Walking back down the mountain was much easier than climbing up it however as I walked at the back of the group my eyes rested on Kija, seeing that he was swaying slightly as he walked which wasn't normal for him. His steps seemed slovenly and unrefined as if he was having trouble focusing on where he was going.
"Kija, do you know where the next dragon is?" Yoon asked, turning back to look at Kija but stopped when he saw the rather strained face and redness to Kija's eyes.
"Right, the next dragon is…" The moment he trailed off I was darting forwards as quick as a snake, sliding over the ground easily and caught Kija as he fell forwards before anyone else had even thought to react. I held him to me as I sunk to the ground, taking the weight off his feet and supported his upper body against mine with his head resting against my shoulder.
"Kija! Well done for catching him Ryo." Yona said with worry as I touched Kija's brow gently, feeling his temperature.
"He's very warm but there's no sweat." I announced to Yoon who knelt down at Kija's side and felt his pulse.
"Let's get him down the mountain, the cold air won't do him any good." I nodded my head in agreement then looked to Hak who just stood there, looking back at me blankly so I narrowed my eyes sharply at him, making him sigh and roll his eyes.
"Fine, I'll carry White Snake." He submitted, leaning his glaive against the rocks then lifted Kija up over his shoulder, carrying him easily then picked up his weapon once more. I gave a nod to Yona to reassure her, placing one arm around her then drew her forwards after the others so that we didn't fall too far behind.
We left the mountains and found a sheltered spot among the trees where Hak lay Kija down, or rather disposed of him onto the ground rather carelessly so I punched his gut. "Be nicer Hak, Kija isn't well." I scolded him as he grunted from my hit and rubbed the affected area.
"Shouldn't you be nicer to me too?" He queried but I only stuck my tongue out at him as the four of us crouched at Kija's side, observing him for a while as he slept.
"Maybe it's exhaustion. He was digging for a while." Yoon suggested and Yona bowed her head, softly murmuring his name before Hak flicked out a white cloth over Kija's face, his expression blank and bored.
"Rest in peace." There was a pregnant pause until Kija suddenly bolted awake and yelled, flailing his arms angrily at Hak who had the good sense to leap back out of the way of the White Dragon's claw.
"I'm alive!"
"There, there, calm down Kija." Yona soothed, touching his shoulder gently so he sighed and lay back down, closing his eyes to rest.
"I'm sorry, my body feels so heavy. The location of the other dragons are fainter than ever." He murmured wearily to us and I smiled affectionately as I wrung out a cloth from the bowl of water I had retrieved and began to gently sponge down his face and neck, cooling him down and he looked up at me with a grateful smile.
"Don't push yourself too hard." Yona told him warmly.
"We have another guy who can sense where the other dragons are." Yoon reasoned and we all looked to the Blue Dragon who stood there silently, his squirrel, Ao, chewing hungrily on a clump of his silvery white pelt of fur.
"He's here?" Hak questioned in surprise, not having realised our newest friend was even in the clearing with us.
"He's been here for a while." Yoon answered as Yona leaned forwards slightly to address him.
"Blue Dragon, do you know where the other dragons are?" She asked him but the Blue Dragon only tilted his head to the side, his mouth parted slightly in what I assumed to be a look of confusion.
"He doesn't even seem to know what dragons are." Hak noted bluntly but Kija sat up with a clenched fist, a pained expression on his face as I drew back my cloth from his face to look at him blankly.
"How unfortunate." He said before rising to his feet and taking one of the Blue Dragon's hands in his own, smiling friendlily up at him as he spoke. "I understand, it's not your fault. No one has told you about them before. From now on I will teach you about the four dragons, you may call me brother." Kija invited and the Blue Dragon stared at him before turning tail and fled, Ao bounding at his side. "He's running away!"
"Maybe he didn't want to call you brother." Hak suggested unhelpfully so I clipped him on the back of his head as I walked past, following after the Blue Dragon and the others all came with me. We walked down a long path until we came to a small pool of water with a waterfall at the deeper end, the crystalline surface sparkling brightly under the sun. This is perfect, I could do with a wash and I can try and persuade the others to do the same.
"Blue Dragon?" Yona called gently as we approached, seeing him standing at the water's edge. He had taken off his sword and now discarded his white pelt also. The dragon then dove into the water, making Kija cry out in alarm as the Blue Dragon disappeared under the surface.
