Chapter 64
We weren’t all that late for breakfast, all things considered, but I’m sure we must have looked awkward as all heck as we tried to act natural and not look at each other too much. I think the mind reading/mind projection thing was a large contributing factor.
I hadn’t noticed it at first, but now that I was sober, I was suddenly forced to be mindful of everything I thought lest you ’overhear’. Not that I had much luck at keeping my thoughts censored.
I honestly don’t know how you kept a straight face through all of it.
We were all seated around that same long table in the same open room as the day before though there were fewer people round it this time. Aunt Yeung was there, but Gou Ngaam wasn’t and nor was her daughter. I’d asked and been told that they were resting. Immediately I felt guilty for fooling around in bed and not helping.
"There’s not much you could have done," you said quietly next to me as you drank your congee. "Most the work happened last night while you were helping. Then afterwards, you were busy running around in the forest."
"Mm." I got your point, but couldn’t help disagreeing, somehow.
You knew, of course, so told me that there hadn’t been any casualties or even heavy injuries, the worse being the blood loss from the wounds that wouldn’t close. Thankfully Aunt Yeung had got onto that immediately and all the cases were resolved.
I felt better on hearing all of that and was about to thank you when the messenger ran into the room.
The once relaxed room immediately became tense as everyone’s eyes followed the stone puppet as it ran down the length of the table and took a respectful posture in front of Aunt Yeung.
"Speak," ordered Aunt Yeung and her serious calm only increased the tension in the room.
The stone puppet’s carved eyes glowed for a moment. "I see a pair of humans engaged in combat by the eastern border. Both have tried to gain access though neither succeeded. Now they fight each other for an unknown reason."