Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.
Warnings: Minor violence, minor adult content, slash.
Description: A story about Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's past – will eventually be Zhou Yu x Sun Ce, with other pairings mentioned on the side (LM/XQ, DQ/LX, and GN/SSX)
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Secession – Part 20"Sun Ce recovered quite rapidly, and was ready to return to battle in a very short time."
Chen Hao sighed unintentionally and allowed his jaw line to relax. He hadn't truly been expecting anything else – the general had mentioned many times that the wound was not serious. But nonetheless, Chen Hao couldn't stop himself from worrying every time Sun Ce was in danger – because at some point, there wouldn't be a smile on his bright face or a laugh on his lips…
Chen Hao could almost picture him. Tall, muscled, tan face creased from lines of perpetual laughter – his ponytail flapping behind him in the summer wind. There were scars on his skin but they hardly seemed to matter beside his sturdy armor, and his enthusiastic grin spilled over his expression and accented the sparse beard below it. Chen Hao couldn't help the beard – probably because the only image he'd ever seen, a stylized painting, had incorporated the traditional feature.
And those amber eyes Zhou Yu had described so many times burned confidently under the waving red banner, as sword in hand he raced across endless plains and never lost the ambition tumbling out of his cheerful cry. Chen Hao felt inspired and humble just imagining him, and wondered what emotion that kind of man might stir face to face. It was not surprising that so many soldiers had been willing to follow him – blindly, loyally, forcefully.
"After Kan Li-chao was summarily dealt with, many of his former soldiers chose to join the ranks of Sun Jian's forces, which allowed us to keep a steady guard in our northern territories for the first time. Those who did not wish to remain under the employ of the Sun family were dismissed and sent home – Zhang Bai among them. With the heightening of the summer, Sun Ce and I returned to Jiang Dong and remained there for some months. It was during this time that I truly became accustomed to the Qiao sisters' presence, and I have come to consider them great companions over the years."
Chen Hao watched the moonlight flickering over Zhou Yu's face as the rain clouds seemed to pull back from the shining circle and retreat into the night. "Sun Ce and I spent many afternoons in their company – often we played games or simply conversed, although we did spend a short while teaching them to spar."
Chen Hao felt a look of surprise overcoming his expression, and Zhou Yu almost smiled at the soldier as midnight stole through the wagon and settled into his eyes. "We live in chaotic times, soldier," he murmured into the soft wind. "And Sun Ce and I both agreed that no one ought remain helpless in the wake of the unpredictable nature of circumstances. I could cite to you occasions when the Qiaos' martial skills were of great assistance to us…" A heavy sigh escaped as Chen Hao bit his lip. "But there isn't time. So I shall suffice to say that both women are exceedingly talented with both dagger and spear, and that I have never worried that they might be unable to protect themselves if the necessity arose."
Chen Hao wanted to ask for a story – the image of the two Qiaos spinning and dashing through their enemies was intriguing and mystifying. A sudden fit of coughing contorted his general's face, and Chen Hao held the request back on the tip of his tongue. He winced as the familiar sound of Zhou Yu's distress echoed and darted against the wooden wagon, and waited anxiously for silence with the water clutched tightly in his hand.
But this time was different – it took him a long moment to realize that the coughing wasn't abating, and that Zhou Yu's chest was heaving in pain and not relaxing back against the floor. Chen Hao struggled to his knees and stared down at the general with wide eyes, hands helpless at his side and breath short with worry. His fingers reached out but stopped short of touching the general's shoulder, shaking with concern and undecided agitation. The water canteen tumbled uselessly onto the floor as Chen Hao's hands melted into fists and the nails bruised his palms, and still Zhou Yu's body twisted in sharp motion and his breath spattered unevenly from his lips.
When the coughing finally did subside, Zhou Yu closed his eyes and breathed deeply into spasming lungs. Chen Hao tried not to trace with his eyes every line of pain marring the general's forehead and flinch at each agonizing breath, but it was impossible even when he tucked his face against his shoulder to avoid the sight before him. Zhou Yu sputtered a little and cleared his throat, eyes tightly closed even as Chen Hao regained the canteen and provided the general a small drink of water. Zhou Yu's dark hair quivered and trembled across the rough wooden planks as his shadowed eyes came open and glared up at the covered roof.
