I wanted to thank everyone that has continued to stick around after the first three chapters. I'd like to take that as sign that you enjoy the story enough to find out what happens next. xD It's been a long time since I've attempted to do any sort of fiction writing, and to see all of the positive comments and the amount of views/subscribers increasing just leaves me with the biggest smile on my face. It means a lot to me, and I'm thankful for all of you. ♥

Yongsun could feel the shameful tears drip down her face as she ran. Ran from the shell of a house she had been trapped in, ran from that deranged man, ran from Byulyi. A choked sob tore its way from deep within her chest as she continued to flee into the night. The moon seemed to have taken pity on the young woman as the clouds parted, offering what little illumination it could to light her way. Her lungs burned as she pushed her body to move faster as she ran, desperation and adrenaline swirling and mixing into an effective serum in her veins.  

The impact of the inn's door slamming open was loud enough to wake every inhabitant currently lost in their sleepy haven. Startled, the innkeeper poked his head up from behind the counter where he had been resting. His reprimand died on his lips at the sight of the priestess. He took in her disheveled appearance, the ugly bruise forming on her cheekbone, the frantic cry for help in her eyes. 

"Miss, are you alright?" he cautiously asked, almost afraid to hear what had caused her to be in such a state. 

Yongsun barely spared the man a look before throwing herself up the stairs, her strained voice calling for the guards for help. 

Chul was the first to come rushing out the door, his intense stare giving the young woman pause before she grabbed his arm. 

"Please, you have to come with me! There's this man with a knife, and he has Byulyi and we can't leave her and-" she rushed out, her worlds crashing into each other before coming to a halt. Myon had appeared then, the kind old man placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder to calm her. The soft gesture caused a new wave of tears to spill as she turned away quickly and led them back down the stairs. Kyu and the Captain followed shortly behind, the four of them trusting the priestess to take them to the thief in time. 

"How in the world did you end up out here?" Kyu wondered, as the sunken farmhouse soon came into view. 

Yongsun didn't have an answer as the scent of the pipe smoke teased at the edge of her mind. He had done something to her, and the fear of not knowing what that was disturbed the blonde girl. She would have to look into it later on, but for now, her mind was on a one track path to save Byulyi. 

Chul smashed through the broken entrance with the elegance of an enraged bull, his large frame making short work of the broken beams that had barred the way. Kyu and the Captain sprinted up the stairs with their swords drawn, while Myon reached out to grab Yongsun's arm, stopping the girl from following them upstairs. 

"It's not safe to go up there, Miss," he said, his words calm, but his demeanor telling her this wasn't up for discussion. 

The priestess felt herself fidgeting as Chul charged up the stairs behind the other two men, the sound of a fight clashing right above them. Was Byulyi safe? Was she even still alive? Had that man done anything to her? Yongsun felt herself in a near panic as she watched the stairwell for a sign of the other girl. Myon waited at the base of the stairs, spear in hand, as he tried to gauge what was going on above. After much shouting, the sickening gurgle of a man dying could be heard before a loud thud hit the floorboards above the blonde girl. 

"We have her!" Kyu shouted down below, a huge weight lifting from Yongsun's chest as the words registered. 

Chul came down the stairs first, the thief looking like a small child cradled in his massive arms. Byulyi was unconscious, and Yongsun could see the deep bruising around her neck. Some sort of black substance stuck to her face and hair, and blood continued to drip from the slash on the girl's palm. Chul then lifted the thief up enough for Yongsun to see her back. A diagonal cut ran from her right shoulder down to her side, the fabric of Byulyi's shirt quickly becoming saturated from the blood seeping out. 

Yongsun's moment of relief was snatched away all too soon as she realized the state the other girl was in. Concern marred her features as she followed the guards back to the inn, all too aware of what was on the line. Upon entering the inn, Kyu went to fetch her some water while the Captain grabbed her medicine pack from the stables. Myon remained watchful at the door as Chul laid Byulyi down on the bed with a gentleness that the priestess didn't think possible from the intimidating man. 

