Wu Chen rested his head on the window frame, not seeing the beautiful view as he stared into the past. He could see Lu Yong's grin as he sent the ice shards into the bear's den, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He remembered the feel of his hand on his face as he kissed him softly. His every move, every breath, Wu Chen remembered. A tear slid down his cheek silently.

Chu Haoyu entered the room the Spirit Mountain Sect had set aside for Wu Chen. Not seeing him on the bed, his eyes scanned the area quickly. Finally, he noticed Wu Chen curled up by the window. He sighed softly and walked towards him, only stopping when he saw the tear.

'If you're not ready to do this, we can wait. There's no rush.' Chu Haoyu offered quietly.

Wu Chen casually brushed aside the tear, and without looking up at Chu Haoyu, he simply said, 'No. I've left him alone long enough.'

Chu Haoyu was both saddened and angered at his response, his jealousy surging, but he schooled his features and nodded instead. He watched as Wu Chen headed for the door, his eyes unable to look away from the beautifully tragic sight.

Wu Chen had the look of an immortal. He had dressed in a pristine white robe of mourning. His long hair flowed down his back and was tied with a simple white ribbon near the end. The rest spilled down in a low tail. His dark eyes were limpid in contrast to his stark pale face, and his eyelashes sparkled with recently shed tears. He held his head high, as though his heart wasn't breaking, and stepped elegantly forward. Each step taking him closer to where Lu Yong now rested.

The Spirit Mountain Sect had offered an escort, so they were able to fly on the swords of the sect's disciples to the plateau. Wu Chen watched as they drew closer, his eyes focused only on the pile of rocks in the center of the raised battlefield. His heart was pounding, and his throat felt constricted. He needed to do this. He couldn't leave without saying goodbye.

As they landed, he gripped the plate of osmanthus cakes tightly. He could see various dishes of fresh fruits and various jugs of liquor and wine on and around the small altar that had been erected before the large pile of stones. Two disciples of the sect sat before bowls filled with fire, guarding the tomb until Wu Chen could visit it personally. Wu Chen hesitated for a moment and then slowly approached the altar himself.

Chu Haoyu silently motioned for the two disciples to leave Wu Chen alone with his grief, and they quickly joined him. He watched from a respectful distance as Wu Chen walked forward and then stood with his head lowered before the cairn. His white robes billowed softly in the wind, and his slender body visibly trembled as he gently set the plate of osmanthus cakes down on the altar.

Chu Haoyu's heart beat faster as he realized that no one stood in his way anymore. Given time, Wu Chen would let go of his grief, and only he would be standing beside him. Then, he would finally get back what was rightfully his.

Wu Chen reached out woodenly and picked up three incense sticks. He lit them and then gently placed the sticks into the sand pot to honor the dead. Gracefully, he knelt on the cushion before the altar and prostrated himself three times.

When he was finished, he grabbed one of the jugs of wine and sat back on the cushion in front of the cairn. He had one knee bent, his arm casually resting on it as he held the jug, his eyes vacantly staring at the ground before him.

Shaking his head to clear it, Wu Chen tore the wax seal on the jug and took a deep pull. A small thread of wine snaked its way from his lips down his chin to his chest, slightly staining the pure white robe he wore with a splash of magenta. The wine was sweet and fruity, and it burned a bit going down. Lu Yong would have liked it very much, thought Wu Chen sadly as he wiped his mouth.

He took a deep breath and looked up at the small memorial tablet Chu Haoyu had personally carved. His eyes traced the words 'Lu Yong - Elder of the Lu Clan' several times before he could finally speak.

'I'm sorry, Ah Yong.' Wu Chen finally whispered, 'If I hadn't been so hotheaded and reckless, you would still be here. It's my fault. It's all my fault.'

Wu Chen shuddered, and tears fell without his knowledge or care. He shook his head again and took another pull from the jug, his neck tilted back and his face to the sky.

'You don't have to worry about me. Chu Haoyu has agreed to be my Guardian and take me to the temple. Then we'll retrieve Shandian. When I get the sword, I'll bring it here so you can see it, okay?' His voice quivered with emotion, and he stopped to catch his breath. He lowered his head, his heart was bleeding.

'I love you, and I'll never stop missing you.' His voice broke, his chest burning with grief.

He waited until he could speak again. Then he continued, 'We're leaving tomorrow. I've already wasted a month recuperating. The snow will be thick on the mountain where Shandian is hidden if we don't hurry. I know you were most worried about beating the snow. I remember.'

He sat still for a long while and finally stood up, the jug of wine in his hand. He walked past the altar and went right up to the cairn. Placing his hand on the stones, he lowered his head and sobbed quietly for a moment. Then he stood and poured the jug of wine at the base of the stones to share a drink with his lover.

