Granny

Weeks past by as the wars went on. Some days ended with good news while some days were ended with bad news.

Granny tried to get her mind off the deaths of soldiers by teaching me the art of medicine. There were a lot of injured soldiers, at first I was shaking as I treated them but then as time went by, I started to get used to it. Now, It's a daily task for me to treat all the heavily wounded soldiers.

And of course, I also spent my days working with granny to make a new medicine for the soldiers.

"Miss! Can i come in?" the soldier outside asked.

"Yes, of course." I said putting the herb that smelt so strong that the whole tent smelt like it.

"I think I broke my hand while practicing, can you please take a look at it?" He showed me his right hand and pulled his shirt up.

"Why don't you just go to the medical tent?" I asked him

"I.. emm.. I... " He stuttered his words. His eyes looking at anywhere but me and his face quickly heated up filling him with a blush.

"Hmm? You what?" I continued to treat his arm trying to not make any assumptions.

"I.. I want to see you miss. That is why I come here instead of the medical tent." ...Did I just get confessed by a man? Emm, what do I do now?

"Well, emm... what's your name?" I mean... I didn't even know his name yet.

"I'm Xuan Yu from Chuang City." He said with a blush.

"Emm, I-. "

"Xue, come outside with me for a moment." The cold general suddenly broke into my tent when I was just about to say no to the poor soldier.

"General... " the soldier looked so miserable and his face turned toward me as if asking me not to go with Tang Xuan.

"I'm done treating your wound, Xuan Yu, you need to rest for a few days before you can use your arm for practicing again, go to the medical tent and ask for this medicine." I wrote a prescription for him and quickly ran out with Tang Xuan leaving the poor soldier inside. I mean... I sucked at rejecting someone, okay? I didn't want my actions or my words to seem to be giving him hope. I'm here to survive, not to love. Being with Granny is good enough already.

I followed Tang Xuan to the back of the camp. His steps were fast and big as first so I have to slightly run to follow him but then he suddenly stopped and looked at his side, then looking behind him.

"Why are you behind?"

"Your steps are too fast, I can't catch up." I said honestly.

"Sorry, I got use to walking like this with my man." He said and then he moved 2 steps back standing exactly beside me.

"It's fine, Anyway why did you call me?" I asked him.

"I... I forgot, emm... you may go back to your tent." He said dismissing me. What was that? How can you forgot why you call someone? I looked at him accusingly and quickly run back to my tent to finish the medicine that I left behind just now.

---

It was raining heavy, thunders struck loudly. I was resting in the camp, experimenting the medicine I just created on a mouse.

Suddenly, the cries of agony echoed to everywhere. My first thought went to granny, I need to make sure she's save. 'Granny!' I ran outside quickly, ignoring the heavy rain and the loud thunders.

As I reached granny's camp, her usually lit up tent was dark. The candles weren't lit up and the smell of blood can be smelt even from outside.

I hastily took the candle and lit it up. Ignoring the fear in my heart and slowly make my self in her camp.

Then I saw her, she was... Lying in a pool of blood with her eyes wide open. My last hope to held my tears went away and without realising it, tears kept on falling as I moved my shaking hand to feel her pulse. It wasn't there... No this must be wrong. My hands need to stop shaking... this must be wrong. I hugged her fragile body and cried out calling her.

"Wake up please, please! wake up granny... " I called her and shook her body even though I knew nothing's going to bring back the dead.

"This is your end, princess."

Suddenly I felt a shiver on my back, his chilling voice rang through my ears. With granny still in my arms, I didn't dare to look back and within split second, I felt a heavy weigh on my back before it flew away.

I turned and saw the renowned general with his sword, his eyes filled with anger when he saw the body in my arms.

He walked to me and took granny from my arms before whispering as he tried to stop himself from crying

"Let's get her out of this place and bring her somewhere she could rest properly."

He carried granny to his tent and put her body gently on his bed.

"Clean her up please, she hates it when it's dirty." He said in a whisper before going out.

I looked at her face and closed her opened eyes.

"I wasn't a great companion but you were. You trusted me, you cared for me like me grandmother. Granny... Thank you, thank you for everything. I hope we will meet again... in our next lifetimes and I am sorry.. If I arrived earlier, If I stayed with you, If... I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Rest well, Granny. "

I continued to sob holding her body.

The assassin was from Chu. Tang Xuan used every way he knew to torture the man for killing granny. When the man was on the brink of death, he will be brought to me and treated until he was back to healthy and then he got send to Tang Xuan again for another round of torture.

Days of torture didn't affect him. It was until Tang Xuan fed him poison did it worked. It was a slow killing poison. Poison that will slowly burn your body inside before your organs started to bleed inside.

I was there, beside Tang Xuan when the assassin was tortured and when the cries out for help, when he confessed and I didn't feel guilty for the poison I made. I didn't feel disgusted when I saw his blood spilling everywhere. I didn't. Not At all.

If it weren't for him, Granny would still be carrying her herbs and mixing powders in her tent while drinking her morning tea.

"You've killed me! You should have came earlier! You should have saved me!"

Granny was there, far away. Her body covered with blood. She ran toward me and started to vanish to ashes. I can't do anything.

And slowly she appeared again. But it was different this time, my surrounding turned white. Granny wasn't covered in blood, she was smiling happily.

"Child... Remember, no matter who you are facing, no matter where you are, show only one emotion. Act like you don't care and silently kill you enemy."

"Medicine cures people but it kills people too. You have to learn how to use both. Kill when you are threatened and kill it to the roots. Eliminate every possible escape of your victims."

"Child... For the six months you are here, all I've ever taught you was medicine but the moment I saw you, the moment you talked to me, I've already considered you my grandchild."

"You have to keep living. Go on and cure as many people as you could and keep you loved one save."

"Granny.. I-"

"You can do this. Make me proud child, I will be watching you."

"Thank you granny."

I woke up crying and I found myself in his arms.

"You are fine now. Nothing will happen" He whispered, his hand caressing my hair.

"Thank you" I said softly, hugging him tightly and he let me be.

I slowly let go of him. His hands still buried in my hairs, his gentle eyes pierced my eyes.

"Go prepare yourself" He said handing me a white han fu.

I nodded and waited for him to get out for me to change. But he stayed with his eyes still on me with no intention to get out. I looked over and waved my hands in front of him getting him out of his dazed. It worked and he embarrassingly get out.

I walked out, looking at the lined up soldiers wearing white. Unlike thier usual domineering vibe, this was a mourning vibe, bringing me back to reality that granny is gone.

I felt my eyes burning and I found my self frozen in my place. My feet won't follow what my brain said. I turned around hearing some footsteps and he was walking toward me.

Seeing my stubborn tears, his face fell and he held my hand comforting me without words, just by his eyes.

It's funny, how granny could have this much impact to me. It killed me when I saw her corpse being carried to the river nearby.

Her body being carried by the wooden boat. Tang Xuan gently let go of my hand, he took the fire and burn the boat that will carry her to her eternal rest.

"Thank you granny, may we meet in our next life." And he let his eyes continued his words.