So I feel a bit nervous about posting this as...well basically i'm paranoid about what people will think. It's still fairly draft-ish; even this morning I changed part of an earlier section and I'm still not sure about it. Bad news for Wei fans; the story is Wei-lacking (at least the first parts) but this may be changed in the future. for fans of Shu and Wu, you're in luck. I hope everyone who reads the story likes it, even if it's just a little.

Disclaimer: the only thing I own are the characters Bai Xue, Bai Yan, Jia Huo, Chung Yuan, and anything they do in the story.

~Chapter 1~
It was another slow day, and it had been surprisingly peaceful in the country for a while. Bai Xue was lying back on the steps to the training ground watching the soldier’s shirtless, sweating bodies glistening in the sun like the dew on the grass on a sunny morning, and laughing at herself for being so foolish at the same time. It was a hot summer day and they were working hard, so she couldn’t blame them for doing so, but to her it was still fun… she was finding it amusingly hard to keep composure. That was until Lady Mi, one of Liu Bei’s two wives, came near. Although Liu Bei was a very nice man, she was not and she seemed to have a particular hate for Xue. “I see you’re watching the men instead of doing your duties. Are you slacking or have you finished!?” She asked.

“I’m sorry! I needed to rest, so I decided to stop here for a short while. I was just about to start working again.” Bai Xue answered.

“You’re not even old enough to watch the men. However, any child can work to some degree.” She snapped. Xue felt her ears starting to burn in anger…

“…But it was only for a very short time? Surely I have an allowance to rest?” Xue asked as calmly as she could.

“I can take any right or allowance you have right away. If I wanted I could order your death.” Lady Mi reminded.

“Well in that case, I will join the soldiers in training.” Xue decided, trying not to break down.

“What is the point of joining the soldiers in training if you have no weapon to train with?” She asked. Xue was almost fuming. Lady Mi had a habit of hiding her weapon when she felt like it. Every time it became even trickier; she even started disassembling it and hiding pieces; being a staff with a morning star-like end on it, including the ties around the staff it could be detached into almost a eleven pieces – 3 small, round, pointy mace-ends, four ties, 3 chains, and the main staff. That’s if she didn’t snap the staff into pieces. She couldn’t believe that such a woman would do such a thing; if she was in her position she’d be kind and just, not cunning and cruel.

“In that case do you want to join in with the ranks here? We have many basic weapons aside in case such situations arise.” The man leading the training offered Xue. Her heart leapt and she wondered how much of their argument he had heard...

“I would love to. I will change into more suitable clothing and then I will join you.” She answered. She raced inside, feeling so lucky, that is until she stumbled and fell, her skirt flying up and her body exposed. She heard all the men and Lady Mi laughing. Instead of saying anything, she quickly scurried away inside, trying not to show her blushing face to anyone. Quickly hurrying to her small room, she grabbed her clothes she wanted to change into and scurried behind a screen to change. It was then she noticed part of her weapon was nearby. She hid it safely away and rushed back outside again to see that the men were taking a break, if not fully packing up; Xue was thinking more of the latter had occurred. She could not believe it; it felt like everyone was beating down on her today. It wasn’t the first time she felt like that, but it hurt her nevertheless.

“Oh, Bai Xue! There you are. The men were tired so I gave them a rest. But I’m not so tired, so we can train together if you’d like.” The man offered. Xue could not believe it.

“Is this a dream?” she wondered. “S-sure!!” She stuttered in reply. He laughed, grabbed her hand and led her away from the building to a place near a small pond. He had with him two spears; he gave her one and they sparred together. Xue felt she blocked the first attacks fairly well but she found it increasingly hard to concentrate on what she was doing as his body kept on distracting her, and he had a striking face that he could not help but instantly love. She didn’t feel herself being slowly pushed back, and in reality she would’ve been killed many times over. He frowned, and Xue put all into concentrating on the fight. He attacked and she blocked and countered. Surprised, he smiled a little and continued to fight back. Xue believed she was doing well, until she stepped back onto the slippery stones rimming a pond. She fell in, and then the most horrible thing happened…


She woke up. Lady Mi was standing over her, with a now empty container. Xue was drenched. “You’re not allowed to sleep. You have work to do.” She ordered. Xue grumbled an insult at her too low for her to hear, and she waited until she left the room before getting changed. She couldn’t believe how horribly she was treated by her and wondered if Liu Bei had any idea of what was occurring…

“Ah, if only I was a warrior. I don’t even own a weapon, let alone know how properly fight. If I did, I wouldn’t be here…” She thought, as she finished getting ready. After joining Liu Bei she had quickly become a personal servant to Liu Bei himself, the more significant figures in his family such as Lady Mi and Lady Gan, and the highest ranking officials. About eight years ago Xue and her sister were separated when her village, Luoyang, was raided. Xue was taken into the fallen Han clan, but she wasn’t sure where her sister was. “I have a good feeling she is alive and not in any harm. At least I’d like to believe that, anyway.” She thought to herself. For some reason, today was bringing back a lot of memories of that past. In reality, that thought was the only thing that kept her going some days. She knew her parents were dead and that her sister was her only sibling. She remembered seeing the men from the opposing army flood into her house, her mum holding her sister… screaming at her to run… hearing three screaming voices, but her sister’s never definitely faded… She remembered running and not looking back until she found Liu Bei, who was working to reform the old Han clan. “This place is definitely different to what Luoyang was, but it’s still a nice place…” She thought, trying to sidetrack her thoughts somewhat from her family to avoid upsetting herself. Of course, like any group, she got along with some people better than others... “I wonder if a man such as that in my dream exists in reality? I wonder if I’ll ever find out… well sometimes I do watch them train; I’m most likely to find someone like that there… But I have chores to do.” She reminded herself. Today, she had to wash all the clothes of those in the higher positions, and then the injured soldier’s clothes if they were unable to do it themselves, as well as things such as cloth bandages. It usually took all day, if not two. Sometimes people would come to talk to her, other times she was alone all day…


Collecting the clothes was a chore in itself. The family’s residence was quite large and it took a while to collect anything that required washing. Then she took it all to the river, which was a fair distance away. Dropping to the ground with a sigh of relief, another sigh quickly sounded, one that wasn’t as happy; it was a realization that her work had only begun. She got comfortable on her knees and started washing. She let the river wash out most of the dirt and sweat, and then she had to scrub the clothes manually and rub fragrances into them to further rid of any unfavourable odours that had burned themselves into the cloth too far to be scrubbed out; most of the older clothes needed this. Even though she sometimes questioned the procedure of it, she definitely did not disobey, after all it was her orders and she could be imprisoned or executed if she did.

