The Sacrifice of The Blood King: A Taekook Story

Chapter Seventeen: Hidden Caves

As night falls upon the Mountain Kingdom, the air becomes frigid, and the icy wind whirls around with a vengeance. Snow begins to fall as the Blood King and Desert Prince begin their journey back up the mountain pass, the only sound in the mountain pass the clomping of horse hooves and whistling breath of the wind. Sharp rocky cliffs shadow one side of the path while large trees spring up in groves on the other side of the mountain, cutting into sheer cliff sides and ice patches. A strong gust of wind blows over them and Jungkook tenderly pulls Taehyung's cloak tight around him, keeping the fabric from blowing away, and trying to keep the smaller prince from trembling as the cold pierces through him. Taehyung smiles softly at the king's kindness before snuggling into the thick fur and closer to Jungkook as he does the same to his own cloak, clasping the fabric to his belt so that it stays down and stops obscuring his vision. The sun sets and a deep blue coats the sky above them; several stars begin to shimmer above, and Taehyung gazes up at them almost longingly. Jungkook watches for a minute before clearing his throat to draw the prince's attention from the stars.

"Did you enjoy today, my prince?" Jungkook asks, breaking the quiet silence that surrounds them before Taehyung nods.

"Very much. You have a beautiful kingdom, my king. I'm sorry Deidrich hurt himself though...is there no remedy for his hands?" Taehyung quietly asks before Jungkook sighs and rubs a gentle hand over Taehyungs' soft thigh.

"Not that we know of; age and the bitter chill of mountain farming have taken its toll..." Jungkook gently explains as Taehyung leans back against the king, feeling the warmth radiating from his strong form. Jungkook smiles, pulling Taehyung closer with a strong hand on his hip, yet the prince doesn't mind, too distracted by his own thoughts to worry about their proximity.

"Has anyone tried to help him?"

"We don't know what to try," Jungkook reiterates, "Nothing in our medicinal studies can help a man cursed with stone hands," Taehyung thinks over the conditions he saw in Deidrich's hands, racking his brain for a possible cure or remedy. Jungkook notices Taehyung lost in thought, smiling tenderly at the determined gleam in his eye.

It is when he looks away from the prince that he notices something is awry. Several shadows around the towering pine trees are darker than they ought to be, and as the wind slows, he can hear more than just his horse hooves in the rocky cavern. Paranoia boils in his veins and his grip tightens on the reins, not wanting to startle the prince, yet he has to get the upper hand here. Otherwise, they may end up dead, and that is the last thing Jungkook wants.

"Prepare..." Jungkook quietly orders his horse in the mountain tongue, the harsh sound escaping Jungkook's lips different, and it draws Taehyung's attention. He glances at the king as the horse stomps softly, tossing its head before it picks up pace, moving just a bit faster, yet Jungkook feels the shadows around them picking up their pace too. His concerns were correct. They are being followed.

Stealthily, Jungkook reaches down to the saddlebags and grips his crossbow, locking a crossbolt into place with just the twist of a finger. Amongst the faint rush of the wind and clattering horse hooves, Jungkook hears it: the loading of a crossbolt and a string pulled tight. Taehyung notices Jungkook's hand on the crossbow, yet before he can say anything, the king fires a bolt behind them, stirring his horse into a gallop as Taehyung clings to the mane slightly, needing to hold onto something as the frigid air rushes past them.

"My king--"

"Hush," Jungkook demands as he loads the crossbow again and fires off another bolt. Taehyung remains silent, instinctively leaning forward so his torso is flat against the horse's back and his hands are in the mane. Jungkook takes advantage of this, firing off a bolt above Taehyung's head as his horse spurs swiftly into action. It gallops to the east, moving on the path and off of it in the direction his rider instructs, jumping through sharp rocks and the rigid cliffs along the pass. A crossbolt whistles through the air from behind them, striking the tree inches away from the horse, and Taehyung gasps, closing his eyes as his fingers dig into the horse's mane even more, yet the beast doesn't seem to mind.