'I hope that in the next life we can be together again.' He choked out, 'You will always be my Ah Yong in this life, and all my lives to come.'

He closed his eyes, and in a quivering voice, he whispered, 'I will always love you, Ah Yong.'

When the jug was empty, he stood for a moment simply remembering. Then he dropped the jug from nerveless fingers and wiped his face with his sleeve. Not caring what he looked like, or what other people thought, he turned and walked back to Chu Haoyu and the escorts. Without looking at anyone, he simply said, 'Let's go.' His voice was raw but steady.

They were gone before the last of the wine seeped into the ground.

*********************************************************

Distorted voices swirled around him as he slowly drifted in and out of consciousness. His chest ached and burned. He wanted a drink. His throat was dry and painful. He felt nauseous and dizzy, and his head was pounding. He couldn't make his mouth move. He tried to focus on the voices, and eventually, he caught some of the conversation.

'Boss said it would take time. Stop panicking!' Said a low male voice.

'It's been two weeks! Why isn't he awake?' Asked another.

'Be glad he isn't.' Rumbled a third, 'He's going to be a handful when he does wake up.'

There was a low chuckle, 'I doubt he'll be too much of a problem. Those shackles aren't just to look pretty.'

Shackles? Lu Yong tried to use his qi but found that it was blocked. He deduced that he was a prisoner and that they'd used something to stop him from utilizing his abilities. The anger at this disgrace burned away the rest of the haze, and he opened his eyes.

The room was dark. It was lit only by a simple lantern hanging on the opposite wall and another lantern on the table where three guards sat together. He was lying on a thin mattress on a wooden platform, his arms and feet shackled by chains attached to the bed. A worn blanket barely covered him and provided very little warmth. Although he still had his trousers, his feet and upper body were bare.

He could move his hands a little even with the shackles, and he slowly brought one up to feel his aching chest. It took all of his strength, but finally, he was able to examine it.

There was a tight bandage there with a bit of wetness on the surface. He recalled the snake attacking him and the feel of the fang piercing him. How was he still alive? The venom in that cobra was highly toxic.

His next thought was, where was Wu Chen?

His movement alerted the guards, and they all went silent.

'Finally awake?' Asked the one with the low voice.

'Water...' Lu Yong rasped out. He couldn't think with this burning thirst.

'Sure. I'll get you some water.' The guard stood up from the table and approached with a cup of water. He wasn't gentle, but he helped him drink the whole cup.

'I'll go get the healer.' Said one of the other guards.

The one with the water cup looked down at the prisoner, his face serious, and said, 'You do that. Boss says if he dies, we die.'

The other man disappeared through a door beyond his sight and then reappeared in a short time with a kindly faced healer. The man knelt down, grabbed his wrist, and closed his eyes to study his pulse. A few moments later, he released his arm and motioned for the first guard to join him at the nearby table. They spoke in hushed tones, but Lu Yong could hear them even without his qi.

'The antivenom was successful, but it will take a few more days for all of the poison to leave his system.' Spoke the healer, his voice calm and professional, 'The wound is healing nicely, but he will be very weak and susceptible to infection if it isn't cared for properly.'

The healer looked at the cell they were in and shook his head, 'This is not a good environment for healing.' He said, obviously displeased.

'It will have to be.' Answered the first guard, his tone holding the hint of a threat.

The healer pursed his lips and said, 'Fine. I'll do my best. I'll give you a prescription, and you'd better get me the ingredients soon. Not only will I have to heal the poison and the wound, but I'll have to prevent lung rot from this damn cell now, too. Also, there is some leakage, so I will change the bandage while I'm here.'

The first guard nodded, 'Whatever you need, but he can't be moved.'

The healer sighed and looked at Lu Yong with a pitying glance, 'Fine. Just get me the ingredients.'

The healer quickly wrote everything down, and one of the guards took the prescription and left. Then, the healer returned to Lu Yong and began removing the wet bandage.

Lu Yong watched him for a while through slitted eyes until finally he took a chance. Quietly, he asked, 'Wu Chen...is he alright?'

The healer paused as he finished removing the bandage, and then he gave a curt nod.

Lu Yong closed his eyes for a brief moment and sighed in relief, 'Is he here?'

The healer began cleaning his chest wound. He shot a sneaky glance at the guards who watched them closely and then whispered nervously, 'No. No more questions. It's too risky.'

Lu Yong nodded once and then said, 'Thank you.'

He closed his eyes, glad to know Wu Chen was okay at least. Slowly, he drifted back into the velvety darkness. His only thought now was getting stronger so he could figure out a way to escape.