.

From Woman and Man Who Love Them

.

.

Chapter 11 – Shelter

As human being, there would be a time when we became weak and weren't able to stand at our feet. At that time, we need at least one person as our shelter

.

"Yona?!".

Lily yelled at her sight even if Yona didn't heard her. She can't believe this, Yona wasn't in her right mind, she shouldn't do this moreover with that body's state of hers, it just made she endanger her own life so Lily stepped forward, she must stop her!?

Only one step forward, she stopped by Tae Woo who grabbed her wrist and shook his head "better not, Lady Lily, or you'll get injury...".

"WHAT!? It's not the time...", Lily turned her head, already wanted to protested but their gaze shifted to Joo Doh who yelled at Soo Won "draw your sword, you stupid King!?".

In his reflex, after heard Joo Doh's word, Soo Won drew his sword for hold Yona's sword. They couldn't believe this, the King and the exiled princess of Kouka started their dance with sword at their hands. Maybe they forgot but since Yona was capable to dance, her skill of dance made her supple body turned into flexible. Her strength, her speed and her skill made them fascinated, she swinging her blade as if she dance in the middle of air. Even if her skill not that far compared to Soo Won and Hak, since the folding fan has turned into a sword, even the weak dancer like her might became the dangerous beast.

When there's blood splattered into his cheek, Soo Won realized it was Yona's blood that came from her forearm "Yona, stop!?".

But she won't stop, like the hell she would heard him.

Not like when he fought Hak, he could win so easily since his skill of swordsmanship still far too high than her even if she had trained by Hak. Soo Won had doubt, that's why he couldn't taken Yona down so easily "it's no use, her body screamed in pain... how can she still move like that with her body's state in this time? whether the pain really didn't snap inside her mind at all because of her state?".

Joo Doh and Geun Tae knew, it shouldn't take a long time for Soo Won to win this match but what happened in front of their eyes must stopped. Geun Tae and Joo Doh looked each other and nodded. When they wanted to approaching the princess and the King with the intention of stopped them, two Dragon blocked their way.

Kija blocked Geun Tae's way "your opponent would be us".

Geun Tae looked at behind the Blue Dragon and the White Dragon with concerned eyes "move aside!?".

"we can't... Yona is right about it this time...", even Shina faced Joo Doh, pointed his sword in front of Joo Doh unwavered "we can't let Hak killed... and we can't believe you...".

"whatever our King want, whatever our King choice, we as her Dragon would always by her side and whatever she ordered, we must do that... we had vowed to never betray her, cherish her and protect her...", Kija stretched his dragon claw "of course, included protect her heart and her love...".

Joo Doh drew both his sword to hold Shina's sword, looks like he have no choice "but if this goes on, your master's life would be in danger?! Did you want her die?".

"it's needn't, our brother can handle this", Kija looked behind where Yona and Soo Won still fought each other "Jae Ha, Zeno, please... quickly...".

"don't run!? at that time, even if i thought i resented you and i couldn't forgive you, even if you didn't hold my hand, i still couldn't pull out the sword and now i regret it?! if i can kill you when we met in Awa... Hak won't tried to kill you at Sensui!? you won't ordered your man to chased us again and Hak won't ended like this again!? Gravely injured because of protecting me again...", Yona pissed off because she realized Soo Won didn't serious, he just avoided or hold her sword but he didn't attack her, at all "from the first place, all of this won't happen if you didn't betray us... IF HE DIE, IT'S YOUR FAULT!?".

When he saw her eyes, what he felt of her was not hatred, just mixed of deep sadness and anger inside her eyes. Suddenly he stopped his footsteps.

"you're right...", Soo Won dropped his sword to the ground and stretched his hand "kill me... if with kill me satisfied you... if it can pay your pain and whatever i did to both of you... let me meet with him at the other side to apologize to him... send me to other side...".

"are you mocking me?", Yona snickered before raised her sword again "you will regret it... let me show you, what would happen if you underestimate woman!?".

"Tae Woo, let me go?!", Lily begged at him who kept hold her but he didn't budge because he knew it was needn't.

