Light and Shadow

Chapter 3 - A Long Road Together

The first light of the morning sun appeared over the horizon as Xun Yu walked toward the stables that were located behind the palace, which was the site where most of Xu city's and the nation's business and political affairs took place. Cao Cao's private quarters were located on the eastern side of the palace, towards the rear, which was approximately three kilometers away from the stables. Xun Yu carried one bag with him. In this bag was a change of clothes and a smaller bag that contained at least five days' worth of rations, such as rice, tea leaves, and vegetables. Xun Yu did not pack any cooking utensils since Cao Cao said that he would pack them.

He managed to make it to the stables without any issue, and he stood there patiently waiting for Cao Cao to arrive. Since his room was located somewhat distant from the stables, Xun Yu suspected that he would have to wait awhile before the man arrived; however, he did not mind waiting. The morning air was relatively silent and still, filling him with feelings of peace and calm. After ten minutes or so passed, he could see the man walking towards him with two bags in his hand. Xun Yu assumed that one of the bags held the necessary cooking utensils and the other contained his spare clothes and food supplies. As Cao Cao now stood before him, Xun Yu offered to hold the man's bags for him, and Cao Cao agreed to let him hold them so long as he sat them down if they were too heavy. Xun Yu agreed that he would, and Cao Cao walked into the stables.

Three horses were currently not in use. One horse was jet-black in color, while the other two horses were both a deep brown shade. The black horse was one of Cao Cao's favorites, and he fondly named it Shadow Runner due to its ability to cover vast distances quickly without tiring. Cao Cao stood in the stable and looked at the three saddles that were not in use. Of the three saddles, he deemed that two of them were too flashy and he settled for the plain black one. He picked it up and walked in the direction of Shadow Runner. Cao Cao carefully put the saddle on a post near the horse and began to pet and brush the majestic creature. He then picked the saddle back up and put it on the horse, making sure that it was not secured too tight or loose.

"So, do you want to ride together or separately?" Cao Cao asked.

"Together would be fine, if it's not too much of an inconvenience." Xun Yu replied.

"No, not at all. That's fine with me." Cao Cao stated as he grabbed the horse's reigns and opened the stall door, leading it to Xun Yu.

The horse stopped in front of Xun Yu, and he hesitantly pet it. The horse appeared to enjoy it before Xun Yu stopped to secure the three bags to the side of the horse's saddle. Truthfully, the main reason why Xun Yu agreed to ride with Cao Cao was because he was somewhat afraid of horses. He was worried that one would get startled near him and that it would lead to him getting injured or worse, but the horse that stood before him was relatively docile and made no indication or movement to otherwise show that it meant him harm. This made him feel somewhat safer around the horse, and his fear regarding the animal was diminished slightly.

Cao Cao climbed onto the horse and extended a hand in the direction of Xun Yu to help him climb onto the horse. Xun Yu gently grabbed the man's hand and carefully climbed onto the horse's back, positioning himself in front of Cao Cao. Cao Cao then positioned his arms on either side of Xun Yu and held the reigns in his hands. He then asked Xun Yu if he was comfortable, and he nodded in response. Cao Cao then urged the horse forward and it began to walk slowly forward down the stone path that led to the city's exit.

"Before we go any faster, please make sure that you hold on tightly and try not to move around too much." Cao Cao stated.

Xun Yu held tightly onto the saddle and braced himself. As they exited the city through the stone gateway and left the stone path behind them, Cao Cao urged the horse forward until it was sprinting along the well-traversed dirt road before them. Cao Cao informed Xun Yu that, if they maintained their current pace, they would arrive at Puyang in less than three days. Xun Yu was thankful that their ride there would be relatively short because being alone with Cao Cao, without anyone around, made him feel somewhat nervous, but it also filled him with content because it brought him joy to be able to spend time with him.