Er Yin did not know how she got on her horse. She only know that she is leaning onto her horse. It is walking in a steady speed with her on its back. She watch the grass move as the horse walks by it. Slowly she begin to feel the pain on her thigh. Its bleeding and her breath is beginning to be shallow. She tell herself to make it back to camp or somewhere with people that can help her. She have to stay alive for her family. Darkness comes and goes. Base on her knowledge, she knows that she must stay awake for now. She keep mumbling and talk without make any sense. Her horse walk on the long quiet road. It seems to have a memory where to go. Occasionally it stop by a creek to have water and continue to walk. Er Yin don't have the strength to control it and allow her horse to do whatever it wants to do. Surprisingly her horse did don't stop to eat its favourite grass. Thus they make it throughout the night and at the early morning, the sight of the camp is seen.
The soldiers come running towards her. They hurry to hold on the rein of the horse. She is help to get off the horse and Luo Ming come running. He and along with another man each carry Er Yin on their shoulder. While because of the uneven height of the men, her feet is drag on the feet as they struggle to carry her into the camp. The Duke who is standing at the entrance stop them. He pick up Er Yin and carry him in the camp and towards the medical tent for treatment. All men watch their commander carrying Er Yin and whisper.
"Why is the Duke carrying that lad like a girl?"
"Didn't you see? That two who help him off the horse are not as tall as the rider. His boots are dragging on the floor. Making it harder to getting into camp."
"So the duke carry him?"
"I guess so. The tallest men in this camp is only the Duke, that rider and Luo Ming. Look at us, we are none compare to them."
"Go and stand guard! Quit talking!"
The soldiers dispersed and hurry to their post. The gate is close once again and her horse is lead away.
The Duke hurry to the medical tent and yell for the physicians. Inside the tent, there is another patient, he is the prince that was rescued. He watch the injured man placed on the bed. Himself cannot do anything but to watch and say his prayer for the man who went to rescue him. The physician who is on duty hurry to check on the young man. After he read the pulse, his eyebrows knitted together. He ask his assistances to lift up the bed and put the man inside another room. He bow to the duke and report the findings.
"How is it? Is he ..."
"Your highness, that ... young boy have a tough body. He is not going to die anytime. However his wound needs to be attended. He have many old wounds but he survive them all so this time, he will live too. Please excuse me i need to go attend to, him."
The Duke watch the physician walk into the other room. He wants to follow inside but Luo Ming stop his master.
Inside the room, the physician check the pulse again. He stare at the face and sigh. He walk to a basin of warm water and wash his hand. Removing the scissors, he walk back and trim the pants to open a bigger entrance. Now he can see how deep the wound is. After that he clean around the area while he is waiting for the medicine in a small clay pot that is cooling down beside the bed. Once the medicine is cool, he pour a bowl of liquid and slowly feed Er Yin.
"I think you can hear me. This is a medicine that helps to ease the pain. Later i will clean your wound on your thigh. It will be very painful. This will help on numbing it for a while. It will make you sleepy as well. Go and sleep. I will do all the work. Don't worry, your secret will be kept in this room."
Er Yin who is half awake understands and she feels that she should trust him. Soon she falls asleep hearing the sound of instruments in the room.
The physician works with the sweat beads around his face. He wipe his face occasionally with his sleeves. He instructed his assistance not to come inside and assist the outside work especially on the prince who is recovering. He work on cleaning the flesh. Stopping the bleed, removing the dirt and cloth that is stick on the flesh. He inspect the whole wound before he decided to stitch back the flesh. After a long stitch he have to bandage around the thigh. He look at the face of the young girl. Using a clean cloth, he wipe her face and arms to remove the blood and dirt. He remove her boots and place them on the ground next to her bed. He walk to fetch a blanket and return to cover her properly. He look at her again and sigh. With his hands behind his back, he wall to a cabinet and take out a candle. He lit up a scented candle to allow her to sleep comfortable throughout the night. He walk out of the room and close the curtain. Outside, he see the Duke is sitting quite awhile with a tea cup in his hand. He bow and walk up to report to the commander.
Inside the room, Er Yin for the first time is sleeping soundly. She had a beautiful dream of walking in a forest with plum blossoming on the tree. They are all beautiful and blooming with red. She is happy and feel safe. No dead body. No smell of death. No screaming. No drum beating in a distance. Everything is perfect and beautiful. In the dream she is wearing a red dress. Finally she is alike any girls on the street. With her long wavy hair with a nice simple hair pin. She spin around in delight. In a distance, she see a figure standing. She cannot see who it is but she is not panicking. Suddenly she realised that she is holding her sword in her hand. She stare at the sword in her hand. The sword itself there is blood dripping down and the figure of a person is slowly walking towards her. Somehow the man is not walking towards her with a sword but a branch with Plum Blooms on it.