Even in her unconscious state, Jin qing rested fitfully. Though her body never moved an inch, her mind and dreams thrashed her around in place after place, voices jabbing in her ears, and the familiar cold, musty smell of stone.

Her sister Xue Hua was never asleep and had to watch helplessly as her sister was carried off into a prison-like carriage.

She herself was dragged off, and her petite form was no match for the brutes.

As the wagon drifted off, she can hear the shouts and the blood-curling screams of the Wei soldiers being outnumbered and murdered.
She plugged her ears in an attempt to drown out the noise.

She realized this will be the sounds of war, and suddenly understood why her sister was so anxious to avoid it, even willing to sacrifice herself for the feeble hope of peace.

Even Xue Hua knew an act like this is a declaration of war. It was inevitable now that this gesture of peace has been obliterated.

She stared at her sister with the same helpless expression as before.
She was knocked out, for sure, and unable to help her until she awoke.

She stared out the small windows and felt tears streaming down her own face, and quickly wiped them away, ashamed such a big girl like her was crying.

Xue Hua shut her eyes and covered her ears. Jin qing would know what to do in this situation.
What would her sister do if she was awake?

She knew her sister would first calm down and take in the surroundings.

Looking up, she stared back down the path they came from and tried to remember certain things. A clearing, a small stream, a cliffside, anything.
But she was a lady who grew up only knowing the city. This was still and only will be the forest to her, nothing but trees and a stream from the lake.

She asked herself once again what would her sister do next.

Access the situation

Alright, she thought to herself. Two women in a carriage in enemy land, outnumbered and overpowered, far away from any sort of city.

The odds weren't looking too good

What would Jin qing do next?
Make a plan.

Right, but how would she do that?

She stared at her sister and wished she could wake up sooner.

After what seemed like years, the carriage shook to a stop.

Xue hua looked up to see the door open. They dragged her back out and began to drag her into the second floor of a building made of bamboo, wood, and straw within a walled-in fort.

"Jin Qing!" She cried out, watching her sister's body being carried off in the opposite direction. "Please, let me be with my sister..."

The man ignored her pleads and requests and shut the door behind them.

She hurried to the small barred windows and watched her sister's body get dragged into another room.

Xue hua stumbled back and sat on the floor, all sense of peace leaving her.
She started crying.

She never realized how important Jin Qing's presence was to her. Even when she was unconscious, it provided for her a sense of comfort that there was something or someone she knew that will know what to do. Now that she was alone, it was gone. She wasn't even sure if she'll see her again.

She sobbed into her hands and each time she tried to stop was each time the tears fell in bigger drops. What was she going to do now?

<><><>

Jin qing's eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light of a sunset from a tiny window. Where was she?

She tried to move her arms, to only find them bound with something rough.

"Xue xian."

Jin qing looked up, her eyes seemingly made of iron. "And how can I help?"

"You will tell us what the great Wei is planning.'

"Bold of you to assume I'll give up free information." A sly smile played on her lips. "Nothing comes without a price."

"There is no need to play cool. You are alone and surrounded by enemy land, we might be merciful and give you a quick death."

"Oh? Tempting, but I have other things to worry about than a slow death."

"For example?"

"Why would I tell you?!" She laughed.

A sharp pain erupted from her stomach along with a sickening crack of a whip.

Jin qing bit her lip.

"Allow me to ask again, a different question, a question from the advisor to our great emperor, where do you come from?"

Jin qing smiled.
She found it odd that that question was asked, unless...

Another crack.
Another smile.

Finally, finally, in this hopeless situation, Jin Qing knows something that might help her survive.
Why ask where did she come from?
Jin Qing knew why.

<><><>

The moon was high when Xue hua saw her sister again. By that time, her eyes were puffy from crying and completely hopeless of any chance of escape.

She heard footsteps and the click of a lock. She looked up to see the door swing open and two men throwing her sister onto the floor, who spat blood.

"Jin qing!" She cried, hurrying to her sister, who took a ragged breath. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Jin qing lied, gladly accepting her sister's support. "Are you? I remember you screaming and I-"

"I'm fine. What did they do?!"

She looked over in horror as parts of her sister's dress was ripped and torn from whiplash marking. Her wrist and feet were red and bruised from rope, clearly being tied up and interrogated the entire afternoon.

