They made good time traveling during the day and resting late at night. Though rainstorms occasionally plagued them, plunging them into weather that only grew colder with each passing day, they were not enough to slow them down. They were, however, enough to make them sick.

Luckily, Lady Oh had given Soo most of her herbs and medicine. Unluckily, only a handful of them could be used for colds, and they were quickly running out. Luckily, Soo’s 21st century constitution meant she was immortal as far as diseases went and could therefore look after her patients without fear of infection.

“Fourth Prince!” she called, running to keep up with him on a considerably milder, though no less gloomy, afternoon. “You haven’t taken your medicine for today. Everyone else has-”

“I’m fine,” he waved her away curtly, forcing his voice to go deeper so as to mask the nasal quality this infernal cold had given him. “Eunnie and Myunghee need it more.”

“He says he’s feeling much better and wants you to have it. There’s still a lot left to go around.”

Already cranky from lack of sleep, So decided that since it wasn’t a question, that he was not compelled to give a reply. Instead, he lengthened his strides and reached the edge of the cliff in no time.

Not as athletic, Hae Soo huffed and puffed after him. “He couldn’t… even stay put… two seconds to take it,” she seethed, grabbing at leaves and branches to pull her heavy legs along, “aigoo, he drives me crazy… if it weren’t for… Eunnie and Baek Ah… asking me… I wouldn’t have bothered!” Finally arriving at the top, she collapsed onto the ground and took a moment to calm her shaking legs.

So didn’t even spare her a glance.

Taking a deep breath, she got up and marched up to him, wordlessly holding the bottle in front of his face. He took it and drank it in one gulp.

“Yah, if you were just going to drink it, why did you make me follow you all the way up here?” she demanded crossly.

He looked at her finally, but didn’t seem offended by the casual way she addressed him. “We’re close.”

The hairs on Soo’s arms stood on end. “We are?”

“This is Taedong river.” He nodded towards the little village sitting on its other side. “Word is the head of your clan currently resides there.”

The Hae clan must have fallen really badly if their leader is forced to live in a such a small village in such a remote location. Will they really be able to help? Soo crouched on all fours and peeked over the side. They were very high up, and the river waters below were raging after days of strong rain. “And how do we cross this?”

“There should be a pass somewhere nearby that the villagers take. We’ll have to look for it first.”

Soo sighed and sat back. To think the village was just over there, about a mile away. “If only we could fly.”

She hadn’t realized she had spoken out loud until he chuckled without humor.

“If only.”

They sent two men to scout the riverbank in search of a bridge that would take them to the Hae clan, but when three days passed without word of either, the men grew restless and worried.

“They should have been back days ago,” General Park voiced his concern to So. “Something must have happened.” So couldn’t agree more.

“Your Highness, what are your orders?” the soldiers asked, convening.

With less than a dozen men left, including his brothers, splitting up with an unknown threat nearby was risky. But they had no choice.

“We split up. I shall lead the search. General Park, you stay and guard our supplies.”

“I do not like the thought of you venturing out on your own,” the general said.

“I’ll take Jung with me, then. The women, Baek Ah and Eun… they stay behind with you.”

General Park took a moment to think this through, but eventually, he nodded. “Be careful on your way back. The forest will be rigged with traps.”

So smirked and nodded back. “I’ll trust you. Jung-ah!” he called, causing his youngest brother to look up. “You’re coming with me.”

They saddled up the horses and left.

“Father, where are they going?” Soon Deok asked as the rest of them looked at General Park, who was gathering more supplies and weapons. “Where are you going?”

“The men we sent out to scout have not yet returned,” he explained. “If there is a threat out there, we need to be prepared. Soon Deok-ah, stay here and watch over everyone. I’ll try to be back by nightfall.”

Soon Deok understood. She nodded and immediately got to work creating more arrows. Once she had made enough and hidden them away at strategic locations, she took out every weapon that was left and made her companions gather around in a circle.

“Do any of you know how to use this?” she asked, holding up a sword.

Eun looked offended. “Yah! We’re princes. Of course we know how to use a sword!”

She sighed and forced it into his hands, then she looked at Baek Ah, who shrugged apologetically and said, “I only use them for aesthetic purposes.”

“Can you shoot a bow at least?” she asked, holding one up.

