It’s been three weeks since the group have stayed at Sunmi’s tavern in that town. In Taeyeon's opinion that was long enough. Especially because the boys didn’t seem to be so concerned about the shortage of money at their disposal. The group has been spending their coins in wagons of beer, beds of brothels and public bath houses, and for a group of seven bastard men, that was the most careless way of spending money.

She tried to control their finances the best way possible, but she did not really have the mind for financial things nor she did have the heart to deny her group of friends what they were wishing for. So even though she never approved the boys' overall attitude, she never really tried to stop them for doing what they wanted.

But it comes a time where she needs to set their priorities. And that was one of those times. They really needed to leave that village.

The journey to the Red Mountains would be long and harsh. Taeyeon and the boys would need to sleep in their tents during the travel as the next thing close to a city they’ll meet would be a small village called Sandrock in the gateway between Kangwon's Province and the Red Mountains. The journey to Sandrock will be long and hard. So, to Taeyeon, the sooner the group leaves, the better.

Heechul had been helping Taeyeon pack their belongings as he was the most organized of the bunch. A feature that Taeyeon was really glad for her friend to have. Especially because Heechul was the one Taeyeon trusted to keep her sword cleaning set tools.

Taeyeon had the habit of cleaning her sword once per week. And giving that they were about to leave that village, Taeyeon sat that as her main priority. A non-maintened sword is as good as a steeless one.

Finished putting the cleaning oil, Taeyeon lifted the blade up, turning it around to allow the oil to soak up in the fuller of the blade. As the oil settled in, Taeyeon rose up from the floor, and started to practice different stances with the sword in hand.

Taeyeon’s sword wasn’t like any other. Dark steel had gone into forging the blade, so black and slick that at night, it seemed almost to vanish when seen edge-on. The grip of the sword, enrolled with dark leather, provided a comfortable way to hold the sword as it absorbed the sweat of her hand if used for longer periods of time. Attached to the end of the pummel, strings made of wool, as red as blood, met together to form two small orb shapes that functioned as a tassel. The scabbard followed the color of the blade, as black as night, with the locket and the end chape of it in gold.

Anyone looking at that sword would think it belonged to a noble born. But it didn’t. It belonged to the bastard Taeyeon, handmade exclusive for her by the best blacksmith of her hometown. It was sharper than any razor. It was Taeyeon’s secret weapon. It was her biggest treasure. It was her Purpose.

“You need a student.” Her best friend, Heechul commented, set the cleaning kit safe away.

“You want to learn how to swordfight?” If he wanted, Taeyeon could think about it. Heechul was calm and loyal, and his traits could use good of some sword fighting aptitudes.

“No, I’m not much of a fighter.” He quickly dismissed.

“Yeah, you’re more of a poet.” Taeyeon agreed.

“I mean in general, you need a student. Someone to share your art. Like Master Kim shared his with you.”

Taeyeon once again changed her stance, lifting the dark blade above her head. “Not with the other boys, I say.”

Heechul chuckled. “You are too strict with this.”

Taeyeon looked at him, lowering the arm holding the blade to her waist line. “The pick of a pupil is an extremely important one. They will carry the teacher’s lessons for eternity. What if I teach Shindong and he goes berserk when drunk and start killing everyone? I wouldn’t be able to live in shame and guilty.” Heechul thought that was an overstatement. Taeyeon however, continued her saying. “There are people out there who are not fitting to learn sword fighting. Like violent men who drink a lot of alcohol and do stupid things when drunk! The boys in our group…are one of those people, Heechul.”

Heechul smiled.

“Besides…” Taeyeon started saying again. “If I teach them how to swordfight they won’t fear me no more.”

“We don’t fear you, captain. One single bit.” He replied, chuckling, making Taeyeon feel a little unimportant.

“You don’t fear me? Not even if I point the end of this sword at your face?” Taeyeon moved the blade so the pointy end was just inches away from Heechul’s face.

“You wouldn’t hurt your best friend.”

Taeyeon sighed, defeated, and moved her hand, turning the blade away from her friend. Soon, she was in a different stance again.

“But it isn’t fear that makes us follow you on your journey to Hanyang.” Heechul backed up.

“Is it my skills on sword fighting?”

“You are a bastard.” Heechul said, calmly.

“Oiy, it hurts when it’s you calling me that.”

“You are a bastard just like us.” He added up. “Even if you had a proper education from your Master Kim…” Taeyeon turned her eyes to Heechul. “You understand us. You know our struggles and feelings. And it gives us comfort to follow a man like you.”

Taeyeon stood quiet and returned to practice her stances with her sword.

Sometimes it stung her heart when she heard Heechul and the others call her that. A man. A good man. Even though she knew they had the best intentions, that was still a remainder. A remainder that she wasn’t what they were calling her. She wasn’t a man.

She was a woman pretending to be a man. Pretending to be male born so she could be safe from the dangers of this world. Lady Boshi told her not to trust anyone in her journey in matters of revealing her gender. And Taeyeon wouldn’t dare to oppose Lady Boshi’s words.

All those months travelling with that group of friends, Taeyeon had never revealed them who she really was. What she hides behind her male outfit. And she was afraid she could lose them all if she did.

Especially Heechul.

He was the first man Taeyeon met upon leaving Ironstow, her hometown in Jeolla’s Province. Heechul was from a small village, and he was on his way to the capital city for the dream of entering the Magistrate and become a scholar. Taeyeon and him quickly became friends, and she was truly grateful for his company throughout that travel.

To picture Heechul leaving her side hurts her heart a little bit. And if she revealed them her true identity, Taeyeon knew they would not longer follow her. Lady Boshi told her men would look at her with pride as long as she didn’t tell them her gender.

A good man is what men say when they see a male face they recognize their worth. They never say that to a woman.

Min Hee, the of the brothel, called her a good person. That was more powerful to her than calling her a man. Because it meant she could see the value on Taeyeon past by her gender. It was Taeyeon’s dream to ever hear her male friends call her a good person.

But she would probably never hear that.

Even if Taeyeon’s true wish was to tell her friends who she really was, she had to keep that wish within herself or she would lose her friends forever. A group of men wouldn’t care to follow the lead from a woman.

“Did I say something wrong?” Heechul asked, concerned. “You got quiet just as suddenly.”

“You called me a bastard.” Taeyeon apprehended him, pretending to be hurt for that.

“Sorry, Bastard.”

“Oiy.”

“Bastard Flower Prince.”

Taeyeon rolled her eyes, never minding his commentary. As Heechul finished putting the cleaning set tools in his satchel, Taeyeon turned her blade around, the oil now completely dried.

“It’s all good.” She said, putting the scabbard on and fastening its belt, adjusting the hold on her shoulder. Taeyeon did not like having the sword around her waist, for it makes walking uncomfortable as the sword kept hitting on her legs, so she adjusts the belt in order to put it over her shoulder and keep the sword on her back. “I guess we’re ready to go.”

“You are, certainly not the boys.” Heechul snarked.

“What? They are still drinking?” Taeyeon rolled her eyes, not liking that the group didn