They told her more of the story of the Crimson Dragon King and how the blood lines of the dragon's worked. They told her when a new Dragon was born, the power would slowly drain from the previous one. When the power was all gone, the Dragon would die and the younger one would take their place of awaiting their Crimson King. She even had the opportunity to learn a little bit about the Dragons' personal lives. Where they came from, and how Yona found them. It was fascinating. All of them had been imprisoned, except for Kija, who was worshipped by his hidden village, and Zeno, who she didn't really know anything about, other than that he was playful and childish and yet there was an air of intelligence behind his eyes that told her there was a great story he hadn't told. They all handled it differently. They didn't decide to allow their circumstances to let them become bitter, instead they were kind in a silent and kind way, like Shin-ah, and determined to make sure no one else was imprisoned ever again, like Jae-ha.
Jae-ha finally told her his story. How his village didn't accept him and used physical chains around his wrists and ankles to keep him on the ground. The previous Green Dragon, who was still alive when Jae-ha was growing up, would tell him stories of serving a king that would come to find them. Jae-ha hadn't liked that, and he said that was where a lot of his opinions of freedom came from. One day he was finally able to break free, and the Green Dragon sacrificed himself so Jae-ha could get away. That was when he found his pirate family and several years later, Yona found him.
Rensa was excited, and happy that she was able to learn more about Jae-ha. "You know, I used to think your opinions about freedom were annoying." She claimed lightly, finally admitting what she had thought when she first met him.
He laughed. "I know, I could tell that much. I didn't let that stop me though, did I?" He teased.
Rensa also chuckled and shook her head. "No, you were adamant on making me believe I could be free if I wanted to be." She paused for a moment before continuing. "And you were right."
"Yeah, I know." He flung his long hair over his shoulder and leaned on one hand, with an extremely smug smirk on his face.
Rensa raised an eyebrow, also smirking a little. "You can't take all the credit, Yona and Zeno also convinced me, and I had to decide for myself."
"You're right.." He sighed with his attitude toned down a little.
She swayed and brushed her shoulder against his.
Jae-ha had moments when he would get excited to tell a story, tell it, and then fall back into the quiet that was bothering him. That pattern repeated as they ate dinner and as the night wore on. Rensa could not figure out what was bothering him.
During a long moment of peace, when they were done sharing stories, Jae-ha and Yona scooted closer together to discuss something. Rensa did not eavesdrop, but hoped whatever it was would return Jae-ha to his normal self. After a few minutes, Yona gestured to Yun, who cleared his throat self-consciously.
In the firelight, Rensa watched Yun pull something from his pack. It was wrapped in a cloth. He stepped over to her and handed her the gift.
"It's not perfect, and I don't even know if it will work out… But I started this project two months ago and was able to complete it just before we got here." Yun explained nervously.
Rensa was confused. He spent two months making a gift for her? That was for as long as they had been gone. When did he have the time? They spent all those days rescuing other towns and villages. Her hand hovered over the hem of the cloth, hesitating to open it.
Jae-ha shifted so he was at her side instead of Yona's. He did seem normal again, except with a small saddened glint in his eyes. "Go on, open it." He urged.
She unrolled the gift, and tears immediately sprang to her eyes. She covered her mouth to keep from sobbing.
Inside the cloth was wood carved to resemble a leg, specifically the part below the knee. The foot was connected with metal hinges for the ankle, so that the foot was able to move. On the top part was a leather buckle to strap it to her crippled leg. The wood was smooth and appeared to a light color, from what she could tell from the flickering light of the fire.
"It's beautiful…" She breathed after a moment of struggling to find something to say. "Thank you, Yun." And she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
The next morning, after changing her dress, she stared at the wooden leg for a long time, debating whether to try using it. Yona had gotten up and left to join her companions many minutes ago. After making her decision, she strapped the buckle around her knee. It fit comfortably. Using her crutch she slid to her feet. It was strange, not feeling like she was going to fall when she stood. The wood held her weight nicely. She took a step with her real leg, and instinctively leaned against her crutch, preparing her next step, except she realized she didn't necessarily need the tool anymore, unless she did not like how the wooden foot worked. So she straightened and lifted her right leg.
The step was awkward, and Rensa felt like she was going to lose her balance, yet she didn't fall. As per knowledge, she shifted her weight onto her new leg and took a step with her left foot. She walked a few laps around her small hut until she knew how the wooden leg and foot worked together, and worked with her weight. Walking was a little bit awkward, and she had a slight limp because of that. Once she was confident she wouldn't fall, she took her wandering outside, on less even ground. For the first time in years, she was able to walk out her door on two feet.
