Chapter 2: A Present

Chapter 2: A Present

"Get up Yun Lu," said Ma Chao staring down at Yun Lu's sleeping face.

"Mmmm…" mumbled Yun Lu as she turned over and pulled the blanket over her head to shield from her brother and the sunlight.

"Look, if you don't want a birthday, you're free to do so."

Yun Lu looked up at Ma Chao.

"Birthday? Me?" she asked. "Oh…Yeah! It's my birthday isn't it?" Yun Lu got up straight away and changed as soon as Ma Chao left the room. She looked between a dress and a pair of pants. She decided the pants would be better because of the bitter coldness outside. Other times, she really wouldn't have cared.

Just as she was leaving her room, she realised it was very messy. Yun Lu sighed and signaled for her personal maid, or, more like a good friend, to clean it up.

"I'm so sorry Shao but could you please clean up my room? It's very…um…in bad condition," she said with a pleading face.

"Please my lady! Do not say sorry! It's our job!" said the maid, Shao.

"Well, thanks!" With that, Yun Lu left the maid and rushed towards...breakfast.

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Ma Yun Lu entered the banquet hall and closed the doors behind her.

"Hey guys!" she shouted energetically, and casually.

"Happy Birthday Yun Lu!" greeted everyone in unison. There was Ma Chao, Pang De, Han Sui and four other generals. Han Sui was Yun Lu's father, Ma Teng's sworn brother. Thus, he was like an uncle to both Yun Lu and Ma Chao. Yun Lu walked up to the front and sat down on the last empty chair around the table. Small bowls of noodles were served along with oolong tea. Yun Lu glanced as she ate.

"No news of dad coming back yet?" she asked.

"Nope," answered Ma Chao taking a sip of tea.

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A horse slowed as it reached the gates of Xiliang. Atop the horse was Ma Dai.

"Good morning General Ma Dai!" greeted the two gate captains.

"Oh, hi," acknowledged an out-of-breath Ma Dai. He immediately dashed in and ran into Ma Chao's room but found it to be empty. A maid was walking by holding a bag of Yun Lu's rubbish.

"Shao! Where's Ma Chao?" he asked her.

"Oh, Lord Ma Dai! Lord Ma Chao is in the banquet hall with everyon-" But Ma Dai had rushed off to the banquet hall before Shao could finish her sentence. She carried on cleaning up Yun Lu's room.

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Ma Dai threw open the doors to the hall. Yun Lu stood up and ran towards her cousin, giving him a hug.

"Dai! You're back!" said Yun Lu enlightened. She glanced behind him and a look of worry grew on her face. "Where's dad and my two brothers?" she asked. Ma Dai looked at the floor and swallowed.

"Uncle Ma Teng and cousins Ma Tie and Ma Xiu were...executed." Ma Dai looked up. "By Cao Cao."

Yun Lu stepped away from her cousin in horror.

"Only I managed to escape. I disguised as a merchant…"

"Was it because of that scheme?" asked Ma Chao. Everyone looked at him with a questing look. Ma Dai nodded.

"Yes, Ma Teng and Huang Kui, they tried to kill Cao Cao because he's overpowering the Emperor. Uncle couldn't let such an unjust person stay in this world. But Cao Cao realised the plan and the next thing you know, we were all ordered to be executed," said Ma Dai, holding back his grief.

"E-excuse me," said Yun Lu softly, walking out of the hall.

"Yun Lu…" whispered Ma Dai, grabbing Yun Lu's hand. She shook it off.

"Leave me Dai," replied Yun Lu, choking on her tears. She ran away to the grassy fields. Yun Lu dropped and lay on the grass, looking up at the sky. Whenever she was sad, she would go to the fields because of its quiet surrounding in which she could relax in. Horses neighed in the distance and the swaying of tall trees in the breeze was all that could be heard.

There she wept over her father's death.

Dad can't stand injustice. He just can't let injustice stay in the world. Cao Cao's gonna usurp the throne so dad just had to take him down. But the plan got out, him and my two brothers were executed.

