Senja froze. The only sound that could be heard inside the cave was only Qianru's sorrowful cried.

The lost of her unborn child, the child that she had been waiting for had gone. Every fibre in her body screamed painfully about their lost.

Senja stared blankly at the blood that was pooling under Qianru.

**The baby is gone…** She thought.

She kept repeating the words, but she couldn't comprehend it, looking at her laps she saw Qianru cried her heart out, as if someone had ripped her apart.

With shivering hand, Senja stroked Qianru's back tenderly as she couldn't find the right words to say, however in her condition right now, Senja doubted if she want to hear anything from anyone.

Staring blankly at the pool of blood, Senja kept stroking her back.

Meanwhile the feeling of emptiness crept in Qianru's heart as her painful cried turned out to be a whimpered and in the end it died down as a sob…

When Qianru didn't make any sound anymore, only then Senja laid her on the ground. She seemed sleeping with trail of tears on her pale cheeks.

Senja tried to stand up with the support of cave wall, standing on her shaking legs. However, when she looked over at Xiao Mugi and talked, her voice didn't falter.

"Let's go. We need to cover up the entrance before someone found this place.

Xiao Mugi stared at Senja and then at the sleeping Qianru, back and forth. He gave Senja puzzled look.

"What did you do to her?"

"She needs to take a rest…" Senja said while wobbling over to Xiao Mugi, she glance at Qianru one more time and the pool of her blood.

She would help clean her up later…

When she was beside Xiao Mugi, she reached out her hand and helped Xiao Mugi to stand up. Both of them walked out of the cave and started to work their way to survive.

.....

They started to last track of time and couldn't thinking straight about what would happen to them or the one who they loved.

They didn't hear any news ever since the last time they were at the fortress. No one knew if they were there, no one even knew if they survived.

It had been three days since they had become a caveman and Qianru didn't talk a word after that. She shut herself from the world.

Senja could sense it, her sane started to fade…

She tried to reach the nearby village and it took a day of walking. Since Qianru had just had miscarriage, Senja didn't know how long she could walk.

Senja didn't want to risk her healthiness, but they couldn't stay forever there either. She felt so down. She wanted someone to take the responsibility and guide them out of this situation.

Senja pulled her knees in front of her chest and buried her face to hide her tears of tiredness, it almost like the spirit inside of her had died down as well. She was wondering about Xiao Tianyao and Xiao Jun.

**Are they okay? Is the war had ended?** The more she thought about it, the more depressed she became.

She felt someone tugged her clothes, Senja knew who did it. Thus, without even lifted her head she asked him with raspy voice. "What?"

His childish voice whispered in her ears. "I am hungry…" Xiao Mugi bit her lips and waited for Senja replied.

He couldn't come to talk with his Aunty Qianru, because she didn't respond to him anymore. His Aunty Qianru kept staring to somewhere far away. No matter what he said, she didn't reply.

"I know…" Senja said with a hint of tiredness.

She looked around her and realized that they were dying here… Qianru had been mentally shut down and Xiao Mugi was only a kids. No one could be relied here except herself. But, she even couldn't manage herself now…

Another tugged. "Why don't we go to the nearest village? I bring money." Xiao Mugi pulled out his pocket of money and gave it to Senja. "This all I have."

Senja received it and smiled faintly at him. "Clever." She praised him and tousled his hair.

The kid look very satisfied at Senja's praise as he smiled from ear to ear. Actually, Senja brought her own money as well, but since nothing they could buy here, it was useless.

Money wasn't a problem… the problem was with Qianru's physic.

"We will get out from here right?" Xiao Mugi asked her expectantly. He was so boring trapped in this small cave without anything to do.

Looking at Xiao Mugi's eyes, Senja found a new determination inside her as she voiced it out. "Yes, we will get out from here and find your father." She said with smile, this time her smile reached her eyes that made them gleam with new light.

Senja stood up and stretched her aching body then she approached Qianru who was still sitting at the corner of the cave.

"Qianru, let's go out from here." Senja talked to her carefully. "You need to see a physician." She was indeed needed to be checked after her miscarriage.

She didn't respond.

"Let's go out from here when the sunrise alright?" Senja glance at the gloomy night sky from the gap in the entrance cave, it seemed it was only a few more hour before the sun appear. "For now, have a rest first. I will wake you up later."

Senja helped Qianru to laid down on the concrete cold ground.

"We will get out from here right?" Xiao Mugi asked with excitement. "I don't want to stay here anymore." He complained.

Of course he didn't like it, no one like it.

Senja laid down on her side and was trying to sleep when she felt a soft body bumped to here side, "What are you doing?" Senja asked, didn't even glanced who it was.

"Can I sleep near you?" Xiao Mugi curled beside Senja. "The camp fire had died down and it's cold." He explained.

