Awaiting The Dawn

7: Thunder Awakens

Hisa didn't want to get up.

But for the sake of food, she dragged herself out of the blanket and rubbed her eyes.

She opened the bandages and checked the wound on her arm. It wasn't as bad as it could've been.

If she took care of it, the blow wouldn't leave a scar. The sharp stone that hurt her didn't go deeply, and it wasn't particularly large. Just hurt a little. She wrapped it back up, noting herself to ask Yoon for help later.

But there were more important matters than a wound at the moment. She had to get some food.

Oh and also, Hak regained consciousness last night and was sitting by the entrance with Yona.Yoon held a basket above his head, waiting for the buns to cook.

"Huh? This is the priest's house?" was the first thing Hisa heard as she groggily made her way to the food—made her way to the very important princess who she did not forget about.

"Yeah."

Hisa lifted the basket off Yoon's head, willing to wait until the rest of the food finished. But, the young man named Hak made no attempt to be patient. He ate bun after bun, not stopping even when she slapped his hand away. Seeing him eat made her hungry enough to cry.

"Wow, what a coincidence." He turned to Yoon. "I know you're living in hiding, but I would've expected the priest's place to look more like a shrine."

Soon, the boy noticed the basket contained less food than before. Seeing the young man eating, he yelled in turn. "Hey! Don't just take those without permission!"

Hak put the bun he was holding into his mouth and clapped his hands together. "Please priest, grant me your hospitality." His words were as empty as they were muffled. He reached for another piece in the basket.

Yoon hit his hand before he could touch anymore. "I am not a priest!"

Hisa couldn't take it anymore, so she pulled at the boy's clothes and pointed to the basket. She could feel her stomach growl.

He looked into her desperate eyes and sighed, offering her a bun. "Fine. Here."

She happily accepted, bowing before taking a big bite.

Hisa ate her food slowly. She couldn't remember the last time she ate a hot meal.

Well, she did, and it wasn't that long ago, but that was besides the point.

Her companion had said that she was someone who was easily moved by a meal and stingy when it came to sharing her food.

Right, her companion.

She stopped chewing, swallowing the lump already in her mouth.

Ik-Su had probably already buried the knife, just as she wished. Later, she'd have to ask where he put it so she could pay her respects.

The princess had left on her own to find the priest, and that left Yoon alone with Hak and Hisa.

The three decided to follow Princess Yona, and while they did so, the young man tried to figure out who Hisa was. "So what's with you? A priest?"

She nodded.

"Person of few words, huh."

"She fell down the ravine like you guys, probably around the same time." Yoon introduced her. "Her name's Hisa. She and Ik-Su know each other from way back."

Hisa picked up a stick from the ground and wrote in the dirt. 'Nice to meet you thunder.'

They stared at her scribbles. Hak deadpanned. "Your chicken scratch is kinda hard to read." Worse yet, when she rewrote it in a much neater way, he laughed at her effort and still couldn't read it.

Hisa felt like she was shot by lightning.

Was her writing that bad? But everyone back home wrote like this! It couldn't be too bad, could it??

Yoon managed to interpret it to Hak. The thunder beast asked him if she could speak.

The boy pulled his bangs out of his eyes and frowned. "She's choosing not to. Maybe it's like an oath of silence? That's the only thing that comes to mind."

It was a clan tradition that Hisa chose to do for Suzu when he passed away. The time that she swore not to speak was close to its end, so she only had to communicate through gestures and writing for a little bit longer.

They looked at her as Hisa tried once again to scribble in the dirt. 

'I'll tell you in a week.'