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It had been a battle that Xiulong didn't know the end of, the last thing he recalled was landing in the snow before he'd blacked out... he wouldn't know what happened with the man with the sword, wouldn't recall the men gathering together to see who had been wounded, and wouldn't recall being spotted by his Master and Po Zei who ran over to him to scoop him out of the snow. It was luck though, pure luck, that he landed on the side where his wound was located, the snow and the cold had helped in keeping him from bleeding out... and the charm that Qiu Shui had won for him was the cause... or at least the bluenette would believe so if someone were to ask. It was something he'd tucked away into his robes before he went out with his Master and the rest of the gang after all, wanting to keep Qiu Shui's gift to him close.

The journey home was one of frustration and more then a little anger on Qiang Di's part, carrying Xiulong in his arms while yelling at Po Zei for not doing what he was supposed to do, not guarding the Lotus Child and letting him end up in such a condition. There were more angry words, about how he would fix this, would save him, or else he was going to end up in a world of hurt... given that Po Zei had seen what his Master could do the Doctor knew that he couldn't mess this up, had to save Xiulong's life... not that it was only the fear he had of that punishment that drove him. In fact there was guilt as well, pain. He had been charged with protecting Xiulong, Qiang Di's Successor and Po Zei's student, and he'd failed... the boy was a mess and needed taken care of!

"When we get back I will do all I can, Master Di." He said in a rush, gaining a harsh glare from the man that cause the white haired Doctor's heart to ache in his chest, making him feel as though he were the one dying for a moment but he pushed those emotions back, forced himself to take on the coldly clinical position as a Doctor instead, "Master Di, I will take care of this, I am going to run ahead and get things prepared." He said, giving the bluenette a glance before he raced forward, away from the rest of the gang, pushing himself to run as fast as was possible for him.

It wasn't long before he was bursting through the front door of the bathhouse, looking over toward the counter where Tian Mi was sitting, waiting for everyone to return in need of tea, baths, and food. The woman looked him over, his rushed look and the blood on his clothing and her eyes got wide, abandoning her spot before rushing over to him, "Where is Qiang Di?!" She demanded instantly.

"Hes coming up behind me, hurry up we need a room ready, I have to fetch my things." He said, turning to hurry ahead when she caught hold of his arm to slow him down. He turned to look at her, starring at her, then shoved her off of him, "Look... the Master's Dragon was cut down... I didn't see him, I didn't even know that the guy was around!" He said in a rush before he hurried down the hall with her follow along after him. She gave a sigh, giving up shadowing him so that she could instead go to a free room and set to lighting the candles in the room, bringing in more to make sure there was plenty of room, then went to fetch fresh water and lots of rags. It was... a strange feeling she had in her chest. She didn't like having the brat around, saw him as being a spoiled little whelp that was underfoot at all times, taking up the attention of her Master, but now that he was actually in trouble... she was worried, her heart aching... what a terrible feeling! She hated children damn it!

"Everything is ready." She said as Po Zei came into the room laying out his things, various tools he would need for the task ahead of him before she rested a hand on his shoulder, "I know you can save him, your a good doctor, the best one around or else our Master wouldn't have bothered with you."

He gave a nod as the last person he thought would ever say such a thing complimented him... a thought that was shoved aside, what was important now wasn't Tian Mi, it was Xiulong. He didn't even notice her leaving as his attention instead went to his things, making sure that it was all in order as a moment later the bluenette was being brought into the room by Qiang Di and he was setting to work...

*****

Tian Mi watched the proceedings, as the boy was being worked on, looking so pale and still, occasionally he'd twitch or squirm, never really coming to, though from time to time he would call out not for any of them but instead for his dark haired friend... she hadn't seen him since, what? The Autumn Festival and yet the boy was still just as stuck on him. It was a good sign though one that made her shake her head as she went to her room, pulling on a thicker robe over what she wore now, grabbed a pouch of coin, then slipped out before anyone noticed.

The dragon was weakening, he needed the one that had stolen a heart of his heart and soul nearby, it would give him a better chance at survival... it was because of this that she was being so bold as to go to the brothel herself to find the kid.

Tian Mi found herself pausing in front of the Brothel for a long moment, starring up at it. There was a long moment where she considered turning around and leaving, deciding against this foolish action... but then again it didn't matter did it? She wasn't one of them anymore, she belonged to Master Di alone, she was her own woman with her own business, she could do this! Taking in a deep breath the woman stepped inside, looking around the place for a moment before she gave a thoughtful sound. It really was a nice place wasn't it?

