Summer Snow

Author: Atthla

See Disclaimer and Warning in chapter 1.

Notes: This is a boring chapter because it depicts the war and I can never, for the life of me, write it in a fairly interesting way. I have never been in a real war so excuse me for any indecency showed in this chapter. Another important note is that I may have exaggerated Ling Tong's capability a little here. However, I do think that Ling Tong is one of the best characters in the game, mainly because of his speed and his awesome charge attacks, so...well, it doesn't really matter, does it? Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

The moon had risen, slowly climbing to its highest throne amidst clouds and fog.

Ling Tong had been staring at the pale, round source of light for the last few minutes from the deck of his ship, not moving a bit save for a few small irritated glances thrown to his second-in-command who was pacing noiselessly but very disturbingly. It must be well past midnight already and both of them had been straining their ears to catch the smallest sound which might herald them the success – or perhaps, failure – of Gan Ning's ambush. There was none of it so far and Ling Tong began to feel the height of the tension around him reaching its limit.

Waiting had never fallen among his greatest virtues, at least that much he had been aware of since long ago. And he had to admit that the fate of his kingdom relied mostly upon a certain former pirate who was leading the decisive ambush.

His own fight had not been as easy as he had thought. While it was true that Wu soldiers were more used to fighting on a floating ground, the number of their adversary certainly was not something to be taken lightly. Cao Cao also seemed to have learned much from his previous defeat in the same territory and it had only made the battle more difficult than ever for Ling Tong's army. The struggle had taken a worse turn after Zhou Tai had retreated and the attack had been focused to his slowly dwindling forces. It still amazed him even now how they had been able to escape and follow their commander's plan without being decimated completely.

Ling Tong knew that he owed Lu Xun much for his seemingly endless supply of strategies, but it did not mean that he would not shout if the younger officer did not stop pacing soon.

However...

Maybe he could wait just for a little more. Who knows if Lu Xun suddenly earned his common sense back and stopped his utterly pointless waste of energy. Ling Tong would only waste his own breath if such was the case, not to mention, risk the failure of their great plan by exposing their position and suffer the wrath of their scary commander.

A slow, deep inhaling of the cool night air helped him to collect the remnants of his patience. Lu Xun had not stopped pacing but he chose to ignore it and look to the direction of his left, searching for his other companion. It was there amidst the thick fog, the shadow of Lu Meng's ship floating silently at the other side of the river. The reinforcement had added the number of his vessel and taken away those injured and died to be given proper treatment at another ship. All appropriate measures had been taken and yet the waiting seemed unwilling to end soon.

"Do you think he succeeds?"

To Ling Tong's surprise, the annoyingly persistent pacing sound had suddenly stopped and Lu Xun's voice echoed quietly in the thick air. He looked at the younger man's face, dark under the dim moonlight, and said stiffly, "We have yet to hear anything until now, which means that the ambush is a full success."

"I suppose so," the reply was careful, almost as if the strategist was trying to keep a darker possibility out of his mind. Ling Tong, however, could develop a rather accurate guess as to what the other possibility was and could not help but to feel his uneasiness mounting. It was not about a certain rival of his at all; it was about the fate of his people and country if they succumbed to Wei, to a ruler like Cao Cao.

Gan Ning could have been killed, was what probably Lu Xun had in mind. It meant that their plan had failed and would result in the losses of many other lives. He knew that most – if not all – of his companions preferred death to any kind of betrayal to their kingdom and lord, and Ling Tong could not help but to wonder if it was the time to question his own loyalty. He owned neither Zhou Yu's deep attachment nor Huang Gai's fervent loyalty, not even Lu Xun's passionate will to prove himself. All he knew was that he had grown up, lived in and fought for Wu for as long as he remembered. It might be odd not to, but it didn't mean that he couldn't.

