-More of riding the wind... this next chapter, if you haven't already seen, is called 'Capture'. By its name, someone must get captured... Of course you won't know which character that is until you read. Happy Reading! ;) But first it all starts with a dream (Italics)... -
Xao rode on. She was being chased by bandits, her men rode behind her chasing the bandits that were chasing her. The bandits had taken everything but her pride. And now they were after that too. Her men were trying to help her get back to the capital, to see her lord. But the bandits always switched the path and forced her to go a certain way. Ares threw her off suddenly and she got trampled by all the bandit's horses. Her men, realizing this picked her up and took her back to the capital. She stood before her lord later on that day, who punished her for her cowardice in front of the enemy. They degraded her and sent her on her way. She cried and cried and cried, the same bandits were watching her, they approached Xao and offered her the opportunity of joining their ranks, to get payback on her lord, for his injustice and...
"Nooo!" She screamed, "My lord, I will not harm you... Oh." She stopped screaming and realized it was just a dream. An all too vivid dream... No it would never be reality, she thought. My Lord would trust me with their life, they wouldn't degrade me for cowardice... and when have I ever been a coward, even when disarmed I would try to turn the fight, to provide the favour for me to the win the struggle. So why would my lord...No that is not reality, now is reality. She told herself, forcefully. She rose from under the thin covers, It must have been a long night. She looked outside the nearest window. The sun was at its highest point in the skies. She'd slept that long? She rushed out of the small cot. There was a pale blue kimono placed on the floor, with a square of white placed along the chest. "That's real perfect positioning..." She muttered to herself. When she looked closer it was a scrap of white partridge paper. She turned it over and read it aloud.
"My Dearest Lady Cai Xao, I have set this kimono on the ground for the time when you awaken, it is the only garment that I think is suitable for a young lady of your stature. I have gone to fetch firewood, outside of the clearing, I have set the morning meal on the Go table for you in the other room," She found herself smiling, he is such a kind man, she thought, even if the meal was cold, there was thought intended to it. She continued to read with the smile plastered across her face. "I shall be back shortly after noon, If you need something to do, you can visit the horses in the stables. I have left the spare key to the lock on the go table, also. Signed, Bau Liang." She put the note on the cot, while she undressed from the worn out robes she had been wearing for weeks on end, and into the pale blue kimono, she realized it had pockets, therefore she stuck the note into one of them. She took her clothes into the first room of the house and tossed them too one side. She glanced over at the small go table, there was a small loaf of bread accompanied by an unknown stewed meat, a reasonable sized bowl of rice and an even smaller pot full of water, which she presumed was from the larger sized pot in the corner of the room next to the meat bun sack. Also, as promised by Liang, was the key to the stables round back. She sat in front of her meal, and noticed another piece of white paper under her cup. 'Feel free to help yourself to more water from the pot in the corner, if you need more.' He really did think of everything...
Xao tucked into her morning, well it was more rather her noon meal, now. Under ten minutes and she had finished, she was glad that Liang didn't see how much of a messy eater she was. He wasn't back for another ten while she sat and pondered her situation. Which way would she head next? Would she ever return to thank the old man for his kind hospitality? Will she ever find the lord that was meant for her? Anyway, there were horses for her to attend to, she picked up the key and headed for the stables round the back. It was a beautiful day, the cherry blossom trees flourished in the warming sun, and the tree's branches swayed in the gentle breeze that blew in from the east. It really was a sight to behold. What she found around the corner however was not. Bau Liang was lying in the center of the winding path that lead around to the stable, Blood pouring from... well, everywhere. She rushed towards him, she checked his pulse, there was nothing, and he was getting colder by the second, he was already as cold as a wet towelette would be. There was nothing she could do to save him, not even try to revive him, because by the looks of it he had been stone-dead for a couple of hours. She kissed him on the forehead and gently shifted him to the side of the path. He deserved to have a proper funeral but she didn't have the time, to do it for him. Besides it would be impossible for a girl like her to dig a hole to the side of the hut without the right tools, right?
She hurried on to the stables. The sight of the stables upset her greatly than that of the old man. Hay had been tossed everywhere and water was tossed upon the walls. And Ares was nowhere to be seen.
She called out to him several times, but he didn't come running, not even when she had whistled. Twice. There was a horse cowered into the corner it a plain grey horse. This must have been the old man's horse. She approached it carefully, making no sudden movements. It jumped with each step she took. By the looks of the poor creature, it was shaking too. She noticed there was a name branded onto the side of the wood panels that made up the stables. The name Mei was branded into the stable itself. She called out what she thought was the horse's name. She picked up a small carrot that she had stood on and called out again, getting closer with each step. The horse's ears pricked.
Mei walked towards Xao with uncertainty. The captors that had come, didn't know her name. But they had still left her and took away the intruder horse. They had pointed swords and spears at her.
Mei straightened up. She took a saddle of the peg, her saddle. Ares' saddle. And his reins, she spouted a silent tear, while the horse stood waiting for her to attach the riding equipment onto her. She led her to the the front of her house. She rushed inside and quickly changed into the now bone dry clothes. She left the Kimono littered on the floor, picked up her bow, and ran back outside to the horse, that was now grazing on some of the grass growing just outside the door. She quickly pulled herself up onto the horse's back and kicked off the horse gently. Mei was fast, but not as fast as Ares... on his good days. Even though she whizzed through the forest, she didn't feel comfortable. After ten minutes of searching, she eventually heard a loud whiny coming from the direction of the clearing. It sounded like Ares. She made Mei go to full speed as soon as she heard it... She left her slightly outside the clearing, so that she could get in as close as she could without making any noise. She peeked through the nearest bush, Ares was there, but he was tied to the outside like a common mutt. Nobody was there. Not even noise. She drew herself up to full height, and ran out towards her horse. Before she knew it she was hugging him closer and closer. She whistled for Mei to come closer. Mei did not come. She whistled again, still Mei did not come.
She resolves to fetch her. She managed a couple of paces before ropes were slung all around her. It was a ploy to capture her. But who would want to capture her, there was no-one she angered. Wait, she thought, there was that one guy from Gui Ying that she had pick-pocketed from. But why would he be after me? She pondered. The ropes were tied at all four corners. It wasn't just ropes it was a completely woven net. A man approached from behind her, and hit her hard over the head, knocking her stone cold out.
When she awoke again, she was in the back of a heavy cart, her bow was missing and her hands and ankles were tied with rope instead. Her arrow sack had been tossed to the other side of the cart. There were two horses tied to another cart, Ares and Mei were unable to get away too, she thought as the cart horses at the front of the cart she was in, carried their rehearsed canter. She was enraged, why had they tied her up and why haven't they told her where they were going. Because Xao was inquisitive, she had to find out.
"Hey! Man at the front of the cart!" She shouted to the bald headed man, leading the horses. He turned and pointed to himself. " Yes, you!" She shouted. "Where are we going?"
"I'm not obliged to tell you..." He said. "But the soldiers are taking you back to their master, after they warm you up... that is." He smirked. "We are almost at our destination" He said finally.
A new master? Or will he be my new lord? She wondered. And what does he mean by 'warm me up'? Guess I'm about to find out...
Chilling... I will write the next Chapter as soon as possible, Make sure to check back daily... I don't know if I shall write some more tomorrow. I will take up a start tonight though, even if it is just to work some minor details in the plot...