"I'm fine." Jin qing said with a harder edge to her voice. "I will be. Are you sure you are alright? Did they do anything to you?"

"No! But please worry about yourself!" Xue hua was crying again. Seeing her sister like this once again broke her heart. She held her sister's head close to her chest and sobbed into hair, "Oh! If only you never agreed to this!"

"No... This is good."

Xue hua held her sister by the shoulder and stared into her dark eyes. "Why would you say that? We are miles from the nearest border in Song territory, in a fort, alone, an-"

"Shhhh." Jin qing smiled, pressing a finger against Xue hua's lips. "Now we know the Song's true intentions. They asked me some questions that gave me a little insight into a small part of their plan. Apparently they used the city as a bait to lure me over and attack when they confirmed I was coming so they won't lose anything and gain. It's brilliant, really. I have to commend whoever came up with this plan."

"But why do they want you?!"

"I'm the Xue Xian. The most valuable person in the Wei." Jin qing explained. "A powerful negotiating chip and hostage will be added for the Song while a leg is removed from the Wei. We have capable Generals that are prepared for my absence, but for how long I am not too sure."

"Then we need to leave!"

Jin qing sighed "Of course."

"Do you have a plan?"

"No. Not at the moment." Jin qing replied, her voice tight.

"Why not?!" Xue Hua demanded.

"Because every second of my waking moment has been in that room being caned and whipped, trying not to speak!" Jin qing snapped.

Xue hua's mouth was left open, staring at her sister. This was the first time seeing her lose her cool like this.

Jin qing sank down her her knees and pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes, taking a very deep breath. "Xue hua, please understand I am human as well."
Jin qing didn't say it, but the pain has gotten to her as well.

"Of course... I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I apologize, I shouldn't have gotten mad. I understand your unrest, I feel it too. Just... We must not charge headfirst into a situation we know nothing of yet."

Xue hua nodded, guilt heavy in her chest. "What do we do now?"

"We wait." Jin qing sighed, allowing her hands to drop to her lap. "I assume they would do nothing to you. Act as one of those ladies who knows nothing but sewing and marriage, and they won't ask you anything. I'm telling you this because you are smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"How?!"

"Xue hua, you notice the buds of flowers that have yet to bloom. Small details of things that will always be in handy later." Jin qing explained. "They will most likely charge their anger to me. Whatever it is, we have a week to escape before we move positions again. I heard that as I was... there."

Xue hua nodded, not sure what to say. "If you say observations... I know where the horses are kept."

"That would be great of when we-"

There was a crash and a loud roar of laughter. Jin qing struggled to her feet and peeked out the window.

"What's going on?"

"The men are drunk. Xue hua, go barricade the door best as you can. We can't have any drunkards here."

Xue hua did what she asked and locked the door from the inside, though with the right amount of brute force, the measly little wooden latch would break. She looked back at her sister to see a smile on her face. "Why are you smiling?"

"They're drunk."

"And so?"

"Don't you think that would be the perfect distraction when we make it out and escape?"

Xue hua's face lit up "Of course! And then the horses! We can take them! I think I know the path, I was awake as we left!"

"See! This is what I mean!" Jin qing smiled. "All we need to make sure now is do they get drunk every night like this. I mean, this place has no commanders and these soldiers have no sense of discipline. We might be able to get out..."

Jin qing ran to the other window facing the walls and laughed "How foolish of them to build so we are above the walls of the fort. How nice."

"When do escape?"

"When we are ready." Jin qing looked up at the straw roofs and knocked on the thin bamboo walls. "I have a plan. But we will need a little while, but we will need to do it quickly. We'll start preparing tonight."

"What do we do?"

Jing qing shed the outermost layer of her clothing and began to rip it. "Braid these into a robe. Use the fabric on your dress, the extra weight will just slow us down later."

"Jin qing, you are a genius."

"Of course, now I-"

There was another loud crash that interrupted her. Jin qing looked up and sighed. "Undisciplined men shows quite a lot of the state of the Song."

"What do you mean?"

"It means the troops are only together because of their leaders. They're very disorganized... But their emperor..." She chuckled "I've heard stories."

"Of?"

"Let's say he's known to be quite bold and crafty."

"And so?"

"We know a little of this person's strategy." She said softly. "Hurry, we have less than a week."

<><><>

^-^

So! Both of them is now in Song territory!

I wonder whats going to happen next ( •̀ .̫ •́ )✧