"General," again Lu Xun's soft voice rose and Ling Tong turned to look at the strategist who was pointing his finger at a single dim light drifting toward them slowly. "It seems that our scouting boat has returned. They are lighting their lantern which means–"

Ling Tong did not wait around for the other officer to finish his sentence, but immediately headed to the stern of his ship where a guard was standing alertly and said, "Tell the other ships that we will aid the ambush party now."

After he had made sure that there was an answering light from his two other ships and Lu Meng's, he ordered a silent but swift move. The procession proceeded in a single file, quietly following the course of the river as Ling Tong went back to the deck, half-listening to the sound of waves colliding with the hull of his ships while his were eyes searching for any source of light which might tell them of their target's position. The thick mist proved to have a great concealment effect, but it also hindered them to see anything beyond a few metres ahead.

"The reconnoitering party reported that the ambush took place not far from the river intersection," Lu Xun suddenly appeared on his right, an anxious glint in his eyes. "It seemed that it was actually quite a success, but the considerable difference in number slowly overwhelmed the ambush party."

"That's always the problem of fighting with Wei, isn't it?" Ling Tong shot back sarcastically and yet the younger officer did not seem to take the slightest offense.

"I have an ill feeling about this battle," he mumbled, his forehead drawn into lines of a small frown.

"You may want to keep the ill feeling for yourself, Boyan, at least for now," Ling Tong's voice suddenly took a somber tone and Lu Xun looked up to find the general's nunchaku already in hand, his dark eyes fixed to a spot where tongues of fire blazed angrily in the night. Loud noises of weapons clashing and men shouting emerged above other nocturnal sounds and to his utter satisfaction, none of the makers of those sounds seemed to notice the approaching of more Wu vessels. It was just perfect.

The condition of the battle was, much to Lu Xun's incessant amazement, the exact repetition to their commander's solemn words only a few hours ago. How Zhou Yu could deduce it so accurately – down to the details of each enemy ship's position – from data and journals alone was a mystery he most likely would not solve soon.

But it also made him wonder. Was it supposed to be this easy?

Lu Xun shook his head. Ill feeling or not, the battle had arrived before his eyes. He nodded at Ling Tong who immediately gave directions to his fleet according to their commander's prepared strategy. They divided themselves into two and flanked the chaotic Wei army from both sides. Most of the enemy ships had fallen victim to Gan Ning's fire attack and some of them were dangerously close to drowning.

Again, he reflected, the High Commander's plan was working flawlessly.

Once the ships were close enough one to another, a number of small bridges were quickly established and soon there were Wu soldiers crossing to the enemy's ships with a daunting shout. Lu Xun drew his own twin sabers and plunged into the fight, pleased by the effect of their sudden attack. Almost all of Wei soldiers were sporting a terrified look on their faces, their will to fight vanishing with the surge of newly arrived enemies. To be ambushed twice in such little span of time seemed traumatizing enough to dishearten even the bravest of their warriors. On the other hand, Gan Ning's ambush party looked as if they had just earned a new strength and now were fighting viciously.

Strategy would be the doom of Cao Cao, Lu Xun thought as his blades brought down two other men, a little smile flitting across his face.

Still, the ill feeling did not vanish. He slipped past the fighting soldiers, occasionally slashing right and left, his eyes searching for another group of reinforcement. According to their plan, Zhou Tai's fleets should also move out once the ambush had been discovered and yet there was no sign of the other general's army. He looked around, searching for Ling Tong, and found him battling a group of spear-wielding soldiers. He quickly moved to aid the other man and yet, before he could raise any of his sabers, all of the attackers had fallen to the floor, red mocking bruises decorating their faces.

Lu Xun stopped next to his general, amusement and respect blending into his voice. "I always wonder how you do that."

"They are awfully many," Ling Tong grumbled and wiped the drops of sweat running down his face with the back of his hand. "I have seen none of Zhou Tai's ships. Have you?"

"No," Lu Xun shook his head. "I've been looking around but I do not find him either. Do you think–?"

