Chapter Twenty-Three: Old Times
"Uggggh. My head." Tian groaned, holding the side of her pounding head. She opened her eyes, looking around. She felt slightly disorientated for a moment before she remembered where she was. Tian then looked around the bright room again, eyebrows drawn together.
It's so bright. Did I sleep all night and all day?
She wondered to herself as she rubbed at her still pounding temple.
"Tian? You up?" Tian jumped slightly as a knock was heard.
Her head pounded, and she had to take a moment before she looked towards it with a slight scowl. It took her a moment to realize the voice she heard was BaaBaa's voice. She could smell some sort of soup, but she couldn't make her voice work for a moment. She cleared her throat, shook her head to clear it slightly, but only succeeded in making an even worse headache for herself. She sighed, taking another moment for herself.
"I'm up." She called out, clearing her throat immediately afterwards. She then sat up. For some reason, a wave of anxiety came over her as she watched the door open. Her hands wrung together.
"You slept all night." BaaBaa said softly once she reached Tian's side."Jae-Ha told us you had gotten drunk and passed out. I thought I would make something that would be easy on your tummy."
"Yeah? Thanks." Tian said slowly, smiling slightly as she took the steaming bowl from the older woman.
"Ah, if you want to be alone, I can-"
"Is Ae-Cha working today? And do you know where those people are at?" Tian interrupted BaaBaa. She could tell by the annoyance in the woman's eyes that she didn't appericate being interrupted, but was happy the lady didn't say anything.
"Me and Min-Soo offered those people a place to stay, but they declined. Ae-Cha stopped by to see if you were still going to work. I told her you were still sleeping when she came by." BaaBaa babbled on about something Tian wasn't interested in, so Tian's mind began to wonder off.
I just want things to return to normal. If I just sit around, and do nothing, I'll have time to think. If I have time to think then I'll be reminded of things I don't want to think about. If I think about things I don't want to think about, I'll get all sad and depressed and I don't want to have to do that.
"So, we think you should take a rest." BaaBaa finished, looking at Tian, who looked at her with wide eyes.
"I can't just take a break. I can't just sit around, and do nothing. I mean-"
"It'll be good for you. Besides-"
Well, I guess I can find things to do. Guess I can find things to do. Like work on training myself again. Or something. Or finally have time to nail that new soup recipe I've been training to get down for ages.
Tian's mind continued to wonder off as BaaBaa spoke. By the time Tian's mind came back to reality, it seemed like BaaBaa was already at the end of her speech.
"...So, I'm not sure what all that meant. They could very well be cracking down harder because they're angry. I just want you to be careful, ok?" BaaBaa looked at Tian, who was staring at her with a blank expression. BaaBaa groaned in annoyance."You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?" Tian smiled sheepishly.
"I just caught the ending part." She admitted with a slight chuckle. BaaBaa sighed, shaking her head.
"I was just talking about some of the things that have happened since you've been away. Word of what happened just outside of the Kai Empire boarder has reached to the officers here. It must have angered them as they've been cracking down on the law even harder. They seem to think the person responsible will show up again. That's why those people aren't staying in town. It isn't safe for them any longer." BaaBaa gave Tian a hard look. To Tian, It seemed to say another thing as well: I don't think it is safe for you either. But Tian knew, despite the woman's feelings, that BaaBaa would never say anything like that to her face. She knew BaaBaa would know exactly how Tian would react.
"Will they leave them?" Tian questioned softly, her hands tightening on the sheet around her.
"It's up to them." BaaBaa replied casually, shrugging slightly, but still staring at Tian. This time, Tian didn't meet her gaze this time.
They shouldn't stay. It's not safe for them any longer, and I don't want anything to happen to them. Besides they've done far too much for us... For me, and they don't need to anymore. But... I want them to stay.
Tian's eyebrows furrowed together as the thought passed through her head. Her hands tightened on her bed sheet slightly. BaaBaa watched, but chose not to say anything because she didn't want to upset the girl.
