Chapter Ten: Thank you
A\N: Whooo! Another chappie! And so soon! Yaay! I'm actually saying that because I created a chappie, this one, to go between the last chappie and the one that was supposed to go after it since I felt it would be better. Story wise. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read this, and even more to those of you who have taken the time out of their day to drop a review. A huge thanks to the lovely Ryu Sayuri, who gave me a few ideas, and a few suggestions as well! Thanks :3 anyways! Enjoy the chappie! Lemme know your thoughts! Happy readings!
Edit: Well, this was gonna be separate chappie, but you know what they say right? Go with your gut feeling! So I did! Enjoy!
"Tian, we're going into town to see if we can get some more information. Would you like to come?" Yona asked the very next morning as both her and Tian were bathing. Yona was perched on a rock, drying out her red hair with a towel. She glanced over at Tian, who had remained silent, and then glanced away.
Green eyes then glanced over at the young girl beside her, Tian's lips pulled down into a frown as she thought about it. After another moment passed, she looked away, shaking her head as she gathered some of her raven colored hair to force the water out before she got out to dry her own body. She wasn't particularly liking the idea of going into town. Not with the possibility of them standing out. Or a commotion happening. Tian just wanted to lay low for a bit. But still...
"No. I'm going to stay around camp today. Someone needs to guard our things." Tian voiced without emotion. Yona glanced at her in surprise. Not that Tian had been acting like herself at all, but Yona was still surprised to hear her flat out turn down going into town. Normally she'd be all for it.
"Is something wrong? You've been acting strange lately. I know we haven't known each other that long but I do consider you a friend. If something is bothering you, tell me. I'll listen, and I'll at least try to help! I mean-"
"You don't need fret over me. I'm not a child. I'm fine." Tian interrupted Yona with short, clipped answers. Something about that tone of Yona's rubbed her the wrong way. She wasn't a child to be fussed over. Even being scared, she wasn't going to tell Yona what she truly felt.
Tian wasn't about to say how much this whole rumor scared her. How she feared her freedom being taken away. How she worried for her friends. Worried that they might get involved. That something would happen to them, and she would be powerless to help them. Tian wasn't about to admit how she thought that Yona was way in over her head. That this isn't something that can be fixed so easily. Especially if it was happening all across Kouka. She wasn't about to admit how she worried about why such a thing was happening. What the motivations were, and if it could... Would possibly lead to war. Tian didn't want to trouble Yona with these things. No doubt it would leak to the others of the group. She didn't want to seem weak. Even if she felt that way. All these things she could never say out loud.
Even so, she hated the pained look Yona gave her. It was as if Tian had physically slapped the girl. A sudden rush of guilt overcame Tian, and she looked away.
"Listen, when you go into town do me a favor." Tian glanced back at Yona as she spoke. The red haired girl merely looked at her with a curious tilt of her head." Please, be careful." Tian quickly looked away as she spoke. Yona merely nodded, smiling a bit.
"We will. You have nothing to worry about." Tian glanced at her, nodding with a slight smile. She could relax just a bit now...
"Everyone is gone..." Tian spoke to herself, running a towel through her hair as she looked around the empty camp site.
The embers from the fire were still burning brightly as the slightly breeze flew through the camp, only to die quickly as the gust of wind disappeared. The footsteps were still freshly imprinted into the ground, and she could vaguely smell potatoes in the air. As she took a deep breath to further taken in the delicious smell, she noticed the tent was still up as well.
"Must have left it for me." She once again said to nobody.
After the bath was over, Yona was quick to redress, and get back to the group, bit Tian stayed behind in the hidden place of the river a bit longer. She didn't want to face anyone who'd meet her with curious stares when she stayed behind. However, now that she was alone for the first time in ages, Tian felt a strange peck of... Isolation.
Tian huffed as she slid down to the ground with a childish pout on her lips. She picked up a stick, and began to doodle pointless things into the soil. It had been so long since she was without company, she forgot how lonely it could be being all alone.
After a while, she wasn't sure how much time had passed, she eventually tossed the stick to the side, skidding down until she was fully laying on the ground, she looked at the sky, her arm over her forehead as she slipped into thought.
Many thoughts were running through her mind, and now that she had the chance to be alone, she allowed those thoughts to roam. Mostly what she thought about was the situation at hand.