Lily felt de javu, it was the same with what happened at the Sensui. When Hak raged and want to killed Soo Won, Jae Ha stopped him. To stopped Hak at that time, they need two Dragon to held him back with Hak's body injured at that time.

Same as Hak at this time, to stopped Yona who injured too, needed two person who affected her to stopped her.

Yona looked at her sword that embedded to the ground with furrowed eyebrow "why did you stopped me... Jae Ha!? Mundok?!".

With her hand clenching her sword that embedded to the ground, Yona held by Mundok and Jae Ha. Mundok step in between her and Soo Won just in time, he held her sword with made her swor embedded to the ground with his spears. Jae Ha landed behind her, wrapped his hand at her waist and covered her face to held her back.

"Yona Dear, calm down!?", Jae Ha half-carried Yona who still struggled to get out of his hand "really, Dear... how can you raged with this body? Do you have the Dragon's power too or Hak's soul possessed you body?".

Yun deadpanned at him "very funny, Jae Ha... It's because she trains every day with Kouka's Thunder Beast".

Kija nodded in agreeance "since the princess ordered him, he have no choice then...".

Tae Woo gave his applause "you're so cool, princess... no wonder Lord Hak fallen in love with you".

Lily narrowed her eyes "Tae Woo, you... you know they would come here eventually, that's why you just hold me and didn't do anything to stop Yona?".

Tae Woo shrugged his shoulder "that's right, i realize about Elder Mundok's presence from the beginning but the reason why I don't budge was because why should i care if princess Yona really kill him? I won't be a general if it wasn't because of Lord Hak forced to leave the wind tribe and I even don't care if this man really die by princess's hand...".

Lily smacked his bicep "Tae Woo?!".

"but what I tell you right now, princess, i do as his family. If what you told us was the fact, if Elder Mundok isn't here, i'll be the one who stopped you because i can't let you kill him...", Tae Woo approached Yona, stopped in front of Yona and lower his head to her level "because i know, Lord Hak won't be pleased with what you did... he didn't want to see you dirted your own hands, he don't want to see you staining your hands with that man's blood. Let him be the one who killed this man and bear all of that burden, not you… even if it's for him, please stop...".

Mundok lower his spears and straighten his body after saw Soo Won kneeled on the ground behind him "unexpected... i never thought i would see you swung at him with a sword and I never thought that I would stop you who trying to kill him...".

Jae Ha felt Yona's body loosened a bit when she saw Mundok in front of her even if her tense still the same, she still wanted to kill Soo Won.

After she asked Jae Ha to let her go, Yona glared to Mundok "move aside, Mundok... it's an order...".

"my apologize, princess... but I can't let myself keep silent when see two of the children that I thought of as my own grandchild trying to kill each other in front of my eyes", Mundok hugged her, begged her to stop her effort while carried her back to clinic "same as Hak, i have always thought of you and King Soo Won as my own grandson... even if it's hurts for you and for him, i can't let you or Hak kill him...".

"but... the Sky Tribe and the Fire Tribe had chased us again!? It must be ended, both of us!? if i didn't, he would... he is even able to killed my father, so why he couldn't kill Hak?! what would left to me from that time if even Hak was taken away by him?!", Yona who carried by Mundok desperately punched Mundok's bicep, from Mundok's shoulder Yona locked her eyes at Soo Won "if Hak can't make it this time, i would ended my own life after i ended yours!?".

"Yona!?", after Mundok put her down on veranda of Hak's room and let her go, Lily wrapped her hand around Yona's shoulder and hugged Yona, her own body trembled because she saw blood started to streaming down Yona's sleeve from injury of her broken nails and her forearm, it scared her but she persisted to calmed Yona down and stop her "it's enough already!? Your injury had reopened!? Please, stop it this time?!".

Yona lifted her head "Lily? since when... why are you here?".

