'Ah Chen, eat something.' Lu Yong coaxed, unable to wipe the smile from his face. He lifted the spoon up, hoping his little hedgehog would take a bite.

Wu Chen glared at him from a newly created bed, as the other had been completely destroyed. He was furious! They were so close to their destination and had to lose a full day of traveling thanks to that ridiculous honey paste! A little play was one thing, but last night was simply too much.

'I'm not hungry.' Wu Chen grumbled angrily.

Lu Yong pretended to frown, 'You're always hungry after...'

'Ah!' Wu Chen covered his Guardian's mouth with a hand to stop him from finishing his sentence, his cheeks glowing red and his lashes lowered, 'I'll eat later.'

Lu Yong couldn't help himself. His laughter echoed through the campsite. He didn't think it was possible for Wu Chen to be more adorable than he was when he was flustered and angry.

'Fine, fine, fine. I'll leave the bowl here in case you change your mind.' Lu Yong chuckled, setting the bowl next to Wu Chen.

Wu Chen continued to glare at him until he wandered off with that ridiculous smile still on his face. Alone at last, Wu Chen stealthily examined himself. He was covered in ambiguous purple marks, and sitting was not a pleasant experience either. He had already taken a mild healing elixir and gone through his qi rotation, and he was still aching everywhere. When he had first opened his eyes, he had been cleaned, dressed in his inner robes, and placed carefully on this new bed. But when he tried to move...

If he ever found the person who gave Lu Yong that honey paste, he would not hold back from using both of his swords!

He sighed and tried to let go of his anger. The night, after all, had been amazing. He couldn't deny it. It was only the morning that was a little unpleasant. 

His gaze wandered toward the mountain that held his sword. The nearer they got, the more he could feel its pull. He was so close! Not for the first time, he wondered what made Lu Yong decide to hide the sword here instead of taking it with him. He had never asked, and Lu Yong had never offered to explain either.

Absentmindedly, he reached down and picked up the bowl of rice his Guardian had tried to feed him. In moments, he had finished the bowl and found that he was still hungry. Shooting a quick glare in the direction Lu Yong had gone, he slowly climbed from the bed and carefully made his way, bowl in hand, toward the pot of rice sitting near the campfire.

'Finally hungry?' Lu Yong laughed as he scooped Wu Chen up from behind and headed for the campfire. He gently placed a protesting Wu Chen on the soft grass near the fire and took his bowl to refill it for him. He handed the bowl to Wu Chen and sat behind him.

As the young man huffed and began to eat, Lu Yong started to gently massage his waist. It did make him feel a little better, so he decided to let the honey paste go for the moment.

'Ah Yong, can I ask you something?' Wu Chen hedged between bites.

Hearing the nervousness in his voice, Lu Yong gave him his full attention, 'You can ask me anything, Ah Chen.' He didn't stop the massage, and his voice was soothing. Wu Chen relaxed a little.

'Why did you put Shandian in a mountain cave? Why didn't you just take it with you?'

Wu Chen's curiosity finally defeated his embarrassed anger. Without thinking about it, he leaned back into the strong chest behind him.

Lu Yong smiled and wrapped his arms around his feisty lover. He gathered his thoughts, and after a moment, he explained, 'I was barely alive after you saved me, and it took a couple of days before the monks found me. I was in really bad shape. I could see Shandian on the ground where you had dropped it after we collapsed. I guess I crawled to it because the monks said they found me with my hand resting on the hilt. I asked one of the monks to give it to me, but Shandian wouldn't budge no matter how many monks tried to pick it up.'

Lu Yong gave Wu Chen a soft kiss on his head, 'Then, the Old One offered to speak to the sword spirit for me. After consulting with the spirit, the Old One told me that Shandian would not leave the field where you disappeared. It had located a suitable cave in the mountain nearby and would wait for your return there.'

