Masters of the Sea

007

"Elderberry, ginger root, juniper and ginseng, boiled in water for approximately four hours. If you take it once a day before breakfast, you'll be fit as a fiddle before the changing of the seasons." Hye Ra smiled at her newest patient, an elderly man of almost eighty who had come to her with a persistent cough. Sitting a short distance behind her, Sunghyun diligently recorded down the prescription that Hye Ra had just recited and picked the necessary herbs, wrapping them up in a small package and handing it over to the old man once he was done.

Sunghyun had been living in Myung Shin village for almost a month now and he had gradually gotten used to the rhythm of life. It wasn't what he was used to—he was much more accustomed to spending his time wielding swords on the training grounds or riding his horse with his bow and arrows in hand, but he sort of liked this gentle pace of life. Every morning, he would follow Hye Ra and Nayoung into the forest to gather herbs, and in the afternoon Hye Ra would take him along to the village centre where she would set up a makeshift stall that sold herbs. From time to time she would offer medical advice and consultations to whoever requested for it, and as the days went by, he watched as the number of patients that flocked to her grew. He was impressed with Hye Ra's skills as a healer, as well as her level of literacy, all of which was unusual for girls of this era.

"Not bad for a day's work!" Hye Ra stretched her arms and declared triumphantly, turning to Sunghyun with a bright smile. The baskets of herbs they had brought to the market for sale were all gone and with that last patient discharged, they could now head back home where Grandmother Im would undoubtedly have prepared a hot meal for them. She watched as Sunghyun nodded and smiled a little in response.

Sunghyun's injuries were healing significantly faster than she expected, probably because he had a strong constitution to begin with. Now he could follow her into the woods with little problems, and even though he was still walking with a limp, the strength in his arms proved considerably useful when it came to herb gathering. With Sunghyun's help, she and Nayoung could now carry twice the amount of herbs they usually did, which meant twice the income.

Sunghyun still hadn't found his voice, but Hye Ra didn't mind. Whenever they had the time, she would converse with him using ink and paper, and although they never had especially long conversations, they were enough. Sunghyun had been careful not to appear overly educated in front of anyone, but Hye Ra could still tell that there was a sophistication in the way he wrote that told her otherwise. She enjoyed the time she spent "talking" to him, because it reminded her of the conversations she would have with Go Yeon and other knights back in the Goguryeo palace.

"Shall we buy a chicken home for Grandma and Nayoung? Nayoung loves roast chicken." Hye Ra beamed as she stood up, dusting the dirt off her skirt. Sunghyun nodded, packing their wooden stools into the now empty herb baskets before hoisting them up on his shoulder.

The marketplace was especially busy at this time of evening, just before the sun set. Hawkers were busy trying to sell the last of their wares and everywhere everyone was trying to drive a hard bargain. Hye Ra felt safe in the crowd, because it made her feel like an ordinary citizen with no burden of the past she left behind. Sunghyun, on the other hand, still habitually glanced around warily at every single person that passed him by, worried that there would be danger lurking around the street corner.

"Stop right there!" a shrill voice suddenly shrieked out from ahead.

Through the busy crowd, Hye Ra could see a man with dark brown hair and tattered clothes running at high speed in her direction, knocking people out of the way as he went along. Behind him, there was a fat, ruddy shopkeeper who was chasing after him with a meat cleaver in her hands. What caught her attention was not his shoddy outfit, or the fact that he was being chased down the main street—it was his eyes.