Chapter 10
The Battle of Xia Pi
"You're awfully quiet." Guan Yu observed.
"I talk, you complain. I'm quiet, you complain." Cal sat hunched over in the saddle, she wasn't in the mood.
"He is not a good man, no matter what he led you to believe." Guan Yu took a chance. He suspected there was a lot more to the Luo Yong incident then she would care to divulge.
"Yu, it is because he is not a good man that I have a problem with this." She kicked Ares into a canter to get away from him.
"My lady!" the small bodyguard called out in frustration.
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The combined armies of Wei and Shu camped outside the castle of Xia Pi. Inside Lu Bu waited with his mistress and his advisor. Chen Gong stressed the importance of sticking to the strategy he had devised and Lu Bu waited. But his patience was growing thin.
"My lord." Diao Chan wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Chan, if this battle does not go well…..I want you to leave by carriage to the west. Wait for me for four days at Yuan Shu's home, then move on."
Chan smiled but hid her joy from her lover. She forced out tears, "But my darling….my love, Bu."
"Chan, you cannot fall into the hands of Cao Cao. My soul cannot rest if that should happen."
------------------------The officers of the allied forces waited for the war council to begin. Several men chatted back and forth happily between clans. Slowly Zhen Ji strode through the officers, each of then giving her an appreciative look. She was a lioness working her way through the pride before a hunt. Ji just needed to locate her victim.
"Now I recall you being a lot happier when you were fighting with us." A familiar gruff voice came from the shadows of the night.
Cal jumped up off her barrel, "Ren?"
"So you do remember me huh?" he smiled at his former comrade.
"You don't hate me?" she asked pleadingly.
"Hell, kid, bygones."
She wrapped her arms around his thick neck and kissed his cheek. "I'm so glad."
"Well if I knew I'd get this kind of reception I would have said 'Hi' at Si Shui." He pushed her away a second. "Let me look at you, I hardly recognize what they've done to you."
"Now, Lord Cao Ren." Guan Yu corrected him, "that is a Sun Shang Xiang makeover."
"Wow. That little tomboy did a nice job." Ren nodded and scruffed up her hair. "Too bad I know you haven't cleaned up you language any to match your new appearance."
"That would be nothing short of a miracle." Yu snorted.
"Now I'll have you know it was my smart ass remarks that got Lu Bu to spare my life. Thank you very much."
"Don't worry kid; we'll take care of that son of a bitch tomorrow." Ren smiled.
"Why do you all hate him so much?" She asked and sat down beside Yu again.
"Why you don't is the question." Yu replied.
Zhen Ji stopped in from of then and tapped her flute in her hand. "So I finally find you."
"Oh hell Ji, not this now." Ren growled.
"Why not?" Cal stood up and rested her hand on the hilt of her rapier. "She likes to be beaten, remember?"
"Not now. We must not have your petty differences ruining the collaboration on this battle." Yu pulled her by her belt and sat Cal back down.
"Ji, go find something to do will you? No catfights, not while I'm here."
"As you wish." She sauntered away.
"Ren, what about Dun?" Cal asked.
"Err….well you know him he's always so damned moody anyway."
"No he's not. Just tell me, is he well? Cao didn't take it out on him did he?"
"No, actually our cousin was really quite supportive. He's definitely the moody one though."
"Generals, please your attention." Cao Cao's voice boomed. "We have very little need for strategy. Lu Bu is a caged animal. We will attack him until he comes out and when he does we will destroy him. For the glory of the Han….."
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The next day:
"Charge the castle dammit!" Xiahou Dun turned towards his bodyguards at the very moment an enemy archer launched his arrow. He felt the impact and dropped to one knee.
"My lord! Are you hurt?" the lead guard raced to his charge and gasped as Dun lifted his face towards him. "Your eye…."
"I was born with it…" He pulled the arrow out and along with it came his left eye. "And it will remain a part of me." He bit the bleeding eyeball off the broad head and swallowed it.
"Take this my lord." Zhen Ji dismounted and took her scarf off and wrapped it around his head covering his eye.
"Lady Ji, thank you."