"Is he drowning himself?!"
"What are you going to do, White Snake?" Hak questioned dryly without enthusiasm. "He's trying to drown himself."
"It's my fault! Is it my fault?"
"Don't be daft Kija." I said to him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder then pointed to a shadow that was beginning to emerge from the water and the Blue Dragon's head suddenly emerged, taking a deep gulp of air as everyone looked at him. He climbed out of the water and stood before Kija before holding out a fish that wriggled and squirmed in his grasp.
"Is this…" To my surprise Kija reached out and held the fish, smiling to the Blue Dragon as he took it. "You want me to eat this and regain my strength? I appreciate it, but could you use words?" Blue Dragon suddenly crouched down and began to shiver, hugging his wet clothes to him as Kija yelped in panic.
"What are you going to do, brother White Snake? He's cold." Hak taunted meanly.
"It's my fault!" I shook my head at the two of them, they could be such children sometimes.
"Are you okay?" Yona asked as she crouched down before the Blue Dragon with worry as he continued to shiver. We should get him out of those wet clothes before he becomes ill too. With three of us not feeling our best we'd slow down the group heavily. Even as my head throbbed I pushed aside the lethargic feeling in my limbs to gently touch the Blue Dragon's shoulder as Yoon stood before him.
"I'm surprised you knew there was a river here." He said and in answer the Blue Dragon tapped the side of his mask next to his eyes. "Oh…those eyes can see across great distances. You caught that fish in an instant, your kinetic vision must be excellent too. Is it true that looking into your eyes will turn a person to stone?" The Blue Dragon shook his head in answer. "Really? Then why don't you take off that mask?" When the Blue Dragon looked away I rose to my feet beside him, placing a hand on my hips.
"Leave him be Yoon, perhaps it makes Blue Dragon feel less shy when he's wearing a mask, either way we shouldn't pester him. Let's gather some wood and make a fire before it gets too dark. We can cook that fish Blue Dragon caught for us." Yona nodded her head in agreement and she licked her lips at the thought of dinner.
Whilst she and Hak went to gather firewood and Yoon prepared dinner, I made the Blue Dragon take off his wet clothing where I wrung them out to get rid of as much water as possible then hung them up on a line I had put up between two trees.
As the hot pot was cooking I called Yona over and together we bathed in the river under the waterfall, washing ourselves clean before returning where I made Hak go and wash too because he smelled like sweat and dust. In truth all our clothes needed washing however we were quickly losing sunlight and they wouldn't dry in time for the night so I would have to either do it tomorrow or the next time we stopped.
When the food was ready I accepted my bowl and ate it rather speedily, enjoying the warmth and mixture of flavours until I had drained it all away. I had seconds then took everyone's dishes to clean them as it was my turn that night, going downstream and washed all the bowls and the cooking pot also before rising and carrying them back to the camp where the fire was beginning to die out.
Yoon was already fast asleep when I got back and so was Kija. Hak was resting his back against the tree with his head hung low and Yona was sleeping beside him with Yoon on her other side, making me smile affectionately to them all. On the other side of the campfire I saw the Blue Dragon curled up on his side, his mask slightly askew and I couldn't help but look down at his soft featured face with warmth. I hope he's happier now.
Silently I took off my outer robe and gently lay it over the Blue Dragon to cover him and keep him warm further in the night as he hadn't brought any supplies with him, meaning he didn't yet have a blanket of his own. He stirred slightly and his eyes blinked awake a little, meeting my own gaze before he quickly pressed them shut and tensed. "There's no need to be afraid, Blue Dragon." I whispered to him gently, resting my hand on his shoulder. "Your eyes are beautiful, they won't hurt anyone you care about." Lifting a hand I gently brushed my fingers against his cheek. "Now go back to sleep, I'll be keeping watch."
Rising up I then walked over to Hak, gently lifting his glaive off from his shoulder and lay it at his side, guiding him down so that he was laying more comfortably on the ground and I moved his blanket to more securely sit over him, smirking to myself slightly as his head almost touched Yona's. Once I was satisfied that he, Yona and Yoon were all comfortable I went over to Kija.
