A shuffling noise caught Donghae’s attention and he jerked awake, hand flying to the dagger at his belt as he slowly sat up. Nearby, he heard Ryeowook shifting as well, presumably reaching for his bow, although Eunhyuk remained sound asleep.

“Relax.” Two figures strolled into the clearing they had designated the spot they’d meet up if they were split up. “We come in peace.”

Rolling his eyes but relaxing nonetheless, Donghae slipped his dagger back into his belt and sat up. “Took you guys long enough.”

“Sorry,” one replied. “We had a little problem to take care of.

The other murmured something and pointed to the middle of the clearing, starting a small fire. His brownish-blond hair glowed in the reddish light as he crouched down and began warming his hands. He cast a glance at the still snoozing Eunhyuk. “Remind me never to put him on watch again. And someone wake him up. He’ll give away our position.”

“Can’t you just put up a barrier around us, Leeteuk?” Donghae asked. “Like you’re already doing with the fire?” He gave the other man a pointed look and Leeteuk grinned slowly.

“Fine.” He made a gesture and went back to warming his hands. The mostly invisible barrier around them flickered, then appeared stronger than before.

The other figure sat down beside Ryeowook and yanked a handful of leaves from a nearby tree. He drew his sword and began cleaning the still-fresh blood from the blade. “Run into a little trouble, Kyuhyun?” asked Donghae.

“Nothing I couldn’t eliminate,” Kyuhyun replied bluntly and Ryeowook cringed, shifting away from the other elf and turning towards the fire so he wouldn’t have to see the blood. It was fascinating how the two were so different despite being so close.

“Have you seen the others?” Leeteuk asked. Donghae shook his head and the other man sighed, glancing up at the sky. “It’s getting late. You all go to sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

Donghae settled down with his dagger by his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leeteuk walk a few steps away from the fire, perching on a nearby rock where he could see anyone approaching their campsite. He knew their unofficial leader wouldn’t sleep until the group was complete again. And it was taking an awfully long time for them to return…

He closed his eyes, fingers resting near the handle of his dagger, as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

“-ya? Wake up! Wake up!”

The bed was bouncing underneath her, for some odd reason. She frowned slightly, feeling her head jostled from side to side. Mumbling something incoherent, she rolled over and hoped it would just go away.

“It” didn’t.

“AMAYA!”

She yelped at the screech in her ear, her eyes flying open as she rolled off the bed to land on the mat below. Turning around, she glared up into the mischievous faces of her younger brothers. They were a year apart, but they might as well have been twins, with their identical messy dark hair and twinkling blue eyes.

She allowed herself an exasperated smile- it was hard to get angry when they beamed at her so innocently- then scowled again and pointed towards the door. “Help me get some water, okay?” Noticing the pouts forming on their faces and sensing a tantrum coming, she quickly added, “And I’ll make something yummy for breakfast.”

Their faces lit up again and they dashed towards the door. Crisis averted.

Next, the twins. Fortunately for her, they were both sleeping soundly. No crying babies to deal with just yet.

Third, her mother. Noriko was stirring awake, probably thanks to the noise her brothers had made. She climbed to her feet and stepped over her sister, crouching at her mother’s side. “Let’s get you in bed, Mother,” she murmured softly. “It’s not good for you to be lying on the ground.”

Noriko just nodded and allowed Amaya to help her back to bed. She clearly hadn’t slept well and Amaya cursed silently. She’d known it would be a bad idea when her mother suggested it…

Her mother leaned against the pillows, closing her eyes as Amaya tucked the blankets up to her ashy chin. After checking on the twins once more and confirming that they were alright, she climbed over her sister’s sleeping body and headed towards the stone hearth. The grain that she had ground last night seemed to be untouched by mice or other vermin and she uncovered it, as her brothers returned with a bucket of water. Thanking them as she took it, she sent them back out to the market with a handful of coins, to buy whatever they wanted to eat. She’d made enough in tips last night.

