Hi ^.^

A double update coming up!

@Faye_Chan: Yoosu will be up in the next update. For now, the story's focus is on Yunjae. After all, as much as I love Yoosu, I enjoy writing Yunjae, so there will be seperate moments for each every now and then. That is just how the story goes. I apologise for that. Please bear with me okay? >.<

Do stay and read!

Thank you all for your kind comments and also the subscriptions! Love them to the max!!

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“Hush. I heard you the first time around.” Jaejoong said to the squalling baby while still trekking through the tenebrous woods, back to his previous lodging. He knows that the king and his men will be hot on his heels and he needs to get as far away as possible, but still, he needed his first aid kit, and he can’t possibly go back to the place he just abandoned.

Trudging onwards, the injured man tightened the self made 'baby cradle' which consists of a basket he found, to his back and looked around the small patches of flora for usable herbs to treat his wound with as he went along. Cutting the plants at the stem, Jaejoong fitted in as much as plants as his girdle's pouch can contain before returning his hand blade to his belt.

The blood loss is not as extensive since Jaejoong had already applied enough pressure earlier to cut off majority of the blood supply to that area. Finally arriving at the destination, the healer waited for the baby to quiet down before making a break for the derelict hut. Once inside, Jaejoong shut the still intact door tightly and barricaded the entrance with every piece of overturned furniture he could lift or push with a single hand.

Fumbling around in the murky black house for some candles, the healer almost tripped a couple of times, before finally starting a small fire.

Shining the small flame across the room, it is clear to him that there were intruders. Most of the furniture had taken some damage and is strewn all over the place while his bed linens lay shredded, scattered all over the place. Cursing under his breath for the unnecessary mutilation of his property, the healer suppressed his dangerous temper and focused on tending to his injuries before any intruders invade his house once again.

Placing the baby in a corner of the hut, the man started to remove the tourniquet around the distal end of his left upper arm, wincing upon seeing the gaping gash present there, through the dimness. Picking bravely at the jagged edges of the opening, littered with clotted blood and fabric matter, Jaejoong bit his lower lip as he flushed the lesion with all the water he can find.

Tossing around the contents in his storage chest within its given space, Jaejoong smiled a little upon feeling the softness of his 'bandage', which is still present inside the messed up box. The healer always made his own first aid items, since there aren’t many options in the markets. The long strip of clothe was personally spun by him for the injured soldiers after the war. The compact entwinement of strings provided better absorption.

Rubbing the washed leaves in the palm of his good hand, the healer squeezed the sap out and pressed the dry clamp onto the torn skin and muscle. Sweeping his hands inside the box once again, Jaejoong found some of his home made antiseptic and applied a generous amount before closing up the wound, binding it snugly.

By the time he is done, the whole workspace is bloodied while the ground collects a pool of pinkish red water. Changing into another set of garments in better condition, the man tried to employ the use of his injured arm, just to realise that he can't actually lift the hand up voluntarily anymore.

Examining his arm, the man wanted to swear profanities, but hesitated after noticing how close the gash is made to the major artery in his arm. Apparently, Yunho knows his anatomy too. The advisor obviously knows where to sever in order to kill.

What Jaejoong didn't know is that Yunho did not mean to cut him so deep. However, it will take a long time for Jaejoong to understand Yunho's kind intentions. The healer is greatly incensed by Yunho's intervention, leading to the inevitable loss of Junsu to Yoochun. He cannot hate Yunho anymore than he already does.

Still crouching down against the floor, Jaejoong crawled over to the corner where the baby is kept and peeped into the small basket. The infant is awake but surprisingly quiet. Even though he is last fed hours ago, the baby did not make much noise in protest. It's as though he understands the situation Jaejoong is in and is actually cooperating while the healer patches himself up.

“Are you hungry?” Jaejoong could not help but stick a finger into the basket and rub the baby's tiny abdomen. The newborn's eyes are still sealed shut, but the cute pursing of tiny lips brought an awkward grin to the exhausted healer's own.

“I'm hungry too. Let's get you something to eat before you cry again.” Jaejoong whispers and rubs his own tone tummy. Looking outside the small slit in the window, the healer took note of the passing time and quickly got to action. It is well into the night.

Stuffing a stale piece of flat bread into his own mouth and taking his time to chew on it, the healer reattached the basket to his back with a big piece of cloth and crept out from the currently unblocked door. Ducking into bushes as he goes along, the man pulls his hood further down his face for more coverage.

