The Tuhan first rode further in the west, sacking and burning every town, tribe, and city in their path. They collected bolts of silk and bales of tiger skin, amber and jade carvings, saffron, myrrh…and more men to fight in their army.
With dark falling, the Tuhan had retired to their own camps to drink, dance and feast, but none doubted they would return tomorrow to destroy the cities and storm the walls, spreading their power as they pleased.
An uncontrollable grin spread across An Ruo's features that did not reach his eyes. A large fire crackled in the center of their campsite, projecting long shadows on the surrounding area, its flames rising strongly in the black, night sky. The breeze blew cool, announcing the coming of falls cooler days. The aroma of the tall grasses was an intoxicating perfume.
His head fell back a little, exposing his throat. A small smile lifted the left corner of his mouth. After a while, An Ruo's eyes shifted to the Tuhan men dancing with the women they collected. It had been a while since all of them had seen the lovely face and voice of a woman.
While watching, he grabbed a cup of steaming hot red wine. He held it between his hands and sipped it gratefully. The warmth felt soothing as it spread through his chest. The wine was sweetened with honey.
For a few moments, he continued watching the men and women with curved lips, until suddenly the smile disappeared. Drinking the last drop of wine, he licked his red lips and stood up. The men noticed their commander leave with a dark expression. Although they wanted to offer him to join the celebration and possibly take a woman for the night, they kept their mouths shut.
Entering his tent, An Ruo passed his desk and stopped. Seeing something from the corner of his vision, his eyes glanced at a piece of paper on his desk. It was a letter. Those dark eyes of his stared at the writing in the letter in silence. Reaching a hand out, he touched the dark ink.
The shapes of the letters were remarkably gentle, written with expertise and tenderness in symmetrical lines. Just like the man who wrote it. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and braced both hands on the desk.
"Shen…"
At the same time, miles away in the Northern Empire.
The air was still and heavy, thick clouds shielding the stars. The once blue sky transformed into a vast expanse of jet-black. The sea glistened, mirroring the dazzling assemblage of the pale white moon. A trembling gush wind inaudibly drifted across the sky, and through the tents and yurts in the An Clan base.
A pale man sat by the candlelight, his slender, delicate fingers touching the corners of the letter in his hands. A few blonde hairs slipped forward to hang over his eyes as he read.
"Did you hear?" The deep voice of a Tuhan man sounded from outside the tent.
"What?"
"An emissary from the Northern Empire came delivering a message to the Head An."
The one man grunted as if he had picked up something heavy. "Hah? What did he want?"
���I'm not sure…but it seemed like something important since he ordered everyone to step out. He hasn't come out for the last few hours."
The men's voices faded away into the night. A moment of silence passed beside the soulful melodies of cicadas. The pale man watched as the candle burned down and began to gutter. The air grew cold. The wick blackened, and the wax slowly turned to liquid, running down the side and onto the glass plate.
Tapping a finger on the table, the last light of the candle reflected in the man's dull, emerald eyes.
…
The next morning, Rin woke up to the soft, steady patter of rain upon her window, droplets yet to dissipate the growing rays of the rising sun. The sound brought a calmness to mind, a soothing melody, a natural lullaby.
It was another rainy day.
Rising out of bed, Rin's feet touched the cool, wood floors, stepping out to wash her face. Blinking the water out of her eyes, she stared into her reflection. Again, her gaze shifted to the ends of her hair. The strands had reached the end of her neck now. Touching the tips, she tilted her head and stared for a while.
A soft smile touched her lips.
In the dining hall, the buzz of constant voices eased as mouths were stuffed full of food. Before her morning meeting with the emperor and court officials, Rin sat at a table to enjoy a meal.
She reached for food. Her fingers pushed bread between her lips and swallowed. Pouring some milk, she drank it. Her mind was lost in thought. Mostly of strategies and solutions on how to win against the An Clan. But among these thoughts, another would linger.
An Sun…
Staring at her plate, Rin sighed.
"What's the heavy sigh for?" A deep, clear voice sounded.
Startled, Rin raised her head and blinked. It was An Sun, standing over her. Grabbing an apple from the plate in the center of the table, An Sun's gray eyes lowered to look at her. For a second, their eyes held, and Rin felt a shock run through her.
She jerked her gaze away and busied herself with her bread. Her cheeks felt hot, and her skin prickled. The smell of his sweat was an earthy contrast to the sweet fragrance of the fresh fruits on the table. She guessed he was practicing his sword skills in the palace training grounds.
Hearing him sit down on the bench beside her, Rin felt his stare leave her to look elsewhere. Her chewing slowed down as she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Although his presence was impossible to ignore. Which she noticed from the many eyes on their table.
"Did you sleep well?" His deep voice reeled her back.
Slightly surprised, Rin still took upon herself to respond. "Yes…And you?"
"Good." An Sun hummed.
"How is Sir Manchu doing? Are his wounds healing?" Rin felt the need to keep the conversation going. It wasn't often for them to engage in such small talk.
"The physician said he couldn't get out of bed for the next few days. Other than that, he's fine." He explained calmly.
"I see...I'm glad."
An Sun nodded and took a bite of his apple.
Rin watched as the perfectly ripe juices slipped from his teeth and dripped. He licked his wet lips to collect the brimming juices. As if feeling her gaze, An Sun's eyes flickered toward her, and his lips quirked up.
"What?" A strand of hair fell over his dark eyes.
Rin shook her head, her throat too dry for words. She took another sip of her milk and then chewed on bread. Hearing voices beside her, she shifted her gaze to see two men sitting beside An Sun at their table. It was Yin Changpu and Fan Mingli.
"Good morning," Fan Mingli lowered his head politely toward An Sun and even Rin.
"Morning Captain!" Yin Changpu flashed a broad grin and began reaching for the food on the table.
An Sun grunted in response and took another bite of his apple. Yin Changpu shrugged his shoulders and bit into a piece of bread. The slightest crease appeared between his eyes. Reaching over, he slathered fresh honey on top.
"So, what are our next plans?" Yin Changpu asked between chews.
"What plans?" An Sun's right eyebrow raised.
"To defeat the An Clan." Yin Changpu replied.
"…Ah, right." An Sun's voice was cool, but Rin saw his jaw tighten, just a little.
Before Yin Changpu could say anything further on the matter, a clear, sharp voice interrupted him.
"Such important matters shouldn't be discussed here," Rin said before biting into her bread.
She felt all three men's eyes turn toward her. Meeting their gazes, she maintained a calm expression.
"If we're to talk about how we'll get rid of them, then we'll discuss it in a more appropriate environment." Her voice was patient. "You never know who could be listening."
"R-Right," Yin Changpu laughed awkwardly.
Ignoring them, Rin turned back to her food. Truth be told, she didn't want them to discuss such matters because…Her eyes hesitantly glanced at An Sun, who, from the beginning was watching her. His face was serious, the gray of his eyes steady as he regarded her.
She held her breath and continued to stare back at him. She watched his expression change from firmness to ease. This brought her great relief.
Out of this entire battle, she only wished to shield An Sun a moment longer from the pain that was soon to come.
As if he heard her thoughts, he smiled, his face like the sun.