Traveling the lost road (open)

[Yan Mao]

Coming from Wan, Yan Mao's force has passed trough the northern part of Xin Ye, west towards Yong An, where Mao thought the Crimson was headed. There was no real reason to believe he was headed that way, but it was the only lead they had. Xhai's interrogation had ended when he helplessly just cried out a region name, most likely just to have his beating ended.

Yan Mao was humming silently, riding his horse, leading his 2000 large cavalry force further into Yong An. They had been traversing uninhabited territory for now, but the further they rode into Yong An, the more likely they would be intercepted by one of Liu Bei's generals. They'd sure be wondering what Yan Mao's force was doing inside their territory. For that reason alone, Mao had ordered every fifty men to carry a large white flag, hoping it would keep the locals from seeing him as an attacking enemy.

The sun was high in the sky, midday. The earth beneath them was dry, the region hadn't seen rain in a few days. If the road remained the same for several more days, Yan Mao feared they would run out of water. But this fear was still premature, soon they would find themselves into the heart of Yong An, they were sure to find some people there willing to help...

[Zhao Yun]

A Shu scout soldier was in the area and the ground quaking beneath his feet was reason enough to look around. In the distance, a massive cloud of dust, rising from the ground, was being kicked up by thousands of cavalry soldiers. It could not be an enemy army as Shu was currently surrounded by allies, but it could definately be a bandit or rogue group of some sort. However, white flags could be seen when they came closer and immediately the scout made haste back towards the city.

Zhao Yun himself would most likely be summoned, but he would be elsewhere when the news arrived. The scout would try and inform another of the visitors arrival.

[Guan Yu]

The east gate of Yong'an shot open and eleven mounted men rode out, they galloped towards the position of the 'peaceful' troops and the leader, Guan Yu reined in his horse and observed the troops flying white flags. He did nothing, but waited...

((EDIT: Liu Bei will be posting shortly))

[Liu Bei]

Liu Bei rode out amongst his own guard of 20 cavalry. The garrison was also at the top of the gate. Appearing in front of his men, Liu Bei called out to the group who had appeared near his city, making sure not to give away his position as Liu Bei, but rather as a regular general.

"Who appears before Yong An, city of Liu Bei's forces?"

[Yan Mao]

[I have read my post a hundred times and I still have to find the very line in which I state that I'm nearing the city of Yong An, compared to wandering the border of the region Yong An. Anyway, I'll just assume that I am closer to the city then previously thought, and suddenly my need for water is non existant because: omfg! There's a city right there!

ps: Yes, I am being cynical because irl I've had a lousy day, excuse me for my snarkyness. If that is even a word. Also, expect this 'snarkyness' to be evident in my post, tough I mean it more as a joke then anything else.]

Yan Mao was surprised, not only had some illusion took hold over him, his entire force was suddenly free from its spell. They all found the city of Yong An directly in front of them, while previously not having seen it either dooming over the horizon, or even encountering citizens in many a village surrounding Yong An. That they had made their way weaving through these small hamlets, without the slightest sign that they were closing in on Liu Bei was somewhat of a miracle. Obviously Yan Mao was more sneaky then he gave himself credit for.

Not only that, but Guan Yu and Liu Bei rode out of the gate, and even directly in front of the gate, Liu Bei was in shouting distance. Surely such a mighty roar could send the mightiest force fleeing in fear. For even Yuan Shao's ego could never shout this far, or be seen from such a distance. Yan Mao knew that because of this alone, he better be on his guard. This Liu bei was obviously much stronger then most people knew. He'd hate to be on the opposite side of a fight with this man.

Yan Mao left the brunt of his force behind, riding out to meet with Liu Bei with only four of his own in tow. As he got closer, he noticed not only the giant Guan Yu, but Liu Bei as well, who appeared as nothing more then a regular general. Yan Mao only saw his robe, which hid a breastplate the "general" had on. Yan Mao did not see trough the ploy, and thought Liu Bei was nothing more then a diplomat. Guan Yu however was obviously a general, standing tall among his men, the red face quite obvious and also frightening Yan mao. For the moment, he'd try to ignore him, but made sure to be ready should he decide to do anything 'funny'.

"I am Yan Mao of Wan, I am here searching for the 'Crimson'", he said out loud to the 'diplomat', "a criminal who has plagued my region far too long, and who I believe has fled this way in an attempt to get away from me, my men and justice."

Yan Mao kept his head high as he said this, proud over the fact that he had gained at least a small victory over the Crimson, but at the same time he also felt shame that he got away from him again. He'd continue his 'speech' quickly.

"I do not request access into the city, however I would like to ask for some water. We don't have shortage right now, but it might be soon enough. And if you can not spare that, maybe information on the Crimson, should you have it...", Yan Mao thought it all felt like begging a little too much, but if it was for his men, he wouldn't care even if he had to grovel to get what he needed.

