A Tiding of Magpies Read online

  The archer stared at the pile of branches. “It couldn’t work…it couldn’t…” she said as she stood.

  “It can!” the Count of Starlings cried. “And it will!” He chirped, as did the Princess, the Earl, the Duchess, and all the other royal birds. The flapping of wings grew louder as more and more birds brought more and more branches.

  “Your pardon…” The archer looked down and saw the leader of the College of Cranes. “We are on a schedule, and we must finish by dawn to avoid being discovered. We could use your longbow.”

  “What do I need to do?” the archer said.

  “Take out an arrow.” The archer pulled one from her quiver. The crane, who symbolizes magic, brushed it with his wing. “When it reaches the other side of Heaven, the birds there will get the message to start building the bridge on their end.”

  “But no one could shoot an arrow that far!”

  “You can…” The archer and the crane stared at the King of Magpies as he continued, “If you tie my golden tail feather to the end. It once belonged to the Pasha of Phoenixes, the swiftest of birds.”

  “But what about your tail?” the archer asked.

  The king shrugged. “I can always find another feather.”

  The archer nodded and smiled. Using a small piece of thread, she tied the golden tail feather to the arrow. She nocked the arrow, aimed her longbow in the direction of the bridge, drew, and fired. Birds swerved out of the way as the arrow shot through the sky like a comet, with the shiny feather as its tail.

  After that, all there was to do was wait, as the larger birds brought branch after branch and the smaller ones weaved them together, with magic from the College of Cranes providing the finishing touch. And at seven minutes after midnight, on the seventh day of the seventh month, the archer took the first step onto the bridge.

  She reached the halfway point just as the very first light of the new day appeared, and stopped when she saw the final branches being put into place. The birds all flew away as one, and the author was there, holding up the archer’s arrow with the golden tail feather attached, laughing until the archer ran up to him and quieted him with the first of many, many kisses.

  As the author and the archer tearfully embraced, all the birds of Heaven broke into song. It was a song that greeted the dawn and could be heard throughout Heaven and even in the Far Lands below. It was a song that made babies coo and children laugh and brought tears to lovers’ eyes. It was a song that woke the Emperor who staggered outside, saw the new bridge spanning the sky directly over the imperial palace, and swore off plum wine on the spot.

  The Emperor had a good heart when he wasn’t deep in his cups, and he had been questioning his actions ever since he had banished the lovers. When he learned what had happened, he reversed himself and lifted the banishment. In fact, he insisted on conducting the wedding, and so the author and the archer were married, with the King of Magpies and the other royal birds as witnesses.

  The couple couldn’t decide which house they preferred, so they kept both, traveling back and forth as needed. They persuaded the Queen of Magpies to return the diamond to the Empress’ crown, and found a new golden feather for the King of Magpies’ tail.

  And every year, the author and the archer stepped onto the wooden bridge across the skies of Heaven at seven minutes after midnight on the seventh day of the seventh month, walked hand in hand to the center, and stopped there to give thanks to the birds of Heaven and to renew their love. And they lived happily ever after.

  “Yay!” Michiko said, a bright smile on her face. “That was the best story ever! Thank you, Auntie Ting!” The priestess smiled.

  “It’s quite good,” Prince Yun said, “though I suspect some details have changed over the centuries. What did you think, Beth?”

  “Oh my gosh!” Beth said. “It’s like the Qixi story! Like Bridge Of Birds!”

  The others stopped in their tracks and stared at Beth. “What?” Merchant Sheng said.

  “It’s a book! By Barry Hughart! About a young peasant who hires a sage with a slight flaw in his character to help save a village of sick kids, and…” Beth stopped and looked around at her companions. “And I’m the only one here who gets this, aren’t I?”

  “Yep!” Michiko said with a cheerful grin.

  “Figures,” Beth muttered, red-faced, as the others started walking again.

  “You’ll like the bridge,” Merchant Sheng said to Beth. “It’s lovely this time of year, with the roses nearby in full bloom.”

