Agonisingly slow, they walked back to the others.
There dark aura clear from the pale glow of ordinary people. Regret washed over (y/n) like the long slow waves on a shallow beach. Why did she let herself go? She knew it was wrong. She knew it even more as she retold her life events to Jungkook. Each word she spoke, each wave, was icy cold and sent shivers down her spine. She longed to go back in time. To never enter her old home again and to take a different path. But now that was impossible. A boy she once knew was now dancing with death.
She started the music gave the cue to waltz, counted them in. There was no way back. Even if she knew Hoseok would lead and call off the dance, she still felt guilty. It had sunk too deep. There was no way to make it right. The remorse would eat at her inside to out. She envied the pebbles under her feet, lifeless, unable to feel the torments of life.
Yoongi was also seething in anger because if her. It felt like she had become such a horrid person so quick. She never meant to be. She wondered if it's just what happens when you take jealously, that was so strong, and mix it up with ambition and fear. Every decision she ever made, was built on a combination of these factors in hand. Then why had this one backfired so bad? The picture of Yoongi standing there, staring at her with such disgust in his eyes was all she could see. She didn't know why he was angry at her, but she still felt guilty.
The two finally reached the camp. It was around two hundred meters into the forest, just where the trees thickened. It was safe enough from the civilians. (Not that they had the guts to enter more than ten feet into the forest.) Namjoon was kneeling in the dirt over a small pile of sticks, blowing the tinder, hoping for the dried leaves to ignite into flames. Yoongi had his eyes closed, a scowl present on his face. He sat crossed legged under a great oak. (Y/n) couldn't see Hoseok nor could she sense him, but she knew he was here.
She had an apology to make.
"Where's Hoseok?"
"Just down there" Namjoon pointed further into the forest. She gave a quick nod and made her way down the slight dip.
"Hoseok...Hoseok I need to talk." She whispered out - not quite sure how far she needed to go.
"Hello," a faint voice replied. It was weak and horse but still held life. (Y/n) eyes widened in relief of finding the boy. She rushed overhastily.
"Look I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, but I shouldn't have hurt you. Please-" (y/n) spluttered out her words, they merging into one incoherent noise that begged for forgiveness.
Hoseok sat up, listening. His beaten eyes bore into her stature. "It's ok" he cut her off, deciding he had head enough of her rambling.
"No, it's not" she objected.
Gently he rubbed the front of his neck. "Honestly it's fine," he chuckled slightly. "but I don't think I can go back looking like this"
That was true. People would be hunting for her the instant they saw the state of him. A new flood of guilt washed over once more. It felt like ice in her gut. It could be a hundred degrees out and still be frozen there. She couldn't seem to shrug it off. She needs to fix it. She wanted to be perfect, to be better than him as a little kid, and it killed her that she wasn't. But now she had done it. She had beaten him, and it felt horrid.
Something was tugging in her mind telling her to fix it, that she didn't have to like him. She just had to make it right. An idea had planted. Was she repaired to do it? Before she could think things through she blurted out. "You don't have too." She cursed her mouth for running ahead.
"What do you mean?" He question.
"Your night blade, right?"
"Yeah, I guess but " (y/n) cut into his sentence.
"Well so am I and the others, you could always come with us. Pulse I'm sure Shiro would like to meet you especially as you can hide your sense, or whatever it is you do."
" I can't leave. I have responsibilities." He couldn't just leave the chief and the clan. They had taken a big enough whiplash when (y/n) left. Rumours would start again, Myrrka would be looked down upon once more, but would they ok again, they would survive another round. He didn't know.
But the offer sounded interesting. Hoseok was under constant stress.
The chief had named him next in line. He never wanted to be in charge of all the people. He thought about how (y/n) just disappeared. If she did it, why couldn't he? As much as he hates to admit it, it did sound nice to escape. Not to have to hold back on his strength and skills. To be surrounded by people like him.
It wasn't like him to take off and leave, but Hoseok wanted to be free, not constrained by some rules where he would be held accountable for every action he made. Maybe this was the only way out "Maybe I should do a runner as you did." He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He could very well regret this.
"Again, I'm sorry ." She said, relieved he had agreed.
"Stop it, I understand." He smiled a little and watched as (y/n) stood up. Watched as she brushed the no existent dirt of her clothes. Her feet moved in front of the other in the direction she came in. With a sudden thought, she spun around on her heel.
"Oh and please don't tell Yoongi and Namjoon that I'm the dead daughter of the chief, I want to tell them in my own time,"
"Not the other one."
"Oh, Jungkook. He already knows" She smiled. She could make this work. She could move on from her jealousy a little bit at a time. Hoseok nodded. "Get some rest. I'll talk to the others about you coming along in the morning," she called out one more time before disappearing into the trees. He watched her figure go before rolling onto his side without hurting as much as he could.
~~~
(Y/n) eyes bored into the orange fire. Smouldering, it flickered and flared and spat, a small shower of sparks like a fountain. Towers of black-grey smoke, wound itself around the trees like a serpent, choking the night with noxious fumes. Ash fell to the ground. She watched the glowing embers leapt and twirled in a fiery dance, twinkling like stars in the hot swirling air
before cascading to earth.
Her consciousness ebbed at her mind and went into free fall, swirling the beautiful chaos of a new dream. The darkness etched closer and closer, not leaving an inkling of light.
She forced her body to move, but she was paralysed, not even a finger twitch. Icy clouds formulated at a breath - the cold air bite at her nose and ears. The silhouette of a man draped in white came closer, each step agonisingly slow. The hilt of a sword rested loosely in his wrinkled hand the blade sliced the air screaming a battle cry of its own. In the other, a handle of ropes hung. He was close, and in an instant further away and then closer again. His breath tickled the back of her neck. Then came the no existent pain of sliced flesh from a sword and the slashed skin from a wipe. She wailed out as blood poured from the fresh cuts. But she couldn't feel anything. She was numb. Sweat trickled down her body fusing with the crimson blood making a cocktail of torment. It felt undeniably real to (y/n).
