Night falls and Ying Yue had given up on convincing everyone. Hidden under large willow trees, Ying Yue dozes off. Having to carry someone all day worn her out the most. Zhi Ruo sees the sleeping Ying Yue under the willow trees; feeling tired herself she decided to go and lay next to Ying Yue. Meanwhile the trio of noble ladies had other plans. With the lake nearby, and no shelter it was too cold for them to sleep. Making sure Ying Yue was asleep, Yu Wei and her trio of friends decides to start a fire. Wang Shu worried about attracting the dragon army speaks out.
"Yu Wei, I don't think you guys should be doing that. Didn't you hear what Ying Yue said? To not do anything that could attract the dragon army?"
"Be quiet Wang Shu, you're the most useless one out of all of us. I saw how Ying Yue did the fire the other day, and we're all cold here. We need it, I'm not going to freeze to death now too."
Wang Shu was always a quiet person, even to Ying Yue she had little to no presence. A plain looking girl compared to the other noble girls. She had long dark hair, pale skin, light brown eyes, and soft lips what were now chapped. Her good point was that she had a soft and charming voice. Yu Wei and her trio started gathering nearby sticks and dry grass. Wang Shu watched in the distance. Seeing the fire grow too much made Wang Shu panic.
"Gasp! You're creating too much smoke Yu Wei!"
"Ahhh! How do I make it stop?! Guys the fires getting too big! What do I do?!"
With the girls panicking and making a ruckus, Ying Yue woke from her sleep. Nearly choking on the smoke blowing her way. Ying Yue quickly stands up and nudges Zhi Ruo to wake up as well. Glancing around her, Ying Yue quickly notices the fire. Frowning and angry at what the girls had done without her permission.
"Cough Cough. Put it out now!"
The girls were too busy panicking and not hearing Ying Yue. Ying Yue quickly runs to where Yu Wei and the others were. As Ying Yue made her way to the other girls she stopped in her tracks. Ying Yue realized they were surrounded now. Torches lite up around the lake and the forest, Ying Yue breaks into a sweat and takes out her sword that was tied onto her waist.
"Damnit!"
Zhi Ruo quickly runs to where Ying Yue and the others were. Glancing around, men dressed in red with golden hair could be seen in the distance. Ying Yues heart was now leaping out of chest, with her sweaty palms Ying Yue forces everyone to stay behind her.
"Everyone get behind me, looks like we can't escape this."
A tall figure on a white horse approaches Ying Yue. Keeping twenty feet between them. A handsome looking man walks out from the shadows. Looking to be in his twenties, with sharp eyes, a tall nose, and full lips. She knew the dragon clan were beautiful people, but not like this. Speaking in a harsh low voice, the man calls out to Ying Yue.
"My name is Zi Tai, I am a general of the dragon army. Drop your weapon, woman."
"I'll drop it if you tell your bowmen behind us to drop theirs."
"Oho...so you can see them from this distance. You must be the reason why these women are still alive."
The strange man signals his men to drop their weapon. Soon all the fire behind Ying Yue died out, one by one. Ying Yue was now staring at the three hundred dragon army. The strange man adverts his eyes back to Ying Yue and the others.
"You will all be returning to the Dragon capital with us,"
"And if we don't want to?"
"Then we'll kill you here on the spot, your choice."
Ying Yue knew there was a high chance they'd be killed anyways once they got to the capital. The dragon clan still probably hates the humans for what they did five hundred years ago. While still thinking of what was the best thing to do, Yu Wei and her trio, Xun Mei, Lei Ju and Feng Mian tried making a run for it. Since the soldiers all moved behind where their general was, Yu Wei thought it'd be a good idea to make a run for it.
"Run guys!"
All the noble girls ran, other than Ying Yue, Zhi Ruo and Wang Shu who couldn't run, because of her ankle. Zi Tai was not kidding around when he said they would be killed on the spot. He signals ten of his bowmen to ready their arrows. In a matter of seconds everyone was hit with an arrow. Ying Yue watched as Yu Wei and her trio fall one, by one.
"Stop! You're going to kill them."
"I gave them a choice; they chose to run."
Ying Yue drops her sword and kneels. With her tear-filled eyes, Ying Yue pleads with Zi Tai to stop his men. Zi Tai signals his men to go drag them back.
"Go drag them back here."
Ying Yue watched as Yu Wei was dragged back, still fighting to get the solider off her. He drags her by her hair and slams her to the ground in front of Ying Yue. The others were all dragged back the same way. Each girl suffered a blow to their left leg. Ying Yue still kneeling, glances back at Zi Tai.
"Heh, don't worry. We made sure to avoid hitting any vitals. We only shot at their legs to keep them from running."
Zi Tai signals his men to drag everyone back to the capital of the dragon clan. After ten minutes of sitting around a red carriage with a dragon emblem approaches the site. Tied together like slaves inside a carriage, Ying Yue couldn't help, but be mad. Knowing that this all could've been avoided. By tying everyone's hands together; Ying Yue couldn't do anything, but watch them take her sword away. Being surrounded by the army made it impossible to escape. No one could do anything, but sit in silence as the carriage makes its way back to the capital. After sitting inside the carriage for three hours; unable to hold back her anger anymore, Ying Yue finally snaps.
"If you guys had just listened to me this wouldn't have happened, now would it? Whose genius idea was it to start a fire?!"
All the girls remained silent, no one wanted to speak. Wang Shu glances at Ying Yue and quietly mutters.
".... It was Yu Wei, Ying Yue."
"Bah, I'm not surprised. I should've guessed it'd be you."
Yu Wei lifts her head up and stares back at Ying Yue. Even with a busted leg now, she still had the audacity to throw her status around.
"Listen here Ying Yue Yang, Just, because we are here doesn't mean you can disrespect me like that! I am still the daughter a state governor!"
"No one cares Yu Wei. Look what happened every time you decided something. Making that fire, and then trying to make a run for it earlier? Yeah, real nice of you. Now most of you have a busted leg and can't even walk properly, much less run."
Yu Wei couldn't say anything. Ashamed of what she did she could only keep her face down. Looking through the cracks on the carriage, Ying Yue stares at the moon, preparing herself for what is to come. Hours passed and Ying Yue could no longer keep her eyes opened. Ying Yue decides to call it a night and slowly lay down next to Zhi Ruo.
Day breaks and Ying Yue wakes up to the smell of chicken being roasted. Having not eaten much the day before she was starving. Everyone was now awake and could only rely on the smell of meat roasting to fill their stomach. Before long a dragon soldier came by and passed around porridge. It was still better than nothing, Ying Yue thought. After eating Ying Yue was greeted by Zi Tai.
"It won't be long before we get to the capital. Luckily enough for us, you guys weren't that far away. We have two more days and we'll be there. Until then, behave yourself if you want to be fed."
With those words, Zi Tai leaves to direct his troops. Not a single person uttered a word. Worried for what lied ahead of them, Ying Yue could only watch as they drifted further and further away from the cave.