They reached the last inn before the peak of the mountain. Leaving their horses in the care of the groom, they prepared to walk the last few steep miles on foot.
The three young n carried the bulk of their gear, with ili carrying her own sleeping roll. Her mother had specially prepared this for her with two shoulder straps and a strap around her waist, to keep her hands free for scaling the summit.
"I’m so excited for this bit Tan Bowen," she said with infectious delight.
"It will get hard," he warned her.
"I’m ready for it," she assured him. "It can’t be much harder than ’take-the-flag’."
"Having seen the way your brothers play that ga, you’re probably right."
The prince joined them. "Have you ever thought about staying ho and enjoying more feminine pursuits like embroidery or cooking?" he asked her. "You really want to spend the night on top of that," he indicated the far-off rough-looking peak, "instead of in this nice comfortable inn with hot dinner and a bath?"
"Really, truly," she assured him, "and this is one hundred percent more exciting than embroidery, one thousand percent, even."
"You’re one-of-a-kind that’s for sure," said the prince.
They set off together single file, Bai Li in the lead, ili behind him, the prince behind her and Tan Bowen bringing up the rear.
The initial walk was not too steep, and ili fell into step beside the prince.
"Your highness," she said tentatively, "this must be a hard ti of year for you".
He looked steadily at her, not one to share easily with anyone.
"I’m very used to it by now. My Empress Mother passed away when I was very young. I can barely rember her."
"Still," she ploughed on, "it’s a ti for family reunions, so I’m sure it’s not a happy ti for you. Thank you for joining on this trip, it ans a lot to ."
"It’s good for to have so distractions during the New Year. And you, little vixen, are a great distraction."
"Your highness, it’s okay because we’re friends, but you should be careful not to toy with innocent young ladies’ affections. They could take the things you do and say the wrong way."
"You think I toy with young ladies as a habit?" he asked her with amusent.
"I’m guessing I’m not the only young lady you ... tease."
"I can assure you that you are."
She stumbled on a tree root, and he steadied her.
"I can’t believe that your highness. Is it perhaps that you see like one of my brothers, so you think I can take so robust teasing?"
"There are few things on this earth I’m less likely to see you as, than one of your brothers."
He was a hard nut to crack, she thought, but she was determined. "Well, I won’t take any offence. I’m sure you unconsciously think of just like my brothers, so you treat in the sa way."
"You think I pin your brothers to the wall and kiss them, do you? And pat them on their bottoms? Do you take for a cut sleeve?" he challenged her.
ili was completely at a loss now, and too embarrassed to respond to those comnts about incidents she had worked hard to delude herself, were sothing else entirely. She ducked her head away, her ears burning.
He smiled and rubbed her hair affectionately. "Don’t play coy with little vixen."
"I actually don’t know what coy ans, but I do know that I’m not a vixen!"
"It’s a na that suits you perfectly I think."
"I looked up the definition, and I think I’m the opposite of that."
"You looked up the definition, huh? I’m glad to hear you think of when you’re alone. What does it an little vixen? Enlighten ?"
"You know full well what it ans. I assu you’re using it ironically when you call that."
"Nope."
This conversation really wasn’t going as she’d planned it in her head. "Anyway," she tried to steer it back on track, "I just want you to know that I’m here for you if you ever need soone to talk to."
"In what capacity do you make that offer?"
"As a friend?" she tried.
"Uh-uh," he shook his head.
"As your good friends’ sister?"
"Wrong again."
"Look your highness. This suggestive talk of yours is part of what I’m trying to advise you about. It’s not appropriate to tease like this. I have co of age you know."
"If you’ll just agree to what I want, there won’t be any need for teasing, and this fun little ga of ours where I’m the hound and you’re the fox, can co to an end."
She didn’t dare ask him what it was that he wanted, because she was sure it would be wildly inappropriate. Thankfully the path ahead narrowed, forcing them into single file and effectively bringing an end to their conversation.
She would regroup and give it another go, she decided.
So of the climbing got a little tough now. Bai Li was careful to pull her up any of the more complex terrain, making sure she didn’t scrape herself or fall. She was thankful for his kindness. Like Third Brother, he always made her feel very safe.
Tricky was in his elent, happy as a pig in mud. He loped easily up the steep terraces and ran back down to his mistress, urging her onwards.
The prince followed behind her and provided an unexpectedly gentle extra hand or boost where it was needed.
Tan Bowen, like ili, was appreciating the stunning views from the top of mountain. In the company of his two best friends and his favourite woman, he was happy as a clam. He looked forward to the view of the lantern festival they would see from the peak. He planned to complete a little sketch to turn into a painting on his return.
At last, they cleared the crest of the mountain, arriving on a grassy plateau that was the peak. A gentle breeze ruffled through the long green grass, shifting it in swathes like a brush through hair.
ili untied her sleeping roll from her aching shoulders and threw herself down on her back, enjoying the cooling breeze and the view of the sky.
Tan Bowen sat himself down beside her. He threaded little daises from the field into a dainty daisy crown, which he placed on her head.
"Just like a fairy queen," he comnted, enjoying his handiwork. He would paint that too he decided. He pulled out his scratchpad and a piece of charcoal.
She threw him a dazzling smile in thanks, and he was montarily speechless, his ash stick frozen above the page. Then he shook himself and quickly captured her likeness while she lay in the grass.
"Over here, i ili," called Bai Li from across the field.
She hopped up and ran over to him.
"This is the best spot to watch the lanterns," said Bai Li from a flat high vantage point, pointing down towards the city.
As dark was falling, you could already see the thousands of little pinpricks of lantern light.
"Let’s get our bedrolls set-up for the night while we can still see what we’re doing," he said.
ili laid out her bedroll so she could sit on it and look at the magnificent view. The prince and Tan Bowen imdiately rolled out their bedrolls on either side of her, tight up against her bedding.
She laughed with delight. It reminded her of the tis when her mother had let all six of them sleep in the garden pavilion together on a hot sumr evening. The sa thing would happen with First Brother, with everyone competing to sleep next to him. It made her feel liked.
Bai Li sighed and laid his sleeping roll length-ways along the top of all three of their bedrolls. He planned to keep an eagle eye on the other two n throughout the night.
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