Chapter 15: Shao's being annoying

"Mengqi..." muttered Yun Lu as she turned to see her brother. He and Ma Dai were at the front of the lines.

Shao's not around...no wait, stupid me, why would she be at the front? Probably in the kitchen or with the medics.

Ma Chao dismounted, with a cold look on his face. Then he ran up to Yun Lu, his expression changing. "Are you alright?" he asked.

My gosh, my brother cares about me!

"Ow..." Yun Lu whined as Ma Chao grabbed her injured arm. "Just...the arm..."

"You've finally come then, Ma Chao the Splendid? Took you a damn long while, a coward too for sending your little sister in your place!" called Zhang Fei rather haughtily.

"This man..." Ma Chao muttered to Yun Lu.

Yun Lu whispered back albeit rather loud, like a stage whisper, "Kinda annoying don't you think? He's been going on about that for ages!"

"Did I hear you say something?" asked Zhang Fei as his eyebrow twitched in anger.

"Yes, you heard very clearly how I said you were strong, valiant and not to mention," Yun Lu faked a cough. "handsome."

Zhang Fei opened his mouth to argue (not to the comments but to how Yun Lu was being sarcastic) but then he resorted to grunting in annoyance.

"Go find the medics to tend to your arm Yun Lu," ordered Ma Chao. Yun Lu nodded and headed to the infirmary. Seeing Ma Dai, she stopped to ask Shao's whereabouts.

"I'm not sure, but she should either be in the kitchen or the infirmary," he replied. Yun Lu frowned.

"Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her?"

"Well...yes. I was doing that until you started fighting that man. I just had to watch. But Shao didn't want to see you get hurt so she left." Ma Dai grinned. "By the way, nice battle."

"Oh shut up, I know failed." Yun Lu continued on her way to the infirmary, hoping Shao would be there, so to save her the trouble of going to the kitchen to find her.

Meanwhile, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao faced off.

"Now that you're here, let's start." Zhang Fei readied his fighting stance.

"Need a rest after fighting my sister?" asked Ma Chao.

"Nah. Although your sister is quite fierce, you'll need a lot more to get me tired, not to mention, defeat me."

Ma Chao smiled. "Ready then?" Cocking his spear, he waited for Zhang Fei to make a move.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yun Lu turned out to be correct. Shao was indeed in the infirmary, hurrying about, getting equipment for the medics as they got ready for the dreaded patients to come in the oncoming battle. Shao instantly spotted Yun Lu as she walked in and rushed up to her.

"Oh my gosh, thank goodness you're alright. You should not just charge out alone like that!" warned Shao. Yun Lu waved the comment away; she wouldn't listen to it anyway. "Oh no, you're hurt aren't you? You wouldn't have come here just to find me would you?"

"Actually, I would. But my arm..."

Shao immediately grabbed Yun Lu's wrist and raised it to examine her arm. Yun Lu blinked a couple of times as Shao continued to scan her arm as if her eyes had X-ray vision. Sadly, X-ray was not invented then. Yun Lu sighed. Shao was always so worried.

"Shao, maybe we should leave checking injuries with the pros." She waved to a middle aged man. "Hi Doctor Li!"

He waved back. "Hello Lady Ma."

Yun Lu waked over with Shao supporting her.

"You know, I can walk, Shao," stated Yun Lu.

"But you're hurt!" retorted Shao.

"Where are you hurt Lady Ma?" asked Dr Li. Yun Lu stretched out her right arm and took off the leather armguard there, showing a large, dark bruise.

"Oh, ouch," winced Dr Li, even though the bruise was not his.

"Yes, ouch," replied Yun Lu.

And that Zhang Fei was taking it easy on me! Just imagine what would happen if he went all out. I hope Mengqi will be alright...

"Ouch!? Oh noooo!" cried the worried Shao.

"Oh shut up Shao. It's just a goddamn bruise."

"Yes, because it's a bruise, I can't do much about it but—"

"You can't do anything about it? Ahhh, you're going to die Yun Lu!" shouted Shao, cutting the doctor's line.

"Shao! Do you even know what a bruise is? Only capillaries are broken and they can heal by themselves. But I can give you some ointment which will help speed up the healing process," said Dr Li. Then he shook his head, disapprovingly, at Shao. "I can't believe you don't know what a bruise is!"

"Well...I do know..." answered Shao quietly.

"She's just overreacting because I'm the one who got the bruise," informed Yun Lu.

"If the patient says so. Now, here," Dr Li squeezed some of the cream onto the bruise. "Put about that much on each time, twice per day." Yun Lu nodded adn rubbed the cream into the bruise.

"Thanks Dr Li," she said, putting the tube of cream into her pocket.

