Chapter 7: What I saw on the verdant battlefield, Part 2
They rode for hours; throughout the warmth of the day when the sun was high overhead and the wind was mild. Yona found it soothing—the horse's gentle gait, Shin-ah's quiet and steady presence, Ao curled on her shoulder. Listening to the ebb and flow of conversations around her without paying attention to what was said. Her tears dried and the pain she felt subsided from sharp stabs to something like a dull ache. Still there, but she found she could bear it. Push through; move forward. Others might say she'd gotten stronger; for the first time she dared to believe it herself.
The steep rock slabs and scattered mountain villages eventually gave way to gently rolling terrain. Fields of grass and wildflowers, tall trees with branches bending in the wind. The land was drier, in places almost arid, but the wide Kousuisen River was framed by vegetation lush and green. The river itself, once leaving the mountains, settled out to drift lazily to the sea, looking almost still and sparkling under the sun that now dipped towards the western horizon. The northern bank—the Kouka side—was slightly elevated. Yona could see the area called the shallows, where the bank softened and sloped down to the river's edge. Tents in neat rows were arrayed on a flat area nearby, on high ground. On the Shin side of the river, she saw no one.
The trail left the open fields to run alongside the river, the trees casting long shadows down their path.
"Halt!"
The horses stopped. Yona lifted her head to peer around Shin-ah's shoulder. Hak had point and she couldn't see beyond his massive wall of a horse. But she could hear the sound of bows being strung in the trees around them. The blue dragon didn't react at all.
"Shin-ah?"
His gaze calmly swept the trees. "Wind Tribe army," he said quietly. "Two up ahead, four on each side."
"Who goes there?" asked a voice. Young, male.
"Who does it look like?" Hak said. "Have I been gone that long?"
Yona leaned out to the side, as far as she dared, and was just able to glimpse the two young men with spears standing in the road ahead. They wore pale blue tunics over darker shirts and breeches. Beads and feathers trailed from one side of the bands crossing their foreheads.
"Hak-sama!"
"The one and only. Tae-woo Shogun is here, isn't he?"
The boy on the left—the taller of the two—nodded. He straightened, relaxing his spear. "Yes, down in the main camp."
The other boy peered around him, looking at her and the rest of them. "Who are all these people?"
"My followers, naturally," Hak said. Yona could hear the smirk in his voice.
On the horse beside her, Kija made a strangled noise.
"Can you spare someone to escort us?"
"Of course." The taller boy gestured to his right. "Dae-sung will take you."
On cue, a third boy vaulted over the bushes and landed in the road, a bow slung over his shoulders. He had long brown hair tamed into a ponytail. "Are you back, Hak-sama?"
"Ehhh, we'll see about that, I guess." Hak twisted then, glancing back over his shoulder. His eyes softened when they landed on her.
Yona smiled and straightened, settling behind Shin-ah once more. They followed Dae-sung down towards the encampment.
-x-
The Wind Tribe army, Yona found, seemed to be engaged in three major activities. Sleeping in the sun, guarding (and looking fairly bored), and sparring. On the edge of the encampment, in a clearing between two boulders, a small crowd had formed around a pair of warriors facing off with staffs.
They dismounted once in the camp, a few of the guarding warriors coming to lead the horses away. Yona gave Ao back to Shin-ah and moved to Hak's side. He spared her a warm glance, then straightened as Tae-woo came to meet them.
Yona blinked, taking in the young warrior with the hard face. Last she'd seen him, he'd been sleeping on guard duty at the gates of Fuuga. Now he was chief of the Wind Tribe and one of the five generals serving Soo-won. His eyes were steely and he had a scrape on the side of his jaw, backed by a purple bruise.
"What, exactly, are you doing here?" Tae-woo asked, folding his arms.
"'Why, Hak, it's great to see you alive and well,'" Hak said with one hand on his hip, the other on his glaive. He snorted. "Glad to see I was missed."
Tae-woo's lips flattened into a line. "We're on operation for the crown. I expect new orders any day. It wouldn't do for a Sky Tribe messenger to show up and find you here." His eyes glanced to her, then back to Hak.
"Ehhh, it's a bit of a story, but the crown expects me to be here, so it's fine."
Tae-woo's brows rose. "What?"
