The Last War

10. Every Memory Has Its Origin in the Snow

"Alright. That's it!" Satisfied with himself, Po eyed his work. "These are your enemies now."
Xia stared at him. "And I should what? You done so much work with it. I can't destroy them."
"Oh, no problem. They will melt soon or later anyway."
Xia counted. Five snowmen stood on the field now. Some of them looked like crocodiles or wolves. She walked to the nearest one and eyed it.
"Now, hit him!" Po said and swung his arm.
"How? With my wing?"
"Wing or leg. That's unimportant at the moment. Just imagine that's a bad guy, who wants to steal your money."
"And I should hit him? Uhm, I never did it before. That's... isn't that a little rude?"
"It's not rude if you want to fight for your property or for your life."
"My life?"
"Of course. There are many bad guys who have the ability to kill you for some reason."
She swallowed. Po gave her a gentle sidekick.
"Come on! Show him what you can, that you don't allow it. Give him a hard stroke."
"Alright."
Carefully, she came closer to the first snowmen and nudged it.
"Come on!" Po cheered her on. "Try it!"
"Do I really have to use my wings? Or can I use something else?"
"Well, you can also use a wood block. I will show you."

"Take care that it's wind-resistant," Shen said loudly to his servants who were busy to build up the tents. "It looks like new snow will come in the night."
He looked into the sky and watched the clouds.
A sudden "Woahhai!" let him wince until he realized Po's voice.
"That panda," he muttered angrily. "What on white earth, is he doing again?"
Annoyed the lord walked through the trees where he had heard the cries.
"He is like a stupid child," the warlord thought.
Slowly, he peeked around a group of trees. First, he was confused about the strange figures on the snowed field, until he realized they were made of snow. They threw long shadows in the red light of the evening sun.
In the next second, a black and white figure ripped through the snow mock-ups and swung a branch to all sides so that snow flew through the air.
Suddenly, Shen blinked.
No!
He gasped for air and backed away. He had effort with breathing.
With wide eyes, he stared ahead.
Like him! No! It's him!
He turned around quickly and ran away.
Meanwhile, Po took the branch over his shoulder. "That's how you could make it."
"It looks so easy if you do so," she said with admiration. "But I don't know whether I could ever be as good as you."
"With a little training, you can do everything."
Xia forced a smile. "Yes, maybe. But not today. It's late."
Po looked up to the sky which was already dark. "Alright. Let's go back."

"Shen? Are you alright?"
The old goat eyed the lord who stood panting and leaning against the tent.
"I'm... I'm fine," he avoided her question.
He covered his face with one wing and rubbed his forehead. "It was just..." The peacock shook his head. "Nothing!"
"Your fear has a reason."
"I'm not afraid! And before you say more, don't talk to me! No word!"
With worried eyes, she looked after the white prince who disappeared into his tent.

The night came and the wind became stronger, but it was warm in the tents. Shen owned a tent for himself, while the rest camped in a bigger tent together. After a meal they went to sleep. It became quiet, just the strong wind blew around the cloth covers. But all in all, everything around was empty and lonely. But despite all, Shen couldn't find his sleep. No matter what he did, every time he had these pictures in his head and didn't want to leave him. They tortured him, followed him. He shook his head.
It had been a cold, windy night like today. Snow lay all around. Dark shadows and red fire.
Cries of wolves. Screams of dying pandas.
In a field, there stood a white peacock with wolves.
The warlord looked ahead. A little panda was sitting in front of a hut.
"Kill them all!"
His wolves obeyed. They jumped forward with wide open dangerous mouths.
But suddenly, another big figure appeared and swung something through the air. It hit the wolves and threw them through the air next to the lord.
The peacock flinched.
Who was it?
"Run away with our son!" the big panda cried.
Nobody should escape!
"Kill them! After them!"
More wolves appeared. Running through the forest.
"You will never get them!" The big panda ran at him. No, he couldn't win.
The fight had been short, but hard.
He could still taste snowflakes and ashes in his mouth and nose.
Cold snow under his feet, the heat of burning houses around.
The big panda had fought like crazy.
Shen opened his cramped eyes.
Could this happen again?
Could this panda really forgive him?
Suddenly, Shen thought to hear footsteps in the snow. He lifted his head. Someone was walking around the tent. Then it was gone. After a while he lay down again.
Must be the wind. Everything made him so nervous. Why had he allowed that the panda came with him?
A movement at the tent entrance.
"Who's there?!" Shen cried.
It couldn't be the wind. He had closed the curtains.
A feeling of no-being-alone confronted the lord. Someone was in the room. He wasn't alone anymore.
A shadow in a corner.
Quickly, he looked back.
Red light lighted the room.
No! This can't be!
The big panda.
"You will never get them!"
The lord was like paralyzed.
That's impossible. He was dead.
Suddenly, the face changed.
Was it...?
The Dragon Warrior.
Po gave the warlord a scowl.
"Wooahai!"
He threw the branch at him.
"AHHHH!"
With frenzied heart, the lord opened wide his eyes. He needed more than two seconds to understand that the tent was empty. He blinked. He almost stood in the bed. His panting was the only sound what was in the room. His heart was thumping like mad. It had looked so real. He had seen the panda coming in. After a while, the waves of his dream calmed down. Reality wrapped him like a mother of safety. Finally, he took a deep breath and relief covered him. Slowly, he rubbed with his wings over his head. A sigh let him wince immediately.
"Ah!"
Shen held his chest, shocked and happy that it wasn't the panda who had sneaked up to him in his nearness.
"Shen, it's okay," the old goat calmed him. "It was just a dream."
"I know," the peacock muttered darkly. He hated her pity.
"Don't worry, the panda is still sleeping."
"How do you know what I dreamed about?"
"You talked in your sleep loud enough."
Still panting, he stared at her. Her eyes were gentle. Then, without a word, the peacock left the bed and went out.
Cold, icy air met him. The wind was still blowing, but it was almost in the morning.
Shen walked through high snow a few meters, then he stopped. The cold wind gave him a clear head again. He closed his eyes and let influence his mind with silence around.
The snow brought back memories. Memories from far away and long time ago.
He smiled bitterly. So many things had happened in the snow. The battle at the panda village. And in high mountains...
His glance wandered ahead. The first sunbeams of the next morning lighted the sky and gave the landscape a light red. A next day was born. A new day in the snow.
It's beautiful.
You liked the snow.
No, it hadn't been the morning sun, it had been in the nightfall...

