"Are we almost out?" asked Xiao Qiao.
"Almost, just need to get past the front gate," Lai said, "It's all a matter of not being seen." Lai stopped for a moment and looked around.
"Something wrong?" Zhou Yu inquired. Lai shook her head no, and resumed leading the Wu officers down to the front gate.
"Weren't you going to tell us why you're so afraid of Lu Bu?" Sun Ce whispered.
"Oh, y-yeah, I guess. Well, I used to live in Luo Yang, that is, before Dong Zhuo and his army invaded. There were some of us who didn't want to be under his rule, some of the families refused to follow orders and swear allegiance to him. So, Dong Zhuo told Lu Bu to…and…then…" Lai drifted off. Da Qiao put her hand on Lai's shoulder, and Lai just nodded a thank you. Suddenly, footsteps behind the group caused them all to turn around.
"Those blasted Qiaos, how could they escape? That lock was outside of the cell!" growled an all too familiar voice. Lai's eyes widened and she tensed as her stomach began to feel like a lead weight. 'Oh gods, please, not Dong Zhuo,' Lai pleaded in her mind, 'Cause that means…!'
"I assure you, I will find who let them get away, and they will rue the day they were born," snarled a voice that froze Lai to her spot. 'Oh no…' Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu turned a corner into view with about fifteen soldiers following.
"There they are! Seize them!" Dong Zhuo barked at the soldiers, and the men along with Lu Bu raced down the corridor towards the Wu officers and Lai.
"This way!" shouted Lai, and burst through a door into the front fenced area. She ran and led the Qiaos, Zhou Yu, and Sun Ce over closer to the gate leading out of the campsite. Sun Ce sounded a loud whistle in the direction of the nearby forest, as masses of soldiers led by Lu Bu closed in on the group, blocking any escape.
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"Gan Ning, did you hear that?" Lu Xun said. Gan Ning quickly looked in the direction of the camp, also hearing Sun Ce's signal.
"Yeah, that's the sign. They need help, we gotta go." Gan Ning said, getting down from the tree he was sitting in.
"Zhou Tai, you coming?" Lu Xun asked. Zhou Tai glanced over and gave Lu Xun a 'no-I'm-sorry-but-I-really-have-better-things-to-do' look. Lu Xun knew Zhou Tai really didn't want to be here waiting in ambush. He knew Zhou Tai would rather be in action somewhere back at Wu camp. "Okay, you can go back, but tell Lord Sun Jian we should be returning with the Qiaos soon." Zhou Tai nodded, and turned to walk away. Just before he left earshot, Lu Xun could swear he heard Zhou Tai mutter 'finally.'
"Come on!" Gan Ning yelled, and ran down the hill with Lu Xun not far behind.
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Sun Ce was the first to attack. Zhou Yu and the two Qiaos then followed suit, trying to break the crowd of enemy soldiers until Gan Ning and Lu Xun at home, then they could escape safely. Lai was in a total panic. Any moment she could run into Lu Bu, and then she'd not only be killed. She'd be completely wiped off the face of the earth. Lai had slipped out of the confusion to a nearby building. It was a conference room by the looks of it. Maps, scrolls, and documents of all sorts lined the walls on dusty shelves. As she looked at a map pinned to the wall, Lai was unaware of the lethal mistake she had made. She was off guard, distracted by her curiosity. Lu Bu had been standing in the doorway of the conference room for almost a minute before he strode over to where Lai stood, watching as she turned around in horror before he took her neck in a death grip and flung her across the room. Lai crashed against shelves and hit the floor. She quickly regained her senses though, and scurried out the door, only to be met with Lu Bu's ferocious warhorse, Red Hare. Red Hare whinnied and swung its mighty head at Lai. Lai ducked, but met Red Hare's hooves as the steed kicked Lai in the side, sending her against the fortress wall. Lai hissed in pain as she felt something shift in her side, and grunted as Lu Bu picked her up by the collar of her shirt and pinned her to the splintery wall.