A loud cracking sound put an abrupt halt to his words and he instinctively leapt back, just in time to avoid the main pole of the ship from crashing down onto his head. From the corner of his eyes, he caught his general's shadow disappearing amidst the crowd on an adjacent ship. He quickly followed suit, shouting an order to his men to leave the burning vessel.

It took him several moments to finally realize that he was now aboard the enemy's command ship. Only few small fires had been started here but the air was hot and heavy since there were too many men on board. Lu Xun cursed inwardly. In such condition it would be hard to distinguish friends from foes and still he slashed right and left, mainly to protect himself from the strike of other weapons. His eyes were searching for any sign of the enemy commander, which in this case was Zhang Liao when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Took you long enough, boy!"

He looked for the source of the voice and found Gan Ning standing in the middle of countless fallen bodies, his bloodied sword suspended carelessly on one shoulder. Lu Xun was about to ask the other man about Zhou Tai when a group of Wei soldiers came from behind Gan Ning, the tip of their spears glinting under the fire, and he shouted, "General!"

The former pirate turned around only to find his attackers crashing to the ground and Ling Tong staring at them disinterestedly. The longhaired man's dark eyes looked up and a smirk curved his lips as he remarked, "I see you haven't been killed yet."

"Not a chance," Gan Ning replied with a snort before dashing forward, running past his rival and taking down another band of soldiers. As each of his victims dropped dead to the ground, he turned around and declared, a wide grin on his face, "It's nothing the great Gan Ning can't handle!"

Ling Tong raised his eyebrows and was about to say something sarcastic when a Wu soldier approached their small circle out of the blue. He immediately recognized the attire as that of the elite forces under Zhou Yu's command as the newly arrived man halted and knelt before him, words quickly pouring out between panting breaths.

"General, Commander Zhou Yu orders your army an immediate retreat. The main camp has been attacked by Wei – a surprise attack – and our troops are at disadvantage. You are to leave the fight here to General Gan Ning and General Lu Meng and head to the castle at once."

"I know there is something wrong," Lu Xun growled to himself, a cross look settling on his face.

Ling Tong quickly turned to the younger man and said, "You stay here and help Lu Meng, Boyan. He will need you to end this battle quickly. You can aid us once everything here is settled, is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir," the young strategist answered, firm resolution toning his calm voice. Ling Tong nodded at him and turned around to leave, assembling his soldiers in process with a shrill whistling sound that pierced the night and rose above every other noise. Some of the men immediately stopped fighting and made a run to the bridges while the more confident ones crossed the gap with a single jump. He was about to follow his men when a shout halted his feet.

"Hey, don't get yourself killed! I still owe you a kiss for giving me a hand!"

It was not the time for petty rivalry – or rather personal hatred in this case – and yet Ling Tong could not help but to throw Gan Ning a really scathing look. He almost wished he hadn't when the former pirate returned it with an impish grin but managed to restrain himself from pursuing the exchange and forced his feet to follow his men. They quickly ascended into a run as he dashed through fighting soldiers, repeating his signals at certain intervals on his way.

Once he had arrived on his ship, he ordered a move out and proceeded with a quick briefing to his puzzled troops, aided occasionally by the messenger Zhou Yu had sent. A heated discussion among his two remaining officers, Zhu Ran and Cheng Pu, ensued, but when they were closing to the shore, Ling Tong put a stop to the brewing argument and said, "There is a good chance that the attacking troops have yet to know about Gan Ning's surprise attack and think that I am still setting an ambush at the down side of the river. Divide the men into three and we will strike from each castle gate. I'll take the center gate while each of you lead one-third of the men through the east and west. Make a commotion as loud as possible once you have begun the attack. You can shout 'kill the Wei scum!' or 'die, Cao Cao!' or anything you like. I don't care, as long as it can discourage them. And do not forget that the safety of our lord is a priority."

