Chapter 6: The Wind Tribe

When Hae stepped upon the ridge, pebbles tumbled down. The mountain breeze was brisk and crisp, and it continuously ruffled the short ebony strands of her hair. "Look, Prince. You can see it from here."

Yonin approached, hood pulled over his brilliant hair. Sure enough, numerous buildings were nestled amongst the rocks and clouds and hardy mountain trees. A plateau rose above it all, upon which squatted a palace, not quite as grand as Hiryuu Palace, but a palace nonetheless.

"That's the Wind Tribe capital, Fuuga." Where Hae grew up.

They wound their way down from the ridge, onto the road, and to the gateway arch. There, leaning against the pale brick wall and each other, were a dark-haired teenage girl and a freckle-faced teenage boy, both just Yonin's age or younger. Their eyes were closed, their chests moving with deep, slow breaths, heads knocked back upon each other's shoulders. Asleep. The girl was even snoring, and they were both drooling a little. Hae's eyes narrowed (most people's equivalent would be a deep scowl), and swung her leg out. The kick caught the girl right in the thigh, and when she fell, so did the boy.

"Ow!"

"Yeouch!"

"What the -" the boy's head whipped around, the hair - not bound in the two small braids ringing his head - fanning in his face.

"Are the tribe's guards given nap times now?" Hae drawled.

The boy gasped, honey eyes widening. "Oh! Lady Hae!"

She waved one dirty hand with a bland expression. "Yo."

The girl propped her hand on her chin, the feathers from her headband brushing her knuckles. "Wow, it's been forever! Like, what, ten years? What brings you here?"

"It's been three years, Tae-hui," Hae cut in before the boy started.

"Did they fire you as general?" he asked. "It's okay; tomorrow's another day."

Hae's blue eyes rolled exasperatedly. "You two haven't changed - not a care in the world." She remembered when she used to be like that. It seemed so long ago, like decades, and not three years.

The two stood and extended their arms, undulating them in sync.

"We're part of the Wind Tribe," the boy sang.

"We sleep when we're tired and -"

"- We let the wind take us wherever it blows…"

"Who the hell put you two on guard duty?" Hae sighed, mostly to herself, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Bandits could easily overrun the capital at this rate. They'd just have to make it past the sleeping guards.

Fascination hummed through Yonin, unconcealed, as he observed the interaction, and he jumped a little in surprise when someone called, "Chieftess!" Men and women from the town had spotted her and began to gather at the gate.

"Young chieftess!"

"Lady Hae!"

"It's been so long!"

The chatter built into a din as several young men, some simpering, some shy, all vying for the influential bachelorette's attention, gravitated toward her.

"When did you get back?"

"Beautiful as ever, I see," one complimented, even though Hae personally felt travel-worn and in need of a bath.

However, relief still washed through her at their reactions. 'Looks like they haven't heard any rumors from Hiryuu Palace yet. I don't see any of the palace guards around, either.'

"Oh!" One exclaimed, as they all finally noticed her traveling companion and swarmed around him like bees to a flower.

One young man scowled. "Who's he?"

A woman chuckled mischievously. "Lady Hae's man?"

"What! No way!"

Hae quickly cut in, "He's an apprentice gentleman-in-waiting from Hiryuu Palace." Even though she trusted her people, she could not let them know of Yonin's true identity.

"Really? Him?"

Yonin blinked hazily. Fatigue washed over him, and the crush of people made his head feel light and stuffy.

"What's your name?" The question echoed dully.

"Where are you from?" Like… through… water…

His vision went blank as his eyes rolled back, his knees buckling under him, and he toppled.

"He fainted!" cried the man who caught him.

Instantly, Hae turned. Two alarmed young men knelt on the ground, Yonin held between them. "What happened to him?" another one murmured.

"Kind of a weakling, hmm?"

Hae pushed her way through and crouched down beside them. Yonin's face was completely slack, and he didn't respond when she lightly tapped his cheek. She slipped an arm around his shoulder and the other around his knees before she stood. His head lolled back against her arm, baring his slender throat and spilling his crimson hair to drape down. Her grip adjusted, rested his cheek against her shoulder. The soft, faint breaths filtering through her clothes to her clavicle reassured her.