"I'll catch you up," Hak said. "More importantly, what happened to your face?"
"Oh that." Tae-woo rubbed his jaw and frowned. "A contingent from the Shin army was here until a couple days ago. Since we were all bored and not interested in fighting, we had a little competition."
One of Hak's brows quirked. "And you lost?"
"Why do you assume that?" The young Wind Tribe chief looked away, a look of irritation crossing his face. "She was tough, that general."
The Shin army had a female general? Yona kind of wanted to meet her. Well, maybe. Once she could ride and was better with her bow and her sword. At the moment, she'd only embarrass herself. Meeting Hana's daughters in the village had been bad enough.
"Ehhhh?" Hak said, rubbing his chin with his free hand. "You say the contingent left recently?"
Tae-woo nodded. "The Shin generals are at it again. Probably have a new king within a week."
"Hmph. Any indication why so many are being displaced, this time?"
The Wind Tribe chief shook his head. "Nothing from the underground has led us to any conclusions. General Mi-jung wouldn't say anything either, when we asked her."
"Have the Wind Tribe and Shin armies always been so friendly?" Yona asked, drawing their gazes.
"Respectful is a better word," Hak said. "It's more like both sides have reached the same conclusion that fighting each other is a stupid idea."
Yona nodded. "I'm just wondering why Soo-won, if he knows that, would bother stationing the whole Wind Tribe army here." She folded her arms. "Seems like a waste of resources."
"We were divided between here and supporting the Fire Tribe, until a few weeks ago," Tae-woo said. "But, recently?" He shrugged.
"There are a few options," Hak said quietly. "He may not know. Or it may be part of his strategy to control the Wind Tribe. I'm disinclined to assume he has better information than our underground, but it's possible." His face smoothed. "Whatever else, he never does anything without a reason."
Yona felt a wave of cold. She nodded.
"Anyways—" Tae-woo said, loosening his arms. "I'd better find Elder Mundok and have you fill us in." He glanced at her. "He'll be wanting to see you, I'm sure."
"—Hak! You ungrateful grandson! Where are you?" Mundok's voice echoed halfway across the encampment.
"Ah," Tae-woo said, closing his eyes. "There he is."
Yona turned and saw Mundok striding towards them, his brown and blue robes billowing out with each step. Her eyes filled with warm tears. "Mundok!" She ran towards him.
He looked at her and his glare vanished. He stopped, opening his arms wide—
Yona barreled into him, hugging him around the waist as his arms encircled her so tightly it was hard to breathe.
"Hime-san! I can't tell you how happy I am to see you alive and well." His scratchy beard tickled her ear.
She clung to him, trying to hold back the tears as the memories flooded her mind. Chasing Hak and Soo-won around the throne room while Mundok talked with her father. Sitting on the edge of the pavilion, her feet swinging in the breeze, watching Mundok teach Hak and Soo-won the sword, or the spear, or how to ride. Mundok drinking the tea she served him, along with her father and Soo-won, while Hak sat on the windowsill and complained about how girly it all was.
All those beautiful, childhood memories were tainted with pain now. But only tainted. It wasn't so bad that she wanted—or needed—to forget. She wasn't going to fall apart again. Not here, not now. Soo-won didn't get to win like that. Not anymore. Yona drew a breath and schooled her tears. She leaned back as Mundok loosened his arms.
He studied her with his good left eye and smiled. "You've gotten stronger, Yona-hime. You've grown up."
He can tell. She smiled back at him, warmed inside, and nodded. "I've brought people I want you to meet, Mundok."
"Mm-hm." He patted her shoulder gently. "We'll find a comfortable place to chat. But first, tell me. Has that grandson of mine been behaving himself around you?"
"Of course he has," Hak said, appearing at their side. "He's the epitome of good manners."
Yona twisted, smiling at him warmly. "He's taken very good care of me," she said, not wanting to look away. She exhaled. "Better care than I've taken of him."
Hak smiled back at her.
"I see," Mundok said, clearing his throat. "Well, we obviously have much to talk about, so let's get to it, shall we?"