His two subordinates nodded and left to make necessary arrangements. Ling Tong let out a long sigh, for a moment relieved to get away from the burning heat of fire and skirmish. But it did not last long for another fighting loomed out in front of him as his ship drawing closer to the coast and new noises of battle gradually rose, replacing those he had left behind.

Well, at least now there was a clear explanation about Zhou Tai's absence, he thought grimly, still looking to the shore. Whether the fact that both sides launched their surprise attack on the same night was a pure coincidence or caused by undetected spying activities or Cao Cao – or Sima Yi – suddenly earned a gift to foresee the future, he was not sure. Though if it was the latter two, Ling Tong felt rather skeptical if they could survive this night.

"Everything is set, Sir," Zhu Ran announced just a few moments before they arrived.

"Alright, let's get moving," he commanded and signaled his men to descend from the ship. Something struck him as odd once he set his feet at the sandy ground, which was the lack of any welcome party from Wei. The port was quiet although there were signs of battle left everywhere. It was either their attack was not expected and the attacker had moved into the castle or there was an ambush lying in waiting. Ling Tong didn't know which one was better, but he had no time to halt and ponder. With his nunchaku gripped tightly between his fingers, he led his share of soldiers and advanced quickly to the front gate.

Before the gate, there was fighting going still. For once he was grateful of the fog which enabled his troops to approach unnoticed. They moved in the shadow for a while and then stroke swiftly and abruptly. Perhaps it was the haze – because for something to suddenly appear out of nowhere and jump at you with spears and swords are downright scary – but the fight had ended before he realized it, leaving the remaining Wu soldiers stunned with tears in their eyes as if disbelieving their luck to have reinforcement just in time.

Ling Tong looked around and grabbed a major he faintly recognized to serve Zhou Tai, asking quietly, "How many are they?"

"Thousands, General," the junior officer answered with a quivering voice. "They came with small ships from the east. The coastal guard couldn't hold them long and we – General Zhou Tai's troops – were pulled back to aid the main camp but–"

"Where is the lord?" Ling Tong cut him.

"Inside, with the other generals."

Letting go the shaking man, he signaled for his men to gather and prepare an assault, and then addressed the major again. "Alright, we have to get in there. Take your men and come with me. We are going to surprise them."

The tension was high, so high that Ling Tong could almost feel the spirit his soldiers emitted behind him soaring into the night sky. He took a deep breath and took his first step with a firm determination before running in full gallop, shouting as he did so. The responding yells his men made him shudder but he went on, a bit grateful that the mist wasn't as thick here. He could see the faces of every Wei soldiers in his line of sight once they heard all of the sordid shouting his troops roaring about Cao Cao, which stunned most of them into immobility.

The battle was easier than he thought, probably because the main camp also put up quite a defense despite the unforeseen nature of the attack. It looked like to him that the morale of the Wei soldiers had been starting to decrease even before his arrival. It did not really surprise him though, especially with Huang Gai around to protect the lord.

But the fight also dragged longer than he expected. He looked around anxiously, spotting neither any senior Wu general nor his own lieutenant, and decided to storm into the castle. But before he had the chance to follow his plan, an uproar erupted from the east and Ling Tong had no choice but to grin to himself as he recognized some of the things his own mouth had been shouting earlier. Convinced that his lieutenant could handle everything here for a while, he headed to the inner part of the castle.

On his way there, he was held back by a rush of Wei soldiers who were scurrying past him with horrified faces. He quickly leapt to a side, watching the waves of scampering soldiers in utter astonishment before a loud voice he recognized emerged above the deafening footsteps.

"Run, you stupid bastards! Run while you still can! Scared, aren't you?"

Sun Ce's red face brightened once he saw the nunchaku-wielder and his lips turned up into a grin. "Hey, good work, Ling Tong! That really scared them off!"

"Forgive my lateness, milord," Ling Tong fell onto his knee at once, more than thankful to see his lord safe and sound.

