A ripple of weary determination passed through the three hundred men and women. The clatter of unfastened buckles and plates signaled the moment they could finally begin removing their cumbersome armor. Their shoulders slumped slightly with the relief of shedding the weight, as they then began to rearrange their belongings, each movement a testament to the long days ahead of them.
Naksh and Jeet moved methodically among the male and female soldiers, their eyes sharp as they ensured each person's gear was as light as humanly possible.
"Only carry what is necessary," Naksh stated, his voice cutting through the subdued murmur of the soldiers as they rearranged their backpacks. "Remember, your rations need to last for five days."
"Make sure each soldier is carrying two filled quivers," Jeet added, his voice firm.
Standing a little apart from the restless stir of men and women shedding armor and repacking bags, Bilguun's thoughts churned. What exactly does Chinua want these soldiers to do? he wondered, the term "death ground" echoing in his mind, a phrase he'd never heard. And if this side mission was so critical to taking Nue-Li City, why would Chinua entrust such an important task to a group dominated by women?
From a distance, Hye had been secretly watching Bilguun, observing him as he stared at the male and female soldiers preparing for their side mission. A sudden realization struck Hye: this was the perfect moment to separate Bilguun from his troops. This would give Chinua the chance to gain the soldiers' trust. With that thought, Hye approached Bilguun.
"I noticed you've been staring at those soldiers for a long time," Hye said with a smile, turning his gaze to Bilguun. "What questions do you have?"
Bilguun looked at Hye, his face etched with concern. "General..."
"Chinua," Hye quickly interrupted. "She prefers to be called by name. Calling her Chinua is perfectly fine, Captain; as you can see, no one in the army addresses her as General." He glanced at Bilguun, noticing his attention remained fixed on the group. "You're wondering why Chinua entrusted a crucial side mission to so many female soldiers?"
"Why?" Bilguun asked, his curiosity overriding his caution.
"It's because they are Chinua's best archers," Hye replied, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "Besides, women are more flexible than men when it comes to climbing." He paused, letting his sarcasm sink in. He scoffed softly. "Or perhaps, you'd like to join this side mission? Only the brave of the brave is chosen to go, or would you prefer being a sitting target, facing the arrow machines?"
Bilguun spun to face Hye, the smirk playing on the scholar's lips and the mocking gleam in his eyes a clear jab at Bilguun's manhood. He had been forged by one of the Northern Military Camp's finest captains, and his title hadn't come easily. For a scholar to sit there and question his bravery was an ultimate disgrace. With a furious glare at Hye, he turned on his heel and strode directly towards Chinua.
Hye shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips as he watched Bilguun approach Chinua. He whispered to himself, "Children nowadays are so easily fooled. If this continues, Hmagol will soon have no more good captains to replace the aged ones."
Chinua walked up to Hye, a knowing look in her eyes. "You purposely fooled the young captain into joining the side mission, didn't you?"
Hye offered a guilty smile. "It's better if he's with Naksh and the others. Perhaps after this side mission, he'll view your choices of soldiers differently. Besides, this leaves room for you to make sure these new soldiers are following your rules."
Timicin and his friends were getting ready when a gentle pat touched his shoulder. He turned to investigate, finding Muunokhoi standing not far from him.
"Hey... hey...," Muunokhoi whispered, tapping Timicin's shoulder again. "Look... look... who's heading our direction." He raised his eyebrows, gesturing with his chin towards Bilguun, who was striding towards Naksh, Jeet, and the others.
Och frowned. "Hum... is he coming with us?"
"It looks like it," Timicin replied, a hint of surprise in his voice.
The seven men turned as one, their gazes fixed on Bilguun as he stopped before Naksh.
Naksh looked at Bilguun, his expression unreadable. "Captain, are you sure you want to go with us?"
"I am sure. Chinua allows it," Bilguun replied, his voice firm.
