the Twelve-faced Moon: A Loona fanfiction

Chapter 45 : Old Wolf,New Den

Hyejoo V

Face your fear,they said,for you cannot outrun them forever. Easy for them to say Hyejoo murmured to herself. How does one fear her own mother,Or someone elses for that matter. Sitting on top of ravenous wolf does not give her a slither of courage either.

She and her wolfpacks have been waiting on this path in between the county of Rajin and Chongjin,after several days of distributing pay and letting her armies disband,only her wolf raiders numbered in exactly thirty are left,under her,Lady Dohee and Nam Ren's command.

Since the rest of her own Wolfpack leaders are a count and lord of their own right,they rode ahead of her to disband their armies in their respective fiefs,so does Soojin who left earlier to return to Sokcho,her home. Shin Myunghoon meanwhile,sent for one of his own niece to replace his position as Hyejoo's confidant. Ever a reliable subordinate,the Bear of Sinpo initially worried for Hyejoo's predicament but Hyejoo would loathe to hinder his duty as a Lord so just he can continue babysit her,she said to him last moon "go,your people need you more than i do"

Predicament....more like wrath of a mother's scorned.

She left Black Fort for seven years,never once returned. Marauding and raiding all over the northern frontier. Without ever telling her mother. She will definitely forbade her to do so,but being a Son from Hamgyong,she can't resist the allure of it. freedom and building her dreadful reputation,the Red-Eyed She-Wolf,is such a moniker of fearsome reputation. Perhaps it is worth it,all these years.

Hyejoo definitely didn't grew up in accordance to her own mother's vision,after all,the name she bears originally belonged to a long-dead lady,a proper one,which raiding probably never crossed her mind,who married a noble from Ryanggang,a Go. Go Hyejoo,that's my name going forward huh.

Back in Jilin,her father granted her the governorship of Ryanggang province. The reward however,didn't come with a price. Hyejoo must relinquish her fief in Chongjin,including the Black Fort to her uncle,Son Hyegoo. And depends on lady Go Yuna's condition,she would be adopted to the House Go of Ryanggang. Since Yujin didn't have any relative left and elder lady Go cannot have another offspring,that line must continued,one way or another.

Therein lies the conundrum,Hyejoo must tell her own mother that she will be no longer a Son and on the other hand,convinced lady Go to adopt her. An unenviable task,no matter how one look at it.

Succeeded or not,it doesn't really affect much,said her father,since Hyejoo would still have that governorship position nonetheless "consider this as a lesson,where you have to convince others to your will. Fear and raw strength could get you far,but adept diplomacy will get you further" the High King said. lesson,more like a punishment.

"there's the King's retinue,my lady" said a maiden clad in steel,short black haired. Pointing at the horizon. On her surcoat are emblazoned the sigil of the Shin from Sinpo,a brown bear on two foot on a green field. Hyejoo's newest companion,one of Shin Myunghoon's nieces,Ryujin she is named.

Hearing that,Hyejoo's eyes getting smaller,struggling to see more further,until she saw the tiger banner in the distance amidst the dust of clouds made from the marching of soldiers behind.

Finally she can see them,her father surrounded by his usual companions;Mansik,Chaewon,Tozaki,the two giants,in addition of Yuqi... and the savages. She could hear Bya's growl under her feet. "Ssssshhh,stay still now" Hyejoo said whilst petting Bya's ear. "they are no longer your food,remember that"

"Father." She said,glumly and coldly,greeted him as she attach her retinues to the High King's and ride beside him.

"hope we're not kept you waiting too long." She glanced at his face,more withered than usual. To Hyejoo's eyes,he doesn't seem like a triumphant King returning from his conquest north. Worry has weighed on him. Or the inevitable encounter someday with the grieving lady Go perhaps weighed heavily on him,Hyejoo could not say. Nor she could ask.