Hiya, people! Hope you liked the daring rescue! By the way, I'm sorry I made Yu so un-affectionate in the last chapter. Looks like I'm a more Ce and Da freak than I thought I was, and that's saying something, because I'm crazy about Ce and Da! But I'll make Yu alot warmer in the next chapters, don't worry, you'll see! Remember, Yu and Xiao are still my second favorite couple. Oh, and thanks for all the reviews, really appreciate them! So here's Chapter 5!

Enjoy.

At last, Sun Ce managed to clear the palace gates and hastened towards his horse, Da Qiao still safe in his arms. When he reached his stallion, he looked over and saw Zhou Yu's pretty mare still pawing the ground contentedly. So Yu obviously hadn't returned with Da's sister... But Ce wasn't worried about him at all. It was well known that Yu was an excellent warrior, who, although not quite as powerful as Ce yet, was most capable of defending himself and others adequately.

First things first, though. Ce bent his head to ask Da if she was all right or not, only to see she'd fallen asleep! He was astonished. How on earth could she have slept through all that? It was impossible! Was it because she was tired, and scared, perhaps, hence wanted to close her eyes and dozed off? Or could it be that being bundled up in his arms was so comfortable, that she forgot all her troubles and dozed off? Whatever the reason, he didn't want to think about it just now. Should he wake her?

What, and risk her not being able to sleep again? She needs rest!

Ce stopped. Why did he care so much? It wasn't appropriate.

Besides, she's got to ride, and she can't do that without being awake.

Ce was satisfied with that. But then, another thought sprang into his mind.

What's the big deal? I could carry her easily. There's no problem.

Yes, there is, dope! What if she wakes up, and starts yelling at you for touching her?

I can explain to her!

Oh, sure, explain. You are pathetic.

Ce shut his eyes in both confusion and exhaustion. To give himself time to think, he looked down at Da once more. He noticed that she was a rather tall young woman, maybe nearly five and half feet in height. But she seemed small, so small compared with him. Small and fragile, almost like a child. Holding her in his arms like that made him feel quite protective. And it also made him feel wonderful. He couldn't remember the last time someone like her had given him sole custody of their trust. She felt so warm, so soft. So sweet.

Ce didn't care. He was going to carry her onto the horse with him. He just hoped she wouldn't wake up too soon.

"I think we should turn back and look for my sister."

"Hmm"

"We can't just leave her there."

"Right."

"Let's go back now."

"Yeah."

Xiao Qiao had been talking non-stop for the past twenty minutes, and when she finally paused, she began explaining how important it was for her to look for Da. But she hadn't once tried to leap off Yu's back to start searching. She needn't have worried, though, because she had already found out through Yu that Da would be with Ce, and was more than likely safe. But Yu still hadn't lost that nervous feeling. How could Xiao have changed like this? She'd been frightened of him when she first met him. Did it make him a wicked, sadistic monster to have liked that feeling?

No, it wasn't the realization of scaring her that he liked. He'd liked the feeling of being looked up at- or rather, looked up too. He'd liked the feeling of seeming as a 'big' person in her eyes. Yes, that was what he'd liked. And wanted again.

But now, Xiao was blabbing continuously, as though she'd known him for years. And strangely, Yu was beginning to like that as well. It was as if she was totally familiar with him. But he still wished she would be at least a bit as nervous as he was. He couldn't return the vibe she was giving him in this state.

Xiao couldn't describe the emotions rushing through her. It felt so good to be on his back like that! Her ankle didn't hurt a bit anymore. Da had always said that, unless they were noblemen coming to court her, Xiao always treated people as if they were old friends, even if they were complete strangers to her. That was how she would behave with any new maids or guards. But she was still puzzled. Why hadn't she immediately rushed to find Da the moment she found Yu? Why was she still on his back? Why? Maybe it was because she was sure Da was safe. Yu had explained about Ce and himself being sworn brothers and splitting up to look for either Qiao. Xiao had been pleasantly surprised when she found that out. Did Da know? Was her elder sister experiencing what Xiao was at this moment?

I hope so, thought Xiao, as she leaned forward onto his back and felt him breathing softly.

Ce slowly steered his horse to the left. It was a miracle that Da hadn't awoken yet. Perhaps that was because the side of her head was still buried in his chest. Again, he asked himself about waking her, and again decided against it. She felt so lovely to him. It might be better she stayed asleep. Ce turned his head towards the moonlight and saw that the moon had fully risen, and the stars were twinkling brightly. Suddenly, an obvious, yet vicious question stabbed his mind. Where was he going to take her? Ce realized with a pang that while he had a rough idea where she lived, he couldn't remember how best to approach it. It had been hard enough looking for her with Yu to help him before he found out she'd been abducted. He could ask her again, but there was no way he was going to be responsible for awakening her. Should he take her home with him? But what impression would that make? He was so caught up in these thoughts; he almost didn't hear the sudden "Oh!" that came from directly in front of him.

Da had woken up!

Ce reined in his horse abruptly, barely noting its annoyed, startled whinny.

"Uh- I'm- did I wake you?"

Da shook her head, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"So- uh, how're you feeling?" he asked, sheepishly.

"I- I'm fine," she managed to reply.