One side of Drystan's lips curved up in a smirk. "Where we're going is nothing like what you've trained for in your military camp. Are you sure you can keep up with us?"
Bilguun's gaze swept over the female soldiers and Siqi, his confidence unwavering. "If they can do it, I can too."
Timicin and his gang suddenly choked with laughter, quickly covering their mouths, afraid their mockery would reach Bilguun's ears.
Jeet picked up a bow and tossed it, a fluid arc, to Bilguun, who caught it smoothly with his left hand. "I hope you have good archery skills," he said, a challenge in his tone.
"Although my archery skill is not the best," Bilguun replied, his voice firm, "my shooting accuracy is second to none." He dropped the bow to the top of his feet, quickly fastening two quivers to his back. As he reached for a third, he noticed the others had already picked up their packs and were jogging away with Naksh.
Drystan, swinging his own backpack onto his shoulders, turned to look at Bilguun, a mockingly sweet tone to his voice. "Don't fall behind, Captain." He then threw his pack on and quickly caught up with Khawn, Timicin, and the rest.
Khenbish handed Bilguun his backpack. "Drystan is always like that; don't take him seriously." He gently patted Bilguun's left shoulder watching the soldiers jogging away.
"Alhu, I will not lose to you," Bilguun muttered to himself, hoisting his backpack. He then lifted the bow from his foot, snatching it from the air with his left hand. With his sword in his right and bow in his left, he ran to catch up with the soldiers heading towards Whitefang Peak.
Watching Naksh and the soldiers slowly disappear into the distance, Hye turned to Chinua. "Let's head to the Northeast Military Camp of Hmagol," he said.
Realizing that Nue-Li City was the place where Hye's trauma began, Chinua said with a heavy heart, "Are you okay going to the Northeast Military Camp?"
Hye scoffed. "I've never been there before, so why should I be afraid of entering the camp?" He looked at Chinua. "Chinua..." He paused for a moment. "Never mind... I'll let you know when the time comes."
Chinua didn't press further. She knew that if it were important, Hye would tell her right away. Whatever Hye had in mind at the moment was likely a personal matter, unrelated to the capture of Nue-Li City.
She turned to Hye, a slight smile playing on her lips. "This is my first time here in the northeast of Hmagol, and since you're originally from this area, please do lead the way."
Hye scoffed, a disbelieving look on his face. "You're kidding, right?"
She shook her head, her expression unwavering. "No, I'm being very serious."
"Well, in that case," Hye said, a wry tone entering his voice, "how about you let Captain Haitao lead the army, because I don't recall ever walking down this trail. Chinua..."
Chinua turned back to Hye, a question in her eyes. "What is it?" she asked.
Hye gave her a simple, quick smile, then his voice turned firm. "From now until we reach the Northeast Military Camp, you are walking alongside your soldiers."
She didn't have to ask Hye why he wanted her to walk alongside her soldiers. Chinua understood that Hye's words always carried a deeper meaning than what met the eye. With a quick nod of acknowledgment, Chinua slowly walked away from Hye, heading towards Haitao.
Hye watched Chinua's retreating back, a faint, knowing smile gracing his lips. He sighed, a sound not of weariness but of quiet satisfaction, and murmured to himself, "Only a true leader walks the same dusty path as his men. This will be the last, and perhaps most vital, lesson I teach you."
Dragging her horse beside her, trailing behind Haitao and Hye, Chinua felt a powerful conviction guide her steps as she moved to walk among the infantries. The thought of demanding an explanation from Hye never crossed her mind; she grasped his reasoning implicitly. For her soldiers to willingly face death at her command, she understood with every beat of her heart that she must not just lead, but endure with them, truly sharing the weight of their journey.
As she walked, the sweat streamed from her forehead, tracing paths down her temples and into the corners of her eyes. With each step, amidst the shared exertion, she finally understood the profound meaning of 'love your soldiers as your own sons, and they will walk with you to the deepest valley.'