Author's Note: I don't own anyone of them. If not I could probably think of
some creative uses for peanut butter.^_^ Seriously now, I do realize that
Huang Zhong fought bravely against Guan Yu for 3 days with neither the
victor. I know that Guan Yu called off the battle when Huang Zhong's horse
collapsed under him. I know to repay his kindness that Huang Zhong used his
archery skills to shoot an arrow at Guan Yu's helmet as a warning. I know
all of that. But I just wanted to write things this way. :op (Wait till you
see what I have planed for the poor Little Dragon!
Chapter 4
The battle was finally going their way. With a little luck, Jing would soon be under their control. Yue Ying mounted a horse and started forward. All that was left was one fortress, and the three generals that guarded it. She had grown up hearing about the likes of Huang Zhong. Soon, she would face him in battle, and she could hardly contain her excitement.
As for the other two, she had heard about them as well. Wei Yan was known for his strength Han Xuan was known for his arrogance. It was whispered that the surrounding countryside had little love for him. She didn't believe that they would give her much of a problem.
She passed Guan Yu's troops, giving him a salute as she went on by. He nodded his head in acknowledgement, continuing his work of routing each and every enemy within distance.
It had taken time for the generals of Shu to become accustomed to her. It took more than one battle before they began to look upon her as an equal. Thinking back, she remembered how she had slowly earned all of the generals' respect, except for Zhang Fei. She calculated that a few more jars of wine and he, too, would think kindly of her.
Quickly she left the others behind. They were always so slow, wanting to eliminate each enemy right down to the troops before moving on to the next general. While she usually erred on the side of caution, her husband had requested she go up ahead.
A blush crept up her cheek at the memory. Zhuge Liang had kissed her hand and asked her to be careful. Perhaps he was finally warming up to her? She pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to contemplate her marriage, no matter how little of it there was.
*You have a mission.* It was being whispered that Han Xuan would be sending out Huang Zhong and Wei Yan soon. With such generals meeting the troops, her husband believed it would be better if a representative of his was there to try to talk them over to Shu's side. Was it not better to win a battle by avoiding it all together? If that plan failed, then he wanted them eliminated.
It didn't take long for her to reach Chang Sha's gate. She jumped off her horse, her scythe already spinning. Troops went down, but not quickly enough. Soon they swarmed around her, beginning to drag her down by sheer numbers. Panic sent her heart into a wild rhythm. Then she heard the gates of Chang Sha creak open.
The man who rode out was impressive, even though he was past his prime. His gray hair and beard were kept trimmed and neat. He had a sword belted on, as well as a beautiful bow and full quiver.
*This must be him* She whirled, cutting some of the troops, making them back off just enough to give her some breathing room. Turning back to the man approaching her, she bowed. "Lord Huang Zhong, I have come on behalf of Lord Liu Bei. He requests you lay down your weapons and listen to reason. Lord Han Xuan cares not for the people, and they like him even less. He will drive this section of China to self-ruin."
Huang Zhong drew his war sword. "You impudent whelp! How dare some woman try to make me betray my men and lord! For that, I'll teach you a lesson!" He leapt from his saddle, landing with the audible noise of bones popping.
A smile graced her lips. The man had more experience in battle, but already signs of his age were showing. "I shall prove my might to you, then perhaps we can talk about surrender."
She launched her weapon into the air, watching as it spun, hitting the old man several times before returning to her hand.
"Whelp you're good. I'll grant you that." He pulled his bow out and fired a shot. It hit her armor. The momentum of the blow sent her flying into a nearby fence. Getting up, she rubbed her shoulder. That had hurt. Someone helped her to her feet and shoved her back towards Huang Zhong. Looking behind her she saw a man dressed in some of the oddest armor she had ever seen. Marking the man in the strange mask for mercy later, she continued on her battle.
Taking her scythe she sliced at Huang Zhong, first from the left, then the right, ending it by doing an upper cut that sent the man flying into the air. Seizing the advantage, she jumped after him, knocking him back to the ground. As soon as he regained his feet she spun quickly in a circle, her weapon slicing the man again and again.
The general swayed as he once again got to his feet. "Age had nothing to do with this." His hand covering one particularly nasty cut on his chest, he turned and fled.
"Wait! Stop! You have to surrender," she called after him.
