Oh yeah turns out that my internet broke down so it'll take me a while to update some of my chapters until it gets fixed. I'm using a relative's computer with WORKING internet. And turns out that I've some free time to type some more chapters too!

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Chapter16: The Shu Lands

A few days after Lin's runaway, Lin's been spending all her nights outside near a stream or river. She slept on the ground lying back on her white horse that was slightly silver. She would always take a long drink from a stream or river before she continued her journey, so did her horse. When they were lucky, Lin would reach or climb a tree to get some fruits and feed her and her horse with it.

During her journey Lin finally reached the entrance gate to enter Shu. 'Shu, huh?' Lin thought, 'this must be where I was headed.' While approaching the gates on her saddle, two Gate Guards walked towards her and said, "Excuse me but are you a minor tourist to travel in Shu, or are you a citizen that chooses to be in Shu?"

"Just a mere citizen entering Shu," Lin said.

"Are you coming alone?"

"Just me and my saddle," Lin said dismounting herself.

"Alright, if you like to live peacefully in Shu, then sign this sheet. This paper will hold all of your personal information for the military service of Shu," the guard said handing Lin a sheet of paper attached on an early Chinese type of clip board with a brush with ink. Lin gently took the clip board and began filling in the sheet.

Name……………… Qao Lin Yi

Age…………………17

Birth-Date………..June 9th

Reason for staying in Shu: I am looking for a place to settle and live here in peace

Your signature, please: Qao Lin Yi

Lin finished the sheet and gave it back to the guard. "Thank you, Miss Yi, and enjoy your stay here in Shu," said the guard reading her name on the paper. Lin had nothing to live for anymore and so why not use her real name, and her kingdom has been destroyed so not much people know or remembers Hai. "Our lord is kind and says when a new peasant has became a Shu citizen, give them a small amount of payment," the guard said. He took Lin's hand facing her palm up. He place a small bag filled with gold coins in it on her palm. "Oh, and take this too, it's a bonus one of the Shu Generals made for newcomers of Shu," the guard said handing her a green brochure also.

Lin went back to get on her saddle and waited for the guards to open the gate. The guard Lin spoke to walked to the left side of the gate, there was a second guard on the right side of the gate too. The two guards got their spears and lifted it up and banged it onto the ground. Then the entrance gate to Shu somehow magically opened.

When Lin entered, her first priority was finding or renting a stable for her saddle, Xi. She named her saddle Xi because she thought it was cute and Niang liked that name very much, actually Xi actually came from Xiao from her light brown hair. And since Niang and Xiao are sworn sisters, mind as name Lin's light brown horse Xi, not for imitation or anything, just resemblance I guess. (I'm so not saying that Xiao looks like a horse, she's my favorite Dynasty Warriors Girl! I'm working her in part 5 though, heh. But I KNOW that Xiao's my favorite Dynasty Warriors 4 girl!)

Lin saw a small ranch-ish place and rented a stable there. It was a good thing Lin had A LOT of money with her; most were from her secret savings. After that, she went to look around; she saw a sign that said 'Welcome to Cheng Du, the Capital of Shu!' Lin felt her tummy grumble. She went to some restaurant called Al's… just kidding! She just went to some restaurant, okay! Anyway, she looked for an empty small table. When she found one at the far back, she sat on the chair and waited. When the maid came, she said, "Hello, Ma'am, how may I help you?"

"I'll just have some herbal tea and stir rice with noodles," Lin said.

"Alright, your order will come soon," the maid said. Then she left.

'A few minutes later, Lin's order came. "Thank you," said Lin. The maid nodded a 'you're welcome' nod. When Lin had the chance to eat, she ate. While eating she remembered something. She then reached inside her bag and pulled out that weird brochure of Shu. She then began reading it. It read:

'Welcome to Chang Du, the Capital of Shu. Here, we are in war with the Wei Forces lead by Cao Cao and Wu lead by Sun Jian. When people need help, we, generals of Shu, will take care of your problems. Your problems are our problems and remember we're not happy unless you're happy! '

Lin thought that that was the cheesiest thing she has ever read! When she opened the brochure, there was a map of Chang Du. When she looked down at the bottom there was a row of Shu generals, a drawing of them in some chibi form to exact. Not only that, but there were even name labels of the generals and their style name if some had one. Even their AKA's or also known as.