She put on a determined sort of face as she stepped forward, looking toward the women who was nearby, "Good evening." She greeted, deciding that using the same sort of sweet smile and friendly nature she used while running the bathhouse would be the best way to act right about now. She didn't like dealing with other women anymore then she liked to deal with children and yet here she was dealing with one for the sake of the other... she must really be getting daft she thought to herself. It really wasn't for the children she told herself, no, it was for her Master. She had never seen the man look distraught before and yet that had been the look on his face when he'd carried his pet dragon into the place and she was suddenly realizing something she'd missed before. To her Xiulong was a pain in the a** she had to train, to Po Zei he was a student, but to Master Di aside from being his successor the boy was... he was son.

She had to make sure that she did all that she could to help and since she had none of the doctoring skills that Po Zei did she would instead find the one person the wounded dragon was crying out for... there was another thing she didn't like, hearing him go from a confident little brat to a crying child, it was a change she disliked.

"I am looking for Qiu Shui, I've come to buy his services for a time." She said, lifting up a bag of coin to give it a shake. She wasn't sure how long she could buy the kid for but even a night or two was sure to aid in Xiulong's recover.

Tian Mi gave a bit of a chuckle, "Its not a matter of wanting to buy him as much as purchasing him for someone else." She said, not like she wanted to invite more little brats into her bathhouse... not that she would explain to anyone that she rather liked Qiu Shui in a way, they had more in common then she would like to admit and would have even more in common in Xiulong pulled through and became leader one day.

"Not possible?" She asked, about to question why it wasn't possible since her Master had bought the little brat twice already when she heard the loud crashing sounds and the shouting, something that caused her to lift an eyebrow in surprise. Well now... that wasn't something you heard often in an 'upstanding' establishment like this one. Now her bathhouse on the other hand, such things were common place she she often had the gang members hanging out in the front room of the shop during after hours, "I see... well I suppose that I will have to brave and head in that direction, you have my thanks." She said, just as sweetly before she started forward.

Wonderful, she had to come on a night where things were running amok, shouting and breaking of things, couldn't be so lucky as to have Qiu Shui somewhere sweeping like a good servant where she could find him easily. Giving a sigh she continued onward toward where the shouting was coming from, lifting a hand to tap it against the door frame before waiting quietly. It wasn't her place to step in when a Madame was disciplining one of their workers after all, she could only hope that the kid wasn't to injured to be of any use to her.

Tian Mi watched as the older woman, the Madame of the place, turned to look her way. She looked over at Qiu Shui for just a moment before looking back at the woman once more, "I thank you but I have a business of my own to run, Madame. Its business that brings me here in fact." She said, acting far more formal and kind with this woman, more so that she wouldn't be insulted. After all this woman was important just like her Master was important, as such they were stubborn and prideful people that one had to be careful around.

The dark eyes of the woman seemed to light up when she noticed that the Madame noticed what it was that she was holding in her hand, "Yes, I am here to rent out one of your people, so long as he is isn't in so much trouble that he isn't allowed out?" She asked, giving Qiu Shui a glance before she opened up her pouch and set to counting out so coins so that she could see that Tian Mi in fact had the coin to pay for the boy.

It took everything in her to remain calm, to go through the steps of a business deal, and do it right so that neither side would walk away upset. She gave a smile, "How much would his time cost me tonight?" She asked, pausing in the removing of coins to await the answer, knowing that Qiu Shui's price seemed to vary depending on the day that they were paying for him. The night of the Autumn Festival had been far more expensive then the night they found him in the flower field injured, he supposed she would see soon enough.

"Two nights? Sounds fair enough." She said, looking down at Qiu Shui as the boy was pulled over to her before she reached down to take hold of his wrist, "I will be certain to have him back by then." She really did feel bad though given that it would appear as though bringing him back would likely land the kid in a mess... but... well the kid wasn't hers, he belonged here, to this place, and if the Madame decided she wanted to kill him well he did belong to her.

She gave a bow of her head to the Madame before she turned around and started out of the building, remaining silent until outside, "I am sure that you would love to serve at the bathhouse as a maid and as much as some extra help would be nice that isn't why I came here tonight." She told him. The moment they were a way from the Brothel, putting enough space between them that they looked as though they weren't in a hurry over everything or as though things were doing just going about things as normal...

Until Tian Mi was suddenly moving more quickly, all but running, pulling him along with him with her, "Best to run now, Qiu Shui... We may be running out of time."

"Yes, we are racing against a clock and hoping that Po Zei is able to do his job well enough." She said, looking down at Qiu Shui in a somewhat sympathetic manner, trying to think about how it was that she was supposed to tell him why he was coming with her. She thought about it, trying to come up with a gentle way of telling him... but when it came down to it was there a gentle manner to explain such a thing? She chewed on her lower lip as she ran along, trying to cover the ground between the Brothel and her bathhouse as fast as possible.

As they got closer she seemed to just fall into silence, allowing it to fill the air around them before they were finally at their destination and she came up short in front of the door, starring at it for a long moment, drawing in a deep breath, "Qiu Shui..." She started, turning to look at the boy for a long moment, "I am sure with how things are going the last thing you want is more bad new but its not as though I can lie to you and tell you that you came here to play with Xiulong again..." This was a lot harder then she'd thought that it might be, wasn't it? What a pain, she didn't even like children so why was she doing this?