"Is there anything else you need?" the Captain asked as he set down her supplies and stepped back.  

The priestess shook her head as she rummaged around in her medicine bag, looking for the correct herbs to make a paste out of. 

"I'll be ok. Thank you for your help," she replied, her focus entirely consumed on the task ahead of her. 

Taking that as a sign to go, the guards exited the small room with a quick bow.

What am I going to do with you?

-----

Byulyi awoke with a startled gasp, causing the girl beside her to flinch back in surprise. Her whole body ached as she glanced around the room, trying to make sense of where she was and what had happened. Suddenly the image of the deranged man flooded her mind, causing her to try and sit up quickly, or she would have, had Yongsun not gently pushed her back down. 

"Shh, it's ok. You're safe back at the inn," the older girl comforted, her hand grasping Byulyi's as she slowly spread a green paste across the cut on her palm.

Byulyi tried to regulate her breathing against the pain. What happened? She remembered finding Yongsun, and fighting the strange man before everything went dark. She bit her lip as she frowned, lost in thought on what had transpired. No sooner had the piece of flesh entered before a putrid flavor invaded senses. Letting go of her lip, she ran her fingers across it, noticing a grainy black substance on the pad of her fingers. 

"Ugh, what is this stuff?" Byulyi gagged out, her fingers running across her face and finding more of the black soot like substance. It tasted horrible, and Byulyi instantly regretted letting any of it get inside . 

Yongsun looked over at her quietly after she finished bandaging her hand. "I'm not sure what it is, but you have it all over your face and hair. I'll take care of it, but first we need to bandage your back. Are you able to sit up?"

Searing pain shot across the thief's body whenever her back flexed, but eventually she managed to position herself at the edge of the bed with Yongsun's help. The real challenge came from trying to peel Byulyi's bloody shirt from her body. The crimson fluid had made the fabric sticky against her skin, and the priestess did her best to remove it as slowly as possible. Byulyi felt her face burn as Yongsun's shy eyes took in her torso for a moment, before sitting on her stool behind the other girl. 

A cool, damp cloth soon made contact with her flushed skin as the priestess went about the task of cleaning the wound. Once the blood had been washed away, Byulyi noticed the girl had stopped moving, a deafening silence filling the room. 

"...Yongsun? Everything ok?"

"Byulyi..." came the pained whisper, as Yongsun slowly touched her cool fingers to the thief's back. 

She could feel the priestess gently touching upon the many lash marks that had scarred her skin. Byulyi had been on the edge of consciousness by the time the flogging ended, and had no idea how many times she had actually been whipped. She could feel Yongsun's hand tremble against her back as she took in the entirety of what had happened to the younger girl. 

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," Yongsun breathed out, her hand pulling away as the words left her. 

Byulyi tried to look over her shoulder at the girl, surprised to see her on the verge of tears.

"I can't believe I carelessly said that you deserved something like this..." the priestess trailed off, regret lacing her voice.

The thief wasn't sure what to say. Yongsun's words back at the palace had hurt. The priestess was naive about the outside world, and Byulyi couldn't relate to that after the type of upbringing she had, raising herself on the streets and all of the horrors that came with it. She didn't want to say that it was ok, because it wasn't, but she at least appreciated that Yongsun regretted what she had said. 

"We live and we learn, you know?" was all she said back, her eyes focusing on her bandaged hand as Yongsun quietly resumed her work. 

The sky had begun to turn a soft pink outside their window by the time the blonde girl finished. Byulyi's back had been medicated and bandaged, as well as her face and hair washed clean of the strange black powder. The two young women looked completely exhausted by the end of it. 

"The sun needs to go back to sleep," Yongsun groaned as she stood up and stretched, a small moan escaping her as her back popped. 

