The Tale of the *White Tiger* (Part 3 of 3)

(Well, I didn't finish Soulsword in time to be included in the Swords of St. Valentine anthology. Congratulations to everyone whose story was chosen! I'll join you next anthology!!

I will definitely finish Wu Song and Princess Lei's tale in the near future. But for those of you waiting for the conclusion, here is the rest of the first story set in the Eight-Thousand Systems universe. If you missed the first two installments, here's Part 1 and Part 2.

Enjoy! And remember, if you enjoyed, please upvote, comment, and resteem...)

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Prince Shen had prepared for this moment. He signaled a distress code. He thought for a moment that the White Tiger would pass him by, but at last it turned and headed for his ship. Its cargo bay opened like a giant maw to swallow his small craft whole. Prince Shen shuddered. He was now truly in the tiger's jaw.

Guards armed with pistols and swords met him at the door of his vessel. He should not have been surprised to see these guards were women, but he was. They stood nearly as tall as he was, in crisp black uniforms with no insignia. They bade him come with them. Though they did not make him give up his sword, it was clear what the result would be if he should draw it.

The bright colors and sounds evidenced in the corridors made it clear to Prince Shen that the White Tiger was more than a base of operations for its crew. It was a home. He even saw women playing with children, all of them girls. Their mothers snatched them back as Shen was marched past.

At last they reached a large chamber. There were many seated women in the room, but Prince Shen only had eyes for the woman on the raised chair in the center. She could only be Madam Hu. Prince Shen would have recognized her anywhere, in spite that she dressed no differently than the women who guarded him.

He had not expected her to be so beautiful. She seemed but a young woman, and when she rose, it was with a feline strength and beauty.

"State your name and your business here."

Prince Shen smiled his most charming smile. "I am but a simple merchant, conducting an exploratory survey for my company. Thank Heaven that you found me. I was almost out of fuel."

Madam Hu frowned but did not say anything. The woman on her left spoke. "You are far from the normal trade currents."

"The greater the risks the greater the profits, milady."

Madam Hu seemed to consider his words. The woman on her right spoke. "What sort of company do you work for?"

"We are interested in developing mining rights in the Jianghu region."

Madam Hu's frown deepened. "You will wait here while we consider your answers and examine your craft. Consider yourself fortunate. Not many men enjoy the hospitality of the White Tiger. Fewer men live to tell the tale."

The two women on either side of Madam Hu smiled wicked smiles at her words, but Madam Hu herself simply studied Prince Shen. Were he less than a prince, he might have shrunk from such a stare. He still had the urge to fall to his knees and confess the truth. He wondered if the rumors of Madam Hu's mystical powers were true. But still he was able to meet her gaze without flinching and say nothing.

The wait seemed an eternity. At last one of the pirates ran into the room and had a whispered conversation with Madam Hu. He thought he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes, but her face betrayed no other emotion. The pirate stepped back, and Madam Hu tossed something before Prince Shen.

It tumbled on the floor. When it came to rest, he knew all was lost. Such a small thing. A dragon carved from the finest jade, bearing his name in Imperial script. The seal that marked him as an Imperial prince had also sealed his fate.

Before any of the pirates could speak, Prince Shen stepped forward. "I demand trial by combat."

This demand threw the pirates' council into an uproar. A gesture from Madam Hu silenced all.

"I accept. If he wants a quick death, I shall give it to him."

Before any of the other pirates could object, Madam Hu was out of her chair with her sword drawn. Prince Shen had hardly time to draw his own blade before she was upon him. Steel rang against steel. Prince Shen had no time to worry that his opponent was a woman. He was too busy fighting for his life.

Prince Shen had had the finest fencing instructors in the Eight-Thousand Systems. But as it is a capital crime to kill a prince of the Empire, he had never had to fight in such a fashion before. He acted without thinking, creating a flashing dance of thrust, feint and parry. His heart threatened to burst in his chest, sweat rained down from his body, and still he fought on.