  “And it could have been worse,” Princess Jiao added. “It could have been the bridge to Henan.”

  “What’s that called?” Beth asked.

  “The Bridge of Rabbits.”

  “Let me guess,” Beth said. “They symbolize fertility?”

  Jiao nodded and smiled. “I don’t mind the marriage. The seventeen children might be a problem.”

  Chapter Five

  The others had gone ahead to Wonderland, to celebrate Puck’s rescue over breakfast. Michiko had stayed behind in the alley with Beth, who was set to tell her if they would be working together. There had been several moments where Beth’s life had been at risk, and Michiko was expecting the worst.

  As she waited nervously, Beth took a deep breath. “Michiko…I’m in,” she said.

  “You are?” Michiko almost didn’t believe what she had heard.

  “Yeah. I’ll help you save the world. Partner.” Beth smiled warmly.

  Michiko shouted for joy and hugged Beth. Her heart swelled as her new partner hugged her back. “Beth?” she found herself whispering.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.” Michiko would have tried to say more, but Beth tightened her embrace, and the emotion that swept through Michiko pushed all words aside…

  “And that’s how we met!” Michiko said to Princess Jiao. They were walking several steps behind the others, getting their chance to catch up.

  “That’s quite a story!” Jiao said.

  “Yours is just as good.” Michiko grinned. “I can’t believe you’re about to get engaged!”

  “Neither can Yun, apparently,” Jiao said. “And I’m not looking forward to all the pageantry and ceremony. It’ll drive me insane.”

  “But won’t it be worth it?” Michiko said.

  “Let’s hope so.” Jiao smiled. “So what about you, Michiko?”

  “Huh?”

  “Haven’t you found someone special?”

  “Well…” Michiko blushed. “There is someone I do like a lot,” she whispered.

  “Really!” Jiao’s face lit up. “So who is he? What’s he like?”

  “I…” Michiko’s blush deepened. “I haven’t told them yet.”

  “What?” The princess stopped.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Michiko…” Jiao stared at the Monkey Queen. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

  “Yep!”

  “And friends can speak openly to each other?”

  “Uh…” Michiko said.

  Jiao tapped Michiko lightly on the side of the head. “Baka!” she said softly.

  “Huh?” Michiko blinked.

  “Listen to me, Michiko! Yun told me that he fell for me the moment we met, but he was too tongue-tied to say anything! I had to take the first step! I had to confess my feelings before he would, and if I hadn’t, he might never had said a word! Tell them how you feel!”

  “But…” Michiko looked away, biting her lip. “What if they don’t feel the same way? What if I push them away?”

  “Then you can move on,” Jiao said. “I know rejection hurts, but at least it’ll be over. And you’ll never know how they feel for sure until you talk to them!”

  Michiko was quiet for a minute. “You’re probably right,” she finally said.

  “Of course I am!” Jiao smiled and took Michiko’s shoulder. “And I want you to be happy, like Yun and I are.”

  “Thanks.” Michiko smiled back. “We’re falling behind the others.” />
  “Race you!” Jiao said playfully as she ran to catch up. Michiko giggled as she followed.

  As the party had walked along and the sun started to set, the road had grown steeper, and where they had passed farms and trees, there were now cliffs and shrubs. “What kind of shortcut is this, merchant!” Auntie Ting snapped. “Do we look like mountain goats?”

  “It’s one I always use, Auntie,” Merchant Sheng replied. “It will save us half a day’s travel.”

  “If we survive the climb,” Beth muttered. She could feel her feet hurting already, and she was worried about being able to walk the next day.

  “We’ll be coming up on a rope bridge over a canyon soon,” Sheng added. “Once we cross that, we’ll make camp for the night.”

  “Did you remember to pack the sleeping bags, Beth?” Michiko asked with a grin.

  “My pockets aren’t that big,” Beth answered.

  “From here on in,” Sheng said, “we need to be cautious.”

  “He’s right,” Princess Jiao said. “We still haven’t been able to gain full control of this region. It could be dangerous from here until we get to the bridge, especially if we’re keeping off the main roads.”