"i told you before, right? 'Call me if there's something bothering you or if you want to cry, i'll come flying to you'... ", her tears on the edge of her eyes and ready to flowed every time but she persisted, Lily smiled affectionally with teary eyes and leaned her forehead into Yona's while she cupped her face, even if Lily already warned by Jae Ha about her state but Lily still felt it hurt for her, she even didn't recognize her before Lily hugged her and for Lily, to saw her like this was torture itself "gosh, you have dark circles under your eyes and you looks lost some weight than the last time we meet? Actually, how long since you can't sleep peacefully and did you eat properly?".

With blank look at her eyes, Yona muttered "...i don't remember...".

"let's treat your wound first...", Lily sighed and supported her to stand again but she surprised when Yona dropped to her knees "Yona?!".

Yona collapsed, she leaned her head on Lily's chest and murmured "it's hurts...".

Lily tilted her head with concerning eyes "where does it hurts?".

"my ribs, head, arm... and my ankle, maybe".

She didn't confused about Yona felt hurt at her ribs, her head and her arm, but Lily huffed after saw Yona's ankle sprained too, so that's why she felt her ankle hurt? "well, you raged even with your body condition in such a state now, so it's no wonder... Yona?".

After pressed her palms on Yona's temple to check her temperature, she realized her friend's fever was higher than before, no wonder she collapsed and passed out now "wha... how can you still raged like that with this body? You are really amazing?!".

"looks like the little miss take and ate the cough drops that the kid get from a merchant of the Hakuryuu village".

"that stupid princess!? well, no wonder if she became full of energy!? If you know she take that sort of doping from my bag, why don't you stop her, stupid Yellow Dragon?!".

"remembered me, at that time she even savagely beating trees down with her bare fist", Jae Ha chuckled before looked at Zeno "by the way, how did you stopped her at that time?".

"sorry, kids. But the little miss had eaten that cough drops when Zeno catch her up and it's too late for Zeno. And for your question, Ryokuryuu, the one who stopped the little miss wasn't me but the mister who still fall asleep inside".

Kija sighed "luckily we needn't Hak's help to stop her this time, but it's clear her rage just now had agitated the princess's wound".

Yun scratched his head "geez, should i give her the draught sleeping to make her sleep till she recovered so she needn't agitate her wounds again?".

"good suggestion you're bringing up, genius pretty boy, but first... looks like we must go inside quickly", Yua looked up to the sky, she felt the snow fallen harder and the breeze felt become more strong than before, she looked up to all of her guest "well then, i guess we have no choice but let all of you stay here for tonight, except all of you want get caught in the middle of snow storm of your halfway to going home".

Not like the others who looked like they wanted to protest to Yua, Zeno agreed with the doctor who seems have very well knowledge of weathers from this area "don't worry, Zeno can keep his eye on mister and the little miss when everyone fall asleep if you guys worry?!".

"looks like we can rely on you about that, ancient grandpa".

"enough already about my age, Ryokuryuu".

"just till the weather become better for them to going home, because i don't want to get more patients of avalanche accident", Yua pointed to Soo Won and the others before suggested to brought Yona inside the clinic. When Jae Ha wanted to carrying Yona inside, Mundok carried Yona first because Yua asked him to lay Yona down inside the empty room beside Hak's room.

Kija concerned over something, as if he knew something bad would happen "but doctor, if we did that...".

Stern doctor threw her death glare "just do it...".

And all audience gave their obedience immediately "yes, ma'am...".

After Mundok lay Yona at single empty bed on empty room beside Hak's room, Yuria treated Yona's wound and rewrapped her bandage. Mundok covered her with blanket before looked at Yua with that questioned glare.

"since when did you came here, Elder?".

It was just their feeling or not, didn't know why, they felt Yua's aura sharpen than before after Mundok or rather Soo Won and the other must stay at her home. Mundok told her that he got the news about Yona and Hak from someone who had suggested her companion to bring them here. Know well actually who had brought their news to Mundok, Yua explained her diagnosis about both Yona's and Hak's state again to Mundok who sat beside Yona. Tae Woo sat beside Lily who helped Yun and Yuria to taken care Yona while Soo Won and his companions waited outside Yona's room because the Four Dragon stood guard in front of Yona's and Hak's room.