His temperature had come down but he was tossing and turning restlessly so I reached out and lay my hand on his head, hushing him quietly then began to run his silvery hair through my fingers, something that always calmed down Yona and it seemed to work for Kija too as he soon settled, going perfectly still and his expression softened into one more peaceful than before.
Exhaling softly I rose to my feet and sat down before the darkened fire, no longer glowing with flames or embers so I pulled my own blanket close around my shoulders as I listened to the night around me, swaying with the gentle harmonies of the crickets and rustle of leaves.
"Shin-Ah." My eyes opened at the sound of the Blue Dragon's soft whisper. "Yona…named me…Shin-Ah." He told me and I looked at him then up to the sky where the full moon sat gloriously above us, shining a soft radiance of silver around the camp and I smiled appreciatively at the light as I closed my eyes.
"Shin-Ah…it suits you." I said to him. "I'm glad to meet you Shin-Ah, my name is Ryo."
"Ryo." He repeated and that was the last I heard from him that night, listening to the sounds of several snores though I chuckled softly when I realised that it was actually Ao who snored the loudest. As the stars continued to twinkle up in the inky sky I watched over them all, rubbing my face occasionally as I felt my skin begin to burn. I'll need that medicine soon before it becomes too late, until then I shall just have to keep going with what strength I had.
In some ways I wished I could shield Yona from the harsh reality of the commoners who lived in the poorest villages, however in other ways I wanted her to see just how desperate people had become. I wanted her to see what life was truly like for people outside of Hiryuu palace and the only way to truly understand what it is like to live only with the knowledge of slowly dying was to witness it first-hand.
When Yona heard people speaking ill of her father I knew that it struck her hard, so when she excused herself from the group I gave her a few minutes before following after her and held her in my arms as she cried, rocking her gently until she was calm once more. I was glad I could be comforting to her, however to see her tears further broke my own heart which still had not healed from the wounds it had suffered that night. I had not had time to properly grieve, still holding everything within me and it made me think that perhaps that was why I wasn't feeling right inside.
Even when Yona broke down in the middle of her archery practice I was there for her, my instincts immediately telling me when she needed me most and she stuck to my side very closely, hiding her face away in the folds of my robe as my sleeves engulfed her.
It all passed soon though as we journeyed and I watched as with each passing day Yona grew in strength, able to withstand the murmurings of others more and more until eventually they hardly even scratched the surface of her skin.
As we followed Kija's direction to the Green Dragon we found ourselves at a port city in the Earth Tribe's territory where my eyes instantly widened as I saw the wideness of the sea. I had never seen it before and I couldn't believe how vast it was, spreading all the way back to the horizon and beyond. "Hak! Is that the ocean?" Yona questioned with a similar expression on her face as I wore on my own. It was so beautiful. In a way it reminded me further of Shin-Ah. "It's so beautiful, I've never seen it before!"
"It's the Earth Clan's Awa port." Hak informed us all as we continued to stare out over the city and the glittering ocean. "I never thought I'd be back here." I glanced his way and smiled with a chuckle, reaching back to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear as the wind whisked it away from the knot I had twisted it into.
"Thunder Beast, you've been here before?" Yoon asked and Hak gave a carefree shrug of his shoulders.
"Long ago. The old man brought me here." Mundok. I remember, I had been very upset that he hadn't taken me with him too.
"Kija, is the Green Dragon here?" Yona asked but I looked at Kija to see he was slightly green in the face.
"Well, he seems to be moving around at a dizzying speed." He groaned before falling to the ground, his head spinning slightly as Yona yelped in concern as Yoon just looked down at him blankly.
"I guess the dragon's powers aren't unlimited. After a certain point they lose a lot of strength." He noted before frowning slightly in thought. "I'd like to look for the Green Dragon but we're exhausted from our long journey. We should get some food too."
"Let's go to the port city!" Yona cheered excitedly with both Kija and Shin-Ah looking hopefully as well until Yoon cut down their anticipation rather brusquely.
"We're not going! We can't take you guys down there! Especially not the one in the mask!" Shin-Ah deflated and hung his head, Kija gently patting him on the back as I sent Yoon a look. You couldn't have put it a little more gently, could you?
"I'll go then, I remember how to get around the city." He said and Yona stepped forwards.
"Hak, I want to go to." She told him, looking up with imploring eyes until Hak turned to face her fully.
