Disclaimer: I will only say this once; Dynasty Warriors belongs to Koei. The only characters I own are my OCs.
A Stick to the Head
Yue Ying learns how much damage a stick can do
A golden veined leaf danced gently on the wind, ending its dance on the glassy surface of the rippling pond. Clear crimson light, shed by the setting sun, tinted the pond scene in rosy hues.
Yue Ying swung her bare feet over the rippling water, moody with thought. Lately, she'd been reprimanding herself for letting her eyes wander upon other men, namely, the general Zhao Yun.
I'm already married to a fine man, for goodness' sake! Liang is the first man in my heart, and the only. True, he could show me more affection. Nevertheless, I will serve him to the very end. But…
Frustration edged into Yue Ying's mind. Her fingers curled around a small pebble. A gentle flick of the wrist and ripples spread on the water. Several more distinct ripples and barely audible splashes indicated several other pebbles being tossed.
Discontented at tossing pebbles, the urge to throw something a larger than a pebble seized her. Twisting backwards, russet eyes scrutinized the surrounding area for anything that was within her limits to throw.
This gnarled branch will suffice. Focusing all her worries and frustrations into the throw, Yue Ying let it fly, sending the branch spinning across the pond, towards an unlucky and unsuspecting target.
Dark bangs falling across his face, vague eyes stared vacantly at the worn letter in his hands. Hazy images played through Zhao Yun's mind, letting a soft sigh escape through his lips.
A gentle prickling sensation played upon the back of his neck. Lost in reminiscing, he ignored his warriors' senses.
Yue Ying sprang lightly from the weathered, stone bench, straining her eyes peer through the dusk. Oh dear…
She called out a warning to the unaware warrior, hoping to avert an injury, at the worst. Alas, the admonition fell upon deaf ears.
" Zilong! Watch ou…"
The whirling branch cuffed him on the temple, dropping twinkling stars and moons in front of his eyes, before flumping harmlessly onto his lap.
Glaring daggers at it as best he could cross-eyed, he clasped his hands to his head. Squinting across the pond, he could slightly discern blurry doubles of Yue Ying, as is appeared to be, scurrying hurriedly towards him.
Ah… No wonder it hurt so much.
"Aie!"
Lacing her fingers across her mouth, Yue Ying suppressed a gasp of surprise and horror. Pressing a hand to her skirts, she raced across the garden, icy fear slowly filling her.
Oh, great… Lord Liu Bei is going to be furious if he finds out… Kong Ming… Oh, please be conscious so I don't have to drag you inside…
Gasping, she skidded to a halt and dropped onto her knees, jadeite streaks painting her dress. Prostrating, words tumbled from her mouth, unchecked by the speaker.
"I'm sorry! Really, I am! I'm so sorry, really. Please forgive me, I didn't mean to hit you!"
Zhao Yun opened his mouth to say otherwise, but the image of Yue Ying melded with the hazy memory of a kneeling, ebony-haired girl, crystalline tears welling on her long lashes.
A twinge of sadness and pity entered his heart and he lightly patted Yue Ying's hand, pulling her to her feet.
"Stand up, Yue Ying; it was a mistake. I'm quite alright," he said with a slight smile.
He has such a sweet smile… Wait, I shouldn't be thinking that! A warm blush began to spread on her face, much to her avail.
Noticing her slowly reddening complexion, Zhao Yun presumed Yue Ying was merely embarrassed because of the accident.
"Don't worry, I won't tell our lord about your mistake."
Droplets of scarlet slid from his temple, mingling with the ebony of his hair. Blood dripped slowly, pooling on a slowly widening crimson stain on the collar of his robe.
A simple statement, "You're bleeding…" Slim fingers touched his face, sending a small shiver down his back. Drawing back, Zhao Yun hastily stood up.
"Good night, Lady Huang. I take my leave."
Striding quickly from the garden, a slip of silk fluttered in his wake, floating leaf-like down to the grass. Yue Ying bent to pick it up, inquisitive. Mouth moving silently, her mind filling with unanswered questions.
The last rays of sun illuminated her elegant form, as a name slipped out of her lips.
"Hua gu niang(1)…?"
(1) miss
A/N: So ends the first chapter. Please, tell me what you think of it so far. Just a warning, the shonen-ai is going to take a while to make itself seen. I hope the regular scene changes didn't confuse anyone. Until next time...