"Let us make him pay for this…." Ji mounted her horse again. "Forward guards!"
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Zhang Liao galloped into the castle and found Lu Bu by the vast quantities of men flying through the air. "General, the Lady Chan had escaped successfully!"
Lu Bu looked at his only remaining officer. "Liao….If you want to…"
"No, I stay by you my lord. Until the end."
"WHO ELSE SEEKS DEATH!?!" Lu Bu roared as he launched himself into the crowds of men.
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"Such a pity that he must die, do you not agree Dian Wei?" Cao Cao leaned over his horse's neck.
"No."
"I thought you'd say that. Come let us subdue this animal. Oh and Wei?"
"Sir?"
"Make sure we take him alive. I want him to see his death coming."
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Calpurnia watched as a dozen allied officers rushed to attack Lu Bu. Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren had Zhang Liao pinned in a corner and very near defeating him. "Ares, they don't need us." She turned the little Arab away from the castle and heard a faint nicker. Was that a spot of red on that tiny island? Could that be Red Hare? "Dear god, he hid his horse." She suddenly felt her heart drop. She would have done the same thing for hers. She scratched his shoulder and pulled him towards the bridge. "Let's go get him before someone else does."
"Oh my lady, not again! Please wait for us!" The head guard lamented
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The officers crowded around him in a circle, the mighty Lu Bu now a prisoner at their mercy. Even kneeling there, hands tied behind his back, Sky Scorcher at his knees in front of him, he did not look defeated. The man looked at Cao Cao furiously as he approached.
"This day has been a long time coming." The Wei ruler spit on Lu Bu's face. "You pig."
Lui Bei watched Cao Cao in silence. He remembered Cal's words; a warrior did not deserve to die this way. "Cao Cao, if you are going to execute him, then execute him. Do not degrade him any further. I will not allow it."
"Fine. If it eases your conscience Lui Bei." He turned to his officers and scanned their faces. "Xiahou Dun, I believe this privilege is yours. After all you have lost your eye because of this man."
"My pleasure." Dun drew his scimitar and approached the menacing man.
"NOOO!" Calpurnia raced up on Red Hare. She had heard the cheers when she was trying to catch the fire red steed and knew it was close to the end. After she caught him, she tried to lead him while riding Ares, but the two stallions refused to cooperate. Out of frustration she tied Ares to a fence and mounted Red Hare. He was after all supposed to be fast and she couldn't take the chance leaving him out in the open for anyone. Ares would be safe, he had a nasty habit of kicking at people behind him and no one really appreciated the tiny Arab anyhow. Now she was there-with the entire army watching her. She slid off the stunning horse and drew her rapier taking position in front of Lu Bu. "You will have to go through me first."
Lui Bei gasped and grabbed Guan Yu's arm. "Is this really happening Yu, tell me I'm not seeing this."
"I wish I could say that…..we should have sent her with Sun Jian." Guan Yu watched as the two officers stared each other down.
"You fool, what are you doing now?" Dun hollered.
"I'm not going to let you murder him!" she screamed back.
Cao Cao stepped back to stand next to Dian Wei. "Well I did not anticipate this."
"I hope he finishes her, then rips off Lu Bu's head with her blood still on the blade." Dian Wei seethed with hatred for her.
"Get out of the way." Dun screamed
"Get me out of the way. If you dare." She snapped back. She was ready for his attack; he always started with a charge and two slashes. And it was easily defended. She couldn't believe it was coming to this, fighting Dun. And what the hell was wrong with his eye?
"How dare you challenge me you ingrate!" he fought off her two slashes and tried to launch her into the air. "My blade shall deal with you!"
"You should improve your attack scheme Dun, you are too predictable." She moved away from his weak launch attempt and tried to smack his weapon from his hands. Was that blood on his cheek running out of his eye?
"Predictable? Me? You're the one making the worst possible decision you can! Protecting the one man more worthy of death then even you!" He spun 360 degrees hoping to throw her out of the way.
She blocked the attack and countered, "If I'm so abominable then maybe you should organize a mob to hunt me down as well!" She lunged at him.
