It took another hour to get Yuze to move, and even then, he'd refused to let Fox's body out of his sight. Eirian had sent riders north to Chenzhou and Mingzhe and south to Vitali, Wayland, and Tanning to let them know what had happened, and also that the plan hadn't changed.
If anything, it was now even more important that they unite with Chenzhou and Mingzhe in the north. Yuze needed Chenzhou, and Chenzhou probably needed Yuze just as much.
With both Beng Shai and Fox dead, the upheaval internally and externally for the Camelia and the tribes was going to be immense.
Chenzhou hadn't buckled under the pressure before, but he'd also never been directly responsible for what happened either. Responsibility was one thing, but he held so much guilt that Eirian couldn't fathom where it all came from.
The soldiers had treated Yuze's body as best they could, carefully wrapping him in several layers. Eirian had caught a glimpse of the fatal wound as they did it; it looked like Snake had gotten her knife right between his ribs. Her skill was as impressive as it was infuriating.
The scouts had found no trace of her, and something in the back of Eirian's mind told her this would be the last they'd ever see of her. Yuze had clearly chosen Fox, remaining with his corpse instead of leaving with her, and even in the depths of her madness, it was hard to believe Snake hadn't finally realized she was never going to have Yuze's attention that way.
It'd have been a sad moment if Eirian didn't have the powerful urge to stab her repeatedly.
They'd waited on a wagon to carry Fox's body before pushing on north, and one of the scouts gave Yuze a pain potion that knocked him out cold a few minutes after he'd swallowed it.
They put him in the wagon next to Fox, because his wounds couldn't take being on horseback, but they all swore a solemn oath that no one would ever tell him that he'd spent the trip in the wagon.
Only the Rock knew what kind of damage that would do to him.
They had to travel more slowly with the wagon, and the main body caught up with them midday the next day, but they managed to find somewhat smooth terrain, so Yuze remained asleep for the last day and a half of the journey north.
Eirian's forces were exhausted by the time they arrived, but Chenzhou and Mingzhe had food and beds ready and waiting for them. For the first time since she'd arrived at the Camelia, Chenzhou ignored her arrival and ran straight to Yuze's side. Eirian didn't blame him. Yuze was relatively safe from the dangers of a soldier's life as a spy, seeing him so badly injured, physically as well as mentally, was terrifying for the man who considered him a brother.
Yuze slept through the trip, and then he slept through them, carrying him into Chenzhou's tent and the healers looking him over, doing their best to treat his physical injuries while he had some relief from the pain. The cuts from the whip were deep and violent, torn at the edges where the skin gave way, and red from the infection setting in. He'd lost a lot of blood, according to the healers, but they were optimistic that he'd make a full recovery. None of the cuts had done permanent damage, though the scar tissue that grew would inhibit some of his flexibility.
The worst part would be those scars, so big and deep that even the most expensive poitions wouldn't lessen their appearance. Yuze's entire back, from his neck to the backs of his knees were covered in them.
Eirian was sensitive enough about her own appearance to feel terrible that he was stuck with them for the rest of his life, but she knew Yuze didn't care about that as much as she did. The reminder of Fox's last days would be the harder part to deal with.
She leaned against Mingzhe as they watched Chenzhou hover over Yuze until the healers finally left, and he collapsed into a chair next to the bed.
Eirian and Mingzhe flanked him, trying to offer what comfort they could that he would accept.
Chenzhou took a shaky breath, scrubbing his face with shaking hands. "This is madness."
Eirian pulled one of his hands away and squeezed his hand. "Yuze witnessed Song and Snow agents working with the tribes. We won't get better confirmation than that unless they admit it outright."
Chenzhou nodded, but he didn't speak. His eyes hadn't left Yuze's still form.
It was Mingzhe that finally asked. "What happened to Fox?"
Eirian sighed. "It was Snake." She explained what little Yuze had been able to tell her, what they'd found when they arrived, and the conclusions she'd drawn based on all of that.
"If she's smart, she'll run for the rest of her life," Mingzhe said darkly. "Unfortunately, that also means we'll never know how long she was working with Song and Snow. Or even which one of their kingdoms is the original aggressor. Who decided to start this war."
Eirian shrugged, less concerned. "We'll learn all that eventually. The bigger issue is if Song and Snow and whoever is targeting the Ye's from within the Camelia are the same."
Mingzhe frowned. "You don't think so?"
"It seems like a long reach, especially since they wouldn't realistically be able to control the Camelia for long." Eirian shook her head. "They'd need to control the borderlands before they can take any of the land belonging to Sorrow with any hope of keeping it."
"The kingdoms of Song and Snow are well known for generations-long wars." Mingzhe sighed, hand resting on Chenzhou's shoulder. "It's not hard to imagine this is just the opening gambit in a much more extensive plan."
"Lot of damage for an opening move." Chenzhou put in, voice low and shaken.
~ tbc