Her legs were over one side of the horse, and her entire left side was pressed against his front. His arms were around her, albeit to hold the reins, but still around her. She was looking up at him, as though trying to remember all that had happened.

"You saved me," she whispered.

"Yeah," Ce replied, unsure of where she was going with this.

Da looked away, reliving those terrible moments when she thought she'd be killed- or worse.

"Can I ever thank you enough?"

"Hey, don't sweat it. It was fun. Besides, you don't think I'd have just left you there, do you?"

She turned back to look at him again.

"Where are we?" she whispered.

"This is the road to Jian Ye. My palace."

Her eyes went, if possible, wider.

"Jian Ye? Palace?" she gasped. "You mean... you're a- a…"

"A lord of Wu? Yep, that's me," he replied, grinning.

If anything, it was his smile that calmed her.

She couldn't believe her ears. Her- rescued by a lord, touched by a lord, spoken to by a lord, in the arms of a lord! And a young lord of the Empire of Wu, no less...

"Da, are you all right?"

"Yes… but- I just can't believe…"

"Forget about it." He waved his hand. "I'm the same now as I was then, aren't I? Being a lord doesn't make me any different from you. It's no big deal."

This was too much for Da to take in. It was all making sense now, though...

"That means... you're Lord Sun Ce of Wu."

"No," Ce corrected her. "I'm Ce, just as I was five minutes ago. You're not to call me 'Lord Sun Ce', or I'm gonna have to start calling you 'Lady Da Qiao' And I really don't think I wanna do that after calling you 'Da' for so long. Understand?"

Da smiled gratefully, and nodded. She had no problem with him calling her by just her name. No one else did but her father. So she supposed it was only natural for him to feel the same way.

But still... he was a lord!

Xiao always liked to say, 'I'd love to see the day when a lord would come knocking at my door to court me. I'd send him packing.'

That reminded Da.

"Xiao!" she cried. Where was her sister? She and Ce were the only ones around for yards, as far as she knew. Was Xiao left beind? Da tried to leap off the horse to run back to the palace, but Ce held her fast.

"Don't worry about her, she's okay."

"How do you know?" she asked, surprised.

Ce hastily explained about himself and Yu, while Da listened with wide eyes.

"And we found that message you two wrote, so we decided to help. Well, duh," he finished. The only things he didn't mention were the facts that he was the one searching for her, and how worried he had been about her.

Da lowered her eyes, as her cheeks began reddening.

"I wrote that message," she whispered.

"You?"

Ce was shocked. This dainty, obviously unmarked girl had written a message in her own blood.

He couldn't help himself as he reached for her hand and turned it over. He saw a little sore in her index finger. It was dried up now, but he could still discern that it had been pierced in a such a way that had enabled the tip to write as freely as did a quill. And he was overwhelmed, to say the least. He was a warrior, he had been on the battlefield countless times, had had to watch blood leave his fallen comrades, had even spilled the blood of other soldiers. But now, as he sat here on the horse, holding this young woman's hand, he felt that no one else's blood had been more wasted.

Da couldn't describe how she felt. Her hand was being held tightly yet gently in his, and once again, he had that same look in his eyes the day she first met him. The look was strange in those eyes- the green eyes, the green eyes that were her own. She'd never seen it in anyone else's.

"It was nothing," she whispered. "Really."

But he was still staring at her in amazement. As though he couldn't believe she was real. Suddenly, Ce dropped her hand and looked just a bit uncomfortable.

"We should be going now," he muttered. "Zhou Yu will catch up with us later He'll have your sister with him." Ce paused. "I'd like to meet her."

"She's probably thinking the same thing."

He tugged the reins of the horse, and it began trudging slowly.

Da leaned her head against Ce's chest in a familiar way that made him smile.

And although he couldn't see it, she smiled as well.

"Yaaay! Faster, Yu faster!"

Yu and Xiao were galloping on Yu's mare as fast as it could go so that they could catch up with Ce and Da in time. They had undoubtedly cleared the palace ahead of them, since Ce's stallion was gone. Xiao kept begging for Yu to make their horse go faster since she couldn't wait to see her sister again, and Yu was only too happy to oblige. Now, for the first time that night, he felt entirely comfortable, and at ease with her. All his nervousness had vanished. She clutched his shoulders as she did her best to remain seated behind him.

"Are you all right back there?" Yu called.

"Oh, yeah, I'm great!" she squealed back, having the time of her life as the wind rushed through her hair.

Yu laughed. She was so unique, so different. No other girl would have behaved the way she was behaving right now. She seemed so playful, so much fun.

"When do you think we'll get there?" she asked.

"Soon enough. You'll see your sister within the next ten minutes."

Xiao giggled with excitement.

"And you'll get to meet her too! And I'll be able to see what Ce's like. That should be fun, huh, Yu?"

"Yes, I'm sure it will be," he laughed. He wondered absently what Xiao's sister would be like... Was she anything like Xiao? He doubted it. He didn't think anyone was like Xiao.

Yu was distracted from his thoughts as her long, brown ponytail sharply whipped him across the face, making it sting rather painfully.

"Whoops! Sorry, Yu," she said grinning.

Yu smiled and answered,

"Don't worry, Xiao. It's okay."

And it was.

There you go! I hope you liked it? Remember to review and tell me what you think!