Chapter Six

Changing Winds

From the river-side hills the rain clears off,

And the black clouds roll away,

And this is the place of joy and mirth

And never can sorrow stay.

And here two heroes of ages past

Decided their parts to play,

And the lofty heights flung back wind and wave

Then, as they do today.

Luo Guanzhong

The Three Kingdoms

Gathered around the dinner table were seated Omi, Ran, Ken and his mother. Omi's companions had been out on errands for the Hidakas as well as the stable hands. The silence was awkward and tense as they quietly ate their dinner.

Tense silences never sat well with Ken. He was beginning to become a bit nervous. "Say, Omi, did you ever find that person you were looking for?" Why not start with small talk?

Omi almost dropped his chopsticks. Was Ken trying to get him killed? Again, the smile appeared and he politely answered. "No, not yet Ken. He's a hard one to find."

"Who are you looking for, Omi? Perhaps I've seen him," Ran asked. He wasn't interrogating but just interested in whom the youth was searching for.

"Ah, I doubt it General Fujimiya. I'm just looking for my cousin. He said that he would be in the area."

"His cousin has not arrived yet, General Fujimiya. The unexpected rains delayed him," Lady Hidaka said as she intervened. Anything to keep the two from suspicions and the inevitable bickering between the two.

Ran said nothing but nodded. It made sense, he and his men were a bit delayed themselves in taking the town.

Omi quietly ate his food as the chatter died down. This constant lying was making it difficult to keep his stories straight. As he was pondering his situation, he spotted one of his men outside who was gesturing to him. Turning toward Ken's mother he abruptly bowed. "Forgive me, Lady Hidaka. It seems that one of my friends has just returned. I'll see him in." With that he departed quickly to his subordinate.

"General Fujimiya. How long do you plan on staying here," Lady Hidaka asked.

"Just the night, ma'am. In the morning I plan on selecting a horse and going back to camp," Ran answered easily.

"I showed him the horses, but he wouldn't pick one. It was too late to send him back so I said he could stay," Ken said to his mother.

"It's alright, dear. I was merely asking for the duration of his visit. General Fujimiya is welcome to visit whenever he wishes," Lady Hidaka sweetly answered.

"Tsukiyono, sir. I have a message from General Taishi Ci. He asked me to inform you that he has maneuvered his army north of the town. He is prepared to launch an attack with your consent."

"Does General Kudou know of this?"

"I believe that Taishi Ci comes on behalf of Sun Quan himself. I doubt that General Kudou knows, sir."

"That means that the troops should be able to make a dent in the fortification here. Tell Taishi Ci that he has my permission to commence an attack on the city. But remind him that we are trying to retake the city with minimal damage."

"Yes, sir."

Ran sat unmoving on the porch watching the pastures. He shivered slightly as a chill breeze blew. He watched as Ken brushed the Red Hare. He smiled. It still astounded him that the Red Hare tolerated Ken. And that someone like Ken cared for such a violent beast. An old mare was something that Ken should be riding, not an enraged stallion such as the Red Hare.

Slowly, he walked up to where the boy and his horse were. Very slowly so that the stallion knew of his presence and did not feel threatened. "Ken, can I ask you a question?"

The brown haired boy slowly stopped brushing the stallion's fiery coat but didn't look up at Ran. "You're going to ask about Red Hare, aren't you?"

The General gave a brief nod. He slowly extended his hand out to brush the stallion's back. "Why is Red Hare so difficult? He's always been here on this farm, hasn't he?"

Ken gave a small laugh and he gave the mighty stallion a pat on the muzzle. "Truth is, I don't know why he's the way he is. Red Hare has always been like this - even as a young colt. I guess that's just the way he is. He can't help what he is any more than you or I."

Ran stopped his stroking of the stallion to genuinely look at Ken. The brown haired youth, whom he had associated with liveliness and energy, seemed to lack them both. "Does that mean we don't change then? We just let fate or the gods dictate who and what we become?"

Ken just shrugged, his hair falling into his eyes as he started on the Red Hare's mane. "Who are we to defy things like fate or the gods? Mother says that we should be happy with what we have and what we are given. There's no use in trying to change things you can't."

The General looked at Ken. "Ken." When there was no answer he moved closer, but Ken still refused to look at Ran. He slowly took Ken's face in his hands, and gently forced him to look. "Ken, why do you speak such things? I thought you were happy here."

Ken couldn't speak. His mouth just wouldn't cooperate. Instead he pushed at the General's hands. "It's none of your business, is it? But for your information, yes, I am happy here... And get your hands off of me!"

Hearing Ken's shout, the Red Hare flattened his ears and lashed out. In an instant, Ran, who once held Ken's face in his hands, was now cradling his bleeding arm and Ken was standing behind a very threatening Red Hare.

Ran kneeled over, still cradling his arm and glanced up at the stallion. Any more sudden movements and the stallion would definitely take his head off this time.

But Ken wasn't intimidated. Instead he pushed the stallion aside and went to Ran. "Are you okay? He didn't get you too bad, did he?"

Ran slowly shook his head to indicate that no, the Red Hare had not bitten him too severely. Scared the hell out of him, yes. But nothing too severe.