"He wanted to become a more useful part of the gang, wanted to learn what Qiang Di when he went out at night... it was supposed to be a simple meeting, routine stuff... but they were ambushed. A few were killed, others injured in the ensuing battle. Xiulong fought bravely but... he wasn't so lucky to escaped unscathed... Po Zei is with him now." Once she spoke her piece she was moving again, opening the door for him.

Inside was a lot quieter then normal, all the men standing and sitting, waiting and wondering, they were quite hard on the kid before but now they seemed to all be waiting for the same thing, new on his condition. They had lost a few men tonight and it would seem as though they didn't want to see him fall as well, he was to be the successor to the gang and he had stood up against a rather dangerous man with just a knife all to protect his Master, he'd done what any of them would have done and without half the experience or training. It would seem that meant a lot to them.

She looked down at the dark haired boy when he spoke, giving him a weak smile, wishing that were the case... though if it were and Xiulong were so mean as to tease the other boy like that she would be forced to knock him senseless... but that was beside the point, "He does need you, your important to him and as injured as he is you were who he was calling for." The reason why she had come to get Qiu Shui was revealed as she gave him a pat on the head, turned, and started down the hall toward where she had left Po Zei, Master Di, and Xiulong some time ago...

Just as they were walking down the hall there was a cursing sound from inside the room before Qiang Di came out from the room, "This is on your head Po Zei! You were told to look after him and now look!" He snapped, showing a lot more anger then was normal, he was always so in control, arrogant and confident, obviously though that was far from how he was feeling at the moment...

Po Zei followed along after him, wiping his hands off on his robes, robes that were stained red, "I am sorry Master... I tried to save it but it couldn't be helped! Master please, under stand that..." He gave a grunt as the man grabbed hold off the front of his robes and then slammed him back against the wall, making him cry out in surprise as his back hit the wall. He starred at his Master for a long moment, looking hurt, "Master... please..."

Tian Mi watched the pair, a part of her rather excited to see Po Zei in trouble, seeing it as her chance to finally have their Master to herself... but instead of acting on it, helping to feed Qiang Di's anger she moved forward quickly, reaching out to catch hold of his arm, "Master Di, please... that is enough. Po Zei is a good Doctor but he is no God, you know that." She said, pulling his hand back to give Qiang Di a kiss to the back of it, hugging it to her chest, and seemed to be doing her best to ease his anger using herself as a distraction. It was rather hard to tell which of the two was more surprised at her stepping in to save Po Zei, the Doctor himself or their Master.

"Tian Mi..." He murmured, turning to look at her, then passed her his eyes falling upon Qiu Shui, "What the... What are you doing here?" He asked of him, seeming to calm a little as he found himself looking at someone that he didn't think would just appear from nowhere to appear at the bathhouse. A good thing, yes, since he was so important to Xiulong but still a surprise, he shrugged off the other two before walking toward him, lifting a hand to pat Qiu Shui on the head, "I suppose you've heard?" He asked of him, "Perhaps this is a fortuitous visit then, you are always quite useful when it comes to my little Dragon."

The three adults turned to look at Qiu Shui as he started to schold them, all three quite startled to hear him raise his voice since he was who he was, normally quiet and subservient due to that being his job... The three watched as he went from yelling at them to retreating into the room where Xiulong was laying. The three looked among themselves before Qiang Di moved follow after the boy, "Wait here." He murmured to them before he stepped into the room behind him, "Hes asleep for the moment and while he will likely be in some pain at the moment hes been drugged to keep him asleep to let him recover."

The room was a bit of a mess near to Xiulong, there was a pile of blood rages, different tools for surgery, and various containers of different salves and medicines. He gave a sigh as he walked over to where the boy was with Qiu Shui before he lowered himself down to starring at the bluenette before motioning to the dark haired boy to sit with him, "He looks worse then he really is, given time to recover he will be back to himself once more... for the most part that is."

The Master of the Gang fell quiet, looking more deep in thought as he looked at the boy before them. Xiulong was quite pale, his head and half his faced swathed tightly in bandages, hair crusted with blood. He was still and quiet, breathing though it was hard to tell since he had several blankets over him to make sure that he was kept warm as they didn't want to risk a fever in the weakened state he was in at the moment.

"He was calling out for you so perhaps its a good thing that you came. You should take his hand, talk to him, let him know your here and perhaps he will come to after a time." He suggested to the other boy though he wasn't looking at him, Qiu Shui wasn't his worry at the moment, his worry was all reserved for his son. It was likely why he had said nothing in response to the boy yelling at him and the two most important members of his group aside from Xiulong who had proved himself tonight even if he had been wounded gravely.