Outside the cave, the bright rays of the sun melted into the sky, and the desert was still, a
perfect landscape. I did not understand the General’s words.
One day, something I had dreaded finally occurred.
The first line of defence was broken. The oasis was lost.
The Mongolians had marched towards it several times, attempting surprise attacks that
ultimately failed. I breathed a sigh of relief each time we withstood their invasion, while the
General tried to remain passive. This time, however, the edge of the lake was covered in bright
red. The precious blood of young men.
As the Mongolians cheered wildly at the foot of the hill, I buried my head between my knees.
Above me, the solid night merged with the dazzling sun, and in the middle of the sky, time
seemed to stop and the twilight was frozen. The General hummed a tune of victory softly, hoping
that I would not hear him. Unfortunately, I heard, and punched him in the face.
He didn’t resist.
My former home’s loss was the least of my concern. Where would I find food and water from
that day on? The previous provisions had been scarce, and we had had to share it between the two
of us. Now what?
And what about Lau? He had abandoned the lake just in time, but did the Mongolians chase
after him? Is he dead, or is he alive?
The questions aggravated me, and the horizon was dark red. I wanted revenge. Thinking about
the dagger under the rock, I contemplated on whether further action was worth it. Rain drizzled,
but I barely noticed.
Someone squeezed my arm. “No, I’m not interested in hearing…Lau?” He grinned.
“Who did you think I was? A camel?” He sat cross-legged beside me. “What’s your urgent
business thing, eh? I think this is the time to explain.”
“Lau…” I observed him while he put his arm around me. Under the ledge, light and smoke
danced. He was not badly wounded. In fact, there was only a mere scratch here and there. “You
got away?”
His eyes focused on the army camp below. “I’m a quick person,” he muttered. “Now, if only we
could push one of the huge rocks here over the ledgeand kill them all. They deserve it.”
“I understand. I saw it happen.”
“Who’s your new patient, eh? He seems quite enigmatic.” Lau’s eyes were still transfixed.
My stomach felt as heavy as lead. “No one. I was just hiding out here, waiting…”
“Avoiding responsibility? Ah, that I understand. No one wants to be at the front line,” he
chuckled, “Show me your quarters, then.” It was an order.
Therefore, I made a decision that I would regret deeply later in life. I lead him astray.
“Here.” I pointed behind some bushes. “It’s prickly, but that keeps me warm.” He raised a brow.
The rain stopped.
“I’ve found somewhere much more comfortable. I’ll show you.” He pressed on my shoulder
blades and steered me away.
The full moon kept me awake that night. My previous resentment towards the General now
changed into concern. What if Lau found out about him? He would most definitely kill the General,
even though the General was not responsible for the recent massacre. On the other hand, my
patient had almost entirely recovered, and I feared he would return to the embrace of his army.
There seemed only one solution.