"You may not have me until I finish this story," he rasped, and Chen Hao shivered as words meant for the King of the Dead himself sparked in the cold air. Zhou Yu sighed again and pressed his lips together in a thin line, but his eyes remained steadily fixed on the distant sky and haunting stars within it. Chen Hao collapsed in on himself and pulled his knees up to his chest in a kind of anxious fear that trilled through his stomach and settled hard against his backbone. He didn't want to be witness to the clashing wills of time and the man lying so still before him.
Silence pervaded for a long time after the pronouncement, and Chen Hao kept his gaze trained on the grass stains of his pants and the rough patches streaming across their thick fabric. He tried to will his energy into a tiny, glowing ball – he would give it to Zhou Yu with no qualms, hand the general his very breath if it delayed death just a little longer… just until the end of the story. Just until Zhou Yu could rest without tearing his eyes open and continuing to speak.
"Chen Hao." The soldier startled at his name, which hadn't left the general's lips since it had first been requested hours and hours ago. His eyes shot to Zhou Yu's face, which was calm but guarded in the faint light. Chen Hao made to respond, but another deep breath cut him off. "Are you ready?"
Chen Hao felt himself frowning, but anxiety still covered his brow and kept confusion in his eyes. "Ready…"
Zhou Yu raised one hand to slowly brush the hair away from his eyes. "I'm going to skip almost a year. To just after Sun Shang Xiang's seventeenth birthday. In high summer of 195."
Chen Hao shook his head a little. "My lord… I don't understand. Ready for—" And then his eyes got very wide and his hands tightened into fists – because all of a sudden, he did understand. 195… 195 was…
Zhou Yu watched the soldier carefully before closing his eyes. "Very well. Then we'll begin." Chen Hao fought back the urge to cover his ears. He didn't want to listen – not to this part. It was going to be terrible – what if he started to cry? What would Zhou Yu think of him if he cried—
"As Shang Xiang's birthday had just passed, Sun Ce asked his father for permission to arrange a journey to Guantian in order to celebrate. We were gathered together discussing proposals when the courier arrived."
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Summer had set in. The flowers of spring were all gone, replaced by tiny green fruits in the leafy boughs and new bamboo shoots springing up from the vibrant earth, and the wind had turned mild with the promise of rain. Not a cloud marred the cerulean sky, and the sun shone so brightly that Zhou Yu had to shade his eyes as he looked out of the window into the rollicking gardens. Everywhere deep jasper colored the foliage and sent rhythm of renewal through the trees, and the air seemed to carry a kind of sugary inundation of humming insects as it drifted through the carvings and decorations on which Zhou Yu rested his pale hands.
"Come on, Shang! Come on!" Sun Ce pulled hard on his sister's arm and pouted down at her from his superior height, tone firmly whining and expression hopeful. Shang Xiang appeared entirely nonplussed, and she shook him off with a quick jerk of her arm.
"I said no and I meant no, Ce," she answered calmly. "We're not going to watch a tiger fight."
"But Yu's never seen one before!" Sun Ce protested in vain. Zhou Yu turned back to the conversation at the mention of his name, and his eyes found the two Sun children deep in debate.
Shang Xiang shook her head firmly. "But it's my birthday celebration, and I don't like them. Besides – you know Quan hates seeing the tigers get hurt." Sun Ce's shoulders slumped and he rolled his amber eyes skyward.
"Quan-" he started, but Shang Xiang cut him off.
"-has just as much say in this as you do, which is absolutely none," she finished for him, eyes bright but solid. "Now quit complaining. You're lucky you get to go on a trip to the city at all."
Sun Ce mumbled a little under his breath, but the door to the sitting room opening and the arrival of a few more family members halted conversation. Xiao Qiao bounced into the room with a lively lilt in her step, and Lady Qiao followed more quietly to seat herself beside Sun Jian in one of the scattered chairs. The lord of Jiang Dong nodded politely to both girls and laughed a little at the disapproving expression on his eldest son's face.
