Dancing With the Blossoms

I'm back. Why does travel wear you out so much? I did get to see some relatives and old friends tho, so I'm not complaining. I got some ideas, and I definitely know how im gonna end it now, so, thanks for your reviews! And I still love suggestions, and I definitely love doing what other people love, so I will take any suggestions u want me to use if it wont kill the plot to much:o)

Chapter 10

"Lord Zhou Yu, lets take a rest," Da Qiao suggested from where she and her sister staggered along behind the group. Zhou Yu looked back at them incredulously.

"Rest? We don't have time for rest!" Zhou Yu scowled, turning back around and heading in the direction of the castle. Sun Ce, who had been looking worriedly at his wife, moved forward and caught Zhou Yu's arm, swinging him around with a scowl.

"Yu, not everyone can go for five days without resting. Give us a break okay?" Sun Ce scowled looking up into his strategist's dark eyes. "There is a stream over there, lets rest for a while, alright?" Zhou Yu hesitated, looking back at the exhausted Xiao Qiao, eyes lingering on the two Shu warriors, both of which were helping Da Qiao up. Then he whipped his head around realizing that one of the party was missing.

"Where's Lu Xun!" He asked, accidentally squeezing Sun Ce's hand hard as panic flooded his voice. The sudden rippling of water caught everyone's attention, and they all looked over to see the young strategist dunking his head in the stream. The tension flowed away, and Zhou Yu took a breath, allowing his head to fall against Sun Ce's shoulder. "I guess we can rest for a little while."

Sun Ce gave a brilliant smile, "Thanks Yu, it'll only be a minute anyway."

between the Wei and the Wu encampment

Lu Meng scowled, looking up at the moon and cursing the clouds. He and a few other officers were crouching in the woods, waiting impatiently for the clouds to cover the moon again. 'C'mon dammit! I wanna get home!' As if hearing his prayer, a rather large cloud slowly made its way over the moon. He signaled to the task force, and they set out, staying low to the ground with cans of oil and dynamite. The task force set to work laying the dynamite and gunpowder, while Lu Meng and Zhou Tai put oil on the ground. Taishi Ci and Han Dang busied themselves to make it look like natural ground. Five minutes later, they disappeared back into the woods, where thirty foot soldiers and about twenty-five archers stood waiting.

"Archers up in the trees, follow Han Dang's orders, and do not shoot until you are told to." The said group began climbing quietly. Lu Meng watched them, before turning to the rest. "We wait here get on the ground and DO NOT under any circumstances whatsoever get up, or I will personally see to it that you lose your head!" This got the soldiers motivated, and they fell to the ground silently. Lu Meng lowered himself to the ground after, mouth set in a grim line.

In front of the Wu encampment

Sun Jian sat atop his horse in front of the camp, staring at the clouded moon grimly. Sun Shang Xiang stood on his left, and Sun Quan his right. "Quan," The young man looked up at his father expectantly. "I don't want the army moving. The task force has prepared an ambush along the road, where the Wei forces are marching. Shang Xiang, you have good eyes, when the enemy comes, I want you to see who is leading them. Go to the archery tower and see what you can see."

"Yes Father!" They both said, and went their separate ways.

"Gan Ning," Sun Jian shouted behind him, and the pirate appeared next to him. "After the trap has been set, I want you and your men to charge, meet the enemy head on. They should be confused and lost, so it will be easy to cut them down. I suggest that you dowse yourself in water and cover any bare skin. Here," Sun Jian tossed his cape down to the pirate, "Soak that and wrap it around your head. Good Luck."

"Yes sir!" The pirate took off, he could be seen dowsing himself in a horse trough not too far away. Sun Jian sighed, thoughts lingering on his eldest son and his strategists. He hoped that they would be safe. When his daughter had came running to tell him that they had gone to the wei camp and Lu Meng interrupting, telling him that they needed to prepare an immediate defense against another Wei attack...The Sun lord didn't even want to think about it right now."

A tremendous roar reached their ears, and they looked up to see the Wei forces charging forward in the distance. "Father!" Shang Xiang yelled from the top of the archery tower. "Father, Sima Yi is leading them!"

Sun Jian's eyes widened, before he closed his eyes, turning around to face the front. "Men! The snake has come out of its skin! Its time to show these cowards of Wei the power of Jiang Dong!" He rased his sword, and behind him, twenty flaming arrows shot out of the woods, igniting the trap and sending the Wei forces up in flames. Gan Ning and his men shot out of the army, wrapped in wet cloths and soaked to the bone. "Forward!" The army charged, forming a semicircle around the flames, just as the dynamite exploded, sending the Wei forces into a total panic.

