Author's Note: Hey People! This is a semi-short one, seven pages. I'm
going to be going away for about two or three days, so expect a short delay
for the next chapter, but I'll have it up before Sunday of next week, I
promise. And without further ado, Chapter 36!
Enjoy!
Part 3
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 36
May it Be
"Please understand Zhang He!" She cried, putting her hands over her chest.
"I knew it! Why did you lie to me? To everyone!" Zhang He yelled.
"I'll tell you the entire story, just, please, get this arrow out." She whimpered. Zhang He moved slowly over and made a crossed cut along where the arrow stuck into her soft, warm flesh. He slowly parted the wound and carefully removed the dart, trying not to damage any muscle. He threw the arrow aside and took some blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her wound. After it was tied he sat back waiting for an explanation. She was silent for sometime, then took a deep breath.
"I guess the first thing you should know is my real name. It's Mitsuko." She said sadly. "You want to know why I was masquerading as a man? I wanted to tell you Zhang He, but girls can't join the army, you would've killed me . . ."
"No I wouldn't have! I have other women in my army!" Zhang He objected.
"That's . . . not the only reason . . ." Mitsuko said slowly. Zhang He looked into her eyes unassumingly. "When . . . I first came to China I was trying to find where the main camp of Shu is so I was asking around at taverns. One was pretty rough place and after being there for just a couple of minutes, two guys jumped me. I couldn't just stand there and let it happen, so I got out my sword and slashed them to bits. Well, that didn't make the rest of them too happy, so everyone else in the place attacked me. I . . . Killed them all . . . all except the only woman in the place, she didn't attack me. But she got a good look at me . . . Tall woman, red kimono, yellow obi, I wasn't hard to spot. I just grabbed Kawaii-Sama and barreled out of there as fast as I could, but the next morning people were looking for me. I was soon one of the most wanted in the area. Then I did what I had to do. I put on Jiten's old Hakama he left me, and I became Mitsuke. They weren't looking for a man . . ."
Zhang He was silent for a moment as he analyzed the story. He narrowed his eyes and puzzled over something.
"Who's Jiten?" Zhang He asked. Mitsuko laugh a little dryly. She looked even sadder. Zhang He was definitely going to forgive her, but he wanted to hear the entire thing.
"He is my true fiancé. . ." Mitsuko said, not meeting his gaze.
"Fiance?" Zhang He questioned.
"It's a long story . . . " She laughed in a melancholy way, "Seems like only yesterday though . . ."
"Tell me . . ." Zhang He said, his anger softening as he sat beside her.
"Well, it was several years back when I was still in Japan. I was about fifteen and really ambitious. I wasn't going to take this life of being a quiet housewife; I wanted to be a samurai! Nobody would teach me though, women are forbidden to learn swordplay unless they are born into royalty. I was down at the river one day, just messing around with my wooden boken, and I saw him, Jiten. He was about my age, maybe a little older, and I was really lonely so I went over to talk to him. He was fishing, like always. We were fast friends, and he was a master at swords. So in secret he became my sensei and taught me all he knew about fighting and only two years later he told me I was a master, the best he'd ever seen. It was then when he asked me to the summer festival that I realized I really loved him. A year later he asked me to marry him, and I was so happy, but my father forbid it. I couldn't marry a poor fisherman who didn't ever have a chance of becoming great. So he offered me up to the lord of our district, a truly appalling man. When he saw me, he agreed in a second. But I wouldn't have it! Jiten and I planned to run away, and we almost got to the barge together, but the men caught him. He yelled to me as the men pinned him down. He said 'Run Mitsuko! Run there and don't look back. Join the army, I'll find you, I promise! I'll come for you! I PROMISE!!' And I had to believe him. I still do. My big brother saved him, I'm sure he's alive. I'm sure he'll come for me. . ." She left off.
"Mitsuko . . . I'm sorry that happened to you. You can always stay in the Shi army, I wouldn't kick you out, I'd never kill you, you're my friend." She smiled.
