Chapter 8

Before he could say anything, she suddenly turned around and let out a couple of short howls. There was a serious of responding howls in the distance. When she turned back to him, there was a glint in her eyes.

"Follow me!" She called out, jumping into the trees. He was surprised by how fast she disappeared into the trees. She'd improved! He jumped up and followed behind her, quickly catching up. She looked back at him and laughed joyfully. It seemed like they were playing a game of tag, and he felt free for the first time in a very long time.

She led him to the stream, where she grabbed a thick woven rope and used it to launch into the water. She plopped into it with a heavy splash and looked up at him in bright anticipation. He knew that this was not the proper way for a girl to act, and he was a young man after all, but still, he allowed himself to follow her direction and jumped into the water as well.

It was cold, and the water was deep in the middle. It covered his face with relieving the journeys sun and heat. When he emerged from the water, he looked around, searching for her. He panicked a little when he didn't' see her. She burst out of the water holding a big fish in her hands. It wiggled and tried to free itself.

She whistled, and Xiang Xiang appeared from the trees. He swooped down and grabbed the fish heading towards the cabin.

Fan Xiang watched in wonder. Her ability to adapt was impressive to him. While he watched the hawk fly off, he felt a splash of water hit his face, followed by a melodious laugh. He turned and mock glared at her making her giggle and run away in terror. He could only pursue.

After a while of playing in the water, she led him to a ledge where the sun shone brightly. She laid down, and he followed suit. In the distance, the view was beautiful. They were high enough to see the stream they had just come out of, and past that was the various mountain ranges and forest expanding as far as the eye could see.

She rolled over so that she was on her stomach, facing out towards the view. She rested her head on her hands and glanced at him with a hint of sadness. "You were gone for a long time this time Xiang ge ge."

He smiled regrettably, "I know." He laid on his back and watched her breathe in and out until she fell asleep. He soon fell asleep, as well. When he woke up, it was because she had rolled over into his arms. She snored softly, her face was perfectly content and peaceful. She nestled herself against his chest, searching for warmth.

He felt his heart quicken. Her proximity scared him. It was the first time he ever looked at her with a feeling of trepidation. The mood quickly passed. She was just a young girl, she was like a little sister to him. But still, he couldn't get comfortable again. He found himself tracing the shape of her face with his eyes. He admired the gentle curve of her lips and the long flow of her lashes. She was beautiful.

When he felt her start to wake up, he quickly closed his eyes, hoping she wouldn't notice. She didn't. She was completely oblivious. She stared at him with a smile, thinking he was still sleeping.

"You must have had a long trip," she said gently. She ran a finger over his eyebrows, trying to smooth out the furrow. In her mind, he was like one of her brother wolves, or Xiang Xiang, part of a family, touching was normal, and she didn't feel strange about it. She understood that it wasn't the same, but in her heart, Xiang ge ge belonged to her, he was part of her family. "You've gotten bigger Xiang ge ge. Will you forget about me one day?" She nestled back into his arms and laid in the crook of his arm against his chest. "Don't forget about me, ok?"

Her voice was very quiet, but he heard it. He hoped she didn't know how fast his heart was racing, or how uneasy he felt at having her touch him so intimately. He reminded himself that she wasn't used to being around people anymore. She probably didn't even realize that he was already a man with those kinds of needs. How could she? She was just a little kid when she left. No one would have given her the talk. She lived out here freely. No rules, no boundaries, just freedom.

He let her snuggle for a little longer, only feeling a little guilty letting her do so, then cleared his throat to let her know she was awake.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked innocently.

"Mmm," he answered, moving away from her.

She followed him down the cliffside and back towards the cabin, taking the lead halfway when he wasn't sure which way to go. A few of her wolves watched from the depths of the trees, alert and cautious. When they got to the cabin, she led him inside. The fish she had caught was lying on a table near the stove. She took it outside and cleaned it up, then brought it back in to cook. He watched her as she did all this, a feeling of pride growing inside of him as if she was a part of him.

When they finished eating, they spent the night talking about various things, and absolutely nothing. She was excited to have someone to talk to, he was happy to not have to talk about serious stuff. Together there was perfect harmony.

The next morning Cheng Kang brought him a message from his family. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay long this time. He spent the next week practicing swordsmanship with her. She had become very agile in her movements. She had learned how to use her surroundings to her advantage. Sometimes she would disappear into the trees only to appear behind him. She was stealthy and quick, but still much weaker then he was.

Her shooting had improved by leaps and bounds. If he had to rate her, she would easily be on par with any of the marksmen in his clan. He taught her a few more sword stances before he left, knowing that when he came back, she would have them mastered.

The last time he came back, she was fourteen years old. When he saw her, his entire body trembled. His heart towards her had changed, and he knew it. It had changed the last time he came, and now seeing her, there was no denying that he saw her as a woman. Not a pet, or a little sister, she made his heart feel heavy and free at the same time.

She stood a short distance from him, looking both fierce and gentle at once. Beside her was a grey wolf, and on her shoulder was Xiang Xiang. Her eyes were bright like fire, and her smile was playful. He rubbed his heart with the palm of his hand, hoping to calm it down before he reached her.

Cheng Kang stared at the young girl ahead of them. He knew that his Young Master had fallen in love with her. He also knew that because of it, this would be the last time he saw her. His heart hurt for him. How great it would have been if he was just another Young Master in a regular family, and all the duties that belonged to him didn't exist. If he didn't care about her, if his heart didn't hurt at the very thought of her being hurt, he would have taken her away long ago. But that's not how it was, and he was confident that his love for her was real, otherwise he would have taken her away long ago.