A Wolf in Tiger Territory (Open)

[Zhou Tong (Monty)]

The sun was at it's peak, bearing down like dragon fire from the sky. The heat was more than some people could take, it was unnaturally hot this day. The sky was void of all clouds, it's bright blue hue vibrant. It seemed like another regular day, albeit a very hot one, in the riverlands. Forests and plains on either side, along with fertile land, many farms, and peasants, moving to and fro, doing their daily business.

It was life as usual here. You couldn't tell that the country was at war with itself. The people everywhere didn't understand why they fought, but they did. They wished only to survive, to provide for them and their own, but they loved their lord, Sun Quan, despite of the rumors. Despite what he had done, they loved him. They toiled away and went to war for him, just like the people of Shu and Wei. They each loved their lord, they each wished to serve their lord.

This small village on the river was no exception. They had paid their taxes, helped feed the army, and even sent a few men to help. It was a small quaint village. Calm, serene. It rested on the edge of the riverbank, a small dock protruded out of the water. The dock was usually the busiest part of the village, for it was a good stop on the way to the trade cities. They always had a different assortment of people pass through, from mercenaries, to scholars, to pirates, every type of person passed through this village.

The stranger that got off the merchant ship was no different. He was wearing a dark green tunic, with light green leaf imprints. It's slight sheen made it look like it was silk, and it possibly was, but the wearer did not care for that. He wore dark brown pants that looked new. On his head sat a straw hat and that too looked new. It was pulled down covering his eyes, but his mouth was still seen. Scars were apparent, as well as his facial hair. His facial hair seemed to be trimmed using a knife, as it was uneven and rough. He wore one long knife upon his waist, a spear upon his back, and he wore rough leather boots.

This man was another one of the oddities in this village, a man who seemed poor and rich at the same time, but it didn't matter much to the boatsman. That was until the man walked up to him and asked, "I would like a small boat, and I like yours. How much would you need for me to buy it off of you?" The boatsman laughed, "I'm sorry, but this boat is my life, I need it to feed my family." The man nodded and walked away.

The man did this to many other boatsmen, and all of them said the same thing, they needed it. He did not press, but neither did he pass anyone up. He found a small inn and entered, as he walked towards the innkeeper, a few of the patrons took a slight look at the stranger. Many didn't care, it was just another traveler. But he wasn't just any traveler.

The man asked, "I would like a room please, small, for three days, as well as a nice meal right now, rice, please. As well as a small bit of goose and some wine if you have it." The inn keeper tried to sum up this man, but in the end, he wasn't sure of what this man was, but he didn't care, as long as his money was good he didn't care, "You have money for this don't you?" The man replied by placing a few gold coins on the counter discretely, and the innkeeper smiled, "Of course sir, please have a seat, I'll have the food cooked up fresh for you!" As the inn keeper turned he thought, he didn't even know the man's name. He turned back around and asked, "Excuse me, sir, what is your name?"

The man smiled slightly and said quietly, "Zhou Tong." He then turned and sat down at a small table. The man's name wasn't Zhou Tong, but Ling Tong, and he was here for intelligence, although also on the run from Wei. He was here on his own accord. Many weeks ago, Hei Mao had traveled through Wu and met with Sun Quan, and now it was his time to travel through Wu. He waited quietly for his food, wondering how he will get a small boat for himself.

[Li Wang]

It's just as I thought; no bandit army came through here. That guy is definitely up to something...

Li Xian, son of Li Wang, Prefect of Gui Ying and General of The Right in Sun Quan's forces, was riding with a small entourage of guards on his way to Jiang Ling. After Lu Fei had delivered his report telling him no bandits were coming through, Li Xian had geared up for a trip to Jiang Ling, under the pretense that he wished to personally observe the situation in the district; after all, it was situated between 3 separate Shu controlled districts, two of them completely cut off from the contiguous Shu state. The district's resources had to be stretched pretty thin to keep all the outposts adequately garrisoned and provisioned to defend against attack from three different directions. It's only saving grace was that Shu could not mount an assault out of Wu Ling with out risk of retaliation from Gui Ying, the district Xian's father was responsible for when not away with an assault force. His entire excuse for going to Jiang Ling was to gather information to possibly plan an assault on Wu Ling.

