p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEver since childhood, Yun rose before the sun. Once, it had been hunger that awakened him, but even in his better days, he could not rid himself of the habit. The horizon had only barely started to glow, spreading a gentle yellow haze in the sky as he finished gathering kindling for the fire. First one bird called, and then a second replied, before they started their regular morning cacophony. Their song delighted Yun, who had never realized how dearly he had missed the familiar music. He started a fire beneath the cauldron with a wistful heart, his mind drifting to times past./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he chopped the ingredients for breakfast, he heard a crunch behind him. Delighted, he turned around./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Ik-su!" he called, ready to scold this foolish priest – but rather than the gentle smile of Ik-su, he was greeted with Zeno's cheerful grin. Yun's smile fell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I, um… Food will be ready soon," he muttered, returning to his work. Zeno's eyes glimmered with sympathy as he stepped next to him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Zeno promises we'll find him soon," he said. "He wouldn't leave you behind."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun's eyes filled with tears, but he turned his head to hide them. Clearing his throat, he asked, "You want to search the villages, yes?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Zeno just thought it could work," the blonde boy replied with a shrug. "You would know better than Zeno though."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""It should," said Yun thoughtfully, furrowing his brows. A place Ik-su could be… His expression brightened and he clapped his hands. "Of course! We must start with Katan."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Who's that?" Zeno asked, but Yun was in no mood to explain./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Go wake the others," he said, his eyes filled with determination. "I know where to start our search."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"…../span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""So what is this place, anyway?" asked Hak, dragging a cart full of edible roots and herbs. "And why do we need all these things?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Ik-su and I took care of this village," Yun replied. Although his shoulders were pulled down by the heavy load of herbs in his knapsack, he was far more cheerful than he had been the day before. "If anyone has seen him, it would be the people of Katan."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""A whole village? Yun, you really are a motherly soul," Yona laughed. Yun blushed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""You guys…" He sighed. "You'll understand when we get there."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Although the group all had assumptions about the place, the village was even more impoverished than they had expected. Its few dozen houses were built by a single road of mud bricks and reeds for roofs, their gardens full of rubble from fallen building materials. The eyes of the people were deep and sunken, only lighting up at the sight of Yun./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""You've come back," a middle-aged man called out in a raspy voice. "It's been so long…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Barely three months, Chief Sen-doh," Yun laughed. "And it's not like I've come empty handed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"A gaggle of children appeared from one of the shadow of a small hut, giggling and cheering despite their thin arms and sunken cheeks, singing Yun's praise. Elderly men and women of all ages began to appear in the street as well, albeit far more cautiously. Yun looked at his companions imploringly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Could you help me with this?" he asked in a whisper. "I want to make sure no one goes to sleep hungry today."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I'm here to help every last citizen of Kouka," Yona whispered back. "You prepare a stew – I'll go hunt some rabbits for it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Perfect," Yun said with a happy sigh. /spanspan lang="DE" style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter'; mso-ansi-language: DE;""Ki-ja, you—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Mister, Mister, why is your hair so white?" a little boy asked, tugging on the White Dragon's sleeve. "Are you very old?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""And why do you have such a funny hat, Ma'am?" his sister asked, pointing at Hak. "Is that a real sword?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Come now, children, let's not bother them too much," Sen said, gently herding them away. "They came to help fix things. Does anyone have a ball? Let's play with that instead."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Have you come to fix things?" Sen-doh asked intently as Sen and the children disappeared in a nearby shed. Hak, Ki-ja and Jae-ha glanced at each other before nodding. Shin-ah also stepped forward to indicate his desire to participate. The village chief smiled with satisfaction./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Then there's no reason to wait, is there? Let's get to work."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"The morning passed busily for all. Jae-ha wiped the sweat off his forehead with a sleeve as he placed the last bit of thatching needed to repair the roof he and Shin-ah were working on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""It's harder than it looks, no?" he asked Shin-ah. The Blue Dragon nodded, a bead of sweat dropping down his chin. Though he only rarely took off his sheepskin cloak, it had been long banished to hang on a tree branch./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I've never done this… before," he muttered. Jae-ha nodded understandingly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Ah right. You lived in a cave, no?