Xun awoke to the sounds of activity all around him. He was cold; He opened his eyes to see girls rushing around doing various tasks. He sighed and tried to shift to a sitting position, but his fatigued limbs refused and he slumped back down on the couch. "He's awake!" One of the girls called rushing over to him. "Hey Swallow! You feeling alright?" She cooed.
Soon many were crowded around him, all talking at once.
He didn't remember them. As hard as he tried he couldn't remember who they were.
Another girl approached with clothes in her hands. "Lay off the boy! He's had a hard time!" She growled. All the others shuffled away while this woman handed the clothes to Xun. He was puzzled before noticing they were the clothes he had been wearing earlier. He was now dressed in a white silk robe.
"Don't look so shocked! We had to clean your robes! They were a mess!" The woman said.
Xun tried to smile but he couldn't. These girls had known him for years and he couldn't even remember their names.
"You don't remember us do you honey?" one girl asked.
Xun shifted away. He didn't want them to look at him anymore. He felt terrible.
"Don't worry swallow, lord Zhang He told us about your bump on the noggin, he said it might take you a while to remember us!" another said.
He turned back to look at them. All their smiling faces only served to make him feel worse.
"I'm Violet locust, for now that's all you need to know," The woman who had brought him his clothes said.
"She's just uptight because she's lord Cao Cao's favourite!" Another hissed playfully.
"Come now Swallow, lets go somewhere quiet you can get changed in peace." Locust said. She extended her hand to Xun, who took hold and followed her out of the room.
"He is so cute!" one girl trilled after he had left.
"I know isn't he adorable!" Another cooed.
They fell about laughing.
Locust led him into a small room and drew the curtain behind her. "You can get dressed now," she called.
Xun rolled out the robe and looked upon it. Layers of red silk inlayed with gold, it looked expensive. Was it a gift from someone?
He pushed the thoughts aside and got dressed, discarding the white robe.
When he had finished he found locust.
"Now I'll remind you of your work." Locust said, taking Xun into a room supposedly for preparing food.
"Well basically your job is to cater to the every whim of our lords, they want meat buns, they're here, tea, its over here. Just see to it that they want for nothing." Locust said, pointing to store cupboards.
"How will I know when they want something?" Xun asked.
"They will summon you. Often they will summon you by name so if they ask for anyone but you, come find me and I'll tell 'em. Anyway, you've been summoned, Lord Xiahou Dun has requested meat buns. Take him three. He is down the corridor to your right" Locust said.
Xun looked around. The clean plates were all piled neatly so he retrieved one, and found three fresh meat buns in the storeroom, then headed off down the corridor. He turned the corner and saw a gruff looking man with an eye patch enjoying some music from performing girls.
"Lord Xiahou Dun?" Xun asked.
Dun turned and took the plate from Xun. "You're dismissed Swallow." Dun said turning back to the girls.
What a monotonous job! Xun thought heading back to the kitchen.
"Swallow, Six meat buns for the officers upstairs." Locust Called.
He was startled and quickly found plates. He wandered around until he found the stairs and in the first room sat three men around a low table laughing to each other.
Xun placed the buns on the table in front of them and turned to take his leave when one Called out, "Swallow, come, entertain us!"
Xun turned. "What do you mean sir?" He asked.
"Dance for us! You always used to!" Another grinned.
Xun was worried; he didn't know what they wanted.
"That's enough men!" A gruff voice growled from behind Xun, "Stop taking advantage of this poor boy!"
All the men fell asunder in fear.
"Yes sir, sorry sir!" One said.
Xun felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see a man standing over him, a man like thunder and lightning, tall as a house and muscular with a thick beard and moustache and a chalk blue hat with a white tassel. He was quite an intimidating sight to behold. "Swallow, bring four meat buns and two servings of tea to the third room on the left." The man growled.
Xun was terrified and almost ran downstairs to the kitchen to fetch the buns. Locust showed him how to make the tea and he was soon on his way up.
He entered the room and there sat the man, alone on a low table, writing notes by candlelight.
"Here is your food sir." Xun said putting the plate on the table.
"Sit with me Swallow," The man said. Xun went to the other side of the table and sat down as asked. He looked over at the candle's flame. It danced like the flicker of a bird's wing.
The Man finished writing, took a bite out of a meat bun and tossed one to Xun.
"Eat it, Zhang He told me you were sick, you need to get your strength back up." The man said.
"Thank you sir…" Xun said, taking a bite from the bun.
"None of this 'sir', my name is Zhang Liao." The man said taking another bite.
The two sat eating quietly for a while but the bun was too much for Lu Xun to handle. He tried to get up but he didn't have time so he turned and was sick on the floor. The haze returned and yet again he could feel himself slipping. "Oh, no you don't, stay with me kid, you'll be ok just stay awake." Zhang Liao Said. Xun could feel Liao's arms wrap around his waist and lay him on his side.
"Keep calm, stay awake, concentrate on my voice, you'll be fine, keep listening…" Liao continued, but Lu Xun had already passed out.
Liao Cursed. He didn't know much about medicine but he knew that after a head wound this severe, any one of his blackouts could kill him.
He picked Xun up in his arms and took him to Zhang He's quarters.
"He, we need your couch!" Liao said.
"Again? This is getting bad, he needs a doctor," Zhang He Said, helping Zhang Liao lay the boy on his couch.
"But what can we do? The only medicine man in the area is a traveller and Cao Cao gave strict orders that the outside world is not to know of this boy's presence here." Liao sighed.
"There must be some way we can help." Zhang he said.
"We'll find it." Liao said leaving the room.