~~
He was tired as hell, weary with the burden of long-closed eyes; Yoongi could have easily pulled off being a zombie, dead on the inside but subconsciously awake. He tossed and turned on the dirt ground.
Watching the embers flicker out. He didn't know what to do? Not about the boy nor (y/n). Jungkook tried to tell him it wasn't (y/s)'s fault, but that wasn't the point. He felt betrayed that she was hiding something from them. He didn't know what, it could have been her time to kill or something to do with her past, ever way he didn't like it. The other problem was Hoseok he had no presence. It made him nervous. He needs to take him to Shiro to find out what was wrong with the kid.
These thoughts circled in his head and never settled. The idea of sleeping was a luxury that he could only dream of for tonight. He watched over the camp instead.
Namjoon and Jungkook were curled up, by the extinguished fire their chest rose and fell gently. Hoseok was by a tree out the way. They tried their best to bandage him, but it was a lot harder than it seems, Shiro would usually do that for them.
Then there was (y/n). The girl kept shaking her head mutely while she slept. She'd been like that a fifteen minutes tops. The constant shuffling was because more than irritating.
He could take it anymore. He was mad at (y/n), yes, but it didn't mean he like seeing the girl in such a state. He carefully tips toed over to the sleeping figure. Sweat was plastered all over her hair and forehead. Her eyelashes pressed heavily onto her skin. He could only assume it was a nightmare that regularly visited her nights. Gently he shook her shoulders. She bolted up coughing and sputtering for air. Her heart was hammering in her rip cage. Tears moistened her cheeks as she tried to regain her mind.
"Come here," Yoongi whispered with a sign. She hesitated, her eyes darted back and forth, trying to avoid eye contact. No sooner, he had pulled her close. He unravelled at the touch. His softness is his greatest asset and his most profound weakness when shown. It rarely was seen by anyone he'd met: Namjoon, Jungkook, (y/n) and maybe Shiro only. He looked down to see her shoulders shake in the gloom, this girl had grown into a warrior so fast, and whilst he didn't understand the reasons behind her drive, he respects it. But here I'm his arms she was reduced, to a frail puppet held in place by a single fraying string.
"I'm sorry" She spoke, her voice was muffled by his chest. She waited for a response, but none came."Yoongi I didn't mean to do that to him, it was an accident." She pleaded again. She was broke, her mind a scramble from dreams and memories. Yoongi let the world sink into his head. She sounded truthful, but he still didn't have it in him forgive her, not till he knew why.
"So you weren't ready to kill?" He let the question sit in the air as his fingers continue to brush through the tangled knots in her hair.
"No."
At least that option had been crossed off, leaving only two. (y/n) past, or her sanity. A gust of cold wind crept along the forest floor and under there bodies. (Y/n)'s hand moves around Yoongi's middle it was warm and soft. Finally, she gave in to his hold. In seconds her body moulded to his own, sharing their warmth.
Yoongi could never let another close to him like this. But the girl had managed to squeeze her way into his heart. He'd never known a person to be, even when she's wrong and he was mad. Perhaps there was a subtle purity to her, the naivety that drew him in. "I'm glad," He paused for a moment, extending his sense further into the woods. The wave of energy from all life hit him hard. He brought his focus back to the girl he held on too. "Do you know him?"
He watched a conflict flash across her face, choosing whether or not to tell him. "Yeah, we kinda grew up together." she finally replied. Her voice was still a mumble in his chest.
"So you're related?" He questioned.
"No" She looked up at him. " Are you still mad?" Her tears had stopped, leaving only their tell-tale wet tracks down her face. Her breath was now deep and even.
Yoongi's eyelids had become heavy. He pulled the blanket over them, and shuffled, so they were laying down, her head on his chest. She listened to him sign again. "Honestly I don't know, It doesn't help that I hate everything about this place, makes me grumpy." He shuddered at the thought of the monk's cold grip around his shoulder.
The hard stares of his parents as he got taken away, they just looked on in disgust, ashamed of him. The points and whispers he received as he travelled on the horse through the clan of Myrrka to reach the monastery.
"Same," She said it a hushed tone.
"I thought you lived here. I'm pretty sure everyone is patriotic from here."
"No, not everyone." The same sight that escaped Yoongi's dry lips moments ago came repeated.
It was slow as if his brain needed that time to process what had happened. His eyes remained fixed on the once salmon and purple sky, now an expanse of jet-black that engulfed the forest. A canopy of luminous stars materialised amongst the ocean of blackness, hidden behind vast trees. Some were dull, merely flickering into extinction, but there was an adequate amount of shimmering stars to illuminate the dark, moonless night.
"Why do you hate it?" His eyes moved from the sky to the girl.
She looked up his face had the same structure as the gods. He had the same deep brown eyes and pale skin. He was still slender despite his year's training, toned and not at all stooped. She knew if she were to gain his trust once more, she would have to tell him.
"I'll tell you in exactly one week after this has blown over and if I don't get Jungkook to tell you."
"You told him?"
"Yeah, when he found me."
"Well don't expect all rainbows and sunshine from me till I find out." She nodded. Yoongi's mouth set into a semi-pout. The crease deepened between his brow. He could feel his energy leave him like an ink stain into blotting paper. He just wanted to sleep at this point. "Sleep now." He told her. She obeyed. Her dainty eyelashes pressed into her check's and soft breath fell.
(Thank you for reading xxxx)