The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 54: The Next Step

"BE QUIET, YOU ANIMALS!!!!" Yoon thundered and Calista swore she felt her soul leave her body. Then, in a more calm and orderly manner, he declared, "We're almost there."

The dragons froze, and she heard Hak muttering to Jae-ha about how the self-proclaimed pretty boy had more right to speak than all of them combined. She bit the inside of her cheek to quell the laughter bubbling up in her chest. 

After all, they were in uncharted Wind Tribe territory. They had to be careful. Hak stuck to Yona's side like glue, and as much as she wanted to, she didn't poke fun at him.

Her gaze darted around warily as they passed through the valley where the Fire Tribe had thrown them over the edge. 

Well... She glanced at the excited princess and caught Hak gazing at her softly while she wasn't looking. Technically, they didn't really push us over, but still.

She caught Jae-ha's gaze, who wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the princess and her bodyguard pointedly. She had to break eye contact or else she was going to lose whatever thread of self-control she had left. 

And she knew her brother wouldn't be fond of her teasing. 

Hak tilted his head to the side subtly and she grinned, zipping ahead to scout. As soon as she was clear of all the others, her instincts kicked in.

Her ears honed in on the sounds of the forest around her, looking for any anomalies or breaks in the quiet. She scouted for soldiers and bandits, but thankfully found none. Keen, silver eyes scanned the foliage for any signs of abnormal movement, but once again, she came up empty-handed.

Thank goodness. They didn't need any trouble right now.

Calista crouched down low as Ik-soo's hut finally came into view, the silence deafening. A frown set on the corners of her mouth and she quietly drew her blades. The clumsy priest was never this quiet in the few days that she had been around him, always tripping over his own two feet.

Something was wrong. 

As she cautiously entered the hut, she stilled in shock. Everything was turned upside down, knocked over or displaced. But what was in the corner caught her full attention. 

Yoon threw open the door to the hut with vigor, having caught up to her easily due to his apprehension of seeing his guardian again for the first time in months. 

"Ik-soo, we're back!!"

His joy was short-lived as he cried out in alarm, gaze settling on the crumpled form in the corner, with a raven-haired girl huddled over him.

Calista shifted back, scanning for any signs of a threat, but found nothing. Across the room, Hak adjusted his stance protectively in front of the stunned princess, cobalt gaze sweeping the premises. 

Yoon rushed to the priest, lifting various debris off of him.

Calista's eyes widened in shock as she saw blood streaked across his forehead in an aggressive crimson and she dropped down beside the distraught boy, turning Ik-soo over gently on his back. He had lost the slippers Yoon had woven for him before they left, and the priest's bare feet were caked in grime.

His eyes fluttered open, and she was struck with how unfocused they were.

"Y-Yoon?" He murmured weakly, as if he couldn't believe he was right there in front of him. 

"Don't move!" Yoon's hands were a blur as he worked to find out where the injury was. "What happened?! Was it thieves?!"

"Ah..." Ik-soo looked incredibly sheepish and Calista immediately shot him a wary look. "I got so hungry that I knocked over everything.