[Arthdal Chronicles] Fight for freedom

CHAPTER 45: Eunseom.

The sun was slowly coming down and its light cast beautiful rays near the waterfall where Miroosol and Eunseom were training. Their wooden swords held firmly in their hands, they exchanged strikes and parries. Miroosol was a good fighter and he liked training with her. Over the time they had spent together, a certain complicity had developed between them. She was often of good advices and unlike the chatterbox Ipsaeng, she was also a good listener when he needed an attentive ear. It was nothing more than a friendship but one of those that seemed evident at the first look.

He was getting the upper hand on his opponent when a voice pulled them out of their training fight.

"Inaishingi!" Tachoogan called out as he was hurrying to them, "Inaishingi," he repeated once he reached them. His hands on his knees, he paused to try to catch his breath.

"What's wrong?" Eunseom asked, suddenly worried.

"We have some unexpected visitors," Tachoogan replied as he straightened himself.

"Who are they?" Miroosol asked before Eunseom had the time to, "Arthdal?"

"Most likely. MooMyung, the one who is apparently the leader of the group of five, said he was searching for a man called Eunseom. He even has a drawing of you! He told me that he had a message for you."

"From who? Tagon?" Miroosol questioned with worries.

"No. From the High Priestess of Arthdal, Asa Tanya Niruha."

"Tanya?" Eunseom repeated, "did you say Tanya?" asked again for confirmation and when Tachoogan nodded, he approached him and grabbed him by his shoulders, surprising him, "where are those people?"

"At the entrance of the village. They were quite docile. We deprived them of their weapons, tied them up, gagged them and we are keeping a close eye on them since it could be a trick from that sly Tagon. It's actually a miracle that they managed to come that far into our territory without being spotted by our sentries. We probably should reinforce the security."

Eunseom didn't reply to Tachoogan. He wasn't really listening to him anymore anyway. He was already hurrying toward the entrance of the village and Tachoogan's voice seemed far away though he was following just behind, Miroosol just next to him.

His heart was beating so fast in his chest that he felt it could go out any moment. Tanya had sent him a message, she wanted, maybe even needed, to tell him something and he was as nervous as he was happy. It could be a trap from Arthdal indeed. But Tagon only knew him as Eunseom. There, in the Agoha Forest, he was Inaishingi. Was Tagon aware that they were the same person? Maybe. Maybe it could have come to his ears and maybe he was using Tanya to attack him but Eunseom didn't want to believe that. He wanted to believe that Tanya had reached for him by herself, as Tanya, to talk to him as Eunseom.

It had been approximately one year since the last time they spoke together. They had been separated on a sunny day in Iark. A sunny day during which everything was going well, until the Daekans brought chaos to their peaceful day. He could have run away with her, if only that masked warrior had not wrapped his chains around her ankle and had not taken her away from him. He had tried to rescue her from the city she had been brought in, in vain. Many things had happened since he had left Arthdal. He had been beaten up, forced to give up his name, seen his friends die, been reduced to slavery. He had given up then found hope again. He had fought for himself and for the people now around him. He was Inaishingi. The symbol of hope for the Ago Tribe, a tribe now his, living in a place that was now his home. One year, and Tanya had never left his thoughts. He knew she was safe. He was often seeing her in his dreams. She had become someone important in Arthdal. People bowed to her as she passed by and, according to the smiles on their faces, they loved her.