Back at the fight with the Wu officers, Gan Ning and Lu Xun had arrived, turning the tables of the fight in Wu's favor. The numbers of armed men diminished faster after the two new fighters arrived. Xiao Qiao looked around as she beat back a wave of the militia.
"Where's Lai?" Sun Ce and Zhou Yu looked around as well after pushing back incoming troops.
"I don't know, she disappeared after the soldiers came," said Da Qiao.
"Who's Lai?" asked Gan Ning.
"Lai is the girl who helped us escape," answered Xiao, "She's a thin girl, has long coppery hair, she had a couple bruises and cuts last we saw."
"I'll go try to find her then." Gan Ning replied, then slipped away from the clamor of battle. Gan Ning walked past a few tents, some broken equipment, then heard someone speaking gruffly, then muffled thumps following. Gan Ning hid behind an abandoned cart and listened to what was happening.
"You mindless worm! Do you know what you have gotten yourself into?" The frightening warrior bellowed. He battered Lai in the head with the back of his hand over and over, and Lai could feel herself losing awareness. Gan Ning watched from behind the rickety cart. 'This must be the Lai that helped Da and Xiao. Dang. This doesn't look good. Man, what do I do? What can I do against Lu Bu by myself?' Lu Bu finally stopped bludgeoning her, but instead threw her to the ground and put one foot on her left shoulder, and the other on her forearm, gradually putting more weight on it, threatening to snap her arm in half. Lai drew a sharp breath and gritted her teeth. She could feel her left hand going numb, and there was nothing she could do about it. Lu Bu sneered and pressed his foot down harder on Lai's shoulder until a cracking noise made Lai cry out. Gan Ning sprung out from behind the broken carriage, toppling it over, drew his sword and knocked Lu Bu off of Lai. Lu Bu flipped back up onto his feet, even more angry than before. Gan Ning's eyes narrowed. He just couldn't watch Lu Bu clout this girl to death.
"Back off, thug," Gan Ning growled, "Leave her alone." Lai stirred on the ground, trying to sit upright. Gan Ning walked over and helped the battered girl to her feet, steadying her so she could stand.
"What did you just call me?" Lu Bu howled.
"He called you a thug," Xiao Qiao said. Gan Ning and Lai turned around to see Xiao and her sister Da Qiao, Zhou Yu, and Sun Ce standing, weapons drawn, ready for whatever Lu Bu might do next. "And I agree with Gan Ning. You are a thug!" Xiao called.
"You're outnumbered Lu Bu, you still wanna fight?" Sun Ce questioned. Lu Bu was outnumbered; he couldn't deny that.
"Grrrrr, you just wait until next time! All of you!" Lu Bu turned and pointed to Lai. "Especially you." Lai cringed when Lu Bu pointed and backed away a few steps. Lu Bu whistled and his horse came running from behind, leaping over the fighters. Lu Bu jumped on the saddle and rode off into the trees.
"Dangit!" shouted Sun Ce. "Lu Bu got away too."
"Dong Zhuo fled?" Gan Ning inquired.
"Yeah, but we'll catch him next time, next time." Sun Ce muttered.
"Lai! What happened to you?" Da Qiao worriedly asked. Da ran up and took Lai's left arm. Lai hissed in pain.
"Please, don't touch." Lai weakly said, cradling her worn limb.
"So your name is Lai?" Gan Ning said. Lai looked up at the pirate briefly and nodded before her gaze met the ground.
"I think Lai should come back with us to the Wu camp." Lu Xun suggested. "She'll be safer there."
"R-Really? Can I come with you?" Lai's voice brightened just a little.
"Well we're not about to leave you here like this," Zhou Yu joked. This made Lai smile just a little bit.
'Wow, Lai has a great smile.' thought Gan Ning. For some reason, seeing Lai smile made his heart melt for a second or two. Then he shook his head and helped lead Lai along behind the others towards some stables. If the team were to get back home soon, horses would help.
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