What had begun as combat became a martial dance. There was no Madam Hu, there was no Prince Shen. In their battle, they became greater than just two souls. They had found an equal, each in the other.

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"Prince Shen lowered his guard for an attack. Madam Hu pierced his heart through the ribs. She gasped out as she hit, for Prince Shen's sword came up under her ribs, piercing her heart as well. The man and the woman fell inward, each impaled on the other's sword. They died in each other's embrace.

"The crew of the White Tiger tried to carry on Madam Hu's legacy, but without her leadership and strength of will, they soon went their separate ways. Some found a home with others bands of the Jianghu bandits. Some returned to their old ways of life. Some simply faded from history entirely.

"So ended the career of Madam Hu, pirate captain of the White Tiger. May her death serve as a warning to all who would rebel against the will of Heaven."

Applause. Blind Li Xiao bowed deeply. Already he could hear the clink of coins at his feet and feel the addition of part-credits to his Imperial account. People stood, preparing to leave.

"No. That can't be how it ends."

The girl. She stood with her hands on her hips, no doubt frowning and staring at Blind Li Xiao defiantly.

"Who is the storyteller here, young lady?" Laughter from the crowd. "And how would you have the story end?"

Silence.

"But you are right. There is more to the story." The crowd stopped, turning to Blind Li Xiao with interest. "There are those who believe that at the moment of Madam Hu's death, the Immortal Zhongli Quan appeared to her. Zhongli Quan asked Madam Hu if she wished to be brought to Heaven. She answered that she would rather sail the River of Heaven forever, fighting against the unjust treatment of women. These people claim that when an innocent woman cries loudly enough to Heaven, the White Tiger may sail down to her. Madam Hu at the helm, Prince Shen at her side."

The crowd was silent. Blind Li Xiao smiled. "But that is just a superstition of the uneducated."

The crowd laughed. They continued their gifts of coins and part-credits, walking away one by one. At last Blind Li Xiao stood alone. Alone with the young girl.

"So, did the other ending satisfy you, young miss?"

The girl remained silent for a moment. "If I understand that part of your story, it means that the tale hasn't ended."

"Oh?"

"I mean, the White Tiger is still sailing the River of Heaven. But you don't believe that, do you?"

Blind Li Xiao smiled and patted the girl on her head. "Help me pick up the coins, child, and I will reward you."

The girl hesitated for a moment, making Blind Li Xiao wonder what sort of life she led. But she bent down and gathered up the coins at the storyteller's feet. Blind Li Xiao opened his pouch and the girl dumped them in. All of them, another mark in her favor. Blind Li Xiao cinched up his pouch and tucked it into his sash. He could feel the girl's confusion and disappointment.

"Come. Walk with me." Again the hesitation. "I promise that no harm of any sort will come to you while you are with me."

"Swear."

Blind Li Xiao bit his tongue to keep from laughing. He cleared his throat and raised a hand to Heaven. "I swear by the River of Heaven that binds together all the Eight-Thousand Systems that no harm of any sort will come to you while you are in my company."

The girl took Blind Li Xiao's hand. Together they walked beyond the town limits. When Blind Li Xiao stopped and turned to the girl, he felt her tense. He made a soothing sound.

"My child, I do not know what life you have led, but I can guess. You have no father or mother. Or you have parents but they do not love you. They care only for the money your body brings them. You cry yourself to sleep at night. The only escape you find is looking up at the stars and dreaming."

Large, hot tears fell from the girl's eyes. She said nothing.

"You're wondering how I know all this. How does an old blind man know my story? Sad to say, it is a story all too common. But take heart, dear child. We are made of stories -- our own stories, and the stories that intersect with ours. Look up."

On silent wings descended a shuttlecraft. At the helm stood a woman in mannish clothes, a sword on her hip and her consort at her side. The girl let go of Blind Li Xiao's hand and ran toward the shuttle. Blind Li Xiao bowed to Madam Hu and then threw back his head and laughed. He took hold of his staff and headed toward his next story...