Walking along, Kija tried to sense the Ryokuryuu and fainted. Again.
"Hey Yoon, you have a journal, right? Can we start keeping a tally of how often one of us faints?" Ke Xin was only half serious.
"Oh come on Ke Xin, he's probably exhausted. He was digging so hard," Yona came to his rescue.
"To be fair, he didn't faint, seems more like he dropped dead. Rest in Peace White Snake." Hak quipped, dropping a cloth on Kija's face.
"I'M NOT DEAD YET!" Kija sat up, but started to feel woozy again and leaned back down. "I don't think I'll be able to sense where Ryokuryuu is right now," he concluded.
"Maybe Seiryuu can?" Ke Xin looked over at the tall, quiet man. He cocked his head to the side, showing a complete lack of understanding.
"Yeah… I don't think he even knows what we are talking about," Yoon commented. Kija took exception to that, sitting up with renewed energy.
"It isn't your fault! You were never instructed! But never to worry, I will teach you everything you need to know about the four dragons! We are brothers!" He was shining with enthusiasm. And Seiryuu ran away.
"Guess he isn't happy with his brother." Hak was good at playing the straight faced clown
They gave chase to Seiryuu, only to watch him jump head first into a lake with a waterfall.
"Oh man, he must really hate you if he is trying to kill himself," Hak just kept going.
"What? No I-" Kija was a blubbering idiot.
"Hey look, he's coming back," Yona pointed out.
And the Seiryuu emerged carrying a fish, which he presented to his brother.
"…to regain his strength?" Ke Xin asked, unsure herself. The Seiryuu nodded. Kija thanked him.
And then Seiryuu started shivering.
"That's what you get for jumping in fully clothed," Hak said.
"I'll start a fire, warm him up," Yoon said. "Ke Xin- "
"Firewood. on it." She went off, stopping by Yona, "There are some replacements in my bag. You should need one right?" Yona blushed a bit and nodded. As Ke Xin went off to collect wood, Yona went digging through Ke Xin's bag for a new rag.
"I'll be back in a bit." she said with a slight blush.
When Ke Xin came back, Yona was washing the used rag in the lake. Ke Xin got the fire going and Yoon started dinner. They set Seiryuu's clothes and Yona's rag to dry. Kija was resting and Hak was polishing his glaive. Ke Xin sat down and actually looked at the Seiryuu, neatly wound into a tasteful ball and covered by his fur. Perched on his head was the squirrel that lived in his fur. A squirrel that, until this moment, had gone completely unnoticed by Ke Xin.
"Don't move now Seiryuu, there's a squirrel on your head," Ke Xin said, laughing a bit at the ridiculous sight.
"Ke Xin, that's Ao. She's Seiryuu's friend," Yona answered.
"She's been around. Haven't you seen her?" Hak joined in.
"You're kidding, no she hasn't." Ke Xin replied, dismissively.
"We're not kidding." Yoon was joining in from behind the fire.
"Seriously though, how long as it been there?" Ke Xin looked around the group and then warily at the squirrel.
"Ke Xin, she's been there since we first met Seiryuu, and was present every time we met him," Kija held his head up a bit to answer.
"You're fucking with me aren't you?" She was glancing around the group.
"I assure you. Ao has been there since the beginning," Yona responded, trying not to smile. They were all laughing at her really, at least internally. It was a small and silly thing to most, but it was eating at Ke Xin. How could I have not noticed it?
Staring intently at the young man who hid his face, Ke Xin came to a disquieting conclusion. I did not notice the squirrel because I was too lost in my past. She let herself fall back, her face to the sky. She didn't like being lost in her own head so. Hak had been laughing at her, he was about to vocalize his taunts about being defeated by a squirrel when Ke Xin started singing.
And let me the cannikin clink, clink,
And let me the cannikin clink.
A soldier's a man, O, man's life's but a span,
Why, then, let a soldier drink.