"Princess, you've grown uglier lately." He stated flatly and Yona gave an indignant yelp as Kija yelled at Hak angrily.
"How dare you?! The princess is b…beautiful…" He blushed deeply and I arched an eyebrow curiously but chose to say nothing as Yoon scowled and rolled his eyes with his arms folded across his chest.
"What a pain."
"You have dark shadows under your eyes, your hands are covered in cuts. You're pushing yourself too hard." Hak continued, ignoring Kija and Yoon as he patted Yona on the head. "You should get some rest."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She muttered at him with a slight pout of her lips so I drew her to me and nuzzled her face until she giggled, smiling to her before I drew back.
"Don't worry princess, I'll make sure Hak doesn't get into any trouble." I said to her as I walked over to Hak's side. "We'll be back soon."
"You should all hide." Hak advised but then stopped, looking down to his glaive before tossing it to Yoon. "Oh, this thing will draw attention so I'll leave it here." Yoon caught it but then fell to the ground under its weight, grunting as he hit the dirt.
"It's so heavy!"
"And White Snake…" Hak began but Kija was already standing behind Yona, dragging Shin-Ah closer as well with a fiercely determined look.
"You don't have to tell us!" Kija snapped and Hak gave a grunt before turning and began to walk away with me.
"Hak!" We both stopped and looked to Yona who had grabbed onto the back of Hak's clothes, holding onto him and I saw a touch of red rise to his cheeks as he stared down at the princess, her glittering eyes looking directly up at him. "Come back soon and take care of Ryo." She told him firmly and he blinked before nodding his head then turned away, me glancing after him before I winked to Yona and followed.
"Don't think I didn't see that blush." I noted to him and he scowled darkly at me as I chuckled but it quickly turned into a cough, my lungs wheezing slightly as I hacked then groaned. "The sooner I get that medicine the better."
"You shouldn't be travelling the way you are." Hak said to me with a sigh as we head into Awa. "Maybe I should have sent you back to Fuuga a long time ago."
"I would have just come straight back, you know that." I returned easily as I rubbed my head. "It's nothing, just a cough."
"A cough that's been hanging around for weeks now. When are you going to tell me what's really the matter?" Hak asked and I stopped, exhaling as I lowered my head and lifted a hand to my chest as I felt my heart beating infrequently, the rhythm scattered and unnatural.
"When I fell from that cliff, I landed in the river and was trapped there for far too long." I said, slowly beginning to walk again. "I must have picked up something bad from the water and it's been attacking my health constantly, I feel much weaker than I used to but I can't afford to show it to Yona. She'll only worry. I've been hiding it from her for her own sake as well as the others, I don't want them to fuss."
"Ryo, you're so dumb." Hak said to me bluntly so I smacked his chest with a glare.
"And you're no smarter, idiot." I retorted, making him crack a small grin as we entered the city. "You start looking for supplies whilst I look for the doctor. I'll get some medicine and herbs for Yoon whilst I'm there then meet you back at the main gate in an hour, okay?"
"Alright, just be careful." Hak told me, glancing down to make sure I was armed before he reached out and rested his hand on my head. His eyes fixed on mine and I relaxed into them, giving a small exhale as I reached up my hand and lifted his from my head and flicked it away playfully.
"Stop condescending me, I can take care of myself." I told him as I turned around elegantly, my robes flaring outward. "You're the one who always finds trouble, so you be careful." I heard him chuckle behind me as I head into town and found my way to the doctor.
I listed off my symptoms and glazed over the circumstances I was in inconspicuously before paying for my medicine which was a little pricier than I expected so I haggled the best I could before eventually getting a more decent price. It was a foul smelling concoction however I could detect several of the herbs used and was glad to find that as I drank it the first sip, I felt instantly a little better, a soothing sensation washing over me.
With the rest of the money I bought some uncommon but highly useful herbs for Yoon and some food for our dinner tonight, hoping Hak remembered he was supposed to be gathering supplies as well. I stopped in the market and bought a warm looking blanket, a hair comb, several selections of thread to fix the tears in our clothes as well as finding some paints and a paintbrush.