As she stirred the flour and water and began kneading it into dough, she smiled slightly as she surveyed the peaceful scene. Her family was alive, she could take care of them, and it made her long nights at the tavern worth it. And soon her mother would be able to see the doctor, and then maybe…

She sighed and shook her head, the smile sliding off her face. There was no use in thinking like that. Things were stable at the moment, but they would never get any better. She set the loaf on the hearth.

Presently, her sister opened her bright blue eyes and turned towards her. “I smell bread!” she beamed and Amaya forced herself to smile back.

“It’ll be ready soon. Go back to sleep.” Obediently, the younger girl closed her eyes and rolled over onto her side again. Amaya rubbed her forehead. If only she could be like that again, not having to worry about anything in the world.

As she pulled the finished loaf of bread from the fire, the door banged open. “Amaya! There’s someone here to see you!” Her brothers came clamoring through the door, chattering at once as they tried to be the first to tell her the news.

Instantly, the twins began crying and her mother hastily sat up to hush them. Her sister woke up as well, complaining at being roused in such a fashion.

“-you’re so noisy!”

"Yeah, well, you’re stupid!”

“I’m not stupid, you are!”

“Well, you’re-”

Amaya felt a headache forming as she grabbed the breadknife and stabbed it point first into the table. Her siblings instantly fell silent (minus the twins, who kept crying as her mother tried to hush them).

"That’s enough,” she said, her voice dangerously calm. “Boys, what did you get from the market?”

“That’s not fair, why did they get to go to the market? I wanted to-”

A glare from Amaya silenced her younger sister as her brothers handed her a large wedge of cheese. “Thank you,” she said, as she began slicing the bread into even pieces, topping each slice off with a piece of cheese. She passed one to each of her siblings and her mother. “Now, if anyone wants another piece, wait for me to come back, alright? I’ll be right back.” They nodded obediently, too focused on the food they were cramming into their mouths.

The ravenous looks on her siblings faces made Amaya’s stomach churn guiltily as she tore off a piece of bread and crammed it into . Clearly, whatever she was feeding them wasn’t enough for their growing bodies.

The moment she stepped out the door, she was practically assaulted by a tearful figure. “Amaya, I don’t know what to do,” came the sobs.

“Setsuko?” Amaya was startled to see her friend in such a state. She hastily chewed and swallowed the bread in . “Setsuko, what’s wrong?”

“My father…” Setsuko gulped down a sob and wiped her face. “He…” And then a fresh wave of tears began.

“Did something happen to your father?” Amaya frowned. She remembered seeing him just the day before, and he looked very healthy to her. After all, merchants made greater profits than tavern keepers.

Setsuko shook her head. Before Amaya could get impatient and shake her by the shoulders, demanding to know what was wrong, Setsuko blurted out, “He’s forcing me to marry Makoto.”

Amaya’s eyes widened. “The guildmaster’s son? The one who likes knocking girls down to look up their skirts?” Setsuko nodded. “But he’s…he’s…”

“I know! And it wasn’t my choice, but Father says I have to.” She hiccupped, so caught up in her misery that she forgot to take a breath.

Amaya looked thoughtful for a moment, before glancing inside her house. Hoping her mother could keep her siblings under control for just a few minutes, she pulled at her friend’s sleeve. “Come. Let’s go for a walk.”

They headed for the woods, which was often frequented by peasants and members of the cloth guild, looking for dyes, but was abandoned on Sundays. As their feet shuffled through piles of red and yellow leaves, Setsuko’s story came out bit by bit. Last night, when she had gotten home, she’d found the guildmaster speaking with her father in private. This morning, he told her that everything was arranged; she was to marry Makoto within two months time.

When she protested, he had started off by listing all the reasons this match was advantageous: Makoto’s family was wealthy, it would advance his place in the guild, she would never lack in anything as long as she lived. When she refused further, he’d called her an ungrateful and selfish brat and ordered her out of her house.