It is dawn by the time Jaejoong did find a feeding source for the baby. The woman does not know that Jaejoong is a wanted man yet, but the healer does not want to risk anything. Explaining his circumstance to the woman, the healer managed to persuade the woman to keep their meeting under wraps.

The woman is particularly fond of the infant as well, so Jaejoong could feel the burden lessening as he plans his 'itinerary' for the next month. He is living day by day.

As much as the man is tempted to retreat into the mountain top, he has to consider the extra mouth to feed. Thanks to the picky mouth that cannot take just anything that is served to him, Jaejoong is forced to stay for a while longer. He will need to be close by, since the baby’s food source is not exactly portable.

Remembering the boat he still has, anchored by the river, just a ‘stone throw’ away, Jaejoong promptly decided to just seek refuge there for the time being. His boat used to bring him across the river in search for herbs on the small islands nearby, as well as provide him a place to get in touch with himself. The healer feels more secured knowing that his 'home' can act as a mode of escape as well.

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“Find me all postpartum and -feeding women in this area, locate them and monitor for any suspicious activity for two days then report back to me.” Yunho decided to just adopt some critical thinking and use the 'dummy' method to catch Jaejoong. This way is more labour intensive, but he knows he will not miss.

Arriving at a relatively safe conclusion that Jaejoong will not kill the child, Yunho decided to bet that Jaejoong will not harm the child as long as he still want the young prince Junsu back. Mapping out Jaejoong's possible routes and the resources he will need to keep the baby alive, Yunho is pleased to know that the healer will be in the immediate vicinity, contained within the hundred mile radius.

Instead of pasting notices all over the public areas, the advisor wanted to keep the search as low profile as possible. His excuse is that Jaejoong might hurt the baby if he feels threatened, but he knows that is not true.

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POV from Yunho

The maps are straight forward.

I just need to know how long it takes for a man to travel… to know where he wouldn't go.

Technically speaking, because he wants to make a deal with Chun for Junsu, he will keep the baby alive... thanks to that, the baby will act as a tracking device for me. Not just because of its colicky cries... but because of the resources it will need in order to stay alive.

One will need approximately a whole day and a half on horse back, headed in any four directions and hoping to reach the nearest community... If he is on foot, it will take him roughly three days. The baby cannot be left unfed for too long… so leaving the city is an unlikely option he will pick. Also, since there is a need for him to get a stable source of milk for the baby, retreating into the mountains will be silly...

Viola! I have him. He will be in town for some time. It all relies solely on how good he is at hiding… for me not to find him. If this method doesn't bring me to him, then I can be rest assured that we will never see the baby again... which is improbable... since Junsu is still here.

I still wonder if he is alright though. I did make a deep accidental cut. I cannot deny that I MIGHT have wounded him too seriously for my own liking... but what is done is done. He is a good first aider right? What can happen? Aish! WHY AM I SO CONCERNED ABOUT HIS CONDITION ANYWAY?! That’s because if he dies, the baby is a goner too. Only that.

I need to stay focused!! Baby back!! Junsu stays!! Jaejoong alive... would be best. No guarantees though... right? Why does my heart hurt at the thought of him slaughtered?

He is a WANTED man. A criminal with felony charges under his belt. I can't do anything to change that. He chose to go down that path. I can't help him... can I?

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A few days later...

“Sir! We did not observe any movements... or anything worth investigating. The bunch of women you assigned us to spy on is doing nothing out of the ordinary.

“That's not possible.” The advisor, who is obviously suffering from sleepless nights, mutters to himself, rubbing a hand across his stubbles, the tall man then ‘hibernated’, immersed in his own thoughts.

“Are any of them spending extra time away from home during staggered hours? Suspicious schedules?” Yunho prayed for a yes. Much to his relief, a frown formed on one of his men's forehead.

“Sir. There is one in particular. We did not think she was worthy of our skepticism, but if you mention timing, she tends to leave her house at erratic timings… but with her child.” Yunho evaluated the information he just received and decided to just check the woman out.

To Yunho, she is probably titrating the kidnapped baby's feeding time based on her own child's. He has a feeling that they are really close, after the long and painful wait.

“Get my horse.” “I will go. No one follows me.” Yunho slipped on his armour and took a second for a quick shave before finally washing his face and heading out. “I don't need an ugly hostage situation, make sure no one follows me.” “I can handle myself.” Yunho added on the 'rationale', just in case any anxious soldier decides to act on their own despite his orders.

TBC

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