"Thank you, my Lord, I'm so happy I can count on you." She said sniffling. Zhang He stood up.
"Now, let's get out of here, I think we're about near the end of the wood." She nodded and got shakily to her feet. "Wait, do you need rest?" He asked.
"I think I'm ok. . ." She said unsurely.
"You should stay here . . . I'll go get some food for both of us, I'll be back pretty soon, try to sleep." Zhang He said.
"All right, but what if the owner of the house comes back?" She asked. Zhang He looked around warily. Where had he seen this house before?
"Tell him the story, and tell him I'm the leader of Shi. If he kicks you out, wait near the roots of the tree. I promise I'll be back by sundown." Zhang He said. She nodded and he hopped out of the tree swiftly. His feet touched the light soil of the forest and he sped off forward. After only a couple of minutes, he could tell it was getting light. He sped through a few more trees, then came face to face with a very steep hill. Where had he seen this place before? This forest, this hill, the entire thing looked SO familiar . . . It was almost like a memory from a nightmare that had slipped his mind so very long ago. He watched to steep, fine dust leading up to heaven knows where with unsafe feeling of rapt attention. He felt a glow, no, an aura emanating from this place. From the plateau above, as if SHE had been there . . . Almost feeling afraid, Zhang He made his way slowly up the hill, nearly tripping once or twice. As he pulled himself to the top he took a couple of deep breathes while looking at the ground. As he turned he face forward, a world of ruin lay before him. The sky was dark and threatening to rain, and Zhang He swore a flash of lightening lit it up momentarily. A roar of thunder confirmed the sight as his eyes ran across the wasteland. Everywhere was broken stone, the burnt remnants that had once been wood, crushed red shingles from the roof that had fallen down, and a smell like an extinguished flame. A cold bite of wind swept along his face, rustling his hair and stinging his eyes. Bits of black ash danced in the invisible wave that was air, swirling and then resting once more on the ruined land. By his sixth sense he could feel that people had died here, but they were gone now. The bodies are gone, that is . . . He thought to himself Maybe the souls stayed? A shiver ran up his spine and he felt that perhaps he should not be treading on this tainted earth, but his curiosity pushed him forth. He took a step and suffered from another quick shiver. He walked precariously over the mounds of crushed stone and splintered wood. After a through investigation, he determined this place had been a palace. There were a great many skeletons of rooms, ripped up beds, and battered armories. He picked up a book from the ruins and brushed the dust off. After finding it held nothing but some rubbished concerning battle, he dropped it carelessly back into the pile. He looked to his far left and discovered there was some building standing. Most of the grand red paint had been burned or chipped off, but the great doors that led into it still held strong. He approached is cautiously, just waiting for some horrid being to pop out and devour him. He climbed the step in front of it and ran his fingers along the wood of the door. It felt cold and ominous. With a gathering of courage, he pushed on the entrance slightly and the door swung open gradually. With a great force it slammed into the wall, causing a shower of debris and rocks from the roof, but it still held up. He crept carefully into the dark hall, keeping an eye on the roof at all times. Once he felt it wasn't going to collapse just yet, he peered with anxiousness down the corridor.
