A Peaceful Silence (Akatsuki no Yona Shinah X OC)

An Open Road

"You know he doesn't think like that. He cares about you. A lot."

Ezra glanced sharply at Hak, an eyebrow raised in question. "Oh? And you're an expert on these matters?"

Hak shrugged. "All I know is that you need to tell him how you feel. I don't think he'll feel comfortable talking to you until you clear all this up for him."

She knew he was right; he was saying the exact same thing that her own heart and brain had been telling her for weeks. But just because she knew he was right didn't mean she wanted to hear it. "And what about you, huh?" she pressed him, eager to change the subject. "When are you going to tell a certain princess how you feel?"

Hak clenched his jaw. "Things aren't that simple."

Ezra laughed. "These things are never simple, Hak; that's no good excuse. I can't believe how blind the both of you are."

"We are not," Hak disagreed. "I am perfectly capable of handling these unwanted feelings."

"Uh huh." Ezra raised an eyebrow quizzically. "And your staring at her while she's wearing nothing but a bandage on her chest accomplishes this how?"

Hak blushed. "I was not staring."

"A meteor could've hit the inn and you wouldn't have looked away."

"Lies."

"I'm right and you know it."

"What I do know is that you're wrong and you should never pick up a glaive again because you absolutely suck at wielding it."

"Hey!" Ezra exclaimed, smacking his arm. "That was uncalled for! Why do you have to go and attack my glaive-wielding abilities? I'm trying my best, okay?"

Hak let out a loud laugh. "Your arms start shaking with exhaustion after spending barely ten minutes with it."

"Your glaive is just ridiculously heavy, alright?" Ezra pouted. "There's no need to be throwing insults at my combat abilities. I'm just trying to get you to see what's in front of your nose."

"You're ridiculous," Hak scoffed. "There's nothing in front of my nose."

Ezra smacked her forehead. "This is exactly what I'm talking about."

"What are you guys talking about?" Yona asked, drifting back to walk alongside Ezra.

"Doe-Eye here was just insulting my glaive-wielding abilities," Ezra said with a pout. "Say something to him, Yona!"

Yona frowned at Hak. "Hak, be nice to Ezra. She's really trying."

Hak rolled his eyes. "She's about as graceless with the glaive as you are with the sword."

Yona's jaw fell open. "Now you're just insulting both of us!"

"Yeah. And?" Hak raised his eyebrows, challenging her.

"Meanie," Yona muttered.

Ezra threw her head back and laughed.

~~~

A few hours later found the group walking along a dirt road lined with trees. Ezra adjusted the ties around her wrists, ensuring that her shuriken were in their proper places. Her sword sheath was slung across her back once more, making her feel much more comfortable in her own skin. Going about in Shisen without her beloved swords had felt wrong to her.

Her spine straightened and her muscles tensed when she felt Shinah step up behind her.

"Ezra," Shinah said in her ear, his voice low.

"What is it?" Ezra asked, fighting to keep her voice level. He was so close to her!

"Look at Yona," he said quietly.

Ezra glanced over at her friend. Yona's face had drained of color, and her steps were dragging. The princess was not used to being wounded, much less moving around so much while the pain hindered her every step.

"Are you alright, Yona?" Ezra called, concerned. "You look pale."

"I'm fine," Yona said with a smile that looked suspiciously forced.

"Does your back hurt?" Yun asked.

"Nope," Yona said with a shake of her head.

Hak stopped beside her and bent down to get closer to her face. He raised a hand to place it on her forehead. "You're warm; you have a little fever," he said.

Yona blushed furiously at his closeness. "I'm fine."

"Your face is red. Your fever must be going up," Ezra teased.

Yona flushed even darker. "I-it's not red!"

"What should we do?" Yun asked. "Sensui is still some ways away, and there are no inns nearby."

"I can go on ahead and carry her to Sensui," Jaeha suggested.

"Oh, that'd be great!" Yun agreed immediately.

Jaeha shrugged off his heavy pack, handing it to Kija. "You guys can sense my presence, right?"

Kija nodded as he accepted the pack.

"I'm sorry, Jaeha," Yona said as she climbed onto the Ryokuryu's back. Her easy agreement to allow Jaeha to carry her to Sensui confirmed Ezra's suspicions; the princess was in a lot of pain.

"You can sleep on my back without any worries, Yona dear," he responded. With Yona securely in his grasp, Jaeha coiled himself and jumped, soaring off into the sky.

Ezra shielded her eyes with her hand. "I'll never get used to seeing that."

"Let's keep moving," Hak said, his eyes serious.

Ezra rolled her eyes as the group followed after him. The Thunder Beast was always in a bad mood whenever Jaeha took Yona. Jealousy wasn't a good look on him.

~~~

Clouds gathered overhead as they walked.

"Not again," Ezra complained, wrapping her cloak around her shoulders as the first drops of rain began to come down.

"We're almost to Sensui," Yun told her. "Hopefully Jaeha and Yona will have found an inn by now so we'll have a place to dry off." He almost sounded as if he were trying to convince himself as much as Ezra.

As they continued to travel, the slight rain turned into a downpour. Ezra hunkered miserably into the soaked fabric of her cloak, finding no warmth in the now-useless garment. Water flowed in rivulets down her face, soaking her midnight hair and sending chills down her neck. She wasn't sure if the chills were due entirely to the rain, or if they were caused, in part, by the growing sensation of dread that she felt coiling in the pit of her stomach.

"Are we almost there?" she asked.

"I can sense Jaeha a little more strongly now. He shouldn't be far off," Kija said. "This way."

Ezra fought down a shiver as she followed. What awaited them in Sensui?