Zhou Yu was trying desperately to sleep. He hadn't slept since Lu Xun went missing. He sighed, burying his face into his covers.

"Master Zhou Yu." A soldier said coming to the door.

"Come in." Yu sighed.

"This letter has arrived from Sun Quan." The soldier said holding the letter out to his master.

Yu stretched out one limp hand and took hold of it, breaking the seal on the envelope. He pulled out the letter and brought it close to his face so he could read it.

"Dear Lu Xun,

Seems the information we received was bogus. Cao wasn't garrisoning the castle after all; he wasn't even there. We received word from the few soldiers stationed there that their lord was campaigning in Liang and had not been to He-Fei for near a year.

Well, just one wasted journey. We will be home in a few days.

Sun Quan."

Zhou Yu read the letter again.

The information was bogus…

Yu suddenly swore. "Of course! It was a ploy!" He shouted.

"What is that sir?" The soldier asked.

"I think I know where Lu Xun is!" Yu called.

---

Jiang Wei dressed, pushing himself awkwardly into the corner of the room to hide from Sima Yi. He mulled his mask up over his nose and sighed.

Moment of truth.

"Sima Yi?" Wei sighed.

Yi turned around. "What is it Jiang Wei?"

"I…. I think I've made a mistake." Wei sighed.

Yi's eyebrow rose. "How so?"

"I don't think defecting was the right choice, I, I think I should go back." Wei sighed.

Yi fell silent.

"You can't." Yi said bluntly.

"Why?" Wei asked.

"You swore your loyalty to me. You must stand by your word." Yi said, his voice turning into a growl.

"That loyalty was not mine to give, it belongs to Zhuge Liang." Wei said

There was silence.

"You will not leave." Yi said picking up his black feather fan.

"Watch me." Wei said taking hold of his trident.

Yi raised his fan so it checked Wei's path.

"Let me show you one thing, then I guarantee you will not leave." Yi grinned.

"Very well but nothing will change my mind." Wei said.

Yi glided off down the corridor. Wei followed.

What was he planning?

They reached a storeroom with a heavy wooden door. Yi stood in front of it, resting on hand on the door.

"You will stay with me. You may continue to be disloyal, but I will not punish you for it." Yi said, a twisted smile spreading across his face.

Yi eased the door open slowly and Wei fell back in surprise.

On the floor, huddled in the corner lay Lu Xun, tightly bound, gagged and blindfolded. Dry blood was caked on his face.

"Lu Xun?" Jiang Wei shouted, half surprise and half disgusted.

Lu Xun recognised the voice of his dear friend and cried out, his voice muffled to a point of incoherency.

Yi let out a bitter laugh. "As I was saying, every time you are disloyal I will not punish you." Yi said, backing into the room. He knelt down, grabbing a thick handful of Xun's hair and tugging him upwards. "I will punish Lu Xun."

"No… NO!" Wei shouted, tears pricking in his eyes.

"Oh… You think I'm bluffing?" Yi said.

Yi drew out a small dagger from a concealed holster at his side and cut off a huge chunk of Xun's hair.

Xun was crying.

Wei watched in terror as the hairs fluttered to the ground. Yi held the knife to Xun's throat.

Xun felt the rub of cold metal against his throat and lay dead still.

"Get the point?" Yi growled wickedly, staring at Wei.

"Stop, stop! Don't hurt him!" Wei cried.

"Hmm, what was that?" Yi said, pushing the knife close into its victim, the edge left a shallow graze in the skin.

Wei let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry Sima Yi… I promise to obey…" Wei sighed.

Xun heard his friend's pained voice…

It was Sima Yi!

"It's a trap! Don't listen to him Jiang Wei!" Xun cried, but his words were muffled and unreadable.

Yi gave the rope around his captive's neck a sharp tug and Xun fell silent. He pulled away the dagger, standing up and walking over to Jiang Wei.

Yi put his hand on Wei's shoulder and pulled him close.

"There's a good boy, from now on, I want you to call me master Sima Yi." Yi growled.

Just surrender and Xun won't be hurt.

"Yes… Master Sima Yi…" Wei sighed.

"Jiang Wei, don't give up…" Xun cried quietly.

Yi led Wei outside. He called over two guards.

"Yes sir?" one guard said.

"I want you two to guard this room, make sure no one goes in or out except me, got it?" Yi said.

The guards bowed.

"Well, shall we get breakfast then?" Yi said.

