Phoenix Feather III

Sherwood Smith

Description

In the third volume of the epic martial arts adventure, Redbark has broken up. And the three Afans have chosen their paths. Yskanda lives day to day in the silken prison of the imperial court, hiding amidst his paints until a life-changing encounter.Prince Jion returns to the imperial palace in disgrace, as Ryu, tired of disguises, begins to take her own name. When she isn't crusading as Firebolt--and causing hunters on both sides to come after her.

Sujets

• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Book View Cafe
• Date de parution: 15 mars 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781611389999
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Phoenix Feather: Firebolt
Sherwood Smith

Book View Café edition January 4, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-61138-999-9 Copyright © 2022 Sherwood Smith www.bookviewcafe.com
Table of Contents
The Phoenix Feather III: Firebolt
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Read a sample of The Phoenix Feather: Dragon and Phoenix
About the Author
Also by Sherwood Smith
Copyrights & Credits
About Book View Café
The Phoenix Feather III: Firebolt
1
This chapter in the Story of the Phoenix Feather begins withthe remainder of the Redbark companions—Ryu, Matu, and Petal—left watching in distressas the imperial army marched off with Shigan.
Who had, to Ryu’s horror, turned out to be Imperial FirstPrince Jehan Jion.
Of all those listeners inside and outside Madam Swan’sentertainment house, only Ryu understood ancient Imperial, and how the sinisterimperial ferret Fai Anbai most unfairly staked everyone’s lives against theirimperial prince’s. She was wild with anger and grief—but so tired after talkingnearly all night, then only a brief sleep, that she stood there beside thewindow staring into the rapidly emptying square as everyone in the world burst intoquestion and comment around her, mostly variations on, “What were the imperialssaying? Why did they take away the dancer?”
“They went to their knees, did you see that?”
“He must be a runaway noble.”
“Why would anyone run away from riches and anything youwant?”
“Who understands anything nobles do? Thank the gods it was hisbad luck that brought the imperials down on his head, and not mine, that’s allI know.”
And everyone judiciously made signs warding bad luck.
Ryu roused when Madam Swan’s voice rose to an almostpiercing level. “Oh, yes, that must have been the infamous Firebolt who leftlast night . I am so shocked! Why, if I had known he was so infamous,I would never have taken his custom. I have to think of the reputationof my house, you know!”
Then she was there in a swirl of pink silk and rosefragrance, saying, “Yes, these might be the Redbark Sect companions, but Ibelieve Firebolt left them behind.”
Only then did Ryu remember Matu and Petal on the other sideof the room. They had been whispering fiercely, but they looked up whenconfronted by a man dressed like an ordinary traveler. This man then turned to glanceat Ryu, as an armored imperial wearing the feather-and-tassel hat of a captainentered the room, flanked by guards who shooed everyone else out.
The civilian gestured to the three of them as the captainstood by, holding a sheathed sword. Even in her misery, former cadet Ryu notedthat sword gripped in his left hand—ready for a fast draw with his right.
The civilian said, “I have a few questions.”
Matu’s usually pleasant face hardened. For a sick moment Ryuwondered if he was going to turn on her for lying about her gender . . . butthen she saw that his angry gaze was not on her. She remembered that Matu’sfather, laboring in some imperial mine on an island named Benevolent Winds, wasan eternal knot in Matu’s heart, never far from his thoughts whenever he saw,or heard, imperials. He was not going to give these imperials anything theydidn’t already have, no matter what they threatened.
But the questions turned out to be brief. It was clear that tothe imperials, the important action was over. Did they know his name, ShiganFin, did they know where he was from, no, Redbark asks no questions, all arewelcome . . . Petal did the talking. Ryu tried to follow, to think ahead, buther thoughts stumbled, nearly paralyzed by the overwhelming emotions, andexhaustion, that pressed down on her soul. Her heart. She drooped miserably,wanting to curl up in a ball and cry.
She blinked when the captain’s voice sharpened. “. . . you answerme, boy?”
Petal said hastily, “Matu here is a loyal member of our sect,but he’s a little slow.”
The captain looked from Matu to Ryu hunched there by thewindow—and she felt herself dismissed in the way adults dismiss children. Neverbefore had she been glad to be short and round-faced as the captain said to theman in plain clothing, “I believe we are finished here.”
As soon as the imperials were seen out the door bydeferential staff, Madam Swan went through the entire house, and anyone shedidn’t recognize she smilingly escorted to the common room, offered free foodand drink, then gestured for the Redbarks and her staff to meet her in thekitchen.
“You three,” she said to Ryu, Matu, and Petal, “ought to gobefore they decide to come back and take you along for further questions. Therest of you, you know nothing at all, and offer free drinks. Let’s get thispast us as quickly as we can.”