"I'm gonna go ahead, and get ready for the day." Tian said after a moment, looking up at BaaBaa."Then, I guess I'll... Just find something to do." Tian added on, looking down at her lap. BaaBaa hesitated a moment longer, and then nodded as she stood up, taking the half eaten bowl of soup with her.
"Alright. I'll see you later then, but don't stay out too late." BaaBaa replied, giving Tian a hard look for a moment before walking out of the room. Tian looked at the door for a moment, and then began to get ready herself.
"We made a promise to help until this whole thing was cleared up. I don't think we should leave just because the situation has gotten too dangerous. I mean, it's never stopped us before." Yona argued, poking at the embers of the recently puffed out fire with the stick that was currently in her hands. Whether she was trying to rekindle the fir or if she was just looking for a distraction, Yona had yet to decide.
"And what of Tian? Her situation is also more dangerous here than before. They're looking for the person who caused the trade to go bad. Should they discover it was her who started it..." Kija trailed off, glancing over at Jae-Ha for just a split moment before looking at each person in the group, his eyes resting a bit longer on Yona, before looking at the ground.
"Our duty before anything else is making sure the Princess is safe. If you remember, we also assisted in what happened. If they find out we were also involved, we'll be targeted as well." Hak replied, his hands tightening on his glave.
"It's all the more reason we should stay, though. We made a promise, and we're too far involved to turn back now." Yona replied, a surge of energy going through her. She looked at Hak with a strong expression. He looked at her just for a moment before looking away with his eyes closed for just a moment.
Hak knew that they were too involved to turn back, and he didn't particularly like leaving a job half finished, but his priority was first making sure Yona could stay safe. With the way things have changed, he couldn't guarantee her, or anyone else's safety. He didn't exactly like that thought.
"We should get a feel of what's going on, and then make our decisions after we get as much information as possible." Yun said after a moment had passed.
"I could always scope things out." Tian came out just a second later, ducking underneath a branch, surprising everyone. Tian looked at everyone with a blank expression as they looked at her in surprise. She then smiled slightly.
"How long have you been standing there?" Kija asked after a moment had passed.
"Hmm..." Tian considered lying, and saying she had just walked in at the last part, when she had actually been standing there for quiet a while. However, the moment she met with Shin-Ah's gaze, all memento left her body.
Tian found it strange that even without seeing his exact expression, thanks to his masked face, she could almost tell exactly what he was thinking without seeing his face. Perhaps it was just a sign of how comfortable she had gotten with everyone in the group. And that revelation, she wasn't too sure how she felt about that. With a sigh, Tian shook her head.
"A while?" Yun deducted with an eyebrow raised. Tian glanced at him, and then shrugged slightly.
"I was taking a walk anyways, and heard some mumbling. I followed it to you guys, and caught the last part of the conversation." For some reason, it was much easier to lie to Yun. Tian wasn't sure how she felt about that either.
"How do you plan on helping? You could possibly be in more danger than us, Miss." Zeno spoke just after a moment, looking at Tian with an expression she once couldn't place. Tian shrugged.
"I know the town, the people, better than any of you. I can send out feelers, and see what's going on."
"You would put yourself in danger." Shin-Ah surprised everyone as he spoke up, still looking at Tian with a seemingly strong gaze. Tian glanced at him, and then away with a slight shrug as she looked away, and at everyone else.
"I know that, and I'm fine with that. I can handle myself." Tian replied, sounding more confident of herself more so than before."The people here trust me alot more than you guys because you're new. It would be suspicious if I asked innocent enough questions. Besides, I want to find out what's going myself."
"She's right." Hak said after a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, what the dark haired woman said was right."But that doesn't mean we can't do our own investigation. We've done it before, and we can do it again." Hak said, giving a long, hard stare to Tian. Tian scowled, looking away.
"We can figure out what to do when we put our combined knowledge together." Yun said with a slight nod of his head. Tian pursed her lips in displeasure, but said nothing as the group went on to plan.