"Lateness? Don't be ridiculous! Your timing is perfect!" the Wu ruler grinned even wider. "Where did you learn those words you were shouting by the way? I was almost sure it was Gan Ning's troops that came!"

Ling Tong was about to give his own opinion about Gan Ning's language when Zhou Yu suddenly appeared by Sun Ce's side, his eternally immaculate appearance for once ruffled by sweat and more than a little dirt. He was clearly relieved to see Ling Tong, but a frown still creased his brow and he immediately asked, "Did General Gan's ambush work?"

"It did but their number started to be quite a problem when I left," he answered quickly and rose back to his feet. "I should go back there now and help them out."

Zhou Yu nodded. "I will send reinforcements as soon as possible. If things become too dangerous, commence a retreat."

"Yes, Sir," Ling Tong saluted before running back to the castle's courtyard in full speed, mourning for his weary feet and yet unwilling to let them rest for a moment. Once there, he searched for Zhu Ran and ordered him to stay and aid their commander while he himself would return with Cheng Pu to his ship. The rapid decreasing of the quantity of their enemy was evident and as long as there was no second wave of surprise attack, their victory here was assured. The lieutenant nodded and Ling Tong once more signaled for his men to gather and depart, all done as quickly as possible.

The first thing which he noticed once his ship was close enough to its previous battle ground was the fewer number of Wei ships still floating on the water. They were also noticeably closer to the Wei's main camp which also looked like to be in extreme chaos. It seemed that he did not need to worry but, he reflected, it couldn't hurt to be too careful. Without delay he ordered for crossing bridges to be established to the nearest ship on which some fighting were still going on.

A flash of red caught his eyes and he immediately recognized the colour of Lu Xun's attire. The younger man was still engaged in a battle with a number of enemy soldiers and even from that far Ling Tong could see that he was almost out of breath. A few strikes from his nunchaku helped to finish the job and he smirked at the strategist who seemed surprised at his reappearance

"You're here, which means–"

"We've fended them off," Ling Tong finished the sentence. "But I see that you're also faring pretty well here."

"Everyone is extremely brave, especially General Lu Meng," Lu Xun said, a twinkle of admiration in his eyes. "My strategy wouldn't be so much of a success if it wasn't for his bravery. But it seems that there is trouble still at the enemy's command ship."

Ling Tong nodded. "I think I better take a look there. Do you think you can deal with the rest? The Commander will send reinforcement but he also orders us to retreat if things get too dangerous."

"Understood," Lu Xun's voice was tired but determined. Ling Tong shot him a smile and quickly proceeded to the command ship.

The condition in the main ship was worse than he initially thought. More exhausted than he had ever been in years, he could barely register what was happening around him and only whipped his Rising Phoenix to every possible direction. It was when they finally seemed to slowly but surely gain the upper hand that he spotted Lu Meng at the other side of the ship. He huffed in relief and waved at the other general, earning a small nod in return.

That left the pirate.

Ling Tong shook his head. He was not anxious. In fact, it was really hard for him to imagine that Gan Ning could possibly be hurt although he had spent days and nights scheming for countless homicidal plans after his father's death. Gan Ning would always – annoyingly – be there no matter what he did, full of vigor and with a stupid grin on his face.

But, as Lu Xun had kindly pointed out again and again prior to their attack, no one could predict whether a battle was predictable or not. That was the most irritating part about battle.

And death, for all he knew, was the most unpredictable of all.

It was perhaps because of the weariness which had started to overwhelm him a little too much, since Ling Tong soon found himself looking around once more. And then twice and thrice more. There was still no sign of Gan Ning everywhere. It was then when he noticed a soldier in an ambush outfit fighting close to him, clearly overpowered by his three attackers. A few slashing from his nunchaku helped the Wu private before then he seized the private and asked, hurried and yet trying not to sound too anxious. "Where is your general?"

