Chapter Fifteen: When I see You Again
A\N: I meant to update sooner, but like I said, been hitting a writer block with this story, so I've been slowing down. Am also working on an original story, so been really focusing in on that! :o anyways! A big thanks to everyone who has stuck around this far! You all are just so amazing, and I appreciate all the support this story gets! Thanks so much!
Tian wasn't sure how much time had passed since she left Dae-Jeng. The people that had taken her had hardly let anyone out of the cramped wagon she was crammed into,and when they did, it was only for a few moments, maybe even seconds, before everyone was loaded back in with a small portion of food in hand, and a small drink, which was given before they entered back into the wagon. The blindfold was never lifted off their faces, nor were they untied at any moment expect to eat.
With hunger pains keeping her distracted, Tian had little time to think about how to escape. She didn't even know her surroundings. She didn't even know where they were at any given time. And even if she did, she would have to find a way to make it past the constant guards around the wagons, make them go unconscious while she was unarmed, and then get away and far enough away in enough time before anyone could get to her, and Tian doubted any of that would happen.
I just have to wade this out. I need time to think, but if I let this go too far, I think I will be too late. Besides, can I really leave these people? There are others besides myself, but I can't think about them. I have to focus on myself. Save my ass first, and then once I get to safety, think about these people. Send them help. If I worry about them too, and how to get them out, I won't have the time to think about myself.
Tian knew it was a selfish way to think, but she knew that in order to save herself, and get the help these people needed, she had to be selfish. She had no other choice. Besides, she had people waiting for her out there. People worrying about her. People she…. People she loved. She had to get to them before anything else happened. For that, she had to be a bit selfish in her thinking. She understood that much.
Besides all that, Tian had time to think about everything that lead up to her current predicament. She thought of her childhood. Her original village. Her parents. She thought about the different people she had encountered during her travels. She thought of her newly forged family with not just Yona and her friends, but with the people she had known in Dae-Jeng as well. Min-Soo. BaaBaa. Joo-Ri. Ae-Cha. Ha-Seon.
Mostly, though, Tian found her thoughts were mostly revolving around one particular person. The most infuriating, annoying, hot and cold, perverted, but kind, caring, and mysterious person she ever had the pleasure of knowing. Jae-Ha. The Green Dragon. She found herself thinking of the seemingly short time they had together.
Sure, Tian may have been annoyed at him at first. She could never explain to herself why she found him so annoying. Maybe it was his personality that rubbed her the wrong way at first, but then, she slowly found herself really warming up to him. Slowly, but surely, he had shown other sides to him. Not just the pervert, womanizing person he came off as at first, but rather the caring, kind, compassionate, and thoughtful person he was underneath all that bravado he put on. It was that part of him that she liked. It was that part of him she loved seeing.
Tian couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she fell for him. Maybe it was simply because she had spent so much of her time when she was with him denying, or ignoring,how much she cared about him. During that time,she convinced herself that with everything that was happening, she couldn't focus on anything else.
Even if she couldn't pinpoint the moment she fell for him, Tian could remember the exact time that she could no longer deny, nor ignore the feelings she had for him. It was during the party. The time they almost kissed. Not only did she see a side to him that she had never before seen, which was the icing on the cake so to speak, but whenever she thought back to the kiss, it still made her feel exactly the same way she did during that moment.
Tian knew that she couldn't deny how she felt any longer, which just made her need to escape from her situation all the more powerful. She wanted to get out, and even if she only saw him a for a moment, Tian would waste no time in telling him how she felt towards him. Whether or not he'd accept those feelings was another matter, and she would deal with that when the time came, but for herself, Tian would waste no time in saying exactly how she felt towards him…
Jae-Ha was watching, with a mix of impatience and amusement, as Yona was teaching Min-Soo some basics self-defense moves. It was clear from the way the honey-blonde woman moved with such uncertainty that she was not used to fighting. Jae-Ha doubted she even knew the slightest bit of self defense.
For the past three weeks, the group had been moving steadily along. Each break they took, Yona used as an opportunity to teach Min-Soo, who was the one who insisted that she learn so that she could be of use somehow.
Even as amusing as it was to watch the clumsy woman try to learn, Jae-Ha was just over all impatient. The whole reason they even set out was so that they found find and rescue Tian. They were tracking her, yes, trying to avoid suspicion all the while, but he wasn't happy with how long it was taking. He wanted Tian back quickly. He wanted her where she was safe. Where he could protect her. It didn't matter to the green haired man that Tian didn't need protection, but it didn't matter to him.
If Jae-Ha had his way, when he had her back, he'd take Tian somewhere safe, and tie her up there so she could be safe from harm. Tie her up somewhere safe and sound where he could keep an eye on her, and know she was safe. But he knew those thoughts would never come true, but it didn't stop him from thinking about it.
"Keep a firmer stance next time." Yona told Min-Soo with a smile, holding out a hand to the woman who was on the ground. Min-Soo took it with a grin. She and Yona laughed slightly as Min-Soo dusted off her dress.
"Hey, are you alright?" Min-Soo asked, looking at Jae-Ha. He shook his head, looking at her with an eyebrow raised,and a grin in place.
"I should be asking you that. That sounded like quite the fall." He grinned at Min-Soo, keeping up with his usual bravado. Min-Soo pursed her lips for a moment, and then shrugged.
