rattlerofthestars:

“You got lost?” He wrinkled his nose. How could he have gotten lost with all of those other soldiers around? Did he actually get lost or did he fall behind? Suspecting that he was the runt of the army, he crossed his arms. “You sure you could even lead me back to camp? You know where to go?" He held a sort of cocky aloofness while asking him this question. Of course he was being rude but he hoped it would ruffle his feathers. Maybe it would be both entertaining and helpful.

Jim whistled to Morph and held up his finger. The chittering blob flew over to him before resting on his knuckle. Petting his head with his other hand, he began to pace away from Ping. He shrugged his shoulders while looking out over the valley. “I mean, I don’t want you to get me lost too. After all, your captain is expecting me and to misplace the both of us…” He shook his head in mock dismay before casting a smug look at the soldier. “How dishonorable.”

Ping felt as if somebody had punched him under the heart.  

Dishonorable!  This stranger, from halfway across the world for all Ping knew, could stand there and talk about dishonor - and it was clearer than ever that Jim was a foreigner, if he came from a country where something so small as getting lost could bring dishonor on you.  In fact, Ping was loath to dismiss the idea, when he knew nothing about where Jim had come from - but he had a horrible feeling that more than anything else, Jim was making fun of him.  He felt like he had failed enough without being reminded that he couldn’t even keep up with a group of running men.  He felt as if he had failed enough at home - not a bride, not a dutiful daughter - without his dishonor being twisted into a joke.

"I don’t need directions to get back to camp,” said Ping in a quiet voice, glaring at Jim, “and I don’t need you to tell me how dishonorable I am.  If you don’t think I know where I’m going, then you can find your own way.”  He turned on his heel and started down the mountain, all at once sick of Jim and sick of his own shortcomings.