Hae addressed the freckle-faced boy, "Han-dae, get him a place to rest and something to eat right way."

"O… on it!"

"The young chieftess' being nice to a boy…" an older woman whispered in surprise.

Han-dae and Hae both walked down the street and left the dispersing crowd behind. "Where is Gran - ah, Elder Chieftess Mon Yeong?"

"At Hiryuu Palace."

Hae froze, eyes wide, before she reigned in her expression. "What?"

Han-dae's hands rested on his slender hips. "I thought you might not know. She got summoned for a meeting of the Five Tribes all of a sudden."

"A meeting of the Five Tribes…" she echoed. Wan-soo was already on the move.

"But since you're posted there, wouldn't it have made more sense for you to attend?" Han-dae shrugged when Hae did not answer, his strawberry blond hair brushing his shoulders. "It seems strange that they called on Elder Chieftess Mon-yeong, since she's not a general anymore." The moment of seriousness passed, and he grinned at her. "Have you been fired, Lady Hae?"

'A meeting of the Five Tribes - a gathering of all the Tribal leaders. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Sky, the royal family. Each Tribe's chieftess is also called a general. They're the mightiest warriors of the land. They're supposed to defend the empress and the Tribes. If Wan-soo is calling them together, that means things are moving more quickly than I thought…'

"Her majesty is dead?!" The exclamation rang through the vaulted council room.

"What in the world is going on?" General Yi Gyu-ri of the Earth Tribe demanded. She was a bronze-skinned, battle-hardened warrior. The dappled pelt of a big cat hung around her shoulders, and her brown hair was pulled into a high, wild ponytail. "I was wondering why we were called together like this. And now you say the empress is dead?"

Water Tribe General Ahn Jeong-ji held her chin between her forefinger and thumb. Her light hair was drawn back underneath the ornate bandanna covering her head (a popular fashion in the Water Tribe), though pieces of her bangs still dangled over her narrow eyes. "What's more, Prince Yonin and General Son Hae have gone missing. What's happening in this palace?"

A woman with the top half of her long, fine, pin-straight gray hair pulled back tightly into a high bun cut a glance toward the oldest woman at the table. "Perhaps Elder Chieftess Mon-yeong knows something about General Hae's whereabouts."

"What are you trying to imply, you Fire Tribe green-horn?" The old woman asked, knuckles against her chin.

Fire Tribe's Kan Seo-jin fanned herself. "The palace is swarming with rumors that General Hae murdered her majesty and has taken Prince Yonin hostage." Her fan hid her smug grin. "People say it's Wind Tribe treachery."

Jeong-ji held a graceful, delicate hand up. "Let's not jump to conclusions. We don't know where they went. Perhaps something happened to General Hae."

Gyu-ri scoffed, her amber eyes narrowing. "The Thunder Beast's power surpassed mine when she was but thirteen. She wouldn't die so easily."

Seo-jin's fan snapped shut. "Perhaps, but I hear she seriously injured many of the palace's soldiers."

"Simmer down." A clear voice cut above all others. An elegant young woman standing at the head of the table, until this moment silent, regarded the others with solemn eyes. Over her shoulder loomed a tall woman with a scar marring her right cheek. It was General Han Ju-mi of the Sky Tribe, whose true leader was the empress. While the other generals wore formal robes, Ju-mi was adorned in armor; she also served as Wan-soo's bodyguard. "Three days ago, her majesty was assassinated by an unknown assailant. Prince Yonin and General Hae's whereabouts are likewise unknown."

"Lady Wan-soo, so it's all true?"

Wan-soo gestured with a dainty hand. "We're still looking into what happened to the two of them. Please leave the investigation to us. If you find them, contact the palace immediately. Try not to harm them or let word get out without our authorization."