Yue Ying stomped her foot as his troops blocked her way. Looking around she saw that most had fled with their commander, but a few still remained. Muttering all the while about stubborn men, she managed to clear all the troops out around her in a matter of minutes. Taking a deep satisfying breath she took off at a run in the direction of Chang Sha.
When she reached the bleak gray walls she knew something was amiss. The door to the castle lay wide open. The hair at the back of her neck seemed to be trying to do a tango. Taking a deep breath, she ran across the courtyard, rounded a corner, and slid into the first doorway.
She waited, her heart pounding. Two voices came closer until she could distinguish what they were saying.
"Can you believe he's going to kill Huang Zhong?" The first voice asked.
"Isn't he too old for battle?"
"No, he's the best general we have. Plus he treats his men really well I hear. Han Xuan is claiming that he betrayed us to Shu because Guan Yu is still alive. From what I heard though, one of Shu's generals beat Huang Zhong in battle."
"Hmmm, guess it doesn't matter."
"You're right. I heard that he'll be dead in a matter of minutes."
Sweat broke out on her brow. Why would anyone kill an old man who still could wield a weapon like that man had? With his vast years of experience he could help out in counsel or in actual battle.
A wild plan formed in her mind. It would work better if someone had been with her, but everyone was still too far away to help. Sliding out from the doorway she ran down a side corridor, away from the two troops. Remember the maps that Zhuge Liang had shown her earlier she moved in the direction of the largest courtyard. *Han Xuan's just the kind of man to want the largest audience possible.*
Yue Ying rounded the corner in time to see Han Xuan raise his weapon for a killing blow. *What kind of man kills his own officer?*
She raised her bow, praying that she would make the shot. The general's sword was already descending. *Too late.*
The noise of flesh being rent filled the courtyard. She lowered her bow. The man she had seen earlier dressed in the odd armor stood behind Han Xian. "Scum." He spat in the direction where Han Xuan's body lay in a pool of cooling blood. Reaching down, he pulled Huang Zhong to his feet. "Liu Bei...New Master." Huang Zhong nodded.
The man's voice was surprising. It had been husky and rough, very different from her husband's soothing tone. Yue Ying slide her bow back on her back, then picked her scythe up off the ground. *Victory, plus two more generals for Shu.*
The unknown general's voice rang out, "Enemy attacks!"
Ying turned to see a soldier leaping at her. She raised her scythe in time to block a lethal blow. To the rear, she heard a growl similar to a wild animal. Before she could ready herself for an attack from behind, a green, brown, and white blur sped past her. It looked remarkably like it was dancing. Once it stopped, she saw the man who had saved Huang Zhong's life. The bodies of a platoon of soldiers lay around them. He stood over them, not crotched over as she had seen him previously, but standing to his full height. Their eyes meet, and she found herself unable to move while under their dark scrutiny.
The trance was finally broken when one of the enemies screamed for a retreat. After they had all ran past them, she stepped closer to her savior. "Your name, sir?"
Huang Zhong limped up to them, leaning heavily on his bow. "You'll have to forgive my friend. He has difficulties speaking because of an old injury." The other man nodded at her, but didn't break eye contact. "He is called Wei Yan."
She stuck out her hand. "My thanks for your swift intervention. My name is Yue Ying."
Wei Yan took her hand and clasped it firmly. "You fight well."
A flush crept up her cheeks. "As do you." After a moment longer than necessary, he released her hand.
She turned a darker shade of red. "I will go inform my husband that we have gained two powerful allies." With a curtsy, she turned and gathered her weapon.
As she walked away she thought she heard a husky voice whisper, "Beautiful."
***
Next chapter: A Little Dragon gets stuck dealing with a fight between allies.
Answers to Reviews:
Yukira Tsurama: Yes, it was a Haiku. ^_^You've gone nuts, but that's okay. We're all a little mad around here, and we all love you anyhow.
Lady Qiao: Yep, it sure is. I adore the caveman.
General-Beatrix666:Actually I'm trying to write longer chapters, but they're giving me issues. I think the more I go into the story the longer they'll get. Wei Yan is a cad. At some point he'll turn into a roasted marshmellow though. ;)
Chunsa: I'm trying. At the same time going back and doing reviews on people I like you suggested. You'll see me soon. (Well as soon as I get longer than five seconds on the net. Don't ask.)
