Chapter twenty: Down Time
Neither Yona nor Tian moved for awhile. Tian didn't want to see Ha-Seon buried. She convinced herself that she didn't need, or want, to see it. Yona stayed behind to lend support to Tian. They spoke about small things, never anything too deep. They were both trying to keep the other's minds from going to a dark place again.
It was well after the sun had set that someone had come to get them.
"Hey you two. Yun sent me. He said you two need to have your wounds fixed. I offered since we're all girls." Both Yona and Tian looked over at Min-Soo. Her brown eyes were rimmed with red, and a bit puffy, but she had a small smile on her face. Yona was the first to stand, and brush off her skirt. She glanced at Tian, who still seemed a bit dazed, but after a moment the dark haired girl stood up, firmly fixing Hak's overcoat around herself.
"Right. Let's go." She said softly, moving past the two girls, and walking off. Yona and Min-Soo followed.
"Tian, stay still. I need to patch up your wounds, and then go check on Yona." Min-Soo was bandaging up Tian, who was making it increasingly difficult as she squirmed around uncomfortably.
"Yeah. I know." Tian sighed, shaking her head as she stilled her body.
Yun had already checked on the men, whjo had minor wounds,and was busy fixing up that night's dinner. He had offered to help with the girls, but Min-Soo had remained adamant about her doing the bandaging on the females. Yona was in the tent with them.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Yona replied, smiling as she rubbed at her ankles. She had injured them when she was tripped up by a guard.
"Don't rub your ankles. I'll be there in a moment." Min-Soo chided, applying the last of an ointment to Tian's back, and bandaging it up. Yona grinned slightly, nodding as she dropped her hands from her ankles.
"It's good that everyone is together again." Yona said softly, looking at Tian, who had remained silent since they returned to camp.
As soon as she returned to camp, she gave Hak's overcoat back, although he remained adament that she keep it until she was able to get new clothes. It was something to cover her, he reasoned, and handed it back to her. It was currently laying beside her, hands clenched around it. It was strange to say that she felt awkward being around everyone once again.
"You look worried. What's on your mind?" Yona questioned, not being able to ignore Tian's brooding expression any longer.
Min-Soo glanced over at Tian, frowning slightly. Tian merely shook her head, and then looked over at Yona and Min-Soo. The blonde haired woman was quick to patching up Yona's ankle.
"I'm fine,Yona. Don't worry about me." Tian replied, smiling softly at Yona before dropping the expression quickly, and looking off with a flat expression.
It was recommended that Tian stay in bed a bit longer. So, Tian had stayed in the tent, frowning slightly as everyone left her alone, but she was grateful for it. She just needed down time to be by herself,and digest everything that had happened.
On the one hand, Tian was happy to be out of that place. She never wanted to go back again in her life time. She was happy to among familiar people again. She was happy to be relatively safe. She was happy about that, but on the hand she felt sad, angered, guilt, and so many other emotions. She was guilty about leaving those people in that fort to suffer. No doubt this would get back to the guards at the forts, and the slaves left would be punished, but there was nothing she could do, and she knew that. She was angered, and saddened because she had lost a friend. She lost someone close to her, and to make matters worse, Tian didn't even have the courage to have a final good bye by seeing his burial. She hated how scared she was to see him being buried. She wasn't looking forward to going to Dae-Seng, and having to deliver the bad news. It made her almost not want to return home at all. She didn't think she could handle the pain. It was then she heard the others talking, and she stopped her inner brooding to listen.
"...So, what are you going to do now? You got what you wanted done. Now what?" It was Kija that was speaking. Tian scruched her eyebrows together.
"I have to go home. I can't leave my grandmother hanging. We're all we have. I can't say the same for Tian. She has no reason to stay."
Min-Soo spoke firmly, as if sure of her descion, but Tian could detect a hint of something else. Regret? Sadness? It was something, but Tian couldn't identify it at that moment. Or maybe she just didn't want to.
"Where would she go though?" Yona asked softly after a moment's pause. There was another short pause before Min-Soo spoke firmly.
