Er Yin is use to the routine every day. When she get back to the tent, her roommates will be awake and they talk nonstop. She have to remind them to be on time for roll call. After everyone leaves, she can sleep on her bed in peace. She wears everything on her bed except her armour and boots. Sometimes when she is too tired, she sleeps with her armour on.
She spend time days just cleaning herself with a wet towel. As she have a tan skin, no one can see her hairless arm and legs. After the war, she have started to exercise and she have develop muscles like men. Even though she have a girly face like what all the men said. Her height and muscles hide her feminine side. She take care never to let her long hair down in camp. It is always tie up either in a pony tail or in a tight bun. She watch how the men in camp acts to define as a masculine person. Hence she pick up the habit to spit anywhere, chew grass and stand with a leg up on the bench. She even talk loud like them. Drink alcohol is a problem for her thus she give excuses of allergy. Most men will leave her alone about that.
The day the one month is up, her pay day arrives. She is one of the few who have asked for monthly payout. She join the line to receive part of the salary. She show him her tag when it is her turn.
"Name. Province."
"Xie Yi Jin. QingHai, YangTze. "
The court official look at Er Yin up and down. He ask his men beside him to count the coins and make sure it is correct. He pass it to her in a pouch. She open it up and look at the string of coins. She smile. He then ask her to sign and a thumb print to prove that she have receive the amount of coins.
"Sir, is the rest going to my family in YangTze?"
"Yes, why? Do you think the government will eat up the rest?"
"No just asking. Thank you for your hard work."
She hurry to check the coins and sign the paper. Er Yin walk away with the pouch and admire the embroidery sew on the pouch.
That night she pour in the water in the tub with her smiley face. She is not tired at all. She have now the energy to do all the cleaning in the tent needed. She starts to plan in her mind what to get for her family members. The Duke notice her smiley face. He goes on doing his work and occasionally ask her to get him things to eat or other things. While in the day, new recruits have arrived but still she is not transfer back to the designated post as she had sign up in the first place. Er Yin thinks that it is better that she stay at the night shift. She will interact with less people in camp. The identity as a girl must never be discover. Besides that she is earning a lot just by cleaning and fetching for the Duke.
The next few days, the Duke suddenly summon the night shift soldiers including Er Yin. They will be riding out to the north, in the night and will arrive at the border where two countries meet. The mission was to rescue a prince that is hold hostage. Er Yin is assign to be waiting with the horses in a distance. The rest will be sneaking in the camp and rescue the prince. That evening after a full meal, she goes off to the tent as usual. Inside the men are all gather together. They all waited till night fall. In the dead of the night, they lead their own horses out of the camp without talking. Till the end of a junction, the Duke order all ten men to get on their own horses. They start to ride in the cold silence night. They will stake out for five days before they take action. Er Yin is in-charge of the horses while two men are scouting around the area. The Duke wait patiently for his men to return. Another two are send out to hunt for wild animals for them to eat. They waited patiently. The men who went off to hunt returns with two wild rabbits and five fishes. Er Yin who had prepared a few wooden skewers starts to pierce the fishes while the other men handle the rabbits by skinning and roasting. They try to cook without causing too much smoke and they did not talk much. On the fourth day the scouts return with the information that need. The Duke have them draw out a map on the sandy ground. Also the location of the prince the enemy have kept. After all the discussion, they plan to move in the night fall. Er Yin stay back to destroy all the evidence that they are camping there. The horses have to be ready for them when they return. She lead them to a patch there they can eat till they are full. She stay alert of any strange sound or movement around her surroundings. After a long while, one of the men come running. Out of breath he tells her to untie the horses and the rest are fighting off the enemies who are chasing them. She hurry to untie her horse and hold three horses on hand. The other guy hold on the rest. Finally more men appear. A badly wounded man is between the Duke and Luo Ming. The three men got on two horses. Er Yin Get on her horse and hear the sound of men screaming in a distance, her heart starts to beat fast. Her breath is deep. She draw her sword out and handle her horse to ride forward. She see her fellow men in a distance she hurry up and started to swing her sword. This gives them a chance to run. She remember the time she became a grim reaper maybe today she won't be a grim reaper but a massenger from hell. She slice through those men and kick them with her horse. She stomp to give them chance to run a way. She turn around to see her men reaching their horses. She hurry to follow after a few more swings and stomping. Unfortunately, she got stab on her tight but she still break through the crowd of men and join the ones who are riding away. She turn her head to the back to see the men are still chasing but her horse is faster. She smile and soon frown, more men chasing on horses with bow and arrow. She hear the sharp whistling of the arrow and lower her body as she ride away. Er Yin scream at her horse and pray that they will out run them. It is a long chase that those men doesn't give up. She see her fellow colleague in a distance. She cannot get them in danger. She turn around and a different juction. It is a big detour but she have to lead the enemy away by giving them time. She alone ride the plenty long route with those men chasing her. The road is narrow and dense. She lower herself more to avoid the tree branches and leaves from smacking her face. She still hear arrows are fired at her. No matter how, she have to stay alive but the forest soon come to an end with a stone wall. There is no road. She turn around to see a group charging towards her. Her sweat beads roll down her face. She is not going to die tonight. Not today. She hold on to her sword. She hit those arrows that are flying to near to her. She mange to doge most of the arrows. She leap off her horse as two men come riding towards her. She managed to knock them down. With her sword, she slice them and their blood spit on her. She roll on the ground to avoid another arrack and use her arms to knock the legs of the two horses in front of her. They got spook and shake off with their riders. She hurry to roll away and stab another rider on the horse. She smack the horse and it run off. Another try to aim his arrow at her, she throw her sword to him and he fall backwards and the horse got spook and run off with the rider who look dead. While the two who are throw off their horse comes attacking with the dagger in their hand. She use her long leg to kick them. She reach out and grab one of the knife on their hand, she turn and hold tightly to force the men's hand to slice himself. With her back heel, she slam down on the other attacker. He spit blood and fainted. With the small knife she stab the leg of the men to ensure he stay sleep for a long time. She swallow her saliva hard and wipe her sweat beads. Mucus is rolling down her nose. She cry alone in the forest with the dead bodies around her and in the end she scream loudly as she look up the dark sky. The beating of the drums come slowly ringing in her mind. Her hands shake as she stands there. Her horse comes up to her and press its head on her face. She stare at it in a strange way. Her hands are numb and she don't know what to do now. She is rooted to the ground where she stands. That night, the gentle moon and her horse is her companion for the night. The pain slowly slip away when the sun rises.