"Did you really have to suggest that we check out the town together?" Tian asked in a deadpan tone, glancing over at Jae-Ha as they were walking through the forest together.
"We work well together." He said, glancing at her with a smile. Tian shook her head, sighing as she looked forward. Jae-Ha also looked forward."And I wanted a chance to show off." He said, taking a few more steps, and then stopping. Tian stopped when he did, and then looked at him as he turned to look at her. She cocked an eyebrow.
"Show off?" She questioned, hands at her hips. Jae-Ha nodded, closing the slight distance with his arms out in front of him as if to carry her.
"Trust me?" He questioned with a confident smirk. Tian looked at his outstretched arms with a raise of her eyebrows once more.
"Is this some sort of perverted trick?" She questioned, looking at him with a tilt of her head.
"Not at all." He replied, smile still in place. Tian looked at him arms once again, and then up at him with a sigh. She nodded her head, closing her eyes. Jae-Ha felt both relief and excitement wash over him as he bent down, and scooped her up in his arms.
"If this is some sort of trick, I swear I'll get ya." Tian warned, looking at Jae-Ha with a slight scowl. He smiled down at her.
"Just trust me, ok? You just gotta hold on tight." He moved her hands more securely around his shoulders. Tian instinctively held on tighter."There we go." Jae-Ha said with a chuckle as he looked forward again. He took a few more steps, and then jumped above the tree line.
Tian felt her stomach drop, and her hands tighten even further on his shirt. Tian focused her attention on her hands, which were still clenching his shoulders. Her eyes, after a few moments, moved to his hair. For some reason, seeing his dark green hair with the orange ribbon fly around in the breeze, calmed her considerably. Her muscles, however, still tensed. She was afraid to mover her body at all, just in case he couldn't completely hold her. Still, she managed to look at his feet, his legs. One leg was bent nearly to his chest while the other was out. She then looked at his face.
Out of all the time Tian had known Jae-Ha, he always seemed to have an air of coolness around him. He always seemed so collected, and didn't seem to stress much. He was smooth spoken, and always seemed relaxed. Even considering all that, it was seemed like nothing when seeing his expression when he was jumping through the air. He looked more relaxed, more happy, than he was any other time.
It's the look of freedom. Tian thought to herself, smiling slightly as she fully relaxed herself. It's the way the Green Dragon was always meant to be. Free to fly around as they please. Not chained up like a prisoner.
"Ah. Perfect." Jae-Ha surprised Tian as he suddenly spoke, landing on top of a rooftop. He sat Tian carefully down on top of the roof. Tian's legs shook, but she managed to get her legging before she fell. Even so, Jae-Ha still put a hand to the small of her back, steadying her even more."We may want to crouch down." He said in a whisper, gently putting pressure on her back. Tian glanced at him, and nodded, doing as he said. Jae-Ha glanced at her, and then crouched down next to her, putting an arm across her shoulders.
"This is where the officers gather to drink and talk." Tian whispered. leaning closer to the green haired man as three officers sat in some shade. He glanced at her, smiling as he nodded.
"My walks through town are more than just time to relax. I scout to get my barrings. You never know when that information will come in handy."
"And here I thought you were just wasting time." She joked, smirking as she glanced at him. He looked at her, and smirked back.
"Not always." He replied after a moment. They held their gaze for a split second before both looked back at the officers with a more serious expression. They both tried to listen in to the conversation as much as they could.
"Do you think they've made any progress? They've been gone for awhile." Yona asked with worry, looking off in the direction Jae-Ha and Tian had gone off in.
As much as she knew that both Tian and Jae-Ha could handle themselves, she still worried. After the events of the last few months, and then learning that those in charge are looking for the person who made the trade go bad, had Yona more worried than normal. Tian was a target. Or if she wasn't, she would soon be.
Then, there was Jae-Ha. Yona had seen him risk his own neck to save members of the group. She knew if someone he cared about was in danger, he would risk his own life to save their own lives. Not to mention, it was Tian.
