Legacy

Legacy, the Final Part

  That night, Ying lay awake in her hut. Her mind raced and stumbled, turning in circles desperately. The old scars on her back from her beatings tingled. It wasn’t unusual. Her wound had been bandaged again, and had subsided to an aggravating, thudding, ache. Staring at the faint star light that prickled through the hole in the mud roof above her head, she wondered if all girls felt this confused after being kissed and having an offer of marriage. Though, she thought, I bet it doesn’t often happen in such abnormal circumstances. But she had no idea. She was a woman in a man’s world. If felt like her entire life had been like that. She never remembered having any particularly close female friends. Not that it really mattered, she assured herself. She didn’t know how to talk to women really anyway… Eventually, as the fire dropped to embers, she fell into a dream filled sleep.

  The next day in the fortress, there was a decidedly busy atmosphere. Zheng of Qin believed, with his commanders, that Heaven had decreed that they were to overturn the State of Zhao to maintain balance, and therefore they must attack the Zhao fortress tomorrow, at the latest. Commanders were vigorously organising and running through training drills with their companies, and this didn’t exclude Jianjun and Ying. Despite being the last to return, they insisted in participating in the attack. Ying forced herself to work through the growing pain, which shot over her entire lower body with every movement, especially whilst riding. As for the couples promise of the previous evening, it had been a unanimous decision not to bother the King with a request for Ying’s hand until after the war, as the King was officially in the position of Ying’s father. And so, both the young commanders were forced to continue as normal. This suited Ying, who always found the preparation and suspense for a battle the hardest part. The suspense seemed worse than the fighting to her. Then, she could rely on adrenaline and set pieces. In the lead up, nothing was ever the same twice. But it was eased by the odd smile from her betrothed. Not enough to make the day easy, but bearable. By sunset, Qin’s army was ready. They were to set out early next morning to march to the fortress before attacking. This would break the deadlock, and, it was hoped, win the war.

  That night, sleeping deeply in her hut, Ying was horrified to find that she was playing victim to her recurring childhood nightmare. In her dream, she stood perched at the top of a tall, stone pillar, watching her town being wrecked, burned, and savaged by the invaders that took her captive. She saw with detail her family and the other villagers killed, the blood seeping from wounds onto the fertile land, staining their clothes. Ying had a sword in her hand, but she couldn’t throw it at the invaders to stop them. She couldn’t climb down the smooth shaft of rock. She couldn’t save anyone. But she was screaming, as loud as she could, until her throat seemed to bleed. No one heard her. All she could hear were the cries of anguished mothers, men fighting for breath and children hushed one last time. Life ending, ear aching echoes, mingled with the distant stillness of the sea. The sea grew louder, till it roared in her ears, and she was forced to gaze upon the lifeless form of her tiny brother’s body, floating pale against the might ocean. Normally, she would be released here, but not tonight. Joining her brothers body were the shells of all the people she had ever fought, and killed. Masses of them, swamping her brother’s body, filling the sea to its depths…

  Ying awoke, lying dead still, a scream crawling up her throat and out into the air, shivering in a cold sweat. Carefully, she breathed deeply, concentrating on calming her rapid pulse. She hadn’t had that dream -nightmare- since she’d been acquired by Sayo Ke. Why on earth should it return with such menace now? It couldn’t be the imminent attack; she’d been part of wars before. Creeping out of the hut, she lifted her face to the sky, the stars. They were so distant, so eternal. The rest of the fortress, the noises muffled by the night, was so small and insignificant. Lost in thought, she only returned to her tent when the breeze chilled her skin, and her thigh ached. Burying herself beneath the coverings, she slept uneasily.