The first raindrops fell like tears from a weary sky, touching the forest leaves with a soft whisper that quickly grew into a louder symphony. Li Yuan lifted his face to the overcast sky, feeling the cold drops dampen his skin, which had been scorched by weeks of living without a roof.
Rain, he mused, feeling how nature once again reminded them of human helplessness in the face of a greater power. A blessing and a curse for wanderers.
Behind him, the seventy souls of Millbrook moved in a controlled panic—no longer the panic of ignorant village farmers caught in bad weather, but the panic of experienced wanderers who knew the danger of being caught in the rain without adequate protection.
"Shelter!" Marcus shouted, pointing toward a large rock alcove hidden among the trees. "Over there! Quick!"
Anna lifted Lila onto her back and ran, her feet, now accustomed to the forest floor, moving with a agility she hadn't possessed two months ago. Sarah Miller helped David, who was still a bit slow due to his stomach wound, while Margaret and several other women gathered gear that could get wet.
Li Yuan moved among them like a shepherd tending to his flock, his eyes scanning the surroundings to make sure no one was left behind. In his calm Zhenjing, he could feel the rising tension—not just from the rain, but from something deeper.
Thomas, he realized with a sudden worry. Their elder was moving slower than usual, his breath ragged, his face pale despite the cool weather.
"Thomas!" Li Yuan called, running closer. The old man stopped and turned, his usually sharp brown eyes now a bit hazy.
"I'm fine," Thomas tried to smile, but his voice was weak. "Just... a little tired."
Li Yuan saw the signs that worried him—cold sweat on Thomas's forehead despite the cool weather, a small tremor in his hands, the way he leaned against a nearby tree like someone who had lost their balance.
A fever, Li Yuan diagnosed with a heavy heart. His body is beginning to succumb to the pressure of living in the wild.
"Marcus!" Li Yuan shouted. "Help me with Thomas!"
Together, they carried Thomas to the rock alcove where the others had already gathered. The space under the large rock wasn't big—enough to protect them from the rain, but cramped and damp. Seventy people were crammed into a space that would have been comfortable for thirty.
Li Yuan laid Thomas on the driest blanket, his hand gently touching the old man's forehead. It was hot. Too hot.
"A fever," he whispered to Anna, who was kneeling beside him. "And from the way he's breathing... he might have a lung infection."
Anna looked at him with eyes full of fear. For the past two months, they had learned to face various challenges—hunger, exhaustion, even attacks from wild animals. But sickness... sickness was an enemy that could not be fought with courage or hard work.
"What can we do?" Anna whispered.
Li Yuan looked at Thomas's face, which was starting to turn pale, then at the other faces looking at him hopefully. In his Zhenjing, he felt the vibration of several wrapped Understandings—vast medical knowledge, healing abilities that could save Thomas in minutes.
But if I use them, he thought with an internal struggle, I will reveal who I truly am. And more than that... they need to learn how to face a crisis like this without my help.
"We'll make a potion," Li Yuan said in a voice that was calmer than he felt. "There are some plants that can help lower a fever and soothe a cough."
He turned to Sarah Miller. "Sarah, do you remember the leaves I showed you last week? The ones with a strong aroma that grow near water?"
Sarah nodded quickly. "Wild mint leaves. They can help with breathing."
"Good. And Margaret, the willow bark we collected yesterday—that can help lower a fever."
While the women moved to gather the ingredients, Li Yuan sat beside Thomas. The old man's eyes opened, his gaze seeking Li Yuan with a weak but trusting look.
"Yuan," he whispered hoarsely, "I... I don't want to be a burden to you all."
"Don't talk nonsense," Li Yuan replied gently but firmly. "You have never been a burden. You are the heart of this community."
"But if I die..." Thomas started, but Li Yuan cut him off by holding his hand.
"You will not die. Not on my watch. Not under my care."
Even if I have to use my abilities, he continued inwardly. If the potion and natural remedies don't work... I will do whatever is necessary.
The rain grew heavier, water seeping into the alcove in small trickles that made the space increasingly damp and uncomfortable. The children shivered in their parents' arms, the men sat with hunched backs to provide more room, and the air became stuffy from too many people breathing in an enclosed space.
"This won't last long," Old Pete said with a trembling voice, seeing the water starting to pool in the corners of the alcove. "If the rain keeps up, we'll be flooded."
Li Yuan looked around the cramped space. The old man was right—this alcove was only temporary protection. They needed something more permanent, at least until Thomas was strong enough to continue the journey.
"We will build a proper shelter," Li Yuan decided. "There's higher ground nearby, protected from the wind. We can make a temporary home from branches and leaves."
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "In the middle of the rain?"
"This rain won't stop anytime soon," Li Yuan replied, looking at the dark sky through the gaps in the rocks. "And Thomas needs a dry, warm place to heal."
Over the next few hours, the Millbrook community worked with amazing coordination. The healthy men took turns going out to collect large branches and thick leaves, while the women cared for Thomas and prepared the medicinal herbs. The children helped in their own way—gathering dry moss for insulation, sorting leaves that could be used for the roof.
Li Yuan worked tirelessly, his hands moving with skill born from thousands of years of experience in building makeshift shelters. But he was careful not to move too quickly or show abilities that were too extraordinary—he wanted them to learn, not just to rely on his miracles.
Ben Carter, though his hand was still limited by the loss of his finger, worked with admirable determination. "Uncle Yuan," he said, lifting a branch with difficulty, "will we always have to build a new home every time there's a problem?"
Li Yuan paused for a moment, his hands stopping the tying of bark fiber. The simple question touched something deep within him.
"A home," he said slowly, "is not something we build once and for all. A home is something we recreate every day, every moment, through the way we care for each other."
He looked at the simple shelter that was beginning to take shape—not magnificent, not permanent, but built with love and cooperation.
"This shelter might collapse next week. Maybe a strong wind will destroy it, or we'll have to leave it to continue our journey. But right now, it is a home because we built it together to protect the person we love."
When night fell, they had managed to build a simple structure enough to protect them all from the rain. Thomas lay in the driest and warmest part, herbal remedies steaming in a small bowl nearby, his breathing already a little easier.
Li Yuan sat at the entrance of the shelter, tending the small fire they had managed to light with stored dry wood. The rain was still falling outside, but its sound no longer seemed threatening—more like a soothing lullaby.
Anna approached and sat beside him, her brown eyes staring into the fire with a thoughtful look.
"You're worried about Thomas," she said—not a question, but a statement.
Li Yuan nodded slowly. "The human body has its limits. And Thomas... he has given so much for all of us. Maybe too much."
"But he is still strong," Anna said with a conviction she wanted to feel. "He is still our Thomas."
Yes, Li Yuan thought, listening to the more regular breathing from inside the shelter. And I hope these remedies and care are enough. I hope I don't have to reveal who I truly am to save him.
Because they still need to learn to face a crisis like this with their own strength. And I... I still need to learn when to let them struggle, and when to step in.
The night wind blew through the wet leaves, carrying the scent of earth and rain, as well as the subtle whispers of difficult choices that might have to be made tomorrow morning.