Lu Yong sighed, 'After that, the sword glowed brightly and then flew to the Old One. It allowed the Old One to hold it, and they disappeared into the mountain. It took a while, and then the Old One returned and put his finger on my inner eye. He imprinted the location of the sword, and I collapsed completely.'

Wu Chen nodded. His Guardian's explanation made more sense than imagining an injured Lu Yong crawling up a mountain to hide the sword in some random cave. If he had learned anything on this journey, it was that stories from the past don't contain as many facts as they do inaccuracies. He had studied the Myth of Wu Chen since he had first experienced a vision Shandian had sent him. The truth turned out to be much richer and more heartbreaking than he had thought.

Feeling guilty for causing him so many problems, Wu Chen felt an ache in his heart. In a soft, quivery voice, he said, 'I'm sorry to have worried you and caused you trouble, Ah Yong. But, if I could go back to the past knowing what I know now, I would still save your life.'

Unable to agree, but not wanting another argument, Lu Yong merely shook his head and kissed his ear. There was no point in 'what if's'. What had happened had happened. He could only marvel at the fact that he finally had Wu Chen back.

Lu Yong glanced at the empty bowl in Wu Chen's hand, 'Still hungry?' He asked softly.

'En!' Wu Chen answered far too quickly, 'Can I have some of the antelope haunch this time? How about the dates? Did you find more?'

Lu Yong laughed and got up to feed his starving lover. As he filled the bowl, an unwelcome tremor tickled his senses. He did not mention it to Wu Chen. He just kept acting like he hadn't noticed anything and happily gave Wu Chen a full bowl, including some haunch and five dates.

'Ah Yong! You found so many? Thank you.' Wu Chen grinned up at his lover and gave him a soft kiss as a reward. Then, he began eating as if he had been starving for days.

Lu Yong chuckled, 'I'm going to go check on the horses while you eat. I'll be back soon.'

'En.' Wu Chen smiled and took a drink from his water skin.

Once he was far enough away, he cloaked his aura and breath and completed a full circuit of the campsite without another tremor. After a frustrating journey, he stopped near the horses. He was not happy that he hadn't found what had alerted him. It was too fleeting to know if it had been human or beast. He would just have to be more vigilant.

He moved the horses closer to the campsite and returned to Wu Chen.

Wu Chen looked up with a welcoming smile and then quickly replaced it with a frown, 'What is it?' He asked after seeing his Guardian's serious face.

'I felt something, but I'm not sure what it was. It's completely gone now.' Lu Yong answered honestly.

Wu Chen nodded and, without another word, began packing up the campsite.

Lu Yong stopped him with a hand on his arm and a guilty look on his face, 'Ah Chen, you still need a day of rest.'

'Tch!' Wu Chen scoffed, 'Now you realize the trouble you caused.'

Wu Chen had to stifle the laugh he felt as Lu Yong's ears colored. Having gotten a little revenge for the trick he'd played, Wu Chen generously gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

'Aiya, don't look so guilty. I'm already feeling much better, and it's still morning. I'll be fine to travel for a bit if we throw an extra blanket on my horse.' Wu Chen grabbed the rice pot and took it away to wash it.

In no time, they had the site cleared, the arrays dismantled, and the horses readied. Lu Yong had placed two extra blankets on the back of Wu Chen's horse, which made Wu Chen laugh, although his ears were red. It was those little things that let him know how much Lu Yong cared for him.

Lu Yong helped Wu Chen mount and then swiftly mounted his own horse, 'I'm not very familiar with the mountain, but we'll use the horses as long as we can. They'll at least be convenient for getting through these foothills quickly.' Lu Yong told him as they set off at a brisk pace.

Wu Chen nodded, and when Lu Yong was looking away, he quietly swallowed a stronger healing elixir. Despite what he had said before, his lower half was already protesting even with the two extra blankets.

Wu Chen sighed. It was going to be a long day. He could only hope he would be able to walk at the end of it.