Chapter 2 ~ Known
Time passed quickly for Su Yin. The carriage traveled rather fast across the lands of China. Eventually, the carriage reached the border between the Chinese people and the Huns. The carriage pulled up short at the sight of nearly the entire Hun army was waiting for them. The leader of Su Yin's guard heeled his horse nearer to the Huns. A lone rider approached and they began talking. Their conversation was short before the Hun rider signaled for another wagon to come up. "My lady." The rider said, after dismounting his horse and opening the carriage door.
Su Yin stepped out of the carriage, Yan hopping out after her. The guards loaded her things onto the Huns' wagon. She ducked her eyes from staring frightened at the Huns. The Hun that spoke to the guard leered down at her. She suddenly straightened, carrying herself with pride. She was a princess of China. She was above these Huns and their leers. She leapt into the wagon, Yan hopping up behind her. The little peahen nestled close to Su Yin. The guards remained behind as the Huns turned their horses and returned to their city.
The rider that had spoken to her guard held his horse back and followed behind the wagon. He was a broad built man. His eyes were narrow, like a hawks. His worn clothing told the tale of his people even better than the dreary land that they were traveling through. He had his hood up, so she could barely see his face. "What's that?" he asked, nodding his chin towards Yan.
"It is my pet peahen, Yan." Su Yin replied just as a striking hawk swooped down and landed on the Hun's shoulder.
"Who is that?" she asked, nodding to the hawk.
"Hayabusa. My hawk." The Hun replied.
The conversation faded a bit until Su Yin asked, "Who are you?"
The Hun smirked and pulled his hood off. He had long hair that framed his face. A thin mustache framed her mouth, which was drawn up in a vicious looking smirk, revealing a set of pronounced canine teeth. "Name's Shan Yu." He replied, pulling his head higher and puffing out his chest.
Su Yin blinked, her heart racing in her chest. "Then I am to marry you." Su Yin said, her voice conveying more emotions than her face showed.
The confidence that Shan Yu showed faltered greatly. He had heard that one of the Hun leaders was to marry the emperor's daughter but he thought the emperor of the Huns or a strategic planner would, never him: the leader of the Hun army. He reached up and pulled his hood back over his face, hiding himself from the princess. Hiding himself from his fiancée.