Yua looked at Yona before she threw her glance at Hak's room and sighed "looks like tonight would become the long night...".

"sorry, that i loved you".

That confession came from him, the one i wanted before, the one i loved before, the one who had killed my father, the one who had betrayed us.

Me and Hak.

Why...

That words i wanted to heard from you before, must i heard at that time? If what you told me was true, that you really loved me, then why did you kill my father?

That words i wanted to heard from you before, just became gigantic thorn and chain that struck in my heart

Your confession just became curse that haunted me, remembered me how disobedient me as my father's child. Even if you had killed my father and betrayed us, how can i still loved you, kept that hairpin and wanted to believe you?

Without i knew, all of that just made me hurt him...

Without i knew, it had made Hak hurt, that's why Hak always made the distance between us...

Without i knew what he felt for me all along this time...

"sorry... that i love you...".

Hak, you told me with smile on your face as if you didn't feel the pain at all.

Actually, since how long? Why did you never tell me about what you felt about me? Just if you told me, i could be together with you.

But you weren't here.

Even if i kept walked to search you in the middle of this darkness, i can't find you.

Where were you go?

Since that time, even if your body right beside us, i felt as if your soul weren't here anymore.

Since you screamed my title, you pushed me far away to protected me from that avalanche, you must be gravely injured and you...

Because of me, you always...

I wonder if i were able to see you again?

Just when Yua ended her explanation, Yona stirred, she clutched her side where her rib-cage broken and hyperventilating. Even if she blearily opened her eyes, she didn't recognize shouted from her friends that struggled to make her awake from her nightmare till she stared someone's face in front of hers, she finally realized from her nightmare when her lavender eyes meet Lily's deep blue eyes and Lily's bang above her forehead.

The same color of Hak's eyes and hair.

Lily clapped her cheek "...na!? ...Yona!?".

"Lily...", Yona gasped, looking her surroundings for seek something after push her exhausted body up to sit position "where's my weapon?".

Lily held Yona down so Yona couldn't leave her bed "wait, what do you want?".

"we don't know when they would chased us again, Lily!? Hak had gravely injured because of he...", Yona leaned her forehead to Lily's chest "can't breathe...".

"there, there, calm down and breathe slowly... needn't to be afraid, no one would hurt you here, you needn't your weapon because we won't let something happened to you and your friends, Tae Woo and Elder Mundok won't let something happened to Hak and i won't let something happened to you, too", Lily buried Yona's face to her chest and caressed her back softly before she turned her head to others with her sweetest smile "let me take this... leave us behind for a while this time, please".

Jae Ha nodded and asked his companion to waiting outside the room "well then, we leave her to your care, Lily Dear...".

When everyone had leave only Lily and Yona inside this room, Lily had suspected her state of depression caused by her sense of insecurities that became higher because what had happened to Hak and her, when just both of them that must faced the army from two different tribe who chased them out here. So when hyperventilating subsided and Yona caught her breath again, Lily tried to cleared Yona's insecurity even if just a little.

Lily grabbed Yona's shoulder "you shouldn't bottled up your feeling, pushed everything aside and close your heart like this, right? You make us worry about you...".

"because if i don't... i felt as if i can't move... i even can't breathe, when i remembered what had happened that day, when we fought the soldiers and the avalanche occured, Hak pushed me away to protected me, he sacrificied his own safety, he gravely injured again and now he...", Yona grabbed Lily's forehand and digged her knuckles to Lily's sleeve, leaned her face to Lily's chest and started crying "what should i do, Lily? will he leave me like my father did? if he can't make it... then i don't want to live...".

"ssh... what are you talking about?", Lily smiled sadly and hugged her carefully to not hurt her broken ribcage "you're just tired... calm down, don't you remember after you two fallen from that cliff? he had promised you to not die and same as that time, he will come back to you...".

