Wei Ying came running out of the bathing shed. He shouted at the boy walking away on his surprising mission.

"Hey! Lan Zhan? Sir? I mean it. Don't go to such a bother for me!" Lan Zhan kept walking.

The boy with the silver eyes sighed in surrender.

"Hey, your Lordship? Don't get me anything fancy. Homespun, no silk like your stuff."

The tall boy turned around and looked at him in bemusement. Lordship? Fancy? My stuff?

"Half the people around here would want to kick the crap out of me for putting on airs. The other half would cut my throat to steal it off my corpse and sell it. Okay?"

Lan Zhan's face registered shock.

"Sorry. But this stuff happens in my neighbor You got places like that in your town, right?"

"No!"

"Wow! That sounds so...nice." Wei Ying walked back inside the lean-to, shaking his head in astonishment.

************

Lan Zhan marched down the central marketplace, his head in turmoil. What kind of circumstances had this Wei Ying fallen into? The refined features and his basic mannerisms spoke of good breeding, but his malnourished condition pointed to starvation, and the bruises and the scars on his body indicated maltreatment. The Kid had endured a lot in his young life.

The shop's proprietor showed him some homespun tunics and leggings, but he could not bring himself to buy them. Too shoddy, too cheap. He wished he could buy silk clothing despite the Kid's protest but recognized the sense in Wei Ying's request He pushed the urge aside with a touch of regret and asked to see thick warm cotton. He found a light green set. He always liked green but had adopted his traditional white and blues as all good Lan children were expected to, especially with a father and now an uncle, who had held the post of Sect Master.

Then he spotted a beautiful thing, a long crimson ribbon that glowed like a ruby. It would look very nice on a clean head of long, wavy, black hair. Surely one nice thing to give to another child who had nothing would be acceptable. He added a pair of plain shoes, underwear, and some thick socks. Then walked swiftly back to the Inn.

He stopped abruptly as he entered. Wei Ying was asleep, a towel folded under his neck and another draped modestly over the top of the tub. His hair was a tangled mess. He must have fallen asleep before he had brushed it.

He sat down and began to brush each lock. Thank goodness the Kid had remembered the oil, it loosened the tangles so that the bristles floated through them with ease. He had only been at it a few minutes when he looked down to see a silver eye observing him.

"What happened...?"

"Wei Ying fell asleep"

. "Oh. Hey, thanks for brushing the hair."

"Not through."

"I can take over."

"Not necessary. Comb my brother's hair. Every morning. Used to it."

"Oh. "

They were silent for a minute and suddenly, Lan Zhan heard a muffled sob. He drew back, concerned, and asked, "Is Wei Ying crying?"

"Maybe. Just a little. It sort of reminds me of my mother doing that."

Lan Zhan's hand faltered. "Where are your parents?"

"They died. They left me with a friend of theirs and went on a night hunt when I was 4, maybe 5. They never came back. He died six months later, and I started living on the street, avoiding slavers and bullies."

Lan Zhan swallowed hard and continued to pull the brush through the unruly strands. He could think of no way to address the boy in the tub. When he finished, he ordered him to dress and left to give Wei Ying some privacy. He heard a soft gasp. 

"Lan Zhan, this isn't homespun."

"Homespun too ugly. This of better."

"But..."

"It isn't silk. Dress. Don't argue."

"Ok. You can come back in."

Wei Ying stood there proudly. "This is great Lan Zhan. So beautiful and warm."

"There were nicer. But knew you would not use them."

"These are perfect. Haven't had something this nice since my parents died."

"Spotted this too. Not too fancy either. Just thought it was suitable."

He handed Wei Ying a paper bundle and the red ribbon fell out on his lap. He was speechless.

"Is this for me too? It is beautiful. Lan Zhan, put it on me if my hair is dry enough."

Lan Zhan brushed the front portions of wild falling hair up and spun it into a neat top knot, leaving 2 pieces to framed frame his face then tied the red ribbon in a double knot allowing the tails of shining slik to drop and mingle in the tresses that cascaded down Wei Ying's back.

"I feel like a new kid. I wish there was a mirror."

"One at the Inn. Hungry. I will buy lunch."

Wei Ying shook his shining head. "No, that is too much, Lan Zhan."

"All right. Then we will not go." Lan Zhan stated flatly.

W...wait, if you are hungry, then you should go, I'll wait for you outside."

Lan Zhan frowned stubbornly. "You must eat, or I will not."

"Look here! You spent too much money on me already. I'm no con artist, understand? Not into taking advantage. You know, I just beg enough for a meal once a day. I have a blanket that keeps me warm, stay under a single-plank bridge that keeps me dry. I hunt for work when I can."

Lan Zhan blushed in horrified embarrassment. "I can tell. Wei Ying is honest. Forthright. I was insensitive. Don't know what...Don't know how to act ...with people. I am sorry if I hurt Wei Ying." He looked crushed.

"Hey, okay. It's all right! I can be a little bit prickly about the way things are. You didn't say anything bad." He could not stand seeing tears in those topaz eyes. "Really, it's okay. Look, to tell the truth, my stomach is growling, and I could use a good meal. Hunh? I'll even let you buy me some meat. Will that make you feel any better? Hunh? Okay?"

The taller boy nodded, and Wei Ying leaned forward to wipe his new friend's face with his fingers. "We just gotta get to know each other better. See what makes us tick, then we won't step on each other's toes, you know?"

Lan Zhan nodded and stood up. They both cleared their throats and Wei Ying whistled a little tune while Lan Zhan drew a semicircle in the dirt with the toe of one pristine shoe. When they settled down a bit, they meandered inside the restaurant portion of the Inn. A big brass mirror was huge against a wall, and they were shown to a table and sat across from it. Drawn to it like a beetle to a candle, Weiying walked over and stood, mesmerized. His eyes shone as he saw himself in the green outfit. He reached up and ran the crimson ribbon through his hair. Then he rushed back over to sit across from Lan Zhan.

"It is beautiful. I look so good! And the ribbon and the way you did my hair. Show me how to fix it up like that again. I want to wear it like this all the time!"

The waiter came to the table and asked if they wanted to order. Lan Zhan nodded at Wei Ying.

 "Wow! Okay... Do you have spicy noodles, a big bowl of hot, hot HOT spicy noodles, as hot as you can make them, and a bottle of sauce on the side? And a side order of ..." Not very subtly, he tried to pick the cheapest meat he could think of." Chicken, a side of chicken, spicy chicken."

Lan Zhan saw what Wei Ying was doing and tried not to smile. He placed his own order.

"Two large bowls of rice. Stir-fried vegetables. Tea, sweet cakes. Sides of pork, fish and beef. Thank you."  He never ate meat, but he was determined the Kid across from him was going have his fill. The waiter walked off.

Wei Ying spoke. "This will take a while and I want to know more about you, so start talking, Lan Zhan."

"What?" Lan Zhan froze, like a pickpocket caught with his hand in a law officer's tunic.

"You dragged me in here. Now, I get to hear what you do up in that town of yours. Talk. Don't make me pull it out of you!"

Lan Zhan gulped, staring at him blankly. And Wei Ying thought to himself, Gods, this is going to be a slow afternoon!'