The man seemed surprised but an answer still came. "General Gan is pursuing a fleeing enemy general to the northern shore. I don't think he has returned–"

He did not wait for the soldier to finish and ran to the edge of the ship, searching for any mean of transport which could bring him to the opposite shore – to the Wei side of the river – all the way cursing the former pirate's recklessness. He immediately spotted a number of small boats which the ambush party had used earlier and jumped onto one of the nearest. There were two Wu soldiers on board, both visibly astonished at his sudden appearance which Ling Tong paid absolutely no heed of.

"Take me to the shore."

Trained well to follow orders without questioning them, they only mumbled a 'yes, Sir' and started to row. Ling Tong had his eyes fixed only to the shore, watching the tumult which had broken out there, that it surprised him to hear his name suddenly called.

"Ling Tong! What do you think you are doing?"

He looked up to the command ship and found Lu Meng staring down at him with blazing, almost angry eyes, to which he replied, "I will come back soon! Please take care of things for a little while!"

Lu Meng shouted something in return but Ling Tong could no longer hear it, the sound of his voice drowned amidst the sea of louder and closer ones as the boat distanced itself from the command ship. He reached the shore in no time and quickly disembarked, his eyes frantically searching around. There were a good deal of Wu soldiers on this side of the river, but most of them had already lied dead on the ground. The rest of standing soldiers – all Wei's as far as he could see – were watching him with the look of a predator on their faces, eyeing the telltale colour of his battle clothes. No sign of Gan Ning anywhere.

Anxious was a word too feeble to describe how he felt now. It almost reached the definition of fear.

All of a sudden, uproar erupted from the inner part of the camp. The soldiers turned to look at that direction and Ling Tong grabbed the chance to dash from the circle they had made around him and, quite foolishly, into the source of the commotion.

There was only one thought in his mind, conquering any other possible emotion.

He didn't want to see Gan Ning dead.

A large crowd had gathered and cheered – a sound which sickened him even worse – around something he could not see clearly. Ling Tong made his way through with the relentless help of his nunchaku, blindly swishing its one end through the group. What greeted him there at the end of his arduous journey hardly surprised him at all. Perhaps he had expected it. Perhaps he had even hoped for it to happen. He probably had during some points of his life.

It was Gan Ning – as his fear had expected – on the ground with his back bare for the entire world to see and a halberd embedded on its upper part, the sharp, still exposed tip glinting under the light of many torches. There was blood dripping from the wound it made only to pool on the dry, dusty soil and where the Sea Master had fallen forgotten but still close by its owner. Ling Tong did not cringe. In fact, he barely felt anything. He had seen this picture too many times behind his closed eyelids to be shocked.

The cheering around him had stopped completely, leaving a stifling silence to fill the void. And then, he thought he heard someone laughing. Whether it was one of Wei soldiers surrounding him or the sinister voices in the darkest depth of his heart – or if it was real at all – he was not sure, but he had no time to contemplate as a Wei soldier suddenly lunged at him with a sword raised up high. It was his reflex and his reflex alone which prevented himself from being cut into two by the sharp blade as he leapt closer to where Gan Ning was still lying immobile. He looked up and found many other soldiers with each of their weapon ready and a look he always met during every war, a look to climb through the harsh rank of military.

For the first time that night, Ling Tong knew that he had lost.

But then his hand fell to his side and touched Gan Ning's left arm, and upon sensing what was left from a human's warmth, he gained back his old stubbornness not to lose to anything. Not even death.

Not for the first time he wanted to curse Gan Ning for his bothersome influences.

Ling Tong smiled dryly to himself and rose to his feet, his Rising Phoenix ready in his hands.

"Come, you bastards."

--To be Continued--

A/N: Okay, so there are three options. One, they both survive and continue their catch-me-if-you-can game; two, Gan Ning is killed and leaves Ling tong weeping for his stubbornness; and three, both of them are killed. Each has its own consequences and I haven't made a decision yet which is why the next – and last – chapter will probably come out longer than usual. Thank you for reading, folks. For those who have reviewed the second chapter, triple thank you. Please review again