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  "He's a magnificent animal...and a dream to ride."

  "The Duke said he'd never seen a rider and horse so well matched, like Windrunner had been made for his Qi'advisor. He's deeded him to you."

  I couldn't move or speak, drawing on my Qi to calm my emotions. It had felt like Windrunner was mine during the ride to Xihu and now, but... I hadn't fully realized the status of a Qi'advisor and her position in a household—or this case a dukedom.

  For the first time, I wondered at the importance of the traditional Walk-around. Was it necessary or just informative? Did it depend upon the client, the circumstances, or the Qi'advisor? I imagined the answer was yes to all in varying degrees.

  Interesting but meaningless questions. I embraced the Way. My destiny was to travel the Path, neither leading nor following. Windrunner was mine. It did not matter why. I raised my head and looked at the two men, who had remained silent while I recovered by inner balance.

  "The duke is a very generous man to give me such a magnificent animal. I would've been content to have him to ride while the duke contracted my services."

  "That is true, qi'Nisha. I think the duke and Windrunner believe you belong together. I've never seen Windrunner react to anyone the way he did with you just now and on the ride to Xihu," Harkin said, smiling.

  "We'll take good care of him for you, and he will be available to ride anytime. Just come here and someone will saddle him for you."

  After we finished the tour, Harkin took me through the barracks and into the training courtyard, where groups of men and women were drilling in pairs or squads. They wore dark-blue pants with a silver strip down the leg. Their shirts were also blue with red markings I recognized as rank. As I stood watching, two lieutenants, judging by the red braid on their sleeves, came walking toward us. The man looked to be not much older than me. He was tall like the duke and walked with an easy, self-confident stride. The woman looked at least five to ten years older. She was shorter than the man but a head taller than me. They saluted Harkin as they approached, but their gazes were focused on me.

  "Qi'Nisha, I'd like to present Lieutenant Mastal and Lieutenant Irmak," Harkin said, his eyes on Irmak.

  "You're very young for a Qi'advisor. Very young," Irmak said.

  Harkin frowned but said nothing. I expected to hear this a lot until people learned to accept me as Qi.

  "Yes, Lieutenant Irmak, I am," I said and waited for her to continue.

  "I understand the Qi are excellent fighters. Perhaps a demonstration with swords?"

  I laughed at the thought. "Lieutenant Irmak, I've a basic understanding of the art of the sword, but I'm not a soldier."

  "Then you can't defend yourself. I guess what I heard was wrong."

  Out of the corner of my eye, Harkin appeared ready to intervene. I shook my head to stop him. This confrontation would have to take place sooner or later.

  "All Qi are capable of defending themselves."

  "Would you like to give me a demonstration of Qi training? No weapons, since you're not a soldier?"

  I smiled. "I'd be honored, Lieutenant."

  She walked a few feet into the training area and waved several soldiers out of the way. They moved quickly. I followed, with Harkin and Mastal trailing behind me.

  Harkin glared at Irmak. "Qi'Nisha, Irmak has exceeded good manners to a guest of the duke. You have nothing to prove."

  Irmak's face tensed. Perhaps in her rush to make her point, she hadn't considered the implications of challenging me.

  "Lieutenant Irmak is merely trying to determine if she'll have to assign men to protect me during any engagements." I nodded to Irmak and heard someone choke. Irmak didn't look quite so smug as she turned to face me. Mastal immediately stepped up and raised his hand in between us. He looked to each of us. When we nodded, he dropped his hand and stepped back.

  Irmak snapped a right-front kick at my stomach. I turned sideways, guiding her foot by me with my right arm. She followed with a right fist at my face. As my right hand guided her foot past me, my left arm blocked her punch. Combining my Qi with her forward momentum, I propelled her past me. She took one step, planted her left foot, and shot a powerful back kick toward my head.

  It was a beautifully executed move, if inappropriate—the force of the blow could have killed me. The move caught me by surprise, and I automatically struck her leg with Qi. The force lifted her off the ground, spun her around, and slammed her face first to the ground.

  The surprise had made me use more force than I'd intended. I hurried to kneel next to her head.

