Chapter 11

As soon as he was out of Yoon-Yi's room, Shin went straight for the pond. It was his favorite thinking spot, a place where he felt at peace. The late evening air was cold, and a sudden breeze ruffled his clothes, sending shivers along his spine. He remembered what happened earlier with Yoon-Yi and he quickly brushed a hand across his forehead. It felt hot against his cold hand. He frowned, letting out a sigh.

He walked over to the pond, the gravel shifting slightly under his feet. When he reached the water, he flopped down on the ground and stared off into the distance. The sky was a dark blue and its blackness was reflected eerily onto the pond. Shin let his mind roam, completely unaware of anything that happened around him.

Yoon-Yi's feverish attempts at keeping him close and his body's reaction to her kept nagging at the back of his mind. Feelings of annoyance and confusion filled his brain and he could not shake them off, no matter how hard he tried. As if inhaling the cold spring air could help clear his mind, he took deep breaths, letting them out slowly. Despite all these attempts, his mind was still working furiously, throwing at him thought after thought.

What the hell is wrong with me? Why does it bother me so much? They were nothing more than the rambles of a sick girl. Soon she will feel better and be just as annoying as ever.

Then, as proof of his mind working against him, an unwelcome image appeared in front of his eyes. Yoon-Yi raised her hand towards his face and her feeble smile came rushing back. He let out an annoyed huff, pressing both his hands against his face, rubbing vigorously.

"Don't tell me you've done something stupid again." A voice came from behind him, making Shin jump.

Jun-Ho had just walked along the same path and was now standing beside him, arms crossed. Even in the dim light Shin could see the amused expression he was wearing.

"What? No… No, I haven't done anything." Shin said, baffled at first, then added indignantly. "Why do you always assume I did something stupid?"

"Because you do." Jun-Ho said, shrugging and taking a seat beside Shin.

With a loud huff, Shin looked away. He pressed his hands together, hesitating for a second before opening his mouth to speak.

"What did the doctor say?" he asked in what he hoped was a neutral tone, still looking forward at the dark waters of the pond.

"Based on his opinion, it is not looking good." Jun-Ho said with a deep sigh.

At his words, Shin's fingers clenched tightly for the briefest of seconds, but Jun-Ho did not notice. He was looking down at his feet, his expression worried and sad.

"But if her temperature drops by tomorrow, then she will be out of danger." Jun-Ho added in a slightly more hopeful tone, finally looking at his silent companion. "She still needs to recover, though, so it will be a slow process. He has given Yoon-Yi medicine that should help with the pain and fever. She needs to take it for at least a week after she wakes up."

"That's good." Shin said quietly.

He avoided Jun-Ho's attempts at catching his eye. He just did not want him to see right through his mask of indifference. It was still too early to explore any possibilities or strange thoughts his mind might be forming. Instead, he took a deep breath and shifted the conversation in a different direction, though Yoon-Yi still remained the main subject.

"Do you think she is the one? The Kim girl your father talked about?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see."

Silence fell between them. It was a comfortable silence, one they used to have when they were young. Whenever they had a lot on their minds, they would come to the pond or climb onto the rooftop and talk for hours, until they had nothing else to say. Then, they would simply sit side by side, engulfed in the peaceful atmosphere that existed between them.

"What do you think about the man from the river?" Shin broke the silence after a few minutes.

"The one with the black sword tattoo?" Jun-Ho asked pensively. "I don't know what to think."

"What if he really is a Black Sword member?"

"Then there is nothing much we can do about it." Jun-Ho replied with a shrug.

Shin's eyes narrowed and a frown suddenly appeared on his forehead. He spoke in a deep, thoughtful voice.

"I just find it strange that a member of such a mysterious group suddenly shows up, accompanied by someone other than his comrades and he just decides to attack us in broad daylight."

"That is somewhat strange, I agree." Jun-Ho said slowly. "What do you think he was after?"

"I don't know, but he seemed awfully interested in taking Yoon-Yi away."

"Oh, Shin, but that is not strange at all. Who wouldn't be interested in stealing her away?" Jun-Ho said with a sudden teasing note in his voice.

"Don't be an idiot!" Shin snapped, glaring an Jun-Ho. "I was being serious here. For whatever reason, he seemed very determined to kidnap her."

"I was being serious too." Jun-Ho cried out indignantly. "Have you seen her, Shin? She is adorable and one cannot be surprised if strangers do try to fight over her."

"There is just no point in talking to you." Shin grumbled, getting up to his feet and walking away briskly.

Jun-Ho's chuckles followed Shin through the night, making him scowl at the darkness.

***

While Yoon-Yi was desperately fighting off her fever, far away, Hanyang, the capital city, was fast asleep. The moon was high up in the sky, surrounding the Palace with an eerie white light. Somewhere in that maze of buildings, pavilions, and halls, stood a man, clouded in darkness. His red robes fluttered in the wind and he shivered slightly. He wore a wide-topped black hat, which covered most of his face, but even so it was clear that he was past his youth. His mouth twisted slightly; he was growing impatient. The person whom he was expecting was late and he very much wanted to get out of the biting cold.

He was sitting inside a deserted pavilion where draft and cold were sipping through his thin clothes, making his body shudder. With a twitch of his hands, he wrapped the overcoat tighter around his old body.

Suddenly, a soft sound was caught by the wind and a rustle of clothes reached the man's ears.

"You're late." He said in a displeased voice, not turning to look at the person who joined him in the pavilion.

"I apologize for my tardiness, sir." A deep voice came from the darkness behind him.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"And the body?" the old man asked in an eager voice, suppressing another shiver.

"It will be removed and taken to a safe place." The voice said evenly.

"Good." The old man approved, his mouth curving upward into a satisfied smile. "And the girl?"

"What happened at the river was just a small setback, sir. Now we know where she is."

"Well?"

"She is at the Left State Councilor, Kim Jong-Seo's house."

"Hm, it will not be easy to get her out of there." The old man said slowly, his tone rather pensive than annoyed.

"She will be caught soon, sir. We will not fail." The voice said firmly but with a slight tinge of worry.

"I hope so. After all, failure should not be in your vocabulary, now should it?" the old man's lips twisted into a cruel smile.

"No, sir." The dark figure said briskly, his head bowed even though no one was looking at him.

"Very well. I will be awaiting good news from you soon." the old man finished, his back still turned away.

He waved a hand in dismissal and the dark figure bowed and left with a soft swish. As he was leaving, he pushed his black straw hat further down his face and the moonlight caught his left hand, revealing the tattoo of a black sword. It was slightly faded, and a thin white scar crossed it through the middle.

The old man was alone again. He pressed his hands together and rubbed them vigorously in an attempt to warm them up.

"Blasted cold! My body is not what it used to be." he mumbled to himself while walking away from the pavilion.