Right now, however, he was passing through a rather peaceful village on the bank of the river. His company was running low on provisions, and so would need to stop here in order to resupply for the rest of their journey. Xian had nearly thrown a temper tantrum in his carriage when the captain of his guard had informed him of this. One of the guards, whom Xian had nicknamed Grumpy because he was always complaining about something (today it was the heat and the glare from the sun), had dropped one sack of provisions in the river, cut open and dropped another beneath the horses, and had thrown up all over the last sack after another guard had punched him in the stomach. Needless to say, the company had had a miserable day, and they couldn't even take out their pent up aggression on Grumpy or they'd end up having to carry him 20 miles out of the way to purchase new provisions at the nearest village, all on empty stomachs.

I see now why he wasn't taken to Jian Ye with the rest of my father's forces...

Hey, Xian! We're almost there! Come on out!

This the captain of his guard, a veteran of about 50. Too old for front line fighting, but still stalwart enough to serve as a bodyguard.

Xian was silent as the captain started to lecture his men about proper behavior in the village; they were here to resupply and rest, not to knock up some poor farmers daughter and get run out of town. Xian was thankful that the captain was such a stalwart figure; he doubted he could keep the guards under control by himself.

Thoroughly lectured, the company silently rode towards the villages inn, Xian now seated in the uncovered front of his carriage. When they got there, the captain quickly sent the small company of soldiers to buy food and water from any source possible, escorting Xian into the inn himself and ordering a meal of roast duck with rice and a flagon of peach juice for Xian while opting for a pig himself.

Good heavens I wish we'd taken a boat... Xian muttered as he sat down at the table next to the foreign man. Not that he wasn't Chinese, but Xian could most definitely tell he was not from the South. Xian's captain subconsciously noted the unkempt hair and the scars under the straw hat and made sure to keep him in his periphreal vision while they waited on their food, unsure whether he was an ex-soldier or bandit, but most a potential source of trouble. It remained to be seen.

[Zhou Tong (Monty)]

The man named Zhou Tong looked as the boy and his guards entered the establishment. His eyes watched them with extreme diligence, he wanted to know if this man was anyone he had heard of recently. He took note of the tiredness in his men and the boy. He smiled slightly to himself, he could tell this boy was not accustomed to be out doing things, especially not in this heat.

As the men took their orders, a young waitress came out with Zhou Tong's food, placing it down before him, "Here you are lord Tong." She said bowing her head respectfully. A man with as much money as he had always had to be called lord, even if he was a sellsword, which they didn't know, he in fact was at one point in his life. Zhou Tong smiled and said, "Oh, beautiful and respectful. You would make a fine lady, worthy of the courts of Wei." The woman blushed heavily and walked away, keeping her eye on the dashing man in the straw hat.

He knew he said this near clear Wu official. He did not know the extent of this boy's life, if he be general's son or governor's he did not know, but this boy with his description played a slight game with his memory. He took his rice and spread it over his goose, a common practice in the south west near Nanman. He smiled slightly and took off his hat and placed it on the table, exposing his dark brown eyes. He began to eat slowly.

He then began thinking, this boy was speaking about a boat as well. This was interesting, but he guessed the boy was tired of riding around on a cart all day, for the man seemed hotter than the rest, but definitely cleaner. He turned his head towards the boy and asked, "You are looking for a boat?"

[Li Wang]

Xian's guard captain had noted every detail of Zhou Tong's appearance; women would certainly find him handsome, whilst soldiers would respect the scars. Officers like the Captain, however, were wary around an unknown such as him, especially when the safety of a public official was placed in their hands. Xian himself, however, could not decide which he found more scrumptious; the goose or the young waitress carrying it. She could not have been more than 16, and had a face that quickened the pace of the 13 year old Xian's heart... but the goose won out at the end of a long day's ride with little in the way of food. Xian was so preoccupied with the goose that he almost didn't catch the sentence that drew every eye within earshot their way:

You would make a fine lady, worthy of the courts of Wei."

Xian instantly snapped his head up to stare at the man with the strange hat.

And I suppose you've seen the courts of Wei? And judging by the way you've spread your rice over the goose, you've been to Shu as well. Or perhaps you're like me, and merely know a man from Nan Zhong?

Xian clued in on this because he has a perception stat of 10 had observed his father's chief lieutenant, Dailai Zhangba, eat a goose in the same fashion as this man currently was, and was quick to notice it.

