Ashrain

20. Busy Hooves

Yongguk showed up at their home unheralded one day and Hongjoong became more and more convinced people assumed the general rule of politeness in these lands was to surprise friends with unwarranted visits.

Hongjoong sat in the kitchen peeling carrots for dinner when the heavy knock on the door alerted them of a fist different from Wooyoung's and Yeosang's. Before Mingi opened the door, he rushed to close the stable doors. Seonghwa hadn't tried coming into the house again after last time's chaos, but he enjoyed sitting at the threshold and leaning against the doorframe to peer in.

Hongjoong put the carrots down and watched as Mingi let the rush of cold winter air in. Faint snowflakes danced in the sky, not yet big enough to settle on the earth. They promised more soon, and Mingi had been quick to winter-proof his garden and get the last fruit from the freezing ground.

When he set his eyes upon them, Yongguk politely removed his hat. He nodded at each of them and Hongjoong's tension smoothed out. Upon his call, Seonghwa opened the door again and greeted Yongguk as well.

"What do we owe the visit, pathfinder?" Mingi asked as he sat back down. He motioned for Yongguk to take a seat while Hongjoong brought him water. It was frigid from the river running through the fields nearby, but Yongguk relished its icy freshness. His cheeks warmed in the fire-cast room as he took off his gloves and scarf. Bony fingers wrapped around his cup like others would do with a warm drink. Hongjoong chuckled at the nonsensical sight.

"I have news of the elven highwaymen on the way to Wind's Bridge. Since I will be on the road for the next two weeks, I wanted to drop by and inform you, so we wouldn't miss each other. Wooyoung made his urgency very apparent." Yongguk chuckled, a dark and rich sound despite his narrow body.

Seonghwa perked up. He stemmed his hands on the wooden boards inside the house to lean closer, ears strained. Long hair dangled over his bare shoulders to reach for the floor.

Yongguk appreciated his interest as he continued.

"My connections to the city guard have alerted the soldiers of the risk posed by the highwaymen. They found agreement with the higher-ups that their criminal activity got overlooked for far too long, and will send soldiers to get rid of them. However, I don't know when. It became an added matter to their existing list and I don't know how long said list is. Though now that things are rolling, it might only be a few weeks. Hopefully, before the snow blocks your way home," Yongguk said. Seonghwa's face bloomed into a big smile as delight overcame him.

Since his expression was so endearing, Hongjoong couldn't help but grin.

"I will check the trail on my way back here, but I figured since you would want to leave before winter dawns upon us, I would warn you ahead of time. Like this, you should have enough time to say your goodbyes."

The mention of parting so soon bore into Hongjoong's heart. He didn't want Seonghwa's goodbyes. He never wanted them. Yongguk considered their feelings by dropping by, but in Hongjoong, he only ignited dread about the moment the inevitable would happen.

"Thank you," Mingi replied when Seonghwa was too caught up in his glee to reply. Yongguk chuckled and sipped his water.

"I'm glad to help, even in such a minor way. If you leave after my return, I can accompany you on part of the way to make sure your journey is safe."

Taken by gratitude, Seonghwa nodded with shimmering eyes.

"I will gladly take that offer," he croaked.

The matter on the road being resolved soon supplied Seonghwa's dim light with a new shine. Hongjoong was awed to see it, but his heart hurt. It was still so soon. The love blossoming between Seonghwa and him would find such a cruelly hacked end, just as San's tail.