"i know there's a limit to what we can do but is it really nothing i can do, Lily? just can waiting and see him laying in his bed without i know he would open his eyes again or not...", Yona gasped, sobbing stop her words and she just can lean her face to Lily "Father, please... i beg you, please... let him back to me, but if you couldn't... let me come to your place to meet you with him...".

Lily hussed, patted her back and smiled wryly "its' because you're too exhausted, that's why you ovethinking and what you need now rest. I'll watch you, go to sleep and don't thinking something incredulous like Hak would leave you or you'll run after him if he can't make it again... if it's not you who believe him, then who?".

.

After Yona fell asleep and she lay her down to her bed, when Lily covered her with blanket, Jae Ha came inside the room because he heard Yona's sobbed already subsided. With sad smile and huffed in relieved, Jae Ha looked down at Yona's sleeping form and take a seat beside Lily "come to him, Dear... he needs you by his side, comfort him like you did to Yona Dear... i'll kept my eye for her tonight...".

Lily realized who the one that Jae Ha meant, so she rises from her seat after thanked Jae Ha.

Only after Lily leave the room, Jae Ha's smile dropped to sullen face when he saw Yona's tears fallen in the middle of her dream "are you satisfied now, stupid beast? You had made her really madly in love with you already, so we won't forgive you if you leave us so easily like this, you moron".

"let her fall to you if she couldn't stand whenever i couldn't by her side anymore".

Jae Ha sighed when remembered Hak's favor to him, he leaned his back of head on the wall "if you thought i can do that, you're wrong, Hak... i'm not the type of man who can make a woman fall to me so easily if i know, her heart only belong to other man and i'm not the type of man who steal a woman away if she always belong to other man, moreover if that man was someone i really cared for, stupid little brother...".

She didn't know what gotten into her, suddenly figure of the young General from Wind Tribe popped in her mind. After asked Jae Ha where Tae Woo actually was, she ran out to Tae Woo's room that had led by Yuria. One of empty room from this building. Several thoughts running her minds when she stepped her foot inside the hallway of this buildings to seek him.

Since when the last time she talked to him? She focused only to Yona, that made her forgot about him.

How about his feeling when he heard and saw of Hak's state? After all, he is Hak's family, too.

When Lily worried about Tae Woo's whereabout and his feeling, Lily found him who take a seat inside his room, leaned his knuckles to his chin while he leaned his back to pillar of his room "...Tae Woo".

After she rushed to him and took a seat beside him, she saw him turned his head after she called his name, only to found him cried in silent, tears fallen from that blue eyes streaming his cheek.

"as his family, i should protecting him, of course i won't let something happened but after saw his contition...", Tae Woo looked down, avoiding to saw Lily's eyes "...i don't know what i feeling after see his condition, so if you asked me...".

"i won't ask anything of you right now...", Lily shook her head and stretched her hand "but you can hide your face to my shoulder".

Tae Woo snickered while covered both of his eye with his palms "it's the opposite, you know? It's supposed to be the man that lend his shoulder".

"i know, but I think there are times when even a man needn't hold back his tears...", Lily cupped his wet cheek, smiled bittersweetly.

Tae Woo caressed her porcelain hand "is it really okay if I...".

"just lean your head to my shoulder...", Lily nodded, grabbed his forearm and lean her face to his chest "...and let me hug you, this time".

When Lily started cry at his chest, the silent one, Tae Woo wrapped one of his hand around her petite shoulder and leaned his face to her shoulder after his free hand wrapped itself around her waist, hugged her tightly and cried in silence, too.

It hurts.

It always felt hurts when you saw someone who you loved and cared for injured. That injury hurts them too.

Not only Yona who afraid.

Tae Woo was afraid of lost Hak.

Lily was afraid of lost Yona too, if Hak never opened his eyes again.

In the end, when Lily hugged him and digged her finger at his back, she cried loud as if her tears wouldn't stop, as if she cried for him too, Tae Woo kissed her eyelids before leaned his chin on top of her forehead, ignored his tears that fallen to her cheek.

Lily accepted that.

Let this time be theirs.

When they who must became shelter of someone precious for them, became their shelter each other.

.