It was a feast to rival even that with the Allied Forces. The entire courtyard had been cleared of anything that could be moved, now filled with tables and chairs for the leaders and officers and numerous blankets on the ground for the rest of the people. Lanterns were lit and placed in such large numbers that one could have swore it was daylight outside. People scurried about their duties, trying to put the finishing touches on decorations and setting places at the tables. For once the feast began, there would be no rush to do anything but enjoy the time given.
As the sun finally set in the sky, the rebel leaders and the delegation from Shu came and sat at their places. There was no opening speech. There was no business to attend to beforehand. As soon as Liu Bei sat, the servants brought out the food and the celebration officially began. The air filled to the brim with talking, laughing, and occasionally singing. The plates were never empty. The wine and ale were abundant. Nothing could dampen the spirits of anyone there at the moment.
"I must say that I've never seen so many people at a feast before," Liu Bei commented. Zhang Rui, who was across the table from him, laughed heartily.
"When there is cause for one person to celebrate," he said, "then there is cause for everyone to celebrate. I do believe that the entire capital has turned out, with the exception of the sick, I think."
Zhao Yun looked around for a moment, frowning. "Where is Lady Yang?" he asked.
Pang Qui laughed out loud and pointed towards where some of the Shu soldiers were sitting. There, among the other serving women, was Yang Xing with a jug in her arms. One of the soldiers made a comment as she filled his cup, and she threw back her head in laughter. "You won't see that woman stop for anything, my lords. If there is work to be done, then you can be sure Xing will be doing it."
As he finished, Yang Xing came up to the head table and began refilling the wine glasses. She reached Liu Bei and, smiling, took his near empty glass. "My lady, you should be sitting here with the rest of us. Will you not join us?"
"Lord Liu Bei, there is much to be done. Besides, you worked hard to earn that food in front of you. Enjoy it. Please don't worry about me." He made to protest, but she moved down the table without another word.
"Don't even bother, my lord," Man Zhu said. "Yang Xing's been like that forever; always making sure everyone else is satisfied before her. I guarantee that she will be the last person to leave the courtyard tonight and the first one to enter it tomorrow."
Jiang Wei nearly gasped. "Does she sleep or eat at all? Is there anything that would make her stop working?"
Zhao Yun nodded. "I feel guilty that we are all here enjoying this feast and she is not. After all, she did the most to defeat the army in my opinion. She deserves this break more than anyone."
"Don't feel guilty," Man Zhu answered. "It keeps her out of trouble." Everyone laughed as an apple flew from the other end of the table and hit him in the face. Xing stuck out her tongue at him before going back to Zhang Quan's wine glass. "Well, there might be something that will get her to stop." He stood and called out to her from the end of the table. "Lady Yang Xing, I have a request. Would you honor me with a dance?" The other leaders began to snicker as she gave him an exasperated look.
"Lord Man Zhu, I am in the middle of my work. When I finish, then I will dance with you."
He sat down and grinned. "She always tries to refuse, but I've never known her to completely turn down a dance before." His grin became more mischievous. "I bet that if one of you members of Shu asked, she would stop working to dance with you."
Liu Bei thought a moment, then grinned. "Well, I suppose it's worth a try." He stood just as Xing was leaving the table. "My Lady Yang Xing, since you will not dance with Man Zhu, perhaps you would dance with me instead." The soldiers of Shu began to cheer and comment as she turned to him with a mix of embarrassment and uncertainty. "I know how much you enjoy dancing, my lady, as I have been lucky enough to see you do it. Would you honor me?"
She gave up and let out a laugh. "Well, that depends, Lord Liu Bei. How much wine have you had tonight?"
"More wine makes my dancing better."
"Well," she said with a grin, "perhaps we should dance now so that I will not be outdone." There were cheers as she put down her wine jug and Liu Bei hurried around the table. They moved to a small clearing in front of the tables. The musicians, who had been playing simple melodies, began to play a much more spirited tune. Everyone laughed as the pair began to dance, spinning around in tune with the music. Soon the group began to clap in time with the song and urged the dancers to go faster. After a few minutes, the song ended and everyone erupted into cheers as the dancers stopped, breathless. Liu Bei threw his hands into the air.
"Alas, men, I have been outdone!" More laughter ensued as he sat back down. Zhang Fei, however, stood.
"But I shall not be!" He offered is hand to one of the young serving women, who rather shyly accepted. Within minutes, the clearing was filled with men, women, and children dancing the night away. Even Zhuge Liang could be seen dancing with his wife, Yue Ying. For a moment, it made no difference if one was from Shu or the provinces.
Only one person did not join in. Ma Chao was contented to watch the revelry from his seat. Several of the officers, as well as some of the village women, had urged him to dance. But he politely declined them all. He had never been much of a dancer, and he was not about to change now. Especially not in front of the present company.
As he watched the dancers, however, he noticed that Yang Xing had disappeared. After her dance with Liu Bei, he watched her dance with the other leaders, Zhao Yun, Jiang Wei, and some of the other soldiers. But now she was nowhere to be seen. It was odd not seeing her among the dancers anymore, and her absence was obvious to Ma Chao. He got up, intending to wander through the courtyard and find her, but as soon as he took a step from the table, he knew he wouldn't find her there. Slowly, he slipped away from the courtyard and headed to the stables.
