Chapter 12 ~ Pain

The soldiers, after an hour of confusion, were bedded down on the out skirts of the city. Their orders were to check on the princess, ensure that she was alive and well, and spy on the Huns to see if they were backing their side of the peace. They strolled through the streets, the Huns avoiding them like they were sick. Su Lin often kept out of town, riding Jade or working in the fields. The first time that the head soldier, Chao, and his men saw her working out in the fields, they stopped and stared. "Princess, what are you doing?" Chao asked, making all work stop.

"Growing crops. What does it look like?" she retorted, continuing to plant seeds.

"But… but why?" he asked, totally horrified by the eldest princess of the Emperor working harder than a peasant.

"Because I must. Besides, it keeps me occupied." Su Lin said, taking up her empty basket, "If I didn't work, Shan Yu would never be able to train his men."

Chao and his men stared as she walked away, flipping her hair to reveal the edge of her love bite. After the planting, Su Lin got Jade and was about to ride off when Chao and another soldier appeared with their own horses. "Permission to come along, princess?" he asked as Su Lin swung aboard the large mare.

"Come if you wish. I don't own the land." She said, laying a tender heel to Jade's hide, sending the mare galloping off, leaving the Imperial stallions in the dust. "Keep up if you can." She called over her shoulder, the wind whipping through her hair.

She galloped by the training fields, waving big at Shan Yu. He caught sight of her from the corner of his eyes and waved back. Jade slowed a bit, hearing the approaching stallions. The pair of horses were already tired from that short spurt. Su Lin laughed as Jade sped off again, galloping into the woods. The mare was going so fast that neither horse nor rider saw the sudden drop off until it was too late. Jade slammed on her brakes, trying to stop. The mare's front end toppled of the cliff as did the rest of her. Su Lin screamed, her scream ringing across the land. Shan Yu knew by the pitch and tone of the scream that it was Su Lin. He grabbed Cheng, swinging on bareback and bridle less, and galloped, following the fading scream.

Enter the woods, he saw where Jade had galloped, turning Cheng onto that path. He reached the drop off, seeing the two Imperial soldiers looking over the edge. Shan Yu pulled Cheng up short leaping off. "What happened?" He asked, looking over the edge.

He didn't wait for a reply. At the bottom of the gorge lay a still Jade and Su Lin. Shan Yu hurriedly scaled down the side of the gorge, going to Su Lin. He dropped to his knees next to her, scooping up her torso and holding her close. Su Lin gasped. She was still alive. "Su…" he whispered, hoping above all hopes.

"Shan Yu…" she managed, her voice faint.

"Su… It's going to be alright." He said, holding her close.

"Shan Yu… I… I want… you to… remember… that I… I love you… Shan Yu…" she said, a weak hand coming up to cup his face.

"I love you too Su… I love you too Su Lin." He said, pressing a kiss to her lips.

Su Lin lay still, her chest rising and falling in shallow gasps. "Shan Yu… I… I forgot… to tell you… that I… I'm pregnant…" she gasped out.

"That's… wonderful dear heart." He said, tears filling his eyes.

"I… I'm sorry… I couldn't… bring him… to the world… I'll always love you Shan Yu… Always." She said, her last breath passed from her lips.

Shan Yu let the tears fill his eyes, but he clenched his eyes closed, shook his head, throwing it back in a roar of pain and anger.