The Earth Tribe Chieftess leaned forward, confounded. "But-"

Wan-soo cut her off, "If this information becomes public, the nation will fall into turmoil. It could incite war amongst the tribes." She paused to let her words sink in before she continued. "And even if that doesn't happen, our nation is unstable. The Kai Empire to the north or the southern nations of Xing or Sei could threaten us at any time." For such a delicate woman, her face was fierce and resolute. "It's critical that the Five Tribes work as quickly as possible strengthen Kouka and keep our borders secure."

All of the women present soaked in he sudden pregnant silence. Jeong-ji bowed her head, more pieces of her pale hair falling from beneath her ornate bandanna and onto her solemn face. "Indeed," her words were quiet, measured. "Empress Ila so desperately wanted to avoid war with other nations that she offered up our land as tribute."

Gyu-ri's bronzed fist balled up against the table's polished surface. "At the moment, the empire of Kouka has very little influence." Her brow tensed. "Now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves."

Seo-jin opened her fan again. "For stability…" All eyes turned to her. "... We need a new empress."

Mon-yeong's eye narrowed.

A woman with long, abyssal hair approached from the corner of the room. "Unfortunately, in Prince Yonin's absences, the only member of the royal family able to take the throne is in this very room." She stood at Wan-soo's right shoulder, the corner of her lip quirking up and her black bangs obscuring half of her face. "Lady Wan-soo is our only choice." Her clear, stern voice rang through the opulent council room. "She is the daughter of Lady Yuon, Empress Ila's elder sister. Under ordinary circumstances, Wan-soo would have been crown princess. There should be no issue with her claiming the throne."

"Quite so, Kyung-sook." All turned to Seo-jin as she stood. "If Wan-soo becomes our new empress, I, Kan Seo-jin of the Fire Tribe…" She bowed elegantly to Wan-soo. "... will pledge my full support."

Kyung-sook gestured to the others with a sweep of the hand. "And the rest?"

"Lady Wan-soo is acceptable," Gyu-ri replied.

"I have no objections," Jeong-ji added.

The end of the table remained silent, and Wan-soo set her narrowed green stare upon the one eye gazing back. Mon-yeong's countenance remained firm and blank, but tension hung heavily over her shoulders as she stood. "I'm sleepy." She turned away and began to shuffle from the room. "I'm so tired. These complex matters are too wearying for an old woman. I'm leaving."

"We aren't done discussing this, Lady Mon-yeong," the dark-haired advisor snapped, reproachful and irritated.

"I'm not a general," Mon-yeong answered, blase. "Hae is the one with which you should speak."

Kyung-sook's nose wrinkled into a sneer. "If you don't back Lady Wan-soo as empress, it will appear as though this really were a plot by the Wind Tribe."

Mon-yeong paused, slowly glaring over her shoulder.

"Hmmm…" Wan-soo scratched behind her ear with a disappointed frown. "Without approval from all five Tribes, I can't become empress." She folded her hands back into her long, draping sleeves. "But without an empress, the nation can't function properly. How can I persuade you to acknowledge me?"

Mon-yeong's expression became almost… sad. "If you'd married Prince Yonin and became empress through proper means, I would have joyfully brought you a wedding gift."

Eyes wide, Wan-soo blinked once before she smiled softly, wistfully.

"You know…" Mon-yeong was facing the door again. "Hae wouldn't have left the palace without reason." Though crackling with old age, her voice still held the intensity of a storm. "I cannot support your accession."

Wan-soo's eyes lowered. "We'll be holding the coronation in three days. It can't go forward without the approval of the Wind Tribe." The other three chieftesses felt their breath still as Wan-soo continued with a darker, disingenuous tone. "But I believe you'll be here then, Elder Chieftess Mon-yeong…" A cold, mercilessly predatory glint flared in her eyes. "... for the sake of the people of Fuuga."

The old woman's head turned slightly, but she did not look back.

"This is a sad day. Lady Wan-soo, I once thought of you as I do Hae. As a granddaughter." With that, she left the room and those downcast green eyes.

The sun shone brilliantly down upon the ramparts of Hiryuu Palace. Wan-soo politely bowed to the woman before her. "Well done, General Seo-jin. Thanks to your cooperation, the meeting went the way we'd hoped, though I didn't expect so much opposition from the Wind Tribe."

