Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 166: Devastation

Chapter 166: Devastation

[Suggested song for this Chapter, Fix You, Coldplay]

"We’ll stop at the next inn and get some dinner and sleep," Fifth called out over the thump of the horses’ cantering.

Meili nodded grimly. She was beyond exhausted after riding hard all day. Not to mention it had rained earlier, and she was still damp despite her riding cloak.

"I’m drenched and cold, so I won’t resist," she said through chattering teeth.

"Let’s get you warm and dry before you fall ill," Fifth looked at his younger sister with concern.

Her fatigue overwhelmed the temptation to ride for another hour in the fading light.

The bamboo forest was so dense on both sides of the road that everything was bathed in an eerie green light.

She looked behind her at Tricky-Wu. Even Tricky’s cream fur was now a strange soft green, like he was an alien dog descended from the moon.

Even Tricky’s initial enthusiasm for the outing had waned as the hours dragged on, his happy lolling tongue replaced with a pinched look that told Meili that he too, was tired, hungry and thirsty.

Fifth raised a cautionary hand, warning Meili to slow Tufei. Both horses slowed to a walk as Fifth listened for what had caught his attention.

"Riders!" he said with alarm. "A group. Let’s get off the road just in case."

Before they could hide themselves in the dense forest, the first rider rounded the bend ahead of them, pulling his horse up and shouting.

"Hoi! Two riders up ahead!"

"Are they alone?"

"Looks that way."

"Armed?"

"Yep."

"Let’s go boys! We’re on!" cried the lead rider, hoisting his sword above his head and urging his comrades forward.

"Goddam it!" cursed Fifth. "They’re bandits, meimei! Dismount and hide in the bamboo. Don’t come out until I call for you."

"No way, gege, I’m fighting with you. There are too many of them for you to handle alone."

She looked at the men who had swung off their horses and were running towards them. Six men in total.

"You’ll only get in my way. I need space to take them on. Just hide, please meimei," he begged her, "then I can focus without worrying about you".

"Okay ge," she agreed quickly so that he could concentrate, intending to support him however she could as the fighting progressed.

Tricky and Meili disappeared behind a copse of bamboo by the side of the road, Meili armed with her sword and bow.

Fifth was quickly surrounded by the six outlaws, barely managing to defend himself as he was engaged from every side.

Meili shook like a leaf behind her bamboo shelter. She raised her bow with shaking arms and drew back an arrow, shooting one of the bandits in the back from close range.

The man fell face forward into the mud of the churned road. The fellow beside him let out a shout of surprise.

"The other one’s shooting at us from the trees! Quick, get off the road and take him out!"

The bandits slunk off the road and disappeared like smoke into the bamboo forest.

Meili could hear nothing but the sound of her own harsh breathing as she cast this way and that with an arrow nocked on her bow, looking for any signs of the men.

Fifth materialised at her elbow, almost startling her into shooting him.

"Good job, meimei," he whispered. "One down, five to go. Stay behind me. I’ll fight any comers and shelter you."

"Why don’t we fight back-to-back, ge? I can carry my weight."

"No, meimei," he panted. "You’ve never fought in a real battle, and this is a far cry from an exercise at home with your brothers and a wooden sword."

A bandit materialised out of the dense greenery and no more words could be spoken, as Fifth fought the man, parrying his vicious blows, and thrusting under his guard.

"Over here! They’re over here," yelled the man.

It was clear to Meili that Fifth was by far the superior swordsman. His footwork and offensive and defensive strokes way outclassed the bandit’s, who relied on his bulk and brute strength.

Before the other four men could arrive, Fifth had managed a sword thrust that snuck under the man’s blade and disappeared between his ribs.

The bandit looked down in surprise to see the blade embedded in his chest, and then, as Fifth rapidly wrenched it back out, the man clasped his hands to the wound, blood already bubbling out between his fingers as he dropped to his knees.

"Here! Here!" yelled one of the bandits, appearing almost on top of them. "They’ve stabbed Meng Cheng!"

"Yaaaah!" yelled a huge, bearded man, flying towards Fifth and slamming his sword down so hard that Meili saw a chip fly off Fifth’s blade as he parried the blow.

Two of the bandits charged in her direction. Fifth was unable to help as he was now fighting two men himself. Meili raised her sword in preparation, her tiny arms shaking.

"It’s a woman!" said one of the bandits in surprise.

"You’re right," grinned the other. "She’s a beauty, too. You’ll pay for that arrow to the back of our brother, bitch," he snarled.

Tricky let out a ferocious growl and launched himself at the man like a bullet fired from a gun. The beast took the man by surprise, knocking him down flat on his back, where the dog bit the bandit’s face and neck in a frenzy of rage.

"Tricky!" Meili wailed. "Come back here this minute, boy!"

But the dog’s blood was up and he wouldn’t see his mistress threatened.

The bandit’s right hand was hunting about in the dirt for his sword, while he did his best to defend himself from the dog’s teeth with his left hand.

Meili rushed forward to try and kick his blade away, but she was met with a sword strike from the second bandit who faced her, and she was suddenly fighting for her life.

Fifth was right, she thought briefly, a real sword fight with your life at stake bore absolutely no resemblance to her training exercises with her brothers and uncle...

Savage blows rained down on her again and again, and she was forced backwards until her back hit the trunks of the bamboo behind her. She did not land any offensive strikes and was struggling to defend herself from a fatal blow. Too many more, and she knew she would open herself up to a deadly thrust.

She didn’t even have the breath or presence of mind to call on Fifth for help, she could only focus on the next blow and the next one, staying alive from second to second.

Just as she felt she had no strength left to carry on, a sword appeared in the stomach of the man she fought.

Both he and Meili looked stunned by the sight of a pointed blade emerging from his guts. He didn’t even have time to turn and look at the face of his killer, before he collapsed.

Without stopping, Meili rushed to help Tricky, but Fifth was already there.

He stabbed the last man through the heart before he could rise from the patch of ground where he had been grappling with Tricky.

Meili rushed to Tricky’s side.

The dog lay flat on the ground with his front and back paws extended in his favourite ’sploot’ position.

He tried to stand but couldn’t; his back legs remained extended behind him as if paralysed.

"Tricky?" she called uncertainly, a hitch in her voice.

The dog whimpered a little at her call, trying to drag himself over to her by his front legs, his back legs still dragging behind him.

"Tricky!" she cried. "No boy!"

She ran to his side and pulled the dog gently into her lap.

He gave a quiet huff and settled his head into the crook of her arm, looking up adoringly into her eyes.

She saw a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, and as she stroked his fur, her hand came away covered in blood.

Tears streamed down her face as she crooned, "Tricky-Wu, it’s okay boy, you’re okay. I’ve got you. You’re a wonderful protector, thank you for looking after me boy. You have no idea how much I love you. I love you so much. It’s okay boy, I’ve got you now."

The Chow Chow started to labour for breath.

"Shh. There, there. It’s alright boy," she stroked his fur and rocked him like a baby. "You’ve been the best dog a girl could ever have. I love you, boy. I’m going to miss you so much. So much..." she tried not to sob so she could comfort him during his last moments, but she was crying so hard...

The dog gave a little yip like he was having a dream, and then he licked her wrist one more time, before his laboured breaths stopped, and his lively black eyes turned glassy.

One look, and Meili knew her boy was no longer with her...

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