Sungmin blanched when the taller brunette advanced, making a gesture for him to see the golden signet on his left hand. It was a very important family heirloom that only those of the highest esteemed were permitted to wear. He wasn't lying when he said there was no way he could give this up. This defined him in their little society; it might be the one object on his person that could save his little (beautiful, ivory, delicate) neck if he were thrown to prosecution. Which, considering the way the guard were trailing him like blood hounds, there was little doubt of this outcome.

"Aah, but that could buy you all of my supplies and more," Kyuhyun had mocked, pulling the shorter's soft fingers away from the golden ring to inspect the rubies encrusted around the twirling frame. It wasn't a mass of rocks, but it would turn heads in its regal.

"No thank you," Sungmin spat again, pulling his hand away and turning on his heel. "I'll find the spring by myself," He insisted as he began taking quickening steps in the opposite direction. He prayed to the gods that this was not the direction he was coming from in the dark late last night, but rather the opposite and farther away from the city line. It would be a lie to insist he knew where he was going right now.

The tall brunette was suddenly at his side, a mischievious smirk on his lips as he stepped in front of him. There was no feel of danger from his person—his dagger was still hilted and his body language didn't throw off any waves of I'll punch you to death, so Sungmin merely grimaced and he stopped in his tracks instead of trying to flee the younger man.

"My apologies, you can keep the ring," Kyuhyun said, eyes scanning the shorter teasingly. "I'll take the three gold pieces instead." He smiled a broad, cheshire grin that denounced any drop of menace Sungmin might have thought him possible to emanate. But that look in his eyes that threw off a childish, joking gleam gave the blonde a worried thought that he would regret the next offer he gave.

Sungmin eyed him warily. "Why the sudden change in heart?" He inquired.

"I couldn't forgive myself if you fell prey to the wolves and the goblins because I abandoned you out of greed," The taller explained. He continued when the other paled at the revelation, and waved his gloved hand. "Don't let it plague your mind. Follow me!"

This was how Sungmin, the proud son from the house of Lee, became temporary companions with Cho Kyuhyun.

It had been almost a six mile journey to the camp that Kyuhyun had told the older of, explaining they had to take a specific trail to evade the dangers in the wooded glen. There were many hunters and rangers who lived out here among the animals and goblins, and not all of the land was made to be trespassed—even by friendly faces or neighboring groups.

The camp was surprisingly large and well-built, in Sungmin's opinion. The trees on the outside twisted together to hold lookouts above the tall wooden gates, and there were foreboding, dark doors that seemed too strong and too large for the average man to push open by himself.

Kyuhyun approached one side of the doors without any restraint or worry and banged hard to let the echo announce his desire to enter. The door itself was at least fifteen feet tall, and the gates went even higher than that. No human man without some crazy amount of rope or ladder could climb their way in. It was nearly a fortress. 

A skinny red-headed man peered down from one of the treetop-lookouts above the doorway and waved at them. 

"Oiy!" The red-head shouted, waving his crossbow in the air. "You're arriving sooner than usual!" He yelled down to Kyuhyun, who grinned up at him.

"I need to replenish my supplies!" He yelled back, giving a wave. "And I have brought a guest!"

"Oiy, Donghae, open the gate already!" The red-head shouted down angrily over the other side of the gated area when it didn't immediately open. Sungmin watched in amazement as the overly-large wooden door slowly began to creek open, revealing a shorter, light-brown haired man with a wide smile and kind eyes behind it.

"My sincerest apologies, Master Cho," Donghae quipped jokingly, letting the two in behind the gated area. "One of them chains got tangled again," His voice was soft and cheerful, with a dialect Sungmin couldn't quite recognize.

By 'them chains' Donghae had been referring to a whole series of chains, bolts, and wheels that would allow the door to open mechanically. It was also a locking mechanism that bolted the strong wood in place, not daring enemies the chance to smash through the iron behind the wood.  Sungmin wondered what kind of master lock smithy this boy must have been to work or even create something of this design.

"No need for apologies, Sire Hae," Kyuhyun grinned back in return. "Have you been well?"

Donghae laughed hard as he pulled a crank that let the doors close behind them, nodding and wiping his dirty hands on his tan trousers and rolling up the red sleeves of his shirt. "Well enough, well enough. Hyukjae and I took to the river early this morning, so we have plenty to eat tonight, if you and your... companion are hungry?" He sent that child-like grin towards Sungmin.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance," Sungmin said politely, smiling and giving a curt nod. Donghae's eyes widened slightly at the choice of 'impressive words' as Sungmin turned his eyes back to Kyuhyun. "Is Hyukjae the red-headed gentleman you were shouting at before? The one above the doorway?" 

"If you could call him a 'gentleman,' indeed. He believes he's still a Captain of his own ship, and this one here—" He pointed at Donghae. "Probably still believes he's a fish on land."

"Oiy!" Donghae laughed, punching Kyuhyun on his arm in a playful manner. "I've met plenty of sea serpents with more manners than you! Respect your elders!" Kyuhyun could only grin wider at his expense.  Sungmin wondered if these two were old sailors, or if they lived on the coast of the country before coming out here. Either possibilities were plausible.

The three of them walked away from the gate and into a small village mostly comprised of houses and tiny shops. People were scurrying around to get their daily work done before the sun set, carrying supplies and food. Sungmin couldn't believe there had been an entire village of people in these woods, and neither he nor any of his advisors seemed any the wiser of it. He briefly wondered how long they had lived here as he eyed an elderly sword smithy grinding down a blade on a wheel in front of a tall, stone building.

The trio entered a wide house that had a hay-like roof. The windows let the afternoon sun in. Donghae didn't bother to knock, and nobody else seemed to be home, so Sungmin assumed this was where he resided. He took in the hand-carved decorations of wooden fish and sailboats cluttering up the walls and tables. The floor was plush with dozens of stitched-together fur coats; an endless rainbow of countless animals slaughtered. Nothing was wasted in the house of Hae.

"Please sit down," Donghae fussed. "I'll get the fire going for the sup'." He waved his hand airily at two plush chairs facing a fireplace that was made up from dozens of pieces of stone and clay. He moved in some kindle and began his magic to light the fire before gathering the pots and pans.

Kyuhyun took a seat facing the fire pit, letting Donghae do all of the work to prepare the meal. He sat back and crossed his legs, letting himself relax for a couple of minutes. Both his and Sungmin's feet were tired from their long journey to the camp, and Sungmin felt the tension in his ankles for the first time as his heels throbbed in protest of the boots. He massaged the back of his legs, hoping to ease a bit of the pain.

"How far do you think you'll be heading?" Kyuhyun asked quietly, taking a glance over at Sungmin who was settling down in the other chair.

Here was where Sungmin bit his bottom lip in thought. He hadn't explained the entirety of his plans to Kyuhyun, merely that he was on the run and needed to gather supplies to leave the area. Even on their journey together through the wodded glen to the camp he had only explained small details as to where he was heading and why he had to be stealthy about it. He didn't want to take any chances, as kind as the taller man seemed.

"I need to get to the magistrate in Ka'heel, at the quickest route possible," Never looking up as he spoke these words, the scenario began to sink in how far a journey he would be making. Kyuhyun raised his eyebrows, nodding in thought. He had heard of this providence, sure. 

Ka'heel was a beautiful country hundreds of miles away. Maybe from where they were to where the inner city lay; a five-hundred mile journey. He would need a ship once they h