Byulyi felt like she could sleep for the next 10 years as she hummed in agreement while trying to get comfortable on Yongsun's bed. The priestess had offered the younger girl to sleep on her side of the room after Byulyi's bed ended up with blood all over it. She felt somewhat guilty about it, since the small mattress left no room for her to share it with the priestess. 

"Oh it's ok, I'll just sleep on the floor," had been Yongsun's response when Byulyi voiced her concern. 

The thief was skeptical at that, and wondered if the older girl had ever slept on a floor in her life. It didn't take long for exhaustion to knock the priestess out though, as she used her medical bag as a pillow, and wrapped up in the threadbare blanket. Byulyi laid on her side facing where Yongsun slept on the floor, her eyes silently observing the sleeping girl. The bruise on her cheekbone had taken on an painful reddish hue, and Byulyi noticed the corner of her lip had been split. She thought about the sheer terror in the priestess's eyes when she found her back in the farmhouse, and how she had rushed out to rescue the older girl without a second thought.

Byulyi mulled over this, wondering if their connecting brands was making her soft for the blonde priestess. She hadn't felt particular attachment to Yongsun, and honestly the girl annoyed her more than anything at how clueless she could be about things. Sighing, she pushed such thoughts aside as she allowed sleep to blissfully take her away. 

-----

Five days had passed in the small hamlet. Yongsun felt that would be enough time for Byulyi's injuries to begin the healing process, and that the jostle from horse riding wouldn't reopen the wound. The thief had spent the majority of those five days resting and gathering her strength. Yongsun was thankful for the extensive education she had received on healing treatment during her time at the cathedral. She might not be much of a fighter, but she certainly knew how to clean and treat a variety of injuries.

At the thought of Byulyi, she gingerly reached up to touch her cheek, her own bruise feeling warm to the touch beneath her fingers. It didn't look quite as bad as before, as the coloring began to fade to a soft yellow. She knew it would still take another week or so before it would be completely healed, but she was thankful that her mild injuries were all she had sustained. 

Yongsun had noticed a change in herself in the following days. She felt like a part of her, a piece of her innocence, had been ripped out and crushed by the pipe smoking man. Her eyes viewed the world differently from that night on. No longer were strangers in the village just simple inhabitants going about their lives. The possibility that they could be up to something sinister was never far from the priestess's mind. She hated how she often felt doubtful, wary, afraid, of even the most good natured of villagers. The scarred man had tore the naive veil from her eyes, and now all she saw were potential threats.

Was that stranger sitting nearby during lunch because it was the last free space, or did he plan to kidnap her? Was that farmer offering her fresh fruit because she had prayed for his family, or was he wanting to lure her away? The constant "what if's" began to fill up inside the blonde girl, leaving her mentally exhausted. She found herself constantly on edge, obsessing over what had happened to her, the scene playing out in her mind over and over, and how she could have done something different. Something to have prevented it. Anything. 

Yongsun awoke crying on the last night before they would leave Gimhwa. She tried to reign in a choked sob as the nightmare vividly flashed throughout her mind, hounding her even during consciousness. Sitting up, she attempted to calm her breathing as she brushed away the cold tears. The reality of their situation was crashing down upon the young priestess, and she felt incredibly alone in this moment. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she hugged her legs tightly to herself as she thought on what exactly she had gotten herself into.

Being branded, meeting Byulyi, the King, being rushed out of her home and tossed out into the wild had been a blur. She hadn't had time to really ponder on what all of this meant for her, what hardships she would face, what type of situations she would overcome. It was too much. Another sob escaped the girl as she pressed her face against her knees.  

"Yongsun?" Byulyi's concerned voice broke the suffocating silence. 

She lifted her head up to look over at the thief, feeling embarrassed that she had caught her crying. 

"I'm ok, go back to bed," she lied, hoping the dark haired girl wouldn't notice how her voice wavered. 

"You're crying..." Byulyi simply said, a concerned frown resting on her face. 

