door they had just descended through.
They heard Ro’s voice, deep and threatening. His voice was muffled, but they knew what he was saying nonetheless.
Lihua’s eyes widened as he spoke.
The midwife spoke. Her voice was mock-innocent and strong. She knew what was coming.
Lihua shook her head. Ai held her back.
Next came the piercing sound of steel through flesh, like puncturing a melon. There was no screaming.
Ro spoke again, and footsteps could be heard rumbling overhead. They were searching. “We have to keep moving.” Ai whispered sadly.
“That was Ro.” Lihua said, in a fearful, angry tone.
Ai looked at her sadly and nodded, then ushered her onward. “Yes, it was.” Ai confirmed, “Come on.”
Lihua resisted even as Ai moved them down the wide. “Ai, he sent Ro.” She continued as the baby went back to sleep in her arms.
Ai looked at her, nodding quickly. “I know.” She replied, trying not to sound irritated, “And you know what that means. So let’s keep moving. We’re less than a mile from the village.”
Overhead, the sounds of thundering hoof-steps and derisive laughter coalesced with the echoes of pained and defiant screaming to give the women a fairly good idea as to what was happening to those who’d sheltered them. “I don’t understand.” Lihua mused sadly, shaking her head, “How’d they track us? We were careful, weren’t we?”
They had been walking for a few minutes when the path opened before them, splintering into four separate routes. “She said stay to the right.” Ai remembered, pushing Lihua down the path furthest to the right. “And it doesn’t matter how they found us. We just have to stay ahead of them now.” She hesitated and said, “We knew there may have been a chance we’d have to confront them, eventually.”
Lihua whirled, rocking her baby so as not to disturb her slumber. “We did, but not here!” She shot back angrily, “Besides, didn’t we deal with them back at the mountaintop?”
There was a tremendous crashing sound directly above them, accompanied by more muffled screams. Then laughter.
“We dealt with some of them.” Ai replied, uncomfortable that they had stopped, “You know how deep Shihong’s pockets are. For what we did, he’ll hunt us to the ends of the Earth.”
The numbing herbs Lihua had been given when they’d arrived at the village were wearing off, but the sickness was slowly being overtaken by anger. She glowered up to the ceiling, continuing to cradle her baby. “That homicidal bastard…” She growled, “He’s not getting my baby.”
Ai shook her head and stepped closer. “No, he’s not. If he does, then all of this…” She nodded up to the sounds of senseless slaughter above, “…all of this is for nothing. These women are fighting and dying for you, Lihua. Don’t dishonor that sacrifice. Keep moving.”
Lihua lingered a moment longer on what was happening above her, and then looked at Ai reluctantly, nodding. The two women moved on in silence.
“Have you thought of a name?” Ai whispered after a moment, trying to ease the tension.
Lihua had been lost in her own thoughts, remembering the life they’d escaped and the treacherous journey that had brought them to that point. When they started, there had been three. Ai had burned her daughter’s body two months ago, when they had first encountered Shihong’s men at the top of a mountain.
Shihong sent Ro when the others didn’t return.
“Lihua?” Ai reiterated. Once again, they were faced with four separate paths. Lihua ventured to the right on her own this time, nodding over her shoulder at Ai. “Hm?”
“Your daughter.” Ai continued in a gentle voice, “Have you thought of a name for her yet?”
Lihua smiled, looking down at the perfect, innocent face of her daughter. Truthfully, she was surprised either of them survived the journey.
Lihua shook her head. “No. Not yet--”
A woman shrieked so pervasively that it could be heard clear through the ground as though she were standing next to them. First, she was begging for them to stop. Then, she begged for them to kill her, which elected more laughter from her tormentors. Then the screams continued.
Both Ai and Lihua shuddered, the former far more experienced with the type of torture these women were being forced to endure.
As the screaming continued, Lihua looked down at her daughter, who moaned and adjusted herself in her arms.
Lihua closed her eyes and kissed her daughter on the forehead.
She then turned to Ai, holding out the child. “Ai, please take her for me.” Lihua said in an uncharacteristically commanding tone, “Take her and get to the Hidden Village. Keep her safe. I’ll catch up to you.”
“What?” Ai began.