"Don't be like that, Ce," he encouraged. "If you really want to see a tiger fight, you can always do that on your own." Sun Ce brightened perceptively at this statement and regained his former smile.
"That's what we'll do!" he affirmed, turning to Zhou Yu and barely remembering not to take his hand. Zhou Yu's eyes widened slightly at the near miss and he shot Sun Jian a nervous glance, but the general didn't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary. Sun Ce's cheerful voice pulled Zhou Yu's attention back to the excited youth bopping his head back and forth. "Don't worry, Yu – we'll definitely see a tiger fight, even if my stick-in-the-mud sister doesn't want to go."
Zhou Yu sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "But I don't want to go either, Ce," he pointed out. Sun Ce just laughed.
"You only say that because you've never been to one," he accused. "They're the most fun in the world. Besides – if we don't go, we'll have to stay with Shang."
Shang Xiang huffed and dropped her hands to her hips, but Xiao Qiao spoke up before the argument could progress. "Where are you going?" Her childish voice had matured somewhat in the year Zhou Yu had known her, but its simple contours still danced brightly through the room. Sun Ce blinked.
"Well, you're coming too, of course." He turned away from Zhou Yu and matched the girl's smile. "We're all going to Guantian to celebrate Shang Xiang's birthday. It's a tradition."
Zhou Yu watched Xiao Qiao's eyes light up at the mention of the great merchant city not far north of Fu Chun. Ever since their return to Jiang Dong, the Sun family – and Zhou Yu with them – had made an annual journey to Guantian for Shang Xiang's birthday. And every single year, Sun Ce went off about tiger fighting. Zhou Yu personally considered entertainment like that a waste of time and money – and fortunately, he'd never been subjected to the unfortunate pastime yet.
To be honest, he wasn't that fond of the trip itself – it disrupted the routine of their daily affairs and was a rather exorbitant economic venture. There wasn't much that interested him in the bustling merchant city, either, and the long, uneven road they traveled was always significantly less than pleasant. But he consoled himself every year with the thought that, if nothing else, it made Sun Ce happy.
"What do we do there?" The curious thirteen-year-old leaned against the arm of her sister's chair and watched Sun Ce's face with a starry expression. Sun Ce laughed and came to stand beside her.
"All sorts of things. There are parades, and performers, and they sell all kinds of food in the market—"
Xiao Qiao straightened and hopped to her feet. "I love markets! Do we get to go there?" Sun Ce gave her a disgruntled look and scratched his elbow.
"Yeah. That's where we spend most of our time, actually. 'Cause all Shang wants to do is shop." Shang Xiang scoffed and punched his arm.
"I like to watch the jugglers," she protested, chin tipped up in self-righteous affirmation. Sun Jian chuckled at his children and stood up with a stretch.
"There's no need to bicker, you two." His soft, warm tone flooded the room and countered their conversation like soothing water. "I've said we can do whatever you'd like." Both children smiled and Sun Quan stood up from the floor where he'd been reading, casting his siblings a knowing look before tugging on his father's sleeve.
"They like to bicker, Father," he observed astutely. "They don't have to have a reason." Xiao Qiao smiled at the boy before hopping up and down.
"Do we get to buy anything?" she asked bluntly, and Lady Qiao frowned slightly.
"Xiao," she began, voice chastising, but Sun Jian raised a hand to cut her off.
"It's all right, Da Qiao." Zhou Yu watched the summer sunlight spilling over Sun Jian's face from the open window as he smiled, and it seemed to the strategist that the man had never looked as happy as he did now, eyes passing over each of his young charges. "You are both as close as children to me – I should hope no formality is needed between us." Lady Qiao looked ready to protest again, but Xiao Qiao forestalled her words with a giggle.
"That's because Sun Jian is the best almost-father-in-law in the whole world!" she concluded, and Sun Jian couldn't help smiling as the young girl leapt forward to give him a quick hug. Zhou Yu felt his lips turning up at the corners despite his disenchantment with the trip. Xiao Qiao had melted so smoothly into the Sun family that it was hard to remember the distinction at all – and she was so fond of Sun Jian that she could have been one of his own daughters. Not that the lord of Fu Chun had been able to resist attachment to her tumbling, joyful attitude for very long himself.