  “There could be bandits and goblins,” Prince Yun said. “And Lord Hong’s agents.”

  “And darker things,” Auntie Ting added.

  “Darker, Auntie?” Jiao asked.

  “Creatures that are supposed to be long-dead. Monsters only seen in nightmares. Spirits from the Toyotoki Isles.”

  “Let them try to stop us,” Merchant Sheng said. “We’ve got the Monkey Queen on our side.”

  “I hope that’s enough,” Beth said. “Auntie Ting?”

  “Yes, child?” the priestess said.

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. What will happen if we don’t fulfill the prophecy?”

  “I thought a wizard would know that.” Auntie Ting smiled.

  “I’m not a wizard.” Beth somehow managed not to sigh or roll her eyes.

  “So you say. The gods have a scale, of sorts, of misfortune whenever we fail to follow their wishes or expectations. In the case of a prophecy this strong and clear, I would expect the worst if we don’t reach the bridge in time.”

  “And that would be?”

  “Crop failures. Endless storms. Swarms of pests. And, worst of all, sour wine and higher taxes.” Auntie Ting shook her head.

  “If that doesn’t give us incentive to hurry,” Merchant Sheng said, “nothing will. The rope bridge is just around this bend.”

  “Let me take the point,” Michiko said.

  “Of course,” Sheng said, “but I’ve used this bridge a dozen times, and I’ve never had any problems.”

  “Let’s not take any chances.” Michiko crept past a good-sized rock that the trail twisted around, Sheng right behind her, the others following them.

  They could see the rope bridge stretched out ahead of them, hanging over the canyon. “When’s the last time someone checked on this?” Auntie Ting said to Sheng, pointing at the fraying ropes and rotting timbers. “You and your shortcuts.”

  “It’ll hold up,” Sheng said, “but we should space ourselves out. Michiko, you’re first. The princess and prince go together next. Then Auntie Ting leading one of the pack mules, then Beth, and I’ll go last with the other mule.”

  The others agreed, and Michiko started across the bridge. She moved quickly, stepping over the loose and cracked boards, reaching the other side without any problems. She took a quick glance around, then looked across the canyon and waved. Jiao and Yun followed her, crossing swiftly and carefully.

  Auntie Ting was next, and Beth watched as the priestess led one of the mules across. Chin balked at first, but Auntie Ting whispered in her ear, and she calmed down and let her lead. “Go, Beth,” Merchant Sheng said softly as Auntie Ting reached the far side.

  Beth nodded and took her first steps onto the bridge. As she did, the wind picked up, and the bridge started to rock back and forth. Of course, Beth thought as she gripped the railing. She moved slowly, testing each board before putting her weight on it.

  “Beth!” Michiko shouted from the far end. “Do you want me to come get you?”

  “I’ll be okay,” Beth yelled, even though she could feel the bridge sway with every step she took. “I’m already more than halfway there.”

  “Well, try to move a little faster. Merchant Sheng still has to—”

  Michiko stopped mid-sentence. “What’s wrong?” Beth said.

  “We’ve got trouble!” Michiko started across the bridge.

  Beth heard the commotion behind her and looked back. She saw that a dozen squat, green humanoids were crawling down the mountain, heading for Merchant Sheng. “Goblins?” she said.

  “Right,” Michiko said as she ran past. The vibrations caused the bridge to tremble even more, and Beth sunk to her knees.

  She saw Merchant Sheng drawing his sword. “Michiko!” he said as the Monkey Queen neared the end of the bridge. “Get Bao across!”

  “Sheng—” Michiko said.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said as the goblins advanced. “Go!” Michiko reluctantly nodded. She ran over to the mule, picked Bao up and started back across the bridge.

  The goblins jumped on the merchant, punching and kicking him. Beth pulled herself to her feet as she watched Michiko sprint past her, holding the protesting pack mule over her head in a way that would have made Beth laugh if things weren’t so serious. “Run!” Michiko shouted.

