Yi was sleeping when Wen Yu entered the bedroom, curled up and looking far too small and fragile. Wen Yu shook his shoulder, trying to be as gentle as possible. "Liu Yi." He brushed hair back from Liu Yi's face, keeping his voice low. "Wake up. There is someone here I think you should meet."
Stirring against the pillows, Liu Yi murmured and tried to turn over. Wen Yu shook him again. "Wake up."
"Wen Yu?" Liu Yi eyes fluttered open, then he smiled, slow and sleepy. "Are you coming to bed?"
"No." Wen Yu felt a little regretful about that. It would be nice to curl up with Liu Yi right now. "There is someone who wants to see you at the gate."
"Oh." Liu Yi sat up and seemed to realize he was naked, casting about for his clothes. Wen Yu collected fresh trousers, sash, robe, and boots for him before helping him dress. He took Liu Yi's arm as they both headed back to the courtyard.
Both of the guards and the stranger looked up as Liu Yi and Wen Yu drew close to where the three of them stood.
"Liu Yi." The stranger's face lit into a smile, which dimmed slightly when Liu Yi did not smile back. He cocked his head to one side. "You're ill. I suppose that makes sense."
Liu Yi's eyes narrowed. "What do you know of my illness?"
"Liu Yi?" one of the guards asked. "Should we let him through?"
"Yes." Liu Yi waved one hand, gripping Wen Yu's arm with the other. Both guards stepped back, and the stranger walked towards them.
The stranger stopped a few paces from them, crossing his arms over his chest, and studied Liu Yi as one would study a particularly rare and unusual manuscript. Wen Yu didn't like the way he looked at Liu Yi at all, and he tightened his grip on Liu Yi's arm, glaring at the stranger.
"Interesting." The stranger began to circle them slowly, eyes on Liu Yi alone.
"Enough." Liu Yi tone was sharp. "I do not believe I have had the pleasure of your name."
The stranger stopped, blinked, and bowed. "My apologies. I am Mei Hua."
"I still don't understand," Liu Yi said. "What do you want with me?"
"It's more what you have that I need." Mei Hua cocked his head to one side. "Maybe we should go inside and discuss this."
Wen Yu didn't really want to, but after a moment Liu Yi nodded.
"All right," Liu Yi said, turning back towards his apartments. Wen Yu half supported, half carried him back across the courtyard, and Liu Yi allowed it.
When they were back in his apartments, all sitting in the main room, Liu Yi continued, "What is it that you know of me and my illness?"
"I know very little of you, actually." Mei Hua perched on one of the chairs, knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around him. "I've only been looking for you for twenty years, after all."
Liu Yi went pale. "What?"
Mei Hua shrugged. "The fish helped me get lucky."
"I don't think I understand." Liu Yi closed his eyes and took a long breath. "Please start from the beginning and explain why you are looking for me?"
"Oh." Mei Hua's eyes widened. "The Jade Rabbit made a pearl for us to use to make a bridge between my mountain, which sits almost fully in this world—well, closer to this world than not I suppose—and the Moon Palace, which is in the Celestial realm. But the pearl was lost." Mei Hua looked away, seeming to become shy.
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