Xiao Qiao pulled back after a moment and put a small hand to her chin. "When are we leaving? And how are we getting there? How far is it?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement at the proposed trip as rapid-fire questions left her lips, and Sun Ce laughed.
"We'll leave tomorrow, probably. We always go by carriage because it's kind of a long way… a day's ride, maybe." Xiao Qiao's eyes widened.
"Tomorrow? So soon?" She clapped her hands distractedly. "Why didn't anyone warn me? I've got to go pack!" Without another word, she dashed through the partly open door and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor. Zhou Yu listened to her echoing footsteps and the final traces of joyous humming as Sun Ce blinked.
"How long does it take to pack?" he asked idly, raising one hand to scratch his ear. Shang Xiang chuckled in answer, and Lady Qiao rose to her feet.
"I suppose I ought to assist her," she murmured musically. "Otherwise she'll bring the most ridiculous things…" Her bright brown eyes caught the steady sunlight and seemed to smile. "When we were preparing for the journey here, she tried to smuggle a good portion of the dishware along as mementos of our father's house." Lady Qiao shook the wrinkles out of her skirt and turned to Sun Jian with a gentle smile. "How many days will we be gone?"
Sun Jian shrugged lightly. "We usually don't stay more than a week…" Lady Qiao favored him with a short bow and turned for the door.
"I will inform her of that." Her soft steps paused just on the threshold, and she glanced back over her shoulder with a full smile. "And thank you for agreeing to take us along."
Sun Jian's polite response got lost in a sudden clattering of footsteps, and the second door swung open to reveal the panting form of General Cheng Pu, who leaned one arm against the door frame to steady himself. Zhou Yu felt his eyes narrow at the abrupt arrival, and Lady Qiao stopped to turn back into the room. "My lord." Cheng Pu's rasping address faltered in the clear air and raised Sun Jian to his feet. "Urgent correspondence – it's just arrived. The messenger claims to hail from Lord Yuan Shu."
Zhou Yu felt his back stiffen at the mention of their distant ally. Yuan Shu had often sent letters to Sun Jian in the course of their extensive friendship, and indeed Zhou Yu himself had spent a good deal of time meeting with the renowned general's envoys. But a letter had never arrived in such spectacular display before – from Cheng Pu's heaving breath, it seemed the flank general had sprinted straight from the welcoming courtyard with the message. Cheng Pu was a settled, grounded man – a man whose conduct and judge of circumstance Zhou Yu respected. The letter must truly be important to rouse the general to such uncommon action.
Sun Jian nodded sharply and received the rolled parchment, deft fingers untying the knotted cord with solemn speed. The room went silent as his warm eyes scanned line after line of the written message and grew dimly cold despite the sunlight. When he had finished reading, Sun Jian closed his eyes and let a stony expression envelope his features. No one spoke for a long moment, until Shang Xiang hesitantly cleared her throat.
"What… what does it say, Father?" Her reluctant query seemed too loud in the tense atmosphere. Lady Qiao shifted and Sun Ce straightened at Zhou Yu's side, jaw firmly set. Sun Jian opened his eyes slowly and glanced between their wary faces.
"Yuan Shao and Liu Biao have joined together – and are planning an invasion of Jiang Dong." Zhou Yu felt his eyes widen at the unexpected news, and Sun Ce's hands clenched into unconscious fists. Sun Jian set the letter on his empty chair and nodded carefully. "Yuan Shu is proposing a joint counterattack. He will attack Yuan Shao's holdings in Izhou, and we must mount an immediate assault on Liu Biao in Chingzhou."
Sun Ce visibly started. "Liu Biao – the man who Yuan Shao asked to stop us on our way back home, right?" Sun Jian's short nod was all the answer necessary. Sun Ce cast Zhou Yu an unsettled glance. "He's coming here? It's so far from his territory…"
In Sun Jian's darkening eyes, Zhou Yu could see the shadows of one hundred horsemen careening down an open prairie toward the mighty Xiang Lang River, spears in hand and banners flapping viciously in the cold wind. "If you continue conquering northward, Ce, it won't be long until you reach the edge of his holdings." Sun Jian's voice had become very quiet. "There is no reason for him to let us live in peace here."
