Chapter 1a: The Escape

[TetNak]

Xun-Wen and Tong Fei exit the Magistrate's office. Standing over the defeated is two of Tong Ran's men and Mei-Li. One of the men looks hurt, but is obviously pushing through the pain to do his part.

Fang Chou is on the ground, knocked cold, but the group has little time to decide what to do. The sound of people finally reacting to the shuffle on the streets is plain in the distance.

[Muskrat]

Mei-Li looks around. "I don't think there's any time to lock these guys up," she gestures to the thugs, "and I wish we had time to interrogate them to see how much they know."

Seeing Xun-Wen and Tong Fei exit the magistrate's headquarters, Mei-Li calls to Xun-Wen, "Leave the ransom note and let's get out of here. It sounds like people are coming." To the remaining guard, she says, "Forget about Song for now. Help me get Fang Chou onto a horse so we can ride off with him. Once we get out of here, into the woods and away from people, we can stop, regroup and plan."

[Hayabusa]

"Ah yes, I almost forgot," Xun-Wen says and rushes back into the office to throw the note in the room with the cells before running back outside. He grimaces at the thought of riding off. The martial arts student makes sure that his staff is secured on his back and helps out where he can before heading for a horse. At least he doesn't have to ride himself.

"Alright, I've left it," Xun-Wen adds heading for the nearest horse with a rider.

[TetNak]

The guard runs over and brings back the horses. "What about him?" he asks, pointing to the Magistrate.

[Hayabusa]

"He'll come with us," Xun-Wen says. Walking over to pick up the bound Fang Chou. "We cannot leave him here as he knows exactly who we are and what we did. He's a threat to anyone who's not part of the Dragon's Eye sect, so we may not let him get away."

[TetNak]

"I can have him ride with me," Tong Fei says, helping put the magistrate on a horse, and climbing behind the slumping figure.

"I will have to take him," the guard says, indicating the other hurt man, which will leave Mei-Li and Xun-Wen to ride their own horses. It won't be easy, but maybe the practice they've had over the last few days will serve them well.

[Hayabusa]

"Ah, that's not good. I've never ridden a horse on my own," Xun-Wen sighs. "That can only end very badly."

He walks over to the horse anyway, determined not to look like a fool in front of Tong, the guards and Mei-Li. Breathing calmly Xun-Wen mounts the horse, imitating the same movements anyone else has done in the past weeks whenever they got on a horse.

[TetNak]

"I know," Fei says. "We really have no choice. We just need to get into the woods. You can dismount then, or I can take your horse's reigns and lead us for awhile."

Xun-Wen climbs up into the saddle. He does not fall off, thankfully, but he feels far from comfortable.

[Muskrat]

"Fare well," says Mei-Li, bowing to the guards. "If you can track down Song and capture him, that would be wonderful. You may want to go back to your former master, Lord Tong Ran's brother. It will let you lay low and perhaps help Lord Tong deny any involvement in this. And Lord Tong's brother can discipline Song as well as Lord Tong--I would only hope that he spare the man's life, for the Lord Buddha taught us to treat all beings with compassion, even those who have done evil. Any mercy you show will earn you merit and help you achieve a better rebirth."

Mei-Li then goes over to the horse and gingerly climbs up on the beast. Like Xun-Wen, she does not want to make a fool of herself. Once she is up, she says, "I'm not terribly familiar with riding horses either," she says, "but let's be off."

[TetNak]

"We follow the tenants of Buddha, worry not," the guard says, with the other slouched over his back. "Do not tell me your path. Go with speed to wherever your way might take you." He pulls the reigns and trots the horse off down the western road.

Tong Fei looks over his shoulder, the commotion in the town growing. "Come! We must go!"