In the Eye of the Raiju
A series of events through Hak's eyes.
Two boys skipped pebbles across the lake. Or, maybe more accurately, one boy skipped pebbles- the other let them fly with all the gusto in the world, only to watch them sink straight into the lake.
"Amazing, Hak!" Soo-won gushed. "How do you make them fly like that?!" Hak struggled to look less pleased about his friend's admiration- but he was enjoying showing off.
"Flick your wrist a little more." Face screwed up in concentration, Soo-won tried again- the stone sank again.
"Aiiiiii…. I guess I need some more practice." The blond plopped down on the grass, not looking too bothered by his failure. "Yona says she'll try to sneak out and meet us- it's been a while since we've all been together. You have to visit more!"
"I've been training with Gramps- and studying- like I told you I would." Hak leaned back on his hands. "He says I've been doing well." Soo-won's eyes widened.
"If General Mundok says that, you must be amazing!" Hak ducked his head a little, not sure how to respond to his friend's exuberant onslaught. Soo-won could be a little much in his praise, sometimes.
"Uhhh. I did just win a competition, back home." It was the first competition Mundok had let him enter. After hundreds of practice shots a day for months, Hak had been permitted to enter the archery tournament. And now- "And Gramps says now I'm ready to practice the spear, for real."
"Ahhhhh! See what I mean?" Hak smiled.
"I have to be the best, if I stick around with you and Yona." The very, very best. Soo-won needed the best to stand at his side. Someday, he would only want the best. And Hak had decided he would be there.
"Ahhhh… I've been studying here too! Father has even shown me some tricks!" The pride glittered in his eyes suddenly vanished, and he pouted, cheeks puffing out. "But you should slow down, otherwise I'll never catch up!" Hak snickered.
"I'm not waiting around for you-" Soo-won grinned back.
"Then I'll have to hurry up!"
Hak awoke, but he kept his eyes closed, fighting to hold on to his dream, and the happiness that had risen in him with it. But the real world crept back to him with relentless mercilessness. He could feel the hard ground under him. A twig that Yun must have missed while clearing the tent area pressed into his side. The calls of the birds and insects. The chill of morning air. The sound of sleeping dragons next to him. Already in a bad mood, Hak rolled out into the morning light. He could hear Yun starting a fire.
"Yo," he waved from a distance. "I'll find something." Yun looked at him sharply. It was still very early. Hak suspected the beautiful genius knew about his dreams. ForYunately, unlike some, he never pried.
"Rabbit would be tasty." Grateful for Yun's pragmatic nature, Hak nodded and headed off. He had seen a few yesterday and doubted it would take long.
These dreams- memories of before- were almost worst than the nightmares. Nightmares aroused his anger, and retreated into the depths of his mind when he saw Yona, safe and strong. These dreams were heartbreaking. And there was nothing to do but push the happiness away. It had been an illusion. And it was gone now.
I would have served you for the rest of my life. But no, he really, really could not dwell on thoughts like that. He could sense the darkness such thoughts would create. He only needed to survive and ensure Yona's safety, for as long as he would live.
He put his hand up to his eyes and rubbed them firmly as he thought about that day. Yona never made it, but he and Soo-won had ran around all day in the sun. They had ridden horses, and Soo-won had showed him a trick dismount his father had taught him. It had been pretty cool.
In fact, Yona had nearly confessed her love the day Soo-won did it in front of her. Not that she had ever blushed when he had shown her anything. Why am I remembering this now? Hak rolled his eyes, briefly annoyed at her, twelve-year-old Soo-won, and himself. There are plenty of more important things to be angry about.
Jealousy, at this point, was absurd on too many levels for Hak to waste time counting. As was dwelling in the past. He needed to hunt.