Zhou Yu's brow furrowed at the silken shade covering Sun Jian's expression. Something seemed wrong. He had an uncomfortable weight in his stomach, and he didn't know why. Cheng Pu found his tongue before the young strategist, and he bent to one knee before the lord of Jiang Dong.
"You shouldn't trust Lord Yuan Shu's words," he urged. "He is devious and self-serving. What assurances have we that he will follow through with his promise to attack his brother? And even if he does… there is no good to come of stirring up trouble in the north."
But Sun Jian's eyes had become hardened jade, and his lips were set in a grim line. "What care I for Yuan Shu's help?" Zhou Yu felt his muscles tense at the memories spinning in Sun Jian's words. A single small form fleeing the hundred horses and running for the rider ahead, hooves pounding so hard over the packed earth. "I want revenge for myself. Yuan Shao and Liu Biao have allied against me for the last time." One syllable ringing in panic through the deep night air, a frantic heartbeat and two arms so tight around the waist of a terrified companion, the smell of foam and water in the black mane… "Liu Biao has threatened my family for the last time."
Sun Jian's dark expression lightened a little as he seemed to notice Cheng Pu's kneeling form for the first time. "Come now, Cheng Pu – what accounts for this formality?" The dignified soldier rose slowly to his feet and met his lord's eyes evenly. Sun Jian nodded respectfully to the general. "We're old friends."
Cheng Pu sighed. "And I have always told you what I think. I want you to know that I do not approve of this." Sun Jian shook his head mildly.
"You know I can't let a threat stand." The words seemed sincere but hollow in Zhou Yu's unsure ears. The lump in his stomach still hadn't gone away, and he didn't like it. Sun Jian's eyes had lost their dark edges as he clapped a hand onto Cheng Pu's shoulder. "You don't have to accompany me, if you prefer to remain here." Cheng Pu laughed shortly at the offer.
"And you think I would send you off to battle alone? You've acquired more sense through the years, but not enough to keep your head in the middle of things." The general's eyes were deep with soft memory. "The first battle we ever shared, I had to save you from that eager soldier who wanted to put his axe to your neck." Sun Jian's expression was gentle and congenial.
"A debt I've never repaid you," he muttered. Cheng Pu couldn't help smiling as he turned for the door.
"One thousand times over." Zhou Yu watched the general's sturdy back as he paused on the threshold of the long hallway. "I assume we'll be sailing to Liu Biao's stronghold in Fancheng. Shall I ask Huang Gai to prepare the river fleet?" Sun Jian thought a moment before nodding.
"That will do. My thanks." Cheng Pu was gone almost before the words cleared Sun Jian's lips, but Zhou Yu caught the worried smile on his gruff face as he moved down the corridor and out of sight.
Silence reigned for a long moment before Lady Qiao turned to leave as well. "I'll inform Xiao about the change of plans." Her soft words tore the last harsh lines out of Sun Jian's eyes, and a simple smile fell across his face.
"She'll be disappointed," he warned. "Make sure you tell her that we'll go to Guantian just as soon as I return." Lady Qiao smiled back and slipped out of the door without another word, leaving the room as quiet as before. Sun Jian sighed heavily and reached forward to pat Shang Xiang's back.
"I'm sorry, Shang. We'll have to delay your birthday trip a little while." The Sun princess shook her head and smiled brightly up at her father, eyes clear and open in the sunlight.
"I understand. Just knock Liu Biao out and come back quickly." She gave her father a few jesting punches in the stomach, and Sun Jian laughed at his daughter.
"It shouldn't take much more than a week – it's sailing that takes the longest." Zhou Yu felt his jaw set stoically as Sun Jian shot his eldest son a look. "With these two young officers beside me, Fancheng's walls won't keep us out." Sun Ce smiled, but his eyes still seemed uncertain, and Zhou Yu could feel his own hesitation mounting. Something was wrong – he couldn't place it, but he knew it was true. Why this dark shadow of forgiving in his mind? Liu Biao was nothing. They could take him down swiftly and easily, despite the rabble of generals that would no doubt surround a cowardly man of that caliber. There was nothing to worry about.
