"You're sure no one followed you?"
Shin-Ah took a deep breath and nodded at Hak. He and Lien had left the town as quickly as they could and took a long, winding route back to where their group had made camp. He had cut back undergrowth and helped Lien climb over a few boulders and stones. No one had followed them.
"Very sure," Lien said as she dropped to the ground beside Jae-Ha, leaning against his back. "Shin-Ah…eyes…" She pointed to her own eyes and then waved over at Shin-Ah. "He sees things."
"A good observation, dear one," Jae-Ha said with a smirk as he glanced back over his shoulder. "What did Shin-Ah do to you to make you so tired? Hmm?"
"Don't you start," she said, resting her head against him. "Let me rest."
"Now I'm very intrigued."
Lien frowned. "Jae-Ha. Shush."
Shin-Ah wasn't sure what Jae-Ha was talking about, but he hoped he hadn't exhausted Lien by taking the route he had chosen. It had seemed like the safest choice, given how interested the soldiers had been in them.
"We're going to have to move to a different village," Yoon said, his fingers on his chin. "We can't risk getting noticed by Kouka soldiers."
"So we go deeper into Kai?" Hak asked.
"Just to look for crops for the Fire Tribe," Yoon said. "We need something that'll grow."
"I think we should do it," Yona said. She was perched on a rock, Zeno sitting next to her. Ao was sitting on her shoulder; the squirrel had joined her and Hak and Zeno after she had left Lien and Shin-Ah. Shin-Ah had been relieved to see Ao come back with Yona. "We have to find something for those people, something that can sustain them."
"There's no guarantee that something that grows here will grow in Kouka, is there?" Kija said.
"Right, but this province has almost the same soil as the Fire Tribe's land," Yoon said, "It's why we picked it. If we go farther into Kai, it should stay the same for a while. I'll keep an eye on it."
"And they're growing something," Hak said, "That town wasn't struggling nearly as much as the ones we saw in the Fire Tribe."
Shin-Ah didn't care if they went farther into Kai, as long as they stayed together and out of danger. His innate need to protect Yona had only grown over time, and he also cared about his fellow dragons and Hak and Yoon. And the way he felt about Lien…he couldn't put a word on the way he wanted to be near her. He wasn't sure how to describe it yet.
"I don't want to go too far from Kouka, though," Yona said. "Just far enough to find crops."
"Agreed," Hak said. "Besides, Kai has its own dangers." He frowned and settled back against a tree, his weapon leaning next to him. With the possibility of soldiers around, he wasn't letting it or Yona far from him. "We have to keep that in mind."
"The royals are annoying," Lien said with a yawn. "They're always fighting each other."
"And constantly looking for a way to gain more power," Hak said, "It's best that we don't catch their attention."
"Which is why the hair dye is, again, a good option," Yoon said, grumpy.
"Yoon, it's not happening, please give it up," Jae-Ha said. He was staying rather still, and Shin-Ah wondered why Lien had chosen him to lean against. She seemed comfortable around him. As the others talked, Shin-Ah switched the blindfold back for his regular mask, turning his back to the others as he took off the blindfold.
"You have to admit, it's a safer option," Yoon replied.
"It doesn't do anything about…other things that make us stand out," Lien said.
"Whatever is decided, Zeno thinks we should move on from this particular place," Zeno said, sliding off the rock. He stretched his arms over his head. "So? Into Kai or back toward Kouka or to the side along the border?"
Hak's frown deepened. Jae-Ha rested his elbow on his knee while Kija looked at Yona. Shin-Ah silently followed Kija's lead and turned his attention to Yona. She was their leader. She could make this decision, and he would follow her no matter what that decision was.
"Farther into Kai, for now," Yona said firmly. "Until we find the right crop and can bring seeds back to Kouka."
"All right," Zeno said. He smiled and put his arms behind his back, rocking on his heels. "Then let's go before we get too settled. Or our kirin falls asleep."
"I'm not asleep," Lien said, sighing. "But I could use a nap."
Jae-Ha smiled and jostled his shoulder, making Lien lean back. He stood up, turned around, and held a hand out to her. "I can carry you if you're that tired."
"I can make it," she said, though she didn't sound pleased. She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. She wandered over to Shin-Ah and leaned against his arm as the others prepared to get moving. Maybe she had chosen Jae-Ha earlier because he was sitting on the ground? Shin-Ah glanced down at her, and his breath rustled through her hair. Her eyes flicked up to his and he quickly looked forward.
The group left the clearing and began to trek north. Hak and Shin-Ah joined him while Kija and Jae-Ha brought up the rear. Everyone else walked in the middle of the group, though Zeno seemed to buzz back and forth around the center. He was always so active even though he was also laidback. And sometimes the look in his eyes… Shin-Ah felt that sometimes Zeno was far away even when he was sitting right beside him.
"We're still going to make a trail," Hak muttered half to himself as they walked. With so many people, it would be almost impossible to not leave any signs that they passed.
"I don't think they'll come looking for us," Jae-Ha said, "Shin-Ah and Lien were more likely an annoyance to them than a danger."
"We didn't attack them," Lien added.
"I bet Shin-Ah considered it," Jae-Ha said.
He had. More than once. If he had gotten his blade, he most likely would have acted on those feelings.
"If they do track us down, it'll be in number that you beasts can deal with," Yoon said.
Hak nodded. "A village that size most likely wouldn't have a large garrison. But this is a border area. There'll be a military presence."
"What I want to know is why the Kouka soldiers and the Kai soldiers were talking to each other?" Yoon said.
"They seemed friendly toward one another," Lien said.
"Even though that area used to belong to Kouka?" Yona frowned. "You would think the Kouka soldiers wouldn't like that…"
"Perhaps they simply don't care anymore," Jae-Ha said, shrugging. "If that area goes back and forth between the two kingdoms, people who live there may have decided it doesn't matter which kingdom the land belongs to."
"That's possible," Yoon said, but it didn't sound like he entirely agreed with that idea. "Let's just...keep an eye out for any soldiers, no matter where they're from."
Shin-Ah didn't have an opinion on the matter. He did think it was strange that Kouka soldiers were in a Kai Empire town, but he had no interest in politics. He just wanted his friends to be safe.