Echoing Wind

[Midnight]

Xu Yi
'Echoing Wind'

Story: Growing up, Xu Yi's life was exactly what any child would want. She loved her two parents, whom were both from noble families in Hendan. As a girl, it was very unusual for her to attend any type of schooling. Xu Yi's mother, whom also taught her the womanly skills of charm - amongst other trivialities such as cooking - taught Xu Yi how to read and write in common language.

Xu Yi's childhood was of above average embellishment. Her parents were wealthy for a time before the war. They were shielded from the outside, for a time, this was a decent life style for Xu Yi. But this would not suit her curiosity for long, Xu Yi's personality would not allow her to stay trapped in the high society courts for long.

When Xu Yi became a teenager she took on more responsibilities as a young adult, she began to become aware of the world around her. She would love to walk through the nearby forests with friends, and her pet bird, Phong, would accompany her wherever she went. Though her world expanded beyond the palace gardens - she never left Henden.

One night - Xu Yi had an argument with her parents and left her house in the midst of the night. She had become curious, rebellious, and even agile enough to slip through the city at night. She found herself in the forest - nature seemed to have a soothing effect on her demeanor. Xu Yi walked towards the tree where she knew Phong had made her nest. To her dismay, she found Phong dead at the base of the tree. She rushed to the bird's side distraught. It was obvious that a nearby bloodied rock had struck Phong quite violently. Xu Yi buried her face in her hands and cried. She dug a shallow grave with her hands, and piled dirt and leaves above Phong's body.

Her heart stricken with grief, she sat at the bottom of the tree, next to Phong's grave and slept through the night. In the morning her tears were dried, and she walked back home, looking quite terrible. Her parents scolded her, but Xu Yi did not care. She had her first encounter with death, and it had left her scarred.

By the time Xu Yi was a young adult, her life was developing quite normally again. She had friends, potential suitors (for her father wished her to marry at the age of seventeen), and a stark new interest in the world around her.

Xu Yi herself had fallen in love with a intelligent handsome young man with wit to match. One afternoon, Xu Yi told her parents she had chosen this man to be her husband, for she had fallen so far for him there was deliberation - only certainty. Her parents approved wholeheartedly. Xu Yi left immediately to confess her love to him, eager as ever, and never happier. When she arrived however, she recognized the boy's mother crying outside the threshold to their house.

The mother told Xu Yi the news; the country of Zhao had drafted her son for the war with Qin. Xu Yi's betrothed however, was not unwilling, and he went, though not eager, with the consciousness required to realize that Zhao was in danger of total conquest.

Xu Yi too, was not at all hidden from the affair of the continent. She was, however, struck with grief. The feeling passed, though a palpable dread hovered around her. She waited a year for her man to return. He never did though. A young servant one day appeared to Xu Yi and delivered the news that during the war her beloved had died in the front lines. Xu Yi was speechless, she didn't have a time to confess her love, and was totally devastated.

The next day Xu Yi cut her hair, and posed as a man when she enlisted into Zhao's military. She was sent immediately to the front. She learned a lot in the military, keeping her gender secret was incredibly difficult. But the horrors of war was a distracting force.

In the process however, Xu Yi grew strong, becoming an adept sword fighter and marksman. Her intelligence, wit, cunning, and skill with the sword led her to garner fame from her fellow soldiers, officers, and even some commanders. Close friends knew of her secret, yet none would dare betray her - for they held a huge amount of respect for her. These people were few and far between however, for Xu Yi was extremely introverted during her time in the military. She was not completely over her grief, still trying to find her place in the world, and just trying to hide her secret.

After months of fierce fighting and skirmishes, both countries settled down for a harsh winter. A man entered Xu Yi's life during this period of conflict, death and torturous living conditions.

This man was called only White Feather. A native of a foreign kingdom in the deep southlands. Xu Yi was instantly attracted to this petite, slim fellow - whom looked nothing like a soldier. He was, however, an extremely intelligent man. White Feather came to trust Xu Yi rather easily, and in no time they became close during this long winter. White Feather was soon revealed to hold great wisdom, as a student of Confucius. Xu Yi and White Feather became infatuated with each other, they would leave camp and escape into the wild at night. White Feather was the only man Xu Yi laid with since the death of her beloved. In her mind, she was unfaithful, but even then she did not become bothered from any regret, for she was grateful for White Feather's companionship. It was the first time in two years were she was actually happy.

White Feather taught Xu Yi the secrets of Bagua. The knowledge of the elements and nature around them, everything in nature worked in perfect harmony. As a practitioner of Bagua, White Feather demonstrated this immense power in the spring - as the war began once again to pick up momentum. He showed Xu Yi, how to block a volley of arrows with a gust of wind, how to ambush opponents with a landslide, how to become light as a feather - and carry oneself through the air's current.

