The Rebellion (Preview)

Chapter 4 - Leader

"Why do you have a surname?"

The blindfolded ride on horseback was excruciatingly dull. Haneul refused to answer my questions despite his insistence that I come with him.

"You know," he said, "you're making me wish that I had a second scarf for your mouth."

"Only the upper class and royalty have a surname. How did you get the name Sok if you're part of the Rebellion?"

"Am I part of the Rebellion?" he teased. "I don't remember saying that."

I elbowed him. "Enough of your stupid games! Why won't you answer my questions?"

His hand came to my mouth, forcing my head back against his chest as his breath came to my ear.

"I can't guarantee your safety," he growled, "if you don't stop barking."

His fingers were rough against my lips - a sign of a man who had fought in battles for some time. Saejun had similar calluses on his hands when we were younger, but I could tell that Haneul's calluses were those of someone with far more fighting experience even though I was sure him and Saejun were the same age.

I had asked Haneul what his age was, but he only replied that he outranked me. Even if he was younger, he said, I would still have to speak formally to him.

Like hell I would.

"We're here," he sang in my ear. "Try to make a good impression, sweetheart. I taught my men to kill strangers."

He pulled the blindfold from my eyes as he slid off the horse. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could make out the silhouettes of small, thatched houses scattered around an empty clearing.

Haneul held a hand out and flicked his fingers to command me to get off the horse. I complied. As soon as I dropped next to him, however, he wrapped the scarf around my mouth.

"What do you think you're doing?" I protested, my words half-covered with the scarf.

"Much better," he replied. "That tongue is going to get both of us into trouble."

His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to him. I pushed back against his chest, protesting through the scarf around my mouth.

"You know," he said, "this is a camp full of men that don't get to leave base often. I can only imagine what they'd do with a cute little thing such as yourself."

I let the words process while looking around the base. Shadows walked from one hut to the next, the moonlight hitting the whites of their eyes as they turned to look at us. I curled my fingers against Haneul's robes, wondering if I was seeing ghosts instead of human beings.

He only chuckled.

"Stick with me," he said. "You won't get out of this alive otherwise."

Putting my hands against my back, he pushed me deeper into camp. I could have easily thrown him off, but his grip was possessive; and by the looks in the eyes of the men we passed, it was safer to be possessed. Their eyes made it clear that they had no reservations to kill. I assumed they already had.

There must have been at least two dozen small houses in the clearing, with recently used fire pits between them. I could smell the charred meat, making my stomach turn in jealousy. I couldn't remember the last time my brother and I had eaten meat, if I was honest.

Haneul turned me to face him, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"Once we enter," he said, "don't speak unless you're spoken to. This will either go well or tragically for you."