Beware Of Chicken

She seemed a little shocked at my easy surrender, her vulpine eyes opening completely. They were a lovely amber colour, the same as Gou Ren’s.

As quickly as the shock came, it went.“So how did you and Ten Ren meet, anyways?” I asked.

“Oh? He got hurt in the forest, and I found him. He thought I was some kind of fox spirit at first, and I thought he was some kind of ascended monkey. He shaves them off now, but back then his sideburns--! Well, I nursed him back to health, and he ended up challenging my father to a hunting contest to win my hand--”

I listened to the rather funny story of Ten Ren’s increasingly mad ploys to win the hand of a tribal girl.

Until finally he just snuck in in the middle of the night, and kidnapped her. Which is apparently what both she and her father had been waiting for, judging by the fond sighs and blush she got when relaying that piece of information.

Alright, thatʼs a piece of culture shock, but judging by the story it was consensual, so I’m not gonna judge.

“And then my uncle looked right at him. Ten Ren always says he got away cleanly, but don’t believe a word.” She told me conspiratorially.

“--I swear the wood is faulty. It split right down the middle, again.” I heard Yun Ren’s raised voice from outside.

“My bow wasn’t faulty. Say that again and I’ll beat your teeth into the back of your skull. Itʼs something else. That thing is cursed, I tell you, cursed!”

The brothers entered, looking quite upset, while Hu Li narrowed her eyes.

“And what are you two grumbling about now? Yun Renʼs mystery deer?”

Both boys jumped. “Mother!” Yun Ren yelped.

“Jin?” Gou Ren called.

Hu Li glared at her sons. “It wasn’t even an hour from the village!” Yun Ren protested, “It had torn up a bunch of snow, to get at a patch of still green grass. I tried to get it, and Gou’s bow broke.”

Gou Ren grumbled.

Hu Li frowned, and raised an eyebrow at Gou Ren. “So itʼs real then, and not a tall story?”

Her younger son nodded. “I don’t think its a spirit beast. It looks too dumb. Here, Yun Ren can’t draw worth a damn, and you told me to get what it looked like.”

“I can draw just fine…” his brother muttered, while Gou Ren got a piece of charcoal. The table was what he used, instead of paper.

My first thought, when the drawing was done, was “Gou Ren is really good at making things look cute.”

The second was “thatʼs a goddamn moose.”

Well, if there are sugar maple trees….

Hu Li looked a bit confused. “A Thunderhoof? This far south?”

“Hey, thatʼs kinda cute. Nice drawing Gou.” I said, looking at the drawing. Look at those doe eyes~! He blushed. How could you mistake a moose for a deer, Yun?!

“Yeah, the babies are cute. You won’t be saying that when it grows up bigger than the headman’s house.” Hu Li shot back.

Okay, what?

“And they’re not Spirit Beasts?” I asked incredulously.

“Some of ‘em are. Mostly, theyʼre just big. They live up in the northern wastes, out in the Sea of Snow. This one is real lost to be down here.”

What the hell, xianxia land.

“...You want me to chase it off?” I finally asked.

She shook her head. “It’ll clear off on it’s own. And it won’t hurt us none, as long as we don’t poke it witharrows.” She snarled, glaring at her sons. They had the grace to look embarrassed. “They’re good fortune, anyways. It’ll stay for a while, then leave back to the wastes.”

She shook her head.

“Now! You came here for my boys! Take them, before they cause any more trouble!” She demanded, shooing us out of their house.

Both of her sons started whining about a change of clothes, and she relented. She leaned against the wall of their house, as we packed up.

“.... you know, sometimes the tribe’s hunters are around the area where you live. I’ll pass the word on, if they find something interesting, to head around.”

“Just tell them to enter through the gate. Big D and Tigger don’t take kindly to trespassers.” I warned. Especially if those trespassers were carrying weapons.

“I’ll tell ‘em, don’t you worry. I’d tell you to take good care of little Mei… but I don’t think you need to be told to do that.”

I nodded.

“Well, take care now, and don’t be afraid to tan their hides if they muck up.” Hu Li said with a wave. “Really, trying to hunt a Thunderhoof.” She muttered.

I resisted the urge to go running off and find the baby moose. I had a job to do. Maybe I could see if I could find it after this?

Anyways, we didn’t take long to pack up, when we were approached by Meimei, Yao Che and Xian the Elder.

“What are you boys up to?” Che asked leadingly.