"I'm fine, really. Please go back to sleep," Yongsun tried again, not wanting Byulyi to see her like this. 

The thief wasn't having any of it as she sat up in bed and patted the space in front of her. Yongsun stared at her, not understanding what the other girl wanted. 

"Come over here," the thief said, her legs spreading a bit to allow room for Yongsun. 

"What? I'm not-"

"Yes you are, come here," Byulyi waved at her to come to her bed, and once again patted the space in front of her to drive her point. 

Sighing, Yongsun crawled out of bed and awkwardly sat in between the thief's legs, her back resting gently against the girl's chest. Byulyi let out a satisfied hum as she wrapped her arms around the blonde girl and pressed snugly against her. Yongsun could feel her chin rest against her shoulder as her warm breath hit the side of her neck. The intimate position caused the priestess's cheeks to flush, and she was thankful that Byulyi couldn't see her face. 

"What are we doing like this?" she asked, unsure of the girl's intentions. 

Byulyi laughed softly against her before responding. "Growing up, whenever Hyejin would get scared at night, I'd hold her like this until she fell asleep."

Yongsun felt something warm stir in her chest at the gentle admission. 

"But I'm not scared," the priestess lied once more, not wanting to admit to Byulyi or herself how badly recent events had affected her. 

Byulyi tightened her hold around the older girl as she let out a deep breath.

"It's ok to be honest with yourself, Yongsun. I'm scared too."

Her eyes widened in surprise at Byulyi's words. She thought the thief fearless after everything she had endured, everything she had overcome. 

"I know it's hard, and I know you blame yourself. You couldn't have done anything different. It wasn't your fault, Yongsun, and you can't let it consume you," Byulyi said, her words earnest in her urgency for the priestess to understand. 

Yongsun stared down at Byulyi's hands clasped around her stomach as she quietly listened, the words striking hard at the shell that had incased her. Silence stretched between them as the blonde girl struggled to find the right words. She knew she was scared, she knew she had changed, but Byulyi was offering a way to overcome it, and the older girl wondered if she were capable to do so. 

A deep, exhausting, sigh, one that carried the weight of her soul slipped out of Yongsun finally. "You're right. I am scared. I'm scared of something like that happening again, of something awful happening to any of us," came the heartfelt words, raw emotion weaving its way through the syllables. "I worry that I'm not strong enough for something like this. Our journey has barely begun, and look at me! I'm already an unraveled mess, and we've hardly started. How can you have any faith in me?" 

There was a pause before Byulyi finally spoke. 

"You know what I think?" the thief questioned, not waiting for Yongsun to respond before continuing. 

"I think you're sheltered, and stubborn, and sometimes careless, but you care. You could have left me back there with that idiot when you made your escape, I've had it happen to me before, but you didn't. You came back for me, and Yongsun," Byulyi paused and let go of her waist with one hand while the other grasped Yongsun's branded one. "You saved me. I'm still alive thanks to you."

The priestess felt tears dampen her eyes once more as she allowed them to fall. "If I hadn't put you in that situation to beg-"

"Nope, none of that. I don't care what happened, at the end of the day you came back for me, and that's all the faith I need in you," Byulyi interrupted, her branded hand now holding onto Yongsun's. 

She lifted their hands up for the priestess to see, their gold and silver brands glowing softly in the darkness of their room. "The Gods chose you, Yongsun. Not the Captain, or the King, or some other fancy idiot that thinks they're better than everyone. You."

Byulyi's words settled over the priestess with a comforting warmth, and she felt herself smile for the first time in several days. 

"Moon Byulyi, you're the idiot, but a kind one. You should listen to your own advice. The Gods chose you as well," Yongsun said back, her body turning to the side so she could finally look at the other girl. 

Byulyi's face was bathed in shadow, but the priestess's eyes had adjusted enough to see how her face scrunched up at the smile returned back to her. 

"Yeah, well... We'll see about that," the thief murmured, suddenly feeling embarrassed and looking away. 

