The response was almost immediate.
By the time it had sunk in for Lu Ba that they were at the Wu border, they had reached two guards posted at a nearby gate. The men angrily shouted for them to stop. Mid sentence, one of them recognized Ba and began a string of praises that made San's ears ring. They allowed them to pass when she held up the letter, complete with Jiang Wei's seal. Then people just off of the road began crowding along the edge to see their young hero and the strange Shu girl that was with him. If San hadn't understood the impact of his presence on Wu before, she understood it clearly now.
"San," he said when they finally got away from some of the crowds, "why didn't you tell me this is where we were going?"
"I was told not to." It was the truth. Jiang Wei had instructed her to keep it a secret until their location was obvious. "Besides, I didn't want you riding off without me. I've got a message to deliver."
"Who's supposed to get it?"
"I need to present it to Sun Jian. I'm also to meet whoever his contact is when we get to the nearest castle. He's the one who is actually supposed to read it."
Ba nearly stopped his horse in its tracks. The shock on his face was rather comical. "Wait, Lord Sun Jian is here? Now? That means….oh gods, does that mean everyone is here, just down the road?"
Yes, all those you have ever loved are waiting for you without knowing it. "Come on. We have to hurry." She kicked her horse's sides and spurred him forward. Ba was quick to follow her. In moments, they would be in the tiger's den. Well, she would be. Lu Ba would be home again. San wondered if it was possible for her heart to beat right out of her chest and run all the way back to Shu.
"I could see myself staying in a place like that." Did he really mean it? All of the prisoners she had encountered wanted nothing more than to return to their homes. Why would Ba say that he wished to stay in Shu? He would be among the people who had almost killed him, the people that would never accept him because of where he came from.
Stop being selfish, she told herself. You just want him to stay because you enjoy his company. You don't really care about his friends and family. You want him for yourself. And you can't have him.
Then why am I bringing him back? If I was so selfish, why would I agree to do this?
Because it is your duty. You want to become a legend like your father? Do what he did. Walk into the fire and return unscathed.
Not without Lu Ba.
If you return with him, you will never be known for anything but cowardice.
"Gods, we're here," Lu Ba said. His voice was breathless, like the wind had been knocked out of him. San raised her head to see the castle towers peaking out from over the trees. More people were lining up on the roads, pointing at the pair with a mixture of joy and fear. San cut off the conversation in her head. She needed to focus. She was in enemy territory with only Ba as a means of protection. Her father was right; this was to be her toughest trial.
Four guards were stationed outside of the main gate. Others were lined up along the walls, staring down at the riders approaching. San held her posture. If simply breathing was enough of an excuse for them to cut her down, she would hold her breath. Ba remained excited beyond measure. He even waved to the guards when they came into view. "They can't tell its you yet," San said.
"You think I care? They'll recognize me soon enough."
She rolled her eyes and kept riding. His attitude hadn't changed. But then again, why would it? He was almost home and she was far from hers. She swallowed the fear that threatened to rise up. There was a message to deliver and a mission to complete. That left no room for emotion.
"Halt!" One of the guards shouted to them as they approached. They stopped a few feet away from them. "What's this? A young girl of Shu riding into Wu without guards? Foolish child."
San's face burned. Who did this man think he was, treating her like some commoner? Angrily, she jerked Jiang Wei's letter out of her bag and waved it around in front of her. "I have a message from my Lord Jiang Wei. I must speak with Lord Sun Jian immediately."
"What makes you think he's here?"
"My informant has told me so. Let me in so I may speak with your lord."
The man tightened his grip on his sword. "You have a lot of nerve for such a tiny girl."
She opened her mouth to object, but Ba beat her to it. "Chong? Is that you? I thought you knew better than to talk down to a woman." His arms were crossed over his chest, but that typical smile and those laughing eyes outshone any anger he pretended to have.
If shock was audible, San would have gone deaf. All four of the men simply stared at him as though they'd seen a ghost. San was forgotten. "By the gods! Lord Lu Ba, is that really you?" The same soldier approached, paused to look up at him, and bowed deeply. "We didn't think you would ever return. This is…wow, it really is you!" The others came closer, also bowing and shouting up to their returned hero. San felt some of the anger die down. "A little popular, aren't we?" she muttered.