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Mhm."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Do you miss it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Shin-ah shook his head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""This is livelier."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Lively, eh?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Jae-ha looked down from the roof, at Hak and Ki-ja replacing a beam with an older man explaining how they were doing it wrong, at Yun and Yona cooking, and Zeno helping an old woman find a comfortable seat outside. Young women carried water to the cooking station and middle-aged women brought reeds from a nearby pond to help mend the roofs. Sen appeared in a doorway, bending down so as not to hit her head, followed by the excited children of the village. In her hands was a ball fashioned from long grasses, cheap and ragged but the most beautiful thing those children had ever seen. She passed it to them, promising to make more for everyone, which lead to shrieks of joy erupting from the small crowd. Glancing up, she caught Jae-ha's eyes and smiled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Aren't you coming for lunch?" she called. He shook his head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I think we can work a little longer. Right, Shin-ah?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Turning his head, he realized the Blue Dragon had already jumped off the roof and was busily making his way towards Yun. Jae-ha sighed and followed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I thought you had a little more work left in you," Sen teased. Jae-ha feigned a pained expression./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I was betrayed," he said, gripping his chest. "Abandoned for stew."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Come on, you deserve a break," she replied, playfully slapping his shoulder. "Plus it's Yun's stew we're talking about. Anyone would betray you for that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Despite her praise, the stew looked quite unappetizing and watery, but no one seemed to mind. Hungry from their hard work, there was not a single person that wasn't convinced they weren't eating the best food of their entire lives and did not hesitate to say so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I haven't had anything this good since you left," Sen-doh said, licking his lips. "Ik-su has tried, but he isn't much of a chef."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun's eyes brightened./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""You've seen him?" he asked, pouncing on the opportunity to find out more. "Is he okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Hard to say," Sen-doh said thoughtfully. "It's been a few weeks since he's come by. I don't blame him, though. Things have been rough around here lately."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Drought?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""That, and soldiers. They come and take what little we have…" The village chief sighed and looked away. "They took my son last time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""But Tae-oh was so young!" Yun exclaimed. "Just around my age."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Old enough to be a soldier, it seems," Sen-doh said quietly. "Maybe they'll at least feed him in the army. There's not much for him to eat here."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""How can they do this?" Yona asked, indignant. "A sixteen-year-old is much too young to fight. What does the Fire Tribe need so many soldiers for, anyway?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Sen-doh shrugged, his eyes misty./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Who knows," he said, shaking his head. "They just want more men. Maybe they took Ik-su too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""No way," an old lady shouted from her chair. "My grand niece from Gui'ren said she'd seen him just last week."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun jumped up and ran to her, dropping his bowl of stew to the ground. His hazel eyes glimmered with hope as he pleaded, "Granny Mi-rae, is it true? Oh, tell me, is he okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""They say he's fine," she replied, a little taken aback by his enthusiasm. "Gui'ren was burnt down by bandits, so it seems he's there to help."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun thanked her and rushed back to his comrades. His steps were uncertain and hands trembling as he placed what little belongings back in his bag with astonishing speed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""What are you guys waiting for?" he asked, looking around irritably. "We have to go! I have to make sure he's okay."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""We can't," Yona said softly. "I'm sorry."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""What do you mean you can't?" Yun snapped. "Your legs don't seem to be broken."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""We can't just leave our work half-finished," she told him, looking around. Yun had a nasty reply on his tongue, but it died as he followed her gaze. She was right. What would Ik-su think if he abandoned their village? His shoulders sank./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I'm sorry," he said. "Let's get back to work."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""That doesn't seem right either, Yun dear," Jae-ha said, stepping to his side. "How far is Gui'ren?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Gui'ren?" Yun mused. He thought for a moment then shook his head. "It can't be done. We'd only get there after nightfall by foot."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Who said anything of going by foot?" Jae-ha asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yona, could you spare us?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Understanding his intent, Yona grinned. "Of course!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun's lips trembled. The kindness of his comrades was truly overwhelming at times. Jae-ha stretched out his arms, leaving no time to hesitate./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Well?