She was in the exact same spot she had been in earlier that day. He watched her for a moment, not moving or speaking. She was brushing her horse's mane and gently petting her nose. Everyone once in a while, the horse would gently nudge Xing, who would kiss the animal's nose and whisper to her. Ma Chao thought it odd, in a way, that this woman who was so bloodthirsty on the battlefield would be so kind and gentle to her horse; nor that this woman who was so energetic and outgoing among her people would choose solitude and quiet in the stable.
The horse waited until Xing had turned her head before grabbing her hair with her mouth. Yang Xing laughed and patted her horse. "Nightwind, do I look like food to you?" As she looked up, she noticed Ma Chao standing there. She gave him a warm smile. "Did you need something, my lord?"
"I guess I was just getting bored with the feast, like you. That and I noticed you were gone."
"Was I that obvious?"
"Well, I don't think so. I was watching, so that's why I noticed. But most everyone else is dancing and having a good enough time not to notice." He moved towards Nightwind and put his hand up. She immediately let go of Xing's hair in favor of a pet.
"She likes your touch, Lord Ma Chao," Xing said softly. "You seem to have a way with horses."
"They've been my one passion for as long as I can remember. If you are good to them, then they will be good to you."
"I know. And they're always willing to listen to you whenever you have a problem. They don't judge you like people do." Ma Chao nodded as he moved his hand down Nightwind's neck. Xing watched him, a thought popping into her head. "There's something I want to show you. You seem to be the only person I can think of who would enjoy it. Care to join me?"
Again, he nodded. "I would be honored, Lady Yang." He moved down to where Storm Runner was being kept while Xing opened Nightwind's stall. They saddled up and rode out into the night, away from the feast and towards the nearby hills. When the sounds of the celebration ceased, they dismounted and walked their horses a little ways more. Finally, they reached the top of one of the hills and tied their horses to a tree.
"I've only shown this to my siblings," Xing said, kneeling down by a clump of bushes. Ma Chao followed her lead. "I found it when I was six. It's become almost a family secret. Well, except that now I'm the only living member of my family." She pushed back one bush to reveal a valley below them. Grazing in the valley were at least ten wild horses. Each had a beautiful coat of midnight black, and the moonlight cast shadows that showed off their muscular figures. It was breathtaking. "Aren't they fascinating?" Xing asked. "They're the only wild horses around here. When I first found them, there were only five. Each time I come back, their number grows. It makes my heart soar to see such beauty."
"I've never seen so many," Ma Chao whispered, still awed by the sight. "It is indeed beautiful." He tore away from the horses and looked at Xing, who was smiling down at them. "My lady, I think I was wrong about you."
She turned to him, confused. "How so?"
"Well, I feel like I barely knew you when we both still lived in the provinces. We were childhood friends, but that often counts for little when the children finally grow up. The first time I met you after I left Jiang, you were charging into battle against the Yellow Turbans. You led the rebel army into dangerous territory against a curse and came out unscathed. I hear that after the battle, you had words with Cao Cao, and more with him and his son the day after. The next time I see you, you are completely concentrated on the Jiang dance, which was done with an unmatched fury of its own. Then a month later, you are battling the remains of the Yellow Turban army despite the curse causing immense blood loss. I confess, I began to wonder if you were indeed like the legends say."
Xing's smile disappeared. "I know what the legends say about me. That I don't know fear or pain. That I am a witch that can kill merely by staring at or thinking about someone. That I am a warlord who seeks to control all of China." She forced a laugh. "I am so thankful to have the respect of all of Jiang despite what the rumors say about me. It is difficult having a childhood that is spent fighting them. Fighting has become a part of me; a part that a hate and loathe."
"Fighting has become a part of all of us," Ma Chao said. "Please don't hate yourself for it."
"I can't help it. But I suppose there's nothing I can do about it now." She turned back to him. "So how do you see me now?"
"A woman who knows fear and pain all too well, but knows how to use both to make her stronger. A woman who knows white magic and uses it to aid and defend her people when they are in need. A woman who knows how to rule over her people in an iron fist and a heart of gold, and who has won the hearts of all of them for her kindness and compassion. And a woman who will become legendary for her prowess on the field of battle, as well her cunning and beauty."
"Oh, stop. Lord Ma Chao, you could kill a woman with flattery." She stood and began to untie Nightwind, but her smile had returned. "I guess we should go back. By now, someone will have noticed that both of us are gone." Ma Chao nodded and the pair rode back, unsaddled the horses, and returned to the feast. Xing was wrong; the group was exactly how they had left them and no one mentioned anything about their being gone.
Ma Chao breathed a sigh of relief and headed back to his chair. Lady Yang frowned as he sat down and took the seat next to him. "Shouldn't you be up dancing?" he asked jokingly.
"I should ask you the same thing," she retorted.
"I've never been much of a dancer. I prefer to sit and watch others."
Yang Xing rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you're just as good as everyone else here. And I dislike excuses." Before Ma Chao could say anything, she grabbed his arms and hauled him off to the clearing. She moved to the center of the dancers and grinned. "Now you have no choice." She winked and laughed at his nervousness. Taking his right hand in her own, she rested her free hand on his shoulder and waited. Realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, he placed his free hand on her waist. The musicians began another song, and the pair was off.