When Anshi returned to his yurt after the strange and unbelievable hunt, a dark blue messenger pouch lay on his desk. His heart began to thud. If a scolding lay within, he did not mind Just to see Han's handwriting, to hold the paper that he held a few days ago, it was like a drug to him.

He paused a moment and retrieved the painting of Han, done in Qian and gently laid it on the table. His heart lurched in an overwhelming wash of love, as intense as it had been the morning he had sung his lamenting goodbye. The dove grey eyes, soft and haunting looked back at him and he could feel the hesitant longing in the touch of those full lips. the taste of his skin, the feel of his scars. The scent of lilacs.

He opened it carefully and removed the scroll and his eyes filled with tears of joy at the sight of the perfect calligraphy written in the dark blue ink, He knew it so well. His chest in the corner contained every message he had ever received from his precious Minister. He had even, in desperation that winter they had together, dug through his discarded papers, removing every single one, no matter how inane or business-like they were. They had been written by him and Anshi had secreted them back to the camp to his chest in the yurt and saved them. He could not bear that even these trifles would be destroyed.

Anshi took a deep breath and began to read.

'My dearest Anshi,

Thank You. While your lack of judgement in disappearing and terrifying your friends disappointed me, I cannot tell you I am angry. Indeed, the news of what you did to avenge me thrilled me to my core.

Nobody has ever loved me like that in my life. Nobody has ever found me worthy enough to have taken such a task on in my honor. How could you, so far away, still be able to reach out and do such an act and present me with such a farewell gift?

My love for you is unending. It is my existence. I know you feel the same. You have always been so much stronger than me and you have been the foundation, even as a child, that I could root myself to and learn to care for someone besides myself.

To discover that courage within my core to love and shelter another that needed it, was my one chance at finding salvation. Without your appearance in Qian, I would never have known that I was even capable of loving another with a selfless devotion and with all my heart.

And now comes a time that I must make the hardest sacrifice of my life and I will need every bit of your strength to help me do what must be done. Will you gift me one more thing? My dearest love? As you travel west and seek your lost tribe?'

At this point Anshi noticed the traces of dried teardrops on the delicate, white paper and he began to sense a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He rose from his cushion and began to pace. His hands started to shake and he willed himself to walk back, suddenly loath to look at the fine writing and the tiny blue smudges that blurred the edges of some of the words, words fashioned in love and in sorrow.

'Start to lay this love of ours aside. You cannot fulfil your fate while it is still so heavily entwined with mine.

I know I am demanding a lot from you. I am demanding that you endure the impossible, however I must beg this of you, in this, my last love letter to you.

Please, do what you must, even learn to hate me again, in order to find your destiny and to find the woman you will love, marry and have children with. For you to do this, we must turn back a page. Stay allies, stay diplomats in arms, but we must strive for nothing more.

You cannot focus on the lives you have taken under your protection if your heart remains in my hands here in Qian. I must send it back to you and deep within, you know this to be the only option. I must set it free. I must cut the strings that bind you to me and let you soar the way you are meant to.

Please help me do this. Please help me severe this tie, between us, encasing what we have deep within both our hearts. I cannot do this alone, and I beg you to help me one last time.

I will always hold you dear, but I will learn to live without you. It is the last thing I can give you, my Love. My Emerald. My Singer. I will give you your freedom. I trust you to use it wisely. Do not waste it.

Your beloved.

Han.'

Lan Sya Mu had just received news from a Guardian of the missive's arrival. He held a smaller in his hand and she ripped hers open.

'Dear Lan Sya Mu.

I have ended it with Anshi. I am distraught and I know he will be worse. Please go to him at once, you and Lan Ge Ban. He will need your support. \

Thank you.'

She snapped, "Find General Lan and send him to the Chieftains yurt immediately."

She was racing through the camp and stripping armor off as she went. She ripped off her helmet as she enter the foyer. Then dropped everything to the floor as the first moan of sadness reached her ears. She entered cautiously and saw him gripping the scroll. She heard weeping and she approached slowly, crouched, then laid a hand on his shoulder. To her surprise, he accepted the gesture.

"I received a message from Han, to come to you and why. Lan Ge Ban is on his way."

A soft voice answered her. "Of course. He thinks of everything, does he not?"

"He does. Even if he must sacrifice himself."

"I would have liked it if he had been selfish, grasping for once. Left me with hope."

Sya Mu sighed. "Would that have been kinder? Perhaps. But it would not have helped. Would it have been better to leave you with the false hope of a life together, knowing what your goal is? And what about him? How would he stand it, yearning for a part in a life shared with the spouse you would be choosing one day? Would that be fair to him? Would you wish it for him?"

"Never."

"Then give him the gift he asks for. You chose the life of a Chieftain. Han chose the life as High Minister. Life as a ruler is a bitter one at times. You must bear it when the occasion arises."

"You have no idea of how hard this is."

"And you have no idea of how little you know me."

She smiled wryly. "I am going to prepare some tea. You have a lot of things to work through today, my Chieftain. And remember, you are not in this alone. We are your tribe, and we need our leader."