Glossary

The light was blinding when Jinki opened his eyes, it took him a few minutes to adjust, coughing up the water that was still inside his lungs, his mind getting oriented to his surroundings. He could still hear the spring, he could feel the gravel beneath him, digging into his back. “Jonghyun!” he called out, blinking rapidly as he looked around for him.

“Jonghyun,” he said gently, trying to wake him up, shaking him. “Please.” The rush of memories he had made it so clear, who the prisoner, who the man lying in front of him was. “Please,” he said softly, he had not expected to meet Jonghyun like this again, had not even expected to forget him, but here he was finally with him, and he couldn’t lose him again, couldn’t let him go like last time. “Jonghyun, please wake up.” he said putting pressure onto Jonghyun’s chest.

Jonghyun woke up a few seconds later, coughing up water. Jinki his back, as he looked over Jonghyun, making sure there were no new injuries. “I am so glad you are safe.” he said as he hugged Jonghyun.

“And I am glad I found you.” Jonghyun smiled as he sat up with Jinki’s help. “You haven’t changed much.” Jonghyun said, his fingers caressing Jinki’s face.

Jinki laughed as he leaned into Jonghyun’s touch, “I can say the same for you too.” He smiled, pushing back Jonghyun’s hair wanting to take in everything he had missed of Jonghyun. It was true Jonghyun hadn’t changed much either; his clear and honest eyes remained the same, his lips had gotten fuller since his childhood, he had matured handsomely, but he could still see the six year old in him. “What are you doing here? What happened to your mother?” he asked, his voice tinged with worry.

“I will tell you everything in time.” Jonghyun smiled, he could see the million questions in Jinki’s eyes and he would be glad to answer them all, but hearing a voice leave his throat after being mute for years felt so odd. “It sounds so strange, listening to my voice after all these years.” He commented amused. “It feels like I am not the one talking. So eerie.” he shivered.

“It’s pretty,” Jinki smiled at him, “much better than that squeaky, nasally voice you had as a kid,” he teased.

Jonghyun laughed, “True,” he said. “I need to-”

Jinki cut him off before he could finish his sentence, signalling him to stay quiet, he could hear the horse-hooves striking against the ground, faint voices being carried in the wind. “There’s someone else in the woods.” he whispered as he got up picking up his sword in one hand as he helped Jonghyun up.

“There’s three of them,” Jonghyun said a few seconds later, he could sense, feel them and where they wanted to go. All of a sudden he felt how sensitive his mind had become, he suddenly had these overwhelming thoughts and feelings in his mind that were not his own, like everything around him was trying to tell him something, whisper their secrets to him, stunning his own thoughts and feelings. He took a deep breath, trying to drown the chaos only he could hear. “They are headed for the spring,” he took a step back.

Jinki looked at him puzzled, “How do you know that?”

“I-”

“Jinki! He’s here!”

“Minho?” Jinki called out lowering his sword, “What are you doing here?” astonishment clearly evident on his face and in his voice.

“What are you doing here?” Kibum asked, stopping his horse beside Minho’s.

“You have a whole lot of explaining to do, brother.” Taemin said as he got off his horse.

“It’s fine, I know them. They won’t hurt us.” Jinki said as turning towards Jonghyun when he saw him step back. He gave him a reassuring smile as he gently held onto Jonghyun’s hand.

“Wow, you really did escape with the prisoner didn’t you?” Minho said when Jinki and Jonghyun came close, Jinki leading the other

“Don’t ever runaway like that.” Taemin hugged Jinki and immediately pushed him away, “You stink.”

Jinki laughed, “It’s good to see you all too,” When three pairs of expectant eyes bored into him, he cleared his throat, “Jonghyun, this is Minho, Kibum and Taemin and you guys this is Jonghyun.” He squeezed Jonghyun’s hand, a soft smile on his face as his eyes met Jonghyun’s.

Jonghyun gave a small smile to the three in front of him, he remembered hearing about Taemin from Jinki but he hadn’t heard about Minho and Kibum, and if Jinki trusted them, then he would too.

“So you really did know him?” Kibum asked, astonished.

“Yes, he’s an old friend.” Jinki smiled as he let go Jonghyun’s hand. “How did you find us?” he asked them.

“I am a genius,” Kibum said simply, with a proud smile on his face. “The King should definitely hire me as his strategist.”

“Mother and father are so worried,” Taemin said. “A third of the army has been mobilized to find you both.”

“We can’t