Well, here's Chapter 2! The pace might seem a little slow, but I have a number of elements to weave into the story so do bear with me. Enjoy :)

Disclaimer - I DO NOT OWN AKATSUKI NO YONA. All I own is this story.

In Their Minds

The afternoon crowd in the nearby village was full of vigor: an array of markets boasting fruitful goods from fruits, slabs of meat, fish and sacks of exotic herbs to lavish silk, foreign trinkets and the like. Heated bargains rang in the air while children laughed, chasing stray cats in a game of tag.

Yona marvelled at the sight, her eyes twinkling as she skirted through the villagers. Not that she found the forest intolerable, she found the hubbub to be a breath of fresh air, a distraction, especially during this perplexing time.

A little girl bumped into her and peeped up to meet Yona's warm gaze. The child somehow reminded her of her childhood days, her hair adorned with a simple butterfly-shaped hairpin. Bending down, Yona adjusted the hairpin back in place and smiled. The girl shyly bobbed her head and hurried after her friends. "How nice."

Seeing her nostalgic smile, Hak was glad yet a dull pang of sorrow reverberated in him. He reminisced about the carefree past, when a starry-eyed little red-haired girl threw tantrums and laughed without a worry in the world, just like that child. In spite of the swelling pride and thrill he felt to see her growth, it pained him to see her facade of courage and joy.

If only she could share her sadness with me. He gripped his blade riding on his shoulder, tensing at the empty look she had when she traded the hairpin as payment to Ogi. Though she didn't show it, he knew the parting with her last, gentle memory of Soo-Won scarred her heart. And in a month's time, it was her—

"—You're making a scary face, Hak~" Leaning into Hak's ear, Jae-Ha whispered. "Planning to get us arrested for offending the public with your face?"

"Shut up, Droopy Eyes," Hak attempted to elbow him in the ribs but to Jae-Ha's luck, Yona increased her pace, disappearing into the horde. Swiftly wading through, he encountered her at a dumpling stall, humming as she received the balls of sweet dango. She spotted him in the crowd and swivelled to make her way back.

"What the heck!"

The sticks of dango fell at her feet as a couple of thugs collided against her.

"Watch where you're going!" One of the men snarled, forcefully pulling back her hood to reveal her face. Taken aback, he snatched her wrist to pull her in for a closer inspection. "Hey, your hair—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Yona delivered a chop to the neck, knocking him out cold. She examined her fingers slathered with the dango sauce and frowned at the sweets rolling by her feet. "You bumped into me, scoundrel."

"You bitch!" The other two of the gang bolted towards her but stopped dead in their tracks, as the tapered tip of Hak's blade and Jae-Ha's daggers pointed at their throats menacingly. Carrying the unconscious fellow, the men hastily retreated.

"Yona, are you alright?" Sliding the blades back in his stitched pockets, Jae-Ha ambled next to her and whistled in amusement, overseeing the rogues fleeing. "Look at them go."

"Yeah," She replied, clamping her sticky fingers together. "It's a shame the dumplings have gone to waste, though."

On an impulse, Hak leaned in and licked her finger for a taste. Yona stood still, blinked once and proceeded to blink uncontrollably in a matter of seconds, her face emitting fumes. He flicked his tongue over his lips and paused, savouring the flavor. "That's sweet."

Snapping her mouth shut, she snatched her hand back and stomped away.

"Hak," Jae-Ha sighed and placed his hand on Hak's shoulder, shaking his head in dismay. "Now you'll get arrested for sexual harassment."

"Whatever," As he brushed off the remark, Hak questioned himself. He was aware of his urges which were barely contained when it came to her. Since his confession, however, he noticed Yona distancing herself even more from him. Years of pining for her left him immune to her reactions. But perhaps now that he had revealed his feelings, he harbored a foolish hope to receive her answer, be it good or bad.

Maybe it was better to have not said anything. His eyes lingered on the hooded figure pounding her feet away. Suddenly, Yona drew to a halt and seemed to silently scrutinize her surroundings. Hak stepped forward to her side to identify a grim look on her face. "Princess?"

"There's something wrong in this village."

"It seems like I have yet to master the art of making fire," Kija wheezed, his face flushed as beads of sweat rained down his neck. His usually perfect white hair was layered in soot and was sticking out in all the wrong places. Coughing, he searched the area with his watery eyes. "Where are Princess Yona, Hak and Jae-Ha?"

"They should be coming by now." Glancing up, Yoon wiped his hand across his brow and surveyed the horizon painted with orange hues. He grinned at the hunted wild boar on the ground with satisfaction. "Thanks to Zeno, we're having a feast tonight."

Zealous with anticipation, Zeno bounced up, his arms spread wide. Loud stomach gurgles synchronized with his cheerful chant as he pranced with Ao in circles.

"Pukkyuu!" The squirrel squealed in protest as her beady eyes swirled in dizziness.

Shin-Ah raised his hands in hesitation, a helpless effort to mollify Zeno's eagerness. He then pivoted his attention to the woods, searching. "…Yona. They're here."

Emerging from the green thickets, Yona and Jae-Ha arrived at the camp, unloading the sacks of goods. The soot-covered Hakuryuu rushed towards her help as he lifted the remaining packages with his hand.

"A white knight in shining armor to the rescue?" Jae-Ha, sniggering at Kija's gallant act, raised his brow in jest as he eyed the soot on his pale face. "Ah, a white knight covered in soot."

While green and white clashed together in a light brawl, Zeno skipped to Yona's side. "Little Miss, where's the Mister?"

"He stayed back to investigate a little," She pursed her lips but broke into a reassuring smile as Yoon's face darkened with concern. "It's just a feeling I had about the village."

There was something, indeed. At first, she was too preoccupied with the lively sight, but as she traversed the passageways of the village, it seemed more like a pretense. She caught several villagers conversing with their mouths strained into a smile yet eyes unmoving. But what bothered her the most was the absence of the impoverished. Of course, that was a good thing, but she had an uneasy inkling of the village.

And Hak…

"He'll be back soon," Zeno flashed his grin towards Yona. "Do not fret, Miss."

Startled, she felt her cheeks warm. She nodded and slapped her cheeks with her palms in shame. She was being too sensitive lately and seemed to have worried her friends.

As he was holding back Kija's enlarged dragon claw, Jae-Ha silently watched Yona with narrowed eyes and let them fall to the ground, an uncanny expression on his face.

"Jae-Ha?" Kija lowered his hand.

"That reminds me," Crossing his arms behind his head, Jae-Ha spun away to lift empty flasks stationed alongside their kitchenware and sprung onto the branch above. "I'll go fill up the water canteens, so where's the lake?"

"By the cherry blossom trees —they haven't bloomed yet, though."

"Be right back." With that, he sailed off in the cloudless sky, streaked with amber. The wind parted the soft wisps of his viridescent bangs, his ponytail flowing behind him. In the distance, he could see the village with dancing lights.

I'm the only one who still hasn't let go.

What an expression he made that night. Ever since the conversation he had with Hak, Jae-Ha couldn't erase how vacant his eyes were as he mused about Yona's hairpin. The man clearly needed saving which only the young girl could do. Yet here Jae-Ha was, held captive due to his own selfish feelings.

"What a joke." He let out a dry laugh and continued soaring through the air.