Anshi rose very early the next morning. He was alone, which seemed a little odd to him since the yurt had been full of people after Anshi had read Han's final letter. It still lay on his writing desk next to Han's portrait where he had placed them. 

He had a slight headache, and he could not shake a general wooziness; he wondered briefly if he was becoming ill. It was strange that not even his Guardians, especially Lan Sya Mu and Lan Ge Ban were not present. The two had been like mother hens last night. They, along with Dawa Tuya and Uncle Maral had refused to leave for the longest time, their attention directed and keeping him calm. Dawa Tuya prepared a light meal for all and served Anshi his favorite rice and partridge congee. He finished the bowl and even though he was drowsy and suddenly peaceful, she insisted on another bowl. Two bites into it, he could not keep his eyes open. They led him to his bed, tucked him in, and he had fallen sleep almost immediately.

Anshi lit a lamp and in the soft glow he changed into an everyday tunic, clean and plain. He felt the need to work, long and hard today; hard work as a slave had taught him the lesson that the mind had room for little else when the muscles felt the deep burn of labor and the purification of salty perspiration. He yearned for the salvation of honest physical activity.

The portrait of Han, still on the writing desk where he had left it, caught his eye. The last letter he had written lay beside it. He looked at that beautiful face, with the eyes that held the look of eternal sadness, then he gently rolled it up and slipped in the scroll, tucking the letter inside. He placed it deeply in his trunk, shut the lid and locked it away. His hand lay on the lid, softly for a moment in a final goodbye, then he walked away and did not look back. Han was right. The break was irrevocable and weeping, wishing, were no longer options for him. 

He sipped a cup of tea and wished that Dawa Tuya had left the extra congee behind; it would have tasted good this morning. Its warmth would have been perfect...

Dawa Tuya! He smacked his forehead in frustration. 

Of course! How stupid could he be? The insistence of another bowl. The missing pot of leftover congee. The absence of Guardians. Aish! His devious Auntie, Uncle and Guardians had drugged the hell out of him last night! His first instinct was to order them to the yurt, but he stopped halfway to the entryway. He smiled ruefully and returned and sat before the stove and calmly finished his tea. 

He did not blame them a bit. His actions in the last few weeks had literally backed them against a wall. Should they take the chance and leave him to his own devices again, or knock him out so that he could not go off have cocked once more and take his ire out on gods only knew who else? They had the cheek and the good sense to at least find a way to get him a good night's sleep.

He strapped on his sword and left. A lone sentry started as he saw him and glanced nervously at Lan Sya Mu's yurt.

"She is you immediate superior; I however, I am your tribal leader. Whom do you wish to royally piss off the least?"

"You, Sir. But she will have my head."

"Not while I have your back. How about a compromise?"

"Sir?"

"You follow me tonight. Watch out and be my protection, and I will protect you from her wrath."

The sentry waver for the moment. Contemplating the choice between a lit fire and a hot wok was not a pleasant one for the young man. Finally, he decided the lit fire, because he stood immediately in front of him. If the hot wok had emerged from her tent at the moment, falling on his own sword would have preferable to choosing either. He fell in behind Anshi and began to dog his footsteps.

"Where are were going, my Chieftain?"

"Making my early morning rounds."

"You make your own rounds?"

"Every night. I like making sure that everyone is safe. It sets my mind to rest."

"Mhn."

Anshi snorted in laughter. He had not expected the slight rush of humor, but the lad reminded him of the past, suddenly.

"Did you say something, Sir?"

"No. It is just that you reminded me of Lan Zhan."

"Me? No, Sir. Not me."

"Mhn is his stock answer."

"Well, he is my 8th cousin, once removed. I hope to be just like him one day."

Anshi suppressed another snort. "Then work hard. He is surely one of the best to emulate."

"Yes, Sir!"

They walked silently as Anshi checked every post and spoke to each man. They glowed at his notice. When he finished, Anshi made his way to the horse corral and yurt stalls. He ordered the   sentry to stand watch as he entered. The younger man was aghast as he saw Anshi let the horses free in the corral and then armed himself with a pitchfork.

"Sir, PLEASE! Let me do that."

Anshi arched an eyebrow while striking a firestick and lighting lamps throughout the stalls. "That would defeat the reason I came here, wouldn't it? Have you ever mucked a horse stall? No? I am sure you have heard my history by now." The rookie nodded wordlessly. "One of the first tasks assigned to me was mucking stalls."

"How dare they?"

"Did you think I started my slave-hood after the palace sold me, by waving plumed fans over delicate ladies? To this day, when my mind is...occupied, I prefer to sweat my problems out."

"You speak so matter-of-factly!"

"It is my past. I have managed to do well, all things considered, wouldn't you say?" 

The Guardian's eyes shone with admiration. "I would say so, indeed, Sir!"

"Then tend to the guarding. I have shit to move." He stripped his tunic off and turned to his task when he heard the Guardian draw his breath in, sharply, as he saw the scars across Anshi's back.

Anshi spoke softly. "An occupational hazard. They no longer bother me. So, stop staring and guard me."

The young soldier obeyed, hushed and suddenly sorrowful, fat tears running silently down his stricken face. Anshi worked on, knowing the shock that the crisscrossing stripes often gave others, and giving the Guardian space and time to recover without embarrassing him. 

As dawn slowly greeted the steppes, the camp began to rouse and people gradually left their tents. Lan Sya Mu was one of the first and she came to a dead stop when she arrived at Anshi's yurt and the Guardian was nowhere to be found. She called for Lan Ge Ban and her joined her in the empty tent. They emerge in a panic and quickly began searching the camp. The soldier spotted them and called out to Anshi, who gave a quick whistle to catch their attention. He stood, leaning on the pitchfork, torso covered in sweat. Sya Mu marched up, glaring at him.

"I rose earlier than you planned I see. I didn't want to disturb anyone, you were more dead to the world than I was, apparently."

She turned a sharp glance at the young man. "I told you to come and get me if he tried to leave his yurt. I do not tolerate disobedience."

Anshi spoke as sharply back. "And I superseded your orders. I asked him to guard me as I worked through a few things. Am I not within my rights as Chieftain, to supersede a Guardian Captain in my own caravan, you two?"

They said nothing in reply and the three stared angrily at each other. "I understand your reluctance to trust me, but you need to start. I will never lose control like that again." He moved closer to them and towered over Sya Mu. She was acutely aware of his state of undress and felt her color rise. However, she stood her ground and snapped at him.

"Then keep trying, Chieftain, I am not convinced."

"So be it. By the way, I like young...Sorry, Guardian, I did not ask your name, pardon my rudeness."

"Lan Gau Fang, Sir!" The boy practically oozed devotion from every pore.

"Lan Gau Fang...has been of immense help to me today. I want his rank and pay elevated to Corporal and have him added to my vanguard. Now I am going to bathe. Corporal, please go ahead of me and make sure my private bath is heated and scented. I feel much better this morning."

The newly appointed member of the vanguard raced ahead. and Anshi sauntered behind Lan Gau Fang. He stopped and turned.

"Would you ask Dawa Tuya to fix my breakfast? Oh, and ask her not to make me any congee for a while. Something was off about it last night and I think I will pass on more of it in the near future."

He headed for his bath; his tunic casually tossed over one shoulder.