“Y’know, if you could heat the water it’d make it a lot easier to wash those.” A voice said behind her. Although it was a familiar one, it startled her anyway.

“How could I do such a thing, General Guan Yu?” Xue asked after recovering from the shock.

“Hey, don’t get offended now. I was just thinking about the possibility, that’s all.” He answered. “Well, I better keep on moving. Keep up with the good work, and please don’t let Lady Mi worry you too much. She may seem crabby in truth she’s scared of your potential.” He added. He walked away and left Xue wishing for a bit more of a conversation, or at least company. But before she noticed it, she was in her own thought pattern, which was unknowingly separating her from the rest of the world… she didn’t notice that someone else had sat next to her and had also started washing until she felt a tug on an item of clothing going against her. She looked up and was surprised to see who it was.

“Lord Liu Bei!?” She gasped.

“You sound surprised.” He answered.

“I-I… why are you here? Oh my apologies, that was really rude-” Xue apologised. He laughed, which made her feel uncomfortable.

“I needed some fresh air and a place to clearly think.” He answered, nodding over to the palace. Xue smiled as much as she was game to. “...I’ve been noticing your loyalty, and your endurance. I was thinking that maybe I should help you out more often. I know it may not seem like it, but your work is very important to me.” He explained. Xue couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She just stared at him in shock.

“How is this so? Why would someone of your position want to help someone who’s low as me? I’m just a maidservant.” She asked.

“The most basic of operations is often the most important. One cannot run before he learns to walk, after all. Sometimes I feel lazy for not performing these actions and I wish to alleviate these feelings sometimes.” He explained.

“A-ah, I understand what you mean.” She finally managed to say. He laughed again, and Xue just felt stupid now. She looked up at the horizon, the warm glow reaching out to her.

“Ah, you can even make me laugh in the most horrible of positions… I have something to tell you.” Liu Bei confessed. Xue felt shocked but she continued to listen. “I joined part of a conspiracy to attack Cao Cao, however it was discovered and he is charging this way to destroy me. He has all hell’s wrath behind him whereas my army is only newly established. However, Zhang Fei and I are going back to Xiaopei and we’re planning to attack Cao Cao’s camp before he charges on us. Guan Yu will remain here. If it comes down to it, Yuan Shao offered to shelter me at Guandu... I came to say goodbye to you.” He explained. Xue’s eyes widened.

“What!? Goodbye to me? Why not your wives? Or General Guan Yu?” Xue asked, puzzled.

“I already have bid them farewell but I wanted to say goodbye to you also. I know this seems odd, but you seem to have a strength about you that makes me feel stronger as well. Knowing that you were safe would make me feel safe as well. Fate seems to swirl about you. Please, pass on your blessing to others so they might not be slain. I would weep at any knowledge of an innocent death …are you alright?” He asked. But Xue didn’t hear him. She didn’t want there to be a fight… and then her mind was racing backwards in time and she saw her… all of them… heard their cries again as they were mercilessly slain… “You’re looking pale.” He commented. But she only saw his lips moving and his look of concern. She felt something running down her face but she couldn’t brush it away; her body was paralysed from my memories. She wanted it to stop, but her mind wouldn’t let her; it kept racing, faster and faster, until it was just a blur… She managed a let out a cry loud enough to stop her mind from spiraling downward and she collapsed to the ground, crying. Now not only did she feel stupid, but pathetic, too.

“Bai Yan…” She whispered. She started to shiver, but when she felt his hand rest on her it immediately it stopped. He sat her up and her head hung limp.

“…your sister?” He asked.

“Y-yes.” She answered. “My parents were killed in the attack at Luoyang... It happened a long time ago though. I don’t know if she’s alive or not. I guess it’s been something that’s always affected me.” I explained. He nodded, like he understood. I wonder if he really did. “I-I’m going to try my best to defend or whatever you want me to do.” She decided. He nodded again.

“I would be honoured.” He answered. “…Are you going to be alright?” He asked. She nodded. “Good. I have to return and assemble the army quickly.” He stated. He got up and stretched, and ran back to the main building nearby. She waved to him but he did not see it, however she felt better. Her own mind was racing.

“Why did these memories plague me suddenly? …What am I going to do?” She wondered. “I have to overcome my fears of war. It is the only way I’m going to survive and ever have a chance of seeing my sister again.” She decided. She forced her shaking hands to work as fast as they could, and before mid-noon the main clothes were done. It was one of the fastest times she’d ever gone through them. Now for the injured… a bit of breeze had picked up and it was drying the clothes faster and also cooling her down. Xue carried the clothing to an open porch and draped them over the railing. After making sure they weren’t going to fall off or be blown away by the wind, she left for the infirmary.