"I believe that's already been done, or have you forgotten about your sordid past so that you can be the righteous one today?" he blocked her attack and they were forced into a deadlock.
"I should have cut you down when I first saw you."
"You would have died back on that pathetic dirt road if you had tried." She hissed
"And the irony of it all is that you come here to protect the man that took my eye with the blade I gave you. You little bitch."
"Cry me a fucking river! You actually expected to come out of this unscathed? Please." She kicked him away with a spinning kick she learned from Shang. With a flick of the wrist she opened up a small slice on his cheek. "There's one from me, to remember the good times."
Dun felt the blood drip down to his chin and he watched it hit the ground. "So what is it really? Did you miss how you used to get it from my cousin and have to relive it with someone else? The opportunity arose and you couldn't wait to let the mighty Lu Bu take you and fuck you like his little captive, could you? Can't find anyone to do you like you deserve in the virtuous little Shu camp can you? I doubt they'd even lay a finger on you, you slut."
"You know what? I did let him fuck me. And I don't regret it, because he didn't treat me like shit. For two years you knew what your cousin was doing to me but you did nothing! Some friend you turned out to be, that son of a bitch beat me and you left the building so you would have to hear me cry. Why don't you step out of the shadows of Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, and look at something with your own eyes. I stand before you today to protect this man because I won't let him be slaughtered. Not because of anything else." She stepped back and slashed her rapier through the air in front of her. She addressed the crowd, "You all fear him so much that you'll let your own principles be trampled in the rush to behead him. Look at me! Why am I the only one with enough honor to defend his right to die like a man? And you call me a barbarian!" She turned to Lu Bu whose steady gaze gave her the confidence to do what she knew was right. She leaned around him and sliced the ropes that bound his hands. "Go."
He stood up picking up his halberd and looked at the crowd around him. "They'll cut you down in my place."
"Let them try." She whipped around to face Dun again. She raised her rapier and pointed it at him. Without turning to the giant behind her she said, "Lu Bu, get on your horse and ride out of here."
"You'll regret this I'm sure." He mounted Red Hare and turned to the west.
"Why should anything change? Go, before it is too late." She heard the pounding hooves and watched the faces of the officers around her. Dun's eye remained fixed on her.
"All this bloodshed for nothing. You make me sick." He sheathed his weapon and marched out of the castle.
Cao Cao began to clap. "Quite a show. Maybe you should have rode off into the sunset with him."
"Burn in hell." She whipped her weapon back into the scabbard and turned back to the south, where Ares waited.
------------------Cal maneuvered Ares around a small barricade and looked up at the new road block that had materialized. The men of Shu: Lui Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun all were waiting for her. They sat ready on their horses. She stopped Ares and waited for their verdict.
"It's about time you showed your face." Guan Yu sighed. "I was beginning to think someone got a hold of you before we had to chance to be all gallant and act as your personal bodyguards."
"Why aren't you mad?" she asked quizzically and looked over all their faces.
"Why you aren't ashamed of us is the better question." Lui Bei replied.
"If you want me to go, I'll understand." She said, ready to cry.
"Come our naughty little hero; let us return to nowhere in particular." Zhao Yun winked.
"My only question is, if you're such a slut, why not any of us?" Zhang Fei asked. "Come on now. Keep it in the right dynasty at least!"
"Let us go now. There is a strategist that we have to woo." Lui Bei turned to the south.
"Well let this little lady have her way with him, he won't be able to refuse you then." Fei jibbed and waved the girl toward them.
"You're turning out to be somewhat virtuous after all Calpurnia." Guan Yu pinched her cheek as she rode between them. "Our baby girl's growing up."
"If we can clean up your vocabulary and fit you for a chastity belt, we could very possibly snare Lu Meng into a marriage." Zhao Yun laughed.
"That poor man. The only reason that Shang chose him as the perfect match for me is because he doesn't shave on a regular basis." She tossed a look over her shoulder at Xia Pi.
"Forget about them. You've got us and that's all anyone really needs." Yu patted her head. "Although it would have been nice if you hadn't given Red Hare back."