“And that’s when I came to see you,” Setsuko finished. She sniffed and wiped her nose on a handkerchief.

Amaya was quiet, unsure of how to answer. “I won’t let it happen,” she said finally.

“What can you do?” Setsuko asked.

“I don’t know,” admitted Amaya as the thought of running away briefly crossed her mind. She dismissed it; it was a stupid idea. Setsuko would never be able to survive on her own. “But I promise you, you’re not marrying that bastard.”

Setsuko smiled slightly before growing sober again. “But what my father says makes sense, you know. And I owe him a great deal.”

“I know,” Amaya said quietly. “No one in our town marries for love. We’re humans and humans are only interested in profiting themselves. Like your father, for one. Parents always decide who their children marry.” She nimbly hopped over a log. “It makes me sick just thinking about it. It’s wrong.” Her friend grinned faintly and they continued walking silence.

“I know you haven’t really thought about marriage,” Setsuko said after a while. “Have you?”

“No, I haven’t,” Amaya replied with a faint smile. “I’m one of the lease eligible girls in the town. It would be too complicated.”

Setsuko rolled her eyes. “Such a romantic.”

Amaya chuckled at that. “I know.”

“Honestly, though, Amaya…” Amaya glanced over at the serious tone of her friend’s voice. “Have you ever thought about love?” she asked finally.

“Of course,” Amaya replied.

“Do you believe it’s possible to find true love? Someone you would be…I don’t know,” she sighed, glancing up at the sky. “Just…when you meet that person, you feel a connection that you don’t feel with anyone else? Do you understand what I mean?”

“It’s possible,” Amaya murmured. “I doubt you’ll find that person in this small town though.”

Setsuko nodded. “I know. But do you believe that there’s someone out there…maybe not in this town or even this country, who you might fall in love with?”

Amaya thought for a moment. “I believe that you’ll find someone, someday, Setsuko,” she smiled. “We’ll have to figure out a way to break off your engagement first.”

Her best friend smiled. “But what about you?”

"I…” Amaya bit her lip. How could she explain to her friend that love scared her? She’d seen her mother’s health fail as if she’d lost the will to live when her father left, leaving her to fend for the both of them. She’d watched her mother become completely irresponsive when they’d found out he’d died, needing to be coaxed to eat and drink. At the time, Amaya had felt as if her heart had been torn out of her chest and shredded to pieces, but she was too busy to even cry. She couldn’t even imagine how her mother had felt- what would it be like to give up so much to someone that she could be barely be willing to live if she lost them? She never wanted to experience it.

But how could she tell Setsuko all of that?

Instead, she smiled, and said, “I’ve never thought about it, Setsuko. I don’t have time.” Linking her arm through her friend’s before the other girl could say anything, she tugged her towards the village. “Come on. I need to return home. Would you like to join us for breakfast?”

Donghae folded his hands behind his head and leaned back against one of the trees around the clearing. They weren’t built for sitting around all day, none of them were. And yet, they had to wait until their missing friends showed up.

“Are your birds picking up anything, Shindong?” Leeteuk asked yet again.

The portly sorcerer glared at the brown-haired wizard as he fidgeted with the ring in his hands. Although his movements were innocuous, Donghae knew better. The ring was a construct for Shindong to summon and control the animals he called from the spirit world to do his bidding. The process took immense concentration and Shindong did not take well to interruptions.

“You asked me five seconds ago and five seconds before that,” he growled. “If I find anything, Leeteuk, I will report it to you.”

Leeteuk sighed dramatically and got up, pacing around the perimeter of the clearing. Occasionally, he’d pick up a stick and prod the barrier with it, nodding in satisfaction as it disappeared from sight once it crossed to the other side.

“Will you stop that?” Kyuhyun snapped. “Anyone looking will see a random twig floating in the air and come to investigate!”

“I’m just testing my work,” Leeteuk retorted. “You want us to get jumped by bandits again?”

“The barrier’s fine,” Donghae said quickly. “Yesung passed it five times before he found us.”

