Ballad of the Mountain Fox

제 29 장: Dissonance

"So, you've found the runaway, have you?"

Nara forced her expression to remain neutral, and fought to control her trembling as the largest of the bounty hunters shoved her forward. Somehow, she managed to raise her gaze from the expensive black leather shoes before her and make eye contact with the very man she had been trying so hard to escape from—Seok Ji Hoon.

The gray-haired man gave a humorless smile. "Why, if it isn't the little thief. You look as if you've been having a rough time."

Nara's hands balled into fists at her sides, but she said nothing.

The retired royal ceramics master turned his attention to the three thugs behind Nara. "You've done well," he said, throwing them a ring of coins. The yellow-toothed scrawny one caught it with one hand and began to count them along with the brute who had pushed Nara earlier. However, the third bounty hunter—Yong, as the other two called him—remained where he was and crossed his arms, his biceps flexing as he did so. The black dragon tattoo on the man's upper arm had become quite familiar to Nara in her past week of captivity, but she still couldn't help the shudder that passed through her as it rippled over his skin.

"The price has doubled," Yong said. "For the inconvenience of having to travel out of our way to find you and return your property."

"I'll increase the price by half, but no more," Ji Hoon replied tersely. "And you will help me bring her back."

Yong paused, then nodded. "Acceptable."

As Ji Hoon carefully counted out the additional coins, Nara thought it wise that Yong hadn't pushed the matter further. When dealing with a man like Ji Hoon who had such powerful connections with royals, it was best not to get on his bad side...like she had.

Nara cringed as Ji Hoon's attention returned to her. The five of them had met at the edge of the woods outside the town, away from any curious eyes. There was no escape.

"So you thought you could just leave?" Ji Hoon asked her. "Shame. I thought you were more intelligent than that."

She didn't see the hand until it was too late, and pain exploded across her cheek. Nara staggered backwards with the force of the blow, blinking back tears as she held up a hand to cool the heat spreading across the left side of her face.

"How dare you," Ji Hoon said, and this time he was unable to keep the anger from his voice. "How dare you run, after all that's happened. You thought you could outsmart me, by faking your death? I'll make you wish you were dead! What a stupid notion—to think you could run away!"

Nara straightened up and kept her eyes focused on a clump of dirt at her feet. "There is nothing there for me anymore."

"You call the law nothing?" Ji Hoon hissed. "You and your entire family are nothing but criminals, and deserve to be treated as such!"

Nara's jaw clenched. "I am not a criminal."

"The court ruled otherwise. How many times must I tell you? You are mine. Now get moving! You three—make sure she doesn't escape on the way back."

Yong's stern glare was all the motivation Nara needed to follow after Ji Hoon. The tree-lined route they took was away from the crowds, and soon they approached the nicer part of town. The bounty hunters followed close on Nara's heels, making escape impossible, even if she had been rested and fed enough to seriously consider it.

Nara's gaze remained mostly on the shadowed path before her, but as they approached one particularly large house, a voice caused her to look up.

"Nara!"