Thanks a bunch to everyone who's reviewed so far! I'm really rather pleased with this chapter so do take time to read and review it if you have the time to!

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Yunsung had been walking north-west for almost twenty miles when he reached a small village. As the guardsman and scout had told him, it looked quite empty. The sight of a village without any people was eerie to him- the wind blew the wooden doors of the houses, their hinges creaking. He stared into the windows to see things like rocking chairs, candle lamps, beds and books, dank and deserted, just sitting there to rot away.

As he walked through the once regularly trodden paths of the town, Yunsung picked up a spear. It's tip was covered in old blood. He threw it down again immediately, disgusted. He couldn't believe someone as fair as Talim could do this. The wrath became yet more visible- torn armor and clothes, broken farming equipment- yet curiously no dead bodies. Then, finally, he saw through a window a candle lamp which was lit.

He walked over to the door of the little house, and tapped it with his knuckle. "Hello? Is anyone in there?"

No answer. Understandable, Yunsung thought.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to ask you something." Yunsung called.

Again, no answer.

"I'm opening the door." Yunsung pushed it open and stepped inside. Then, the candle lamp went out, and darkness surrounded him.

"YEAAAAAAARGGHH!"

Yunsung caught a long pole of wood before it hit him and jerked it free from its holder, then promptly dropped it to duck another, only to reach up and tug it away as well.

"Stop!" he shouted, and withdrew White Storm from his belt. He could hear the villager's distinct intake of breath as they saw the weapon. "Nobody move!"

There was a silence, where he could only hear himself and the villagers panting. As his eyes adjusted, he could see the outline of what looked like three people.

"Now, everybody calm down!" Yunsung breathed; he was still calming down himself, "Tornado- she's been here, is that right?"

Silence.

"I said, is that right???" he repeated, his voice rising.

There was a murmur of assent.

"Right." He took a deep breath, "I need to know if you saw which direction-" he stopped himself. It was useless speaking in the dark. "Someone light that candle-lamp again. Reveal yourselves!"

He heard the sound of a struck match, and a flicker of flame, and the lamp was lit. The faces of the villagers came into view; two women and a man, both dressed in plain, shabby clothing and cowering before him, bunched together.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Yunsung repeated pacingly, "I just want to know where Tornado was headed."

They didn't speak, just looking at him fearfully.

"Please! Just tell me!" He said impatiently.

There was more silence, then, the smallest woman spoke in a whisper, "We don't know, sir. She came, had her fill, and left." she said bluntly, soullessly, "We hid until the battle was over...we didn't see anything...we could only hear..."

She trailed off, the soft echo of her voice fading away.

"...Right." Yunsung repeated. They had nothing to tell him, but he didn't feel right leaving them staring at him in fear, having caused such a disturbance. "So...so how many of your people are left?"

The man spoke in a sad, broken voice, "Only five. Two are in the house across the road."

Yunsung nodded. He paused for thought, and as he did he felt an overwhelming sympathy for the people as well as an aching guilt. He had to somehow repay Talim's misdeeds.

"You all...you all have to get out of here." Yunsung said slowly.

The people remained silent.

"It's dangerous here. Bandits could come, or Talim...Tornado could return! There's a port south-east of here- it's a big town, well protected, you could find work there. You'll live safely there."

"But what's the point in living?!" The second woman burst out, "My family is gone! My children...my husband..."

"I..." Yunsung said helplessly, "I'm sorry...I..."

"We've grown up living here!" the man said in his harsh voice, "We've lost...everything. We can't just move on like nothing happened!"

"I'm sorry, I just..." he said weakly, his voice fading, "I...just don't know what to do..."

A sad silence fell, and Yunsung stared at the ground, feeling more useless than he'd ever felt ever. The second woman cried softly in the corner. Then, the first woman walked over to Yunsung, her lifeless face coming into view, and put her bony arms around him, saying, "You poor boy. You poor dear sweet boy. Bless your soul."

He didn't know what to do but just let him hug her- it was something she appeared to need, after all. Then she stepped back, and fixed her hair, and brushed down her plain overall. "Right then, son, you show us where to go."

The other two made incomprehensible noises of protest, but the woman waved them away.

"No-no, the boy's right. We need to move on to some degree." She turned to Yunsung, hands on hips, "Well don't just sit there gaping at me, boy, tell us what we do!"

For Yunsung's mouth had fallen open in awe at the woman, and he realized, that this was what true bravery was. He felt strength rise from the impossible pit which had formed in his stomach. "Right, first of all, scour the village and get any supplies you can- break into the houses if you have to. Bring a weapon or something to defend yourself. Get the other two, and you all follow the path to the south-east. It's about twenty miles- you'll see the town about half-way."

"Okay, got it." The woman said, and to his even greater surprise, smiled at him, "Right, ladies, you heard him, move out! Food, water, weapons, get them! And you, young one!" she turned to Yunsung, and whispered, "Nip her in the butt for us, will you?"

He nodded.

"Alright then." she said, and swept him out of the house in front of her. The three villagers stepped out behind him. "Off you go!" the woman commanded to Yunsung. He smiled widely and saluted her. The second woman cried tearfully, "Goodbye, young boy!" and the man shouted, but with a more dulcet tone, "Bye, kid." Yunsung's astonishment turned to a kind of elatedness as he strode out of the hamlet, the moon shining brightly along his path. Somehow, he felt, it was all going to be alright.