Hwarang: A Different Kind Of Halfbreed.

18

The next morning the hwarang were taken outside to the courtyard where the prince of baekjae was to fight with Sun woo.  Mei stood next to Jinheung and tried not to show how much pain she was in. She needed her medicine fast or she'd collapse in front of everyone. 

The fight didn't last as long as Mei thought it would but Sun woo won.

After the fight, the prince of baekjae promised that he wouldn't wage war with Silla and that princess Sook myung and the delegates were free to go.  He refused to let Ah ro and the people of Silla go.

"This is not right!" Sun woo exclaimed. 

"They are theives that stole from baekjae and must pay with their lives" the prince said.   "Lock them up!" He ordered and the people were taken away along with Ah ro. 

Mei watched in horror, what were they supposed to do now?
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"We are going to help them escape later tonight, Jung you are going to wait for us at the border" Sun woo said.  Mei shook her head "No way I have to help too" she said and stepped forward but she stumbled and was caught by Jinheung.  

"You are not in any condition to fight, as a matter of fact I suggest you start heading back to Silla. We'll see you there" Sun woo said.

Mei hated being so vulnerable, none of this would happen to her if she could live freely. She knew that her decision to leave hwarang was the best option for her.  "I won't go back to Silla without you but I will wait at the border"  Mei said.  Sun woo nodded and helped Mei onto her horse.   She rode off and they began planning how they'd help the prisoners escape. 

Mei got to the border in the middle of the night, she lay a blanket on the ground and then drank some water from her canteen.  She sighed and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She never thought that she would be leaving Silla, this wasn't how she'd imagined things happening.  
In her mind, she'd imagined that Jinheung would see her and recognise her and then they'd go to his mother and announce their intentions of marriage, she'd finally be able to live as a woman and she'd be with the man she loved.

Things were very far from that and things were worse because Jinheung was in love with Ah ro and he didn't even recognize her.   

She lay down and closed her eyes, clearly it would take the others a while to implement their plan.  She hoped that it wouldn't take too long for them to arrive because she felt like she was close to death. 

"Maknae, wake up we can go home" Sun woo said and tapped her shoulder.  Mei opened her eyes and sat up. "Hyung, how did everything go?" She asked.  Sun woo smiled and pointed behind him, Mei looked behind him and saw her roommates with Ah ro and all the prisoners.  She smiled and stood up and Sun woo helped her onto her horse, he folded her blanket and put into the satchel. 

He got onto his own horse and they both caught up with the others. 

Mei looked around and the people looked so happy because they were finally free from the tyrant prince. As they walked an arrow came out of nowhere and hit one of the peasants in the chest.  Before anyone could react more arrows came flying.

The prince of baekjae was running after them with his soldiers.  The peasants began to panic while the hwarang tried to protect the frantic people.   Mei noticed that the prince had his arrow aimed at Sun woo and she quickly went in front of him the arrow hit her shoulder, knocking her off her horse.