Taking Ran's arm into his hands, Ken inspected the wound. It wasn't that bad, but right on the muscle. That alone would make the wound painful for the General. "C'mon. Let's get you inside. I'll clean your arm and bandage it."

As the two slowly made their way inside, the Red Hare had remained in its spot. He hadn't moved since he bit Ran. The mighty stallion watched as the two men disappeared inside the house. It wasn't until then that the horse galloped away and into the pasture.

Omi paced nervously inside the room that he and his subordinates shared. Taishi Ci would begin his attack in less than two days. If Fujimiya remained here, then the Wei army would be handicapped. But he wouldn't count on that. If the General remained here, he would see the Wu army approach before it hit the town. Fujimiya would literally ride like the wind to alert his troops. No, best to let the man return to town. At least then he would be caught by surprise.

Taishi Ci surveyed his troops. Tomorrow night would be the time to strike. They would strike hard and fast. The Flying General would not escape if the siege was executed according to plan. And once that happened, General Kudou would move in and finish off the Wei army.

Ken wrapped the last of the bandage around Ran's arm. He had finished cleaning the wound and just about done wrapping it. "Its not too tight or loose is it?"

Ran flexed his arm and then extended it. "No, its perfect. It should stay in place." He place a hand on the bandage.

Ken felt guilty. Red Hare could have really done some damage if Ran didn't move as fast as he did. "Are you sure you're alright? I could run in and fetch a doctor."

Despite the pain in his bruised arm, Ran smirked. "Its alright. I'll survive. Although, I don't know why you're so worried about me. I thought you let that demon beat on unsuspecting people as it pleases."

Ken let out a light laugh. Sounding more like the youth Ran had come to know. "No, just on unsuspecting Wei generals." His brown eyes were still filled with worry, "I"m serious about the doctor. Just ask and I'll go find one."

Ran shook his head gently. "Ken," Instantly the youth was on his feet on his way to the door ready to run and find a doctor. Again the smile threatened to break onto Ran's face, he pulled Ken away from the door and back to him. "I'm fine. Just stay here with me."

Ken allowed himself to be pulled away from the door and back into the room. He felt the closeness of Ran's body and his face instantly flushed. "I'll go get us something to drink," he said as he attempted to leave, but Ran's hand remained firm.

"Just stay here, Ken."

Kudou Yohji was not pleased. Not only had Sun Quan deployed another army, but he did so without informing him. If that man wasn't the ruler of the south lands, he would have some choice words for him.

Gan Ning smirked as he listened to Yohji curse and spit at Sun's unwanted involvement. Although he enjoyed Kudou when he was like this, he was a bit disturbed that the Wu leader would move without informing the man who was supposed to retake the town. That, in itself. was troubling.

"I can't believe the bastard did that! He sent Taishi Ci to take out the Flying General. That's not gonna happen even with wishful thinking. Oh, man. Omi better know about it or he might be in the middle of a battlefield," Yohji moaned as he considered what the imperial messenger had said.

"I suppose General Taishi Ci might actually make it a fight though. That man wouldn't take a mission unless he had a slight chance at success, you know that. What I wouldn't give to see Taishi Ci take a swipe at the Flying General. What a fight that would be," the pirate said as a devilish glint appeared in his eyes. "C'mon, Kudou. You know you'd want to see that too."

Yohji laughed despite the situation. "I'm pissed and you're going on about something we won't even get to see. I'm surprised that you're not taking wagers, Gan."

"Well, that's because I just found out. Personally, my money's on Taishi Ci. That man could take off any man's head"

Kudou nodded the affirmation, "Yes indeed. My fellow general is one seriously frightening individual."

"With that being said, I'll go see the rest of my men," the pirate excused himself and closed the tent. Despite the tent being closed, Yohji heard the pirate announce the situation and immediately asked for wagers on the result of the upcoming fight.

Inside the tent, Imperial Commander Kudou Yohji laughed out loud.

The night was cold and windy. I should be in bed, not outside in this nasty weather. Ran surveyed the land surrounding the Hidaka farm. Overall, he had enjoyed himself today. Something he hadn't done in a very long time. I could use more days like, Ran thought to himself, although I could do without Red Hare. That thing is... Well there are no words for it, Ran decided.

A light rain began to fall, nothing too heavy but enough to delay the return trip in the morning. And to possibly make it muddy enough to get him dirty. At least I should have a new horse tomorrow. I won't need to worry about Shao in the upcoming battles.

Despite the fact that everything was going as it should, Ran couldn't help but feel wary. Something was happening and he couldn't figure out what. He mentally ran through the reports and notes he had received from the various messengers and spies of Wei's southern forces. None reported any enemies being even remotely close to warrant Ran's attention, but nonetheless, he felt that something was amiss.

Taishi Ci had already begun to move his troops into position. They were to begin their march to town early in the morning and commence attack that night. Despite the rain, the general felt that the enemy would have no chance of retaliation if they were forced toward the river. Atop his sturdy black colt, the general smirked. By attacking from the north, Wei would receive no reinforcements or extra aid. Simply put, Wu was going to emerge victorious.

