The Cross-dress warrior of Sun

Prologue

It has been days since the young warrior left the battlefield, barely alive. Scarlet blood was dripping onto the immaculate white snow. Each step was more difficult than the preceding one. A week ago, he was one of the most noble warriors of the country. Now, he was just a defeated soldier with only one weapon, a broken sword.

The cry of the newborn pressed against his chest echoed in the mountains. Immediately, the survivor gently put a finger on the small lips of the child.

"You need to be silent, Sūnzi," he said softly. "They will hunt us if they hear us."

As if the baby was listening, he went silent. A sense of relief took away the fear in his heart.

"We will arrive soon."

He walked more quickly; the gray uniform mountains became more and more familiar. Deng De hadn't understood at first the reason why his father showed him this place. It was only when his army was massacred by the Huns that he realized his mysterious motive.

Loud rumbling noises invaded the hostile meadow. Deng De immediately ran. The men that were coming didn't belong to the imperial army. He plunged between a small pile of rocks, placing some on top of him to hide from any eventual curious enemy.

He grabbed firmly what was left of his sword and held his breath. The sounds of the horse's steps grew closer. They stopped around thirty meters away. Close. Too close.

"The footstep stops there," declared a low voice.

"Are the traces fresh?" asked another soldier.

"Impossible to tell; the tempest is too violent. The gusts of wind disperse the snow."

A frustrated growl echoed in the meadow. Deng De's heart beat loudly in his chest.

"They are probably near this place. The warrior is severely injured."

Deng De silently thanked the gods for stopping his bleeding several meters away from his hiding. His grandson suddenly let out a cry. The warrior froze.

"Did you hear that?"

The survivor felt his breathing becoming heavier as sweat formed on his forehead. Heavy footsteps were going toward their direction. Deng De's body became more and more tense as the ice cracked louder and louder. A loud noise traveled in the wind followed by a grunt of pain.

"Yun Yunru? Are you okay?" asked the Hun.

"I slipped on the ice," grunted the soldier.

A few seconds passed before Yun Yunru declared.

"Let's go; they have no chance to survive with this storm."

They went back on their horses, and a few minutes later, they were gone. The meadow was quiet again. Deng De's heart slowly calmed. He was safe. His grandson too. He delicately went out of his hiding and walked back in the snow. Small ice cubes started to form in the corners of his eyes and lashes.

He started to lose hope when the distant shape of a palace appeared in the blizzard.

"We arrived, Sūnzi; this is going to be our home. The birthplace of every future warrior of this country."

The sun illuminated the storm, like a glimmer of hope in a room full of darkness.

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Lexical:
Sūnzi: word meaning grand-children.
In China the family name comes before the actual name.
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