The Red Plains (The Forbidden List Book 3) (23 page)

They left the road before they reached the inn which Haung had stayed in on the way to the port town. As yet, there were no Mongol patrols on the road, but he knew it would not be long and though the inn provided the opportunity to find out the latest news, it would be a risky stop. If the Mongols had ranged out from the capital, along the roads, then the inn was a clear target. Also, any news would be at least a day out of date and Sabaa had, according to her, the means to get information that was current, up to date.

The land around the road was cultivated. Fields of rice close to the small rivers that the farmers allowed to flood the land, hardier crops and animals further away, on the shallow slopes. Between the villages, forests of tall trees filled the land. It was into these that the two had ridden and made camp out of sight of the road.

Haung had a small fire going and was unpacking the evening meal. Nothing was to be cooked, it would take too long and require a larger fire. A cold meal and cold night’s sleep. Autumn was relinquishing its grip on the land and winter was coming.

“We’ll need to know what is happening around the capital,” Haung said as he handed Sabaa a wrapped package of food.

She smiled back at him. “I know.”

“When can you look?” He took a bite of his food and tried to keep the worry from his voice.

“When I have eaten, Haung,” she said. “It will not take too long.”

“Good,” he replied. The Mongol army he had faced at the Wall had been almost uncountable and though the Empire’s armies were certainly beyond counting, they were unlikely to all be protecting the Capital. It would be all right, he was sure and yet there was worry too. Jiao and his son were in the city and, according to Xióngmāo, the Mongols were not known for their merciful nature.

Haung ate quickly. Sabaa took longer and it was difficult to sit still as she finished her meal.

“You’re worried about your family,” she said and it was not a question. “Will knowing what is happening be a relief or will it increase your worry?”

He opened his mouth to answer and no words came forth.

“I understand. To be here, I have left my own children and family behind. Wars in my country are usually small affairs. One tribe will attack another. One or two will be hurt, maybe killed, and it will be over.”

“The ones who attack the capital are not like that,” Haung answered the question behind her statement. “They have come for conquest and I have seen them fight. They send their young into battle first, to prove their valour.”

“Every culture is different, Haung. I will look at your capital. You stand guard.”

Sabaa sat with her back against a tree and closed her eyes. For a few moments he watched her, noting her breathing settle into a slow rhythm. Her shoulders relaxed and head bowed forward. She did not move and, eventually, he gave up waiting, unrolled the bed cloths, gathered more wood for the fire and settled down.

There was little to look at and he fell to gazing into the fire. The more he stared, the more variations in reds, oranges and yellows he started to see. Between the bright colours, the dark shadows of the burning wood. The structure, the pyramid of small twigs he had erected to get the fire started, had collapsed. Tiny sparks and sprites danced between the flames and a faint wisp of grey smoke rose into the network of branches above.

“Don’t fall in.”

Her whisper broke the spell and he leaned back, wiping the smoke from his dry eyes.

“What?”

“The fire,” she said, her voice still quiet, “you have been staring into it for a long time.”

“Wasn’t a lot else to do,” he replied.

“You should be careful of fires. They are hypnotic and can drag you in. Stare for too long and you leave yourself open.”

“Open?” He shook his head.

“Fire is one of the planes, the realms. Like all, it reaches into this one, seeking to gain a hold and bring them together once more.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Across the fire he saw her look of surprise.

“Is it not taught anymore?”

He returned a blank look.

“The realms, the beginning, the division? None of this means anything to you does it? I can see by your face it does not.” She paused to take a sip of water. “The world, the bit you see, isn’t all of it. There are overlapping realms. Places where things are different, but have reflections in this world. There is a realm of fire, for example, and when you stare into a fire for too long, too deeply, you can lose yourself to that realm. The fire is seeking a way back to this world where it will no longer be a reflection.”

“You’re not making a great deal of sense,” he answered.

“I know. Normally this would take years of education and experience to understand. I’m trying to put it in simple terms. Once, a very long time ago, all the realms were one and each aspect, fire, air, water and all the others, fought to establish their dominance. It was chaos. One being desired order and he, eventually, after many millions of years, battled the universe. The outcome was this world and the realms, but the battle continues. You see the outcomes of those skirmishes on this world, the earthquakes, volcanoes, storms, diseases, floods. Many of the other realms still want dominance over this realm, others are happy to be separate and co-exist.”

“Is that one of your myths? From your country, I mean.”

“It is not a myth, Haung, it is truth,” she said.

“Every priest I’ve ever met said their version was the truth,” he countered.

“You get your magic from the void,” she stated. “The gap between this world and the realms, the result of the tearing apart. It is a realm unto itself, though it is empty of everything and emptiness is not something the universe enjoys. Hence it is a place where you can draw power from. The other realms have similar effects. There are those who can draw power from the realm of fire or water, air or earth, life or death.”

“And you?”

“Air.” She waved her hand above the fire. “It is how I can ride the warm currents and send my sight to other places.

“You’ve seen the capital?” He pushed aside all the talk of realms, religion and magic. “What can you tell me?”

“That I cannot get too close. The capital is protected by some very strong magic. However, from a distance I could see that the walls still stand and all around lie piles of dead, horses and men. There are clouds of smoke, dirty and grey, above the city itself and fires burn in many places. I can tell you that the air smells of magic. There has been a great battle today and much magic has been used on both sides.”