Jiang Wei was sickened by how Yi could be so indifferent to the terrible cruelty he had just performed. How dare he act as though nothing had happened?

"Well," Yi said, nudging his elbow into Wei's flank.

"Yes… food would be good." Wei muttered.

"What was that?" Yi mused; trying to get every bit of enjoyment he could out of it.

"…. Master Sima Yi…" Wei growled.

"That's better!" Yi growled.

He led Wei down the corridor to the hall. They sat in their normal seats with Zhang He next to them.

Wei slumped over on the table.

Yi summoned the maid. "Maid, rice over here!" Yi called boisterously.

She nodded. "And you?" She asked Jiang Wei.

Wei shifted. "Wine." He muttered.

The made bowed and left.

Zhang He leaned over to look at Wei. "Jiang Wei, are you alright?" He asked.

Wei was silent.

"Sima Yi what did you do?" Zhang He asked.

Yi laughed. "He wanted to leave so I just showed him my back up plan."

Zhang He looked angry.

The maid brought Jiang Wei his wine and he downed the cup in one.

"More wine" he muttered.

He hadn't drunk before but many times in Shu Han he had seen Zhang Fei upset, and after a few wines he was happy again.

The second came and disappeared in an instant.

"More wine…" Wei muttered.

---

Ling Tong had managed to slip past the guards by some miracle, but there was no way he was going to get into the castle. He would have to stick with just investigating the surroundings.

His two guards followed him, spears set ready to attack should they have to.

When Ling Tong laid eyes on an abandoned carriage he rushed over to it, inspecting it.

He looked around to ensure no one was looking, and then crawled into the back.

"Sir, what are you doing?" One of the guards asked.

Ling Tong leant over and pulled a piece of torn red silk from one of the splintering wooden boards at the base of the carriage.

He held it up to the light, inspecting it carefully.

"What is it sir?" The other guard asked.

Tong looked over at the castle.

"Xun is inside, we need help." Tong muttered.

---

"Sir will you just stop and think for a second please?" Taishi Ci begged.

Zhou Yu shuffled to the edge of his bed, wincing as he pulled his robe over his wound.

"No, Lu Xun is in Cao Wei, we need to get him back." Yu muttered.

"Think! There is no way we can stand up against Cao Wei while you are weak, we need help." Ci begged.

"We don't need help, I can do it…" Yu said, crying out loudly when his wound began to hurt.

"Look at you, your hurting yourself, at least wait until Ling Tong returns with news." Ci asked.

Yu had to concede; he could see Ci's logic.

"Alright, I'll just rest until Ling Tong come home, then we'll attack!" Yu muttered, lying back down. His wound burned.

"Thank you sir, I guarantee you'll feel better for it..." Ci said.

"How can I feel good when Xun is alone…" Yu sighed.

---

Xun cried quietly. That was the plan all along. He was a pawn, a pawn to get Jiang Wei to work for Sima Yi. He kicked himself internally, he should have instantly recognised Sima Yi's voice, but he didn't and he felt stupid now. Not that he could have done anything about it if he had known. He could still feel hairs on his face that Yi had cut from his head, and he wept.

Jiang Wei, I've done it to you again…

---

The table was strewn with empty cups, and a few empty bottles. Zhang He cradled the boy on his shoulder.

Wei giggled, placing his hand on Zhang He's face and tracing his fingers across his eyes.

"If… if you didn't have eyes, it…. It would be quite difficult to see wouldn't it?" Wei sniggered.

"Shh, just calm down and I'll have you back in your room soon." Zhang He said. He could see the boy's cheeks burning beneath his mask. Wei giggled.

"Me calm down? You can't tell me what to do… oh… I don't feel so good…." Wei muttered, still laughing.

"Oh no please no…" Zhang He begged quietly.

"That Sun Jian, thought he was so big… good thing the fairy's got him… or we'd all be in Guan Du… urp…" Wei muttered.

"Please don't be sick on me…" Zhang He begged.

"Sick… I'm not sick… Help he's taking me to the doctor…!" Wei cried out to Xiahou Dun as he passed.

"No Wei, I'm not taking you to the doctor, I'm taking you to bed…" He sighed.

"Good, I'm tired, hey look, my knees can bend down, how awesome his that!" Wei said falling to his knees and giggling.

Zhang He could see it, all the colour draining from the boy's face. He leaned over and quickly took of the boy's mask, jumping back as Wei vomited in the corridor.

---