The slim box had stood open among several others however this one had all the colours needed to create even the most intricate of masterpieces of the simplest of paintings. It was light and I could carry it easily if I made myself a proper travel bag and it even came with several sized paintbrushes. I didn't want to waste the money meant for the entire group so I used my own coin that I had picked up along the way during our journey. Sometimes having grown up on the streets has its uses, for example being able to pickpocket anyone without their noticing though I restricted myself to only the wealthy looking people so that it didn't matter if they lost a few coins.
I bought the paints and brushes, smiling as I held it close to my chest then turned, heading back to the gate where I waited for Hak. He was late. I began to frown in concern, straining my neck to look for him but I still couldn't see him anywhere. What was he up to? Please tell me he didn't get into some kind of trouble.
My eyes scanned the faces of the people and I slowly began to realise how empty they seemed. Their smiles were rather forced and they constantly looked around them as if in fear, most often looking towards some officials that stood in groups, never alone and I noticed how they seemed to leer at passing women who would always bow their heads and hurry past them.
After a moment I realised that some officials were now looking at me, their eyes wandering up and down my body so I narrowed my eyes, glaring at them darkly and they seemed surprised by my fearlessness, however they mistakenly took it as a challenge and began to approach. "A young lady such as yourself shouldn't be walking around here alone, all kinds of scoundrels walk around here waiting to prey on innocent young maids such as yourself." The first said in a rumbling voice, reaching out and his fingers leisurely brushed over my cheek to then coil in the loose strands of my hair.
"Perhaps you should come with us, we'll make sure no harm comes to you." The second suggested as the third smirked.
"Wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong idea about you, do we?" They all gathered close and out of the corner of my eye I saw those around us begin to back away, none lifting their eyes to make eye contact with the officials as their hands began to touch my shoulders, face and hair, one of them even making a tug at my robe as I stood silently, remaining as still as a statue as I took deep breaths. "How about you join us for a drink? You must be new to this town because I am very certain I haven't seen you before."
Still saying nothing I turned around so that my back faced them and began to walk away, lifting my head high as the three of them blinked in shock before quickly growing angry. "Hey, how dare you walk away from us?! Get back here! We're Awa officials you know!" As they stormed after me I quickened my pace, slipping easily in and out of the thick throng of people with my slight stature, weaving into the thickest patches of people until finally I could duck my head and slip down an alley, melting out of sight and watched as the officials shoved their way past, trying to locate me and I smirked as they went straight past and disappeared down the street.
They obviously enjoy abusing their power as officials. Men like them deserve to be locked up and their pride taken away from them. With a shake of my head I went around the back of the main street, slipping off my outer robe and quickly concealed all my weapons save my fans in the bags I carried as well as the garment, sliding my hood up over my face to hide my eyes and features save the lower half of my face, taking a deep breath before stepping back out into the open.
It was getting dark now but thankfully Hak was now waiting at the gate, looking out over the people desperately so I grasped his sleeve and dragged him out of the city, making him start but he quickly relaxed when he registered my familiar presence. "Why were you so late? What happened?" He demanded to know so I punched his arm painfully.
"Me late? You're the one who wasn't on time! I've been standing there for ages waiting for you but then some idiot officials tried to pick me up as if I were some kind of courtesan, disgusting people." I muttered darkly with a shake of my head, not lowering my hood until we were far away from the city. "I had to lose them then I circled back. What about you? I thought I told you to stay out of trouble." I commented before picking up his hand to inspect the slightly bruised knuckles he now sported.
"I ran into some officials too. They were harassing a woman." He then explained to me everything that happened, including the mysterious stranger who had helped rescue the woman before disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye. "So I had to walk the woman back home, which was why I was late. We had to stay out of sight of the officials so that I wouldn't get caught again."
"Stupid Hak." I exhaled with a shake of my head. "At least you're alright, but you didn't buy anything from the market? Yoon is not going to be happy about this." I was right, of course, however Yoon was slightly less annoyed when I showed him the things I had bought.
"At least someone has some semblance of sense." He had muttered before starting on the dinner. I lay out all my purchases then gathered the blanket, turning to Shin-Ah and held it out to him with a smile.
"Here Shin-Ah, this is for you." I told him happily as Ao scampered up my clothes and nuzzled into my cheek, making me giggle at the tickling sensation before she ran down my arm and stood on my hand as I held out the blanket to Shin-Ah who stared at it for a moment before taking it. "To keep you warm at night when we're in colder climates." I explained before turning and seeing Yona was already nosing through my things. "Princess!"