"I'm totally fine." She answered with a confident grin, hands at her waist. Jae-Ha looked at her for a moment longer, and then stood up.
"If you say so." He replied through a sigh, and then glanced over at Yona." If you don't mind, Yona dear, I'm going to go for a little walk. I'll be right back." Yona nodded, smiling.
"Just don't take too long this time, alright? I think Yun almost has dinner ready."
"Yaay! Dinner!" Min-Soo replied, hands over her stomach. The two girls giggled for a moment. Jae-Ha smiled, nodding as he walked off in a casual way.
The past week or so, Jae-Ha had made it a habit to take leisurely walks away from the group. Although he wanted to say they were leisurely walks, Jae-Ha had more of a purpose to the walks. He wanted to catch any evidence that the group might have missed. There hadn't been much at all, which frustrated him more than he could explain or even want to admit. Whoever had taken her, certainly was careful not to even leave a clue of where they were headed. Jae-Ha wanted them to mess up, even if it was something small. Something small, but enough to where he could get a clue to where Tian was, or if she was at least alright. Something to give him some peace of mind.
"Jae-Ha." He paused at the soft voice that called out to him. He looked over his shoulder, smiling at Min-Soo.
"Shouldn't you be with the others?" He questioned. Min-Soo had paused just a few feet away from him, but when he spoke out she smiled slightly, and closed the distance until they were standing right in front of each other. Jae-Ha looked at her with an eyebrow raised slightly.
"I wanted to come talk with ya." She stated, titling her head with a grin, hands behind her back." I know why you really go out on these walks." She added on in a more serious tone. Jae-Ha felt some heat rush through his body at the thought that he was so easily seen through, but kept his cool as he simply grinned, chuckling slightly.
"What do you mean? They're just walks. I do it more often than-"
"It's different. Honestly, sometimes late at night, I go looking for some sort of other clues too. I figured if I was doing it, then maybe you were too?" Although she left the statement sounding like a question, Min-Soo looked up at him with a confident expression in her brown eyes. Jae-Ha wasn't sure how to react. After a moment he just grinned once again,and chuckled.
"Is that what you came all the way out here to tell me? Hmm, that's adorable." He chuckled again, and then shook his head as he walked past her. Was he so easily seen through?
"Wait." She stated as he walked past her, gripping the fabric of his shirt. He looked at her with his head tilted. She didn't look at him for a second, but then turned her head to look at him, and grinned slightly." I wanted to say thank you, and that dinner is ready." With that stated, she let go of his arm, and turned around, walking past him. He sighed, shaking his head with a grin.
Don't thank me just yet. He thought to himself, shaking his head with a sigh as he moved forward.
For what felt like the millionth time since she began her cramped journey in this wagon, Tian awoke from a dreamless sleep feeling sweaty, restless, and with a pounding head. She groaned slightly, opening her eyes, but only to find she was still blindfolded, and tied up like some kind of animal. She maneuvered herself for what felt like the billionth time, trying to get the ropes to loosen, but only succeeded in hurting herself. When her wrists were on fire, and she was sure she had caused bruising to her wrists and ankles, she finally stopped. Tian wondered to herself why she was still even trying. She was too weak from hunger and thirst to even think about moving much less actually doing it to escape.
It was at the moment Tian stopped moving that the wagon stopped moving as well. Out of disorientation, she thought for a split second that she had caused the rocking,and froze out of panic, only to relax when she realized how stupid the notion , and relaxed. But then a part of her wondered why the hell they had stopped moving in the first place.
Have we reached our destination? Or are we picking up other unfortunate people? What's going on?
Tian questioned as she heard the voices of people conversing just outside the wagon, but she couldn't make out any clear dialogue. She sucked in her lips, holding her breath as she wondered what this could possibly mean for her. Soon enough, whatever was being spoken of outside seemed to stop, but Tian could hear other things. Other people. Many other people scurrying about. Clanking of something together. And then it came their wagon. Her wagon. The back flap opened, and a couple people crawled in, untying and unblindfolding the people inside.
Tian squinted against the bright light, but when she looked around, she found there were only a couple of people, not including herself, inside. They were all instructed to move outside, and quickly, which they did. Tian felt like her legs were made out of jelly as she moved quickly. She looked around her to see several shoulders, foreign, barking orders to dirty, scruffy people, both men and women, as they moved various things, or were building what Tian assumed to be some sort of fortresses looking building.
What…. What the hell is this?
Tian questioned, looking forward as a cup from a stern looking, middle aged woman looked at her with a hard expression.
"Drink this. It will make you feel better." The woman said. Tian nodded, gratefully taking the cup, and quickly gulping down the contents. Tian was surprised by how quickly her energy seemed to come back to her." Now get to work." The woman gestured towards the fort. Tian froze, not sure what to do, but she was shoved forward by a soldier.
She looked back at him with wide eyes,her eyes immediately going to the whip that he held firmly in his grasp. Holding in her breath, she quickly scrambled to help another person, a man, with a rather large piece of wood that had made him fall. He looked back at her in a mixture of gratitude and pity.
I just need to wade out my time. Until I can escape. Until I can do something. I'm not going to just take this. I'm going to get out of here. And I will see you again. I'll see them all again, and when I do… I won't waste any time.