Seo-jin bowed as well, but her next words took Wan-soo aback. "Aren't you being soft-hearted?"

"I do not know to what you are referring."

"I can't believe you're pursuing Prince Yonin and General Hae without killing them. If hey spread the truth-"

Wan-soo abruptly turned away. "Hae's no fool, General Kan." The wind tugged at the young woman's pale hair and fine clothing. "If she goes around telling the truth and causing a fuss, she'll put Prince Yonin in danger. Therefore, she'll lie low to protect him." The pause was filled to the brim with tension. "We must prepare for opposition from the Wind Tribe. General Kan, please proceed with the next step of the plan."

Seo-jin's clothing rustled as she bowed. "Yes, my lady." The whisperings of her robes and the patter of her steps faded until Wan-soo was left in silence.

But that silence was torn asunder by the thundering of hooves on stone. Below, Mon-yeong stormed through on horseback, the ends of her headband and of the hem of her cloak flapping wildly.

Wan-soo watched and slowly sank down, arms propped on the top of the rampart. "Thank you." She pressed her cheek to the soft fabric of her sleeves. "I was so happy when you said you saw me as a granddaughter, Lady Mon-yeong."

Yonin's eyelids slowly dragged open. The lattice of beams above him slowly came into focus, and, with a soft groan, he dragged his aching body into a sitting position. 'Where am I?' He sat upon a simple futon in a traditional, sparsely furnished room. He looked down at his hands. They were clean again, only marred by the healing scrapes across his palms. It was then that he noticed the sleeve of his robe. 'These aren't my clothes.' The linen felt alien beneath his fingertips when he touched his arm.

He rubbed his face and breathed deeply through his nose.

'Something smells good.' A little tray was out to the side with several dishes spread out on top of it. The lid of the bowl clacked on its rim as he lifted it up. Steam rolled up in voluptuous, aromatic clouds.

Rice porridge.

He spooned some up, lifted it to his lips, gently blew on it, and at it. The warmth pervaded his whole body, percolated to his soul, make little tears bead up at the corners of his eyes.

The door slid open and a tiny foot stepped in. "Why are you crying?" It was a little girl with light brown, nearly blonde, hair, Wind Tribe garb, and a blue cap. "D..." She looked at Yoninn anxiously. "Does it taste bad?"

Yonin shook his head, chuckled sheepishly, as the little girl closed the door and knelt at the edge of his futon. "I-It's so warm…"

"You're crying 'cuz it's warm? That's weird."

"I was thinking about my m-mother…"

The little girl had such pretty blue eyes. They reminded him a bird's egg he had once found in the palace garden. She peered intently at his face. She crawled forward. One of her hands wrapped around his finger, and the other came up to gently wipe his tears away. She smiled, a small, soft smile, eyes seemingly wiser than her years. "I'm Yeon-tae," she said as she drew back. "Hae's my big sister."

Yonin blinked down at her. "Hae's… little sister…"

Yeon-tae nodded. "Are you her friend?"

Yonin held his chin in his hand. "A friend…?" They'd known each other for a long time. As long as Yonin could remember. And Hae willingly became his bodyguard. She couldn't hate him too much. "Probably…?"

The door slid open with a loud clatter.

"'Probably' her friend?!" two aghast voices cried in unison. It was the two young napping guards from earlier.

The girl, Tae-hui (Yonin just noticed that her ebony hair was short, just like Hae's), sobbed, a clenched fist held up. "At least say you're her lover or her consort!"

The freckle-faced boy wept into his hand melodramatically. "He's 'probably' her friend?!" He wilted further. "Poor Lady Hae! He doesn't return her feelings -"

Hae, who had been walking down the hall, smashed the pommel of her quandao into the back of his head and slammed him into the floor, dark fury clouding her face.

"... at all…" the boy wheezed out.

With a few twists, Hae ground his skull into the floor. "Do you want me to tear your tongue out, Han-dae?" she asked, dangerous, level.