"I wish I'd brought Mitsuke's katana . . ." He said, hearing his weak voice echo softly through the passage and feeling very small indeed. He started up at moderate pace, giving one last look to the light behind him. He ran his fingers across the wall, feeling for something other than cracks. As it grew pitch black around him, his hand found the hinges of a door. He found clumsily where it opened and wrenched open the door. It swung forward with a foreboding creak. Zhang He's eyes scanned looming shapes in the sinister atmosphere and as he stepped in a musty stank flowed into his nostrils. His sight began adjust to the gloom and he saw the wooden frame of a bed. He tested the springy mattress and his fingers grazed the smooth silk blanket. A window on the east wall showed the darkening sky, a pink tinge showing through the clouds out side. The lattice of the window created an odd, bar-like shadow on the floor. As he patrolled into the back of the room, it grew dimmer and dimmer. He walked silently in the thick shadows feeling for something in front of him. All at once it felt as if the floor had slipped away. He leg sunk suddenly into a pit of murky water, followed by the rest of him. He cried out, only to get a mouthful of dirty water. He swam to the surface and spit it out hurriedly, waving his hands around wildly fro the surface. His hand grasped the slippery surface from which he plummeted down from, and he summoned his strength to get out of the pool. He rose unsteadily to his feet, still spitting the dirty water all over. He wiped his eyes, opening them to find just about as much darkness as when they were open. As he shook more water off him body and made his way back to the entrance, he turned suddenly backward. Hadn't he just heard a soft padding behind him? He stared into the black for a minute, and then turned back slowly, his eyes refusing to move from the dark space as he turned his head forward. With a slightly fasted gait, he found the door and shut it hastily. He started down the hall again with his tension still ready to snap. As he walked with the feeling of presence all around him, he heard it again. Pad, pad, pad. He wheeled around on his heel, his fists up, but there was nothing in sight. He took several breaths and shivered from his body temperature going down.
"W-who's there!?" He demanded into the darkness. No answer. He took some steps backwards, his heart thumping noisily. He swallowed, feeling the little beads of cold water slide of his face and hair. He wasn't going to wait here any longer, he decided. With a spontaneous and enormous burst of speed, he charged blindly for the door. He wasn't going to stop no matter what. Then, the noise was behind him again. PAD, PAD, PAD. It was going faster, It was following him . . . He breathed violently through his nostrils, fearing the water on his shoes would cause him to slip. He could hear the steps pounding behind him in hot pursuit, yearning to catch him. "Leave me alone!" Zhang He yelled without looking back, but the steps did not cease. It looked as if he would have almost made it out, the light from the door shone in the distance, but while he was running his forehead collided hard with something on the wall. He was knocked backwards and the back of his head his the hard wood floor. As he blacked out a shining white something floated harmlessly above him, blurred from his failing vision. He could hold on no longer and feeling the slight trickle of blood from his forehead, passed out.
He awoke in some unsure warmth around him. He discovered night had fallen or he was still in that horrible dark. He lifted up his arms and found that a heavy silk blanket was on top of him. Just as he was about to sit up, a soft voice spoke from somewhere beside him.
"Is . . . it y . ..u, Zhang He?" It said, sounding as if it was speaking through a heavy wool blanket. It sounded delicate and unsure but in a way nostalgic . . .
"Who's there?" He asked, his heart starting to pound again.
"It i . . . y . . .ou . . ." It said. It grew louder and softer sometimes, like it couldn't control the volume at which it came out. "I . . . mis. . . d y. . . v. . .ry much . . ."
"Who are you!? What is this place!?" Zhang He said, looking around for the person speaking.
"You . . . d. . .n't re . . .ber?" It asked, sounding almost hurt.
"No, I don't remember. Tell me." Zhang He said, feeling this was something important.
"Yu . . . . S . . . His . . . P . . .ala. . . ." It crackled.
"What? Who's?" Zhang He said, straining his ears.
"Yua . . . S . . .ha . . ."
"Yua Sha?" Zhang He asked. "Is that him? Yua . . . Yuan? Yuan Shao!?" Zhang He demanded, feeling alarmed.
"Ye . . . Yua . . . Shao . . .His . . . Pa . . ."
"His palace? This is his palace!?" Zhang He asked, sitting up with surprise. It fit so perfectly. The field, the hill, the forest! That was Pang Tong's tree house! The room he was in before was the one he had occupied for a short while! The pool was the bath! But if this was Yuan Shao's palace, what had happened to it? "What in the world happened?" Zhang He inquired urgently.
"Gu . . . Tu . . . He . . . revol . . . aft . . . you . . . left. . ." It said, sounding tired, as if it took amazing amounts of energy to speak.