Ba laughed. "Yes, yes, I'm back. But we need to talk to Lord Sun Jian. Let us in."
Chong warily eyed San again. "But she is of Shu. We're not to let any of their lot in here."
"She's with me. Well, actually, I'm with her. But that doesn't matter. Come on, Chong, let us inside. We're both tired, she has a message to deliver, and I need to see my mother before she kills me."
"Yes, of course." He made a motion to the soldiers above them. Soon, the gate was open and San found herself following Lu Ba inside. "Why would you mother kill you?" she asked after they passed through.
"If she finds out that I was here for a full minute and didn't come looking for her, she'd never forgive me." He nodded up towards the main entrance to the castle. "Come on, San."
The castle itself reminded her of home in a way. Everyone was going about their daily work. Some clanging of metal against metal could be heard in the distance. The tiny world surrounded by massive stone walls was at peace. San wondered for a second if this was how Ba had seen Cheng Du when he first arrived. Then she waved it off. He would have been lucky to see anything at all before she'd spared his life.
She didn't notice that they had an entourage by the time they reached the stairway. People had dropped what they were doing to see the son of Lu Meng return home with a strange girl in tow. So much for a quiet entrance. Lu Ba dismounted his horse, motioning for San to do the same. He handed both sets of reins to a young stable boy. "San? Are you okay?" She felt him put a hand on her shoulder, sending a wave of warmth through her body.
"Yeah, I think so." She took a deep breath and offered a wary smile. "Let's go meet your family."
He nodded but didn't look convinced that she was alright. If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't. This whole mission was putting her on edge. Don't lose your composure. "They should be finishing the morning meal," he said, leading her up the steps slowly. She wondered how much it killed him to walk that slowly when his family, the ones who thought him dead, were nearby. "I say we try that direction first."
San was convinced that Ba could hear her heart beating by the time they reached the top of the stairs. She let him lead, only one step ahead of her. A part of her wanted to reach out and grab his hand, anything that would ground her and give her courage. But she refrained. How would that look to anyone passing by, servant or officer? Their great and mighty Lu Ba, dragging around some girl from Shu who was sweating from every pore. No, she would not allow that. She was the daughter of Zhao Yun. Her resolve would not falter.
But her balance almost did. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't realized Ba had stopped walking. Her mouth opened to apologize as she walked into him, but she shut it immediately. They were standing in front of a pair of large doors. Voices could be heard on the other side. "Ba? What's wrong?" She touched his arm as he stared into the dark wood. "You're trembling."
Ba let out a nervous laugh. "Somehow I pictured my return home to be different. I want to surprise them, but…" He shook his head. "Why am I nervous?"
"Because you're excited?" she offered.
"I don't know. What exactly is this message that you're supposed to give to Sun Jian?"
She shrugged. "Jiang Wei just handed me the letter and told me to give it to him. Actually, I'm just supposed to show it to him and then hand it to Wei's contact. Something about a peace treaty."
"Ah, that explains a lot." He turned around, taking both of her hands in his, and let out a long sigh. "I guess its time. Let me do the talking initially. If you barge in there and start talking about what Shu wants, they won't listen. I'll tell them what's been happening, and that you're trustworthy and here only on good terms. Can you do that for me?"
"Uh…okay. But don't forget that this is my mission."
He smiled. "I won't."
The door opened enough for one person to sneak out of the room.
San never felt so exposed in her life. Here she was, in Wu territory, holding hands with one of their best soldiers. Her face was on fire. A young man stared back at them, glancing over her with confusion. She jerked her hands out of Ba's. The man's eyes slid over to her companion, and the color drained from his face.
"Zhou Xun?" Ba's voice was breathless again. "You…you're here too?"
"Lu Ba?"
There was a tense moment where San thought the boy was going to run back inside the room, screaming about ghosts. But a glimmer of recognition shone through his eyes, and he let out a whoop like none she'd heard before. She took a step back as Ba was enveloped in the boy's embrace. Both were laughing despite their desperate cling to one another, as if letting go would make this dream vanish.
