a half-squint.
‘Quickly,’ he demanded.
She shut the window on him. What sort of caper was this, waking her so early in the morning and making most improper demands? It wasn’t like Fei Long at all. How exciting!
The disguise had been tucked away in the corner of her wardrobe since the night at the theatre. A small, secret thrill went through her whenever she glanced at the boots. Fei Long had pulled them off her, his hand curled intimately over her calf. She pulled the robe and boots on hastily and tied her hair back.
Fei Long was waiting in the hallway. The quiver of arrows strapped to his back was the only explanation he offered as they headed towards the stable. The attendant led the horse out to them just as they arrived, but the boy didn’t make any remark at seeing her dressed in male clothing. He merely assisted Fei Long onto the saddle and handed him his bow, which Fei Long slung over his shoulder. She climbed onto the horse behind him with some assistance.
‘How are you feeling?’ she asked, placing her hands tenuously around his shoulders.
‘I’m fine,’ he said, irritated.
He snapped at her much the same way whenever she politely enquired about his recovery. She knew how Fei Long hated mentioning it, but he had moved stiffly when mounting the horse.
‘I won’t break,’ he said over his shoulder before urging the horse forwards.
She grabbed on to him, her arms circling his narrow waist to hold on. It wasn’t so much that he was angry as there was a lot on his mind. She’d become adept at interpreting Fei Long’s moods, or at least her guess seemed to be wrong less often than for some others.
The archery contest was only three days away. Shortly after that, the imperial wedding procession was scheduled to leave for Khitan.
She wouldn’t think of that now. Instead she laid her cheek against the space between Fei Long’s shoulder blades and closed her eyes, letting the rhythm of the ride sooth her.
They moved through the ward gates and then travelled on the main avenues of the city to an area she hadn’t visited before. A park spread out before them, as least four times the size of the Pear Blossom Gardens. Fei Long rode on to the grassy area and headed for a distant cluster of trees. The vibrant lushness of the green beckoned to her. When they finally dismounted, she let her feet sink into the dew-covered grass and inhaled the crisp scent of it. The city was a glorious place that she’d only barely begun to discover. As Fei Long went to tether the horse, Yan Ling noticed the row of straw targets propped up across the field of grass.
He came up beside her. ‘I should practise at least once before the contest.’
She helped him unstrap the quiver, watching him carefully. His movements, though careful and deliberate, had improved from even a week earlier.
‘What should I be doing?’ she asked, holding on to the leather bindings of the quiver.
He presented a striking profile as he sighted the target in the distance. The bridge of his nose was high like an eagle’s and his jaw was set with determination. He spent a few moments absorbing the energy of the shaded area before turning to her.
The corner of his mouth lifted as he replied, ‘For now, just think good thoughts.’
He extracted a single arrow from the quiver. His eyes lingered on hers before facing the target. Again, he spent some time centring himself on the target in the distance before setting the arrow against the string. He righted himself in one smooth motion, taking aim with his back straight, head lifted. She could sense the awe of Dao’s story in the confidence of his stance.
His arm pulled back and he let out his breath slowly, then held completely still as he released. The arrow sailed straight, but fell into the grass far short of the target.
That was just the first one, she told herself, though her stomach sank. She handed him another arrow and said nothing as he positioned himself to shoot again. The next one flew further, but still fell short. Yan Ling held her breath through each shot. The third one managed to embed itself within the lower corner of the target.
She didn’t know if his performance was typical or not, but Fei Long was not pleased. He didn’t show it with any impatient remarks or angry gestures. She only knew it in the