Wu Zhen's voice cracked in the darkness, the sound getting swallowed by the damp trees.
His mind spinning around clueless. There was no mistaking it, this wasn't some rouge from the enemy ranks... No matter how that armor was trying to lie to him. This man had eaten at the same fires as him, marched in the same columns, trained in the same grounds...
The torch that Han had left him had already burned out, only a faint light remained inside it but it wasn't enought to make his way back. He had to move in the dark and pray to not be already someone's target.
A snap makes him whirl, the knife instinctively rising once again... The broad shouldered guard from before steps out from the shadow with a torch in hand, his face unreadable and the eyes staring deeply into his soul.
-Oh thanks heaven it's you...- he relaxes -A man... One of your squadron just tried to kill me!- he says innocently the guard's eyes moved toward the body behind him and then back to Wu Zhen -That was no man of ours- the words comes out evenly and without any stutter, yet his tone lacks conviction -You must be mistaken-
-No I saw his face!- he shouts, tightening the grip on his knife to the point of having his knuckles turn white -Why would...-
-Enough- the guard's voice becomes lower and more authoritative, carrying a weight that makes Wu Zhen flinch -If you value your life, you will not speak of this here. To nobody at all-
The air gets stuck in the boy's throat -What are you saying...? That I forget how I was attacked?-
The man shakes his head -Not how but by who. I'm saying...- he steps closer, looking at him from above and whispering, forcing Wu Zhen to turn his neck upward -... That some things don't keep you alive. Let Han handle it. He's the only one in this camp that can protect you-
Han name works like magic on the boy, taking him back to reality so to leave the panic behind -Yes, Han knows what to do with this situation better than I... Han had already predicted General Ying's moves, he surely can untangle such a minor occurrence- he smiles
The guard nods and reaches out an hand, taking away the knife he previous gave him from his tightly shut fists -Als...- he says opening his sealed fingers with a gentleness that came as unexpected... Almost shooting the boy's unease -You disarmed your attacked and killer him with his own knife, understood?-
The boy nods -Perfect, now go and head straight for your tent... I'll handle the corpse-
Wu Zhen hesitates a moment, looking at the body one last time... The moonlight peeking through some trees and revealing the familiar face once again. He turns around and leave, following the orders. But the questions, clawing at his mind with each step back toward the camp, won't leave him alone...
Han was surely on his side and so were his men, he told him himself. Then why would his attacker be from that same regiment who swore loyalty to his Uncle's cause?
...
The next day Wu Zhen wakes up to the sound of urgent footsteps. His tent's flap snaps open and Han barges in, luckily all his companions already left for their training, breathless as if he had run to come here as fast as he could.
-Zhen!- he rushes beside him, shouting his name with the voice full of alarm, his hand grips the boy's shoulder before he could even sit up -I came as soon as I heard... I was right to have a bad feeling about yesterday, thankfully I sent Shen HuaiZhi back or else I wouldn't have been able to calm my anxious heart. He wiped out all the other enemies hidden in the forest before they could even reach you-
He sighs and then looks around Wu Zhen's body -Are you hurt somewhere? Show it to me and we'll get it treated-
The boy shakes his head -I'm fine... Just ehm shaken. It was nothing I couldn't handle...-
-Nothing?!- Han's eyes flashes, his jaw tightening -A blade came inches from you throat and you call it nothing?- he exhales a slow and measured breath, the kind that looks like a restrained action -If I find out who did this...- he stops mid sentence with eyes full of rage -Nevermind-
He then kneels beside him and add in a whisper -HuaiZhi told me it was someone in our ranks-
Wu Zhen's gaze falters, feeling confused and unsure on what to say -... He said I was probably mistaken, it wasn't one of ours in the end-
A faint, pained smile tugs at Han's lips -And you believe that? He was just trying to calm you down since you were probably shocked... Zhen, men don't have similar feces by accident. Whoever it was knew you and was paying close attention to your movements, maybe even before yesterday. They probably despised you for being General Wu's nephew- he pauses and watches as the boy's expression hardens -There are those who see you an obstacle... And eliminating obstacles is easier than winning them over. Especially for those loyal to other causes-
The name remains unspoken, yet it's quite obvious who Han is talking about -You mean...-
-I mean nothing, yet- Han interrupts him gently, placing a warm hand over his shaking ones -Let me find out the truth first, you're one of my men now and I take care of my people. You trust me to do that, don't you?-
Wu Zhen nods before even realizing it, fully trusting the man who's willing to throw himself into war for his Uncle's cause.
-Good- Han says softy, rising up once again -For the moment don't speak of this matter to anyone at all, we can't be sure of who can be fully trusted in these days... Let them believe that you didn't realize anything yet do I can hunt down that serpent while it still thinks to be hiding well. I promise you-
Wu Zhen looks at him with adoration and after a few brief courtesies, Han leaves. The faint trace if a smile approaching his lips as he turns around... Hidden from the eyes of the other man as the tent flown closes behind him, making the young boy fall into darkness again.
He looks at the place where the Colonel was standing just a few seconds ago, smiling brightly. Feeling relieved now that the situation was in the reliable hand of Colonel Han.