The Mad Frank's Dreams: Post 10 How the Bones Fell

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#Wss366 litter

Soon after, the last of the light disappeared, leaving the cell in darkness. Mao lay down to sleep, only to toss and turn with fever.

“I hear something,” Chue said after a while, and Mao roused herself with difficulty.

Chue moved to where she could ambush anyone entering the room, and Mao readied the blanket.

When the door opened, the two brothers stepped in, one carrying a torch. Chue had her cord around Cudgel’s neck before he knew what was happening. Mao was slower. She stumbled toward the second man and missed his head with the blanket. Instead, the torchlight vanished as the blanket enveloped it.

Mao’s opponent swung blindly, landing a glancing blow to her shoulder. Mao spun, fell, and dropped the blanket on the floor, where it lay smoking amid a #litter of dishes.

With one savage kick at Mao, her opponent turned to help his brother, who was desperately pulling at the tightly wound cord around his neck.

Mao grabbed at her attacker’s ankles only to be kicked aside again. She landed, face pressed against the blanket. She coughed, inhaling the smoke from the smoldering wool. The embers burned her cheek. Half-rising, she grabbed the torch and swung at her opponent.

The embers flared as they whistled through the air, and flames licked up through holes in the cloth.

The blow landed just below the man’s knee, and he staggered.

“Jese, bitch,” the man swore, kicking at her once more.

Behind him, his brother slumped soundlessly to the floor. Chue scooped up his cudgel. There was a sharp crack, and the second man toppled, joining his brother on the ground.

“Chue thinks we should go before someone else comes,” and with those words, she helped Mao to her feet.

Mao staggered, then reluctantly allowed Chue to help her move out into the hall.

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The Mad Frank's Dreams: Post 9 Of Garrotes and Battle Plans

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#Wss366 Hinge #MastoPrompt Mend

Mao eyed the garrote in Chue’s hand, then the cell, and finally Chue herself. Mao waited for her companion to explain.

“I’ll strangle the one with a cudgel while you throw the blanket over the other. Hold on to him and don’t let go. Everything #hinges on whether you can keep him busy until I've dealt with the first one. Can you do it?”

Instead of answering, Mao nodded and asked, “How long until they come back, and what if there are more than two?”

“Who knows how the bones will fall, but the moon hasn't turned its face from us yet.”

Mao clicked her tongue at the courtly language but said no more.

With the plan settled, the two waited. Mao held the blanket in her lap while Chue pretended to entertain her with the flags or to #mend the pennants. Each of them listened and watched the door, waiting.

The hours crawled by, and the light that crept through the boarded window dimmed. Mao had slumped, and her face had turned a sick green. Another one of Chue’s candies helped, but Mao’s hands still shook, and her eyes were dull. When Chue felt her forehead, it was hot, and her hair was damp with sweat.

“You should sleep,” Chue said.

Mao shook her head. “If they come, I need to be ready.”

“As you will, but only until there is no light. Then, go to sleep. I'll wake you if I hear anything.”

Mao nodded again. As much as she hated to admit it, sleep was the only reliable remedy for a head injury like hers. She would just have to hope there was no internal bleeding.

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The Mad Frank's Dreams: Post 8 The Robe of Wonder

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#Wss366 Spat

Mao scanned the small room, taking in the boarded window, the heavy door, and the image of the Crucifixion on the wall. Her gaze lingered on the latter for a moment, then she refocused on Chue.

“What do they want?” she asked.

“The Shaoh wish to make trouble, while The Mad Frank dreams he can use you to bring down fire and destruction upon Li.”

Mao lay back down, muttering. Chue couldn’t make out most of what she said, but picked out “wind in his head,” “apocalypse,” and “mushroom princess.” Then, with a sigh, Mao began breathing evenly, asleep.

When she awoke, she looked at Chue and said, “I’m glad you’re here. What are we going to do?” Her voice was uncharacteristically feeble, and Chue reproached herself once again for failing to protect the Prince’s favorite.

“First, eat and drink. You’ll need energy,” she said.

Mao looked at the cold, congealed millet and turned green. She pushed the bowl away but took a swig from the gourd, #spat, and then took another swallow. “Maybe I could eat something salty.” Nodding at the congee she said, “That would just make me sick.”

Reaching into her robes, Chue pulled out a golden crystal. "Honey candy. I was saving it for you." Her eyes fixed hungrily on it, but she handed it to Mao.

Mao put it in her mouth and then, speaking around it, said, “What else do you have?”

"They took most of my things, but they missed this." She pulled out her flags with a flourish, grabbed the far end of the braided silk cord, and snapped it as if wrapping it around something. It was a remarkable feat done with only one hand.

“Miss Chue has been practicing.”

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The Mad Frank's Dreams: Post 7 Mao Dreams No More

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#Wss366 Boring #MastoPrompt Visitor

By the time Chue stirred, the simple millet congee prepared with ample, if common, vegetables had grown cold. It wasn’t prison slop. They evidently were going to treat their prisoners humanely.

She attempted to rouse Mao, who only groaned in response. To Chue’s relief, Mao’s eyes now reacted normally to light, and she drank a trickle of water poured into her mouth.

Having done everything she could to help the woman, Chue sat down and inventoried the items hidden in her robes: her flags, some candy, and a few coins. She unfurled the string of pennants and began playing with them to keep herself entertained, while thinking about how to use what she had found the next time she had #visitors.

When that grew #boring, she took a nap.

A groan from the bed woke her, and she was at Mao’s bedside in an instant.

Mao stared up in a daze, then asked, “What happened?”

“Chue thinks The Mad Frank kidnapped us. He’s been seen with Shaoh agents. The Shining Prince thought I should keep an eye on you. Chue has failed.”

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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 3 of 3

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#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.

Mao took a sip under Lakan's watchful gaze.

“What’s that?” he asked.

Clack!

“Is it good?”

Mao shot En'en a piercing look. “Come on, woman,” she thought. “Tell him.”

Clack!

Onsou leaned down and whispered, “It’s a scholar’s elixir.”

The relief Mao felt didn’t reach her face. Her ally had failed her, but the enemy had come to her rescue.

Lakan watched as she took another drink. “Can I try some?” he asked.

Mao hesitated, then pushed the juice toward her father, and finally beckoned to En’en.

When En’en leaned down, Mao said in a stage whisper, "Tell him he shouldn't drink that."

“That should placate Grams,” she thought. “I tried to warn him, as if the Freak would ever listen.”

En’en repeated, “She says not to drink that.”

“Anything my daughter can drink, I can,” Lakan said, taking a swallow. “Ahg! What’s in there?”

“Sweet flag, polygala, and ginseng,” Onsou said.

Lord Kan took another sip and made a sour face. “One more,” he said, taking a gulp, then stuffed a large handful of sugared walnuts into his mouth.

Clack… Clack… Clack…

“Lord?” Onsou said, frowning at his lord’s last move.

Clack!. Mao captured Lakan’s pieces, breaking his formation.

Lord Kan blinked, picked up a piece, and then set it down again. “I need to take a nap,” he said, his head sinking to the table.

“Then I am no longer needed,” Mao announced, rising.

Once they were out of the room, Yoa asked, “What happened?”

Mao smiled. “Onsou forgot to mention the alcohol from the ginseng tincture.”

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