His hands futilely scrambled at the floor, and Tae-hui patted his shoulder. "No, no, please don't, Lady Hae…"

The pressure lifted off him, and Hae stepped over his prone body as if stepping over a mud puddle. "That's what I thought." She set her weapon against the wall, and Yeon-tae scampered over to Han-dae to play with his braids while he was vulnerable.

Yonin blinked up at the young woman. Her fresh, clean robes were a soft green, and her hair glossy and oil-free. Iit brought out the blue of her eyes, which glared down at Yonin with suspicion. "Who're you calling a friend?"

Red eyebrows knitted together. "Huh? Would you prefer 'servant', then?"

Hae lunged forward. Her hand clasped and tightened over his mouth, her face looming over his as she practically straddled him. The hard, stern expression she wore brooked no protest, and the ends of her hair tickled his cheeks. "Your name is Ri," she murmured in a low voice, "and you're an apprentice gentleman-in-waiting from the palace. That's how I'll be treating you while we're here." Her gaze narrowed into blue slits. "Got it?"

Stunned, Yonin nodded.

"All right. Good man." She pulled away and looked to the others.

Tae-hui's cheeks were painted red, her mouth agape as she desperately covered a squirming Yeon-tae's eyes. Han-dae's ears blazed, but he still peeked between the fingers over his face.

A scowl twisted Hae's face, and she stomped to Tae-hui. The younger girl quickly released the child and tried crawling away, but Hae still managed to kick her legs and stomp on her back. "I didn't do anything Yeon-tae shouldn't see!"

"It just looked kinda dirty, Lady Hae!"

Ignoring the commotion, Yeon-tae scampered back over to the red-haired guest. "Hey, Ri? What's my sister like at the palace? She's been a general since I was three, and she's been off protecting the prince, so I don't really know her all that well."

The words made Yonin's chest tight. He hardly remembered his father, but he could remember always asking his mother what the man was like. So he thought hard about how to accurately describe the young woman.

"At the palace, Hae is…"

"There's definitely something wrong with his brain."

Or that time -

"Hae will die under the prince's weight soon…"

"Insolent."

Hae, who had been listening, snapped around at the word.

"No, wait. She's insensitive."

Hae stared, lips parted.

"No, um… arrogant?"

Tae-hui and Han-dae gaped as the young man continued.

"Or maybe… unpleasant…"

Laughter exploded from the two, and the rolled around, clutching their guts, smacking the floor, and wiping their tears.

"Or…"

"You've made your point. Stop it," Hae cut in churlishly.

"You're the best, Ri!" Han-dae gasped, delight shining in his tear honey eyes. "Ha ha ha! He called her unpleasant!" He nudged Tae-hui with his elbow. "And he's not wrong!"

"You're enjoying this too much, Han-dae. Get over here!"

"Eep!"

Hae snagged the young man in a headlock and furiously ground her knuckles into his scalp. His best friend simply sat back, pointed, and laughed.

'Everyone is smiling,' Yonin thought with awe. 'They're all so cheerful. So this is where Hae grew up…'

Hae shoved Han-dae away, and he flopped onto the floor, strawberry blond hair tousled. When she turned, she caught the expression on Yonin's face. A soft smile and dreamy eyes filled with light.

After all the blankness and distance she had become accustomed to, it caught her off guard.

Yeon-tae climbed into Yonin's lap and twirled his hair around her tiny finger. Yonin pinched the little girl's cheek, and Hae's own lips curled gently.

The clouds above Fuuga seemed so… fluffy. Like perfect white clumps of cotton. One looked like a turtle. A big, fluffy turtle. The thought made him chuckle a little. The streets of Fuuga were so… different from even the streets of Kuuto (the few times he even managed to sneak out as a small child). So peaceful. Like the mountain breeze itself.

"Ri!"

Aches and pains still resonated through his limbs. But a nice walk was making them feel better.

"Hey, Ri!"

The voice was so much closer, it startled Yonin into turning around. A middle-aged man stared at him expectantly.

'Oops, he was talking to me.'

