The Last War

24. Better Than Nothing

"And that's how it goes," Po finished his report after Hangfan told his message to the others.
They stood together in a room with some other sheep, Mr. Ping, Soothsayer, who had recovered completely again, Shen, on the opposite of the room with distance to his son Sheng. Po's glance rested on Shen particularly. But the bird didn't show emotion.
"Hey!" Po cried. "She is going to marry another one again. Don't you mind?!"
But the white peacock turned around wordlessly and left the room. Po wanted to follow him, but the old goat raised her arm and kept him from doing that.
Sheng gazed back at his biological father with suspicious eyes. Then he began to speak. "I'm always ready to take them out."
"That's all very well," the merchant sheep said. "But how do you want to come into the land of the Huns? The borders are closed. Even if not, I have no delivery for the castle this week. We have no pretext to come in."
Po rubbed his forehead. "Maybe we could say, we are an investigation commission for illegal border walker. Or a tourist group which wants to visit the castle."
Of course, that was all very incredible, what Po had to agree.
"Maybe there is still another chance."
Suddenly, a small cicada jumped on Po's head.
"Tu? What are you doing here? You should stay in the castle and watch the others."
"What should I do there? And how do you want to come in the stronghold?"
"Okay, okay," Sheng interrupted. He even didn't ask who Tu was and where he came from. He only wanted to have a plan on the table. "You spoke about another chance and what is it made of?"
"Well," Tu started. "In front of the border is a hidden tunnel, which leads you under the masonry."
"Uh?" Po took him from his head. "Why didn't we take that way from the beginning?"
"Well, there is a snag."
"A snag?"
"The tunnel isn't interconnected with the hidden corridors. It only brings you to the prison. Originally, it was planned as an escape route, which was built while the castle was under Chinese control for a while. Even Wang doesn't know about its existence."
Po rubbed his chin. "Well, better one way than nothing."
"In this case, we start immediately," Sheng said and moved to the door.
"You are very fast," Po said.
Sheng gave him an angry glance. "I want to spring my mother and my sister."
"And what about Xiang?"
Sheng hesitated.
"You never ask for him. Why not?"
The young peacock lifted his nose. "He will manage. He always manages things alone. If not, he would be a weakling."
"Do you really think so?"
"He said it with his own words," Sheng commented icily. "Otherwise he would be nothing. That's what he used to say."
With that, he left the room and walked outside.
Po's eyes wandered over to Mr. Ping. "Uhm, I guess you don't come with us, do you?"
Mr. Ping smiled. "I'm sure you will manage it, Po. And by the way, I think I should favor my leg a while longer."
"Oh, yes, your leg... YOUR LEG! Why didn't you tell me... oh, your leg, your leg! I forgot!"
"But Po, it was just sprained. It's already fine again."
Po put his paws over his head. "I'm so sorry, dad! I haven't thought about... I had so many things in my head."
"Po, don't worry too much about it. Just go. They need you."
Po looked at the door. "I think they need someone more than me."

Shen stood outside of the village and looked over the snowed morning landscape.
"Will that be daily routine?" Po muttered when he saw the white peacock again alone and with the back turned to him. But there was no time to talk about that. Instead, he walked closer.
"Uh, Shen? We start on our way. Do you wanna come with us?"
First, Shen kept silent. But then he moved his beak. "I think, they are in better hands with you than me."
Nervously, Po rubbed over his neck. "Hey, listen. I-I'm sure she... still lov... likes you."
Shen closed his eyes and lowered his glance. "Why should she do that?"
The panda rubbed his fingertips. "Uh, well, maybe... I... I could imagine that... You... you know her better than me. Can't you feel something that she feels like this? Come on. You know it and I know it, too." He tried to watch the peacock from the side. "Don't we?"
Shen still didn't look at him. "How can you talk about things, about you have no knowledge?"
Po took a deep, annoyed breath. "Alright, maybe I have no knowledge about such kind of stuff, but I'm sure she has already forgiven you."
Now the white lord glanced at him. His eyes glinted with anger. "How do you want to know?!"
"Because I already did!"
The peacock was wide-eyed in surprise.
But Po didn't change his angry face. "Yes, that's what I think."
The peacock still didn't say a word.
"Did you forget everything?" Po sounded like disappointed. "The day in the Valley of Peace? We let fall our weapons. I gave you a peace offer. Even after I knew that you killed my family. You did bad things to me. But that's not the same as you did to her. Alright. You made a mistake. We all make mistakes. But you have an advantage with her. She loved you. Didn't she? And if you say, you are sorry for all, I'm sure she will forgive you what you have done to her. And don't say, no. Alright?"
He crossed his arms. Suddenly, he was surprised about his tone and was afraid he had gone too far. For this reason, he thought it would be the best to leave him now.
"Let us know if you want to come. We will start in 30 minutes."
He hesitated. "Oh, and if you want to know how, we will take a little tunnel which guides into the prison. Just an idea. But better than nothing."

"Be careful, Po," Mr. Ping said and hugged the panda.
"I will, dad. Don't worry," Po said and hugged him, too.
Sheng, who stood next to them, watched them thoughtfully. But just a few seconds.
"Could we go now?" he asked impatiently.
"Alright." Po gave Mr. Ping a last squeeze. "We will be back very soon."
He released the gander, but suddenly he lifted his head in surprise. A familiar white peacock walked through the snow, wearing his white-red thick robe and looked at the little group with the deepest indifference. He met the eyes of his son very short, then he turned to the left side and gave the impression that he was waiting for something. Po smiled. Shen didn't have to say it, but he was going to come with them.
"Weeellll," Po proclaimed and turned to the cicada Tu. "Show us the way. We are ready."
The cicada vibrated her antennas. "Very well then. But just if I can stay on your head."
"My head?"
"I'm not a big guy like you to go through the frozen water."
"Oh, okay."
With that, the little insect took his place and the group moved. First Po and Tu, then Sheng. Shen waited until they passed him and was going to follow them, but in the next moment, someone pulled his sleeve.
He looked at the soothsayer, who gave him a pleading smile. "Shen. It's not over yet."
She handed something at him. It was the white feather with the red circle and the black spot in the middle, which Xia had shown him when they first met. Yin-Yu's remembrance of him.
Shen took the feather and eyed it. Then he pursed it under his wing feathers and continued his way.
Mr. Ping and Soothsayer kept standing in front of the houses and gazed after them.
"Good luck!" Mr. Ping cried.
"Thanks, dad," Po cried back and waved at him. "Don't worry. We take care of..."
Suddenly, he slipped and slid down the hill.
"Po!"
"Nothing happened!" the gander heard Po's voice. "Everything is okay!"