"Guo Tu? He did this?" Zhang He said, wanting much more information. He felt that old burst of hatred for Guo Tu. What could he have done to destroy the mighty Yuan Shao? Guo Tu had done something after he'd been 'released' from Yuan Shao's forces. . . Who was this he was talking to? Then, it suddenly hit him. "Rai Tso? Is that you? Are you still alive? RAI TSO?" He yelled into the darkness. No answer. It had to have been her . . . it had to . . . He rose slowly from his place and stood up. He head throbbed a little and when he put his hand to the injury he found some bandages there. He found his way out slowly, stepping outside. Twilight swallowed the area and the last glow of the sun was gone. His promise to Mitsuko had been broken. He wasn't back by sundown. He leapt down the hill without thinking and slid onto flat ground. He slipped gracefully through the trees, paying no never mind to the slight pain in his joints. After about ten minutes he found the tree house. After leaping into the house, he found Mitsuko sleeping placidly on the bed. He shook her carefully awake, still panting some.
"What in the world happened to you?" She asked, pointing drowsily to his head. He explained the ordeal in which he'd been through.
"Good heavens . . ." She said, astounded. Zhang He nodded
"We have to go back there tomorrow. I know where we are now. If we go east we'll come to a little village, then more woodland, and then after miles of more land the Wei camp. If we go far enough west from the Palace Ruins we should be on a pretty high hill where we can locate our camp." Zhang He said, feeling harrowed from tiredness. They talked a bit more, and then decided to go to bed, both their stomachs growling.
In the morning, which bore the unmistakable symptoms of an approaching storm, they climbed down and made their way back slowly to the rubble.
"Wow, what a wreck! You say you used to LIVE here?" She asked, looking around unsurely.
"It used to be a grand palace! But Guo Tu did something here . . ." Zhang He said, leading the way across the field.
"Who's Guo Tu?" Mitsuko said, almost tripping over a hiding stone.
"A bastard." Zhang He said bitterly. "He killed my friend, made me look bad, lied to get me kicked out because I was Yuan Shao's favorite, and a number of other nasty things which I've chosen to forget."
"Sounds like a nice guy. . ." Mitsuko said sarcastically, holding her arms out for balance. The made their way with difficult over the field and finally toppled over the mound of stone that used to be the outer wall. As they stepped on the flat grass finally, Zhang He cast a mournful look back at the ruin that used to be his home. How was it possible that Guo Tu did this? He would have had to have some pretty strong men and weapons, or some serious magic, and it's not as if he had any friends . . . He remembered Yuan Shao's last words to him: '. . .Leave him the Talons incase she speaks the truth. If either of them ever return, kill them on sight. . .' He'd returned, but the only one who was dead was still Rai Tso . . . She never deserved this . . . She was the only one who was innocent. Yuan Shao was a powerful man; it seemed impossible that someone like Guo Tu could bring him crashing down so suddenly. Was Yuan Shao still alive? And if so, where was he? What about all the other people at the palace? Their bodies were obviously not littering the ground, but they didn't just disappear. Zhang He wished he could find Guo Tu again . . . He wished he could find and kill him. If he only got revenge on one person in his life, it would have to be Guo Tu. What he felt for Guo Tu was more than hatred, it was pure abhorrence. The very thought of Guo Tu made him sick, and he longed to sink the Metal Talons into his flesh, to hear in scream in pain. He relished the time when Yuan Shao had severed his hand. He recalled how he writhed one the ground, tears of pain leaking from his shut up eyes. How he held his bloody wrist and gaped in horror at the mangled limb. Just recollecting the incident brought a cruel grin to Zhang He's lips.
"Zhang He?" Mitsuko said, looking at him from a distance. He had been so caught up in thinking, hadn't noticed she was still walking.
"Sorry." He said, returning to reality and catching up with her quickly. At the top of the hill, the world looked misty and melancholy. They spotted the black object far in the distance that was the Shi camp. It was so small from here, and so hard to believe that everyone and everything he cared for was inside that little spot. He wondered about his sworn brothers. Were they looking for him? Maybe they'd given up already . . . An poor Diao Chan . . . Zhang He hoped she wasn't worried. He looked over at Mitsuko. What would they say when they found out that the brave samurai Mitsuke was actually a girl? It all awaited him in that camp, that little spot in the distance.