  "Lieutenant Irmak, are you all right?" I hadn't meant to hurt her, but I had, because I had been thinking too much. I'd have to do better in the future. Irmak rolled over onto her back.

  "I owe you several apologies." She rolled over and pushed herself to her knees. "First, for picking a fight with you. I thought I was doing it for the duke, proving you a fake. Second, for throwing that back kick. Whether you were a fake or not, that was wrong. And lastly, for acting like a drunken recruit. Sir Harkin and the duke will see I'm justly punished."

  I shook my head. "I was in the wrong as well. I used more force than I should have. Your move was excellent. It caught me unprepared, and I overreacted."

  Sir Harkin strode over to loom over the two of us. "Yes, qi'Nisha, the duke will want her whipped—"

  I interrupted with my hand. "Sir Harkin, I'd hope not. We had a friendly match, soldier against Qi. It's I who owes her an apology for hurting her. That should never have happened. If the lieutenant would accept my apology, it need go no further."

  In reality, I had suckered her into the fight. It had to happen soon or later; otherwise, the duke would be subjected to malicious rumors concerning him and me. Mastal stood there with a grin on his face. Harkin looked to Irmak, who nodded.

  "As you wish, qi'Nisha." Before he could continue, a small girl ran up to him.

  "Sir Harkin, Minister Mirza sent me to tell you that the duke requires qi'Nisha dine with him and his family tonight." She stood quietly waiting his response, while sneaking quick looks in Irmak and my direction.

  "I'm afraid we'll have to postpone your tour until some other time. Lidi will show you back to your room, so you can get ready."

  "That won't be necessary, Sir Harkin. I'm going that way and can show qi'Nisha to her room," Mastal said, while watching me.

  I nodded and followed him out of the building. He said nothing until we reached the stairs.

  "That was impressive, qi'Nisha. Irmak is a fierce and deadly fighter. No one to take lightly."

  "I was sloppy. I just hope I didn't seriously hurt her," I said, still critiquing my inability to stay detached during the contest. Mastal remained silent until we reached the duke's family corridor.

  "I'll see you at the evening meal, qi'Nisha."

  I stood there staring at his back as he continued down the hallway. I had noticed his resemblance to the duke but failed to make the connection. I had a lot to learn and needed to start paying more attention, both to what I was doing and to the people around me.

  Crina stood holding the little pile of my clothes when I opened the door to my room.

  "Mistress, Minister Mirza has moved you to the smaller room as you requested. I'll help you move your things...if you wish."

  "Thank you, Crina. I'd appreciate your help." I didn't need help, but it was part of her duties, and my refusal would have made it look as though I was slighting her. She neatly packed my few things in my traveling bag and led me to my new room, which had one less chair and armoire and was only a few steps smaller.

  "Is there anything else, Mistress?" Crina asked, after laying out a cleaned set of clothes and placing my soap and comb next to a bowl of warm water she had sitting ready for me.

  "No. You've provided everything I need. Thank you." I smiled and was rewarded with a curtsy, a pleased smile, and sparkling eyes. I hoped my stay would make her life a little easier. I washed, put on my newly cleaned pants and shirt, and then medita
ted while I waited. Sometime later, there was a soft knock at my door.

  "Come in," I said.

  Crina opened the door and peeked around the corner. "Mistress, the family meal will be served in ten minutes."

  "Come in, Crina. You may call me qi'Nisha, but if ‘Mistress' is more comfortable, that's all right. And there's no reason to be afraid of me. Treat me like someone you've known for years. Thank you for getting my clothes cleaned so quickly. I needed them."

  "You're welcome, Mistress. If you need anything, ring for me."

  "You can help me by letting me know how things work, like the meal tonight. What can I expect?"

  "It's a family dinner. Normally, as a guest of the duke, you'd wear something semiformal. Since you don't have such clothing..." She shrugged. "You'll be expected to arrive a few minutes early."

  "Thank you. Those are the type of things I need to understand. Since I need to be early, it's time to leave."

