"You are still so slow, brother,”

Xiang Yu woke before dawn. He sat up, the thin quilt slipping from his shoulders, and peered out the small window. The sky was a deep indigo, stars still twinkling faintly as the first hints of dawn began to creep over the horizon.

They were near the last town before they reached the capital. The divine emperor, who had been giving him the silent treatment for the past few days, had finally relented and informed him that Xiang Wei had arrived in that town and he was resting in the cellar of a medicinal shop, waiting for his word. Xiang Yu knew he had to meet up with him before things went down in the capital.

He gently shook Lian and Mei awake. "It's time," he whispered. They nodded; their eyes heavy with sleep but alert. Together, they slipped into the night, their cloaks wrapped tightly around them to ward off the chill.