"Come on, Mitsuko, let's go home."
for the next chapter, but I'll have it up before Sunday of next week, I
promise. And without further ado, Chapter 36!
Enjoy!
Part 3
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 36
May it Be
"Please understand Zhang He!" She cried, putting her hands over her chest.
"I knew it! Why did you lie to me? To everyone!" Zhang He yelled.
"I'll tell you the entire story, just, please, get this arrow out." She whimpered. Zhang He moved slowly over and made a crossed cut along where the arrow stuck into her soft, warm flesh. He slowly parted the wound and carefully removed the dart, trying not to damage any muscle. He threw the arrow aside and took some blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her wound. After it was tied he sat back waiting for an explanation. She was silent for sometime, then took a deep breath.
"I guess the first thing you should know is my real name. It's Mitsuko." She said sadly. "You want to know why I was masquerading as a man? I wanted to tell you Zhang He, but girls can't join the army, you would've killed me . . ."
"No I wouldn't have! I have other women in my army!" Zhang He objected.
"That's . . . not the only reason . . ." Mitsuko said slowly. Zhang He looked into her eyes unassumingly. "When . . . I first came to China I was trying to find where the main camp of Shu is so I was asking around at taverns. One was pretty rough place and after being there for just a couple of minutes, two guys jumped me. I couldn't just stand there and let it happen, so I got out my sword and slashed them to bits. Well, that didn't make the rest of them too happy, so everyone else in the place attacked me. I . . . Killed them all . . . all except the only woman in the place, she didn't attack me. But she got a good look at me . . . Tall woman, red kimono, yellow obi, I wasn't hard to spot. I just grabbed Kawaii-Sama and barreled out of there as fast as I could, but the next morning people were looking for me. I was soon one of the most wanted in the area. Then I did what I had to do. I put on Jiten's old Hakama he left me, and I became Mitsuke. They weren't looking for a man . . ."
Zhang He was silent for a moment as he analyzed the story. He narrowed his eyes and puzzled over something.
"Who's Jiten?" Zhang He asked. Mitsuko laugh a little dryly. She looked even sadder. Zhang He was definitely going to forgive her, but he wanted to hear the entire thing.
"He is my true fiancé. . ." Mitsuko said, not meeting his gaze.
"Fiance?" Zhang He questioned.
"It's a long story . . . " She laughed in a melancholy way, "Seems like only yesterday though . . ."
"Tell me . . ." Zhang He said, his anger softening as he sat beside her.
"Well, it was several years back when I was still in Japan. I was about fifteen and really ambitious. I wasn't going to take this life of being a quiet housewife; I wanted to be a samurai! Nobody would teach me though, women are forbidden to learn swordplay unless they are born into royalty. I was down at the river one day, just messing around with my wooden boken, and I saw him, Jiten. He was about my age, maybe a little older, and I was really lonely so I went over to talk to him. He was fishing, like always. We were fast friends, and he was a master at swords. So in secret he became my sensei and taught me all he knew about fighting and only two years later he told me I was a master, the best he'd ever seen. It was then when he asked me to the summer festival that I realized I really loved him. A year later he asked me to marry him, and I was so happy, but my father forbid it. I couldn't marry a poor fisherman who didn't ever have a chance of becoming great. So he offered me up to the lord of our district, a truly appalling man. When he saw me, he agreed in a second. But I wouldn't have it! Jiten and I planned to run away, and we almost got to the barge together, but the men caught him. He yelled to me as the men pinned him down. He said 'Run Mitsuko! Run there and don't look back. Join the army, I'll find you, I promise! I'll come for you! I PROMISE!!' And I had to believe him. I still do. My big brother saved him, I'm sure he's alive. I'm sure he'll come for me. . ." She left off.
"Mitsuko . . . I'm sorry that happened to you. You can always stay in the Shi army, I wouldn't kick you out, I'd never kill you, you're my friend." She smiled.
"Thank you, my Lord, I'm so happy I can count on you." She said sniffling. Zhang He stood up.
