The bandit was a youth, not even a young man yet. He was ungainly; his body a work in progress of nature, with his awkward limbs and rough half-boy-half-man voice. He was a strange creature all men have known at one time or another, a boy trapped somewhere between man and child, sand and stone.
He sat atop a crate, blended in amongst the other workers milling about the scene.
Nearby, an old man howled, his beard sodden with tears. "No! No! My daughter- my daughter!" He cradled the murdered corpse in his arms, heedless of the blood soaking from the body and through his thin shirt.
The crowd around him murmured to itself as, heedless to his own crazed weeping, the father screamed to the sky.
"I don't care if you don't bring a brother! I don't care if you grow up to be lazy and useless! I won't scold you anymore, ever again, I promise! Just come back!"
The little thief only turned away, gripping the bronze collar in the folds of his threadbare jacket. "Was hers. 'S mine now. 'S Gan Ning's," he murmured to himself. "'S mine."
"Sir-"
"Be quiet," the man in the boat commanded. He touched the bronze object about his neck contemplatively. He has grown up tough and strong, with sun-glazed muscles traced with the tattoos of his former job as a free-wandering bandit. He wears no armor or shirt- they only impeded him, such as the brazen confidence of youth.
"Sir, the enemy commander is gaining on us-" his second-in-command cried. "Gan, let's run to the others- the general's already fled back to Huang Zu, and the enemy vanguard's giving chase-"
"See this?" Gan Ning asked, pointing to the bronze object tied around his neck. "It was the first thing I ever killed for. Won't be the last."
"How the hell is that supposed to help us? Let's go!" the younger man shouted in exasperation and fear.
Gan Ning smirked, his eyes narrowing down to fierce slants. "I said it won't be the last," he said, picking up his bow. "How far away is the vanguard?"
"Less than a li!"
"Stop the boat."
"Sir-"
"Stop the boat of I'll kill you. I've heard of this Ling Cao before, and I tell ya, he ain't going to step down from anything."
The next minute passed in terse silence and sunlight, as splashing and shouting quickly proved Gan Ning to be right.
"Huang Zu!" a voice screamed, full of the rich, deep timbre of courage. "Huang Zu, are you fleeing already?"
"Hey Ling!" Gan Ning stepped up to the bow of his boat and fits an arrow to his bow. "Die!"
The arrow flew true, and as Ling Cao's body toppled into the water, many miles away, a young boy woke up screaming into a nightmare.
"Give my stuff back. I said, give it back!" Gan Ning shouted angrily, eyeing Ling Tong lording above him, high on one of the guard walls.
"Why should I? It's probably not even your stuff. Know you it's all stolen one way or another," Ling Tong snapped, swinging the bronze object around on its broken hemp rope. "What's this you've been wearing around your neck? Hah! An old sash clasp? Just goes to show, you don't even know what it is!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you're an ignorant animal."
"So what if I am?" Gan Ning demanded.
Ling Tong narrowed his eyes. "Look. I don't know what Zhou Yu told you, but Wu doesn't have room for people like you, who just come around thinking that they can run all over the place like they've got no orders… Or if that they win one little battle, then everything's forgiven and dandy? Sorry to say, but 'sorry' doesn't even cut it-"
Gan Ning tried to scramble up the rocks to chase after the lithe man. Damn, that guy was a cat! The sides of the stone were as slippery as politicians- how did Ling Tong manage to climb up so effortlessly? "Hey, just because your dad-"
"Gan Ning, what are you yelling at- Ling Tong!" Lu Meng exclaimed, rushing forward. "What are you two doing?"
"I don't need your help, Old Man! This is between me n' Tong now-"
"Tong? Tong? Since when were we on a first-name basis?" Ling Tong snarled.
"Ling Tong!" Lu Meng shouted.
"Just because they say you're one of us doesn't mean you are," Ling Tong replied, his voice icy. "It's not like any of us need you or anything."
"Ling Tong, whatever you took-"
"Fine, fine, here's your stupid necklace," Ling Tong snapped, harshly throwing down the stolen bronze. It fell to the ground with a clang.
"This is unaccep- Ling Tong, where are you going?" Lu Meng shouted.
Ling Tong stood up and stretched, catlike. Despite his aura of carelessness, his eyes were burning. "Nowhere," he said, walking along the wall, away from the other two men.
Through the haze of fog and pain, Ling Tong thought that he was seeing things. His recollection of past battle was sharp, up to a sudden jolt when the sky was below him and his horse was above him.
The familiar smell of sweat was always present now, musky and firm. It smelled like that bastard pirate. But in the haze, Ling Tong found it oddly comforting. Nice, even.
What was that? A bronze sash clasp, worn like a necklace, hung in front of him… Why was it so familiar?
Ah. Gan Ning's.
Why was that stupid pirate's jewelry hanging in front of him? If he was hallucinating, wasn't there something better to see?
Dragons and clouds of flame danced around his vision as the bronze twinkled.
It was kind of nice. He guessed he liked it.
The haze closed in again, and Ling Tong fell back into darkness.