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Not here, idiot dragon," Yun hissed, wiping his eyes. "We don't want to be discovered. Come, I'll show you the way."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he chopped the ingredients for breakfast, he heard a crunch behind him. Delighted, he turned around./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Ik-su!" he called, ready to scold this foolish priest – but rather than the gentle smile of Ik-su, he was greeted with Zeno's cheerful grin. Yun's smile fell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I, um… Food will be ready soon," he muttered, returning to his work. Zeno's eyes glimmered with sympathy as he stepped next to him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Zeno promises we'll find him soon," he said. "He wouldn't leave you behind."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun's eyes filled with tears, but he turned his head to hide them. Clearing his throat, he asked, "You want to search the villages, yes?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Zeno just thought it could work," the blonde boy replied with a shrug. "You would know better than Zeno though."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""It should," said Yun thoughtfully, furrowing his brows. A place Ik-su could be… His expression brightened and he clapped his hands. "Of course! We must start with Katan."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Who's that?" Zeno asked, but Yun was in no mood to explain./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Go wake the others," he said, his eyes filled with determination. "I know where to start our search."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"…../span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""So what is this place, anyway?" asked Hak, dragging a cart full of edible roots and herbs. "And why do we need all these things?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Ik-su and I took care of this village," Yun replied. Although his shoulders were pulled down by the heavy load of herbs in his knapsack, he was far more cheerful than he had been the day before. "If anyone has seen him, it would be the people of Katan."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""A whole village? Yun, you really are a motherly soul," Yona laughed. Yun blushed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""You guys…" He sighed. "You'll understand when we get there."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Although the group all had assumptions about the place, the village was even more impoverished than they had expected. Its few dozen houses were built by a single road of mud bricks and reeds for roofs, their gardens full of rubble from fallen building materials. The eyes of the people were deep and sunken, only lighting up at the sight of Yun./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""You've come back," a middle-aged man called out in a raspy voice. "It's been so long…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Barely three months, Chief Sen-doh," Yun laughed. "And it's not like I've come empty handed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"A gaggle of children appeared from one of the shadow of a small hut, giggling and cheering despite their thin arms and sunken cheeks, singing Yun's praise. Elderly men and women of all ages began to appear in the street as well, albeit far more cautiously. Yun looked at his companions imploringly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Could you help me with this?" he asked in a whisper. "I want to make sure no one goes to sleep hungry today."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I'm here to help every last citizen of Kouka," Yona whispered back. "You prepare a stew – I'll go hunt some rabbits for it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Perfect," Yun said with a happy sigh. /spanspan lang="DE" style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter'; mso-ansi-language: DE;""Ki-ja, you—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Mister, Mister, why is your hair so white?" a little boy asked, tugging on the White Dragon's sleeve. "Are you very old?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""And why do you have such a funny hat, Ma'am?" his sister asked, pointing at Hak. "Is that a real sword?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Come now, children, let's not bother them too much," Sen said, gently herding them away. "They came to help fix things. Does anyone have a ball? Let's play with that instead."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Have you come to fix things?" Sen-doh asked intently as Sen and the children disappeared in a nearby shed. Hak, Ki-ja and Jae-ha glanced at each other before nodding. Shin-ah also stepped forward to indicate his desire to participate. The village chief smiled with satisfaction./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Then there's no reason to wait, is there? Let's get to work."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"The morning passed busily for all. Jae-ha wiped the sweat off his forehead with a sleeve as he placed the last bit of thatching needed to repair the roof he and Shin-ah were working on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""It's harder than it looks, no?" he asked Shin-ah. The Blue Dragon nodded, a bead of sweat dropping down his chin. Though he only rarely took off his sheepskin cloak, it had been long banished to hang on a tree branch./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I've never done this… before," he muttered. Jae-ha nodded understandingly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Ah right. You lived in a cave, no?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Mhm."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Do you miss it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Shin-ah shook his head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""This is livelier."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Lively, eh?