Yona wasn't oblivious to the signs of love. She knew how much the green haired man cared for Tian. It was almost painfully obvious. If she got into any sort of trouble, Jae-Ha would get himself in too much trouble to get Tian out of there. She didn't want that to happen either.
"Princess, you have nothing to worry about." Hak said, glancing over at the red-haired girl.
Hak could very easily understand her misgivings. He had some of his own, not that he would ever admit that again to himself, and he would never say it out loud, but he knew both Jae-Ha and Tian well enough to know that they could both take care of themselves. If worst case scenario happened, they'd send some sort of signal, some sort of sign.
"They're probably just taking extra time to make sure everything is alright." Yun said, handing out some freshly made rice balls.
"That's right, Miss. Besides, they can handle themselves. The miss has nothing to worry about." Zeno added on with a bright grin before biting into his rice ball. Still, Yona pursed her lips as she looked at the riceball. Hak watched her for a second with a flat expression before adapting his teasing smirk as he leaned into her.
"Princess, you don't look very attractive frowning like that." Hak said in his teasing voice. Yona blushed, scowling as she leaned away, but she found herself too flustered to say anything back.
"How can you say that?" Kija said just a moment later." The princess is lo... Lovely!" Kija added on in her defense. This made a small, playful argument break out between Kija and Hak. The argument made Yona feel slightly better, even managing a small laugh out of her despite still being worried.
"Lively as always." Yona straightened out, barely able to contain her wide smile as she heard Tian's voice speak. She immediately turned as both Tian and Jae-Ha strode through the trees. Their arrival stopped the argument, everyone seemingly more serious, and then turned their attention to the duo.
"So, what's going on?" Hak questioned, looking between the two. Jae-Ha and Tian paused, glancing at each other before looking back at the dark haired man.
"There's going to be another trade in three weeks. They're also on the hunt even more for the people who started the last one to go down. They want those people found and captured before the trade goes down." Tian said in a fast tone, looking slightly worried herself. Jae-Ha glanced at her, and then at the group.
"They recaptured some of those slaves that escaped the last time. They're working on getting information from them." Jae-Ha added on. Tian bit her lips, one hand gripping her other arm.
There was silence for a few moments as everyone let the information sink in. Nobody could be sure exactly what to think or what to feel.
"Well... What do you plan to do?" Yona asked, looking up at Tian. Tian felt shocked for a moment, mostly because she hadn't really considered what she was going to do. She looked at Yona, and shrugged slightly.
"You would only be in further trouble if you stay in town. They'll discover it was you who started it soon enough, and wouldn't the first place they'd look for is at Min-Soo's home?" Kija stated, looking at Tian. Tian looked at him with her eyebrows drawn together. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. But at the same time, was it really alright to put them in the same boat as her?
After Kija's statement, a small talk began among the group. Jae-Ha and Tian were the only two to remain quiet. Tian was thinking about the whole situation, while Jae-Ha was mostly watching and listening to the talk. There wasn't much he could really add on anyways. His green eyes would glance at Tian, gauging her reactions. Seeing her scowling, he knew she had already decided what to do.
A part of Jae-Ha also wanted to tell Tian to stay as well, even though he already knew that would be her decision in the end. He was worried, naturally, about her safety. He wanted to keep her safe, where he could keep an eye on her. If he could, he would take her very far away, and keep her there, but he knew that was impossible. The best he could do was have her among the group. At least then, he could have a small bit of a breather.
"I guess the only thing left to do is go tell BaaBaa and Min-Soo." Tian finally said once the talking all settled down.
"It'll be like before." Yona said, smiling slightly. Tian mirrored the smile back.
Just like old times. Tian thought to herself, glancing at everyone. Once her eyes met Jae-Ha's eyes, she was surprised to see him already looking at her. Once their green eyes met one another, he smiled just a bit more, nodded, and then looked away with a slight smirk. Tian felt her own heart looked away with a slight scowl. Except nothing is the same anymore.