How much time had passed? There was light.
"Wha-"
"You're up! I heard you were stirring and I ran here as fast as I could- I was so worried," Sun Quan said, holding Ling Tong to his chest.
"Wha-"
"After your horse was shot like that-"
"What's going on-"
Sun Quan held him out to examine him. "Ling Tong, you've been out for a good week after we took the fortress-"
"What? We won?" Ling Tong exclaimed. "Well, great-" He stopped. "Well, I was having the weirdest dream while I was out. Gan Ning's necklace thing was hanging in front of me-"
"Yes, that's because Gan Ning's been here with you nonstop," Sun Quan said. "Are you all right?"
Ling Tong spluttered. "What?"
"Who do you think saved you?" Sun Quan asked, puzzled. "I'm glad to see that you two made up, if he ran out like that for you-"
"Wait, no, no, no, we never- I never forgave that- this is the same Gan Ning, right?"
Sun Quan looked at him oddly. "But the way he was here the whole time with you, I thought that-" The young lord fell silent in thought. "Why was he staying with you the whole time, if you two are still enemies?"
"I don't know. I really don't know."
"Ow- what the-" Gan Ning's head recoiled from the punch, his vision blacking for a moment.
"Lord Sun told me all about your daring little rescue," Ling Tong seethed. "I don't know how to make it clear. I don't need you."
Gan Ning shook his head to clear his vision and tried to push Ling Tong away, but the splint along his side stopped him from moving his arm at too wide an angle. "Tong, I'm not trying to get you to forgive me or anything-"
"No selfish motive, eh? Then why did you save me? Why did you go run in the middle of that mob and grab me?"
"If you don't know by now, maybe you just need to figure it out!" Gan Ning snapped.
Ling Tong's eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Maybe you hate me. Maybe you don't like me. Maybe you think I'm disgusting. The feeling ain't mutual, though."
"Well, I don't need you-"
"Well, that ain't mutual either!"
"What?"
There was a silence as Gan Ning looked away, his mouth forced into a thin line.
"Stop sulking and tell me what you mean!" Ling Tong shouted.
Gan Ning didn't respond, but only pushed the younger man's arm out of the way. "Let me go."
"Don't look so upset! What the hell?" Ling Tong shouted.
"Here." Gan Ning untied the leather thong around his neck.
"What?"
"It's protected me so far. It'll protect you now."
Ling Tong snorted, readjusting his armor. "Don't be stupid."
"C'mon. Even if you don't believe in it, doncha want me to feel better?"
"No," Ling Tong snorted and turned away. "I don't need your concern-" He stopped as the pirate's strong arms abruptly pulled him back and tied the bronze thing around his neck.
"Here. It's yours now."
"I don't need it, man," Ling Tong said flippantly, reaching up to untie the cord before Gan Ning stopped him.
"Well, I want you to have it. It's good luck, you know. I haven't died yet-"
"-Despite always running out half-naked-"
"It's for you now."
Ling Tong rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid."
By now, Gan Ning had learned to try hide it whenever Ling Tong's words hurt. "I'm not."
"Okay, if it makes you feel better I'll put it on my belt, kay?" Ling Tong sighed.
Gan Ning frowned in dismay. "Don't you want to wear it?"
"No, I don't. It looks stupid." Ling Tong untied the leather cord and tied it onto his belt. "There, happy?" he asked, annoyed.
Gan Ning was silent.
"Look, I don't even need it. I don't even want it! I'm not doing myself a favor by carrying this thing around- gods, Ning, why do you look so upset?"
"What? You're saying don't go with you?" Gan Ning demanded, frowning.
Ling Tong rolled his eyes. "I'm just visiting extended family. Obligations and stuff, you know," he sighed.
"I'll come with you," Gan Ning insisted.
Ling Tong rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't need you around. We'll fight together, okay, but I don't want to spend every waking moment of my life with you!"
"I'm not saying every waking moment of your life- but c'mon, I'll keep you company," Gan Ning protested. "I haven't seen you in months-"
"My gods, you are so annoying sometimes. I don't need you, kay?"
There was another silence before Ling Tong sighed again.
"I never understand why you get all upset all of a sudden. Did I say something?"
He tied the leather cord around his neck.
The pirate's old room was silent. Sunlight streamed through the windows, but the furniture was covered in a thin carpet of undisturbed dust.
How long had it been since he had carried Gan Ning's body back to camp? How long had it been since he had stood at the funeral?
How long had it been since he had shoved away that pirate for the millionth time?
The world went on. Ling Tong knew that very well. But somehow, it was different now, oddly empty. Somehow, nothing was quite as good anymore- colors not as bright, morning not as fresh, music not as sweet.
There was always something oddly empty, missing and just fleeting like a shadow out of the corner of his eye.
There was no Gan Ning anymore. No arms around him, no embrace to go to when the world seemed gloomy.
No more smile.
Ling Tong sighed bitterly and looked in the mirror to adjust the hang of the bronze around his neck.
Looks like I needed you after all.