“Why did they take the Comet?” the lead dancer asked.
Madam Swan raised her hands, looking upward—and in thatmoment Ryu suspected that the woman also understood the ancient tongue, orenough of it to hazard a guess. “Who knows? One thing I am certain of, anythingwith the imperials is political in nature, and politics is a den of tigers. Doyou really want to poke a straw up a tiger’s nose?”
“No!” everyone agreed, and dispersed.
The three remaining Redbark companions packed up their newthings and left.
They passed by the Five Heroes and up a randomly chosen sidestreet, to another smaller square. Here they stopped.
Ryu looked uncertainly at Matu. For it had been Matu whoblurted out her after Shigan’s Stay with him .
Ryu braced herself to face the consequences of having liedto them all, from the beginning—but Matu was not thinking about that. “What waswrong with Shigan?” he asked, low-voiced. “They knelt down. But then they tookhim away.”
Long habit prompted Ryu to let Shigan tell his own story.
If they ever saw him again.
Fresh grief knotted painfully in her heart, and she sighedheavily. “Madam is right. Imperials mean something political.”
“Just like my father,” Matu said bitterly. “I alwayssuspected Shigan might be a noble. But I thought . . .” He shook his head.“Doesn’t matter what I thought.” Then, after a deep breath, “Before thatfeather-hatted army noser butted in. We were talking about what to do.”
“It’s all right. You don’t have to include me,” Ryu said,eyeing his not-quite-at-her gaze. “Ayah! I’m sorry I lied. About my . . . notbeing a boy, I mean.”
Matu sidled uncomfortably, but before he could speak, Petalsaid firmly, “That’s your business.” And to Matu, in a low voice, “You oughtnot to have told Shigan.”
Matu studied his boot tops. “I don’t know why I said what Idid. It—it just seemed wrong for Shigan not to know,” he mumbled.
“And so you grabbed a boiling kettle,” Petal said. Matuflushed as Petal turned to Ryu. “You’ve been such a good leader, I for onewould be glad to keep following you, girl, boy, or whatever you want to be.”
“Thank you.” Ryu held out her hands, palms up.“Unfortunately, I don’t have any idea what to do. If you’ve got ideas, I’d beglad to hear them.”
A brief silence ensued, then Petal, who seemed determined tospeak the truth even if it frightened her, said, “I would rather not spend anotherwinter in the far north. Too many rumors of trouble up there.”
Matu looked up long enough to say, “I’m not ready to go backto Ten Leopards yet.”
Ryu ducked her head. She’d been about to suggest that. Notthat she was thinking of his large, sometimes bewildering family. The lure—andit was increasingly strong—was Grandfather Ki, and his knowledge of Essence.Now that Yaso had left them, she had no guidance whatsoever.
Ryu turned to Petal. “What would you like to do, if youcould go anywhere?”
Petal’s chewed lips pressed to a line. Then she said in thatsame high, gritty determined-to-speak-the-truth-voice, “I want to at leastcheck at Te Gar.” She twisted her hands in the old way at the mention of herone-time home. “I keep worrying about my sister. If that marriage ended, orsomething happened, and she was forced to go back to her . I need to know.If I can. Before I go anywhere else. If it was up to me . . .”
Matu interrupted that morass of conditions to say in a lowvoice, “I’d go with you. If you want me.”
Petal’s smile brightened her entire countenance.
Ryu looked down at the ground. She did not want to gosouth, which was into imperial territory. Shigan—an imperial prince—theimperials showing up so suddenly—she felt as if a tiger had leaped toward herout of the blue, but then passed over her head to chase an unseen prey behindher. She would be foolish to turn around and begin chasing the tiger, and goingsouth felt like it would be chasing the tiger. But if the others wanted to gothere, maybe she ought to go too, to protect them—and to try to mend whateverit was that she’d broken between Matu and her.
Matu said, “If you will consider a suggestion . . .”
Ryu stared at her feet, the knot in her heart twin to theone in her stomach when she realized that Matu had stopped calling her RedbarkBrother Ryu. “What is it?”
He looked away, then back, his shoulders straightening. “Iknow the Ki clan owes you nothing, nor you the clan. But you ought tounderstand what it means when Grandfather Ki said he was waiting for you. He neverdid that for any of us .”
Ryu looked up, hope in her face. She said truthfully, “You’rewrong about my not owing them. If you and Petal hadn’t brought them to thatShadow Panther lair, Shigan and I would be dead by now.” And when Matu flushed,but didn’t deny it, she asked tentatively, “Do you think Grandfather Ki wouldstill welcome me?”
“From everything the elders say, he would like nothingbetter. He won’t care about . . .” Matu blushed even redder as he made a vaguegesture toward the front of his clothes. “It’s your skill. He can teach youabout Essence. I can draw a map how to find the island.”
Ryu looked at the pair, aware of herself as an awkward third.“I’d like that, too,” she said.
And saw a quick look of relief in Matu’s face—no more t