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Jae-ha looked down from the roof, at Hak and Ki-ja replacing a beam with an older man explaining how they were doing it wrong, at Yun and Yona cooking, and Zeno helping an old woman find a comfortable seat outside. Young women carried water to the cooking station and middle-aged women brought reeds from a nearby pond to help mend the roofs. Sen appeared in a doorway, bending down so as not to hit her head, followed by the excited children of the village. In her hands was a ball fashioned from long grasses, cheap and ragged but the most beautiful thing those children had ever seen. She passed it to them, promising to make more for everyone, which lead to shrieks of joy erupting from the small crowd. Glancing up, she caught Jae-ha's eyes and smiled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Aren't you coming for lunch?" she called. He shook his head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I think we can work a little longer. Right, Shin-ah?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Turning his head, he realized the Blue Dragon had already jumped off the roof and was busily making his way towards Yun. Jae-ha sighed and followed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I thought you had a little more work left in you," Sen teased. Jae-ha feigned a pained expression./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I was betrayed," he said, gripping his chest. "Abandoned for stew."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Come on, you deserve a break," she replied, playfully slapping his shoulder. "Plus it's Yun's stew we're talking about. Anyone would betray you for that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Despite her praise, the stew looked quite unappetizing and watery, but no one seemed to mind. Hungry from their hard work, there was not a single person that wasn't convinced they weren't eating the best food of their entire lives and did not hesitate to say so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I haven't had anything this good since you left," Sen-doh said, licking his lips. "Ik-su has tried, but he isn't much of a chef."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun's eyes brightened./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""You've seen him?" he asked, pouncing on the opportunity to find out more. "Is he okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Hard to say," Sen-doh said thoughtfully. "It's been a few weeks since he's come by. I don't blame him, though. Things have been rough around here lately."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Drought?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""That, and soldiers. They come and take what little we have…" The village chief sighed and looked away. "They took my son last time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""But Tae-oh was so young!" Yun exclaimed. "Just around my age."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Old enough to be a soldier, it seems," Sen-doh said quietly. "Maybe they'll at least feed him in the army. There's not much for him to eat here."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""How can they do this?" Yona asked, indignant. "A sixteen-year-old is much too young to fight. What does the Fire Tribe need so many soldiers for, anyway?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Sen-doh shrugged, his eyes misty./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Who knows," he said, shaking his head. "They just want more men. Maybe they took Ik-su too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""No way," an old lady shouted from her chair. "My grand niece from Gui'ren said she'd seen him just last week."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun jumped up and ran to her, dropping his bowl of stew to the ground. His hazel eyes glimmered with hope as he pleaded, "Granny Mi-rae, is it true? Oh, tell me, is he okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""They say he's fine," she replied, a little taken aback by his enthusiasm. "Gui'ren was burnt down by bandits, so it seems he's there to help."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun thanked her and rushed back to his comrades. His steps were uncertain and hands trembling as he placed what little belongings back in his bag with astonishing speed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""What are you guys waiting for?" he asked, looking around irritably. "We have to go! I have to make sure he's okay."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""We can't," Yona said softly. "I'm sorry."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""What do you mean you can't?" Yun snapped. "Your legs don't seem to be broken."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""We can't just leave our work half-finished," she told him, looking around. Yun had a nasty reply on his tongue, but it died as he followed her gaze. She was right. What would Ik-su think if he abandoned their village? His shoulders sank./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""I'm sorry," he said. "Let's get back to work."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""That doesn't seem right either, Yun dear," Jae-ha said, stepping to his side. "How far is Gui'ren?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Gui'ren?" Yun mused. He thought for a moment then shook his head. "It can't be done. We'd only get there after nightfall by foot."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Who said anything of going by foot?" Jae-ha asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yona, could you spare us?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Understanding his intent, Yona grinned. "Of course!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';"Yun's lips trembled. The kindness of his comrades was truly overwhelming at times. Jae-ha stretched out his arms, leaving no time to hesitate./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Well?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';""Not here, idiot dragon," Yun hissed, wiping his eyes. "We don't want to be discovered. Come, I'll show you the way."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Bohemian Typewriter';" /span/p