Lihua shook her head. “I can’t do this, Ai.” She declared, “You raised me better than this. We did this, you know that? We led these men here and I can’t just leave these people to die.”
Ai began to say something when Lihua held up a hand. “Once they finish here,” Lihua concluded, “You know they’ll follow us right to the Hidden Village. You know what’ll happen then.”
Ai became silent. When she’d met Lihua, she’d merely been Daughter Number Two, sold to the cruel Lord Shihong by a poor family. Ai had named her, raised her, trained her, and now, watched her grow from timid girl to powerful young woman.
“I’m tired of running, mom.” Lihua whispered, “We…I have to stand up to them sometime.”
Ai smiled proudly, like a mother. “Name your daughter.” She said, trying to keep her voice from cracking.
Lihua smiled. “I’ll name her when I get to the village.”
Before Ai could protest, Lihua brought her close and embraced her tightly. “Thank you for everything, mom.” She whispered, kissing her on the cheek. “Please, keep your granddaughter safe. I’ll be there shortly. I have to make this right.”
Ai held Lihua and pressed her face into the area where her neck met her shoulder. “I know you do.” She conceded. She pulled away, kissing Lihua on the forehead. “Can you find your way to the village?”
Lihua smiled, touching her forehead. “I have the map.”
The two lingered on each other a moment longer, and then Ai reached inside her robe, pulling forth three long, green strands of grain. “Take these.” She commanded, “They…they should keep you focused for just a little while.”
Lihua nodded and took the grain, which smelled and tasted like spearmint. They were the same numbing plants Lihua had been given before they’d induced labor. Their effect was almost instantaneous. Lihua felt her fever melt away, but she knew it wouldn’t last. After maybe an hour, she’d collapse. “Thanks, mom.” Lihua said as she swallowed. “You’re welcome.” Ai smiled. “Now go. Hurry.”
Lihua smiled and sprinted, heading back down the tunnel. In a few moments, she was gone.
The new mother said a quick prayer, grasping the X-shaped necklace at her neck. She asked for Amen’s guidance and forgiveness if this all went wrong.
She reached the ladder quickly and ascended, attributing the sweat to her sudden exertion and not the sickness. She couldn’t afford to think about being sick now.
Pushing the door open required more force than she imagined. As she grunted, pressing up on both of her forearms, she saw why; the midwife’s body had been laid atop it. As Lihua re-entered the room, she moved the elderly woman’s body away from the door gently and placed two fingers over her eyes to close them.
The house she’d given birth in was completely destroyed. The fire had worked quickly. Only embers and small pieces if kindling remained. Even the hay had been blackened.
Lihua allowed herself a single breath. Her head throbbed, her stomach felt like it was folding in on itself, and her throat burned, although she knew that was from smoke inhalation.
In the distance, she could still see some of Shihong’s agents chasing down some of the women who lived here. As long as someone was still alive, Lihua was determined to help them.
As Ai had taught her, she dashed and stayed low to the ground. The White Village had earned its name by being perpetually blanketed in snow. She was practically invisible in a white robe, and she tucked her black hair into her robe to further conceal her presence. As she pursued the agent who’d crossed her line of sight, the only way someone would spot her would be if they looked directly at her. Fortunately for her, all of the other agents were preoccupied.
Lihua raced up a small hill, into the home where the agent had gone. She gasped, accidentally revealing her presence.
There were three agents in the room. The one she’d seen stood behind his companion, who was forcing a very young girl onto a table.
All Lihua could see were the girl’s flailing legs being pulled open, and she heard the girl’s clothes tear. Off to the left, a second agent held another woman, Lihua assumed the girl’s mother, pinned to the ground even as the woman screeched, pleading with the men not to do this.
Only a flicker of hesitation shot through Lihua. She had been well-taught by Ai over the years, and turned what she’d been taught into her own style, but she’d never applied it before.
She then shot forward, shoving the first agent off to the right and sending him crashing into his comrade. In the surprise, Lihua continued forward and reached to the second agent’s belt. She ripped the long Dao sword all of Shihong’s agents carried free from its sheath. The agent’s surprise at having his weapon stolen caused him to turn, and when he did, the young girl scampered off of the table,