[Year 19 of Exile]

We thrashed through the woods, nimbly avoiding the low lying branches and rising roots as we trailed after her.

It was getting increasingly challenging to see the road, or rather 'path', in front of me as the night deepened. With no source of light to brighten our way, we often found ourselves grabbing onto one another when our feet caught themselves on obstacles. Fortunately for me, both Kai and Sehun were strong enough to keep me out of harm’s way.

“You alright there, Jen?” Kai’s arm flew in front of me as I cursed aloud for I found myself stumbling over something that I couldn’t see in the darkness. I gripped onto his arm tightly, feeling his strength rippling through it. “Hold on tight, I don’t want you to fall again.”

“Yes sir.” I saluted him as we continued onward. “Your order is my command, sir Kai.”

“Is that so…?” His tone was teasing and I knew I had committed a mistake in acknowledging the boy’s efforts to keep me off the ground. “Any order is your command…?”

“Don’t get too carried away, Kai.” From beside me, Sehun growled and I felt my hand being guided into a crook of someone’s arm. “We’ve got better things to do than rolepla–”

“Aww, is someone jealous?” Sarcasm was evident in the older boy’s words as he sneered at the youngest. “Can’t take a little joke, can you?”

“Alright alright, stop!” I intervened, knowing that I’d have my hands full should my same-aged friends start fighting. “Sehun’s right, we do have better things to worry about…  In which for instance, where the did she disappear off to!?”

My question lapsed into silence as we slowed down for we had lost her trail.

“Kai Kim… Oh Sehun…”

“It wasn’t me!”

“It wasn’t me!”

“It’s both of you twits!”

"S-She stopped!" Kai wheezed, his finger pointing ahead. "And HOLY IS THAT A–"

Not waiting for the boy to finish his yell, I grabbed their hands and together we sprinted the remaining distance. Crumpling onto the earth, my hands flew to my chest and they felt my heart's insane pounding.

The three of us panted loudly, the boys clutching their sides as they shut one or both of their eyes for perspiration steadily trickled down their temples.

I just bathed and now I'm sweating so terribly. Guess who once again needs a bath later, tch.

Reaching for Sehun's hand, he hauled me up and I stumbled from the sudden dizziness but a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist, preventing my fall.

"Gotcha, baby girl."

The heart went into overdrive but I recovered quickly, smacking the boy's arm. He grinned but Kai had on an unimpressed frown.

"How can you call her 'baby' before I do!" He roared, aiming a punch to the same spot where I smacked Sehun's arm. The boy yelped in pain, rubbing his already-reddened arm. "It's my mouth, I can do whatever I want with it."

He stuck out his tongue and sensing that the other boy was poised and ready to fly at his same-aged friend, I placed my hands on both of their chests. "Stop it, both of you. She's waiting for us."

The boys calmed down amidst the exchange of glares between them and I gently put down my hands, my feet making their way over to her.

"Where is Suho? You showed me that you have him." I tried to keep my voice steady, but the excitement and fear of finally finding our missing boy threatened my control. "Unless what you showed me was false."

"Jen," Kai came up to me, a confused expression on his face. "You do know that you’re talking to a horse. A ing horse."

I shot him a glare and he scoffed, but he backed down.

Yes, the 'her' that I've been talking about is a horse. But it's not just a plain ol' horse, it's a blue horse. Yeah you read that right — a horse whose hair is in the shade of blue.

Though the blue isn't really blue per se, but I don't know the correct term for the animal's exquisite hair colour. Oh well.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and Sehun's side profile appeared in the corners of my eyes. His expression was unreadable but judging from the way his hand gripped my hurting shoulder, the boy was feeling plenty afraid. Placing a reassuring hand over his, my fingers tapped his and a small smile formed on his face.

"I do have him."

Our heads snapped to where the voice came from and we were beyond shocked. Our eyes widened and our jaws slacked; I swear if the boys didn't have the reaction as I did, I would have thought that my ears were faulty.

"D-Did the horse just s-speak...!?" The youngest gaped, both his hands now on my shoulders. "T-The horse just ing spoke to us!"

"Come, follow me. We're near my hiding place for him."

And as though the animal hadn't heard our shellshocked bewilderment, she trotted off and at my slow nod, the boys laced their fingers in mine and together we trailed after her.

"He's in here."

If the horse hadn't stopped right in front of the entrance to Suho's hiding spot, I would have never found it. The hole was low-lying, partially hidden by the mosses and vines that grew around and in front of it. It was perfect, it was inconspicuous. The people who wanted us dead would never be able to find him.

Not without the horse, that is.

And I am praying so hard that the horse is not an enemy, for if she is…

Getting down on all fours, I cautiously crawled through the small entrance and hastened my pace when my eyes caught sight of light at the end of the tunnel. Breathing hard, I emerged from the narrow space and a cavern greeted me. Moonlight entered the area through a small hole at the top of it, bathing the ground in a silver light.

My eyes darted around wildly and they rested upon a silhouette I thought I’d never see again.

“Suho!”

I dashed forward on my hands and legs, forgetting to stand up and walk like a human being. Throwing myself next to him, my hands immediately shot up to his face and tilted it towards me. Tears spilled over as my eyes took in the boy’s features and his perpetual handsomeness. My hands roamed his torso, in search of injuries and wounds that Baekhyun has mentioned; but there was none. He had no burns, no wounds, nothing. He was flawless, though grimy and foul-smelling since he probably hadn’t bathed in a week or so.

“I would think that you’re violating him at the rate your hands are travelling over him.” Kai popped up beside me and I shrieked in shock as a playful smile formed on his face. “Where’s Sehun? Couldn’t you teleport him together with you?”

I stared at him for a moment.

“Couldn’t you teleport us in too…?!”

He shrugged. “You never asked and besides, you shoved yourself into the entrance before I could suggest anything.” He shook his head. “So it ain’t my fault.”

“Harrumph.” I pursed my lips just as a loud wheeze came from behind us and the last member of our little party crawled through, his fringe plastered to his forehead.

“A little help here?” He collapsed at the entrance to the cavern and we rolled our eyes at the youngest’s exaggeration. “Now I know why you’re the youngest, you twit.” Kai shuffled over and hauled his friend to his feet.

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