Yona's heart pounded as she approached the target on her left. It was unnerving to release the reins and control the horse with only her legs—at a gallop—while drawing her bow. She sucked in a breath, trying not to think about it. She relaxed the reins and slipped her bow into her hands, slid the arrow into place. Drew just as she came upon the target and let the arrow fly—
A hit! Not a bull's-eye, but for the first time she'd hit the target instead of the hay bale. Yona caught her breath and shifted her weight back in the saddle. The calm, well trained horse obediently slowed to a stop.
"Well done, Hime-san!" Mundok called from the right side of the range on horseback. "Remember to wait for the top of the rise, for the best steady shot."
"Hai!" Yona recovered the reins and—grinning—turned the horse with her ankles. She paused there at the end of the run, contemplating the pass back the other way. It was so much harder, shooting to the right. So far, none of those attempts had even hit the hay bale, much less the target. They were a little ways from the army camp, up a slight rise where the terrain was flat and the grasses low. The sun was high and the wind was light today.
It was warm. Yona plucked at the tunic of her borrowed clothes to let in some air. The beige Wind Tribe robes she wore were lighter weight than her regular clothes, but she rarely worked this hard. To think she'd thought shooting a tree was hard, not to mention shooting a moving object from a stationary position. Mounted archery though? Hah. (And never mind shooting a moving object while moving herself!) After fifteen straight days of riding lessons, she was thrilled just to be able to sit in the saddle by herself without panicking. Anything else was a bonus.
So she ought to at least try—
Just then Hak went flying past her on that black beast of a horse. Shooting her a grin, not touching the reins at all as he galloped towards the target, raising his bow at the very last second and firing—to the right—one arrow, then a second one. Both perfect bull's eyes.
"Show off!" she yelled. Yona exhaled through her nose and squeezed the horse with her ankles. Brought her mount to a gallop, flying towards the target on her right. She dropped the reins, strung the bow, and pulled back. She took her time, even though that meant turning further to the right, and fired— The arrow sailed wide and struck the dirt in the distance.
And she nearly lost her balance, slipping to the right in her saddle and losing her left foot from the stirrup. It was all the horse and none of her that it slowed down and moved with her, keeping her upright. She managed to shift back, then, and came to a stop. Her ears were filled with the sound of Hak's laughter as both she and the horse caught their breath.
"Majestic, Hime-san," he said, riding up to her. "That's the only word that could possibly describe what I just saw."
Yona glared at him. "I don't remember inviting you out. Mundok's teaching me today."
Hak grinned down at her from the taller horse. "As it happens, I'm to bring you a message from Yoon. He says he's finished. So you can stop wearing those borrowed boy's clothes."
She pursed her lips tightly, her cheeks heating. "The army had nothing else that fit me!"
"Not arguing the point, Hime-san." He leaned close and lowered his voice. "I'm acting in my own self-interest. I'd rather see the woman I love in something more suitable. Or—even better—in nothing at all."
"Bear," she muttered, turning her horse from him as her face started to boil.
"Hak! Are you being rude to the Princess?" Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Mundok reach for the whip he always carried, his face red. He started towards them.
Hak turned his mount. "Of course not, Old Man. I'm being perfectly honest and direct with the Princess, as always."
Yona rolled her eyes. She rode back to the target and dismounted to retrieve her arrows.
Hak followed. "Go on ahead, Hime. I'll get these. Yoon will have a fit if he has to wait the hour it will take you to find all your arrows."
"Hak!"
"Honest and direct!" Hak shouted back. "As I said!"
Smiling to herself, Yona mounted and turned her horse in the direction of the army encampment. These last two weeks had been blissful. Hak with his people and having Mundok around to teach her. She cherished every day, while dreading the moment Soo-won's summons would come.
She rode back to camp and tended to her horse. The old mare, Song, had chestnut hair and straw colored mane with a white star on her forehead. The horse ate while Yona brushed her and pressed her nose into Yona's hand, blowing hay bits into her palm, when she said goodbye.
The tent where Yoon had ensconced himself was near the center of camp. In the distance, she could see Jae-ha and Shin-ah in the sparring ring, facing off, with a crowd of Wind Tribe warriors looking on. And placing bets, it looked like.
Yona shook her head and ducked into the tent.
"Hime-sama," Kija said, getting up from a mountain of fabric scraps—whatever he and Zeno had been helping Yoon with. He came to her, smiling brightly. "How were your lessons today?"