It felt strange not moving around with her crutch under one arm. Her balance felt unstable and she wasn't sure she liked it. The Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch were conversing around the morning fire. The air was colder and the deep gray clouds above gave her some indication that it would begin to snow soon. She searched for Jae-ha and found his eyes on her, watching her carefully as if he was waiting for something to happen. She wasn't paying attention to her footing and tripped over a rock in the middle of the street, she would have fallen if Shin-ah wasn't suddenly there beside her with an arm held out to catch her.
"Thanks." She said, feeling shaky and nervous and a little embarrassed. He helped right her then dropped his arm and stepped away. She didn't take another step for a long moment. Then Rensa continued until she could lower herself awkwardly into a sitting position.
"How are you liking the leg?" Yona asked in greeting.
Rensa hesitated. "It is… strange." She finally said, deciding that was the best word to describe how she was feeling.
"Are the measurements right for your height and weight?" Yun asked as he came over and sat on the other side of her.
"I think so…?" She wasn't exactly sure, so she lifted her dress enough to allow Yun to inspect the leg he had made for her.
"They seem perfect to me, though the hinges connecting the foot are a little too tight, maybe that's the problem you're having with walking." He muttered quickly through an expression of concentration. He walked over and pulled a tool from his bag, then started fiddling with the hinges connected to the foot. After doing so he bent the foot back and forth to make sure it was bendable. "That should make it easier for you to walk now." He said as he replaced the tool back into his bag.
Rensa was a little afraid to try it out again, especially with everyone watching her. When she was in her hut she didn't have an audience. She felt afraid to make a fool of herself. But it was a new sense of freedom, she would be able to walk like everyone else, so she looked up at Yun, finally taking her eyes off her leg. "Help me up." She said. It was a question, and sort of a command.
He blinked at her for a moment before taking her outstretched hand and pulling her to her feet. "You could say please." He grumbled.
She allowed a small smile to curve the edges of her mouth before concentrating. Rensa was able to stay balanced and recognized the slight change from the simple repair Yun had done to his design. She dropped her hand and gazed down at her feet which were hidden by her long dress. Rensa still felt a little unsure, but she would continue to try. As per habit, she took a step with her left foot first. Her new leg shifted with her weight nicely. Then, stopped midstep, she continued and pulled her wooden leg to be even with her other.
"It seems to work well…" Yun commented, though he too sounded unsure.
"Miss Rensa is having a hard time believing in herself." Zeno noted nonchalantly, like he could read people so easily.
Rensa shook her head in denial. "That isn't quite it. It still doesn't feel quite normal." She corrected him.
"You just have to keep going." Jae-ha swung around her and stood where she could see him. He reached down and took both of her hands in his, then he shifted backwards, taking a single step. "Come, walk with me." He grinned. His tone was filled with humor. She knew he was teasing her a little, but not mocking, she could tell that much. Though, his words brought back a familiar annoyance.
"I'm not a child, Jae-ha, you don't have to take me by the hands and lead me." She might have slightly pushed her lip out into a pout.
"I know that, but sometimes a person needs support to accomplish a goal, remember?" He laughed and lightly tugged at her hands, his eyes sparkled with playfulness.
So Rensa took the step forward, and in response he took another step back. The pattern continued. He helped her walk two laps around the campfire, and on their third she began to become comfortable with the way the legs worked together to carry her wherever she wanted to go. Rensa slowly became more confident, even when she stumbled or when she got back to her feet after sitting, which was still a little strange because she couldn't quite figure out how to maneuver down to the ground and then back up again. Jae-ha was there with her through it all.
When she was sure she could do it by herself, she finally released Jae-ha's hands and made another lap around their campsite. Yona cheered loudly, followed by Zeno jumping to his feet and clapping.
Rensa's face felt hot and she still felt embarrassed, but she was also excited to be able to walk.
They kept her walking all day. Yun asked her to help collect herbs, and to help him make trades with the other villagers. He received many items he was able to use to create medicines and seeds and many other things they would need on their journey.
Many of the villagers were shocked or surprised to see her walking around without her crutch and only with a slight limp.
Hak and Kija wanted to see the kinds of weapons they had in the village and if any were for sale, so she walked them through the village to Rika and Daron's hut, they were the family that specialized in the making of bows and spears.
Yona wanted to help with the cleaning out of huts. Rensa was able to lift things and carry them around now that she had both of her arms free. It still felt strange without her crutch under her arm.
