Hwarang (The Daughters of Yeonsu)

Chapter 4

"Who are you?"

If Kkum wasn't so frozen in shock she would've asked the same thing. She started backing away slowly from the man but he also took steps closer to her.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"I- I... "

Before she could give a proper answer, a masked man attacked from behind. Reaching for the dagger in her hanbok, Kkum was taken by surprise when the new stranger acted faster. He spun her around, blocking the other blade that came their way. She then spun out of his embrace and onto the floor. As the two men fought, Kkum made her way out of the maze on all fours.

The clanging of swords was becoming more frequent and many boards had fallen by the time she got out. Kkum stiffened when she heard someone rushing out from her right.

' Another one?!'

Gathering her wits, she searched around for her dagger. It was on her far right near the boards. She lunged for it but before she could grab ahold of it, it was kicked aside by the rushing figure.

Kkum froze in place, not daring to look up. Instead, she stared directly at their feet... 'Are those my shoes?'

"What are you doing? Get up!"

Cheonsa grabbed the dagger and pulled Kkum to her feet.

The clanging had now become much closer and had broken out of the boards. The girls looked up to see the two men had come out of the maze but their friend also returned through the door.

"OHH-"

They immediately charged Ah-ro and dragged her back outside.

"Ahh-!"

A chorus of surprised yelps could be heard as all the girls ended up falling on the ground.

"Sorry..., " a voice said miserably. Kkum and Cheonsa looked to find that Ah-ro was having a hard time getting up.

"My legs have gone weak" She explained.

Standing and dusting themselves off, they watched as Ah-ro tried to use a nearby cart as leverage only to fail and have the cart leave.

"No! No! Stop! Stop!"

"Ah-ro, calm down! It's okay!" Cheonsa told her as both her and Kkum moved to help the weakened girl up.

"Gasp!" Instead of letting her two friends help her up, she pulled them down so they all lay in a heap on the floor.

Before either girl could protest to their friend's strange behavior they caught sight of one of the men from the fight inside. All three covered themselves as if it would help not to be noticed.

Luckily, the stranger was too preoccupied looking for something else and didn't notice the girls at all.

They watched as he made his way pass them and rushed down the dirt path.

"Those crazy jerks," Ah-ro said, "Why are they having a swordfight in broad daylight?"

Kkum and Cheonsa just sighed and got back on their feet, one muttering about assassins and the other about boards.

"Omo! My notepad!"

As the girls stretched, Ah-ro opened her satchel to check if her belongings were still there. She sighed in relief but still struggled to get her legs up and working.

To help her out, both girls each pulled her up by her arms and in the direction of Pi JooKi's.

~Time Skip~