Disclaimer: I don't own Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn!

Chapter 3

The gang followed the old woman as she hurried through the town, carrying the little fox-girl in her arms. Or, well, they walked slowly as the old woman shuffled along as fast as she could, mumbling to the fox-child. "Poor dear, poor little one, my sweet Sumi…" While they walked, Hak and Yona filled the others in about the girl and the shopkeeper in quiet tones.

Their pace was agonizingly turtle-like due to the old woman's tiny gait, which gave the villagers ample time to gape at the strange group.

"Everyone is staring," Shin-Ah said quietly, obviously made uncomfortable by a town's worth of attention.

Jae-Ha simply sighed. "It can't be helped. We are all so attractive, after all."

"Somehow I don't think they're focused on you beasts for once, Green," Yoon said, glancing over at the tall young man.

Indeed, most people seemed to be gawking at the old woman and the fox, which meant that what had happened at the shop was already swiftly making its way around the village.

"Ma'am—" Hak started, but the old woman held up a hand.

"Be patient," she said, "We'll be there soon."

They inched after the woman and tried to ignore all of the villagers and their unwavering stares. Finally they came to a small house near the outskirts of the town. As they reached the fence around the home, the fox squirmed out of the old woman's grasp and shifted back into a girl. She paused for a moment inside of the gate, closing her eyes as she lifted her face to the sun and her tiny bare feet sunk into the warm grass.

Behind her, Jae-Ha felt a sudden empathy for her. He knew the look on her face, that relief at being in the sun once more, all too well. Glancing over at his younger blue dragon brother, he knew that Shin-Ah also knew the feeling.

"Inside, Sumi," the woman said, waving her hands, "All of you, into the house. We don't have much time." Her papery face crumpled into a frown. "That worthless son of mine won't wait for long before coming here."

The home consisted of one room with a mat, a cooking area, and a few cushions to sit on. It certainly wasn't made with five warriors, a pretty boy, and a princess in mind, so it was hardly large enough to contain all of them. Jae-Ha and Hak had to press up against the wall while the others scattered about the room. Yona and Yoon shared one of the cushions while the woman took the other, which left Kija, Shin-Ah and Zeno to sit on the floor. The fox-girl reluctantly came inside, dragging her feet, but she laid down in the doorway, refusing to come all the way indoors.

"So Grandma has a great-granddaughter who can turn into a fox?" Zeno said, grinning, "That's a new one."

"It's complicated," the old woman said, folding her hands into her lap. Her watery eyes looked at the girl, Sumi, with warmth and affection before turning back to the group. "I didn't know she was still alive. That rotten son of mine…"

"Can you start at the beginning?" Yona asked gently, "I think we're all just a little confused about it all."

Jae-Ha and Hak glanced at each other, both somewhat amused by Yona's understatement. The kid had transformed into a fox and back again multiple times, her supposed grandpa had kept her captive in his shop, and he was planning on killing her or something. Yeah, they were all just a taaaad confused by it.

The old woman sighed. "The beginning was almost ten years ago now," she said, eyes misting over as if she was looking into the past, "It was the middle of winter when a foreign woman from a country across the sea showed up at our village. She was a traveling singer, or that's what she said. She had a beautiful voice."

In the doorway, Sumi perked up and sat up, turning toward the group. Yona caught her eyes and smiled at her, but the girl ducked her head.

"My grandson Te was smitten with her on sight," the woman said, "They married in the spring and everything seemed normal, for the most part. It was after they had been married a couple years that they told me Amilee's secret." Her gnarled fingers twisted together in her lap as her eyes wandered toward the girl in the doorway. "Amilee came from a family whose ancestor long ago was blessed by a nine-tailed fox spirit, and the gift of shapeshifting appears at random in their bloodline." Her eyes turned sharp as she looked at Yona and the dragons. "As some abilities appear in the Kouka villages." She couldn't have figured them out so easily, could she?

The group was quiet for a moment. At least until it had all sunk in. "But how is that possible?" Yoon said, "People can't shapeshift."

"Mmm, and you know everything, boy?" the grandmother asked, smirking at him.

"Of course not, I just happen to know a lot," Yoon said.

"Well, think of this as something new you just learned. When Sumi was born, we thought that she wouldn't have the ability, but she shifted her first time when she was three." The old woman smiled. "So bright, my Sumi."