"I would like for her to come back with me, but I doubt she'll want to. I wouldn't blame her, but I hope she will. We still need to get the officers out of our town. We still need to track down the ringleader, and-"
Tian's stomach lurched, churning uncomfortably in her body. She didn't want to hear this. She didn't want any of them to put themselves in harm's way ever again. She just wanted everyone to be safe, and happy. She tuned everyone out, turning her head to look at the other side of the tent. She didn't want,nor need to hear what they were talking about.
"Hey." Tian immediately felt her heart speed up at the familiar voice of Jae-Ha as he called out to her softly.
Tian positioned her head to look at look at him, her eyebrows drawn together. Jae-Ha was standing a bit away from her, leaning in the enterance as he looked at her with a masked expression.
"What are you doing in here?" She asked, her eyes darting to the opening of the tent, and then to Jae-Ha.
"I was just seeing if you were alright. " He replied after a moment, walking into the tent, and then sitting beside her. He leaned back on his hands, looking at her. Tian didn't react for a moment, and then smirked, shaking her head as she glanced at him.
"Did someone put you up to this?" She questioned with a laugh, shaking her head once again. Jae-Ha chuckled slightly, shaking his head.
"No. I came because I wanted to." Tian looked at him in surprise. Jae-Ha merely grinned, sitting up straighter as he gently brushed his hand against hers. Tian's heart sped up again, and she was almost certain she was blushing. She quickly looked away." But I know the others are worried as well." He replied after a moment's pause, removing his hand from her hand.
"And you wouldn't do something you wouldn't want to, right?" She questioned a bit sardonically, laughing slightly as she looked back at him. Jae-Ha glanced at her, and smiled slightly.
"Exactly." He replied, smirking slightly as he moved his hand towards hers once again, brushing his fingers against the top of her fingers.
When she didn't move her hands away, or show any other signs of being discomforted by the action, Jae-Ha became bolder. He wrapped his hand around her fingers, and waited for her reaction once again.
Tian could feel Jae-Ha's hand, so warm and comforting, wrap around her cold fingers. Her heart sped up, and she did everything in her power to control her blushing. When Tian felt his fingers tighten across hers, sliding towards her palm, she looked at their intertwined hands.
Somehow she found the contrast of their skin, his slightly tanned skin against her pale skin, rather appealing. When Jae-Ha's palm was firmly wrapped around Tian's palm, she found herself unsure of what she should do.
For some reason, even though Tian had to herself that whenever she escaped where she was she would waste no time and tell Jae-Ha how she felt, now that she was out of that place, and totally alone with Jae-Ha, she didn't know what to do. Or what to say. So, she didn't react at all. Tian allowed Jae-Ha to hold her hand, but she didn't make any move to hold his hand back.
"What do you plan on doing now?" Jae-Ha asked after a moment of silence, removing his hand slowly from Tian's hand.
Tian glanced at him, eyebrows drawn together. She had expected someone to do her that question at some point, but honestly she wasn't expecting it so soon. She didn't know what to say. She looked away once again.
"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." She said after a moment. Jae-Ha raised an eyebrow.
"I'd figure you'd want to go back home." He said simply. Tian cringed slightly, but shrugged.
"Dae-Jeng was never my home." She said simply, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them, and looking back at the green haired man, who was holding a much more serious expression that usual. Tian grinned slightly." And even if I did, I doubt you'd let me just leave without a fuss." She was teasing, even giggling a bit. Jae-Ha smiled slightly in turn,and answered back confidentiality.
"On the contrary, you're free to do whatever you want. I won't hold you back."
"For someone who claims to never let something out of their site once they have their eyes set on it, you say that as if it is so easy to just let me go. I thought you were annoyingly persistent." Tian looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Jae-Ha chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he looked at her for a moment, and then looked off.
"Well, I have to admit, I'd be a bit disappointed if you chose not to stay with us, but I'm not one to force anything on anyone. It would violate my principles of beauty to force anyone into something they didn't want to do." He chuckled once again, and then glanced at her." Though, I know I wouldn't be the only one disappointed if you went down that path. Yona really likes having another female around." Tian smiled, nodding as she looked off." And if, one day, we cross paths again, and you want to join us…. I think it can be safely assumed that you would be welcomed without a doubt. " After Jae-Ha spoke those words, he reached for her hand once again, laying his hand on top of hers. She looked at their hands again for a short moment, and then at him.