He nodded. “Yes, though I must admit, I’m not very good at it, either.”

“That’s okay. You needn’t use it to shoot far targets, just those near you. I’ll show you where I’ve hidden the arrows later. If or when a fight breaks out, head to the nearest one and stay hidden. Fire when you can, as many times as you can.” From her boot, she unstrapped a small knife. “Keep this with you. If you ever run out of arrows, or if someone gets too close, use this.”

“Soo has always been good at shooting arrows,” Myunghee piped up suddenly, making Soo jerk upright in alarm.

“I what?”

Myunghee laughed and patted her shoulder. “Of course you wouldn’t remember… but you used to shoot arrows at the shooting range everyday with my husband. Those were the only times the both of you spoke to each other.” She turned brightly to Soon Deok. “She’s been shooting since she was a young girl. Perhaps if we let her shoot again, it’ll trigger her memories!”

Soon Deok looked at Soo with a whole new level of appreciation. “Let’s give it a shot.”

“Or two,” Eun added with a snicker.

Everyone looked at him with similar questioning looks. He rolled his eyes and mimed shooting an arrow. “One shot, two shots?”

Everyone groaned. Only Jung would have found that funny.

Ignoring him, Soon Deok got to her feet. “Lady, try to shoot that tree over there.”

“I don’t know how to use a bow and arrow,” Soo said frantically. “Unnie, I really don’t.”

“Of course you do. You were very good at it!” Myunghee assured her with a smile. She pulled Soo to her feet and handed her the bow. “Just give it a shot, Soo-yah!”

“Or two,” Eun murmured with another snicker.

Soo saw she had no choice. She had held a bow and arrow once, very briefly, when she was a child. She had gone with her uncle to a fair in America and had spent the afternoon waiting for him to finish speaking with some colleagues. But that had been a small bow, and the target had been five feet in front of her.

This was a huge bow and the target tree was thrice as far.

“Okay,” she mumbled to herself, trying to position it right. She accepted an arrow from Soon Deok and tried not to panic as she placed one end on the string. Do you hold it this way or that way? She found it was much easier to draw the string using her dominant hand and used her left to grip the bow.

Myunghee and Soon Deok clapped their hands and cheered. Soon Deok said, “Just relax and breathe. Even if your mind has forgotten, your body should remember how to-”

Everyone fell silent when the arrow landed three feet away from her.

Cheeks flaming, Soo picked it up and tried again… and got the same result. Forcing a laugh, she shook her aching hands. “Looks like I’m a bit rusty.”

“It’s alright, Soo-yah, try again. Maybe the next shot will be it!”

“Or-” Eun began, but Baek Ah held an imperious finger to his lips. “Don’t.”

Soo forced her arms to remain steady this time. She tightened her grip on the bow and strained as she drew the string… back… back… as far as she could draw it. Her muscles were tensing up and her breathing was labored.

Steady… aim…

She released the arrow and it soared through the air, straight into the gap between the trees. It missed her target by a good two feet, but her audience clapped encouragingly.

“Alright, Soo-yah!” Baek Ah cheered, massaging her tight shoulders.

“That was good. You just lack strength on your arms,” Soon Deok determined. “If we survive this, I’ll train you and unnie, then it’ll only be a matter of time before your body remembers.”

Soo’s arms felt weak, but she was happy. Satisfied. She did it. She passed the test. For now. Feeling lighthearted, she volunteered to go fetch the arrow while Soon Deok resumed her task of handing out weapons.

Alone, Soo walked into the trees, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. Knowing the arrow had veered off towards the right, she headed in that direction. “Mushrooms…” she whispered, making a mental note to return for them later.

Finally, she found what she was looking for nestled on the roots of a large tree.

It was when she crouched to pick it up that it happened… a man’s boot intercepted her hand. Soo had no time to think. She sprang to her feet, away from the man. He was tall - standing perhaps two heads above her, and wearing a mask. But he had no weapons on him, she realized with hope. She might yet be able to survive this. He was big, but she had companions.

“Who…?” she tried to speak, but a blow from out of nowhere knocked her out.

Soon Deok spun on her heels, alert. “Did anyone hear that?”

“Hear what?” Eun asked, eyeing her with concern.