"What is this?" She asked, lifting up the box and opened it only to gasp in amazement, her eyes sparkling. "Paints! What are these for Ryo? Are you going to start painting again?"
"Not as such." I exhaled tiredly as I knelt down on the ground and took the paints from her, carefully closing the lid before I drew out a fan and slid it open carefully, looking at the chipped and faded paint of my beautiful cherry blossoms of violet and blue. "I just wanted to repaint these, though if I had some material then I probably would start painting again. I'd like to do some ink drawings too but the ink I need is expensive and so is the parchment, let alone the quill."
"We'll save the money for you!" Yona said brightly and I smiled to her affectionately as I put my fan away. "What about the thread? Are these for our clothes?" I nodded my head then asked her to hand over her cloak which she did and I instantly set to work fixing the frayed ties and fixed the hem around them so that they stopped pulling apart.
After that I worked on Kija's fine robe, sewing it back together in the various places it had torn until it looked practically new, laying it down beside me to take it to wash later as I then started on Hak's clothes. Once I was certain they were all patched up I took them down to the water and carefully scrubbed them clean of all the dust and dirt though I wished I had some spare soap to clean them properly.
Ao suddenly scampered up my back and chirped on my shoulder, watching me as I worked curiously and I chuckled. "Hello Ao, are you hungry?" I asked and reached out for a plant that grew at the water's bank, plucking off a leaf to hand it to her. "These are very nutritious but also tasty, they have a slight sourness but they're also sweet, it's an interesting flavour." I explained, smiling to the fluffy squirrel before continuing to wash the clothes that Yoon and the others had all given me.
I was working on his shawl at the moment, ensuring that all the dust was erased before moving onto my own garment. I worked at the cuffs, collar and hem where the dirt had stained it most but stopped when I realised there was a little blood on the inside of the robe which I quickly began to scrub at. "Ryo." Shin-Ah's soft voice spoke and I turned to lift my head, finding him standing right beside me.
"Shin-Ah." I greeted, smiling softly up at him before continuing to work. "Do you want me to wash your clothes too? I don't mind if you do."
"Thank you." I said to me and I stopped, looking down into the water before I relaxed into my gentle smile.
"There's no need to thank me Shin-Ah, I haven't done anything." Shin-Ah stepped closer slowly then slowly sank to the ground, resting his feet as he knelt beside me and reached out to touch the water, running his hands over the smooth surface without breaking through the layer, watching as the moonlight rippled upon its surface. "That mask belonged to the previous Blue Dragon, didn't it?" I asked finally as I turned back to my washing.
Shin-Ah made a slight movement of surprise before his head lowered and he nodded. "His name was Ao, wasn't it?" Now he looked at me and I could tell he was surprised at my accuracy so I shrugged. "It stood to reason, seeing as you named your little friend here Ao but never named yourself, I theorised the name must have been important to you."
"Ao was…strict." Shin-Ah began slowly, his words slow and carefully thought out. "But he was…the only one who…was not afraid." As I glanced across to Shin-Ah I saw a silvery trickle running down his face so I lifted my garment out of the water and set it aside, quickly drying my hands before reaching out and laying my hand over his comfortingly.
"He'd be proud of you, I think." I said to Shin-Ah as I shifted around to face him squarely. "It must have taken a lot of courage to leave the place you had known for most of your life to go off with strangers just because the blood inside you told you it was right. You've lived your entire life thinking you were cursed when in truth, you were just misunderstood." Reaching out with my other hand I gently brushed away the tears I saw below the mask, smiling to him still. "How could they not see your kindness? You saved Yona and me from being trapped, we know you're not what they say you are. In some ways, I'm more of a monster than you are. I've killed people too, you know and their blood still haunts me sometimes, but that doesn't mean I'm any less human."
"You've…killed?"
"Yes." I nodded my head, turning my head away sadly and closed my eyes against the glare of the moonlight. "I had to, to protect Yona. Even before we ran from the palace I had killed people who had threatened her though she never knew. Sometimes I would lay awake at night and just stare at my hands, seeing them stained red with the blood of others. Just imagining their faces now…sometimes I feel as if I am nothing more than a beast because…I never felt remorse." I gave a slight shudder. "So you shouldn't be afraid of what it is you can do, Shin-Ah. If you truly do not want to hurt someone then you won't, I believe you have control over that power, just don't let it control you."