"My pleasure," Dr Li replied. "I hope you'll be the only patient today!"

"I hope so too!" Yun Lu bowed to show her gratitude and turned to leave.

"Will you be okay by yourself Yun Lu?" asked Shao.

"Yes I will Shao! Thanks to the doctor's miraculous life saving cream, I won't die because of a bruise!!" Yun Lu shouted sarcastically.

"Ok then..."

Yun Lu sighed again. "I'm glad you care about me, but please, put a limit on it if the injury isn't fatal."

Shao grinned playfully. "I'll try!" She then hopped back to work before Yun Lu could say anything.

XXXXXXXXXX

Pushing the infirmary tent flap away, Yun Lu stepped into the sunshine, or rather, the battlefield. She made her way to Ma Dai who was watching Ma Chao and Zhang Fei having their never ending duel. Ma Dai, not adverting his attention asked, "Did you find Shao?"

"Yes, in the infirmary. Shao was being annoying!" complained Yun Lu. "She went all spastic over over a little bruise." She raised her injured arm.

"That ain't a little bruise Yun Lu."

"Okay, whatever, but it's just a bruise!"

With his attention still focused on the battle, Ma Dai grinned. "You know Shao. That's what she's like."

Yun Lu quickly analysed the line in her brain then asked her cousin, "She goes spastic over your wounds too, Ma Dai?"

The said cousin finally turned towards Yun Lu.

"Yeah—" And he cut himself off as if he had said too much. "Almost forgot, you must want to know what happened to Ma Chao in this duel while you were away!"

The sudden change in topic! It's not like him to do that. How shifty.

"Yeah why not?" answered Yun Lu, letting Ma Dai's unusual change in topic slide. Usually, she was a nosy girl who wanted to know about everything and would pester the person until they gave up. But, she didn't really feel like it today.

So Ma Dai continued by rambling about nobody being able to gain the upper hand and how neither of them seemed to get tired. In fact, they seemed to be getting fiercer the more they battled.

And I got owned in a matter of minutes by Zhang Fei. Mengqi, I didn't think he was that strong! I'm proud.

Yun Lu's thoughts wandered back to the time they had a duel with their new weapons and how she had won. She slapped a palm to her forehead. He must have let her win.

Suddenly, a gong sounded from the enemy side.

"Please, you two generals. Have a momentary rest before fighting. You have been fighting for quite a few hours!" said a man in green. Yun Lu assumed it was Liu Bei because everyone seemed to be fanned out around him. And only high ranking generals, but more so commanders could order the gong to be sounded.

Ma Chao and Zhang Fei ceased their clash, watching each other warily.

"Rest?" they shouted loudly and rather angrily in unison.

"Bah, we don't need it!" shouted Zhang Fei. "Brother, let us continue to fight to the finish!"

"No Zhang Fei!" Cease fighting...for now. You need to rest!" urged Liu Bei. His order made Zhang Fei subdue and withdraw.

"Alright." Zhang Fei turned back to his opponent. "Let us finish this later then."

"Fine," replied Ma Chao which almost seemed like a growl and the two stomped off to their respective armies.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yun Lu and Ma Dai went to greet Ma Chao.

"Is your arm okay?" asked Ma Chao instantly.

"Yes it is! Please don't be like Shao..." replied Yun Lu.

"Nice fight!" complimented Ma Dai. "I can see Zhang Fei is quite a challenge for our great Ma Chao the Splendid."

"Zhang Fei is superior...as a rival. I can see why you lost so easily, Yun Lu," said Ma Chao with a smirk. Yun Lu pouted at the comment, making her brother laugh.

"I am not weak!"

"Depends who you're up against!"

"Hey Chao, how are you planning to win him?" asked Ma Dai.

"I was planning?"

Sister and cousin stared at the man.

"So you're like…what, planning to die?" asked Yun Lu sarcastically.

"We are quite equal in strength, but I have confidence that I will win this duel. How you ask? I will with my power and my spear of justice!" shouted Ma Chao, obviously energised just with the word 'justice'. Yun Lu wanted a wall to bash her head into, but thought against it.

"Maybe we can help you," said Yun Lu.

"Who, what, how?" asked Ma Chao.

"I said maybe."

A/N: Sorry for this uber uber uber late update. I don't think this fic will be cancelled, so please, you know…stay tuned. I'm so sorry. And I know! I hate myself for not starting this fic in a later time. I wish ZHAO YUN could come out sooner! DAMMIT. Anyways, I will hope to…update soon. I've got in mind of what I should change from my draft in my note book so…yeah!

Thanks for reading, and really hope you will review! Many thanks to those awesome readers who review! (you know who you are ^^)