Soon Deok didn’t bother to reply. “Stay here,” she ordered, “and ready your weapons.” She walked cautiously towards the trees. “Lady Soo? Soo-yah!” When there was no response, she began to panic. The arrow couldn't have flown that far.

“Soon Deok, what is it?” Myunghee asked anxiously, reaching her side.

“I think Soo might be in trouble,” Soon Deok replied, thinking fast. “You guys stay here and protect each other, I’ll go check-”

She never got to finish her sentence. Five men suddenly appeared, masked and armed.

“Who are you?” she demanded, pushing Myunghee behind her.

“Lay down your weapons and come quietly,” the nearest one ordered, “or the lady dies.”

They gasped when a sixth man, bigger than the rest, joined them. On his back, he carried Soo’s lifeless body. Blood steadily dripped from a wound on her head.

Enraged, Myunghee held up her sword, “What have you done to her?”

“Lay down your weapons or you’ll end up the same.”

Soon Deok weighed their chances: six large men against three women - one unconscious - and two men. They would have had a better chance of making it with her father around. She could feel Eun and Baek Ah’s presence behind her. She reached out and found Eun’s wrist. “Find my father,” she whispered, not taking her eyes off the men before them.

“I am not leaving you here! All of you!” he hissed into her ear. “I can fight!”

“You’re the fastest runner,” she explained. “I can hold them off for a few minutes, but we’ll need my father’s help if we’re to come out of this alive.”

“We can’t let them take any of us,” Baek Ah agreed, steeling himself for battle. No bows and arrows for him this time. He prayed the battle training from his days at the palace would be enough to keep them alive long enough for help to arrive. “Dead or alive… hyung-nim, we’re counting on you.”

Eun bit his lip, not liking the idea, but he saw their point. “I won’t let you down.”

Soon Deok gave an imperceptible nod. “I’ll try to fend them off. You two rescue Soo. When I give the signal…” To the masked men, she raised her voice, “Alright!” She held up her sword and kept it away from her body.

“Weapons, on the ground!”

Soon Deok bent her knees slowly, aware of everyone watching her every move. She turned her blade on its side and lowered it… She had to move carefully. Any sign of resistance from her and they would all, surely…

Quick as a panther, she leapt forward and slashed, critically wounding the nearest man. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground, blood pooling around him, soaking the damp leaves in bright red. Without a moment’s pause, Soon Deok spun and slashed at the next man, but he blocked her with his own sword. “GO!” she yelled.

Eun turned and ran as fast as he could, leaving Myunghee and Baek Ah to rush forward towards the large man carrying Soo. Men tried to stop them, but Soon Deok, with the ferocity of an angry bear and the agility of a cat, blocked their paths using everything she had. She slashed and spun, kicked and struck them with her fists.

A man swung his sword at , but she backed up, ducked and grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and kneeing his side. Without breaking momentum, she leapt off his falling form and landed a kick squarely on the next man’s chest. From the periphery of her vision, she saw that Myunghee and Baek Ah were being pursued and, with a yell, she threw her sword and heard rather than saw it lodge into his back. He fell like a puppet whose strings had just been cut. To the man in front of her, she struck his elbow, causing his sword to clatter out of his grasp, then she swung her leg upwards, hooking her knee around his neck, and twisted in the air, throwing him face-first onto his fallen comrade.

Two dead. Two injured. One left standing. One carrying Soo. Myunghee and Baek Ah in close pursuit.

She knew the both of them would not be enough to rescue Soo, but she had to make them leave, to keep them from getting hurt. She had to end this quickly.

She stood, panting, and faced her remaining opponent. They had been easier to subdue than she’d thought, but months of limited movement meant her stamina was no longer what it once was. A movement from behind her alerted her to danger, and she rolled sideways in time to dodge the downward swing of a sword.

The two she had bested were bleeding and bruised, but they were up and ready to continue fighting. She wondered if she could get to her friends in time to help them.

“Stop!” Baek Ah and Myunghee yelled, sprinting as fast as they could. They dodged low hanging branches, leapt over roots and rocks, hacked at bushes, but the man bearing Soo remained ahead, familiar with the terrain.

“We can’t lose her!” Myunghee cried, worry gripping her chest.

