The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 15: Encountering the Fire Tribe

The trio had been traveling for a while now. 

Before they had parted from the Wind Tribe, Mundok instructed them to look for a priest. The amount of confusion on Yona's face was almost ridiculous, but then Calista remembered that unlike Soo-won, the princess had no idea about the matters outside of the castle. Even within it, she was willing to bet that the princess wasn't aware of the intricacies that went on. 

Before Calista had left with Hak and Yona, she ducked back into her hut, gathering up the rest of her assortment of various weapons, and shoved several rolls of bandages in a small satchel that could be attached to her hip. After a moment of consideration, she packed a couple extra white ones as wraps for her hands. 

Just in case...

She secured several knives to her ankles, and tucked a few more under the belt around her waist. Her daggers shone perilously in the light, and she strapped two more to her thighs.

As she tossed one last look back at her old room, Calista suddenly realized what she was doing. 

It's different this time. She tried to convince herself furiously. Yona is not Soo-won.

Mundok explained that if Yona was unsure as to where to go next, and how to live, that the priest could offer some insight to her. 

So, they headed off in the direction. According to the elder, the priest was hiding somewhere on Wind Tribe territory. Calista had narrowed her eyes at that. In all her nighttime excursions while she lived in the capitol, she had not once ever noticed a priest. 

They had made considerable distance from Fuuga, and Calista was doing her best to ignore her conflicted feelings. 

Yona was her master now, but she wanted so badly to turn tail and run back to Mundok and Tae-yeon, and live there without a care in the world, but that's not what she promised herself she would do. 

The assassin fell into step with the princess.

"Your Highness," Yona turned to look at Calista. "May I ask you something?"

Yona nodded eagerly, while Hak grumbled something incoherent from up ahead.

"What made you decide you didn't want to hide?" Calista tilted her face up to the sky.

Her wide lavender eyes were shocked. "How did you know?"

Calista tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "May I speak freely, Your Highness?"

The princess immediately agreed. "Of course, and you don't have to be so formal with me, Calista. We are friends after all."

Calista bowed slightly. "Of course, Your Highness."

Yona gestured for her to continue after she blatantly ignored her instructions, knowing the secretive raven-haired girl must have her own reason.

"You were sheltered. It would be easy to hide in the Wind Tribe. Something happened or you saw something that jerked you out of that mindset. What was it?"

Yona was surprised at her spot-on observation, but then again, the assassin had shown time and time again that she was incredibly keen.

"I went to the medical tent." Her eyes swam with a mix of conflicted emotions. "I saw the merchants that were being tended to, the ones that were attacked by bandits. Er, I think Han-dae said it was the Fire Tribe, actually. But anyways, I saw what it was like. I saw the blood, and it reminded me of my father. I decided I didn't want to stand by and do nothing while people were getting hurt because of me."