"Now, let's get out of here, I think we're about near the end of the wood." She nodded and got shakily to her feet. "Wait, do you need rest?" He asked.
"I think I'm ok. . ." She said unsurely.
"You should stay here . . . I'll go get some food for both of us, I'll be back pretty soon, try to sleep." Zhang He said.
"All right, but what if the owner of the house comes back?" She asked. Zhang He looked around warily. Where had he seen this house before?
"Tell him the story, and tell him I'm the leader of Shi. If he kicks you out, wait near the roots of the tree. I promise I'll be back by sundown." Zhang He said. She nodded and he hopped out of the tree swiftly. His feet touched the light soil of the forest and he sped off forward. After only a couple of minutes, he could tell it was getting light. He sped through a few more trees, then came face to face with a very steep hill. Where had he seen this place before? This forest, this hill, the entire thing looked SO familiar . . . It was almost like a memory from a nightmare that had slipped his mind so very long ago. He watched to steep, fine dust leading up to heaven knows where with unsafe feeling of rapt attention. He felt a glow, no, an aura emanating from this place. From the plateau above, as if SHE had been there . . . Almost feeling afraid, Zhang He made his way slowly up the hill, nearly tripping once or twice. As he pulled himself to the top he took a couple of deep breathes while looking at the ground. As he turned he face forward, a world of ruin lay before him. The sky was dark and threatening to rain, and Zhang He swore a flash of lightening lit it up momentarily. A roar of thunder confirmed the sight as his eyes ran across the wasteland. Everywhere was broken stone, the burnt remnants that had once been wood, crushed red shingles from the roof that had fallen down, and a smell like an extinguished flame. A cold bite of wind swept along his face, rustling his hair and stinging his eyes. Bits of black ash danced in the invisible wave that was air, swirling and then resting once more on the ruined land. By his sixth sense he could feel that people had died here, but they were gone now. The bodies are gone, that is . . . He thought to himself Maybe the souls stayed? A shiver ran up his spine and he felt that perhaps he should not be treading on this tainted earth, but his curiosity pushed him forth. He took a step and suffered from another quick shiver. He walked precariously over the mounds of crushed stone and splintered wood. After a through investigation, he determined this place had been a palace. There were a great many skeletons of rooms, ripped up beds, and battered armories. He picked up a book from the ruins and brushed the dust off. After finding it held nothing but some rubbished concerning battle, he dropped it carelessly back into the pile. He looked to his far left and discovered there was some building standing. Most of the grand red paint had been burned or chipped off, but the great doors that led into it still held strong. He approached is cautiously, just waiting for some horrid being to pop out and devour him. He climbed the step in front of it and ran his fingers along the wood of the door. It felt cold and ominous. With a gathering of courage, he pushed on the entrance slightly and the door swung open gradually. With a great force it slammed into the wall, causing a shower of debris and rocks from the roof, but it still held up. He crept carefully into the dark hall, keeping an eye on the roof at all times. Once he felt it wasn't going to collapse just yet, he peered with anxiousness down the corridor.
"I wish I'd brought Mitsuke's katana . . ." He said, hearing his weak voice echo softly through the passage and feeling very small indeed. He started up at moderate pace, giving one last look to the light behind him. He ran his fingers across the wall, feeling for something other than cracks. As it grew pitch black around him, his hand found the hinges of a door. He found clumsily where it opened and wrenched open the door. It swung forward with a foreboding creak. Zhang He's eyes scanned looming shapes in the sinister atmosphere and as he stepped in a musty stank flowed into his nostrils. His sight began adjust to the gloom and he saw the wooden frame of a bed. He tested the springy mattress and his fingers grazed the smooth silk blanket. A window on the east wall showed the darkening sky, a pink tinge showing through the clouds out side. The lattice of the window created an odd, bar-like shadow on the floor. As he patrolled into the back of the room, it grew dimmer and dimmer. He walked silently in the thick shadows feeling for something in front of him. All at once it felt as if the floor had slipped away. He leg sunk suddenly into a pit of murky water, followed by the rest of him. He cried out, only to get a mouthful of dirty water. He swam to the surface and spit it out hurriedly, waving his hands around wildly fro the surface. His hand grasped the slippery surface from which he plummeted down from, and he summoned his strength to get out of the pool. He rose unsteadily to his feet, still spitting the dirty water all over. He wiped his eyes, opening them to find just about as much darkness as when they were open. As he shook more water off him body and made his way back to the entrance, he turned suddenly backward. Hadn't he just heard a soft padding behind him? He stared into the black for a minute, and then turned back slowly, his eyes refusing to move from the dark space as he turned his head forward. With a slightly fasted gait, he found the door and shut it hastily. He started down the hall again with his tension still ready to snap. As he walked with the feeling of presence all around him, he heard it again. Pad, pad, pad. He wheeled around on his heel, his fists up, but there was nothing in sight. He took several breaths and shivered from his body temperature going down.
