The Stone Road Read Online Free PDF

say.
    “Yeah, never leaves that wagon. You see inside it? Bloody palace on wheels. Comfy bed, little fire, cushioned floor. What do we get? Sleep on the cold ground and freeze the night through,” said another.
    “Don’t think the Captain likes him much either. He spent all his time on horseback out in the open with us,” responded the first.
    “Don’t think his assistant Zhou is much better. You see the way he kicked that little beggar child outside the city?” chimed in a third voice.
    “Only a bloody beggar,” the first again.
    “No call to kick a kid though, eh?” the second soldier re-joined the conversation. “Zhou always gives me that look. You know the one, like a ‘who are you to even think you can look at me’ kinda look. Thinks he’s better than us,” said the third soldier.
    “He’s better than you, for sure,” laughed the first and they all joined in.
    Soon the conversation returned to alcohol, girls and how hard life was for a soldier. Haung waited as long as he could for the three ranking Wubei to make an appearance. He had a good idea who the Captain was, and could remember the face of Zhou, easy to pick out by his lack of soldier’s uniform, but he still wanted to see Hsin. They still had not come down from their rooms when he decided he could not wait any longer and still be on time for his next meeting. Haung lurched upright and stumbled his way out of the front door, round the side of the inn and picked up the sack containing his original clothes.
    Once he had turned a few street corners, still in the guise of a worker who had spent all his day’s wages on alcohol, Haung turned the stagger into a fast run through the dark streets back to the castle. In his own rooms he stripped and washed the disguise off of his skin and out of his hair. He pulled on his Jiin-Wei uniform of dark grey and black silk tunic and trousers, belted a dagger to his waist and picked up the scabbarded sword. It felt right in his hands, much better quality than his old sword and the balance was perfect.
    He opened the door to his small room and placed the stinking disguise into the laundry pile. Servants would come along later and move it, either to wash or destroy depending on its condition. Bloody clothes were always destroyed, burnt to ash and thrown to the winds. Haung settled the dagger into a more comfortable position on his hip and made his way through dim corridors towards his second appointment.
    “Haung?” it was a girl’s voice. He stopped and turned.
    “Do I know you?” He asked of the young, small, serving girl who had been walking along the corridor in the opposite direction to him.
    “You should do, you knocked the jar out of my hands last time I saw you. Cost me a day’s wages because the cook said it was my fault.” The girl stepped into the glow of one of the few lanterns in the corridor, put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern stare, “And before that, you’d promised to take me walking one night.”
    “Jiao? Is that you?” Haung asked.
    “Of course it is, you great ox. How come you don’t come and visit the kitchen anymore? Why don’t you... oh.” She caught her breath when he stepped forward into better light. “My apologies, Jiin-Wei . Please forgive my questions.” She bowed low, then turned and fled along the corridor.
    “Jiao,” Haung called as she bolted away from him, and then shook his head a little before resuming his own journey.
    After a few more twists and turns he reached his goal, a thick wooden door with symbols carved into it. His hand tightened around the scabbard, stretching and whitening the skin of his knuckles and he forced himself to relax and remain calm. He traced two of the symbols which glowed faintly as the fingertip passed over. The door swung open on silent hinges and he stepped through.
    The staircase beyond was cut from solid rock and descended as far as he could see. Regular spaced small nooks in the wall housed the glowing orange orbs