The morning came all too quickly for Ken. After last night's strangeness, he could have used the extra sleep. As he slowly sat up, he tried to blink away the sleep that threatened to overtake him again.

After a brief struggle, Ken finally decided to get dressed and to show Fujimiya the horses again. As he battled with his shirt, he pondered last night's events. First, Omi was acting bizarre - even for him. Second, Fujimiya Ran was laughing and smiling at him. Ken shrugged as he got the shirt on. Maybe it's just me, he thought. Maybe there isn't anything to think about.

As he quietly walked to Ran's room, he noticed that the general was already up and speaking with his mother.

As Lady Hidaka noticed her son had finally awoken, she said her goodbyes to Ran and smiled at Ken as the two left the house. She smiled, it was nice to have the house full again. But with two armies occupying the same house, she was surprised that Red Hare's nipping was the only thing that happened. Counting herself blessed, she returned to her room.

"So, which one do you like?" Ken asked Ran again once they arrived at the field.

Truth be told, Ran was having some difficulties in choosing a horse. The only horse he had ever ridden in battle was Shao, and he had gotten her as a present from his sister.

"Which one would you choose, Ken?"

"I wouldn't choose any of them. I would ride Red Hare into battle."

Of course, the red head thought. "If you were me, which one would you choose?"

Ken turned his gaze back to the horses, examining them one by one. "Probably the grey filly. She's fast and strong. Although nowhere near Red Hare, she's one of the sturdier horses out there. Plus, I think she's mellow enough for a guy like you."

Ran turned toward Ken. "Mellow enough for a guy like me? What does that mean?"

Ken smiled as his gaze followed the filly. "She doesn't kick or lash out at anybody. She has perfect manners, which means that you won't have to worry about her biting or kicking you."

Smiling slightly, he nodded. "Since you think so highly of her, I'll take her. And if she does bite me, I'll assume that's the way you train your horses."

Ken tilted his head at hearing Ran's words. "What does that mean, the way I train our horses?"

"It just means that you have trained them to attack Wei generals. Well, let's saddle her up and I'll return back to town. I'll be out of your hair before you know it," Ran said as he went to gather his tack.

Ken watched his retreating form then shouted to Ran, "Its not Wei generals, its just you!" With that said, Ken jumped the fence to go and fetch the filly.

Hearing Ken's shout made him smile. Not too many people would joke around with him like Hidaka Ken. It was nice to be around normal people, especially ones as lively as Ken.

Grabbing his saddle and bridle, he returned to the field and saw that Ken had already retrieved the horse. That boy is gifted with horses, Ran thought. It would have taken me forever to have gotten her from the small herd of horses.

Once Ran had put the riding equipment on her, he jumped up lightly on her back. He slowly walked her around, allowing both rider and horse to get a feel for one another.

Ken on the other hand, was focused on the fields. Or more precisely, something beyond the fields. "How many more troops are you moving into town?"

Ran stopped the horse and frowned, "None that I know of. What are you talking about?"

Pointing, Ken replied, "It looks like an army is heading towards town. They had to have come from the north, so I just assumed it was yours."

Ran looked to where the youth was pointing. There was no way Cao Cao or any of the court would have sent more troops in unless he was notified. Meaning...

"Those aren't Wei troops. They're Wu forces. They must have circled around from the north." Ran said as he wheeled the filly around. "Please take care of Shao. I need to return immediately."

"Of course, but what are you going to do? You'll pass right by them. They'll see you," Ken responded.

"Do you keep any weapons here? If so, please let me borrow one."

"What are you going to do?"

"Ken, please."

Ken shook his head. "Alright, let me go get Dad's old spear. I'll be right back."

The Flying General nodded as Ken took off at a sprint towards the house. He turned back toward the approaching army. He wouldn't get back to town in time to notify his own troops to mobilize. There will be many casualties on both sides. But mostly ours, Ran thought.

Ken reappeared with an old spear that had seen better days. Holding it out to Ran he said, "You better not lose it. Mom will get mad."

Grabbing the spear he nodded. "I won't lose it. I'll return it later. Ken, could you run into town for me?"

Brown eyes blinked at Ran's request, "What? Why?"

"I'll distract them. You get on Red Hare and warn the town and, if possible, my troops. That way we'll avoid unnecessary deaths."

Ken nodded and took off to fetch the Red Hare. Ran watched as the youth disappeared beyond the stables. Even if I get killed, at least Yue Jin will know what is approaching. Red Hare's fast enough to ensure that at least.

With that last thought, Ran spurred the filly into a gallop and he rode straight toward the Wu army.

Author's Notes:

And thus, Ran Fujimiya rides off to battle... What will become of him? What will become of Ken and Red Hare? The only way you'll find out is if you keep reading.

This chapter took me forever to write. It just refused to come out the way I wanted it to. Hopefully it still satisfies you people.

I am also currently writing a humor fic that I hope to have up soon. Weiss: University style. Its crack. I can only do drama for so long. But I will continue with this fic.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming. They truly help me write faster knowing that people are reading this stuff.