"And if I chose to stay with you guys?" She asked softly. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised in surprise, and then grinned.
"Then you would be welcomed with open arms." He replied. For the first time in awhile, she had no idea what to say. So, she looked away.
For a few moments,there was silence between the two. Jae-Ha left his hand atop of Tian's hand, and she didn't completely mind. In fact, she rather enjoyed the feel of his hand against her own. Tian wanted to say something. She wanted to tell him exactly what she originally planned to say, but, as the saying goes, it was easier imagined that done.
"Jae-Ha?" She questioned softly, her heart pounding in her chest. He looked at her smirking.
"I almost forgot. I believe that I have something to return to you." He said, removing his hand from hers, much to Tian's disappointment.
Tian watched as he reached inside his robe, pausing for a moment, and then taking his hand out. His hands were clutching a familiar looking object. Tian's eyes widened, and her cheeks reddened when she recognized the blue and red fabric. The fabric of her prized possession that had once belonged to her mother.
"Where did you find this?" She questioned softly, sitting up out of surprise, but it hurt, so she laid back down. Jae-Ha grinned, and laid it in her outstretched hand. Tian smiled, holding the familiar fabric in her hands once again.
"The details aren't important. It's back where it belongs. That's what counts." Tian glanced over at the green haired man as he looked at her grinning. She smiled softly, looking away.
Even if she couldn't admit her feelings at the moment, she had some small hope lingering that perhaps he felt the same. The fact that he was holding on to the hair covering all this time, she had hoped was a sign. She would hold on to that for as long as she could.
"Thanks." She said softly after a moment. Jae-Ha glanced at her, surprised that she had thanked him, but it felt nice nonetheless. He grinned, looking away.
"Don't mention it." He said simply.
Tian smiled, clenching the fabric tightly in her hands. She was truly grateful to have it back in her possession. Silence fell over them once again for a few moments.
"Here. I brought this along as well." Tian opened her eyes when Jae-Ha spoke suddenly, and in a fast tone. Tian looked down next to her to see a light purple, short sleeved undergown, and a white over robe lying next to her. The robe had dark purple hemlines. She then looked up with her eyebrows drawn together. Jae-Ha quickly explained."Min-Soo had quickly put these together. I offered to bring it to you. Though it was mostly just an excuse to speak to you." He grinned as he spoke. Tian blushed, and looked away, but was smiling slightly.
"Thanks." She whispered softly, to which he just nodded. There was silence again.
"Tian? You OK?" Min-Soo had opened the flap, peeking in. Tian looked up at her, nodding with a slight smile.
"I'm fine." Tian replied softly, nodding as she looked down at the clothes. She gently ran a finger on them, and then looked up at her blonde friend with a small smile." Thanks for making these."
"Don't mention it. I thought you would like those better than the torn one you have on." Min-Soo replied, giggling slightly, and then rubbing the back of her neck."And it wasn't just me. Yun helped as well. A little. Before he made dinner." Tian nodded, trying to keep the smile on her face even though her face didn't feel like holding it up. She just didn't want anyone to worry about her anymore than they already are, but she did feel very happy that Yun cared enough about her to help even a little with her new clothes." Well, I better go." Min-Soo stated after a moment of silence. Her light brown eyes glanced at Jae-Ha for a second, and then left, closing the tent behind her.
"I had better go. Before they think anything is going on." Jae-Ha said after a moment, chuckling slightly. Tian looked at him, and nodded.
"Yeah. Wouldn't want them thinking that." Tian added on in a flat tone, not looking at him. The green haired man looked at her for a moment longer, and then nodded as he stood up as much as he could, and walked out the tent.
When the tent flap closed, Tian looked up. She pursed her lips, biting the insides of her lips. She had so many conflicting emotions. So many questions she knew needed answers, but wasn't quite sure what those answers were going to be. She looked away again. She had time. She could answer those later. Like she told Jae-Ha, she would cross those bridges when she got to them. For now, she needed rest. So, that's what Tian did. She closed her eyes, blocking out everything.