It had been too long. She hadn't danced, or sung, or fucked. All that had allowed her to leave her past behind she left behind to obey her past. Didn't I deal with this already?
"What song is that?" Yona asked.
"The first I learned…a drinking song."
"Why did you sing it?" Hak asked.
"Popped into my head is all." I needed to.
"Pretty voice." Seiryuu said, quietly. Ke Xin smiled at him, softly.
Later that night, during supper, Seiryuu thanked Yona, by name. He was the first person to call her such since the passing of her father. She seemed to respond well to being called by name, at least, if she was uncomfortable with it she didn't let it show. While they were cleaning up supper, Yona asked for Yoon's advice for a name to give Seiryuu.
"He's silent. So that might fit him." Yoon suggested.
"Silent isn't a name, Yoon." Ke Xin had been quietly listening.
"Do you have a suggestion?" Yona asked.
"hmmm… sorry Highness, but I believe naming him is your burden. The name should come from you."
"She's right, you are the one that brought him out of his cage. He has some deep seeded psychological issues, but he opens up to you. He'd probably accept any name you give him. You don't have to think about it so hard." Yona looked down, unhappy with Yoon's answer. He decided to change the subject. "Speaking of, are you really a princess?"
Yoon and Yona went on to argue about who was more scared when the tunnel collapsed. Ke Xin laughed, calling them both cowards. Yoon apologized to Yona though, for scolding her after their meeting. He even asked to call her by name, as well. Yona just smiled and called him adorable. She then turned to Ke Xin.
"Would you like to call me by name as well, Ke Xin?" Yona asked. Ke Xin thought it over.
"If you would have me call you Yona, I'd gladly say it. However, I've grown fond of 'highness'," Ke Xin responded. In truth, calling her Yona would ultimately change the nature of the relationship. At least as far as Ke Xin saw.
"You may call me whatever comes naturally," Yona finalized, leaving. And I wish I knew what that truly was.
"Do you think she is unhappy at all? With us calling her Yona?" Yoon asked Ke Xin.
"Probably a mix, Yoon. On one hand, that we are close enough to call her 'Yona' probably means a lot to her. She most likely didn't have that many friends growing up." Yona had two, in fact. And the only one that routinely called her 'Yona' betrayed her. Ke Xin knew this. "But in other respects… it means that we don't see Princess Yona, daughter of King Il. It officially closes that chapter of her life."
"So you think we should call her 'Princess' or 'highness' as you do?"
"No. I think we should do what she says and call her the name that comes naturally. If we don't, then we make it harder for her to move on to the next chapter. It might be bittersweet, but at least it is honest," Ke Xin looked at where Yona walked off to.
"For someone who preached honesty, there is a lot that you hide," Yoon's voice was light, but his look was sharp.
"Just because I am incapable of following it doesn't make it bad advice." She retorted.
"One day you might actually need to tell us exactly where you came from."
"Kai. I should think the thick accent gave it away, or do I need to speak my native tongue more so no one can understand me?" Ke Xin was always good at shutting down topics that touched too close to home.
Yona came back after a bit, with Hak and the newly named Shin-Ah in toe.
The next morning, when Kija stirred, he was looking off in the distance.
"Kija, what's up? Are you feeling better?" Yona asked.
"Ryokuryuu. I sense him."
NOTES:
Hey! We have a name!
Ok, next chapter is already half done, it's the travel chapter! I'm going to go ahead and put this here, so you all will know.
TRIGGER WARNING FOR NEXT CHAPTER
-it is not shown or described, but they do deal with the topic of rape. I should have mentioned it last chapter but I didn't and I am sorry for that. This is a mature series not just so I can curse whenever I want, but because I want to deal with the actual issues that the shoujo manga can't.
The horizontal bar halfway down the page will signal the end of the topic, and I'll put a summary (trigger-free) in the notes to accomodate anyone who needs/wants it. The last thing I want is to cause anyone distress.