~Chapter 2~

Arriving there, however, made her feel even worse. The people there were suffering from war wounds, trying to fend off infection, had stitches, or were suffering non-wound diseases if they were not medics working there. Xue was here for a different reason; the infirmary left a pile of bandages and other things that needed washing on a low shelf on the right of the main door for her to take to wash, and then she placed them in a cupboard to the left side. She always made special care that these were sterile; her improper care could lead to further sickness and she knew she’d barely cope with that guilt. To her, it felt like a more rewarding job than washing anything else, and it was easier too. She finished cleaning all the bandages by sundown and returned them. The man in charge of the infirmary gave her a torch and she made her way to the stables. There was an only an old mare left behind and she was not capable of galloping; she could handle jogging but after a short run she would tire. “…Well it might be better if I can arrive late and help Liu Bei to retreat if necessary. And traveling on a slow horse will still be faster than on foot.” She decided. The only object that looked like it could be used as a weapon was a rusted rake that had been left near a haystack. She took it and rode away, hoping that she wouldn’t find Liu Bei dead…

~~~~~~~~~

Jia Huo woke up to experience another sunny day in the kingdom of Wu. Today was her day off from doing any duties so she was allowed to frolic as she pleased. She often would accompany the two Qiao’s, but they were doing “peasant” duties today as punishment for misbehaving, what it was she couldn’t remember. The Kingdom was reeling from the self-made emperor Yuan Shu’s death as he was heading to Yuan Shao for safety. While they were not necessarily saddened by his death (as his actions had caused many officers to desert him), it was definitely unsettling. Sun Ce, the next heir to the Wu Empire, had decided to attack and take over Huancheng, and then defeated Liu Xun in battle. He was becoming a large force but the people were scared of not having a secure rule; not even the smiling sun could warm their saddened hearts or lift their burdens of worry. Having no company, Jia Huo sat under a tree, hoping that some animals would be nearby to entertain her. Instead, a villager passing by decided to sit down near her. He announced his presence with a loud sigh.

“…It’s a real shame.” She agreed. “Everyone thought-”

“I know. I know what everyone thought. But it doesn’t matter, it’s not like thoughts can save someone. Only one’s actions can redeem one’s self.” He argued frustratedly.

“That’s true. It’s all about how you think. What determines the greatest strategists? The way they think. What determines your level-headedness in a situation? How you think. Right now, everyone’s thinking that we’re in trouble as a kingdom, even though we hated Emperor Yuan Shu. But if we don’t think like that and we try our best to work together as an empire to keep our strength and give all our support to Lord Sun Ce, we will become an indestructible force, and we don’t have to be so worry as everyone seems to be. Lord Sun Ce has never let us down before.” She pointed out. He looked at her with a passive but shocked look on his face.

“…Well, if you put it that way, it makes sense.” He agreed.

“All about the way you think.” She reminded. She got up and stretched. “I might go and see if… whoever is in charge here needs any help. Do you want to come?” She asked.

“I don’t really have any right to. Besides, I’ve got my own family to look after.” He answered.

“Ah, fair enough.” She agreed. She walked away far enough for him not to be able to see her clearly, and then she let the tears run down her face. All of this warfare and death only reminded her of her own emptiness – not knowing any relatives. Even her name didn’t feel right to her. Although all she could ever remember being named was Jia Huo, whenever she thought about it, different mixes of syllables came out instead like a foreign language that she wanted so desperately to decode; it might link to the past she felt like she was missing… She could hardly bear the warfare herself; although she wasn’t related to the Sun family, they were definitely the closest thing to it. Everything she knew about her past now she had learnt from them, especially Sun Jian, who had died six years ago. Losing a father, and now the Emperor… she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to Sun Ce… She considered herself lucky that she wasn’t a troop under Sun Ce; if she was she’d be experiencing more bloodshed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Xue arrived to find the worst. A good portion of Liu Bei’s men had been slaughtered. Feeling flustered and afraid, she didn’t know what to do. Then recalling Liu Bei’s last conversation with her; it created clarity in her muddled mind. “…I have to head to Guandu. If I’m going to find Liu Bei, it’s most likely to be there.” She realised. She managed to sneak away from the camp and made her way to Guandu.


Not entirely sure if she was heading in the right direction, she continued to travel north, with minimal rest; enough so the mare was not tired. A week past and she could not find him. Feeling despair, she continued to search for him, still heading north. Days later, she found him also heading in the same direction. He was miserable, and alone. She called out to him, and he stopped. She rode to him as he turned around and headed back to her. “Bai Xue!? I’m so glad you’re alive!” He cried. Xue dismounted and rushed to comfort him. “My soldiers… my family… they’re all gone… I saw Xiaopei in flames as well as Xiapi. I’m the last one left…” He wept.

“…My Lord, we must hurry to Yuan Shao. You said yourself he would aid us. Perhaps the fires have deceived you and your people and your family may also be safe. But for now reaching Yuan Shao is our top priority. The rest will come good from there.” Xue assured. Liu Bei nodded. They both climbed back onto the mare and continued to travel to Yuan Shao.


Yuan Shao took him in, and although Liu Bei was safe, he was still very miserable. “Why are you so sad for?” Yuan Shao asked. “You are safe here.”

“I don’t know what happened to my brothers, or my family.” He answered. “I failed my country. I failed my people. I am nothing but a failure.” He cried.

“…I understand your pain. But I plan to attack Cao Cao and defeat him at Xuchang. How about we talk about how to defeat him? I believe there’s no time like the present.” Yuan Shao suggested.

“I really don’t think right now is the best time to attack. We should wait for another chance later on that would benefit us better.” Tian Feng, Yuan Shao’s adviser advised. “What do you think?” He asked Liu Bei.

“…I agree with Yuan Shao.” Liu Bei answered, not wanting to anger Yuan Shao.

“Alright. Then we’ll move out and attack him as soon as we assemble then.” Yuan Shao decided.

“No! I really don’t think you shouldn’t!” Tian Feng protested.

“I have made my decision! How dare you protest against it! I should put you to death!” he seethed.

“No! Please don’t! After all, he was only trying to look out for your best interests, as I trust he always has. Death may be too harsh in this situation. Maybe confinement will be suffice enough.” Liu Bei advised. “Please, spare his life. If death should occur, it should be on the battlefield.” Liu Bei pleaded, his eyes teary.

“Fine. Take him away.” Yuan Shao ordered. Xue had been watching all this and was surprised at what had happened; although she knew that Liu Bei was a very kind man she had never witnessed something like this… Xue couldn’t stand it any longer. She excused herself and walked out of the room. She noticed smoke coming from a blacksmith’s on the mid-horizon she decided to walk over there.


It took a while to arrive there, but when she did, she noted something strange. The fires were raging at full strength, the equipment was unpacked, but the workers looked like they had finished or not been in there for a while; there were no uncompleted weapons or other half finished jobs. She thought about it for a while, and then the image of the weapon she had used in her dream from what seemed to be tens of years before flashed in her mind for a moment, and it was then she knew what she must do. She broke the rusted, metal end off the rake and began looking for resources to use to create the weapon from her dream. Eventually she spotted some iron nearby that looked raw and untouched, ready to use. “It’s got to be sign.” She concluded, noticing how extreme the odds of this situation were in her favour.

She took a chunk and using the tongs she dropped it into the furnace. It quickly became hot enough to bend and using other tools she carved it into an odd-shaped ball… but how to get the spikes? She noted that crude nails had been already crafted nearby so she melted down the blunt end and jammed it onto the main ball as hard as she could, and to her delight it stuck. She repeated this process until she was satisfied with the amount of spikes were on the ball then placed it in the cooling water. She repeated the whole process again twice, until she had made three spiky balls. By this time she was hot and sweaty, her clothes had been a bit ripped because they got caught on metal grids, she had burnt herself on her hands, and her arms hurt from constantly banging and shaping the metal. But she still felt happy with what she had created so far…

But it wasn’t over yet. She still had to attach chain to them so they could in turn be attached to the staff. Sighing in bother, she continued, melting the end of the chain and finding a suitable place to attach it to a part of the ball. That didn’t take too long, but now was the hard part – finding a way to attach a metal attachment to a wooden staff... It was then she spotted a fairly flat strip of metal… “What luck is this!?” She mentally gasped. It was convenient, but she also knew that it would’ve taken a long time to prepare… But she knew that she had to use it. Gulping her fear down and with trembling hands, she placed it into the furnace. She used various tools to bend and cut out a piece that could wrap around the staff, and made a loop big enough underneath that all three could chains that would fit, threaded on the chains and soldered the loop onto the main metal strip. Knowing that this would create a big difference in the weight of the ends, she created another strip of metal and clamped it around the bottom end. Placing her work in nearby water, she felt satisfied that her work was done… It was then she realised that when she got caught she could potentially be in more trouble than she would have at home; she knew would get caught and punished eventually. Looking outside, she noticed the sun was gone so she decided to sleep on the floor and prepare for her punishment tomorrow. “I haven’t really been a huge help so far… but I had goals before this happened and I believe in that dream. I can’t deny it.” She decided. Curling up near a fire, she quickly fell asleep.


She woke up in the middle of the night before anyone else had come in to start working. She grabbed her soaking staff from the water trough and quickly left the forgery. She found a good hiding spot to sleep behind a few rows of temporary barracks and slept there, accepting the little warmth she didn’t receive while in the forgery.

