The sky was just pale with dawn the world barely stirring. Ji Youyou rose early she meant to head down the mountain for market. Her man was gone but life must go on. She would leave and build a life of her own. When she first arrived in this strange realm she’d met Yu Xuanhe who’d sheltered and cherished her and she’d thought she could stay forever safe and cherished at his side like someone who never need stand alone. But fate is fickle.
Deep in the mountains it took her ages to find the path down and only with directions from an old farmer tending fields did she reach the town market at high noon. Qingshui Town was remote and poor with hardly a hundred souls. The market held but a handful of vendors not a single shop with so much as a painted sign. Weary and hungry she spied a rouge stall.
“Miss do take a look all homemade with nothing but the finest ingredients” the old woman tending it called gently.
Ji Youyou smiled and stepped closer lifting a jar of rose rouge. The lid came off and a soft sweet scent rose up. A fresh start meant tending to herself yet the moment she held it Yu Xuanhe’s face rose before her. She remembered how he’d chopped firewood for a whole month trading every stick for money to buy her this very gift her first from him.
“Miss are you quite all right” the vendor asked.
Ji Youyou blinked back to the moment. “How much I’ll take it.”
“Wonderful I’ll wrap it up for you.”
As she reached to hand over the coin a rough dark hairy hand struck the rouge from her grasp and clamped around her wrist. “Heh fair skin aren’t you No need to buy trinkets Spend the coin on drink instead and I’ll show you a right good time”
She stared furious and bewildered. Before her stood a burly brute broad as two men three more like him looming behind each twice her size. “What do you think you’re doing In broad daylight are you mad” She twisted and pulled fighting to free herself.
“Doing You’ll find out You’ve crossed the wrong people little beauty We’ll show you a merry time all right come along” He dragged her forward.
“Where are you taking me Let go” Her shouts met only jeers she struggled but her strength was nothing against his like a sparrow caught in an eagle’s talons. Tears stinging her eyes she begged the crowd “Grandma good people please fetch the authorities I don’t know these men Help me”
The vendor and onlookers turned away melting back into doorways. They were poor folk scraping by and no one dared invite trouble. This was a cramped dark corner where hope withered.
The men shoved her roughly into an alley. She hit the mud with a gasp the damp earthy stench rose turning her stomach. “Sir please I have money take it all I’m plain I’m nothing to look at let me go I swear I’ll tell no one”
Her pleas only roused them further. They laughed coarse and greedy. “We’re paid to do a job You offended someone who wants you gone But don’t worry we’ll see you’re well attended to before you go.”
Offended someone “Is it Yu Xuanhe Did he send you” She shrank back trembling. If it was him all kindness and all love turned to a blade in her breast now. He would not even let her die cleanly.
Her despair delighted them all the more. “Yu Xuanhe yes that’s the name He’ll be rid of you.” Hands reached for her collar. “Please Yu Xuanhe have mercy I was foolish to take pity on you let me go home” She sobbed pleading as they tore at her clothes baring the soft curve of her shoulder. The leader leaned in tongue darting she squeezed her eyes shut bracing for the worst.
Then came a sharp thud and a yelp of pain. “Terribly sorry old man aimed for a wild boar seems I missed.”
Ji Youyou opened her eyes. Perched on a thick bough above sat a youth in patched grey a lotus-leaf hat shadowing his face a clawed gauntlet on his right hand. His features were bright and fresh clear as starlight like peppermint chocolate she thought absurdly. He held a slingshot in his left hand and gave a little wave grinning.
“Help Sir please they mean harm” she cried at once.
The brutes clustered around their leader nursing a swollen eye and drew daggers. “Get the little rat first then the girl feed them both to the dogs” They scrambled up the tree fast as swallows. But the boy moved like a squirrel dropping light as a feather to land beside her before anyone could blink. He met her gaze warm and unafraid and squeezed her hand.
“I can’t fight them run”
“Eh” Before she could speak he pulled her along wind rushing past her face and they were gone.
Moonlight spilled soft gold over the rear halls of the Moon-Palace yet eternal snow clung white and pure. Below lay a natural ice pool fed by mountain springs chilled through and through water cold enough to strip skin and Yu Xuanhe’s chosen place of rest. Mist curled around him as he sat eyes closed flawless as carved ice.
Xie Lin lay watching on a bed of snow-fox pelts for he felt the cold keenly. Sandalwood incense drifted through the air laced with potent herbs he’d begged the Medicine Immortal for stronger than antler or blood and enough to fire any man’s blood. He himself held his desire in check he meant to be the one Yu Xuanhe burned for.
When the scent had thickened he spoke soft and hopeful “Xuanhe are you finished I’m tired”
“Sleep then” Yu Xuanhe replied stepping from the pool. Water streamed down his body Xie Lin had seen him many times yet still he caught his breath so bright and so perfect. And still there was no flicker of warmth toward him.
“Not tired of sleeping” Xie Lin said reaching out. “What is it You loved that mortal woman for a year why nothing for me We were meant to be together since childhood”
Yu Xuanhe caught his hand gently. “Do not waste your effort You know why.”
“Know what”
“I cannot Among my kind a man’s life-force belongs to the one he first gives it to after that no other can stir it.”