Chapter 1a: The Escape

[Muskrat]

Mei-Li looks through the pouch and says uneasily, "There's a lot money here. I would guess it's all stolen--maybe when the oh-so honorable magistrate wakes up he can tell us where he got it all. We might be able to return it to its rightful owners." She pauses and then says, "If not, I guess we can keep it and spend it as we need to. Or maybe donate it to the Abbey." She is really uncomfortable with keeping stolen money, since how is that any better than being a thief herself? She passes the pouch to Xun-Wen and Tong Fei so they can look through it.

As she reads the letters in the scrolls, a puzzled look grows on Mei-Li's face. "Well, this is interesting. It seems that Lord Bu was trying to set up Lord Tong--he told Fang Chou that if your father tried to rescue you, Fei, that Chou shouldn't interfere. And the second letter seems to indicate that they knew Chou didn't plan to go along with it--apparently he expected to make a lot of money. Anyway, I'd say we managed to screw up both Lord Bu and Fang Chou's plans pretty badly." Mei-Li's voice sounds satisfied. "This last letter--it's rather sad. It sounds like it was written to Fang Chou by his wife as was dying--and it sounds like their son had died some time before. It looks rather old." She passes the letters to the others to look at.

Then she turns to look at Fang Chou anew. "I wonder how he got involved in the Dragon's Eye Cult? Was he hoping to restore his wife and son to life? They obviously meant something to him if he kept that letter the whole time." For the first time, Mei-Li feels a sliver of compassion for the corrupt magistrate, as her teachers would doubtless encourage her to feel. She feels a little guilty for not thinking to cultivate that compassion earlier.

[TetNak]

Fei frowns, "There are always two sides to every story. Even the most wretched."

"I think I should take the magistrate with me to my uncle's home. He is a powerful man, on par with my father, but Lord Bu has no authority over him." He idly picks some berries off a nearby tree and feeds them to his horse. "These are safe to eat," he tells them. "I suggest you go elsewhere, perhaps to your Abby, Mei-Li. That is also no under Lord Bu's control, and even if it was, the political ramifications of attacking an Abby would be beyond comprehension."

[Muskrat]

Mei-Li nods. "That sounds like a good plan. Are you sure you'll be safe traveling on your own? Xun-Wen and I could escort you to your uncle's, then continue on to the Abbey. You can take the letters and the pouch of stolen money as evidence." She pauses and frowns, then says slowly. "I'm not sure that attacking the Abbey is so unthinkable--at least one noble did so recently." Her voice is reluctant, as if there's something about this story she doesn't want to tell.

[TetNak]

"That is terrible," Fei says, "I think I will be okay. There are few who know this area like I do. I do not think I will have any trouble with Fang secured." He looks over his horse, ensuring the creature is fit to ride. As he does so, he frowns, "I will miss my own horse," Fei says with a sigh.

[Muskrat]

"All right then," says Mei-Li, "if you think you will be safe." She tries a couple of the berries, but she is eager to be off to the Abbey, which is home to her now if anywhere is. "Are you ready to go Xun-Wen?" She looks closely at him for the first time since the fight. "You look pretty badly beat up. Once we get there, you should be able to get proper medical attention."

[Hayabusa]

"As long as I don't get thrown of the horse and break my neck as I hit the ground, I'll be alright, I think," Xun-Wen says, looking up from the letters. He hands them back to Mei-Li.

[TetNak]

Tong Fei nods his head, smiling slightly at Xun-Wen. "Thank you for helping me." He takes a deep breath, "I shall forever be in your debt. Until we meet again." Fei walks to his horse, secures Chou, and mounts the horse in front of him. The young noble leads the horse at a gallop through the trees and away from town to the west.

[Muskrat]

Mei-Li urges her horse to start as well, taking the road to Bamboo Gorge Abbey. She feels a little more at ease on the beast, as if she's beginning to get the hang of it. To Xun-Wen, she says, "Well, I got to see your home, where you were trained--now you get to see where I was trained. And if anywhere is home for me, Bamboo Gorge is now." The thought of returning to the Abbey makes her happy, but the realization that it is as close as she has to a home now also saddens her--it's unlikely she will ever see the estate where she was raised or her parents again. "We can tell the Abbot about Fang Chou and the Cult of the Dragon's Eye. He may want us to find out more if we can--he will certainly not be pleased to learn of the rise of such a corrupt organization and the friends it seems to have in high places."

[Hayabusa]

"It was an interesting thought to visit your home," Xun-Wen says, following on his horse. "Although I am surprised that it will be so soon, because I didn't expect it to be so soon. Maybe sometime after we've looked into the Dragon's Eye, but this is very surprising. Though it wouldn't surprise me if the Abbot sets a similar goal as my father: to look more into the cult and find out how danerous it will be to the vale. Or in this case, your abbey."

[Muskrat]

Mei-Li says, "Going to the Abbey will give us a chance to heal up from that fight with Fang Chou and his thugs--and to come up with a proper plan to investigate the Dragon's Eye. Not that Fang Chou is captured, maybe we can infiltrate without anyone recognizing you. And I still have the ruby I found in Chou's quarters--that may help us get in as well." She pauses. "It would be good to talk it over with some of the monks and nuns at the monastery--some were xia in their own day, before retiring to a life of contemplation."