1.6

When you say it does not seem so many. She had lost more during this five-year war. And yet it did not make it any easier.

She hid in her tent and ordered her captain that she would not be disturbed unless the king himself came calling at her door. And as she closed the door she fell to her knees and wept.

Who would have thought the greatest body taker general who they said had a heart of steel would weep for men she did not know? Every time she came back from battle, she would weep for the faceless thousands that had lost their lives on her order. She would weep in silence. She would weep in solitude.

***

Wufei looked at the map once more. There must be something he wasn’t seeing. There must be a connection he was not considering.

When they had first arrived on the mountain pass they came upon the crowned Prince's own army and the soul takers had barely escaped with their lives. His hunch was correct.

They proceeded to push the soul eater army back until the wide plane where they were now. Then it had been a stalemate. Almost a year he had played mind games with Noin. And still it was a draw. They were stuck here they couldn't move forward.

And he couldn't understand where all of the men were coming from. How could Noin spare so many men? Weren't they guarding the other parts of the empire?

Then suddenly he knew.

They were protecting the Prince. He was here.

***

Wufei ran all the way to Meiran's tent. Not heeding the captain's call.

"General!" he called. He tore the tent flap open, elated at his discovery when he stopped dead in his tracks.

She sat on the earth her robes hung loosely around her, her back to him revealing tiny scars, her hair undone, her face wet with tears. He turned around and closed the door, telling the captain to keep a better watch over his general. And he left.

***

She sat atop her horse. Her silver armor glistening in the sun. She looked down at him and for a moment her glare faltered. She shook it off and went about the camps checking in on her men.

She did not return until late in the evening, hoping she would not see him.

"General." She stopped in her tracks and motioned for him to enter her tent.

"Alright Wufei let us have it." she said sitting on her cushions.

"He is here! The Prince is here." Wufei said ecstatic. "You see they weren't able to return him to the castle they did not have the man power to escort him! We have them general!" he seemed so excited, so pleased with himself that Meiran did something she vowed never to do in his presence. She laughed.

"Are you sure Consul?" she asked suddenly embarrassed.

"I couldn't understand why they had such a big cavalry! We had been fighting with them and our losses are almost the same but they have a much inferior army no doubt. So it struck me. The whole of their army is already here. And they would not dare leave their royal blood without an escort so everything is here beyond that plane!" he finished.

"We must inform the king." Meiran said standing up.

"Yes we should!" he smiled. A silence prevailed.

"Who would have thought we would get along." Meiran said smiling despite herself.

"Things change general." He answered. "I shall make plans."

"And I will send a message to the palace." She said taking a piece of parchment and bringing out her quill. Wufei turned to go.

"Consul…" she said before she could think. He looked back at her. "Th…thank you for keeping what you saw a secret." She said dropping her eyes.

"Some secrets are best left untold general. And some mistakes are unavoidable." He said averting his eyes. "But general…"

She looked up at him. "You cannot run from who you are." He stepped out then.

***

"I will deliver the message myself." She said getting on her horse. "You are in charge until I return."

"Wait general!" The captain called after her.

"Make sure no harm falls on the consul or I will have your head." She called over her shoulder. She had gone almost a mile when a figure caught her eye. Up the road a man was leaning on a tree, a horse by his side. She came close to the man and her face fell.

"What took you so long?" Wufei asked climbing on his horse and riding beside her.

"What makes you think I want your company?" she asked.

"Oh I thought we were friends now." he smiled.

"It is those assumptions that get you killed." She said but the spite had gone.

***

Green eyes took in the familiar landscape. He shrugged the snow from his shoulders and headed towards the center of the camp.

"Where is the general Meiran?" he yelled disrespectfully.

"She is away my lord." the captain said coming out of his tent rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"The king's Consul?" he asked irritated.

"He is also gone." The captain drew to his full height, "I am in charge."

A smile broke on rider's face. "No." he said staring down at the general. "I am in charge now." he said heading toward the main tent.