Senja was chuckling. "I have a better idea…" Senja stood up and walked toward Qianru as she was laid down beside her. "Come here."

Xiao Mugi was hesitant at first when Senja mentioned him to sleep in the middle, but he obliged in the end.

"You will bring us out from here right?" He asked again.

"I will. We will survive this."

With that the three of them slept the night away beside each other.

.....

The next morning, it was a difficult way that they had to endure when they decided to go to the nearest village.

Instead of the main road, they needed to take the mountain path. Despite it had been three days after they run away from their pursuer, but no one could guarantee that they had given up at them?

They couldn't go in rush due to Qianru's condition. They were walking in her pace and it cost a lot of patient from Senja's side. Xiao Mugi like a man he always told them, helping with anything.

In the end, when the night fell and the three of them had exhausted beyond words. They arrived at the village.

Senja chose the cheapest inn in the village, they didn't know how long they needed to survive, so money was very crucial.

The moment they arrived at their room, the three of them slept directly and didn't wake up until the next morning.

Everything looked so fine here, there wasn't any rumor about war that happened at the other side of the Kingdom and only some of them who were aware about the power struggle that was happening at the moment.

Being the furthest village from the Capital City made this village a little bit isolated.

The next morning, Senja told Xiao Mugi to look after Qianru, while she would be out for awhile. She would gather as many information as she could and bought some breakfast for them.

Senja was walking aimlessly in the market. She had bought their breakfast, but somehow she needed to make sure that no one followed her.

She looked at people around, assessing their intention. However, she couldn't pick up anything serious about them or if there was malicious intent.

Feeling a little bit better Senja walked toward her inn.

Senja was thinking about what they should do next when she she walked at her room, however the moment she was getting close a shrilled scream could be heard.

**Qianru!** Senja thought in alert.

She walked faster and threw opened the door. "What happened!?" She shouted.

Inside the room, she watched as Qianru was sitting at the corner of the room while Xiao Mugi was trying to soothe her by stroking her hand and saying the calming word that she couldn't hear.

Xiao Mugi tilted his head when Senja barge in and gave her his spot.

Senja crouched down and hugged her as she sobbed painfully on Senja's shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked again softly.

She felt hopeless and tired being in this situation, but somehow she knew that she has to keep going. There was someone who relied on her.

"… Dream…" Qianru said, between her sob. That was her first words after three days she didn't talk.

"A dream?" Senja reiterated. "Did you have a bad dream?"

As an answer Senja felt Qianru nodded on her shoulder.

"Do you want to tell me what your dream was?"

Qianru didn't answer her, but her cry was getting louder, Senja motioned Xiao Mugi to close the door and the window. At least with that her voice could be a little bit muffled.

She needed to vent out her emotion, it would be a problem one day if she kept it inside.

The first day, Senja had intentionally calmed her down, but she couldn't repeat it again and again. Qianru needed to realize it and accept it.

After half an hour crying, finally Qianru a little bit relaxed. Her beautiful eyes were swollen.

"We have been waiting for this baby Senja…" Qianru was leaning her back against the wall while they were sitting on the floor. She closed her eyes with great pain that could be clearly seen on her expression.

Senja remained quiet so did Xiao Mugi. Both of them sat near her.

"The upper officials have questioned about this… Even if Jun will usurp the throne, he still needs a successor…" Tears were streaming down from her eyes again. "One day… it will be a problem for him. Someone can force him to step down or causing riot in his regime because of this issue… and all he had been trough will be in vain."

Senja squeezed her hand softly. "You can try again… there will be a lot of time in the future."

However, Qianru shook her head. "Senja, you don't know… this is the second time… it is hard for us…" She covered her face in ashamed to hide her tears. "He will leave me…"

Senja leaned in and hugged her tightly. "Xiao Jun will not leave you…" She bit her lips to hold back her tears, but they still escaped from her eyes.

Suddenly a knock on the door pulled their attention away. Because Qianru and Senja were occupied, Xiao Mugi instinctively ran toward the door and opened it slightly.

Behind the door he saw the owner of the inn was standing with smile on his wrinkled lips. "Could I meet with Senja?" He asked.

He knew Senja's name because it was necessary to provide their identity if they want to book a room. However, it was strange if the owner himself who came.

Senja didn't have intention to stay for long period of time, so she just gave him her real name, moreover last night she was very exhausted to be able to thinking properly. She regretted it now.

"Yes?" Senja slowly released Qianru in her arms and approached the inn owner.

"Are you Senja?"

Hesitantly Senja nodded.

"There is someone want to meet you."

"I didn't have appointment with anyone."

"But, that person said this is important."

Senja frowned. She didn't like this… nobody should know they were there.

"Who?" Senja gripped on the handle of the door tightened as she pulled back Xiao Mugi into the room, so he was standing behind her.

"He is waiting downstairs…" He said before excused himself.

**He? Who is he?**