The little girl grinned, as if pleased to be the one with all the answers. “Bàstill thinks you’re some kind of thief, prisoner, or slave. ButLao laotold him to open his eyes andreallylook at you. She said no thief or slave would have skin as smooth as yours.”
Reiya tried not to smile, but it tugged at the corners of her mouth. “And your mother?”
“Níang said it’s too dangerous to leave you here. There are mercenaries on the road and the next village is far away. She said we should bring you with us.”
Reiya glanced back at the adults still arguing, then inched even closer to Mei Mei. “What doyouthink?”
The girl tilted her head, studying her with the unfiltered honesty of a child. After a beat, she smiled brightly. “You look more like a princess than a slave to me!”
Reiya smiled despite herself, charmed by the girl’s candour. For all the innocence in her wide, dimpled grin, Mei Mei’s intuition was sharp.
“You’re quite perceptive,” Reiya whispered. “I’d say you’re wiser than most adults I know.”
Mei Mei’s grin widened, her small chest puffing with pride. “Lao lao says I have the best eyes in the family.”
“And I believe her,” Reiya replied, amusement flickering at the edges of her exhaustion.
She resisted the urge to sigh. If only the rest of the family were so quick to trust.
The sharp rhythm of conversation continued, punctuated by Xian Jun’s frustrated sighs and Ru Rong’s decisive hand gestures.
“Your father isn’t an easy man to convince,” she murmured to Mei Mei.
“Bà just worries too much. But Lao lao always wins. And Níang—she’s just as stubborn, even if she’s quieter about it.”
Drawing a steady breath, Reiya stood, each movement met with a dull ache that reminded her how far she’d been pushed. She turned toward Xian Jun, and at once, the argument around them stilled.
“I understand your hesitation,” Reiya said, meeting his wary gaze. “Your suspicion is justified, and I can’t blame you. The world is dangerous—I’ve learned that firsthand.”
She tilted her chin toward the raw welts circling her wrists, the rope burns a testament to her ordeal. “I don’t know much about life on the road, but if you let me travel with you, I’ll learn quickly. I promise I won’t be a burden.”
They had no reason to trust her, no obligation to take her in. But she must persuade them, because the alternative—alone in this wilderness, unprepared and hunted—was far more dangerous.
She had no money, no valuables beyond the wing-shaped pendant and the limyerite crystal dagger nestled deep in her pocket. Travelling with this family was her best chance, perhaps heronlychance, to survive and find her way back.
Xian Jun’s gaze lingered on her, fingers flexing at his sides, as if caught between suspicion and reluctant acceptance.
Su Lian stepped behind Mei Mei, resting a gentle hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
“All I know,” she said in Isseric, her voice quiet but firm, “if my child were in Yara’s place, I’d want strangers to show her kindness and help her to safety.”
Ru Rong stood, brushing sand from her skirt. “Anh. Rokuyu blesses those who help others on the road,” she said, her gaze pointed at her son. “We’re all travellers. The road belongs to everyone. Helping isn’t just tradition—it’s who we are.”
Reiya murmured a silent prayer of gratitude to Rokuyu, said to guard wanderers and reward those who practiced kindness on the road.The god of equivalent exchange, he ensured no good deed went unrewarded, no kindness forgotten.
Xian Jun finally sighed, dragging a hand through his short black hair, resignation lining his features.
Ru Rong smiled, satisfied, folding her arms across her chest to assume the stance of a mother who’d won too many arguments to count. Su Lian sighed, the tension lifting from her frame. She offered Reiya a warm smile—one that, for the first time, truly reached her eyes.
Mei Mei leaned in, eyes sparkling. “See? Lao lao always wins.”
Reiya smothered a smile. “I was hoping she might.”
Xian Jun turned to her at last, expression still guarded, but his reluctant acceptance flickered like a door left slightly ajar.
“You can stay with us,” he said gruffly. “Until we reach Vey’tar Oasis. After that, you’re on your own.”
It wasn’t the warmest offer, but it was enough.