Distant Daylight || Yunho (A Treasure Tale)

On the Streets

Harsh winds gusted down from the mountains and Yunho could feel them in his bones.

Everything was sore from walking and carrying his entire life with him, but his numb fingers were locked around Gunho, even as his weight seemed to grow more and more with every step.

He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew which path led back to town so he pushed forward with everything inside him. The night was deepening and the winds were growing colder, and even the claw-like branches of empty trees against the pale moon did their best to stop Yunho in his tracks.

"I'm freezing," Gunho sniffled pathetically into his shoulder. He sounded much younger than he was and the sickness had ruined his voice, making him difficult to hear.

"I know," Yunho told him, lying easily just to help him hold on a bit longer. "We're almost there."

He had no idea how close they were.

Eventually, the trees surrounding them became more familiar and an identifiable landmark appeared on the horizon.

A marking stone, one that indicated an intersection.

"Home is this way," Yunho said aloud, hoping for a response to let him know Gunho was awake, but nothing came.

Unsure where else to go, he made his way across the fields to the street where he knew their old estate still stood, owned by the King and repurposed as whatever he used it for.

The town was quiet, even more hushed and closed down than it usually was at night, but a few lights were on in the windows, including the window Yunho used to gaze out of in his bedroom.

Clearly the house was bigger now and more ornate, with a scary looking gate in front. Sighing and redistributing Gunho's weight, he walked through it and up to the door and knocked.

A frazzled looking woman opened the doors a few moments later and blinked at them in surprise. "Children?" She remarked, glancing past them down the street. "Where are your parents?"

"We need help," Yunho said quickly, veering away from that question. If he answered honestly, they'd end up right back at the orphanage. "It's very cold, could we come in and speak to whoever is in charge?"

Convinced by his professionalism beyond his years and the little boy passed out on his back, the woman let Yunho through and instructed him to sit on some floor cushions in the waiting area, where he lay Gunho down next to him.

The interior of the house was completely different. It seemed like everything homey and warm had been replaced from the floors to the colour of the walls to the furniture to the layout of the rooms.

With surprise, as Yunho read the signs above the doors, he began to realise what the place had become.

"They turned our house into a government building?" Gunho's voice cracked as he turned his head around and squinted at their surroundings.

"You're awake!" Yunho gasped, a bit too loudly for the formal space and sleepy adults scattered throughout various rooms.

"Excuse me," a man's sharp voice reached them from the end of the hall where he and the woman from before stood, staring at them. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"My brother is sick," Yunho began to explain, getting to his feet and bowing respectfully though Gunho was still too drowsy to follow his lead.

This man was a council official of some kind and it would be a bad idea to offend him.

"We just need somewhere to stay while he recovers, and there was a maid here once named Jaein who promised to help us, so I was wondering if—"

"Don't come any closer!" The man cautioned with an outstretched hand. "You say the boy is ill? What are his symptoms? I'm sure you're aware that disease is spreading like wildfire through So-ai."