As Jin realized that there was a young woman, alone in the water, presumably bathing, just as he had planned to do, he knew at once that he really shouldn't be watching. Jin hadn't really had all that much exposure to women other than Xinya before, and while he had certainly learned enough from books about the differences between the sexes, and was definitely, definitely sure he'd like to learn a lot more about girls in a practical sense, it actually made him nervous to come across one in the wild like this.

His master had been a woman, of course, and she had done her best to instill in him some idea of the etiquette surrounding how men should treat women if they didn't want to offend, but because he'd never really seen such interactions in person, all her lessons had achieved was making him feel like any normal interaction with a girl he didn't know would amount to some kind of terrifying test, where he could very easily say or do something wrong, and earn the ire of her whole clan. Master Xinya had told him very clearly that she was an exception, that she was treated as a kung fu master first, and a woman second, so the way that men behaved around her was not typical. She had told him too that in the cultivation world, men greatly outnumbered women, and that at the Boundless Sun sect where she had once trained, there were twenty different schools of men, and only one of women. Women who dedicated themselves to cultivation were usually those who had shown exceptional talent - enough for their clans to feel it was worth investing resources into them - whereas most males of only reasonable talent from important lineages within respectable clans would be expected to study and value martial arts. The result of this was that more men than women ended up meeting the criteria to join sects. With that in mind, most women he'd meet outside of the sect's lands would be ordinary people - either people he should be willing to protect, or people who were already being protected, often by those who would be ready to fight him if he made any errors in his behavior.

He knew for sure that being caught looking at this woman while she was bathing (perhaps naked - that was how Jin had been planning to bathe, after all, and he didn't see why anyone else would do it differently - even if the idea that that was probably the case just made him want to look more), would definitely be considered one of those breaches in etiquette. He didn't want anyone who may be around, hidden out of sight, guarding her, to think he was doing that, but more, he didn't want her to think that. He didn't want his first encounter with a woman he didn't know to be one that ended in embarrassment. So, he hid behind a tree. Surely she couldn't take that long, and he could just wait until she was gone. Although, the more he thought about it, he didn't really want to waste this chance to talk to someone out here - or to talk to a girl. His last encounter with people from outside the forest had resulted in him killing someone, and that had left quite an unpleasant taste in his mouth. What better way to cleanse his palate and restore his faith that there were good people out here than to talk to a pleasant, gentle girl?

He made up his mind to listen carefully from behind the tree, using his powerful sensory skills to detect when he heard the rustle of clothing being put on, and then come out and try to have some kind of normal, peaceful greeting with the girl.

He didn't get the chance, however.

As soon as the sound of a person emerging from the water and dressing had told him that it was probably safe to emerge nonchalantly and say hello, he heard a charming, lilting voice ring out.

"Oh! Aren't you just the most beautiful horse! Whose horse are you?"

For a moment Jin wondered if she had mistaken the bolthoof horse for a high level magical beast who could talk, but then he realized that most ordinary people - or so he'd been told - probably weren't aware that such creatures even existed. The question, aimed at the horse, was really just the girl asking in a non-threatening way for its owner to show themselves.

Jin stepped out awkwardly, knowing it would look really obvious that he had been hiding behind the tree.

"I'm so sorry. I was planning to bathe in the lake, and to give my horse a rest here, but when I noticed someone was in there I just waited behind here. I only saw your head above the water!" he said.

The girl laughed, and it had the pleasant timbre of tiny bells. Jin knew he had been forgiven, if he had indeed ever been suspected of anything. He relaxed a little.

"Don't worry. I'm actually not supposed to be out here enjoying the lake, so if you can keep it a secret that I was, then I will not ask too many questions about why you were behind a tree! Your horse is so beautiful! I have never seen one like her before. What's her name?"

"She's a bolthoof. The fastest animal on the continent, so I've heard. They come from here in Dragon Valley, but they're hard to catch and tame, so not many people breed them," he said, reciting his knowledge of bolthoof horses, happy the conversation hadn't remained weird.

"Oh, no, I know she's a bolthoof - the color of them is legendary, so I knew as soon as I saw her - I meant what is this particular horse's name?"

Jin had just murdered a man and maimed two others for this horse, but it hadn't actually crossed his mind to name her. Maybe she'd had a name before, when she belonged to the Shi clan, but... Did animals normally have names? Maybe the tiger had a name, and was offended that Jin had never asked what it was. He hadn't thought of it. He'd only just found out his own family name. Such things hadn't seemed important when he lived in the forest.

"I haven't named her yet. I haven't had her for long. What do you think would be a good name for her?"

"Oh! I really couldn't name your horse! She's so special and valuable, you must want to choose yourself!"

"I think she'd be happy to have a lady name her, actually, you'll probably come up with something much better than me."

The girl looked thoughtful, her long hair beginning to dry in the sunshine and blow across her face in the light breeze. Jin tried to ignore how pretty she was and concentrate on the normal conversation he was finally having with a girl who (on appearances at least) was close to his own age.

"I don't know. What is she like? Is she brave and steadfast, like a noble warrior's loyal steed?" she asked.

"I wouldn't say that. A while ago when I was close to the forest, some men tried to steal her, and they caused an explosion to frighten her. It certainly seemed to work..."

"Oh, how awful! Poor girl. But you defended her?"

"Yes. I... fought them off. I'm a martial artist, you see. My horse is taking me to the Boundless Sun sect, I'm supposed to go there to train."

Her eyes widened as though impressed.

"Oh! Then you must come and meet my brother! He is going to try the entrance test for the sect this month, too! Come, you can come to my family's home. We can take care of your horse and think of a name for her there. My father is the head of the Xiao clan, and he'll be happy to show you hospitality if I ask him to. It would be so nice for my brother to know somebody else when he goes for the entrance test - he has been ever so worried about it!"

Jin could see no reason not to take her up on the offer. He hadn't, in fact, been aware that one had to pass an entrance test to be able to join the Boundless Sun sect, or that there were only opportunities for new people to take the test once a month, and it sounded like there was time to spare between now and the next exam. He did wonder why the girl had been so willing to invite him without asking what clan he was from, but then he remembered that his horse still bore Shi clan livery, and so whoever the Xiao clan were, they were not, presumably, a clan who had any interest in the Shi clan. Owning the horse and being a cultivator headed for the sect was enough to tell her that he wasn't a brigand or anything else dangerous, and Dragon Valley had countless clans. Unless it was an enemy, an ally, or one of the top noble clans, it wasn't likely that a name would mean much.

"Just remember, when you meet my dad, don't tell him I was relaxing here instead of training..."

"Of course! So, would you like to ride my horse? I'm sure she can easily carry us both."

The girl nodded in obvious delight.