Shadow Sister by Carole Wilkinson

no point in me continuing to live.”
    “Your baby grandson is not dead yet, sir,” Tao said. “Too many people have died. I will do everything I can to make sure he lives.”
    “But I can’t feed him. I don’t know anything about finding food and cooking. That is women’s work.”
    “In difficult times, food is everyone’s business. You can learn these skills,” Tao said.
    “But …”
    “In Luoyang, there are many broken families. Girls learn how to hunt. Men grow vegetables. Women build houses. I used to be a novice monk. I had never prepared food in my life before I left my monastery. I’ve had to learn. You must too.”
    “The world is upside down,” the old man said with a shake of his head.
    He noticed the bronze bowl for the first time. “I mended that bowl. See the seam where it was broken?”
    “We salvaged it from your village. We meant no offence. You can have it back.”
    “I have no use for it now.”
    Tao let the grain cook until it was mushy. He mashed a piece of the roasted taro root into the grain and added water, making a sort of soup. Kai poured some into the melon gourd. “That is for you,” he said. “I will add meat to the rest. The old man needs it and so does the babe.”
    Tao didn’t argue.
    Kai took the rabbit from the fire and broke it into small pieces, adding some of the meat to the pot. He offered it to the old man who took it and was about to slurp the soup down, but Tao stopped him.
    “Let it cool. You must eat a small amount at first – a mouthful of meat, a spoonful of grain.” Tao knew something about starvation. Desperate villagers had come to Yinmi begging for food. And there were monks who fasted for many days. “If you eat too much, too quickly, it will make you sick. You will waste the food. And your body is frail. The shock of too much food could kill you.”
    The old man blew on the soup and took a sip.
    The baby stirred as if woken by the smell of the food. Tao picked him up.
    “He’s old enough to eat other things besides his mother’s milk.” He curved a leaf to make a spoon, scooped up some of the grainy broth and let it trickle into the baby’s mouth.
    Tao and Kai spent the next two days administering small portions of food to the man and the baby, gradually increasing the amount. Tao walked with the old man in the forest, showing him where to find food, and which roots were edible. They left Kai to mind the baby, which gave the dragon a rest from shape-changing.
    “Your friend doesn’t have much to say,” the old man said.
    “That is his way,” Tao replied. He didn’t see any need to go into details.
    After a few more days, the old man was finding food and cooking broth. The baby was starting to hold up his head and make gurgling sounds.
    “Gradually, he will be able to eat more solid food,” Tao said. “Make sure everything is well cooked. Chew his meat for him at first. And if you come across anyone with an animal giving milk, beg them for some. Look after yourself as well. He cannot survive without you, so you must keep healthy.”
    The old man’s face fell. “But can’t we stay with you? You have no family. We could be your family.”
    “No, we don’t know where we are going.” He glanced at Kai. “If you don’t want to live a solitary life, you must find a community to live among, so that your grandson has someone to care for him, when …” The man was old. He would be lucky to see his grandson reach five years.
    “Where will I go?” the old man said.
    “You could take your chances in Luoyang.” Tao pointed at the dark smudge of the city that was visible through the trees. “It has its dangers, but it is close. The monks at the White Horse Temple will help you until you find a home, and your skills as a smith will be welcomed.”
    “I would rather return to Shenchi.”
    “You can’t. It is ruined, and the monster may still be there. Face forwards, not backwards. That is my advice.”
    “Heaven is angry with us