Yongsun laughed softly at the sight, feeling the best she ever had since they arrived at the small village. 

"It's getting late, we should get some sleep," Byulyi said, loosening her hold around the blonde. 

She shivered at the sudden loss of warmth, but knew the other girl was right. Crawling out of Byulyi's bed, she tucked herself away inside her own and rolled onto her side, facing the thief. Before closing her eyes, she called out to her one last time. "Byulyi?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for saving me too."

-----

The sun was high into the sky by the time Gimhwa finally disappeared from view. Byulyi couldn't say she would miss the sight of the small hamlet, and actually hoped she wouldn't ever see the place again. She had her fill of crazy ritual men, and wanted to put as much distance between herself and that place as she could. She glanced over at Yongsun, the priestess now riding alongside her.

The blonde girl seemed to be in a much better mood, and offered Byulyi a small smile when she caught her looking. The awkward unease that had settled between them prior to Gimhwa had dissipated between them, leaving a growing bond in its wake. Byulyi found that she enjoyed talking to Yongsun when they weren't trying to kill each other. Which was a good thing, as their next destination would take a week to travel to. 

Her stomach grumbled fiercely by the time the Captain motioned for them to move off road, a nearby clearing serving as their camp for the night. The sun was beginning to set and Byulyi realized this would be their first night camping outdoors. Her eyes sought out Yongsun, wondering if the vulnerability of it worried the older girl at all. The priestess was busy unpacking her bedroll and other necessities, unaware of the thief's gaze. She appeared to be alright, and Byulyi let her be as she went about collecting her own belongings.

Before long Myon had a small fire going, and a weathered black pot nestled on top with a stew bubbling away. instantly watered as the aroma blew in her direction on the breeze, and she eagerly sat nearby, bowl in hand, waiting for the moment it would be done cooking. The thief had a hard time wrapping her mind around having a hot meal available to her everyday. She hoped it would be something she could grow used to. Yongsun sat down beside her as they waited.

"You look like you're about to go swimming inside that stew," the priestess teased, a warm smile on her face as she watched the thief salivate. 

"Gods, if you're out there, please give me at least four stomachs so that I might eat this entire pot," Byulyi jokingly prayed, peeking open an eye to glance over at the Sister's incredulous face.

"Yah! Leave some for the rest of us!" she cried out, swatting Byulyi's arm a little too hard, causing the injured girl to wince. 

Byulyi scooted away, holding her bowl out defensively between them. "Sister Muscles can stay on that side of the fire, thank you."

Pouting, Yongsun reached out and gave an apologetic pat to the thief's arm. Byulyi warily watched her hand in case she tried anything funny, but relaxed once Yongsun remained back where she was. 

"You know, speaking of muscles... Would you be willing to teach me how to fight?" the priestess asked all of the sudden, her face a hopeful mixture of several things.

Byulyi was taken aback by the question. She didn't think the priestess would be interested in violence, but after their discussion the night before, she could understand the older girl's desire to defend herself. The thief tapped her spoon on her bowl for a long moment, an exaggerated look of contemplation on her face as she dragged out her answer. A grin cracked her mask as soon as she heard Yongsun huff out in annoyance. 

"I'll train you, but I'd like for you to do something for me in return," Byulyi offered, feeling self-conscious about what she was about to request. 

Interest piqued, Yongsun focused her full attention on her and waited. 

"I can read and write a little from books Hyejin would find in the trash, but I'd like you to teach me," she said a little too fast, cheeks coloring in embarrassment. She hated that she felt embarrassed about her lack of knowledge with something like that, but she hadn't quite been in the position to receive an education.  

Yongsun's eyes softened as she nodded, a soft smile falling onto her pretty face. "Of course! We can get started tonight if you like. I brought several books, and there's enough parchment and ink to last us a long while."

Byulyi smiled in return, a particular fondness blossoming for the other girl. The evening had only just begun.