Innocence Amidst Chaos.

Ying Lan wanted to mount her horse and flee like an arrow from a bow, but by the time she reached the horse and untied it, the Marquess's entourage was already passing before her. If she fled now, the Marquess guards would surely suspect her of some evil intent and pursue her. So, she had no choice but to stand where she was, praying that they would not notice that her horse was one of their own.

They eyed her curiously from their mounts. She lowered her head slightly. But suddenly, a whistling sound reached her ears. She looked up and gasped at what she saw: arrows flying from the forested hill across the road, aimed at the Marquess' party. She heard shouts of warning from the Marquess' guards: "Assassins! Assassins!"

Some of the guards were caught unprepared by the unexpected attack. They fell to the ground with arrows sticking out of their chests. The rest of the guards quickly raised their swords to parry the arrows and quickly formed a protective circle around the two carriages that carried the Marquess and his daughter.

Ying Lan swiftly drew her twin daggers from their sheath at her waist, and crossed them over her chest, deflecting the arrows that whizzed her way. She muttered a curse as her horse neighed in panic and bolted away.

She saw a band of masked figures sprang out the forested hill. They raised their sharp weapons and charged at the Marquess's party. They seemed to aim for the Marquess's carriage and paid no heed to his daughter's. The Marquess guards fought back fiercely to protect their lord. Metal clashed with metal and blood stained the earth.

Ying Lan then saw something that surprised her: more guards jumped out from the extra carriages in the Marquess's entourage. The Marquess had evidently anticipated danger and concealed more men in plain sight. The assassins seemed surprised too, however, they did not stop their attack.

Ying Lan saw a flash of movement as one of the assassins leaped over the guards' heads and landed on the Marquess' carriage roof. He slid down the wall like a snake and thrust his sword through the window, aiming for the Marquess. But he was too late. The door curtain flew open, and the Marquess flew out, a bright steel sword in his hand. He landed lightly on his feet, a few steps from Ying Lan. As she locked eyes with him, she noticed his gaze sharpening, drawn to the gleaming twin daggers in her grasp.

"I'm not one of them," she said hastily, hoping to dispel the confusion.

"You take me for a blind fool?" he barked, lifting his sword and aiming for her heart. She barely had time to cross her daggers and parry the blow. A jolt of steel ran through her arms as she slid backwards. He came after her, bearing down on her daggers with all his strength, seeking to break her defense.

He forced her towards a tree, meaning to trap her against its trunk. She kicked back with her leg and felt the wood behind her. She rebounded over his head and landed behind him. He whirled around and glared at her again.

"Marquess, please, hear me out," she begged. "I'm not one of them."

He snorted. "Then what were you doing with them? You lie as well as you fight, lad." He lunged at her, but before he could reach her, the assassin who had ambushed him in the carriage leapt at him once more. He swiftly turned his sword and met the assassin's blade. They traded a flurry of slashes and stabs, each one faster and more fierce than the last.

The assassin moved like a shadow, striking with deadly force. He landed a solid punch on the Marquess's belly. The Marquess grunted and staggered backwards. The assassin spun around to face Ying Lan. She met his cold gaze through the slits of his mask, and felt a chill in her bones. Was he going to attack her too? But to her astonishment, he shouted at her: "Run!" His voice was cold and clear; It was a voice she had never heard before, yet it sounded strangely familiar.

"Run!" he said again, more urgently.

She hesitated. Why was he helping her?

"Run!" he roared again. "Run now, or die here!"

Run! run! run! The words echoed in her ears; they stirred flashes of memory in her mind — she saw herself as a child; a little girl in a torn and bloodied pink dress — the same dress that she wore when she woke up on that riverbank eight years ago. She saw herself running through a dark forest; the dress fluttering behind her as she escaped from the dark shadows that pursued her. And there was a man's voice behind her; a voice that sounded like this assassin's voice; a voice that urged her to run.

The memory faded when she heard another clash of swords. The Marquess had recovered from his blow and was fighting back against the assassin. Their swords crossed again and again, creating sparks and noise. The Marquess was quicker this time. He landed two sharp kicks to the assassin's chest. The assassin was hurled through the air and hit the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.

The furious Marquess wasted no time he dashed towards his injured opponent again with his blade raised. Ying Lan's hands trembled as they held her daggers. Should she help the assassin? He had tried to protect her. But the assassin wanted to kill the Marquess; if she helped him, she would make an enemy out of the Marquess. But then again, the Marquess already thought she was one of the assassins.

Before she could make a decision, she saw two more assassins rushing over to help their wounded comrade. One of them crossed swords with the Marquess, forcing him to retreat backwards, while the other lifted up their injured companion. "Elder brother, we can't fight them anymore.", he told him, "the Marquess has too many guards and you're hurt. We have to retreat."

Ying Lan saw them run towards the forested hill, followed by their other comrades who had survived the fight. Some of the guards gave chase, while others stayed to guard the Marquess. Ying Lan mind snapped back to her own situation when she saw the Marquess looking at her with hostile eyes.

"Marquess, you have misunderstood me. I have no connection with those killers. If I did, why would they leave me behind?" She told him.

The Marquess turned a deaf ear to her words again. "Seize him." He ordered his remaining guards.

They surrounded her like hungry wolves. She parried their swords with her dagger and soared onto a carriage roof like a swallow. She felt exhausted from her long journey and this pointless fight. The Marquess was blinded by rage and refused to listen to reason. She dared not let him take her prisoner; he would surely torture her without mercy.

She looked around for a way out. The forested slope hillside was no option; she would bump into the guards who were chasing after the assassins. The river was even worse; something about being submerged by cold water always made her tremble with dread. She had to flee along the road and ensure that the Marquess and his men could not pursue her.

She leaped from one carriage to another until she reached the one that belonged to the Marquess's daughter. She swung her dagger at the guards on both sides, forcing them to back away. She slipped through the window into the carriage.