At length they parted, but they continued to stare at each other. San took the chance to get a good look at Zhou Xun, the only friend Ba had spoken of with complete kindness. He was a few inches shorter, his face clean shaven, and his hair neatly groomed in a cascade of dark hair. Xun's pale features were only further accentuated by the white robe he wore. Red trim and golden accents provided a stark contrast against the colorless blanket. She had to admit, he was a handsome man. San wondered if she would get the opportunity to meet his father, another famed for his good looks. Xun was gentle in all the ways Ba was rough, physically anyway.
"It is good to see you, my friend," Ba said, a hand still on the boy's shoulder. "How have things been since I was away?"
"Rough. Not only was the raid a complete failure, but we were devastated to learn you had been captured. We assumed you were dead." A mischievous grin peaked at the corner of Xun's mouth. "Your family never lost hope though. It was like you were out on a mission, the way they carried on."
"And you? How have you been?"
"I was angry for many nights. I wondered how you could leave me here with no companions but my siblings. Ying cried for days. You know how she is. But as the anger began to subside, I overheard whispers between my father and Lu Xun. Someone was sending them letters, specifically to Xun, with hints that you were alive. I held on to that hope. I am glad it was worth it."
Ba chuckled. "That would have been Jiang Wei of Shu."
"Gods, Lu Ba, how did you survive? And how do you know of Jiang Wei?"
San realized that both sets of eyes were suddenly on her. "Xun, this is Zhao San. She was the one who convinced Liu Bei to spare me after the raid. I owe her and her family my life." She bowed her head, trying to keep the blush at bay. Ba was making that difficult. "She has a message for Lu Xun from Jiang Wei. We need to speak to them, and Lord Sun Jian, as soon as possible."
Zhou Xun's eyes bore into San's own. They were much lighter than his friend's, but that didn't make them less penetrating. She felt like she was being sized up. An uncomfortable prickle was crawling up her back and neck. Despite that, she maintained her position. She was a Zhao on a mission, and she would not cower before some Wu boy.
Eventually, he dropped his head into a low bow. "You have my thanks for sparing my friend," he said. There was a slightly icy quality to his tone. "Zhao San. That would make you the daughter of Zhao Yun. I have heard of you."
"You have?" she asked, dumbfounded. How would anyone outside of Shu know about her?
"The soldiers you did not kill brought your name back with them from the raid. They told tales of the Little Dragon's children and how they fought with the strength given to them by their father. Even the girl dragon fought." He paused and looked her over again. "I wonder what that would be like, to see the Dragon's daughter battle against a son of the Tiger's clan."
Ba winced a little, as if remembering something painful. "Its nothing spectacular."
"Afraid to fight me again?" San asked. Now this was a battle she could easily win.
"I still haven't recovered from the last time." His playful smile was making this harder for her by the minute. "Once I'm in one piece again, we can have another go. And your father had better not stop us this time."
"He only stopped so you wouldn't embarrass yourself."
Xun started laughing. It softened his features even more, and San found herself smiling as he struggled for breath. "Oh yes, this is a fight I have got to see. But first, there are other matters to attend." He caught his breath, straightened himself and turned back to Ba. "The others are finishing their meals. I will go in first and tell them that I bring a message from Shu about you. That will quiet them. At least, I hope so."
"Thanks," said Ba. "A grand entrance and everything."
"It might not be so grand when they realize what you've brought along." Xun didn't look at San, but she knew that comment was for her. She watched him through narrowed eyes as he walked back inside. There was some shouting, and then the sound disappeared all together.
Ba squeezed her shoulder. "Ready?"
"No." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But let's go anyway."
Xun's face appeared though the cracked door. "We're ready for you." He pulled his head back inside. Ba rubbed the back of his neck nervously, muttered something to himself, and nearly threw his body into the hushed room.
There's no turning back now, San thought as she followed him inside.
A/N: Back again! Thanks to all of my reviewers (and as soon as my Internet stops being lame and lets me access them, I'll be able to add reviewer names to this part again) and my readers. One quick note before I ship out to work on the next chapter: almost everything that is in italics is San's voice inside of her head. Sometimes she argues with herself there. Its rather amusing. So if there are blocks in italics where you can't tell who is talking, its San having a mental conversation. Just trying to clear up any confusion from this point out...and thanks again for all the love!