“Sister, go back and help Soon Deok,” Baek Ah panted.

“And leave you alone? Are you out of your mind?”

He stopped and pulled her. Breathing heavily, he said as firmly as he could, “I’ll be fine. Soo is injured. When you and Soon Deok are done, follow the trail of blood. I might not be able to kill him… but I will try my best to slow him down. Sister… I’m counting on you.”

Myunghee didn’t like it, but she knew… knew she was only slowing him down. She nodded and stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips. “Be careful.”

Stunned, Baek Ah watched her leave. Then, remembering Soo, he turned, resolute.

Without Myunghee to consider, he could lengthen his strides… use his height to his advantage. The man had a woman to carry. His movements were hampered.

They were close to the river now… Baek Ah could hear the pounding waves, the rushing current.

He had to watch his steps. The ground was even slippier here, the soft mud sticking to his boots, which occasionally sunk an inch or two, weighing him down. But it was alright… this was his advantage, too, because the man was sure to be much heavier than he.

Just a little farther… He would reach them soon. He could feel it. It would only be a matter of time before Baek Ah caught up to them, and then…

He had not been expecting the blow. He staggered, dazed, slashing wildly with his sword arm. Two men stood before him now, and Hae Soo was nowhere to be seen.

“Go, bring the lady,” the bigger man ordered. “And do not come back for us.”

Baek Ah shook his head to clear it. The second man had rushed to the shore, where he realized a wooden boat was docked. A bundle of cloaks and blankets lay unconscious on the bow.

“Soo-yah,” he murmured, taking a step towards her, but the larger man got in his way. Baek Ah tumbled to the ground, away from the man’s heavy swing. “Soo-yah!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, dodging blow after blow, after tedious blow. “Soo-yah!” She had to hear, she had to wake, she had to fight and swim back to shore…

He had stayed still too long. A blow to his arm jarred him, sending waves of electric shock throughout his body. He fell sideways and tried to crawl away, but the man grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him into the air.

He flailed his limbs wildly, trying to land a good blow, but without the ground to help, his kicks held no power, and because he was slowly losing air, neither did his punches. The edges of his vision were blurring. He was getting lightheaded. He could no longer feel his limbs. His eyes rolled backwards into their sockets…

He fell to the ground, barely conscious, throat constricted, unable to draw air.

He couldn’t see, but he could hear… faint sounds of people fighting, growing fainter with each second. He could hear the sharp tanging of sword against sword, the dull thud of flesh against flesh.

The ground shook, once, and then all was quiet. He must be dead.

“Baek Ah-yah!”

He knew that voice. It sounded small, distant, but he knew it. Hyung-nim?

Someone forced him on his side and whacked his back with a fist. At once, Baek Ah’s airways cleared as he expelled whatever air had been left in his lungs. He gasped and curled into a ball, body racked with violent coughs as he fought to breathe.

“Yah, are you alright?” So asked, continuing to thump his back.

“S… S-s-s…” Baek Ah wheezed. “H-hy… hyung…”

“What happened? Who was he? Why are you all the way out here?”

“Hyung…nim,” he grabbed his brother’s clothes and forced himself to speak. Everything was an effort. Everything hurt. “H-hyung-nim…”

“Shh, it’s alright now. You’re safe,” So assured him, helping him to his feet. “Don’t speak just yet. Your throat is badly bruised. It will take a while to heal.”

But Baek Ah shook his head. This was important. With whatever strength he could muster, he wheezed, “Hae… Soo… gone…”

That caught So’s attention. “What? Where is she?”

“R-riv…er.”

Horrified, everyone looked at the river current.

“Who is our best swimmer?” Jung demanded from behind So.

Baek Ah shook his head, grimacing. “Not… in…” he pointed to the other side, “boat.”

He left it up to them to decipher what he meant. His message finally delivered, he gave in to the pain and weariness. His eyes rolled back once more and his eyelids fell along with his body.

“Baek Ah-yah!” So shook him, panicking, but he stopped when he noticed Baek Ah was breathing. His next concern were Soon Deok and General Park. Where were they?

“Jung-ah, scout the area. Look to the banks on the opposite side of the river. If there was a boat here, I want to know where it went. I'll return to camp.”

Jung nodded and began ordering the men.

