Awaiting The Dawn

39: Before The Struggle

The next morning was spent in preparation.

With Yoon's input, Captain Gi-gan and Hisa finalized their plans, selecting who they would leave behind.

Yan and the rest of the pirates trained. Then they ate, before training again. They joked around the whole while because everyone knew that some may not live past tonight. Maybe that was why the banter was so loud. Maybe that was why the captain did not scold them.

Thunder and the dragons either trained or helped around the base, trying to distract themselves of sending their weakest people straight to that man. They were all tense. Hisa caught Thunder sitting alone with his head in his hands. All she could do was lean against his shoulder and remind him he was not alone.

Yoon and Yona were busy dressing themselves for the infiltration. Jae-ha had been the one to 'procure' the clothes they needed.

Meanwhile, Hisa took a bath.

It was in a shallow part of the river. An isolated, private spot the captain recommended. It was perfect since she needed to be alone. To hopefully steady herself against the torrent of memories.

Memories Hisa never wanted to keep.

It was all because of the divination last night. To her horror, what she saw was familiar.

Kum-ji's face. When she saw it, Hisa almost pulled away her spiritual energy to end the divination.

She recognized his face. His voice.

Hisa kept trying to break away from these thoughts, soaking in the water. She let the cold of the river water wash the panic away.

"There's nothing to be scared of." She whispered, scrubbing the dirt off her legs. "Stop thinking about it."

She already broke down last night, frightening Yoon more than she ever wanted to.

Hisa should have felt guilty for putting him through so much, just before he risks his life. But she didn't. Instead, she let him offer awkward assurances. Let him hold her until it felt like she could breathe again.

This sounded sappy even to herself, but his warmth was more grounding than the cold she washed herself in. More soothing than Shin-ah's fur piece or Ao's nuzzling.

Sometime before dawn, Hisa had forgotten how she ended up in Yoon's arms. And she blissfully believed that he didn't remember either.

She absently traces the little scars on her hands. They were reminders of days she trained and got hurt. How they were healed with love and dried apricots.

Her hair swayed in the direction of the current, resembling shiny black threads. It was almost pretty.

Feeling a shiver from the wind, she got out of the river to dry off.

Hisa pulled on her clothes, heading back to see Yoon.

.

.

Upon returning to the base, Hisa was greeted with quite the sight.

Kija had attempted to dress as a woman in order to follow Yona. And he failed. Miserably. So, so miserably.

"Don't you have anything in longer sleeves?!"

"It's impossible!" Yan enthusiastically held up a bunch of cloth for the dragon. "There's no way to disguise that arm."

At least someone seemed to be enjoying himself.

Behind them, she saw Shin-ah holding Ao in his hands. She was wearing a tiny dress that made her look even cuter. Hisa nodded in approval. Shin-ah nodded back.