Zeno kept trying to get a game of tag started with everyone, so after most of the chores and preparations were done they all gave in and played a few rounds of tag. Yona and Hak sat out to discuss something beneath a tree away from the group, and Yun was preparing lunch. She felt like the Dragons had unfair advantages with their abilities, yet that also added to the laughter. Zeno gladly decided to be the tagger for the first round and was somehow able to tag Jae-ha. He kept dropping from the sky at random moments and the only person who could tell where he was going to land was Shin-ah, so Rensa started watching him until he moved and then followed him. She was able to evade Jae-ha for a good while until he tagged her by appearing behind her, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. He winked, grinned, and then flew up into the sky.
It took her a few moments to hope the red hot blush on her cheeks was gone and then she began to play again. Rensa felt like they were going a little easy on her because she could not run very well, but it was still fun. She nearly tagged a few of them, but was having a hard time. So she decided to stretch the game a little and approached Yun.
He did not see her coming.
She grinned and touched his shoulder. The touch startled him and he whirled around. She laughed and backed away. "You're it." She said, then turned and ran off in her slightly awkward lope.
Yun shouted something like he was trying to come up with something sarcastic to say but then grumbled. When Rensa looked back, Yun was switching back and forth between chasing Zeno and Kija.
He was able to land a hit on Kija, who quickly tagged Zeno. Yun went back to making lunch, he watched his surroundings carefully though. Zeno tried to get him again but he evaded him nicely. Rensa positioned herself in an area where she wasn't seen and watched all of them interact. She decided they acted like a family. The Dragons were just like brothers. Hak and Yona kept having private moments, similar to the ones she and Jae-ha had, so she guessed there was something romantic going on there, yet there was an air of unspoken awkwardness between them as well.
It had taken Shin-ah one or two rounds to get into the game, but once he did he was untouchable. He seemed like he was having fun. Zeno was able to keep the game going and their energy high for a long time. Kija seemed to be an easy target, but he was also able to reach other people easily. It was fun to watch.
Rensa wished there was some place she could fit in with a family. Though she had friends around Hoshu, and Yona and the Dragons, she didn't really have a family. Sometimes she felt like one of them, and other times she felt like an outsider. She still hadn't quite found her place.
Among her thoughts Rensa had lost track of who was the tagger, she leaned against the trunk and watched them again. Jae-ha landed on the ground and was finally able to tag Shin-ah for the first time before launching himself a short distance away. Shin-ah was quick and disappeared through the trees, popping in and out when he thought he could land on a hit on someone. They were able to keep away from him for a while too. She didn't see if he was able to get any of them, because her eyes drifted to Jae-ha. She watched him soar and land, discovering once again how he braced himself against the earth before leaving it for the sky, how he spread his arms as if he was indeed flying. He was agile and graceful, and she even thought he was beautiful. She liked watching him, it felt like another way to get to know him. She loved his smile and the sparkle in his eyes when he felt truly free.
Thinking that made her remember the lie he had told her the day before. It was minor and probably didn't mean anything, but he had chosen not to tell her the truth. She wondered what had been wrong. He was like he had always been except for some quiet moments when he seemed to be thinking about something. She hoped there wasn't a growing distance between them.
That was when Rensa's thoughts turned to something she had never considered. There wasn't really a way for them to be together. He had a path he was supposed to follow, and she was still figuring out hers. It was possible they would lead to two very different destinations. They would need to leave each other once again. The familiar sorrow she had felt when he had left her oozed back into her heart. She did not know what she was supposed to do.
Jae-ha landed a little ways away from her. Rensa wanted to reach out and touch him, but didn't. He was too far away, and she did not reach for him. He did not even see her. Kija swiped the air in front of Jae-ha as he dodged out of the way with a breathless laugh. Kija was able to tag him just as Yun called for lunch.
Rensa waited for a moment, watching all the dragons converge around yun for food, before materializing out of the woods herself.
Jae-ha was facing where she was coming from, watching for her expectantly, like he had known she had been there.
Their eyes locked as she walked across to join them.
"Are you okay?" He asked, and she could sense there were multiple questions behind those three words. He wondered where she had been, why she stopped playing, and truly, if she was alright.
She decided she was, and nodded. "Yes, I was just taking a break." Which was true. She stopped to watch them.
One of his eyebrows raised as he searched her expression. He must have seen something and then nodded like he understood.
"Did you have fun?" She asked, already knowing that he did. His face was sweaty and his hair was messy.
He grinned. "Yeah."
"I could tell, I did too." She too smiled.