When she finished eating, she put her money on the table and a tip for the maid for being so nice. When Lin left the restaurant, she went to an ally and putted on her black cloak. It was the same one when Lin first met Lu Xun, Zhou Yu, and Sun Ce at the streets of Wu. She putted her hood on her head, the hood's shade shaded the top of her head and her bangs covered her eyes. Even though that Lin gave her real name away on that form, she didn't want anyone to notice her. When she wore her cloak, her faced still showed though. After that, Lin walked to a chapel area.

There she saw a little in front of a bread entrance. Lin saw that little girl snatch it and quickly sly away. She was doing pretty actually until the boss of the small bread shop caught the girl crumb handed. The boss (who was a guy, this part I got from Aladdin, I guess… ;) grabbed the little girl's arm and tugged her back. "Hey! Whaddya' think you're doin'!" the man said in his deep, grunty voice.

"N-n-nothing!" the girl shouted.

The man turned to her and saw her face. "You again!" he said. "I thought I told you not to steal from me ever again!" He then took her to an ally, and he told one of his assistant to watch the small store.

Lin followed them to the ally. Lin began to feel like a stalker but didn't want to make her self disappointed though. Anyway, when she followed them to the ally, she hid behind the wall where a sharp turn was. Lin heard the man curse the little girl. Then, he held up his knife and said, "This will teach you a lesson!" "Wha-what are you doing!" the little girl shrieked. "I'll chop your arm off and that'll teach you not to steal, especially from me!"

"No wait, stop, PLEASE!"

Too late. The man already chopped off her right arm off. She screamed and yelled. After that, the man said a few words and left. The girl was crying. Lin mouth opened, she couldn't tell whether the little girl was crying from pain or fear. Lin quickly ran to the girl as soon as the man was out of sight.

Blood. There was blood everywhere, a puddle of blood around that girl, blood dripping out of her false arm. The man chopped the girl's arm off a few inches above her wrist which chopped through her bone. Lin putted her cloak around her girl and carried her back to another part of the ally where none of them can be seen. In a bit the girl began weeping highly in pain. Lin bent down and placed her on her lap. The girl opened her eyes and said, "Thank you."

"What for…?" Lin said.

"For saving me…"

"I didn't do anything! That's why you lost your arm…"

"That was my fault."

"…"

"Do you…"

"Hm?"

"…mind taking me back home?"

"No, of course not; tell me where you live."

The girl told Lin where she lived and Lin went there ally to ally unseen. When they got there, Lin opened the door and saw two women and a couple of children there.

"Excuse me!" Lin shouted. "Could you… help me…?"

"Yes, but what troubles you?" one of them said.

Lin walked in and placed the girl's wrapped body on the ground gently. Lin opened her cloak and the two women gasped. "Children, please go to another room!" the other shouted. The other children did so.

"Dear, you've lost your arm!" said the older looking women.

"Yes, indeed!" said the younger one.

(Hours later the girl was placed onto a soft bed, her arm was in layers of bandages. The women greeted Lin after working on the girl and allowed Lin to stay with them for a while to repay her back…)

"'Thank you for letting me stay here, miss," Lin said bending down in front of them.

"You're welcome!" they both said.

"Why was that…" Lin couldn't finish.

"That girl's name is Vi," the young one said.

"Oh, I see, she was attacked by a shopkeeper from stealing bread," Lin said.

"Again!" said the older one. "We've told her to stay away from him!"

"Stay away? Don't you mean 'not steal?'" said Lin.

"That too but that man is dangerous, that man used to butcher! Even though his shop sells the only bread in this chapel," said the young one.

They talked and talked for a long time. Soon Lin was given a bed and a new cloak to where and from the two ladies' gratitude; they gave her a deep evergreen dress. They gave it to her folded so I can't be too descriptive, can I? Well, I will be when ever she wears the dress. After that they all went to bed.

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Okay, I guess I'll try to find something to do now that my ------ internet broken… darn it all!