Awaiting The Dawn

36: The Vanishing Cape

Hisa and Yoon took their time walking back to the camp, hands brushing together more than once. Yoon pretended it was accidental. Hisa pretended not to notice. 

By the time they came back, nearly everyone had already gone to sleep.

Shin-ah leaned comfortably against a nearby tree. Ao rested on top of his head. Kija was covering himself with a blanket, flinching every time he felt a bug crawl into his clothes. Thunder rested his back against a tree, keeping close to the tent where Yona was. Yoon made his way inside with a yawn.

Hisa went to where she left her hat and sat next to Shin-ah. She checked no one (Thunder) stole anything, then laid on the ground beside the blue dragon. Ao chose to curl up close to Hisa's neck.

As soon as she closed her eyes, Hisa was sure she wouldn't wake up until morning.

Her plans on sleeping were interrupted though. Just as she started to doze, somebody pulled her arm and startled Hisa into sitting up. As soon as she saw it was the princess, Hisa drooped back down to sleep and tucked away her knife.

Yona was persistent though. She kept tugging her until Hisa was coerced to get on her feet and follow. Hisa was not happy to be woken up, but that didn't matter to the princess. So she was pushed towards the tent Yoon and Yona shared.

"Why am I here?" She rubbed her eye. "Is there a bug?"

"A bug?!" They heard Kija shriek somewhere behind her, followed by Thunder snorting.

"You need to rest."

"I was resting." Hisa rubbed her eye again with a yawn.

"Well, you'll rest even better with us." She smiled and called to Yoon, who was already inside. "What do you think, Yoon?"

"It might be a little cramped." He looked between the two of them. "But if it's just for tonight, sure."

The three of them shared the tent after Yoon ordered Yona to stay in the middle. A thought came to Hisa, something that she forgot to ask Yoon about.

.

After a while of trying to keep her eyes open, waiting until Yona fell asleep, Hisa turned to her side. "Yoon, are you awake?"

"Mhm. Why?"

"Yona said you'd stay behind with me. Is it true?" Whispering like this, Hisa realized this would've been easier if they didn't have Yona between them.

But that thought was quickly forced out of her head. Hisa's ears were feeling hot for absolutely no reason.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I won't be much help with the pirates anyway."

"You should go."

She couldn't see him, but Hisa imagined Yoon looking at her with suspicion. His tone confirmed it. "What're you up to this time?"

"Nothing. Just going to...relax somewhere." On the Vanishing Cape, which got its name because of all the people who've gone missing there.

It was also where Yona would go tomorrow for her test.

"I don't believe you. But fine." Yoon whispered back. "You better not do anything dangerous."

"I won't." Hisa immediately promised.

"I'm serious."

She smiled to herself. "I know."

Closing her eyes again, Hisa quickly fell asleep.

.

.

"—wake up!!"

She jolted up, instinctively looking for danger and reaching for her throwing knives. But there was no enemy.