[Liu Bei]

Liu Bei rode out closer, so as not to strain his voice to continue shouting. Waving a hand to tell Guan Yu to keep at the ready, but not to follow. The closeness of the two would mean that Yunchang would understand such a simple gesture. There was a force of 2,000 cavalry in front of him. Still, they appeared slightly like a rabble, if only to their worn appearances. Liu Bei then spoke saying,

"From one General to another, do you know how little clean water there is here in Yong An? If I gave you any water, I'd be sending your men to their deaths without them even having fighting an enemy. And if that truly is your cause, pursuing a criminal. (sotto voce Though I have never heard of him) I will help you."

Bei looked back at his tropps, and the garrison and nodded his head. He continued quickly to Yan Mao.

"Yan Mao, I'll give you and your men wine instead of water. For at least it won't make you sick. We'll also accompany you in searching for this criminal."

Pausing again, and keeping his identity in check he then said,

"My lord Liu Bei would not wish to have someone dangerous amongst the people. I hope it's not too much to have us come along with you.

Yunchang hopefully would know better than to reveal Liu Bei's identity. If the troops saw that General Guan was doing this, they would follow along.

[Guan Yu]

Guan Yu sat atop his horse in place, blade ready he watched the conversation unfold. Reaching the climax, he smirked. He was not to fond of his lord's decision to help a random stranger, especially one so unknown, but he obeyed, he said, offering no suggestion to higher rank in Liu Bei's 'disguise' with a bow or salute, "I will go and inform Lord Liu of our decision first." He turned his horse and sped off back into the city, motioning for his followers to halt and stay with Lord Liu, as they attempted to follow.

* * *

In a short while Guan returned armoured, with an army of cavalry. He assigned four hundred and eighty Chu Cavalry to the 'General', and retained four hundred and ninety for himself, bringing his and Liu Bei's numbers up to five hundred respectively.

He then announced, "Lord Liu permits us to assist Yan Mao." He then waited for Liu Bei's directives.

[Yan Mao]

Yan Mao would thank the man as much as he could. "We will take anything that you can give us, as long as it is not taken forcefully from Liu Bei's own people.", Yan Mao obviously hadn't heard much about Liu Bei before. He wondered tough why Liu Bei would go out of his way to allow a thousand men to aid in the search of a single criminal. Maybe the Crimson had already made a name for himself in Yong An, and Liu Bei saw it as an opportunity to deal with the threat once and for all. Clever, Yan Mao thought...

"You will have to excuse me, I have almost no knowledge of Yong An and wouldn't know where to even start searching for the Crimson. He will most likely be recruiting rogues to join his band of criminals.", he said, informing Liu Bei of the Crimson's usual tactics. As far as he knew, the Crimson could be in the city itself, or more likely, be hiding in another region. Yan Mao had failed again, his second big chance in three years to catch the Crimson. He only hoped it would not take him this long to catch up to him again, for innocents were at stake.

Yan Mao pulled the reins on his steed, forcing the animal to turn just the slightest bit, giving him a better view of the Chu cavalry that was to come with them. They looked like battle hardened soldiers, and even tough they seemed matched in experience, Liu Bei's troops' morale was certainly much higher. Mao's men had been living of the land for three years, only sometimes pleading with the common people, or even lords for aid. It was nice to receive this aid once again.

"Where should we start?", Yan Mao asked of Liu Bei, whom he still saw as but a normal general. His demeanor seemed to be almost friendly, as if not even wary of Yan Mao who was but a stranger to him. He certainly didn't feel like any regional lord he had ever met...

[Liu Bei]

"Do not worry about that, the wine comes from my own personal stores."

Soon the casks of wine were lowered from the walls, and passed to Yan Mao's men. More than happy to help those in need, Liu Bei was especially glad because this individual was on a search to bring justice to a fugitive. He gave a slight nod to Guan Yu when he returned with the rest of the cavalry. Listening to Yan Mao talk about the Crimson, he said,

"It would be unlikely that he could make it into the city of Yong An. The people there are content with their lives, and would not be willing to help such a fellow. However the outskirts of the land unfortunately have small pockets of rabbles. We'll have more luck searching through the wilderness."

He nudged firefoot with his heels, and she began to trot. Motioning for the rest of them to follow, Bei then said,

"What does this Crimson look like, if you know? It'll be easier for me to spot him, and ask around the villages if we have some kind of description."

[Yan Mao]

Yan Mao was happy to get help from the lord Liu Bei, and so were his men. A little sadness was mixed in with his feelings as well, as he did not get to meet the lord in person. A man with so much wealth, but who also gave to those in need must have been a great man. Maybe one day he'd meet him, Mao was already looking forward to it.

Mao would listen to the general as he spoke, more closely as he described the people of Yong An as upstanding citizens. Well, most likely not all of them, but it sure sounded better then where Mao had just come from. Mao turned his horse to ride side by side with the general as he took of. Listening to the man's question, Mao answered as clearly as possible.