"Oh, hello," he greeted back.

The man chuckled. "Your head's in the clouds, hmm?"

Yonin smiled sheepishly.

"There are lots of kids like you here. Did you sleep well yesterday?"

Yonin nodded.

"You were a gentleman-in-waiting at the palace, right?"

Yonin nodded again.

The man smiled and laughed heartily, his head tossed back. "I hear you came here to train because you can't cook, sew, play the koto, or dance, so they kicked you out! Maybe you should give up trying to be a gentleman!"

Yonin's brows furrowed. He felt slightly offended, but knew it was probably Hae that had told everyone such unpleasant things. He was on the verge of saying something when a huge pile of linen flopped into his arms.

"I'll teach you from the ground up! First, wash these."

"W-Wash them?" Yonin's voice was muffled by the massive pile of cloth.

"Yes, wash them. In the river, naturally." His footsteps faded away.

"The river? Where is it?" Yonin called, but there was no reply. The prince grunted, displeased, trying to balance the pile so it wouldn't topple to the ground.

Part of the pile moved, and Yonin panicked, But half of it simply lifted away. It was Hae, who slung the linen over her shoulder. "It's this way, mister gentleman-in-waiting." She marched off down the street, and Yonin's long strides easily kept pace.

He kept silent, pouting a little as they turned off the road and down a trail obscured by trees.

"What's the matter?" Hae asked drolly.

"I can play the koto and dance… a little."

Hae smirked. "You call that noise 'playing,' huh?"

"Hmph…"

She hadn't heard that sound in a while. "... You seem a bit more like yourself."

Yonin paused, and so did his feet. "Huh?"

Hae kept walking, and Yonin watched the back of her head as she shook it slightly. "Nah, it's nothing."

Purple eyes stared after her before Yonin shook off his daze and strode to catch up. They were going downhill now, winding their way through the trees and into a small valley.

Yonin cleared his throat. "I had no idea you had a little sister. She's so cute… nothing like you."

"That's harsh," she huffed. "Grandma adopted Yeon-tae, same as me. Grandma has a soft spot for orphans. Unlike me, Yeon-tae is sickly, so everyone treats her with extra care. Honestly, she got a bit too worked up yesterday."

They came upon a rocky outcropping, though it had long since been leveled out by the townspeople. A table and a few baskets sat stationary, along with communal washing tools.

"Right, here we are." They both set their piles on the worn tabletop. "Do the laundry in the river." Yonin wandered off, towards the back, as Hae arranged the tools on the table. "The river's very important to our tribe. Some even call it the 'Water of Life.'"

Yonin called back from the bank, "Hae, I don't think I can -"

She rolled her eyes exasperatedly and whipped her head around. "Come one, you haven't even tried yet!"

Yonin pointed, worry etched on his face. "But… There's no water."

Indeed, all that remained was a scoop in the earth and the smallest trickle of moisture where a river should have run.

"The river's all dried up?!"

CHAPTER SIX END

Draconicmaw folds her paper a couple more times before she sighs, crumples it up, and tosses it to the side. "No paper hats today." She turns to you. "Hey, there. Long time no see. I guess. Depends on your perception of time, I guess. Anywho, I was trying to update this story once a week, but some stuff popped up and made that not happen." She takes out another piece of paper.

"So, I know I said 100% genderbend, but let's be honest. All of the Wind Tribe's greatest warriors being female just isn't realistic. Tae-woo still needs to become general, so I had to genderbend him. Which left Han-dae. Who just kinda provides comedic relief. So it wouldn't affect the plot too much if he stayed male. Aaaaannnd now I kinda ship them. A lot. But whatever."

She tries to fold the paper, but it just doesn't turn out. "Also, all guards and soldiers and bandits being women isn't realistic either. I mean, they're still human, so some women just aren't right-off-the-bat physically capable of some of the things men are. I don't want people coming after my head for this, when it's just a simple biological fact, as much as it pains me. But… hey. Hak already had preternatural strength in canon, so… Hae gets a free pass."

"Annnyways, I hope you enjoyed reading!"