“That’s not saying much,” Kyuhyun muttered.

Yesung’s harp squawked as he looked up and blinked at them. “Did someone say my name?”

“Hey, don’t pick on Yesung,” Leeteuk snapped.

“I’m just saying-” Kyuhyun began.

“Stop!” Ryeowook blurted out, flushing as everyone’s eyes turned towards him. “S-stop fighting…please.”

Kyuhyun shrugged, while Leeteuk muttered something that could pass as an apology. Donghae gave the flustered elf a small smile, which quickly turned to a frown when he saw how Ryeowook was clutching his shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

Ryeowook nodded quickly. “Just a small scratch.”

Kyuhyun knocked the smaller elf’s hand aside and yanked down on the collar of his shirt to reveal a puncture wound. “Small scratch, huh?”

Eunhyuk sat up, eyes wide in amazement. “Wow! What did you get stabbed with, a spear? It’s almost as bad as this.” He pulled up his pantleg, showing off an ugly gash that was oozing yellow pus.

“Scimitar,” he explained proudly, in response to his friend’s shocked looks.

“Yeah? Well, take a look at this.” Leeteuk lifted his tunic and turned around. Ryeowook yelped at the scorch mark gracing his scarred skin. “Turns out one of the bandits was a fire user and-”

“That does it,” Kyuhyun snapped, as he rose to his feet and drew his sword. “I am going to give you lot even more wounds to brag about if you keep this up!”

“That’s pretty serious,” Donghae agreed, nodding at both Leeteuk and Eunhyuk. “You should probably get a doctor to look at them, or-”

“Uh, remember what happened the last time we went to a doctor?” Leeteuk interrupted.

All of them fell silent as they thought back to how they’d been chased out of the town with a mob at their heels, once they’d been recognized by the portraits on their wanted posters.

“Well, we need to do something,” Donghae argued. “Eunhyuk’s cut looks infected.”

The blond’s beam changed to a look of horror as his eyes widened. “What? It’s infected? No!”

Ryeowook rummaged through his pack and pulled out a flask, which he held up to his ear and shook. “Empty,” he said forlornly. “I’m out.”

“Me too,” Kyuhyun added.

“Same here,” sighed Leeteuk.

“-and then I’ll have to cut it off and-”

“Shindong?” Donghae asked. The sorcerer’s brow twitched in irritation as he frowned at the other man. “I know you’re looking for Siwon and Sungmin right now, but could one of your scouts tell us where the nearest town is?”

“-and then I’ll need to replace it with a wooden leg and-”

“Eunhyuk,” Kyuhyun said sharply.

The blond stopped babbling and turned towards him. “Yes?”

“Shut up.”

Eunhyuk grinned. “Okay, sorry. Guess I got a little carried away…”

“The nearest town is about a five mile walk to the east,” Shindong replied. “The eagles report that it has only one tavern.”

“Perfect.” Donghae stood up and began collecting all the knives he’d set out to dry. “I’ll go get some moonshine and bandages.”

“I’ll come with you,” Eunhyuk offered, but Donghae shook his head.

“They have less of a chance of recognizing us if we’re alone,” he replied. Even though they’d all been together for less than a year, they’d gained a reputation as a band of dangerous criminals.

"You sure you should go?” Kyuhyun asked. “You’re injured, too. Someone could-”

“We all are,” Donghae replied. “And it’s really nothing. I’ll be fine.” He smirked. “You’re not worried about me, are you?”

Kyuhyun scowled, though they all knew the answer to that was an affirmative. Whenever one of them left, even for a short while, the others remained in a constant state of anxiety, relieved only by the member’s safe return.

“I’ll try to be back before the sun sets,” Donghae called as he sheathed his dagger and tucked his flask into his jacket.

“Be careful!” Ryeowook called after him.

Donghae flashed the smaller elf a grin. “I can’t promise that.” With that, he stepped through the barrier and vanished into the trees.