"I hit the target once," she said. "And I didn't fall off."
"Lass, that's great!" Zeno said, giving her a beaming smile as he shook bits of thread from his lap. "Next Zeno will teach the Lass to ride bareback and do tricks."
She wilted inside. "Eh, sure, Zeno. Later." Much, much later. Or never.
"OK, you two, out," Yoon said, coming up and shooing the dragons from the tent. "I've got to get Yona dressed."
"Hai hai," Zeno said, bounding outside.
Kija glanced away, his face going red. "You're going to look beautiful in the new clothes, Hime-sama."
Yona smiled. "Thanks, Kija. Wait outside and make sure Hak doesn't peek, OK?"
He looked at her, determination steeling his eyes. "Yes." He nodded firmly. "Understood, Hime-sama. You can count on me." He marched out.
Yoon rolled his eyes. "Alright, Yona." He pointed to a tub half-full of water set to one side of a dressing screen. "Out of those sweaty clothes."
She stripped and bathed, washing off all the stickiness and dirt. When she was done, she pulled on a clean sleeveless robe that hit halfway down her thighs.
"Your hair's getting long," Yoon said as she rounded the dressing screen. He sat her on a stool. "And ragged. Should I even it out for you?"
Yona reached up, fingering the unruly scarlet curls that almost brushed her shoulders. She shook her head. "Can you cut it short? Like you did at first?"
"Of course," Yoon said and set to work behind her.
She relaxed as his nimble fingers worked along her scalp, listening to the etching sound of the blade slicing through strands of hair. Yona closed her eyes. "Ne, Yoon-kun…"
"Hmm?"
"When this is over, I want you and Ik-soo to live with me at the palace." She smiled. "I won't force either of you, but think about it, OK?"
His hands paused for a moment. "When this is over… You mean?"
"I don't have it all figured out, how I'll get there," she said. "But I know what I want now."
"Hmm." There was a gentle tug on her scalp as he started again on her hair. "You know I still think nobles are a pain in the ass."
"Me included. I know." She opened her eyes, staring off into the distance. Into her new dream. "But I think it would be good, to bring the voice of God back to the kingdom." Yona sighed softly. "I don't know why my uncle had such a problem with him." She frowned. "I was there, but I never knew. I still don't know a lot of things."
They were silent for several beats as Yoon worked.
He sniffed. "Owning it, though? What you don't know—that makes you less irritating."
Yona smiled.
-x-
Once her hair was done, Yoon helped her dress.
"It feels odd to wear boots all the time now," she said, staring down at the black leather that encased her feet.
"I'm sure you'll get used to it," he said as he secured the black obi belt around her waist. "They're comfortable, aren't they?"
"Mmm." She nodded.
From the bolt of red fabric, Yoon had made breeches, a tunic, and an outer robe. The ankles and wrists were banded in the Wind Tribe style to keep her hands and feet from getting caught in excess fabric. The outer robe crossed over her breast and fell to her ankles, trimmed with patterned gold. Yoon tied her pale pink sash over the belt.
"It's cut to look like a dress, but it's split front and back and on both sides," Yoon said, stepping back and studying her head to toe. "So you can move in any direction and it won't get in your way while you ride."
Yona spun, the four panels of the over robe twirling out around her. "Yoon, it's perfect!"
He nodded. "Of course it is." He lowered his voice. "You look like a proper queen now. Instead of a silly princess."
She stopped spinning, sobered by his words. "Will the others think so, I wonder?"
He shrugged.
She gently touched his shoulder. "Thank you, Yoon. For everything."
"Ah." He looked away. "The fabric just fell into place at my command, you know."
Yona smiled. "I'm going outside to show the others."
She pushed her way through the tent flaps into the late afternoon sunlight. Outside, Kija and Hak were glaring at each other as Kija stood guard.
"For the last time, Raijyuu, you can't go in until she's ready!"
"It can't possibly take anyone that long to—" Hak cut off abruptly when he saw her. His eyes went wide. "Hime-sama…" he said and dropped to one knee.
The last time he'd knelt before her, it was the night she'd told him—him alone—to call her princess. To never forget who she was, even if all the kingdom did. Would this make them remember?