~~~~~~~~~~~

While Sun Ce was away campaigning, Sun Quan was having an important impact on the actions being taken in the capital of Wu. Taking initiative, he decided to hold a council meeting to discuss a small though important idea he had… Jia Huo along with two other troops was present at the meeting. She felt so small in the room of great men; Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, the two Qiao’s and other officials that she didn’t recognise… besides the other troops, she was far lower in rank than anyone else here. Sun Quan invited everyone to sit, and he did so himself.

“I’ve been informed that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are heading off to war against each other. I think everybody knew that this day would come; however, the Han are helping Yuan Shao instead of attacking them. Our presence has not been requested at this battle, though I would like to send in spies to investigate the battle throughout its whole duration so we know information about both sides. That’s the reason you’ve been summoned.” He explained, now facing the soldiers, including Jia Huo. “You are some of the highest ranking soldiers that can write well. Writing material will be supplied to you in large amounts. You three are to hide in a camp you make yourself. One is to go out and fight while the other two guard the camp. After a day has finished, you are to return and record what occurred. However, do not risk you lives. If you are in danger, do not be afraid to retreat. We’ll find out the result of the battle anyway, and from there we can guess what happened. But, you information is still highly valued, though your lives even moreso. More than ever we definitely do not need any bloodshed.” He explained. Everyone considered and eventually agreed with what he said. “Now that that is settled, you three can be dismissed.” He decided. Jia Huo and the other two soldiers walked out of the room after deeply bowing.

“…They’re good soldiers. If they succeed in this mission I will promote them.” Sun Quan decided.

“Really? Do you think it’s a good idea?” Da Qiao asked.

“Of course. While Wei and the Han are attacking each other, we will be able to grow strong. We can increase our numbers and in turn we’d need to increase the amount of people to govern these forces. It makes sense to me.” Sun Quan explained.

“Makes sense to me too.” Zhou Yu agreed.

“What makes them so great, anyway!?” Xiao Qiao scoffed.

“Geez, you two aren’t jealous, are you?” Another officer scoffed. He couldn’t help but shake his head; neither of them was aged over 15 and they already had a role in politics. He knew how it happened but sometimes he couldn’t believe the situation of it.

