The moon was sinking behind the mouth of the cave and the golden light flowed from the east.
It was time to leave.
The forest was oppressive. The atmosphere was close and the air smelled of rotten fungus.
They burrowed into the black and ominous heart of the forest; the clumpy combs of muddy moss sucking on their feet, and the twisted outgrown roots snatching their ankles.
Upon the mulching floor came a dull light filtering through the sprawling and contorted limbs of the malady-brown trees. A dull light just bright enough to guide their steps.
Li Ji tilted her head upwards, searching for birds that sing sweetly, but there were none.
The huge trees reaching towards the golden rays of autumn, bloated out the gentle warmth of the sun and looked down spiritless and merciless.
For the next two days, a smell of unsureness hovered in the air... not knowing of what is ahead! Clutching their swords tightly, blood pumping through their veins; they kept moving forward only hearing their feet treading on cracking twigs and dead leaves.
With the agility of a gibbon, Jian would oftentimes climb high up in a tree, hawk-like eyes searching above the treetops for Yunyang Mountains—the two giants rocky mass peeking through the tree gaps pointed out the direction to follow.
On the third day, they kept on walking until the sky faded to a flash of orange and melted into deep violets and brazen reds.
They slept only for a little while before resuming their trek under the red blood moon. Despite the exhaustion, thirst, and hunger; their minds stayed strong and focused.
With Shufeng's condition deteriorating, pace was painstakingly slow. Jian estimated three more days before reaching Yunyang Mountains, which increased the likelihood of stumbling upon the imperial soldiers dispatched by the Empress.
Furthermore, the threat of an attack was still looming over the rebels' camp and they couldn't wait for them. Thus, there was no point in heading to the camp anymore.
Hope had been thrown into oblivion. So, where else should they go and wait for news of the rebels?
"Jian, write this message to your uncle," ordered Shufeng, "'Do not wait for us. Leave camp immediately. Do not come for us and send new location. This is the Prince's order.'"
Jian blew his bamboo whistle to call the messenger owl he had sent out to the rebels' camp the previous night.
The owl didn't show up.
After three more attempts, the messenger owl was yet to be seen.
Jian blew a fourth time his whistle. Still nothing.
The owl should have had come back to him by now. Though no one said it aloud—was the camp already under attack? Their heart thumped and their gloom gradually deepened.
On the fifth blow, the messenger owl finally appeared!
[Meeting at the ruins of The Six Pillars. Will wait for two days. Then retreating to Evernight Waterfalls.]
The penned words from Jian's uncle brought anew hope.
"The Six Pillars… it's very close." Li Ji was giddy with a new lease of energy. "We should be there by tomorrow afternoon!"
Just then, from somewhere in the dense forest a sound travelled to Jian's ears—the muffled noise of crunching leaves and twigs whispered danger.
Jian immediately placed his index finger over his mouth to silence them. Even breathing seemed to have been suspended. They crouched down behind thorny bushes…
Jian's trained ears were not mistaken.
"Two men, three at the most," he confirmed in a hushed voice. "A night patrol sent to scout out the area."
The sound of the footsteps got closer and lighter, like ferocious wolves circling around their unsuspecting victims.
Jian turned to the prince, "They've tracked us." Then his fierce eyes glanced at Li Ji and she fully understood.
They often discussed hypothetical scenarios on how the prince's life could be endangered, and their respective role in protecting him.
She immediately supported Shufeng's frail body by locking her arm around his waist and securing his arm across her shoulders.
Jian drew his blade and turning around to Li Ji, he said, "Keep the moon to your left and keep going. Do not turn around no matter what you hear!"
Shufeng caught in Jian's eyes the brightest courage blazing like a raging fire. As long as he had a breath left in him, he would fight to the very last drop of blood to protect them.
As Shufeng was being pulled into the thick maze of the forest, Li Ji glanced back over her shoulder. A misty anguish floated in her eyes as she looked at Jian running the opposite direction with his blade glinting into the pale moonlight.