She knew that everyone was worried about her. She would have to be an idiot not to notice the worried expressions everyone gave her. Her not showing up would just cause more concerns that she likely wouldn't answer. She couldn't tell them the truth. She couldn't tell them how much this rumour had actually scared her.
Kouka Kingdom had banned slavery for years. So for this unsettling rumour to come about, she couldn't help but to worry. Why? Why was this happening? What was the use? Surely no respectable Kouka citizen would take a slave knowing it was banned, and could potentially land them in trouble.
So, that left open the possibility of it being from a foreign land. In that case, it lead to further worry. Would it cause a war? Surely the emperor would not just let the kidnapping and selling of his citizens go unpunished! But there were other things Tian worried about as well.
As much as she hated to admit it, Tian had become close to this strange group. Even considered them friends. She didn't want to think of what could possibly happen to them if they were found out about trying to overthrow this happening. Sure, Tian worried about herself. She worried about her freedom being taken from her. But she worried about Yona and the others even more than herself. She didn't want them to be caught up in something bigger than they can take on.
Sure, she had asked them to help her. She had been the one to ask to help them. Sure, Tian dreamed of getting revenge for her parents untimely deaths, but she didn't know that it would be this big of a deal. She didn't know it was deeper than just some thugs terrorizing a town just because they could. She worried for Min-Soo, Ae-Cha, BaaBaa, Ha-Seon, and everyone else as well. She worried about what was happening to the people disappearing. Worried any one of her close friends would get involved. She wasn't sure what she would do if they were to get involved in some way.
The circumstances were uncertain as well, and the reason behind them were unknown. The implications were just... Too big to imagine. So, all that thrown into one set for a very unsettling atmosphere, and she wasn't sure what she should do anymore. If she even wanted to continue down this path even though it was more than clear that Yona wanted to do this.
"Hey, Miss. Are you OK?" Tian sat up, looking over at Zeno who was looking at her curiously. He was standing a bit away, but looked as if he had just paused in his dusted off her gown as she pushed herself up onto a log.
"I'm fine." She answered, feelings bit embarrassed that the blond haired boy had caught her off guard." Why aren't you with the others?" She looked over his shoulders for a moment, as if expecting the rest of the group to just show up,and then looked at his brown eyes.
"Well, Miss Yona was worried about you, so I offered to come and check up on you!" Zeno answered with a bright grin, walking as he spoke, and then ended his sentence by sitting down next to her. Tian looked at him for a moment, and then looked away with a slight pout to her lips.
I wonder why Jae-Ha didn't offer or just come himself.
She thought to herself, scowling a bit, and then looked at Zeno who was looking at her curiously once again. Tian smiled out of discomfort, and looked away.
"Thank you, but there's really nothing to worry about. I'm fine." She answered, glancing at the yellow haired boy out of the corner of her eyes. He had looked away.
"You've been acting strange since the news of this town was let out in the open. It's understandable if you're afraid." Tian felt surprised.
Not because of his words... OK maybe a large part in due to his words, but also because of his tone. He had suddenly become serious, which wasn't something she had heard from him in a long while. Even at that, this tone was different.
Tian let her silence speak for itself, and when she didn't reply, the brown eye kid looked at her with a slight tilt of his head, and then he half smiled, and looked away.
"But you shouldn't let your fear get to you. Most times what you're afraid of is much scarier in your mind than it actually is in reality. But denying that you're scared doesn't help. You sometimes have to face what scares you." Zeno glanced at Tian, who was looking at him in surprise, and then grinned." Trust me, this is something I know alot about, OK?" Tian nodded slowly, looking away.
"Right, but I'm telling you. I'm OK." She looked back at him, and grinned.
"Well, if you say so." Zeno answered with a small smile, looking off. Tian smiled to herself. She wouldn't admit it, but Zeno's little talk actually helped ease her mind. Now, if only she knew what she was going to do. She frowned once again as she was no longer sure...
Tian avoided town for a while knew it was cowardly. She knew Min-Soo, and Ha-Seon would be worried about her. She was aware that she needed to stop avoiding her fears, and face them head on. She needed to stop running away. She knew that very well.
But then again, I have always been a coward. She would think to herself when she was left to be with her thoughts.
Tian had to admit to herself that she was rather envious of Yona,and the others. They went into town each and every day to find out information. Or as much as they could get anyways. With the officers seemingly tighter in the village,and more rough as well, less people were willing to talk. Min-Soo seemed to be the only one they could get information out of, which wasn't very much to begin with.
