taemin ran as fast as his legs could carry him, pushing through the grass that grew higher than his head.  he could hear the rustle of the others running through the fields, the voices of those who were captured muffled by the thick stalks.  he had not anticipated attempting to escape their clutches but he had done so as a means to prove himself worthy: a strong slave was a valuable slave.  he ducked to the left just as a soldier burst from the right & his lungs burned as he pushed on blindly through the grass.  there were rumors that any who reached the edge of the field without capture would be assigned to the guards & become a member of the king’s army.  that rumor was enough for taemin to continue pushing through as the green stalks slapped him in the face & his feet pounded against the damp earth.

the day was overcast & a cool spring mist hung in the air.  the chill benefited him as he dashed through the high foliage, keeping him from overheating.  those who were being hunted now wore only what they had been captured in, or had worn for the hunt: not all those who ran were there against their will.  some, like taemin, had volunteered for capture, though he suspected none other shared his motivation.  he himself had worn tight pants & a fitted long-sleeved shirt, clothes chosen to emphasize his broad shoulders & toned legs.  the dark brown hair that normally fell just beyond his shoulders was held tight in a knot atop his head.

he could see daylight peering through the stalks in front of him, just enough to give him hope of reaching his goal.  his fingers were inches away from reaching them when he heard a sudden rustle to his left & the heavy panting of someone far too near.  he burst through the stalks & found himself at the edge of a field that led to a precipice overhanging the kingdom.

he was basking in his victory when he was pushed from behind, falling to his knees.  he felt his wrists bound behind his back & he was made to stand by a tug of his arm that then guided him to a growing number of others being lined up at the edge of the field.  a soldier of clear command was evaluating each as they emerged & separating them into groups that seemed to signify where they would be assigned now that they had been captured.

taemin held his head as high as he could, back straight & expression strong; every movement indicative of strength & fortitude.  when the commander came to his position within the group he stopped, smiling as he leaned in & taemin’s face with the back of a dirty finger.

“what have we here?”, he asked, his voice gruff, “such a pretty young thing.  i’m tempted to keep you for myself.”, he said with a laugh.  taemin held the soldier’s eye, knowing that such men as he would more often cower under boldness than be moved by fear.  he was wrong.  the soldier’s eyes grew dark at taemin’s firm gaze & he began to step forward with a scowl.  the sudden arrival of a third soldier pulled his attention away, leaning in as words too quiet for taemin to hear were whispered into his ear.  he nodded, looking back at taemin as the soldier disappeared down the hill.  sneering, he turned to the soldier who had brought taemin up & tilted his head toward one of the smaller groups quickly growing in the field.

“put him with the .”