Page 26 of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

“It must be a basic training ground.” Despite Hideki’s disapproval of the Emperor’s army, he seemed as interested as Wei. “It appears they’re holding trials for new recruits today.”

It was simple work to distinguish between the hopefuls, who stood gawking with their homemade weapons, and the true soldiers, who were all bare chested, shaven headed, and dressed in the same loose red-and-gold pants. Some of the soldiers emptied crates onto the field, revealing spears, swords, and granite boulders, as several men on horseback watched from the perimeter. These mounted warriors wore full armor that appeared wrought with pure gold.

“Is that the captain?” Xifeng asked, eyeing the oldest among them.

Wei shook his head in awe. “Captains don’t wear armor that expensive. That must be the General himself, inspecting his junior officers.”

The soldiers on the field divided into four groups for demonstrations. One group ran around the edge of the field, arms and legs pumping in perfect time, while another set themselves up on the far end with the boulders, taking turns throwing as far and as fast as they could. A third group used heavy sacks as targets for their spears, and a fourth broke up into pairs for fencing.

Xifeng peeked again at Wei, whose eyes shone as he watched the swordplay. No matter what he said, his dream of being a warrior was more alive than ever. His body tensed with energy, awakened by the music of swords dancing. She felt a tug beneath her heart at his joy.I’m doing this for you, my love,she thought, once again ignoring the creature’s low, sardonic laugh from deep within.

“Join them,” she urged him.

He gave a great shout of a laugh. “You’re not serious. Those men have trained for years. They would run me through like a wild boar.”

“You’d be as good as any of them,” she said staunchly. Wei pressed his lips against her forehead, eyes still on the field.

The running soldiers steadily approached them, skin dewy with sweat. They were of varying heights, many shorter and stockier than Wei, but each was a warrior in his own right. Muscles rippled in their shoulders as they moved, breathing easily despite their speed. They were a mass of force and strength, powerful and relentless, trained to overtake a battlefield in the name of the Emperor. They kept their eyes forward as they ran, intensely focused on the horizon.

Someone giggled nearby, and Xifeng turned to see a flock of girls about Ning’s age, watching the warriors with undisguised lust.

“Nowthere’sa good reason to enter the army,” Wei joked, and she scowled at him.

“We didn’t have that back home. Or at least,Ididn’t,” Hideki added with a grin.

The officers in gold armor dismounted and paced in front of the prospective recruits, scrutinizing them. Every so often, they would point at one and instruct him to join a group. The youngest officer had an open, friendly face that reminded Xifeng of Ken. Unlike the others, his hair grew long and thick on his head, blending in with the neatly trimmed beard he wore. He stood not twenty feet from them, and Xifeng longed for him to turn and point at Wei.

“He isn’t much older than we are,” she told Wei. “The Emperor must hold him in high esteem to put him in gold armor.”

The older officers had pointed to at least a dozen recruits, but the young man hung back, his head tilted in consideration.Turn around,Xifeng thought, chewing on her nails. Spot after spot filled, and still he stood with his back to Wei. How many spaces were left?

“Are you all right?” Hideki asked her, grinning. “You look as nervous as some of those would-be soldiers.”

She dropped her hand, but kept her eyes on the young officer. Even the way he crossed his arms reminded her of Ken. He certainly looked kinder and more approachable than his stern elders. The other gold-armored men gathered together, talking in low voices. In a minute, they would retreat and tell those they hadn’t selected to go home. Guma’s words reverberated through her mind, distant chimes of her old life:It is for you to take your destiny in your hands.

Now was her chance.

“I humbly beg your pardon, sir,” she said loudly, approaching the youngest officer.

“Xifeng! What are you doing?” Wei demanded, but she ignored him.

The officer turned in surprise. Up close, she saw he couldn’t be older than twenty, and again she marveled that the Emperor would appoint a youth to such a high position.

“Yes, what is it?” he asked as his companions watched suspiciously.

Xifeng’s heart beat so fast, she thought she might faint, but still she barreled on. “I wondered, sir, if you might have room for one more recruit among your swordsmen.” Her blood pounded in her ears as she waited for his response, her head bowed with respect. His boots were of the most beautiful, thick brown material, soft and durable. She thought of the blisters Wei had to endure because of his ill-made shoes.

“You’re not offering to be one of my men, are you?” There was a smile in the young officer’s voice, and kindness, too.

Xifeng took heart and would have continued speaking, when another man approached. He was in his fifties with a face devoid of humor and spoke to the young officer with a stiff, resentful manner. “Sir, we don’t have much time.”

“I’m aware of that, Second Commander,” the young man replied calmly, then addressed Xifeng again. “Unfortunately, miss, I’m sorry to say all of the positions have been filled.”

“You can’t mean that, sir,” she said, panic rising within her. “My friend...”

“There are many hopefuls whenever we recruit. We cannot choose all of them. We can’t possibly feed or train that many men.” His voice held genuine regret. “I am sorry to disappoint you, but we’ve selected everyone we want. Perhaps your friend can come back next year.”

A year?Xifeng’s stomach dropped as she watched him walk away, his armor glinting despite the lack of sun. She had been thoroughly dismissed.

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