“Well, although I haven’t talked to Jia Huo that much, she seems to have a great spirit about her. I’ve heard stories of how happy she made Lord Sun Jian and he took her in as if he was one of his own daughters. If nothing else, she could definitely keep troop morale soaring high.” Zhou Yu assured. Xiao Qiao glared at him. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ve done nothing to deserve that. You’re my wife. I’ll be beside you always. O.K?” He assured. She nodded and then kept her gaze on the floor. “Considering that women can’t really fight, the men will be watching her and hopefully learning of what she can actually do.” He added, laughing a little. However, Jia Huo was sitting just outside of the main door, and she could hear everything, and was hurt by that.

“Oh really, ‘can’t fight?’ I’ll show you. I’ll become the best fighter in all of Wu!” She declared. A worker nearby looked at her oddly for a moment, and then shaking his head, he went back to work. “Now, to train…” She thought out loud. She went back to her quarters and grabbed her spear – the spearhead was more shaped like a harpoon, however – and headed to the main training ground. She was the only one she knew who had a weapon such as hers; there weren’t too many spear-bearers at all and none had a spearhead even similar to hers. Although she was very unsure of what she was doing, the way she tried attacking and defending felt right so she didn’t try to change it. She kept on training until it was sundown, thinking about her new vow, her upcoming task, and the missing pieces of her life’s puzzle.

~~~~~~~

~Chapter 3~
Bai Xue woke early next morning and was shocked to hear that they were going to attack very soon, but Yuan Shao let them rest for a day or so before getting ready to attack, or defend, which ever came first. However, while the main part of the army was resting, “minor” skirmishes were occurring. When the day upon attacking was near, Yuan Shao visited parts of the army to deliver them a speech to raise their morale. The places he didn’t visit his generals did, however Xue was lucky enough to be close enough to listen in on a speech Yuan Shao himself delivered. “Soldiers! Listen up. I have great news.” Yuan Shao announced. Immediately all the soldiers gave him their attention. “We are to charge on the city of Baima tomorrow, across the river, under the general Yan Liang. I speak the truth when I say our numbers are superior and Cao Cao’s supplies are low. There is no-one that opposes us, no-one who can stop us!” He encouraged. The soldiers cheered, including Xue. “Dream your dreams tonight, men, and after this battle they will be one step closer to being reached!!” He added. This raised their spirits even higher. Xue’s eyes glittered in awe of this man. She couldn’t believe how inspiring his speech was. “My best advice to you all now is do whatever you feel will get you the best prepared for tomorrow. Be ready for it, for it is coming and nothing can stop it. I won’t allow anyone to stop it. Let’s charge in and achieve victory.” He finished. With a final cheer and shout, all the troops rose and did various things to prepare, such as training, finding a spot to meditate, or performing other rituals. Except Xue. She was frozen to the floor. She felt everyone rush around her, but she couldn’t get up herself. Someone who wasn’t watching where they were going knocked into her and she fell over onto the ground. A few people nearby watched her struggle to her feet.

“Thanks. I needed that. I feel fine now.” Xue thanked, as she dusted herself off and quickly went to her tent; deep down she was very embarrassed. “Hopefully that won’t happen tomorrow…” She thought. Not knowing what else to do and still feeling the fatigue, she decided to try and doze.

~~~~~~~~~~

Today was the day to leave for the battlefield. Jia Huo double-checked that she was packed and met up with the two other men coming with her on her journey. Together, they examined the map. “So the two main forces are here, and here.” One of them stated, pointing them out on the map.

“So they’ll probably meet up along here?” Jia Huo asked, pointing to a position near the Yangtze River. They all thought about it for a moment.

“Yeah, that makes sense.” The other man agreed. “We’ve all been given a horse each, by the way.” He added.

“Ah, that’s good! It’s going to make a lot of difference in our speed. However, I think that the one scouting for the day shouldn’t take their horse. If we’re using our horse out there we’re more likely be spotted, tacked and ultimately killed. Remember that Lord Sun Quan values our lives over our mission.” Jia Huo reminded. The two men nodded.

“So, are we all prepared?” The first man asked. The other two nodded. “Let’s go then.” He decided. The three of them packed their horses and rode away to the river.

~~~~~~~~~~

A noise woke Xue. Noting that the sky had become dark and was now becoming lighter again, she quickly got dressed, grabbed her weapon, and quickly headed over to where everyone else was. She got in line and everyone else assembled behind her. Then the realization hit her. This was it. This was a real life and death situation. Then she realised other things; she had absolutely no training, and she had to kill people. She’d never killed people before. She had seen people die. She had heard people die. But she had never caused it… and her lack of battle experienced made her likely to die. “No. I can’t think like that.” She told herself. “You lave to find Bai Yan before you die. You can’t die now.” She felt the troops moving forward and she marched with them. “If I die I can’t fulfill my dream. I have to win this!!” She heard someone starting to sing a war song and she quietly laughed at it even though it was offensive to women, although no-one had realised that she was there to begin with.

However, the fun was soon lost and they still had a long way to travel. By the time they were nearing Baima, Xue’s feet were aching and she felt so fatigued. But when she heard the order to charge she was re-fuelled with adrenaline. Her war cry gave her eyes new life and her brain a new alertness. The siege weapons started pulling in from behind and destroying any walls that were in the way. A few troops charged up to her. She didn’t even think about what she was doing; she swung at them and cut them all down to nothing. Taking over Baima was her goal. No-one was going to stop her.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jia Huo had been given the first job of scouting the area. Luckily for them, they were near Baima when the battle began and this made Jia Huo’s job that much easier. With nothing but writing material and a short sword she crouched in nearby shrubs and natural cover which enabled her too see what was going on without being spotted so easily. Feeling calm, she started to write:

It is just after the sun has reached the middle of the sky and Yuan Shao’s forces are at Baima and attacking Cao Cao. For what reason I have not determined yet; I have only just arrived myself…

Jia Huo laughed at herself for being able to be articulate in a situation just as this. She figured reality hadn’t sunk in and she didn’t want it too, either. It was then she noticed something unusual – a female with a strange weapon who she assumed to be a soldier…

Although likely irrelevant, I have noticed a female soldier whose weapon is like a staff with mobile mace-like ends… She also drew a picture of it. The mace ends seem to make the weapon much more lethal; most deaths and injuries caused by her are from this part of the weapon… So far, the battle is surprisingly even although Yuan Shao seems to have greater numbers. The siege towers are slowly wearing down the walls…

This was all that was basically happening. Jia Huo relaxed and tidied her equipment. It was going to be a long battle.

