Makaskas grew impatient. He paced harshly on the soft ground, leaving paw prints where he stepped to retrieve water for the horses. He was in the stable with Bao, who sat on the wooden railing, caressing a fine bronze mare with shiny coat. Bao could hear Makaskas grumbling as he refilled the horse's water.
"I don't trust that exorcist." Makaskas finally snapped. He flipped the bucket over and placed it on the ground where he sat on top, fingers pinching the bridge of his muzzle. "What if that was just a parlor trick? So she could say that she helped and be relieved of her duty to actually help us?"
"Settle down, Makaskas," Bao said. "Even scrying takes time."
"Too much time," Makaskas added. It had been a full day since they lost Nami and in that time, who knows where they could have been. He let out an exasperated sigh and bowed his head. "It doesn't take long to devour essences…" Makaskas paused and contemplated whether to say what he had in mind or not. In the end, he succumbed. "…you know that as well as I do."
Bao was stoic but the corner of his mouth slightly curved to frown when Makaskas reminded him of their passage to mortality. "I too am worried about the children."
"Not I." Makaskas looked at Bao. "I've no sentiments about the children I barely know. It's Nami I'm worried about and the one you should be worrying more about too."
Bao opened his mouth to reply but was cut off when Makaskas added another statement.
"Once they devour the children, gods forbid they lay a finger on Nami." Makaskas sighed again. "That exorcist is a fraud. I should have just tracked Nami on my own."
"Please, do so," said Liang from behind them. There was a raven perched on her forearm and an anxious expression masking her face. "And please, hurry."
Bao jumped from the railing and approached Liang, asking the whereabouts of their abducted avolar.
"We are running out of time," Liang said. "They hide in Emperor Dai's castle, in the throne room."
Makaskas immediately bolted to the stables to retrieve horses.
Liang whispered to the raven, "Take to the sky once more and scout the dangers ahead. Go." The raven cawed and flapped its wings to the growing night.
Makaskas forwarded one horse to Bao as he was already mounted on another. The snow leopard took one leap to ride the horse and Liang was left wondering.
"Where's my horse?" she asked.
"We just lost two," Makaskas said. "You ride with Bao. A great honour. Now if you must stall, I will now go ahead." He struck the reins of his horse, the whip resonating in the air and he thundered out of the grove in seconds.
Bao extended his hand to Liang which Liang looked at dispassionately, reminded of the incident yesterday where that same hand could have torn her to shreds. He rejected Bao's assistance and mounted the horse herself behind him. Bao reined the horse toward the exit of the grove but before they could leave, Yachi approached them with a warning.
"Tonight's a full moon," Yachi said and pointed to the clear sky only visible in Masu's grove. "You know what that means."
Bao clicked his tongue and with distaste, he muttered, "Wolves."
They were galloping in the night as though there might have been no dangers ahead. It was testified by Liang's familiar, silent as the dead wood as it glided in the freezing gale. Makaskas was nowhere near them to be seen or heard although their departure wasn't that far apart in time. The clouded leopard from Ma'alon showed his solemn fervour in rescuing their avolar. And that was a good thing—the best thing they could hope for now. Especially when Zhaohu's wolves could, at any moment, be scouring every corner of Akako for the collection.
The thick curtain of trees began to lessen, becoming much more apart from each other as their horse galloped in the pathless forest. A few moments more, Liang began to smell an aroma—unknown to her but certainly manmade. Then the dark began to lighten until Liang could see wisps of yellow and orange light from the burning torches of Akako's people. For a reason beyond her, she almost felt relieved as she expected to arrive in Akako once more but she warned Bao to stop once her familiar began cawing hysterically above them.
"There is danger," Liang warned. Her familiar circled above them before diving toward Liang to perch on her extended forearm. They communicated silently without the aid of words or gestures as though they might have shared the same mind. Then once more, Liang sent her familiar to the air.
"Wolves," Liang said.
Bao looked over his shoulder to Liang. "How many?"
"Ten. Jade armour with the sigil of a full moon intersected by two swords."
"Shinsou…" Bao whispered. Liang felt the leopard's fur bristle in either fear or contempt. She wasn't sure with how Bao always looked stoic. "And what about Makaskas?" Bao asked.
"Already past them. Climbing the steps."
"Send your raven to accompany Makaskas and follow my lead."
Liang communicated with her familiar once more and it circled the air above them one last time before heading toward the ruins of Emperor Dai's castle.
Bao dismounted the horse and had Liang seat at the front before jumping behind her. "Keep your hands behind you," he whispered behind Liang, "You are my bounty for petty theft brought from Yofuchi. We are merely passing by the village to deliver you to Shinsou's dungeon."
Liang felt uncertain with Bao's plan but then again, she always felt uncertain about most things. Yet somehow everything played out until now. Everything turned out all right in the last twenty years and she thought, perhaps this one was no different.
She nodded her head once and kept her hands behind her as though she was bound, concealed by the cloak Bao tucked firmly against her then he reached in for the reins of the horse. They both took a deep breath and let it out in a thick, icy smoke.
They entered the village.