[His brother smiled at him, worry overlaid by the warmth that's in scarce supply these days, when he said he wouldn't expect him back from this mission until the second hour past sunrise. His brother knows that he could get to and from the camp of rogue cultivators they're recruiting by dawn, if he really had to, even if other cultivators would need until midmorning. His brother can always read him much better than his uncle can, something that's never failed to be something of a relief.
Having Bichen back to set under his feet would be much more of a relief if he didn't think of Jiang Cheng clipping the sword with its stupid infuriating name to his own belt every time he draws it from its sheath again.
There have been no reports of Wen encampments here. He doesn't see any when he checks over the area in hasty reconnaissance, but he does find the evidence of a struggle. It's over a month old - that's the right time period. His heart clenches. It doesn't relax when Inquiry returns no answer; marking this area off as "searched" in his mental map gives him no relief at all.
...
He's two steps behind already. He needs to get to Wei Ying before he catches up to the Wen siblings, sees the aftermath. He can guess exactly what his reaction will be.
He's retracing the path from Yiling to the Nightless City as fast as he can, but is he ahead of him or behind him? He can't guess. He tries to urge Bichen faster.
...
Agony screams down his back. He keeps from stumbling with pure force of will, but the ash in the air chokes him. He's not entirely sure how he's standing but he can't just stop...
He hasn't even found the Wens' bodies, much less the one he's looking for. He sees the drag marks from their removal, but all the other cultivators are gone by now.
Is anyone alive here at all?
...
(his hand is on his wrist and his eyes are searching his blank face but he's not finding anything. is he there? get lost, get lost, get lost--)
...
He can feel the roof tiles shift under his feet. He can hear that familiar step. But when he looks down at that face, his heart starts to hammer at the cold expression on it. The stars are very bright and far away above them. Something is wrong. Can everyone who looks at this not see it? Something is very wrong.
...
It's more of an effort than it should be to kneel by the lightning-blasted hollow tree between his back and the child in his arms. A-Yuan being alive changes everything; he can't just stand in front of the Demon-Slaughtering Cave (the reminder of the stupid name stabs at him) until he really does turn into a statue, the way he half wants to. There are duties to the living now. He only has enough medicine for the boy to stay a short while.
His heart lifts in one last terrible hope as he sets his guqin across his knees, though. A-Yuan is alive. Someone hid him here; someone protected him. Someone still might be protecting him. If any of the Wen ghosts remain, this untouched little patch of scrubby trees might be where they've stayed.
If he's still here--
A-Yuan stirs a little against his side. He closes his eyes, heart in his throat, to play Inquiry for Wei Ying yet one more time.
no subject
Having Bichen back to set under his feet would be much more of a relief if he didn't think of Jiang Cheng clipping the sword with its stupid infuriating name to his own belt every time he draws it from its sheath again.
There have been no reports of Wen encampments here. He doesn't see any when he checks over the area in hasty reconnaissance, but he does find the evidence of a struggle. It's over a month old - that's the right time period. His heart clenches. It doesn't relax when Inquiry returns no answer; marking this area off as "searched" in his mental map gives him no relief at all.
...
He's two steps behind already. He needs to get to Wei Ying before he catches up to the Wen siblings, sees the aftermath. He can guess exactly what his reaction will be.
He's retracing the path from Yiling to the Nightless City as fast as he can, but is he ahead of him or behind him? He can't guess. He tries to urge Bichen faster.
...
Agony screams down his back. He keeps from stumbling with pure force of will, but the ash in the air chokes him. He's not entirely sure how he's standing but he can't just stop...
He hasn't even found the Wens' bodies, much less the one he's looking for. He sees the drag marks from their removal, but all the other cultivators are gone by now.
Is anyone alive here at all?
...
(his hand is on his wrist and his eyes are searching his blank face but he's not finding anything. is he there? get lost, get lost, get lost--)
...
He can feel the roof tiles shift under his feet. He can hear that familiar step. But when he looks down at that face, his heart starts to hammer at the cold expression on it. The stars are very bright and far away above them. Something is wrong. Can everyone who looks at this not see it? Something is very wrong.
...
It's more of an effort than it should be to kneel by the lightning-blasted hollow tree between his back and the child in his arms. A-Yuan being alive changes everything; he can't just stand in front of the Demon-Slaughtering Cave (the reminder of the stupid name stabs at him) until he really does turn into a statue, the way he half wants to. There are duties to the living now. He only has enough medicine for the boy to stay a short while.
His heart lifts in one last terrible hope as he sets his guqin across his knees, though. A-Yuan is alive. Someone hid him here; someone protected him. Someone still might be protecting him. If any of the Wen ghosts remain, this untouched little patch of scrubby trees might be where they've stayed.
If he's still here--
A-Yuan stirs a little against his side. He closes his eyes, heart in his throat, to play Inquiry for Wei Ying yet one more time.
No one answers.]