Having already a connection with nature, Xu Yi mastered White Feather's teachings in under six months of practice. In battle they were an unstoppable force together. In time, Qin had place bounties on their head: 'Echoing Wind & White Feather, dead only.' This did not disturb Xu Yi, she only smiled when she saw her name: 'Echoing Wind', as she was referred to in Qin. Zhao soon also adopted this name for her, as no one had known her identity as Xu Yi - the runaway heartbroken noble mistress from Handan.

But Bagua was not all Xu Yi and White Feather held in common. At night, as they lay together under the stars in the wild, they would talk about the world, and share their views on popular teachings. As a student of Confucius, White Feather was very interested in morality, justice, and sincerity, both of people, and of the governments. He was concerned that Qin had adopted a radically inappropriate behavior in order to unify China. Xu Yi came to realize that he was correct - or perhaps she was so in love with White Feather that she would believe anything that he preached. Whichever the case, Xu Yi did not care, as she gave everything of herself to him, and though her heart still ached from past losses, she was happy with him.

White Feather, however, did not return the same enthusiasm. He grew distant as the next winter drew nearer. As snow began to fall on the ground, he started to warn Xu Yi of the dangers that people might face if they became too reliant on attachment - no matter what manner of person. He was very afraid of being too vulnerable, even to Xu Yi, whom knew of his strengths, weaknesses, fears, and aspirations. Xu Yi was confused, and thought she had done something very wrong, she cried in his lap for him to talk to her.

It was, as it turned out, no use. The night White Feather left the snow fell very softly, yet in abundance. Xu Yi saw him, on the very outskirts of camp, and she knew instantly that it was his intention to leave, and never come back. She ran to him, White Feather, whom looked very stoic, and torn about the decision that he had made. Xu Yi did not beg anything of him, nor did she say anything at all. She held onto his arm for as long as he would let, her, then White Feather started to walk. A cascade of emotions hit Xu Yi with a harsh pang, showing nothing on her face she merely fell to her knees. White Feather soon disappeared into the blankness of the snow.

The cold was suddenly very permeable, and enveloped her.

After another month of harsh winter, Xu Yi left Zhao's military.

Style: Echoing Wind is not a killer. Ever since the death of her pet bird, Phong, when she was a child - she detested the sight of blood and death. The teachings of Confucius also left her a stark pacifist. This is why she will avoid killing if at all possible, preferring either to disable, convince, or turn her opponents away. Echoing Wind prefers to think that life is a precious wonder, not to be easily wasted. She believes that war is the ultimate grotesque thing produced by humankind.

Echoing Wind's past, however, has left her stoic in many ways. She took White Feather's last teaching to heart - and now cannot open up to anyone she meets. She has a few close friends, but never again a lover to replace White Feather. Attachment is an evil in itself, either way it ends, and always for the worse off - she believes.

Depth: Echoing Wind views individualism as her primary source of happiness. As a singular person, what is it that makes you happy? It is only alone where you can find true happiness, as Echoing Wind found it for herself. Nature, still remains a soothing force, Echoing Wind also loves poetry (better if it's about nature), and protecting the ideals that she so wholeheartedly believes in.

Ultimately, this leads to Qin as being her opponent. Not the people of Qin. But Qin, as a whole. An abomination of a country. An unholy union of other countries, sealed and solidified by book burnings, constant war, and an oppressive reign. Though perhaps necessary in the eyes of others for unification, not to Echoing Wind. Unification could never serve as justification for such atrocities.

Appearance: Aged twenty-one, Echoing Wind is a woman in her prime. On the outside, at least, beauty being a trivial thing. She carries around herself an air of mystique. Her body language, usually not giving anything away. After leaving the military, she grew her hair past her shoulders. She is of very average stature compared to most women.

One Image/One Word:



Despondent.

Example:

Echoing Wind stood on a cliff overlooking a lush river valley. She was smiling, a rare occasion for this woman, for nature was once again demonstrating it's beauty. The wind itself was blowing very hard, and Echoing Wind clung her robes tightly to her body. Though uncomfortable, the cold itself was very welcoming.

As she was about to embark on the downward journey a rumble occurred uphill. A large piece of the granite had suddenly broke loose from it's holdings. The rockslide gathered momentum, trees, rocks, boulders sprinted down the slope of the mountain towards Echoing Wind.

Echoing Wind stood completely still, and looked at the calamity. Nature had gone awry. As fast as it had started the entire rockslide lost its momentum moments before colliding with the cliff, and Echoing Wind. The entire shelf stopped, yards away from the woman's position.

As if nothing had happened, Echoing Wind walked away.