So laid Baek Ah on the ground and got on his horse. He rode as fast as he could, and reached the area in time to see General Park disposing of the last man standing.

“Hyung-nim!” Eun called, relieved.

“Are you hurt?”

Eun shook his head, which satisfied So. “General, what happened?”

General Park ordered Soon Deok to tie up the two men still alive, then he approached So. “Ambush. I was making traps when it happened. I hadn't sensed them in the forest at all, or I would have stayed behind.”

So sighed in frustration. “None of us did. They must have been waiting for us to split up.”

“Do you think they could be his men?”

So nodded. “They were familiar enough with the area to avoid detection. Only one village is close enough. They must have come from there.”

“In that case, the Haes must not be as unfortunate as we thought.”

Soon Deok came forward, anxious. “Your Highness, Soo has been captured!”

“Yes, I know-”

“Baek Ah and Myunghee could still be in danger-”

“We got to Baek Ah in time but they had already taken-” So stopped talking, “What did you say?”

“We need to follow them at once-”

“No. Before that… where's Myunghee?”

Soon Deok pointed to the trees. “She went with Baek Ah to retrieve Soo.”

So shook his head. “We found Baek Ah but not Myunghee. Are you sure?”

“Of course,” she replied, confused. Baek Ah and Myunghee had left together, she had made sure of it. “I let them chase after Soo to get them away from the fighting.”

“Hold on, are you saying Myunghee is missing?” Eun gasped.

General Park and So exchanged brief glances before rushing back into the trees.

Myungee wouldn't just suddenly stop pursuing Soo, unless an injury had forced her to, in which case Baek Ah would have been sure to stick to her side. He wouldn't just leave her behind, unless he knew she was safe… he's loved her since they were children.

“Your Highness!” General Park called from somewhere to his right.

So ran to him, dreading the worst. He stopped in front of the General, who held up a pair of knitting needles.

“Do you think they could have taken her, too?” General Park asked quietly.

There were no signs of a struggle, but she could have been ambushed. So was certain now that she was on her way back to Soon Deok when someone took her.

Seeing the look on So’s face, the general understood. He sighed. “What do we do?”

“First,” So growled, whipping out his sword as he headed back to camp, “we get answers.”

The screams that permeated the air from mid-afternoon until after sundown made them lose their appetites - not that they had much to begin with.

Baek Ah’s throat had swelled up, his breathing becoming laboured again in consequence. Soon Deok was no healer but she figured the concoction Soo had made for her back couldn't hurt Baek Ah’s injuries. Once done massaging some onto his muscles, she wrapped his throat loosely with a soft piece of cloth from Myunghee’s pack. “Try not to talk… we'll mash up your food for now so don't eat anything solid either or you might not be able to swallow.”

Baek Ah nodded, closing his eyes and wincing when another scream filled the air.

“I should've run faster,” Eun whispered, angry and disappointed with himself, “then maybe Soo and Myunghee would still be with us. Maybe Baek Ah wouldn't be this hurt.” He slammed his fist into the ground and winced at the pain.

“We all could have done a number of things. We were caught unawares, it happens. Don't beat yourselves up over it,” Soon Deok said with a sigh, applying the medicine onto his hand, too. She looked at Jung, “I asked one of the men to cook something soft tonight for Baek Ah-nim. Will you see to it?”

Jung nodded and got up, clapping Baek Ah’s shoulder encouragingly before heading back into the clearing. Keeping his eyes away from the man tied to the tree, he approached the one stirring the cauldron.

“Vegetable stew, Your Highness,” the man replied in answer to his query. “It should be ready in a while.”

“Please inform me when it is.” Jung approached So cautiously from behind. “Has he said anything useful, hyung-nim?”

So shook his head. “We've already pulled out three of his nails and carved the flesh of his thighs… but he's stubborn like the first.”

Jung shuddered in disgust, looking at the first man they had interrogated, who was lying in a messy, bloody heap on the ground, completely unconscious. He’s killed men before, seen mutilated bodies littering bloodied plains… but he found this slow, deliberate, painful torture harder to stomach.

“So we have no idea where they could have been taken?”

“Oh, we know,” So replied grimly. “The question is… why were they taken? And what can we expect when we attempt to take them back?”