  Crina pointed to a door at the end of the hall. When I entered, Mastal was already there. He smiled and motioned me to a chair to the left of where the duke would sit. As I moved to stand behind it, the duke and two women entered and walked over to me.

  The duke smiled at the older woman, who looked to be his age. "Vidya, I'd like to introduce qi'Nisha." And then nodded toward the younger woman. "Our daughter, Suetta. I believe you've already met my son, Mastal."

  "I'm please to meet you Duchess Vidya, and you Suetta. Please call me Nisha."

  "I would have thought you'd want everyone to call you Qi. That's an important title that demands respect," Suetta said.

  "You're right, it's a title. It tells strangers what position I fill. It tells them nothing else."

  "Speaking of respect, Nisha," Sandar interrupted, his eyes narrowed. "I understand Lieutenant Irmak forced you into a fight. Since you're my advisor, her misconduct should have been reported to me for action. You should not have taken it on yourself to pardon her. She deserved to be whipped for her disrespect."

  "I could not pardon her, Your Grace. I told Harkin that I hoped she wouldn't be punished. People are questioning my youth and whether I'm Qi. Lieutenant Irmak is loyal to you and wished to resolve the issue. When I refused a match with swords, she thought that proved me a fake, probably based on some stories she'd heard. I encouraged a fight. Without some proof, it wouldn't be long before people wondered if I'm your concubine. Irmak provided a quick way to derail speculation."

  Lady Vidya laid a hand on her husband's arm. "I like her, Ashtad. Her age is a potential problem. She understood that and moved quickly to resolve it. It bodes well for the future."

  Mastal nodded agreement. "Nisha picked the right person for her demonstration. Irmak is unarguably the fiercest fighter in the garrison. No sane person wants to fight her. If beating her weren't enough, Nisha apologized for hurting her. From what I've heard, Irmak has a black-and-blue bruise from her groin to her ankle and can barely hobble around. She's told everyone within hearing distance that Nisha is Qi."

  "What if you had lost?" Sandar asked, still frowning.

  "I wouldn't have been a good advisor for you and would've returned to the Qi'temple." I traveled the Path. Where it led was not important.

  "You picked well, Ashtad," Vidya said.

  "Actually, I'd little choice. When I arrived at the Qi'temple…" Sandar recounted his meeting with qi'Rajini. With the number of interruptions for questions, the retelling continued through most of the meal. I was served water, without having to ask, and several slices of cheese appeared by magic on a small plate next to me.

  "I noticed you were served water and cheese," Suetta said at the end of her father's story. "And hardly touched the swan or dessert."

  "I'm still getting used to all the changes. At the Qi'temple, bread, cheese, and water were staples. I mentioned it to Mala when I visited the kitchen. It was very thoughtful of her to remember."

  Suetta laughed. "You visited the kitchens. In the kitchen, Mala's as fierce as Irmak. You certainly had an interesting day. You should know, the staff will remember everything you say and do their best to accommodate you."

  "Nisha, I not sure if you need to adjust to us or us to you. I think it's going to be a joint effort. I'd like to see you in my office in an hour," Sandar said as he rose, signaling an end to dinner.

  "I would also like to see you sometime in the next few days when my husband has no need of you," Vidya said. "Your maid can bring me a message when it fits your schedule. Welcome to Xihu and the Sandar family."

  * * *

  I spent the hour quietly reviewing my first day at the Xihu castle, realizing how much I had to learn. The worlds of the Qi'temple and the kingdom of Rhybac were like yin and yang. Even things as simple as eating a meal were uniquely different. Being embarrassed didn't matter, but understanding the differences did. I might choose not to follow custom or tradition, but it needed to be out of choice not ignorance. Before long, Crina knocked and opened the door.

  "Mistress, the duke's ready for you," she said, staring at the floor. I hoped I could eventually get her to relax around me. It was a good sign that she had opened the door without waiting, as I had asked. Suetta was right. The staff remembered what you wanted and tried to comply.

  "Thank you, Crina."

  She pointed to the door closest to the duke's suite. I knocked and waited, ironically just as Crina had originally done with me. When he answered, I entered.