Gingivere the Shadowreave: Trust me, go check out the abs of doom. Once you see them you might like them. Goodness knows I'm usually attracted to pretty boys. But I guess his animal instincts, caveman talk, and the urge to wash his hair finally made me write a fic. Before hand, Shu was the kingdom I HATED. Now I don't think they're too bad.
Chapter 4
The battle was finally going their way. With a little luck, Jing would soon be under their control. Yue Ying mounted a horse and started forward. All that was left was one fortress, and the three generals that guarded it. She had grown up hearing about the likes of Huang Zhong. Soon, she would face him in battle, and she could hardly contain her excitement.
As for the other two, she had heard about them as well. Wei Yan was known for his strength Han Xuan was known for his arrogance. It was whispered that the surrounding countryside had little love for him. She didn't believe that they would give her much of a problem.
She passed Guan Yu's troops, giving him a salute as she went on by. He nodded his head in acknowledgement, continuing his work of routing each and every enemy within distance.
It had taken time for the generals of Shu to become accustomed to her. It took more than one battle before they began to look upon her as an equal. Thinking back, she remembered how she had slowly earned all of the generals' respect, except for Zhang Fei. She calculated that a few more jars of wine and he, too, would think kindly of her.
Quickly she left the others behind. They were always so slow, wanting to eliminate each enemy right down to the troops before moving on to the next general. While she usually erred on the side of caution, her husband had requested she go up ahead.
A blush crept up her cheek at the memory. Zhuge Liang had kissed her hand and asked her to be careful. Perhaps he was finally warming up to her? She pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to contemplate her marriage, no matter how little of it there was.
*You have a mission.* It was being whispered that Han Xuan would be sending out Huang Zhong and Wei Yan soon. With such generals meeting the troops, her husband believed it would be better if a representative of his was there to try to talk them over to Shu's side. Was it not better to win a battle by avoiding it all together? If that plan failed, then he wanted them eliminated.
It didn't take long for her to reach Chang Sha's gate. She jumped off her horse, her scythe already spinning. Troops went down, but not quickly enough. Soon they swarmed around her, beginning to drag her down by sheer numbers. Panic sent her heart into a wild rhythm. Then she heard the gates of Chang Sha creak open.
The man who rode out was impressive, even though he was past his prime. His gray hair and beard were kept trimmed and neat. He had a sword belted on, as well as a beautiful bow and full quiver.
*This must be him* She whirled, cutting some of the troops, making them back off just enough to give her some breathing room. Turning back to the man approaching her, she bowed. "Lord Huang Zhong, I have come on behalf of Lord Liu Bei. He requests you lay down your weapons and listen to reason. Lord Han Xuan cares not for the people, and they like him even less. He will drive this section of China to self-ruin."
Huang Zhong drew his war sword. "You impudent whelp! How dare some woman try to make me betray my men and lord! For that, I'll teach you a lesson!" He leapt from his saddle, landing with the audible noise of bones popping.
A smile graced her lips. The man had more experience in battle, but already signs of his age were showing. "I shall prove my might to you, then perhaps we can talk about surrender."
She launched her weapon into the air, watching as it spun, hitting the old man several times before returning to her hand.
"Whelp you're good. I'll grant you that." He pulled his bow out and fired a shot. It hit her armor. The momentum of the blow sent her flying into a nearby fence. Getting up, she rubbed her shoulder. That had hurt. Someone helped her to her feet and shoved her back towards Huang Zhong. Looking behind her she saw a man dressed in some of the oddest armor she had ever seen. Marking the man in the strange mask for mercy later, she continued on her battle.
Taking her scythe she sliced at Huang Zhong, first from the left, then the right, ending it by doing an upper cut that sent the man flying into the air. Seizing the advantage, she jumped after him, knocking him back to the ground. As soon as he regained his feet she spun quickly in a circle, her weapon slicing the man again and again.
The general swayed as he once again got to his feet. "Age had nothing to do with this." His hand covering one particularly nasty cut on his chest, he turned and fled.
"Wait! Stop! You have to surrender," she called after him.
Yue Ying stomped her foot as his troops blocked her way. Looking around she saw that most had fled with their commander, but a few still remained. Muttering all the while about stubborn men, she managed to clear all the troops out around her in a matter of minutes. Taking a deep satisfying breath she took off at a run in the direction of Chang Sha.