He drew a runner aside. "Go straight to the Castle if you pass the general and consul tell them but make haste and not rest until you reach the king. Tell him the soul eater has come to the camp." he pushed him in the direction of the east.

***

Trowa threw the carcass of the runner into the stream. "I grew up in these woods, you will never out run me." he smiled.

***

She shivered in the cold evening wind, wrapping her arms around herself. Her hands were still covered with blood from her kill. Her eyes drifted to the man sitting across from her and she deduced that the king's Consul was a handsome man. He caught her looking at him and she dropped her gaze blushing furiously.

"You could at least wash your hands." He said indifferent.

"I like having my prey's scent on me." she said wiping her hands nonetheless. Wufei looked back at her and suddenly she remembered what he had told her that night.

She looked lost in the moonlight. Her eyes masking a pain she would not let others see. But he did. And ever since that night when he had seen her, truly seen her, something had changed. And suddenly he wanted to become immortal as well.

"Are you not hungry?" she asked.

"No." he said turning away.

"If you understood our kind you would not see us as monsters." she said as he looked at her.

"We will always be death's unwilling lover everything around us will wilt away except ourselves, our memories and our pain. This is my kindred's tragedy." She finished smiling sadly.

"Why do you wish to continue on living then Meiran?" he asked. She stopped, it was the first time in the six years they had known each other that he had called her that.

"Because I have to." She said gazing into his eyes, deep pools of midnight. "For I carry the heritages of those men that died under my command. I will not let them be forgotten."

He looked at her unsure of what to feel.

She bit her lip, her mind debating on whether she should continue. And as he looked at her once more she knew she would show him. Never in her life had she been so sure.

"I want to show you something." She said motioning for him to come closer. Wufei did as he was told and came to her side. She began to undo her blouse and Wufei for the life of him could not look away.

She let her undergarment fall around her shoulders exposing her back and Wufei gasped. On her back was a forest of scars. Half an inch long and abundant as the stars. Each bit of skin on her back contained a scar, some crossing over the others and on the right shoulder and new wound was beginning to heal.

"What is this?" he whispered.

"Not even Milliardo has seen this." She said. "These are my men." He looked at her confused.

"Each time I go into battle and loose a thousand men I mark their memory on my skin. Some of these men have long since been forgotten but I remember. I remember each name, each eye color and each voice." She said as he began to trace the scars on her back.

"Why do you care for your men so much?" he asked.

"Those men died for me. They trusted me and I led them to their deaths. And this I will carry to my grave." She said closing her eyes as the sensation of his fingers on her skin filled her head.

"They knew they could die and they choose to do it beside you." he said painfully aware of his hardness.

"I will…never…forgive myself." She whispered in her ecstasy. Wufei growled and enveloped her in his arms, never had he felt like this for any woman. No one excited him as she did.

"You are not to blame." He whispered hoarsely into her ear. "You loved those men. You have no fault." He said wanting to kiss her so badly.

"I…" she turned in his arms looking into his eyes. "I…" and he captured her lips in his, devouring them hungrily. And as she let her undergarment fall form her shoulders she knew that he was the one.

The one she would give her heart to.

***

The water felt good on her skin as she broke through the surface, spitting a mouthful of water. Last night he had claimed her and never had she wanted to be claimed so badly. She had given into her feelings and now she had fallen. Fallen deeper than the ocean can fathom.

"Don't Meiran." A voice called.

"I have never felt this way before. Never have I been as happy as I am now." she said not turning to her companion.

"Never fall in love." It said once more.

"I will not let my heart die as you did yours."

"You will when this ends." Then her companion disappeared back into the shadows.

"I will not let it." she defied.

***

He held her in his arms, feeling her heart beat. He was happy.

"Meiran…" he whispered she looked up at him her eyes smiling. "I…"

"Yes?" she prompted.

"I…We better head back to the castle." He finished ashamed he could not say it. She looked crestfallen but got up nonetheless and saddled her horse. Wufei looked at her back and sighed.