  The room looked as large as the bedroom they had first shown me. He sat behind a large, dark-brown wood desk with a glass of wine in his hand. Behind him were three narrow windows with alternating silver and blue drapes, The room was spacious even with the three carved wooden armchairs covered in embroidered silk, shelves with five-tens of books, weapons hanging on the wall, and small tables with statues scattered around the room. Hand-woven rugs lay under each chair and table. He nodded toward the armchair in front of his desk. A glass of water sat on a small table next to the chair. The room must have cost hundreds of gold danz. Seeing this wealth and a gift like Windrunner, I wondered what the Qi'temple charged for Qi services.

  "Your Grace, I'd like to thank you for Windrunner. He's a magnificent animal. I hope my future services justify your gift."

  "You're welcome. It was obvious to Harkin and me that he belongs to you and that I had only been keeping him for you." He paused to take a sip of his wine, an excuse to appraise me or to decide on his next words. "I've never had a Qi'advisor, and because we didn't negotiate a contract, I'm not sure what to expect. What do you suggest?"

  "The only service I can provide is to speak honestly about what I observe and the conclusions I draw. Being Qi, that will be unbiased. I'll be most effective if what you see and hear, I do as well. If I'm only told what happened or was said, it will be biased and make it hard to give you my best observation."

  "Interesting, you offer me only your observations."

  "You have years of knowledge and experience I don't have, but those have biased you in one way or another. My function is to point out those biases and to tell you what I see without that bias and the observations my Qi helps me to see, not to tell you if you are right or wrong. In the end, the decisions are yours."

  "You seemed to go beyond your description of your services when you confronted Lieutenant Irmak."

  "I've thought about that. It isn't something I can control, which may make me unacceptable. Qi manifests itself differently in each person. When I reach for Qi, the world is clear to me. I cannot refuse to acknowledge it. That was true with my encounter with Lieutenant Irmak."

  "We'll have to see, Nisha. In truth, you're not what I was expecting, but so far, you've been a pleasant surprise. We have little time to delay. My reports…" He shook his head. "Perhaps as you say, it's best that you see for yourself. We'll rest tomorrow and leave the next for Inari."

  So, the Path would next lead to Inari, the capital of the Zeno Province.

  * * *

  The next day, I learned I was expected to
eat in the family's private dining room when I wasn't busy elsewhere. That morning only Vidya and Suetta were seated when I walked into the room. I suspected that was by design.

  "Good morning, Nisha. I'm pleased we'll have an opportunity to get acquainted," Vidya said. Her daughter grinned, which told me they had been here for a while, waiting for me.

  "Good morning." As soon as I sat, a young man was standing at my shoulder.

  "What can I get for you, qi'Nisha?" I looked over to the women. They had an assortment of pancakes, eggs, milk, patties of some kind, and other things I didn't recognize.

  "Porridge and water, if you have it. If not, bread and cheese."

  "Yes, qi'Nisha," he said and disappeared.

  "I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit. They didn't anticipate those choices, so someone will have to run to the kitchen. Tomorrow, they'll be ready," Suetta said with a grin. "They know what foods we like and have it ready. If we want something special, we let them know in advance."

  "Nisha, don't feel like you must eat what we do, although you're certainly welcome to. Your simple tastes won't cause the cooks any disruptions. And if you want anything special, just let your maid know. The cooks will be happy to make it the way you'd like," Vidya said. "On the upcoming trip, you will be spending a lot of time with my husband. More than normal, if I interpret your need to hear and see what he does." It wasn't a question, but it was. She had said "my husband" on purpose.

  "Lady Vidya, sex would be a distraction that would disrupt my Qi. In that case, I would be of little value as a Qi'advisor and would return to the Qi'temple to reevaluate my life. That applies to your husband as well as to anyone else." I'd never had sex. At the Qi'temple, I'd been a loner by choice and the encouragement of my Qi'teacher—I now realized. It had allowed me to develop a strong Qi. There were no restrictions at the Qi'temple, but those who got involved never lasted. You couldn't meditate if you were distracted, and you couldn't develop a strong Qi if you couldn't meditate.