  Beth took a step, but then she looked back. Merchant Sheng had broken free of the goblins and was running across the bridge. As he sped past Beth, one of the goblins jumped up and headed after him. She pulled her magic wand from her pocket and aimed it at the goblin. “Zap!” she shouted, and the bolt struck the goblin, sending him flying back off the bridge, where he was caught by two other goblins.

  The wind gusted again, and Beth fell back to her knees. She tucked her wand away, grabbed the railing with both hands and tried to stand. She could hear Michiko and the others, telling her to hurry.

  Beth glanced back again. Two goblins with axes had stepped away from the others and were running towards the stakes that anchored the bridge. Oh crap, Beth thought as she started to run.

  As she neared the cliff, she brought her full weight down on one board. It snapped with a loud crack. She shrieked as her leg slid through the gap, instinctively grabbing and squeezing the railing with both hands.

  The goblins swung their axes, easily chopping through the fraying ropes. The bridge plunged down, swinging towards the far side of the canyon.

  Beth screamed, gripping the railing so tight she thought her hands would break. As shattered slats fell past her, she swung towards the cliffside. She braced herself for impact, and gasped in pain as she hit the cliff.

  She somehow managed not to look down at the hundred-foot drop, but the view upwards was even less comforting. The rope that hung from the spike at the top of the cliff was starting to break. “Michiko!” Beth shouted. “Help!” She thought about climbing the rope, but she feared that the extra stress would cause it to snap. She hoped that Michiko and the others could find a way to pull her up, to get her to safety, but even as she did, the wind gusted again, catching her in it.

  The rope broke. Beth screamed and closed her eyes as she began to fall.

  A strong hand grabbed the collar of her army jacket. Beth heard a voice say, “Beth. Listen to me and do what I tell you.”

  Beth opened her eyes and saw the Monkey Queen. She had tied a rope harness around herself and to one of the spikes, and was hanging from it over the cliff. Michiko slid her free arm under her friend’s shoulders. “Let go of the rope,” she said. Beth did so and tried not to look as what was left of the railing fell into the canyon. “I’ll need my hands free,” Michiko continued. “Get your arms around me, and hold tight. Okay?”

  Beth nodded and locked her arms around her partner. Michiko grabbed the rope and slowly climb
ed it hand over hand, slipping one leg between Beth’s to brace herself against the cliffside. “Don’t look down,” she said; Beth squeezed her eyes shut.

  She and Michiko hung in mid-air for what seemed like hours as Michiko slowly climbed the rope. Finally, even as Beth felt her hands and arms losing their grip, she felt another pair of hands grabbing her, and Prince Yun was pulling her over the edge and onto the cliff with the others.

  The prince guided Beth to a boulder and set her down. Auntie Ting hurried over and began to examine Beth. “Lucky girl!” she said; Beth was too exhausted and nerve-wracked to do anything more than nod.

  Merchant Sheng had helped Michiko up. “How is she?” Michiko asked as she untied her rope harness.

  “She’ll be fine,” Auntie Ting said. “That was a brave thing you did, Monkey Queen.”

  “Very brave,” Princess Jiao said with a smile.

  Michiko nodded. “Can you stand?” she asked Beth.

  “I think so.” Beth slowly got up from the rock. She staggered as she did, but Michiko steadied her.

  “I need to talk to my partner in private,” Michiko said to the others. She led Beth away, towards a large rock.

  Beth found herself worrying about what was on Michiko’s mind as she walked alongside her friend, moving slowly and carefully on her wobbly legs. She knew she hadn’t followed Michiko’s instructions; she had paused while on the bridge to save Merchant Sheng from the goblin chasing him, and had almost paid the price. She was expecting another lecture from Michiko, or worse; the rough time they’d been through recently was still fresh in her mind.

  They stopped behind the large rock. “Michiko,” Beth started to say, “I—” Before she could finish, Michiko grabbed her and pulled her close. “Michiko?” Beth said softly.

  Michiko looked up, not letting go of Beth. “You have got to stop scaring me like that,” she whispered. “I…”