Shang Xiang grabbed her father's hand and held on with a brilliant smile, and Sun Quan wrapped his thin arms around Sun Jian's waist. "Why don't I ever get to go with you?" His complaint only made Sun Jian laugh as he bent down to look the young boy in the eyes.
"How old are you, Quan?" Sun Jian asked playfully. Sun Quan pouted and withdrew his arms to cross them over his chest.
"Twelve," he answered, pose stubborn. Sun Jian raised his free hand and ruffled the boy's tightly bound hair.
"And I've told you over and over that you can come campaigning with me when you're fifteen." Sun Quan tried his best pathetic look, but Sun Jian just smiled and took hold of his son's chin. "It will be worth waiting for, Quan – I promise you. We'll both ride horses as swift as the wind, and no one will be able to match us." Sun Quan brightened perceptibly at the proposition before glancing at his siblings and the stony strategist by the window.
"Brother and Sister will be there, too – and Master Zhou Yu, right?" Sun Jian laughed at the hopeful boy.
"Yes, but they won't get horses like ours. They'll just have plain gray horses, because you and I have to be the fastest." Sun Quan tried to stifle a self-satisfied smile at this, but it spilled onto his bright face anyway and into his eyes.
"And Xiao Qiao and Lady Qiao, too?" Sun Jian's face became serious for a moment as he pretended to consider his answer.
"Perhaps they'd better ride in a carriage with your mother," Sun Jian decided with mock gravity. Sun Quan nodded energetically, and the fantasy battle seemed to float just over the contours of his face in dazzling imagined pictures.
"I should tell Mother that you're leaving – she always wants to see you off." Sun Jian's eyes softened at the mention of Lady Wu, and an image of the kind woman flitted through Zhou Yu's mind.
"I'm not leaving quite yet," he reminded his son. "We won't embark until tomorrow morning."
Sun Quan shook his head adamantly. "You should leave sooner – then you can come back sooner, too." Sun Jian straightened and shot Zhou Yu a quick look.
"There are some things we need to get in order first." Zhou Yu nodded in a light bow before turning on his heel and heading for his office. There were maps to collect, approaches to consider, a number of logistics to complete…
But the thick, painful feeling persisted in Zhou Yu's stomach as he left the Sun family behind him and entered the long corridor, shadows flashing over his face between the sunlit windows. Something wasn't right – and all he could do was hope they would be strong enough to overcome it.
End Chapter 21
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Okay, this chapter was kind of my confession: Zhou Yu has really lived entirely too long. He's going to have to keep holding on a little longer, though. This chapter was fairly short, because the next one is going to be… not so short. Anyway, I hope this was interesting. As always, let me know what you think.
A note for Xing Wu: Glad you liked the last chapter. As for pizza… I'm not sure how everyone would like it, but I'll bet Sun Ce's a real fan of pepperoni and Sun Quan refuses to eat anchovies. Thank you for your review.
A note for Xing Ling: Zhou Yu is indeed adamantly refusing not to die. Detail is something I strive for, so I am pleased to hear you noticed it. Sun Ce is maturing a little, but I can't help loving his childish attitude, which I feel was most introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5… not so much in 4. And Zhou Yu will always have boundaries, because that's just the kind of person he is. Again, thank you for your comments – feedback is always appreciated.
A note for Sage Serenity: I'm glad you liked the song. Ever since the beginning of this fic, I've been thinking it would be nice to get that song in there – because I feel it kind of fits them somehow. If circumstances ever get too similar, please be sure to let me know – the best way to ruin a story is mindless repetition.
A note for Dragon Scales 13: I'm not sure Zhou Yu would appreciate his nickname, but I suppose there's nothing he can do about it. Yes, he does sing – not well, mind you, but Sun Ce's sense of pitch is questionable anyway. And the song is a stylized translation of the Dynasty Warriors 3 ending song. It is called "Shen Lu," or Life Road.
A note for Jen: One part of both Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's characters that is very important to me is their internal strength. I agree that they would both keep fighting even after the other was injured as long as they were needed on the battle field. Sun Quan reverted to his childish stage in this chapter because we went back in time… I'm gonna miss him.