17 years ago...

She stood there. She stood there like a stature. She did nothing. Just standing and looked into the distance of the mountains. The lord was inside the cave and watched her. She didn't move. She stood in the cave frame and eyed the sunset.
Slowly, he came closer. "Anything wrong? What's there?"
The peahen winced and ducked her head. Shen came up to her. Their eyes met. She was still afraid of him.
"So, what are you doing here?" he restarted his question.
"I thought... fresh air would be good. And..." She looked at the dying sun. "I like to watch the sunset."
The lord gave it a short glance. "Like every day before night."
"Every sunset is something special. It's beautiful." She sighed quietly. "I wish I could see it."
He looked at her in surprise. "Mm?"
She caught her breath, but in the same second she lowered her head. "Nothing."
Her voice was hoarse, but also soft and gentle. The prince didn't know why, but he liked to listen to her voice. But his face stayed callously. She was still looking at the sun. Finally, he overcame himself and looked at it, too.
Silence surrounded them. The storm was gone, but the lord knew the next one was coming.
"Clouds are coming."
She turned back her eyes to him. "What?"
"Don't you see it?" He waved his head to the right site. "The clouds bring new snow. Tomorrow we will not see the sun."
She watched him silently. "You seem to know the weather very well, don't you?"
"I'm living here for a long time."
"Why here? So alone?"
He gave her an angry glance. "Unimportant."
She avoided his look.
She is still like an anxious girl, he thought. But why should it care him?
For a while nobody said a word.
Nothing seemed to be, but Shen felt something different. He didn't know why, but he felt a tension in his wings and shoulders. What on earth, he had never felt anything like that. The lord peered at her. Was she nervous? What should he say? Why should he say something? It wasn't his obligation to say something. But he had the feeling to say something. He shook his head about himself.
What are you doing?
He cleaned his throat, but he couldn't speak. Why not?
Suddenly, she coughed badly. Now his eyes were directed at her completely. She rubbed her neck.
"Everything okay?" he asked unsurely.
Why do you ask?
Again Shen shook his head about himself.
"Just a scratchiness in the throat," she said with panting. "That goes over."
They looked at each other until the white peacock broke the eye contact.
"It's time to sleep."
He turned around, but he felt that she didn't follow him.
"Don't worry. You don't have to sleep in my bed."
She couldn't see, but his face was covered with regret for a short moment. He stopped and turned around to look at her. Again their eyes met and he couldn't stand it to look into her eyes any longer.
"Come in. You will get a cold."

"You will get a cold. Shen? Shen?"
The peacock winced. "Mm? What?"
"It's cold, Shen," the voice of the old goat continued. "You could catch a chill. Come in."
The peacock narrowed his eyes.
Get a cold. Just a lie.
Annoyed he turned around. "You aren't my mother."
"Where are you going?" she asked, while Shen was walking to the second bigger tent. But he didn't reply. He opened the tent curtains quickly and entered.
"Panda! Wake up!"
"Mm, what?" Po wasn't awake yet. "What is it? An attack?"
"We decamp now!"
Tiredly, the panda rubbed his eyes and lay himself on the other site. "It's very early in the morning. Just five minutes more."
The lord waved his finger at goat's brother-in-law of the soothsayer then at the panda. And no long time, the warrior in black and white flew through the air outside into the cold snow.
With paddling arms and legs, he sat up. "EY! What was that for?"
Shen didn't pay attention for his morning frustration and looked down at him with gleeful mien. "And I will keep an eye on you."
With that, Shen passed him and let the confused panda stay there.
"Why?"
"Everything and everyone is ready in 15 minutes!"
Still confused, the panda stood up. "Hey? And what about breakfast?"