~~~~~~~~~~

Weeks passed and the same troops were still in the same areas, fighting the same fight. That is, until Cao Cao decided to shift his troops and advance through the Yan Ford on the Yangtze. “We have to defend and withdraw from Baima!” Yan Liang decided. The troops withdrew from Baima to go defend Yan Ford.

Cao Cao couldn’t believe they had fallen from it. Xu Yun’s advice to pretend to charge on the Ford had worked just like he’d planned. Now his troops moved back to the east and re-took Baima. Yan Liang was killed... by none other than Guan Yu. He had charged out of nowhere and beheaded him before Yan Liang had a chance to strike. Many other strong men had failed to kill him, but no-one was expecting this to happen, after all, wasn’t he an ally? He cut off Yan Liang’s head and bought it back to Cao Cao…

Meanwhile, the troops were hopelessly stranded.

“We have no choice but to try and get out of here alive!” Xue decided. “Maybe we aren’t going to win this one after all...” She pondered, pounding through people as if they were air. “But I’ve got to make it back to Yuan Shao’s main camp!” She decided. She charged forward. Even though she heard people dying and saw people dying out of the corner of her eye, she knew she had to continue. Her fear and her adrenaline were the only things keeping her going. She knew she had to keep her mind on track, if she thought about what she had actually done… It was hard to push those thoughts away. She had to stick to the current situation. She was gaining ground. She didn’t know how many were following her. There were still plenty surrounding her. She decided to quickly glance back and she wished she hadn’t; she was becoming dangerously close to being surrounded…

~~~~~~~~~~~

After receiving Jia Huo’s information, the second scout knew where to go to view the best part of the battle. After finding a good spot, he too started recording…

Baima belongs to Cao Cao. Yuan Shao’s general is not in sight; I presume he has been killed. His soldiers are in disarray and are desperately trying to escape Wei’s attacks and make their way to a safe place. Many lay dead on either side; however the stronger are making it through to safer ground… one woman now, for example, is actually managing to cut her way through a tight surrounding of Wei soldiers... It doesn’t look like she is using much effort, either… if all of Yuan Shao’s soldiers are like this then I wouldn’t be surprised if he won this battle…Cao Cao definitely has other strategies to use; what those are we don’t know yet.

For now, nothing else was really happening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not too long later, Cao Cao’s army started to withdraw from Baima. When Yuan Shao’s forces learnt of Yan Liang’s death, Wen Chou and Liu Bei charged with 6000 cavalry; however this was against the advice of Ju Shou, another one of Yuan Shao’s advisers. Xue hadn’t rested that much, if any, since Wei forces occupying Baima. The thundering in the ground made Xue feel scared at first, until she learnt that they were from her side… She thought she saw someone who looked like Liu Bei in the midst of the charge so she watched then charge by and she tried her hardest to try and find him, but she couldn’t see him… her searching was interrupted when a Wei soldier jabbed his weapon deep into her right arm. She screamed, withdrew it from the weapon and bashed him into the charging of the horses; he was trampled to death. Knowing that she needed to hide now to try and heal herself somehow, she spotted nearby shrub and trees, and decided to hide in there. She dived through the bush and didn’t expect to see a scout who was from Wu, who was now quickly packing up and getting ready to flee. Xue signaled to her not to, so she stopped and silently put her equipment back on the ground.

“Who are you? Why aren’t you attacking me?” She asked.

“I’m Bai Xue. I came here because I’m injured.” Xue answered.

“Oh? I’m Jia Huo… thank you for not killing me. According to my two other scouts, you’ve cut down many…” Jia Huo introduced. Xue went pale; she couldn’t fight the thought any longer. She became faint and she felt like throwing up, or wanting herself to die… After all these years of facing the fact that her parents were killed, how many fathers, nephews, uncles and sons did she kill? She did suspect that some of them were women in disguise, but that was irrelevant. She felt vomit coming and she didn’t stop it, however she did clamp her hands over her mouth because she felt like screaming right after. Tears came down her face like the monsoon was born in her eyes and she couldn’t stop hating herself…

“This… is my first battle… I’m not even really a soldier…” Xue managed to say low enough in a strangled whisper. “My parents were killed in Luoyang and I was left to die… how many families have I just put in that situation?” She asked herself. Jia Huo shook her head… but something was wrong. Something felt familiar about her story and yet she had only just met her…

“Really? Did you have any other relatives? Who made it?” She asked. Xue noticed she was writing what was being shared between them down, but she didn’t mind. Xue finished attempting to tie cloth around her arm, and Jia Huo undid it and retied it with a stronger, red silk bandage.

“Thankyou.” Xue whispered. “My two parents were killed. I also have a sister, but I’m not sure if she made it or her whereabouts now.” She answered. Jia Huo felt another pang in her heart; she felt almost moved to cry, although she had heard of this sort of story before many times…

“That’s…really sad.” Jia Huo commented. “I don’t know who my real parents are. I was adopted into the Wu clan as if I was a tiger myself. I was named after the sprit of Wu. I don’t know who I belong to… all I remember is living in the Wu kingdom.” She explained. Xue started crying a bit, but she sniffed it back.

“I… that sounds like…” She stuttered. Suddenly her eyes widened but still glittered; a wash of hope coming over her face. She felt like she couldn’t hold what she wanted to say back, but at the same time was too afraid to say it. “Y-your story sounds a lot like one that could maybe fit my sister. She might’ve been too young to know her name or anything else that happened when our home was attacked…” She finally spat out. Eyes still wide with excitement, she ripped off part of her green shirt in a long strip and tied it around Jia Huo’s left arm. “I’m not sure if you’re my sister or not, but I have a feeling our fates are intertwined. If I see you wearing this, I won’t attack you. Please, keep alive.” Xue suddenly pleaded. Jia Huo was taken aback by this.

“S-sure. Same goes for you, alright?” Jia Huo asked. Xue nodded.

“I’ve got to go back out there and make sure everything’s alright. Hopefully I’ll meet up with you again.” Xue decided. She grabbed her weapon, waved goodbye and came out of the hiding place and attacked a Wei soldier nearby. Drops of his blood splashed into Jia Huo’s ink pot.

“How poetic…” Jia Huo thought. “Writing about a battle with blood… I won’t forget your story.” She confirmed, as she continued to write.

