Chapter 14 – The Forest
Yochinn landed heavily and carried Ajein over to Melay, who tended to her right away, having unpacked most of her medical supplies.
"She is badly burnt on the inside," Melay said to Yochinn hurriedly. When he didn't reply Melay continued,
"I'll try my best but….." she stopped. The sound of an alarm went off and guards were running up the opposite side of the hill towards them. Yochinn turned when he heard it and stood ready. Narim ran over to stand next to him but the guards had already appeared on the top of the hill. They all sent red flaming fireball in his direction as Yochinn moved swiftly as if possessed by emotion. He jumped to the right and raised his left hand. He did it again but the exact opposite, now jumping to the left. Then without warning he performed a series of punched, stomps and hand gestures. The ground underneath the guards groaned and cracked open. The guards fell screaming down the hole and Yochinn sealed the gap back up. He did not look at all fazed by the event that had just happened, and as he turned around to face Melay again she saw that his face was blank. Yochinn broke the large area of earth underneath them without saying a word and moved the entire camp towards the forest.
As they raced towards the gloomy, stained forest Melay began to heal Ajein with water, working on her chest, stomach, back and arms. When they finally arrived at the edge of the beckoning forest Yochinn picked up Ajein and walked carelessly inside. He walked with his companions behind him until he reached a clearing boarded with thick vines. He laid Ajein down on a bed of blue lilies in the centre off the clearing and kneeled down beside her, as birds started to chirp softly at the intruders.
Yochinn sat watching her, time passed very slowly. Seconds seemed like minutes and minutes felt like hours. All the time he kept his eyes fixed on hers.
"Please don't leave me," he whispered in his mind. "Please don't leave me." Deathly silence echoed inside his mind, the thought of life without her inside was all he could think of, and the words "please dont leave me" were all he said to himself. He struggled against his best efforts not to cry. He held back the streams of tears that carried with him his emotions, his anger and sadness. His breath became shallow and he lent down to her ear to whisper the words of how he felt, of how he loved her.
"Please don't leave me, I can't live without you. I know it's only been a few days, but I feel like I've known you my entire life. I love you so much Ajein, more than I can ever tell you, and more than you will ever know." Ajein's eyes slowly flickered open to Yochinn stroking his fingers through her hair. She smiled weakly at him and tried to speak, but all she could manage was a groan.
"Shh," Yochinn said.
"Don't speak, you have to save your energy," Ajein started to cry when he said this.
"your going to be ok," Yochinn calmed her, although deep inside him he feared the worst. Yochinn leaned over and kissed her lips.
"I love you," Ajein whispered, her eyes bloodshot with tears.
"I love you too," Yochinn replied and kissed her again. Ajein turned over and smiled weakly at Narim and Melay who were also crying. She picked a single blue lily that lay next to her, when she saw were she was, and held it with both hands over her chest. She looked back at Yochinn. Their eyes were solemn and she wept openly. Her eyes fluttered close as she took a deep breath in raising her chest. She held her position for a moment and fixed her face into that of a brave, proud and graceful woman. Her chest fell softly and when it did not rise again a single tear ran down Yochinn's cheek and fell onto the lily that she held. He kissed her forehead for the last time and walked off into the forest breathing shallowly. Melay went to follow him but Narim held her back and shook his head glumly not saying a word. Melay turned to him and cried on his shoulder, when they heard a cry of agony from the direction in which Yochinn had gone, the birds fell silent even the breeze ceased to exist.