Sanghyuk followed closely behind Hongbin on his horse as the two men rode further and further out into the woods. A huge sack was slung behind his his back, loaded with a dozen arrows of the finest quality. His fingers itched, but he knew that the arrows were only meant for his master's use.

Hongbin shrilled with contentment as he took out one animal after another. By his side, Sanghyuk smiled at his master's joy, but he could not shake off the dread that tugged at his heart from deep within. He glanced around the forest, taking in the foliage that branched out from the endless stretch of grey trees, wondering if it was perhaps the last time he could enjoy freedom like that.

"Sanghyuk!!"

He whipped his head around to face his master. "Oh- here, sir. Sorry."

"Stop being so absentminded!" Hongbin snapped. He pointed to the sack of arrows behind Sanghyuk's back. "Give that to me. I've run out of mine."

Sanghyuk nodded and pulled the straps over his head. He carefully threw the sack into Hongbin's outstretched arms.

Hongbin slung the bag over his shoulders and hurled the emptied one at Sanghyuk. He turned his head and gestured to the far right. "Let's go...that way." 

Sanghyuk wanted to warn Hongbin about straying too far away from their familiar hunting grounds, but his master had already sped off. He let out a sigh and steered his horse after Hongbin. Although the load of a dozen arrows was finally off his back, he could still feel the burden of his responsibilities weighing down on his shoulders.

They entered an unfamiliar clearing. Hongbin tugged at his horse and came to a stop, taking a quick look around the area with excitement in his eyes. "It looks promising, Sanghyuk."

He frowned at the silence. There was not even the sound of hoofs behind him.

"Sanghyuk...?"

The rustle of leaves caught his attention. He whipped his head around and reached for the sack behind his back, lifting his bow at the same time. He released his fingers and let the arrow slice through the air, landing amongst the leaves with satisfying woosh...and a loud yelp.

"Oh gosh," he gulped, dropping the bow in his hands. "Is...is that you, Sanghyuk...?"

He heard the sound of wincing. He hastily climbed down from the horse and ran towards the bushes.

"You..." Sanghyuk managed to look up at his approaching master. He took a deep breath and pulled out the shaft from his thigh, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes in pain. "I know you don't like me, sir. But...but you didn't have to do this."

Hongbin opened his mouth but could not utter a single word. He stared helplessly at the crimson liquid slowly oozing out of Sanghyuk's wound, a little hesitant to apologise for his blunder.

"I...I didn't mean it. What were you even doing here??" His eyes fell to his assistant's undone belt and he knew he did not need an answer.

There was an unsettling silence. Sanghyuk shifted his gaze away to avoid meeting Hongbin's eyes, and cradled his wound in his hands as he limped towards his horse. He struggled with every step and eventually collapsed back onto the ground, causing Hongbin to grimace at the sight.

"I...I'll help you," his master took a few steps forward and gingerly stretched his arm out before him. "The Imperial Physician will attend to you as soon as we get back."

Sanghyuk's eyebrows shot up. "Imp-Imperial Physician??" He felt his heart race. In light of the approaching coronation date, it did not really matter if his cover was to be blown a little earlier than expected; what he dreaded more was the trouble that would ensue if Hongbin was found responsible for injuring a prince. 

"What else do you want?" Hongbin crossed his arms, sounding less confident than usual. "You'd rather stay out here and rot in the woods? I don't want to be held accountable for anything that happens to my men."

Sanghyuk bit his lip and pointed to the sky. "But it's getting dark...sir. And it's a long way back." He glanced around. "I think there's a hut up ahead."

Hongbin cast him an annoyed look but kept silent. He turned and leaped onto his horse, gesturing for them to go.

Sanghyuk eyed his master hesitantly.

"What are you waiting for?" 

He watched Sanghyuk's gaze shift from his horse to his wounded leg. He let out a frustrated sigh and hopped off from his seat, reaching out to help the younger man onto the horse. He bit his lip harder in guilt each time he watched Sanghyuk wince in pain.

They made their way to the shelter. The sky had turned darker sooner than expected, and they both knew it was because of the thunderclouds that had begun rolling in.

Hongbin warmed his hands by the fire as the heavy rain filled the atmosphere with chilliness. From the corner of his eye, he watched Sanghyuk bandage his wound with a piece of loose cloth. Although the light from the fire was dim, it was enough for him to make out the crimson colour that soaked through the thin fabric.

"Use this," he muttered quietly. He removed the sash around his waist and threw it over. 

Sanghyuk nodded but did not say anything. Hongbin glanced over worriedly, a little concerned with the silence that had ensued between them ever since the rain started.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

He waited patiently for Sanghyuk's response, but the man seemed to not have even heard his words. He noticed that he had begun to break out in cold sweat and was trembling all over, biting his lip and clenching his fists in pain.

"It...got worse?" he raised his eyebrow.

Sanghyuk shook his head. He moved his hands away from his wound and reached further down to his calves, crawling desperately at his own skin with his fingernails. It baffled Hongbin.

"It's my shins. They're...they're acting up again."

Hongbin frowned. "Acting up?"

Sanghyuk shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "It's just an old ailment of mine, sir. They ache only during the summer rains." He slowly crossed his legs and edged closer to the fire. "It's nothing to worry about. The pain subsides in a few hours."

Hongbin stared helplessly as Sanghyuk began clenching his teeth more tightly, eventually bending over till the flames were nearly his face.

"Warmth...helps?" 

Sanghyuk's quivering frame made it hard to tell whether he had nodded. Hongbin eyed him for a while, watching as the colour drained from his skin with each passing minute. He eventually let out a sigh and hesitantly inched closer to his assistant, slowly lifting his arms and wrapping them around him. He bit his lip uncomfortably and fought hard against the desire to break away from the huddle. As Sanghyuk stiffened beneath him, he felt his own muscles tense up, and he gingerly turned his head away to avoid any eye contact. 

"Well..." he managed to utter. "Don't...say that I didn't help."