"The first thing you will notice about the man is his black eyes, as dark as anything you've ever seen. Once you get used to the sight you might notice a burn mark on the right side of his neck in a pointed shape, caused by a red hot sword tip being pushed against his skin. These are his main features, but he also has short black hair, a beard at times, and usually a brown cloak. He changes clothes regularly, and likes to hide the burn mark from others."

Yan Mao matched the general's horse's speed and rode besides him, wanting to ask a question of his own. "Might I know your name?", it seemed only normal to Yan Mao to ask for the man's name, certainly after Mao gave his own.

[Guan Yu]

Guan merely rode along alongside Liu Bei and Yan Mao. Not saying anything but just relaxing enjoying the scenary, waiting for something to happen.

((I'll wait until we do something til I get more involved when we reach a fight or something, right now the dialogue is focused between the two of you, keep it up.))

[Liu Bei]

Liu Bei nodded as Yan Mao described this Crimson fellow. He at least had a unique description, so it would not be so difficult to find him amongst the populace. Though Liu Bei had realized in his attempt to disguise his identity from this fellow, he did not mention a name. Xuande was trusting enough of Yan Mao, but he found it a bit interesting to take part in things without being so well known. So as they were riding along, Liu Bei thought of another name for himself. He simply thought of other words that had the same meaning as his own. The character for Liu in his name meant "destroy", and the character for Bei meant "perfect", so he chose the name Jiao Shi as his alias.

He turned to Yan Mao and said,

"I've just realized something, and it's that I've never informed you of my name. I am called Jiao Shi. I have not served Lord Xuande for long, but he sent me to see who had come near Yong An as a test of my abilities. Catching this Crimson fellow would make him think highly of me I think, but I reckon he would also admire you for searching for him alone for so long without being in the service of any lord and relying on a stipend."

[Yan Mao]

Yan Mao could do nothing but talk to Jiao Shi as they rode onwards.

"Good to meet you Jiao Shi, It is nice to see a friendly face for once.", he said somewhat jokeingly, but with a hint of truth behind the surface. Other then the townspeople he sometimes helped out, he and his men hardly ever came across anyone that really cared about their goal.

"I wish I could say the reason for me chasing the Crimson was an honourable one. He killed my family who ruled a small part of the Wan region, burned our estate to the ground and raided the towns my family was supposed to keep safe. I do not know if it is vengeance or justice that I want more. But I will get both in the end."

He continued to speak on the Jiao Shi's comment that he was searching for the crimson alone: "I've hardly been alone, my men have all suffered because of the crimson, and they have sworn to stand by me until he is brought to justice. You have filled their hearts with hope, simply by assisting us. I know I speak for all my men when I say, thank you. We had started to lose faith."

Yan Mao knew they would not find the crimson today, his cage had been rattled by what had happened in Wan, and he wouldn't dare show himself in public for a while. Still, if there really were criminals on the outskirts of Yong An, Mao and his men could make themselves useful capturing some of them, at the same time making a point that whoever helped the crimson would share the same fate.

[Liu Bei]

"Ah, no worries bout your reasoning though. What is important is the fact that you're pursuing a murderer."

Riding on through the pathways in the area of Yong An, Liu Bei began to hear some commotion through the bamboo trees. He halted them with a raise of his hand, and then lifting his index finger to his lips he bade everyone to be quiet. He whispered to Yan Mao,

"Do you hear that noise? It sounds like a fire crackling and a significant number of people. Let's dismount and creep in for a closer look.

He nodded to a soldier to watch the horses, and motioning for Guan Yu and Yan Mao to follow him, he crept silently towards the direction of the sound, taking notice not to step on any leaves or make fast movements that would cause rustling in the trees. Thankfully he knew Guan Yu would follow his lead as best as possible, and Yan Mao seemed to be one who was experienced in bushcraft. Hopefully Liu Bei's assumption would be correct.

[Yan Mao]

Yan Mao pulled the reins and slowed his horse to a stop the moment Liu Bei raised his hand. Mao indeed heard the same thing, nodding when Bei asked him if he heard it too. Bei then proceeded to dismount his horse to stalk the men who were creating the sound. Mao decided to take some matters into his own hands.

Pointing towards a few of his men first, he continued to raise all ten of his fingers, proceeding to make a waving gesture on his right ordering them to move on to secure the right flank. He did exactly the same with his left arm, sending another ten of his men to guard the left flank. Mao then pointed out another five, raising his right index finger and moving it in a circular motion, a sign that they should move around the area and guard the back.

Mao then dismounted and joined Liu Bei to creep towards the area. "You'll have to excuse me if I seem eager, I have no intention of letting this man get away from me yet again, if he is indeed here." Mao had left his halberd behind with his horse, proceeding with only his father's sword to protect him. Mao knew that it was the sword's destiny to cut of the Crimson's head, he just did not know when.