Feng shakes her head. “Never directly, but I’ve found this one’s scales littered all over the jungle floor. Bright like emeralds, I tell ye, but worth much, much more.”
“And you know this how?”
She squints at me, suspicion washing over her features. “I sold a couple to an old Northern bastard a few moons back. Some doctor. He paid an arm an’ a leg for the pair I had. It was a right pain in the ass tryin’ to sneak it past the border patrols.”
My heart skips a beat. Doctor Qi. Sothisis the woman he spoke of in his final moments. I can’t believe my luck in finding her so quickly, although she was bound to remain somewhat close to the border if she routinely sells such goods for Northern coin.
Death has followed me lately and weighs heavily on my mind. I try not to think of the wet sound of Captain Tian’s blade slicing through skin, muscle, and then bone in the name of conquest. Ifend off the memories of the captain trampled beneath his own soldiers, his rank doing nothing to stop the awful gurgling of his dying breaths. And then I think of A-Ma, too close to death before that precious dragon scale I slipped into her food. I must complete my mission and see to it that she remains in good health.
With Feng’s knowledge of the jungle and her skills as a huntress, I stand a better chance of finding the creature again. But how am I to convince her to bring me along? And even if we find it, I’m not quite sure what to make of the thread I share with the same beast I am meant to hunt. I can’t let her harm it before I find out, but I’d stand little chance in a physical fight with the huntress, even without my injuries.
Before I have a chance to broach the subject of accompanying her, Feng leads us around a final bend. She pushes aside a large palm leaf, exposing a village hidden at the heart of the jungle.
The homes are made of brown clay and have straw roofs; strings of peppers, garlic, and local herbs hang from doorframes to be left out to dry. The area is relatively flat, beaten down from decades of foot traffic, and a tall fence of sewn water reeds encircles the entire village to keep predators at bay.
Her village boasts no more than fifty members, all of them dressed in similar patchwork pelts from hunts gone by. They have all gathered by a large fire at this late hour, sharing stories over bowls of stew. Movement and chatter fade as Feng and I approach. I quickly notice that in this sea of faces, not one appears happy to see us.
“What’sshedoin’ back?” someone mutters under their breath.
“Is ’er banishment over already?” gripes a young woman near the back of the crowd.
“Who’s the man? A trader from the North?”
“Can’t be. They don’t come down this far no more.”
“What’s she doin’ draggin’ him here, then?”
I carefully dismount my steed, affectionately patting her neck. “Popular with the locals, I see,” I say softly to Feng.
She gives me a pointed look. “Keep yer trap shut and let me take care of this.” Feng turns to her people. “Where’s the Matriarch? I wanna speak t’ my grandmother.”
Everyone in the crowd turns their heads to face an elderly woman among them. She stands slowly, wearing a grave expression. She may be small, no taller than my chest, and yet the respect she commands is clear. People bow their heads as she circles around. The woman’s hair is stark white, loose columns of snow flowing over her shoulders. The drastic sag of her jowls and the deep lines upon her brow give her a heavy quality, matched by the drag of her every step.
Even I feel compelled to bow my head. I know not what to say. The tension in the air is wet and sticky, clinging to my skin and weary bones. The Matriarch doesn’t even bother to glance at me, her cloudy gray eyes focused on Feng alone.
“Ye dare show yer face?” the old woman croons. “Does this mean ye slayed it?”
“No, Grandmother. But I’ve seen it. We both have.” She nudges me in the ribs with the tip of her elbow. “The dragon. Ain’t that right?”
My mouth goes dry. “Yes, it’s true.”
The Matriarch’s expression hardens with obvious disapproval. “Have ye not learned yer lesson? Do ye really still intend to kill it?”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
“Then yer not welcome here.”
Feng steps forward. “Grandmother, just listen—”
“They’re otherworldly, made of magic. Gods among men. To kill one would rain their wrath upon us.”
“They’re like any other mindless beast,” Feng protests.
“Ye dishonor them, child, and therefore dishonor us. Get out, the both of ye, or ye won’t survive the next time we meet.”
I have clearly stepped into a problem that’s not my own. I fear it may be my greatest weakness, sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I can’t help myself.
“Good madam,” I say, stepping forth. “There must be some sort of misunderstanding. We have traveled a long way. Might we rest here for the night and leave in the morning?”