Tian found herself envious of them because they were fearless. Or if they were afraid they sure as hell didn't show it. They really wanted to help however much they could. Then, there was Tian.
As much as she put on a big show of wanting to help, of wanting to avenge what happened to her parents, and cleanse the town of the evil, she had turned away and ran with her tail between her legs like a scared little kid. This group of odd people had more drive than she did. It annoyed her to no end.
Still she found herself a bit afraid. As much as the talk with Zeno had calmed her down, she was still a bit frightened. And she was never good at dealing with her fears in the first place….
"You know, Min-Soo has been asking quite a bit about you." Jae-Ha had told her while they were sitting at the camp by themselves.
Yona and the others had made it a point to make sure Tian wasn't left alone when they went into town. Although there were a few times when it would be other people, such as Kija or Zeno, more times than not it was Jae-Ha who stayed behind with Tian. Which she didn't mind so much.
Although Jae-Ha had avoided her after the party, which annoyed her whenever Tian thought of it, he seemed to have snapped out of whatever was wrong, and they were on… Somewhat friendly terms.
"Is that so?" She questioned with an eyebrow raised. She was currently sharpening a knife with quite a bit of concentration. Jae-Ha glanced at her.
"Don't you think it would be a good idea to go, and see the people that care about you in the village? Im sure there's more people than you think that are worried about you." Tian noted that the green haired man was sounding rather caring, not something unusual coming from him, but there was a slightly different tone to it. She looked up. Two pairs of green eyes meeting one another. Tian was the first to look away.
"I don't see where it is your business." She said in a snipped tone, setting aside the knife. She sighed, looking at Jae-Ha once more." I still don't see why you think you have to stay behind at all." She added on after a moment, to which he just smirked slightly as he leaned back, and crossed his arms over his chest in a rather confident manner.
"We just want to make sure you don't do anything you shouldn't. That's all." He answered with a shrug. Tian watched him for a moment longer, and then shrugged as she looked off.
"Whatever." She answered, sighing as she closed her eyes for a moment.
Perhaps they were afraid she would up and leave without notice. As much as that thought irked the dark haired woman, Tian had to admit they were probably right. All she was good for was running after all…
There was a few minutes of silence between the two. Before Tian had noticed, he had moved rather quickly until he was no longer across from her, but right next to her. She opened her eyes, and eyed him with a cautious expression, leaning away with a blush.
"Where did you get this?" He questioned, touching her hair covering." You're always wearing it." He noted. Tian blushed, moving away so that his hand slipped away.
He looked at her, seeming to get that she wanted distance. Not that he blamed her. He smiled softly, and moved just slightly an inch away. Tian relaxed, and then smiled slightly as she touched the familiar hair accessory.
"It belonged to my mother. She would wear it every day. It was the only thing I had left after she died. I… It's the only thing I have of her. So when I wear it, I feel close to her. Like she's still here. Even if she isn't." Tian smiled softly, dropping her hand with a slightly embarrassed laugh." It probably sounds childish, or stupid, but-"
"Not at all." Jae-Ha interrupted with a slight smile. Tian looked at him in surprise, noting the gentle expression in his eyes. Something she had yet to see up until that moment." It belonged to your parent. Someone you obviously love very much. It's the only thing you have, but that's what make it precious to you. Nothing wrong with that. " tian nodded, smiling as she looked off. She had never seen such a kind, gentle expression from Jae-Ha before. She had to admit, she liked the expression.
" But they weren't the only ones to care for you. You have friends that care about you, and I know they're worried about you." Jae-Ha continued after a moment, somehow going back to serious while maintaining the caring tone." You have people in the village that care for you. They're worried. You need to let them know you're OK." Tian glanced at him, and then looked away with a nod of her head. He was right after all….
"Hm? You're going into town?" Yona questioned with a slight yawn as she rubbed at her eyes. It was still dark out, even Yun was still sleeping, but Tian was already up, and nodded with a slight grin on her face." Do you want any of us to-"
"No. I'll be OK." She promised, grinning. Yona looked at her a bit in worry, and then nodded as she laid her head back down.
"We'll be in town later. Be careful, alright?" Tian nodded, and then walked out of the tent.
She paused for a moment when she stepped out, glancing at the second tent that was recently put up wit the rain the previous night.
Thank you.
Tian thought to herself, smiling gently as she then quickly made her way to the town….