“Mongol magic?” he interrupted.

“I do not know what form Mongol magic takes. The magic smells of the void and fire, though mostly the void.”

“The
Fang-shi
have defended the city,” he said with certainty.

“Possibly, though the smell hangs all around the city and above the camps outside. Who has used it, I cannot tell. The bodies outside the city suggest your Empire is holding on to their city.”

“We could never get the magic at the Wall to work so this will be the first time the Mongols have truly felt the might of the
Fang-shi
.” He slapped his knee with one hand and smiled across the fire at Sabaa.

“There are many of the enemy left,” she cautioned, “and the city itself has numerous fires raging. Those I could see from a distance.”

“But the walls are standing, the gates are closed and the Mongols are outside.”

“And how will we get in?” Sabaa asked.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “It depends upon the battle tomorrow. The city covers a large area. It would be difficult for any army, no matter how large, to surround it totally. Can you describe to me the location of the Mongol camps?”

She nodded and Haung brushed some autumn leaves away, clearing a patch of dirt. In the centre, placed a stone.

“That is the city,” he explained. “It is roughly rectangular in shape, the long sides are to the west and east. Where are the Mongols camped?”

With the tip of a small piece of firewood she pointed out their positions. “The main camp appears to be on the western side of the wall and there is another, smaller camp to the south.”

“Makes some sense,” he admitted. “The southern camp will block any reinforcements from the larger southern towns. To the east is us and the port you came into is the largest town. To the north is land, full of foothills and mountains, they will have already ridden through. The camp to the west blocks the other major route to the capital and I’d bet they have patrols riding out in all directions.”

“The question remains, how do we get in?”

“We could try and dodge the patrols to the north, but that would mean getting to a gate and hoping they let us in,” he said.

“Is that likely?”

“Probably not,” he admitted. “They would not trust anyone without the proper password and we’d have to try and get in at night.”

“How then?”

“We could fly?” he suggested, doubts clouding his voice and the look on her face confirmed them. “Swim?”

“Swim?”

“There are some large lakes in the city that are fed by the rivers from the north,” he said.

“Rivers? Surely the Mongols would have attacked through them if they were passable?”

“The rivers flow below the city,” Haung said.

“Below?”

“I am not sure when or why exactly, but the rivers were diverted into tunnels that run underneath the city and the water rises into the lakes. Everyone takes their water from those.”

“And we can swim through them?” Sabaa said. It was not difficult for Haung to detect the doubt in her words.

Haung sighed. “No, we’d drown. The tunnels are full of water.”

“Is that all?” she said. “I can ensure we have enough air to breathe, if you can ensure the tunnels aren’t blocked?”

“The water gets through,” was all he said.

# # #

The entrance to the tunnels was good distance from the city itself. Haung and Sabaa had ridden all morning and afternoon on a roundabout course. The capital was visible in the distance as a brown smudge on the horizon throughout their ride. They were too far away to make out any details of the battle that must be raging. Even at this distance, columns of smoke were visible as thin brush lines against the dark early winter sky.

The patrols were easy to avoid by the simple expedient of staying within the tree line. It made the journey slow, but they were in no rush. The best time to approach the river would be in the dark.

The plan was simple. Wait till night, climb into the river, let the current carry them downstream and into the tunnels. Haung knew that the channels were wide enough for him and Sabaa. It was the journey within them that worried him most. The tunnels would be full of water. There might be little air pockets, up against the ceiling, but they could not be relied upon.

Sabaa was confident and had convinced him that she could provide all the air they needed to survive the journey. He was, he realised, putting his life in her hands. If she could not do what she promised, Jiao would have to raise their son on her own.

They set the horses free on the edge of the trees, though the beasts were content to lower their heads to nibble at the grass. Their packs they hid under piles of fallen leaves and, carrying only their swords, a length of rope and some material cut from their oiled and waxed bedrolls, scampered out of the tree line.

Farms surrounded the capital, the producers of the food needed to feed all the people. Every farm house they passed was deserted and the last of the winter
bō cài
and
shēng cài
still unharvested in the fields. The low crops and the buildings provided cover for the pair. To the south the city glowed, casting an orange halo against the dark clouds. It was aflame again. The sounds of battle had been clear throughout their travels. Not the individual cries and shouts, but the rumble of horses and the sharp cracks of the
huo-ya
o
explosions.

A few hours of scurrying across fields, past houses and over tracks brought them to the river. Following the small river, the width of a street in the capital, downstream they soon discovered the tunnel entrance. It was covered with a bamboo screen against which a raft of leaves had been caught. Between the water and the roof of the tunnel was a gap about half of Haung’s height. In the shadows of night the whole thing resembled an open mouth. The darkness in the tunnel was absolute.

“Ready?” Sabaa said.

“Tell me again,” Haung said, wiping his sweaty palms on his clothes.

“From your description, these tunnels open directly into the city. We simply let the current take us there.”

“And how do we breathe?”

“I can generate the air for us. If I am honest, it is much easier for me. However, you’ll need to wear this hood and I will fill it with air,” she said with a smile, white teeth in the gloom of night.

“I won’t be able to see,” Haung said.

“It will be too dark anyway. Do not worry, Haung, I will look after you. We’ll be in the city before you know it. Now, best if you strip off.”