"W-who's there!?" He demanded into the darkness. No answer. He took some steps backwards, his heart thumping noisily. He swallowed, feeling the little beads of cold water slide of his face and hair. He wasn't going to wait here any longer, he decided. With a spontaneous and enormous burst of speed, he charged blindly for the door. He wasn't going to stop no matter what. Then, the noise was behind him again. PAD, PAD, PAD. It was going faster, It was following him . . . He breathed violently through his nostrils, fearing the water on his shoes would cause him to slip. He could hear the steps pounding behind him in hot pursuit, yearning to catch him. "Leave me alone!" Zhang He yelled without looking back, but the steps did not cease. It looked as if he would have almost made it out, the light from the door shone in the distance, but while he was running his forehead collided hard with something on the wall. He was knocked backwards and the back of his head his the hard wood floor. As he blacked out a shining white something floated harmlessly above him, blurred from his failing vision. He could hold on no longer and feeling the slight trickle of blood from his forehead, passed out.
He awoke in some unsure warmth around him. He discovered night had fallen or he was still in that horrible dark. He lifted up his arms and found that a heavy silk blanket was on top of him. Just as he was about to sit up, a soft voice spoke from somewhere beside him.
"Is . . . it y . ..u, Zhang He?" It said, sounding as if it was speaking through a heavy wool blanket. It sounded delicate and unsure but in a way nostalgic . . .
"Who's there?" He asked, his heart starting to pound again.
"It i . . . y . . .ou . . ." It said. It grew louder and softer sometimes, like it couldn't control the volume at which it came out. "I . . . mis. . . d y. . . v. . .ry much . . ."
"Who are you!? What is this place!?" Zhang He said, looking around for the person speaking.
"You . . . d. . .n't re . . .ber?" It asked, sounding almost hurt.
"No, I don't remember. Tell me." Zhang He said, feeling this was something important.
"Yu . . . . S . . . His . . . P . . .ala. . . ." It crackled.
"What? Who's?" Zhang He said, straining his ears.
"Yua . . . S . . .ha . . ."
"Yua Sha?" Zhang He asked. "Is that him? Yua . . . Yuan? Yuan Shao!?" Zhang He demanded, feeling alarmed.
"Ye . . . Yua . . . Shao . . .His . . . Pa . . ."
"His palace? This is his palace!?" Zhang He asked, sitting up with surprise. It fit so perfectly. The field, the hill, the forest! That was Pang Tong's tree house! The room he was in before was the one he had occupied for a short while! The pool was the bath! But if this was Yuan Shao's palace, what had happened to it? "What in the world happened?" Zhang He inquired urgently.
"Gu . . . Tu . . . He . . . revol . . . aft . . . you . . . left. . ." It said, sounding tired, as if it took amazing amounts of energy to speak.
