Felix had a perplexed expression on his face, "But-but the left side is the path leading to the Hun's
camp."
"
Exactly," Logan muttered. He did not need anyone to tell him what was right or wrong. Moral
principles were his profession.
They turned right as Logan heard one of the servants telling Lady Wang, "Milady, we are now crossing
over to the enemy territory."
Zhao Jun nodded and said quietly, in a light, delicate voice, "Yes, I know."
Logan could not help but look back at her. She looked so very peaceful and tranquil sitting on her
graceful and lithe horse. However, at the same time, she seemed so full of dejection. Another stream of tears
streaked down her lovely face and down to her chin. One of the guards shouted, "We should be there by now!
Why aren't we?"
Logan turned back and said, unperturbed, "We'll be there soon, my friend."
The guard grumbled something, but went back in line and continued to march.
The sun set over at the mountains at the west. The orange sky dimmed to black and they set up a camp
towards the end of the wall. Everyone sat around the campfire and ate delicious Chinese delicacies.
"
When I was young," a guard started to smile, "my mother and my sister picked plums from the tree we
had in our backyard, father and I worked all day and came back to eat the delectable food the women prepared."
"
When I was young," The guard sitting next to him said, "I played all day from the sunrise to the sunset
and literally played and ate all day long."
"
Milady?" The guard asked Zhao Jun and she started, as if woken from a reverie. She simpered and
said, "When I was young, the branches swayed with the breeze, the fish jumped from the river, into the air.
Everyone worked hard in the morning, when the sky would be the color of ripe plums and then, in the evening,
when the sky would be as black as ink, we would dance and celebrate," she wore a dreamy look, "until you
came and took everything away."
She stopped abruptly as the guards shifted uncomfortably.
"
What about you, young one?" She asked Logan.
"
Me? I am still young," the guards laughed, as Logan continued, "I live in a place called Connecticut."
The lady looked intrigued, "Could you describe it? I would like to go someday."
"
It is lush full of trees. It has brooks weaving in and out of every valley. Connecticut is very beautiful.
It is natural and unbridled. Nothing can take it captive," Logan sighed.
The lady murmured, "I wish I were Connecticut."
The guards shifted uncomfortably.
The lady sighed and forced a smile. Felix whispered, "We can't let her be taken to the Chief. We just
can't."
"
I know," Logan answered, "I'm trying to think of something."
An owl hooted and the tree branches swayed in the cold, night breeze. As the soldiers slept, Logan and
Felix crept towards Lady Wang.
"
Come on!" Logan shook her gently awake, "You have to go!"
She looked perplexed for a moment and smiled, "No, I cannot go. I cannot control fate. What is done is
done. Do not stress yourself about it, little one."
Logan was baffled, "Don't you want to be free?"
"
Oh, yes, I do," the lady answered, "however, you cannot fix or change anything beyond what is in
your control. If I don't go, the Huns might attack China. All of my country will be in ruins."
Logan shook his head, "I don't understand. If China is on the brink of failure, why can't you at least
save yourself."
"
Because China still has hope," the lady answered simply, "Go to sleep, it is too late now."
The next morning, Logan woke Felix up, "Wake up, we have to go home now. We've done our job."
"
What job?" Felix grumbled as he rubbed his eyes.
"
Doesn’t matter now, come on!"
A few months later...
Logan!” Felix yelped, “C’mon! Over here!”
Logan ran to the living room and asked frantically, “What is it?”
His younger brother pointed to an article in the newspaper, about an excavated rock, and whispered
excitedly, “Read it.”
Logan scanned over the newspaper. His eyes widened in disbelief at the last few words, which were
supposedly inscribed in the artifact, your words encouraged me.
* * *