"What happened to her parents?" Yona asked quietly.

The old woman shook her head. "A fever took both of them a month ago, but Chul blamed Amilee and Sumi." She sighed. "He never could accept them after Te told him about the ninetail's gift. He thought they were cursed…" Leaning back, she gestured for Sumi to come to her. The girl looked out at the yard and the sunshine one last time and then went to her great-grandmother, settling beside her. "Chul told me that Sumi caught the illness after Amilee and Te passed, and I believed him."

"Why would he lie about that?" Kija asked, his blue eyes dark.

"He would have decided she was too dangerous." Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged the girl to her and then inspected the ragged bit of rope on her wrist. "He must have been keeping her tied up in his shop since then. Is that what happened, Sumi?"

Silence. The red-headed girl looked down at the floor, eyes half-lidded at painful memories.

The old woman rubbed the child's arm gently. "Please say something."

"She hasn't talked since we found her," Hak said.

"Ao found her," Yona pointed out.

"She stopped talking after her parents passed," the old woman said, "I was hoping she had found her voice again. It would make things easier." Brushing her trembling fingers down the girl's hair, she met Yona's eyes. "She can't stay here, you understand."

"But it isn't safe with us," Yoon pointed out, "We're…we aren't exactly a normal group…"

"I couldn't tell," the grandmotherly lady said, her voice a deadpan.

"Did Grandma just make a joke?" Zeno said, his eyes lighting up.

"I'm old, not humorless, boy."

Yona looked at the little girl. While it wasn't safe with them, really, there were people who could look after her, who wouldn't think that her ability was a curse. Gi-Gan, the Wind Tribe, Ik-Soo… Getting her to one of those people wouldn't take too long, probably only a couple weeks at most. But why would the great-grandmother want them to take child? Didn't she want to raise her?

"If she stays here," the old woman said, "Chul will always want to lock her away. And now the townspeople know, and they'll think she's an evil spirit or a demon." Her hands shook. "I won't live much longer, either. I need to know that she's somewhere safe, and you lot protected her. I feel like I can trust you to find her a home…I can pay you."

"We don't need payment," Yona said, her tone firm, "We'll take her with us."

"Thank you," the old woman said, resignation and relief in her voice. She brushed her hand over Sumi's hair. "I have some of her clothes, let me go get them and a few things for your journey."

"I'll help," Zeno said, getting up and following the old woman to a trunk nearby. Sumi darted off after them, staying close to her grandmother's elbow.

"Where exactly are you thinking of taking her, princess?" Hak asked, raising an eyebrow at Yona.

She shrugged. "Didn't Mundok always say he wanted a granddaughter?"

He blinked and then chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, Gramps is going to love this…"

A few minutes later, they were all in the old woman's backyard. Jae-Ha was holding the little bag that had been packed for the girl, and Kija was holding an extra pack of goods that were being sent with them. The old woman was holding Sumi's hands in her spotted, wrinkled fingers. "Sumi, you behave for these nice people. Remember your manners and where you're from. Remember that you're loved." Tears sprang to her eyes, and they were mirrored on the little girl's face as her own tears streamed down her cheeks.

Sumi launched herself at the woman, burying her face into her dress, fingers gripping the material. The woman hugged her back tightly and then gently pried her off. The girl reached for her but the grandmother held her at arm's length. She looked up at Hak with a pleading gaze until he reached down and picked up the little girl, holding her with one arm while carrying his glaive in his spare hand. The girl opened her mouth as if to scream or cry, but nothing came out.

"If you ever need to find us, our names are—" Yonas started, but the woman held up a hand.

"No, don't tell me," she said, "I don't want to tell Chul who she's with in a moment of weakness."

"You wouldn't," Zeno said firmly.

"Thank you," the woman said, bowing to them, "Thank you for saving my great-granddaughter. Goodbye, my Sumi."

As they walked away, Yona followed behind Hak, wishing there was something she could say to soothe Sumi. She was reaching back over Hak's shoulder, her tears drenching his shoulder. While she still didn't say anything, her mouth formed the words 'I love you' over and over again. So quietly that Yona almost couldn't hear him, Hak comforted the girl as her grandmother faded from view.