3. The Stranger's Name

NARRATE BY KIRAN

A week had passed since that incident in the forest, and I could still feel her heartbeat. Not mine, of course. Hers.

The young woman who showed more courage than I've seen in many warriors. The same one who looked at me without fear and, even on the brink of the abyss, obeyed when I asked her to close her eyes. Sometimes I wondered if she did it out of trust... or resignation.I had returned to the anonymity I knew so well. Hidden in the crowd, disguised in the simple clothes of a traveler, I observed the city from a distance. I walked along the stone paths, listened to the cries in the market, and sometimes, even though I shouldn't have, I approached the walls of the Xiao clan garden. I thought that simply disappearing would be enough. Save a life, let her go her way... and return to mine. That was what I always did. But this time it wasn't like that.Xiao Mei spoke. She told her father everything: about the men who tried to take her, about how she struggled, and about the stranger who suddenly appeared to save her. A man with blue eyes, fair skin, and dark hair. A stranger. He didn't mention violence. He didn't embellish it. He only spoke the truth. And he asked to find me. Not to judge me. To thank me.I listened from a distance. A part of me thought about running away. Changing my face, my name. Disappearing. But another part—the one that still remembered what it was like to be human—pushed me back.A week later, I crossed the threshold of the Xiao clan's inner courtyard, guided by a soldier who looked at me curiously. My robes were simple, black, and unadorned, the black cloak I always wore draped over my shoulders. I carried no visible weapons, only a traveler's staff, already worn by the roads.The clan patriarch welcomed me onto the terrace of his home. He was a stern-looking man with graying hair, but he held a firm stance, as if he'd once been feared in battle. His dark, shrewd eyes fixed on me as soon as I took my first step into the room. He greeted me with suspicion, and I understood. I, too, would have looked at myself suspiciously if he saw me from outside.

—Were you the one who saved my daughter in the forest?— he asked, bluntly and straightforwardly.

—I don't know, sir. I just helped a young woman in need. If she was your daughter... then yes.

—Your name?

I took a second to think. Long enough to bury Kiran once more. My voice came out calm.

—Li Bao.

There was a silence. The name seemed fitting. I'd heard it days ago from a child playing in the reeds by the river.

—Where are you from?

—Nowhere worth returning to,— I replied. —I've wandered for many years. The north, the west... the names of the lands blur together when one travels so far.

—Family?

—Extinct. For too long. A group of bandits attacked the village where I came from. I have nothing worthwhile left in this world.

He studied me intently, as if trying to read the cracks in an ancient stone.

—My daughter speaks well of you. She insisted so much on finding you that I had no choice but to open a search.

I fell silent, not knowing what to say to that.

—You say you have no trade or lineage, but you have the presence of a man who has fought. You cannot hide your stance, and that only makes me even more distrustful.

—Distrust is a form of wisdom,— I replied calmly. —I practice it as well.

A dry laugh escaped him, void of mirth.

—I have a proposal. Or perhaps it's an order. It will be up to you.

I looked at him, intrigued.

—Since that day, I haven't found peace. My daughter... was in danger. I want to prevent that from happening again. I know you can defend yourself. I know you can kill.

He took a step closer.

—I want you to be Xiao Mei's personal escort.

I shook my head almost immediately.

—I can't accept. I'm not cut out to stay in one place. Much less one that deserves peace.

—Why not?

—Because I'm not who I appear to be. Because wherever I go, death follows.

—You sound like a mercenary, —he said, crossing his arms.

—I'm not. But I am someone who has seen too many faces die.

I turned around, ready to leave. I didn't want to stay there any longer than necessary. Then, I heard her voice. Not his. Hers. The clarity of her voice was like water flowing over stones. It was gentle, but also firm.I turned around. There was Xiao Mei, standing, wearing a light blue linen dress, her hair tied back in a low bun, a white flower holding a strand. I didn't think I'd see her again so soon.

—Thank you,— she said without hesitation. —For what you did. I know you didn't expect them to find you, but... I needed to see you.

I didn't know how to respond.

—It wasn't just a brave act,—she continued. —It was humane. And today, in this place, that has great value.

I nodded silently.

—I know my father wants you to be my escort,— she continued. —I'm not sure that's a good idea, but...

She paused, lowering her gaze. Then she looked at me more determinedly.

—I'm asking you. I really would like you to stay. Not out of obligation... but because I trust you.

Her sincerity surprised me. In an environment full of rules, such honesty was rare... and beautiful.

—What if I'm not worthy of that trust?— I asked.

—Then, in time, I'll know,— she replied without hesitation.

I was silent for a moment. I shouldn't accept. But rejecting her was impossible.

"Okay,— I said finally. —I'll stay.

—Under what condition?— she asked with a slight smile.

—I'm not seeking titles or recognition, I have no ambitions. Nor can I stay in this village forever. I only ask one thing,— I said, staring at her. —When the day comes when I must leave, don't try to hold me back.

Xiao Mei nodded slowly. She didn't seem scared.

—So we have a deal, Li Bao.

And so, for the second time, I was left where I shouldn't have been.