When she reached the bleak gray walls she knew something was amiss. The door to the castle lay wide open. The hair at the back of her neck seemed to be trying to do a tango. Taking a deep breath, she ran across the courtyard, rounded a corner, and slid into the first doorway.
She waited, her heart pounding. Two voices came closer until she could distinguish what they were saying.
"Can you believe he's going to kill Huang Zhong?" The first voice asked.
"Isn't he too old for battle?"
"No, he's the best general we have. Plus he treats his men really well I hear. Han Xuan is claiming that he betrayed us to Shu because Guan Yu is still alive. From what I heard though, one of Shu's generals beat Huang Zhong in battle."
"Hmmm, guess it doesn't matter."
"You're right. I heard that he'll be dead in a matter of minutes."
Sweat broke out on her brow. Why would anyone kill an old man who still could wield a weapon like that man had? With his vast years of experience he could help out in counsel or in actual battle.
A wild plan formed in her mind. It would work better if someone had been with her, but everyone was still too far away to help. Sliding out from the doorway she ran down a side corridor, away from the two troops. Remember the maps that Zhuge Liang had shown her earlier she moved in the direction of the largest courtyard. *Han Xuan's just the kind of man to want the largest audience possible.*
Yue Ying rounded the corner in time to see Han Xuan raise his weapon for a killing blow. *What kind of man kills his own officer?*
She raised her bow, praying that she would make the shot. The general's sword was already descending. *Too late.*
The noise of flesh being rent filled the courtyard. She lowered her bow. The man she had seen earlier dressed in the odd armor stood behind Han Xian. "Scum." He spat in the direction where Han Xuan's body lay in a pool of cooling blood. Reaching down, he pulled Huang Zhong to his feet. "Liu Bei...New Master." Huang Zhong nodded.
The man's voice was surprising. It had been husky and rough, very different from her husband's soothing tone. Yue Ying slide her bow back on her back, then picked her scythe up off the ground. *Victory, plus two more generals for Shu.*
The unknown general's voice rang out, "Enemy attacks!"
Ying turned to see a soldier leaping at her. She raised her scythe in time to block a lethal blow. To the rear, she heard a growl similar to a wild animal. Before she could ready herself for an attack from behind, a green, brown, and white blur sped past her. It looked remarkably like it was dancing. Once it stopped, she saw the man who had saved Huang Zhong's life. The bodies of a platoon of soldiers lay around them. He stood over them, not crotched over as she had seen him previously, but standing to his full height. Their eyes meet, and she found herself unable to move while under their dark scrutiny.
The trance was finally broken when one of the enemies screamed for a retreat. After they had all ran past them, she stepped closer to her savior. "Your name, sir?"
Huang Zhong limped up to them, leaning heavily on his bow. "You'll have to forgive my friend. He has difficulties speaking because of an old injury." The other man nodded at her, but didn't break eye contact. "He is called Wei Yan."
She stuck out her hand. "My thanks for your swift intervention. My name is Yue Ying."
Wei Yan took her hand and clasped it firmly. "You fight well."
A flush crept up her cheeks. "As do you." After a moment longer than necessary, he released her hand.
She turned a darker shade of red. "I will go inform my husband that we have gained two powerful allies." With a curtsy, she turned and gathered her weapon.
As she walked away she thought she heard a husky voice whisper, "Beautiful."
***
Next chapter: A Little Dragon gets stuck dealing with a fight between allies.
Answers to Reviews:
Yukira Tsurama: Yes, it was a Haiku. ^_^You've gone nuts, but that's okay. We're all a little mad around here, and we all love you anyhow.
Lady Qiao: Yep, it sure is. I adore the caveman.
General-Beatrix666:Actually I'm trying to write longer chapters, but they're giving me issues. I think the more I go into the story the longer they'll get. Wei Yan is a cad. At some point he'll turn into a roasted marshmellow though. ;)
Chunsa: I'm trying. At the same time going back and doing reviews on people I like you suggested. You'll see me soon. (Well as soon as I get longer than five seconds on the net. Don't ask.)
Gingivere the Shadowreave: Trust me, go check out the abs of doom. Once you see them you might like them. Goodness knows I'm usually attracted to pretty boys. But I guess his animal instincts, caveman talk, and the urge to wash his hair finally made me write a fic. Before hand, Shu was the kingdom I HATED. Now I don't think they're too bad.