~~~~~~~~~

~Chapter 4~
After giving Cao Cao Wen Chou’s head, and learning of Liu Bei’s location, Guan Yu decided that it was time to leave; the only reason he’d served Cao Cao in the first place is because Liu Bei’s wives (Lady Mi and Lady Gan) and himself had been captured when Wei had attacked Xiaopei and Xiapi. He left behind a letter of farewell to Cao Cao and sent another message out to Liu Bei, packed all his items he needed to take and left without taking anything that Cao Cao had given him except for Red Hare (a legendary horse that could travel much faster than most horses) to rejoin Liu Bei. Cao Cao was not really surprised by this but other subordinates of his were outraged.

“We must pursue him! We must kill him!!” Cai Yang protested. He was a general under Cao Cao – one who didn’t want Guan Yu to leave alive.

“…To each his own. We shouldn’t follow or kill him. Let him go.” Cao Cao insisted. The people wanting to follow and kill him were confused and eventually left, except one.

“I don’t understand. What do you see in him that makes you take such actions?” He asked.

“…He is a man of great honour and respect. I knew that I couldn’t stop him from doing this, as I had expected him to. If we let him go now then there’s a chance that he will remember this and not be so quick to turn his blade against us in the future.” He explained. Cai Yang left.


However Guan Yu did receive resistance and after passing through five gates and slaying six generals, he made it back to Zhang Fei with Lady Gan and Lady Mi, who had been him. Zhang Fei, however, had suspected that Guan Yu was a traitor, but Guan Yu proved this false by killing Cai Yang, who had decided to pursue him anyway.


When Liu Bei found out Guan Yu’s location he immediately rushed over to him. Finally meeting up with him once more, he cried. In Guan Yu’s company, however, was a man by the name of Guan Ding. One of his sons, Guan Ping, wished to become a soldier. Guan Ding asked if Liu Bei would adopt him, but he suggested that Guan Yu adopt him instead, as he had no sons of his own. Guan Yu, Guan Ping and Guan Ding all consented to this.