"Guo Tu? He did this?" Zhang He said, wanting much more information. He felt that old burst of hatred for Guo Tu. What could he have done to destroy the mighty Yuan Shao? Guo Tu had done something after he'd been 'released' from Yuan Shao's forces. . . Who was this he was talking to? Then, it suddenly hit him. "Rai Tso? Is that you? Are you still alive? RAI TSO?" He yelled into the darkness. No answer. It had to have been her . . . it had to . . . He rose slowly from his place and stood up. He head throbbed a little and when he put his hand to the injury he found some bandages there. He found his way out slowly, stepping outside. Twilight swallowed the area and the last glow of the sun was gone. His promise to Mitsuko had been broken. He wasn't back by sundown. He leapt down the hill without thinking and slid onto flat ground. He slipped gracefully through the trees, paying no never mind to the slight pain in his joints. After about ten minutes he found the tree house. After leaping into the house, he found Mitsuko sleeping placidly on the bed. He shook her carefully awake, still panting some.
"What in the world happened to you?" She asked, pointing drowsily to his head. He explained the ordeal in which he'd been through.
"Good heavens . . ." She said, astounded. Zhang He nodded
"We have to go back there tomorrow. I know where we are now. If we go east we'll come to a little village, then more woodland, and then after miles of more land the Wei camp. If we go far enough west from the Palace Ruins we should be on a pretty high hill where we can locate our camp." Zhang He said, feeling harrowed from tiredness. They talked a bit more, and then decided to go to bed, both their stomachs growling.
In the morning, which bore the unmistakable symptoms of an approaching storm, they climbed down and made their way back slowly to the rubble.
"Wow, what a wreck! You say you used to LIVE here?" She asked, looking around unsurely.
"It used to be a grand palace! But Guo Tu did something here . . ." Zhang He said, leading the way across the field.
"Who's Guo Tu?" Mitsuko said, almost tripping over a hiding stone.
"A bastard." Zhang He said bitterly. "He killed my friend, made me look bad, lied to get me kicked out because I was Yuan Shao's favorite, and a number of other nasty things which I've chosen to forget."
"Sounds like a nice guy. . ." Mitsuko said sarcastically, holding her arms out for balance. The made their way with difficult over the field and finally toppled over the mound of stone that used to be the outer wall. As they stepped on the flat grass finally, Zhang He cast a mournful look back at the ruin that used to be his home. How was it possible that Guo Tu did this? He would have had to have some pretty strong men and weapons, or some serious magic, and it's not as if he had any friends . . . He remembered Yuan Shao's last words to him: '. . .Leave him the Talons incase she speaks the truth. If either of them ever return, kill them on sight. . .' He'd returned, but the only one who was dead was still Rai Tso . . . She never deserved this . . . She was the only one who was innocent. Yuan Shao was a powerful man; it seemed impossible that someone like Guo Tu could bring him crashing down so suddenly. Was Yuan Shao still alive? And if so, where was he? What about all the other people at the palace? Their bodies were obviously not littering the ground, but they didn't just disappear. Zhang He wished he could find Guo Tu again . . . He wished he could find and kill him. If he only got revenge on one person in his life, it would have to be Guo Tu. What he felt for Guo Tu was more than hatred, it was pure abhorrence. The very thought of Guo Tu made him sick, and he longed to sink the Metal Talons into his flesh, to hear in scream in pain. He relished the time when Yuan Shao had severed his hand. He recalled how he writhed one the ground, tears of pain leaking from his shut up eyes. How he held his bloody wrist and gaped in horror at the mangled limb. Just recollecting the incident brought a cruel grin to Zhang He's lips.
"Zhang He?" Mitsuko said, looking at him from a distance. He had been so caught up in thinking, hadn't noticed she was still walking.
"Sorry." He said, returning to reality and catching up with her quickly. At the top of the hill, the world looked misty and melancholy. They spotted the black object far in the distance that was the Shi camp. It was so small from here, and so hard to believe that everyone and everything he cared for was inside that little spot. He wondered about his sworn brothers. Were they looking for him? Maybe they'd given up already . . . An poor Diao Chan . . . Zhang He hoped she wasn't worried. He looked over at Mitsuko. What would they say when they found out that the brave samurai Mitsuke was actually a girl? It all awaited him in that camp, that little spot in the distance.
"Come on, Mitsuko, let's go home."