Well, I know that if someone wanted to kill me, I'd kill them and so I don't blame Cao Cao for that. But he is an evil man in himself and…evil people should die! As I said, I'm no fan of justice but for dad, I'll fulfill his will to purge the injustice of Cao Cao. I swear that bastard cow will die by my spear. Oh, father…how I'll miss you.

Yun Lu's eyelids were still closed as Ma Chao walked towards her. Then her eyes slowly opened, to see Ma Chao sitting on the grass next to her. She tugged at Ma Chao's sleeve.

"Lie down on the grass. It feels very peaceful," she said. Ma Chao shook his head.

"How are you handling it?" he asked in a whispery voice.

"I'm okay. Everyone's gonna die someday eh?" replied Yun Lu, who was still sniffling.

"Well, I came to give you your present," said Ma Chao holding out something long and thin wrapped in cloth. Yun Lu took it with glee and unraveled it. There lying was her own double sided spear.

"What? This is my spear! How is this a present?" she asked angrily.

"Knew you'd react like that," replied Ma Chao and took out another spear, handing it to Yun Lu. It was also the double sided spear, an exact same as the first one. "You handle your single spear quite skillfully, thought this would help you fight better with an extra one." He pointed to the new spear. "I went to the same blacksmith who made the first one. And I took dad's design."

"Oh my god! Two double sided spears! This is awesome!!" shouted Yun Lu happily. She flashed a look at her brother. "And because they're so light and fast I'll name it…" she pondered for a while before finishing the sentence. "Flashpoint! Like 'flashes' and the spear points."

Ma Chao smiled at his baby sister's delight.

"Oh, and you know how it's kind of hard to ride on a horse wielding two spears? Well, I got a sheath for one of them so that your left hand can access it when you're on ground, fighting melee. It goes around your back like this." He took the sheath and strapped it around Yun Lu's back.

"Dude. This is hot!" said Yun Lu as she twirled the 2 identical spears around. She put them down and bear hugged her brother.

"Oh, no no. Yun Lu, there is NO need for a hug," muttered Ma Chao.

"Yes there is!" she said, laughing and hugged Ma Chao as tight as she could.

"Crap. Get off!" yelled Ma Chao. Yun Lu released him, picked up her weapons and pointed one at Ma Chao.

"Spar!" she chirped cheerfully, grabbing her brother's hand. "Let's go get your Silver Stallion!"

"No, I'm gonna use Stallion Fury from now on and avenge father with his own spear," said Ma Chao, changing direction towards where Stallion Fury laid.

'It's good this keeps your mind from lingering on sorrow," thought Ma Chao as he followed his sister who was in a good mood about her new weapon.

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They arrived at the doorstep of where Stallion Fury was. It was their father, Ma Teng's room. They entered the unoccupied room.

"There it is," said Yun Lu, whispering unconsciously. Ma Chao walked over to take the spear and as he did so, Yun Lu explored the room she had entered countless times. She stacked all the papers and books on her father's desk.

"Can I take some of these strategy books to my room?" she asked and held up a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War. "Especially this. Dad read it to me as a bedtime story."

Ma Chao turned around to look.

"You sad, sad person. Art of war as a bedtime story?" Ma Chao sighed and took Stallion Fury. "Yes take whatever you want. This room is probably going to get cleared sometime anyway." Yun Lu took the stack of books and they left the room.

"Mengqi, wait for me at the sparring grounds while I go drop off these books," she said, dashing off to her room.

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Yun Lu opened the door and saw that her room was spotless. She smiled and placed the books on her table. She glimpsed Shao and ran over to her as soon as she shut the door.

"Shao! Thank you so much for cleaning up my room! But be prepared to see my room look exactly as trashed a few days later!" said Yun Lu, giving the maid a light hug.

"It's alright, I can clean it up whenever you like, my lady," replied Shao.

"Lose formality towards me Shao! Call me Yun Lu like everyone else does."

"…okay, whatever you say Yun Lu," said Shao with a nod.

"Anyways, gotta go and spar with my brother. See ya!" waved Yun Lu and sprinted back towards the sparring grounds.

"Again?" shouted Shao.

"Gotta test out my new weapons!" yelled back Yun Lu.