Not only had Guan Yu overcome massive obstacles to reunite with his brothers, but it had also come with unexpected rewards.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Xue was close to the cavalry, she felt like turning and running in the opposite direction. A Wei cavalry force only one tenth in size to Yuan Shao’s cavalry had slaughtered most of them. And they were charging back that way, chasing those who were fleeing, Liu Bei included. Xue immediately dropped to the ground near some other pooled blood so it looked like she had been killed, and hoped her hardest that a horse wouldn’t trample her. She lay there and felt the thundering hooves, the speed at which they traveled; the wind rushing past her… and besides her leg being stepped on a couple of times, she thought she was alright. However, she discovered than when she tried to she couldn’t stand up. Tears stung her eyes. Fear filled her. “Am I going to die!?” She asked herself. “I can’t call for help. The enemy may attack me otherwise.” She realised with horror. There was only one option left. She had to drag her way back to camp. Knowing her chances of survival was extremely low she felt mostly hopeless, but a part of her didn’t want to give up. And so the painful process began; she drove the blunt end of the staff into the ground, and pulled herself along with it. It hurt so much but it was better then attempting to stand and walk. She wondered if Jia Huo was recording this… and how she was going to defend herself…

~~~~~~~~~~

Jia Huo returned to camp that night to discover that the two other scouts she was on mission with had been killed in the camp. She screamed in horror and cried at their blood-leaked bodies lying limp and pale on the contrasting dirt. Not knowing what else to do, she decided to pack her horse, and attempt to guide all three horses home in retreat.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was nightfall. There were less people on the battlefield now; those who weren’t fighting were resting, relatively sheltered and guarded. Xue was also fighting, but in a different way. Her way of crawling now resembled more of a commando style, her left arm holding her weapon. Making sure it wouldn’t harm her she used her left arm to hold on to it near the blunt end, her right arm guiding the very end of it. She was so exhausted, and even though she was still in pain she was more used it now. She had managed to fend off two or three people; how she did it she didn’t know. She took a moment to rest and looked up to see the most emotion-stirring sight for a long time; the river in the far distance, and a horseman from Yuan Shao’s camp riding in her direction. She couldn’t help bust risk calling out to the rider. “HEY! Over here! Help me!” She cried. He picked up pace and rushed over to her. Xue didn’t recognise who it was. “Please, take me back to Yuan Shao’s camp. My leg was crushed in the cavalry charge...” She asked, before passing out. Afraid, he quickly checked her pulse to see if she had died but she was in fact alive. Smiling and somewhat shocked that she had managed to drag herself so far and survive against all the odds, the allied general was able to get the horse to sit and he placed Xue on it. The horse then stood up and Xue almost fell off but he caught her and centered her dead weight before she did. He then climbed back onto the horse and then rode back to Yuan Shao’s main camp…

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liu Bei wasn’t aware of Bai Xue fighting and when he found out she had fought in the army and become seriously wounded he had become extremely upset. He was delighted to see Zhao Yun returning with her. He had joined Liu Bei not long after Guan Yu had adopted Guan Ping; he had been wandering alone since Gongsun Zan, his previous leader, was killed. Ever since his death Liu Bei had been wishing that Zhao Yun would join him, and not long after Guan Ping was adopted his wish had come true. Even so, the joy of his accompaniment was somewhat overshadowed by the injuries Bai Xue had received. “I found her…” He stated, as he dismounted and attempted to get Xue off the horse as best as he could; she was still unconscious. Liu Bei was frightened by her condition.

“We need to get her to the infirmary! Now!!” Liu Bei decided. Zhao Yun carried her to the infirmary and Liu Bei ran ahead to alert the medics…

“I wonder why he cares so much about her…she’s not one of high status…” Zhao Yun thought. He laid her down on a mattress and immediately a few medics rushed over to her. “…I shall have to ask him… or maybe I should find out her story from her firsthand?” He wondered. “I have a feeling it would be quite interesting…”


When Xue did wake up, it was sunny and although people were busy, it was relatively quiet. All she could manage to do was tilt her head; however it was enough to see her leg was splinted and heavily bandaged, as was her arm. “Where’s the red band I had around my arm?” She asked as loudly as she could. Immediately a few people nearby immediately rushed over to her. One was Zhao Yun. Another was a soldier that she didn’t recognise. Another was a medic. “I-it’s very important to me.” She added. Tears started streaming down her face and she lost control over their flow. “I… never realised… how horrible it actually is… out there. A-and I should’ve known, I should’ve known…” She uncontrollably sobbed. “What have I done?” She asked.

“Killing people isn’t honourable. The only thing that gives killing a chance of being honourable is the reason why. I remember when I felt what you’re feeling now for the first time, remembering all the people and what I had done to them. You cannot afford to think the way you are. Remember that these people knew that they were running of the risk of dying, and that instead of having to do it again, you put them out of their misery. And what cause you were fighting for.” Zhao Yun advised.

“B-but what about their families?” She sobbed. “I lost my family this way. How horrible of me to do the same thing to… I don’t know how many people…” She asked. Zhao Yun looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, and the light in his eyes started dancing in the same teary way hers did, although he did not cry.

“…I’m sorry, but you’re not actually a soldier, are you?” He asked. She shook her head, knowing that her cover was blown.

“I’m just a maidservant for Lord Liu Bei. I haven’t been trained to fight in battles.” Xue answered. Everyone surrounding was shocked.

“What!? Then how did you get a weapon?” Zhao Yun asked.

“…I took a rake and a mare and then I met up with Liu Bei. Here, I used iron to create the other parts.” She answered, breaking out into another sob. Zhao Yun couldn’t believe it. Here was a woman who had no idea how to fight but she willingly created a weapon with her own bare hands and plunged herself into what was basically suicide. But she was still alive. “I’m probably in a lot of trouble. What should I do? Will I be executed or imprisoned?” She asked, trying to regain her composure.

“…I don’t really know. Lord Liu Bei’s probably a better man for giving advice. I’m just glad you’re alright. I think Lord Liu Bei would be very lost without you, from the sounds of it.” He apologised. Xue smiled and shook her head.

“It’s alright. At least you’re trying. I wasn’t making any effort to try and comfort myself and you were, although you don’t even really know me…I’ve been so rude. I’m so sorry, General. It seems sickness steals manners.” She accepted. “…Do you know where the red band is?” She asked him, a little frustrated she didn’t have an answer yet.

“The medic has it. He told me that you’re going to be out of action for quite a long time; for quite a few months. Where did you get it, anyway?” He asked.

“Well, not too long after I injured my arm, I scrambled into some bush cover to hide, when a scout sent by Wu was there. She helped me in return from not killing her… I couldn’t help but get excited because her past seemed to align with my sister’s past… she doesn’t know her real parents and can’t remember her real name or birthplace or any other related information-” Xue explained.

“What!? Are you serious? Wu is still our enemy!! You should’ve killed her!” Zhao Yun exclaimed.

“How could I? She felt like she was a long lost sister… I couldn’t do it.” Xue defended, trying and failing in not crying again. Angrily, Zhao Yun stormed off. “Wait!” Xue called, realising something very important. He didn’t hear her. “…You’re the man I sparred with in the dream that I had a millennia ago…” She quietly whispered to herself, trying not to cry again. A couple of minutes later, the soldier broke the silence.

“Aw, and I thought you two were going to get along really well.” He commented sarcastically. Xue rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Don’t you have anything else to talk about?” She asked.

“Yeah… name’s Chung Yuan, by the way. Bai Xue, was it?” He asked. Xue was taken aback by his change in character.

“Y-yeah. Uh, I don’t mean to be rude but why are you talking to me? And how do you know my name?” Xue asked.

“Oh. Well honestly, I heard about your bravery. I heard that you took people down like you were swinging through air, and you dragged yourself from Baima to the river even though your arm was deeply cut and your leg was crushed. That’s pretty brave. But the only reason I heard your name was because Liu Bei was talking to Zhao Yun about you right before you woke up.” He admitted.

“Wow… Thankyou!” She thanked. “I’m sorry I can’t say the same about you; I’ve been a bit too preoccupied keeping myself alive.” She apologised.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ve been like that too, to an extent.” He empathised. “Look, I have to go now, but I’ll make sure someone comes every day and tells you what happened, alright?” He offered.

“Sure!” Xue answered. He waved goodbye as he walked out.

~~~~~~~~~

wow... thats a long story ill probarbly print it out and read it later! it'll probarbly be awsome anyway! :P

thankyou! I'll post more of it later :)