Everyone was happy, Henan met the bride, and she was beautiful shy girl of seventeen years old. It was rumored that all bridal gifts were given from groom family because the boy work in city and earn well.
Bride was also happy because it would be burdensome if her family had borne expenditures of wedding. Before the day of groom and his family to claim her and took her with them in their house, few rituals and music was arranged, her friends teased her well during rituals.
Henan was enjoying and surprised too.
Henan gifted the best silk dress she own, the family of bride was agape too for this expensive gift, initially they were reluctant to receive such pricey gift but Henan said that it was small gift and it would make her happy if they accept it.
By no other choice, they accepted this expensive gift, they were sure that Henan belonged to rich noble family.
Next day, groom family arrived at fixed time, and they said that their son was reaching soon so they started matrimonial rituals prior, there was no objection.
When it was time to leave her house with the groom family, a man came running and whispered something the ears of groom's father and grim expressions appeared on his face.
He loudly told everyone that his son was on his way to reach home but a bandit group attacked and he got killed in this attack and now this bride would live her entire life with his family being his widow.
When Henan heard this, it was like atomic bomb attack to her small life. She could not believe these just though she herself heard.
The family of bride accepted their claim unwillingly though it was cruel but not uncommon or unheard. Bride silently accompanied them, Henan protested in front of Old Nie but it was useless, Old Nie was too much upset on this but she could not do anything because her own story was no different from this one.
If the person was no more present why and how they could get her with them? Who would care her? What would be her circumstances in their house? She wanted to pull her hair in agony, Old Nie, Henan and her caretaker came back with heavy hearts.
Henan was thinking ways to get the girl back, she woke up late in the morning, she could not forget the scene of yesterday wedding, she would talk to Wan Hu, she thought, changed her clothes and went outside for Archery practice, she saw a horse rider coming from afar, Wan Hu came to meet her, he also visited yesterday but Henan was not here.
She stopped her practice, he came and after some formal conversation, he brought two arrows in front of her, these arrows were used to murder two soldiers in the resources stores.
"These two arrows belongs to you, am I right?" he asked with sharp gaze, the hand which carried Reflexive bow and the hand which carried one arrow she immediately hid both hands at her back and stared at Wan Hu, "I asked something Henan?" he repeated with same gaze. "These two arrows belong to me," she uttered staring at him.
"That means," he stepped forward to her, and stayed there and said, "I murdered those two scums of society," she said looking straight in his eyes. "Henan, if you had not punished them death, I might have regretted to befriend you, they were bastard," saying he stepped forward slightly hugged her.
He had ordered to investigate the movements of these two soldiers and he found from that previous two months they committed many sins and crimes and they kidnapped a farmer girl for them. She thought that Wan Hu must be angry but heaved sigh of relief to his reaction, "But why you were out at night?" he asked worriedly looking at her, "I was just venturing out," she said with innocence and with smile, she know when smile was affective, he thought to himself.
"Wan Hu I wanted a favor of yours," she hesitated briefly and then said, "What is it?" he asked casually, "I wanted to but a slave," she said looking far away fields with empty emotions, Wan Hu heard and fell in shock, did not she hate it before? But there was something in her head, he was sure, "When you wanted to bargain with just inform me then, I will be there," he spoke with confidence; they ate lunch with other two women.
Then Wan Hu went back to forteBi site.
After two weeks she was prepared to venture out again, she came out, breathed full air into her lungs and dashed forward, this time she was more careful, she was knowledgeable than previous trip because Wan Hu showed various parts of north border and before its complete construction nothing could be considered certain.
She stood on the top of soil hill and examined wide area behind her was several villages of north border and in front was wide and open free territory of Fang Groups.
North border was bigger than common imagination, she was sure now; she was about to lepta forward when she saw some shadows which were advancing toward villages.
They did not entered from front surely and the part they choose was complete forest where they could meet any danger at any moment yet these shadows were advancing from forest that was all she saw.
From her rough estimate they were close to hundred, Fangs were out of food and decided to take any kind of danger in search of food, once forteBi came into existence they would starve to death or would be forced to move from this place, there was death either way.
Fang Groups had some weapons with them too they were literally prepared too for counterattack in case, she was only calculating things, she was not completely aware of the situation.
Fortunately Wan Hu with his fifty men was patrolling on rear north fields; they were on small regular patrolling for the safety of entire north region.
She was on soil hill and could only see small part of eastern north.
They entered in small village sneakily and started outbreak their food stores.