"Ryo…" He murmured, finally turning his head to look at me. I saw a flicker of a smile as he opened his hand and turned it over in my grasp to gently hook onto my fingers. I could see what Yona meant, his hand was so warm and comforting. "You're…no monster. You're…" He looked around him then pointed up to the stars and moon, gesturing to the sky and I frowned slightly. "You're…like…them."
"Are you trying to describe the stars?" I asked and he nodded his head.
"I…don't know the word but…Kija said it…earlier today. About Yona." I frowned in thought slightly, thinking back before I blinked.
"Beautiful?" I offered and Shin-Ah looked up to the moon thoughtfully.
"Is it…a good word?" I smiled to him as he let go of my hand and I returned to my washing, gently scrubbing at the fabric as Shin-Ah gazed upwards.
"Yes. It is a way of describing someone or something that is pleasant to look at. Just like the moon. The moon is beautiful and so are the stars." I explained to him quietly as I wrung out my robe, squeezing the excess water from the folds before laying it carefully at my side with the others. "Are you trying to say I'm beautiful too?" He nodded his head once.
"You are…kind. Almost…like a mother." I chuckled at that, seeing how in some ways it was true.
"I care about the people I am with. I want them all to be safe and happy." Leaning back on my hands I tilted my head up to the moon as its silky light bathed my skin in an alabaster glow. "I call Yoon and Yona my little brother and sister and Hak is like my big brother. Kija is sweet and gentlemanly so I grow concerned for him whenever he isn't feeling well and I'm very fond of him. Although you're new to our group, Shin-Ah, I care for you too." Shin-Ah looked at me quickly, staring blankly as I smiled. "We're all family here. I know that Kija asked you to call him brother but I was hoping that you might think of me as a sister."
"Sister?" He repeated questioningly so I furrowed my eyes slightly at him, peering closer.
"You do know what a sister is, don't you?" He nodded his head so I relaxed, turning my face to the water's surface. "If there's anything you need or want to ask, Shin-Ah, I'll be here. You don't need to hide when you're around us, we like you just the way you are." As I gathered the washing up into my arms I paused to place my hand on his shoulder, giving a soft squeeze as Ao scampered down my arm and nestled against Shin-Ah who continued to look across the water.
I left him to think to himself, walking over to the fire and hung the washing in the trees on the line that Hak had already put up for me, spreading them all out so that they could dry in the heat of the flames before I settled down and brought out my paints, using a cup of water to wash my brushes as I mixed the colours I wanted and carefully began to repaint my fans.
Yona came to sit next to me so that she could watch me work, smiling as each flower gradually came to life, some of the petals dancing across the panels as her head rested against my shoulder. "I miss your artwork, it's a shame we left all of it behind us back at the palace." She murmured to me. "I always used to enjoy sitting for a portrait, though you always took forever."
"Beautiful artwork cannot be rushed, princess." I told her studiously as I painted a delicate violet blossom.
"I have always wondered why you paint them blue and purple. Is there any specific reason why you don't paint them white and pink like normal cherry blossom?" She asked me and I paused slightly, looking down at the branches I had painted with their tiny, intricate flowers.
"Well, because it makes it unique." I responded after a moment, smiling softly down as I continued. "I know that you don't get blue or violet cherry blossom but that's what I like about painting. You don't have to follow what your eyes see, you can let your imagination take control and create something completely individual."
"I see. I think they look pretty. I should like to one day see blue blossoms." Yona smiled with a chuckle before going back to watching me in silence until dinner was ready. I painted after dinner for a while, finishing one of my fans and decided to leave the other for tomorrow, settling down into the ground after fixing Kija his hammock so that he could sleep away from the bugs on the ground.
The fire crackled and pulsed warmly against my face, making me smile as my dreams were filled with an orchard of blossom trees back at Hiryuu castle and as I walked the petals changed colour until I walked in a sea of orange, red, purple, blue, green and even gold. The petals swarmed around me as I danced, my fans guided and moving with a serene grace as a beautiful melody played distantly, filling my world with a peaceful tranquillity that I clung to tightly until the dawn broke and I was awoken, stirring on the ground where my arm ached from having lain on it for too long.