Eh, it doesn't matter. With the constant state of war we live in, you see all sorts of people everywhere. Judging by your scars, I would guess you were a soldier in someone's army, probably Wei's.

But no, I'm not looking for a boat, though I wish I'd had one when I set out from-

Xian!

Xian shot an annoyed glance the Captain's way before switching Gui Ying with home. There was no point in sharing too much information with a total stranger.

I'll probably hire one in Jiang Ling for the return trip.

Assuming Grumpy doesn't get killed by the rest of us before we get there... The captain muttered this under his breath, but Xian and Tong would definitely hear him.

I'm Li Xian, and I'm headed to Jiang Ling to visit a family friend.

[Zhou Tong (Monty)]

((Sorry it took so long and its a crap post... Not feeling hot))

Zhou Tong kept his eyes on the boy, searching him over and his compainion, but said nothing. He could tell this boy was someone of medium importance for Wu, the extent of he didn't know. However, he brushed him off, it wasn't like he was here to stir up any problems and he doubted this kid would tell his men to attack him if doesn't do anything.

Zhou Tang smiled, "I have seen the courts of Wei, I lived there for many a year, I also lived in the southwest and west, a few years in Nan Zhong and a few in Cheng Du. I myself lived in Xu Chang for many years."

Zhou Tong noticed the older man's anger and concern with trying to conceal as much information as possible. This made Zhou Tong quite curious, why would a small boy be entrusted with a task so big? He doubted it was a large task, but he didn't doubt the importance. It could be he was procuring an ally or solidifying an allegiance, he wasn't sure. But what was sure that this boy was just here for a regular family visit.

Zhou Tong burst out laughing when the older man made his small comment. His laugh was rich and hearty. He laughed for a minute before he said, "Oh come now, he doesn't seem like that bad of a kid." Zhou Tong wipped a small tear from his eye and held out his hand to Li Xian, "My name is Zhou Tong, the broken wanderer." He smiled halfheartedly.

"Would it be okay if I sat with you? I do believe its rude talking from table to table. That is if it's okay with your body guards, I may be trying to kill you." Zhou Tong said adopting a playful tone and smiling slightly at the captain. He in fact wasn't, he just wanted to know a little more about the boy, why he was here and what his mission was. Who knows, this boy could actually provide some of the information that he needs, one can never tell.

[Li Wang]

((It's all good Monty, nobody expects you to be at your best after an accident ))

Xian laughed as well; it seemed the man across from him had taken "Grumpy" to mean Xian himself. He saw no reason to kill the joke, however, so he let it stand. Grumpy, however, had entered the common room of the inn just in time to hear The Captain's jape, and turned the color of a beet as he sat down next to Xian, the spot diagonal from Xian being the last one open.

"Well met, Wanderer. Li Xian, Prodigy of Chu. My captain here is The Captain, and the serene gentleman seated across from me is Grumpy, though I can't imagine why.

Xian smiled Genuinely, I might add! as he reached across to shake Zhou Tong's hand, certain that the man would not attempt to kill or otherwise inconvenience him, though both his bodyguards were poised to intervene... violently, if need be.

"Please, sit with us! A man should not eat alone when there's company to be had! Besides, if you'd wanted to kill me, you had your chance when I reached across to shake your hand. Xian was amused, as was Grumpy, but The Captain's teeth gnashed behind pursed lips, visibly angry at the man's sarcasm; if looks could kill, Zhou Tong would be writhing on the floor. Xian noticed, as he did just about everything.

"Never mind The Captain, he just doesn't know how to appreciate sarcasm; he's very sensitive. A good man, but prickly.

Perhaps The Hedgehog would be a better title! Grumpy burst out in a guffaw, but quickly wilted under the captain's glare. He'd brought a sack of apples with him, and decided it might be better if he used one to occupy his mouth whilst the more important men talked. Which he did, after calling:

"Wench! Roast ham with rice and a flagon of your strongest ale!

Xian just shook his head; he had never cared for such crudeness.

"So, what exactly brings you to this corner of the world? You would have had to pass through a war zone or two to get here, if you came from Wei.

Wei had recently fought battles on 3 different fronts, 2 of them with Wu, and it was no secret that raids were common on the borders between Wu and Shu. The man had to be skilled to make it here, and Xian was curious to find out why it was here he'd come.