Screams filled the air in Ling Tong and Sun Quan's section of the army, and looking over, Sun Jian saw that they had been attacked by Xu Huang and Xiahou Yuan, who had somehow snuck through the defenses and flames and were now attacking the troops. "Huang Gai! Go assist Quan!" He shouted, as the Wei forces broke through the fire barrier, led by Xiahou Dun.

Upon seeing Sun Jian, the one eyed general charged forward, sword at the ready. The ruler raised his sword in a defensive position, eyes narrowing into a battle glare. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and flames licked the moisture out of the air, as The tiger of Jiang Dong, and the cousin of Cao Cao clashed, The air rippling with heat.

Somewhere in Wei territory

Lu Xun stared at the Shu general without really thinking. His head was muddled, and in the moonlight, the Shu general seemed like a god. A flawless god of strength. The young man realized what he was thinking and shook his head roughly from side to side, attempting to dispel the treacherous thoughts. 'The effects of the poison...was Sima Yi right when he said that I'd actually start having feelings for guys like I usually do girls?' Lu Xun sighed, getting to his feet and wading through the stream to find Zhou Yu.

But what he found was not encouraging him. Zhou Yu was sitting on a boulder, his head cupped in his hands, staring at Sun Ce, who was playing around in the water with Xiao Qiao and his wife. The elder strategist sighed dreamily, but a moment later sat up abruptly, dowsing his head in the stream to clear his head.

"L-Lord Zhou Yu?" Lu Xun called, walking up and kneeling next to the elder strategist. "I have something important to tell you."

Xing Cai was watching the three officers play in the water as she sat by the edge, cleaning her weapon. There was something special about the bond that Wu shared, and as she watched them, she felt as if she was missing something, like a part of her wanted to join in but couldn't because something deemed it foolish.

"Xing Cai," Zhao Yun watched the look in his pupils face, "Go join them." He took her weapon out of her hands, "For once, enjoy yourself, and leave the work to another."

"Sir?" Xing Cai looked up at the Tiger General questionably. He pulled her up and gave her a slight nudge towards the three officers as Xiao Xiao tripped and fell in the water.

"You have to be a child some times if you are ever to grow." The dark haired man said, sitting by the water and rubbing some dried blood off of the young girl's weapon. "Go and enjoy yourself with these people." He brought the sacred light up closer to examine it in the fading light. "We'll be heading out soon, go play with them until then."

Sun Ce chased Da Qiao around the water, allowing it to soak them. Xiao Qiao got up and ran away as Sun Ce chased after her. "Excuse me..." They stopped dead as Xing Cai walked up to them, a bit apprehensive. "May I join you?" She hesitated. Sun Ce gave a large smile and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Of course you can! The more the merrier!" He gave her a pat on the shoulder. "You're it." And took off, followed by the Xiao sisters. Zhao Yun watched with some amusement as Xing Cai stared for a moment, before giving a small cry of indignation and chasing after the three 'stooges.'

"WHAT!" Zhou Yu cried, after Lu Xun repeated exactly what Sima Yi had said. The strategist collapsed on the ground, putting his head in his hands. "I am going to murder that damn snake!"

Lu Xun, quite frightened at how angry Zhou Yu had gotten, put a hesitant hand on the man's shoulder. "My lord, we still have time, we'll get the antidote, and then we'll be back to normal!"

"Perhaps," He stared at the ground playing in the water, "Look...Xing Cai has joined them." He chuckled, "The Sun family is incredible...everyone seems happier when one of the Sun's are around. And Ce...can bring out the happiness in everyone."

Lu Xun smiled, standing up and watching them, "Is that why you have devoted yourself to them so completely?"

Zhou Yu stood along side the younger boy. "Yes...think of the joy that this family could bring to people all over China. That is one reason why Sun Ce's dream has become my own."

Lu Xun looked up at the moon above them. "Then that is why I will too. The moon is up my lord, we should continue if we want to serve Wu in our natural bodies."

"Yes." Zhou Yu said, almost reluctant to stop the groups fun. "Ce! It's time to go! In the dark of night we can move without people recognizing us!"

Sun Ce stopped, causing Xing Cai to run into him. "Alright Yu! Only if we can get some horses somewhere!"

Zhou Yu smirked, "You have a deal, but you're the one that has to hunt!"

TBC...

Thanks for all your support! I really don't know if I would be able to continue this if it wasnt for fantastic readers and reviewers! Thank you! But honestly, as long as you enjoy this, I don't care if you review or not...I don't understand what the hit thing is...but I hope its good! But...if someone wanted to explain it...I'd be so happy! And, thank you! Till next time! And if anyone has any problems with the story, please don't hesitate to yell at me, kill me, do whatever you do! As long as I can finish the story...XD