Kija spun, took one look at her, and also knelt. He curled his dragon's hand against his chest. "Hime-sama."
Zeno dropped down on both knees and bowed his face towards the ground. "Hiryuu-sama."
Yona pressed her lips into a tight line, trying to quell the threat of tears.
Jae-ha and Shin-ah returned from the sparring ring, followed by a crowd of warriors from the Wind Tribe. Her dragons knelt and when she looked out at the sea of stunned faces gathering all around—she found them also sinking to their knees.
"It's the Princess." "It's really her." "She's alive—I knew it." Murmurs swept through the Wind Tribe army.
Yona's gaze blurred. Father. She must not cry. But it was so hard to hold it back. Not everyone forgot about you, Father. Not everyone forgot that I'm your daughter.
"Hime-sama," Mundok said as he and Tae-woo approached from one side. Both bowed deeply.
Tae-woo rose first. A scroll was tucked in his right hand. "Highness. Word from the crown. Sei forces are gathering at the edge of the Water Tribe's territory. The Wind Tribe—and Hak—are ordered to dispatch." He paused. "What say you, my lady?"
Yona drew a breath and raised her chin. "The Wind Tribe proceeds as ordered," she said. "And I will accompany you."
General Tae-woo bowed again. "As you wish, Highness."
She rode with the Wind Tribe's forward cavalry, forty of the tribe's elite warriors. On horseback, it was a journey of days, rather than weeks. Back through the Junrei-Shuuen Mountains and down the western slopes to the wet and fertile land. The infantry and the remaining cavalry—with Heang-dea in command—would follow.
All too soon, Yona could see tents in the distance under the blue and white banners of the Water Tribe. Behind them was a small cluster of tents that flew banners of black and violet.
The sun was setting across verdant fields. From the ridge, they would be upon the camp in less than an hour.
General Tae-woo rode up beside her. "I am to report in to the crown—with Hak—as soon as we arrive. How would you like to proceed, Highness?"
Yona paused for a moment, Song standing patiently beneath her. Hak, on his black horse, stood on her other side. She exhaled. "I'll come with you. With my dragons." She pursed her lips. "I'll speak with Soo-won before I let him give the Wind Tribe further orders. The defense of Kouka subjects and those innocents who would be caught in the fighting must be the top priority." Her jaw tightened. "If this is an excuse to claim land, I won't allow it."
Tae-woo nodded. "Understood, Highness." He turned his horse down the ridge. "Come to the front of the column when you're ready to proceed."
"Thank you."
He left, the Wind Tribe cavalry descending the slopes with him.
Yona stayed where she was a moment longer. Concentrating on breathing. Feeling the nerves coiling tighter and tighter in her gut.
Hak touched her shoulder. "Are you ready for this?"
She shook her head. "No. But I'm going to do it anyway."
He smiled. Leaned close. "Hime, let me kiss you for luck."
She turned towards him and swallowed hard. "Please."
Hak lifted his hand to her face, his eyes warm. Radiating the love he'd confessed to her countless times. As his lips covered hers, something settled in her heart. Something that she knew would never change, no matter what happened here.
Yona lifted one hand from the reins and laid it against his fingers. When Hak broke the kiss, she curled her fingers into his, keeping him close.
"Hak." She pressed her lips, tasting him on them. "I might—I might never be whole you know. I'm probably always going to be a little broken." She drew a ragged breath. "But if that's enough for you—all the rest of what I am—if…" Yona swallowed. "Then marry me, when this is over."
Hak threaded his fingers tightly through hers, his eyes darkening. "There's not any part of you that's broken, Hime-san. You've bled, as have I. I treasure those parts of you just as much as the rest. The black of night exists to pale in beauty to the radiance of the dawn." He smiled.
Yona blinked back the welling tears.
"After this is over?" he asked, his thumb sliding against the swell of her lower lip. "Once you've taken the throne, you mean?"
"No," she said. "I mean after this battle. Whatever it is Soo-won has ordered you here for."
His eyes widened.
"So don't die out there." She clutched his hand tightly. "I won't forgive you if you don't come back to me."
Hak's smile broadened. "I wouldn't dream of it, Hime-san. The same goes for you." He leaned in and kissed her again. "You have a deal," he whispered against her lips.