When The Cherry Blossom Fades

Kidnaping the kidnapped?

Slipping in and out of consciousness, Han Aeng managed to pick up a few things. One, they had poisoned her, two, they were taking her somewhere, and three, they had maltreated her like a sack of potatoes with her eyes blindfolded, hands tied up and tossed into a cart.

Her body jostling with each rough movement, and she used that momentum to fight against the heavy pull of sleep. Han Aeng forced her legs ever so gently till she felt a corner of what she determined to be a wagon. More particularly, the wagon used by merchants travelling with vegetables.

They do take me for a sack of potatoes, treating me so coarsely. The audacity of these people!

Using her arms as support, Han Aeng managed to prop herself up, struggling to find any semblance of comfort in the uncomfortable cartin what limited space was there. Suddenly, the motion ceased, replaced by a murmur of indistinct voices.

Han Aeng tilted her head,attempt to catch any meaningful sounds. She was pleasantly surprised to hear Insik scornfully taunting the assassin. "Oh wait, you are all pigs. Agio, how could I possibly substitute such a lowly beast for a human? Tsk tsk!"

Insik's words brought a wide grin to Han Aeng's lips, she barely could hold in her laughter. Oh, how she loved dear grandfather Insik.

Insik had been searching for Han Aeng after sensing something amiss. His heart pounded with worry as he witnessed the ambush and he waited for the perfect opportunity to cut in.

The Leader gritted his teeth as he made his way to the elderly man, with the others following him. "Do you have a problem with us, old man?"

"Oh, I didn't know that animals understand human language. Hehe, the times sure have changed," the old man continued his verbal attacks, not minding the danger of a whole group of assassins. "But since the swines' went out of their way to ask...Yes, I do. The girl you are holding hostage, I'm taking her with me."

The assassins all laughed. Insik was but an old man all by himself; their group had a clear advantage of numbers. However, they would not be so foolish to give themselves away from a simple taunt, "Look, old man, we're just some merchant trying to sell our goods. You've got the wrong people."

Not wanting to miss out on a good show, Han Aeng pushed her head out of the wagon through the fabric.

Just as her head surfaced, before she could react, a hand snaked beside her and clamped tightly around her waist, hauling her out of the wagon. Han Aeng's instinct was to scream, but the person gripping her tightly covered her mouth, stifling any sound she could make. Panic surged within her as she reached for the poison darts hidden in her sleeve, only to realize that there was nothing there. The darn assassins had taken her precious dart.

As her last resort and only option of alerting Insik, she tried to hit the ground to make noises. However, before her feet could touch the floor, she felt herself being lifted ever so slightly, so her legs were dangling in the air.

In a desperate attempt to resist, Han Aeng thrashed and struggled, but her captor had a sturdy hold on her waist and mouth, rendering her immobile. Soon enough, Insik's voice faded away along with Han Aeng hope, and she stopped fighting altogether. The assassin and their hirer had won, or so she thought.

Little did she know, her mysterious kidnapper was not her kidnapper, rather her saviour. He found the perfect time to dip in and save her while Insik was distracting the assassins. He was considerably pleased to spot Han Aeng poke her head out, which saved him the efforts of looking through the other six wagons for the hostage.

As he brought her to a safe distance away from the assassins, he finally released his hold on her mouth and waists, pushing her away gently. When Han Aeng regained her balance, she hastily fled as if her life depended on it.

She was still blindfolded and hand-tied but also incredibly desperate, running away was one of the limited things she could do. Of course, her handicaps meant he caught her before she got too far and continued to struggle to hold her back before she crashed into something.

In the midst of their struggle, a distinct scent wafted through the air—the aroma of wild primroses. Han Aeng's heart quickened; the lily pond must be nearby. Summoning every ounce of strength she had left, she forcefully pushed against a nearby tree, causing both of them to tumble and crash into the lily pond.

The impact of the water caused Han Aeng's blindfold to shift slightly, granting her a partial view through her right eye. She mustered all her remaining energy to swim to the opposite side, hoping to reach land before her pursuer resurfaced and resumed the search. The lily pond is a lot deeper than it seems, and she knew that would take the 'assassin' by surprise when he tries to stand up.

Unfortunately, her hope was short-lived, for the young lad who pursued her had fallen into the pond right beside her. Fully aware of the depth, he swiftly followed in her wake as soon as he witnessed her pathetic attempt to escape.

Although would he let her swim to the other side, he soon concluded that, given her bound hands and clothing, she would never make it even if he gave her all week. Losing his patience, he simply swam right below her and pushed her out of the water, effectively shocking Han Aeng.

She knew she only could get so far with her hands tied and heavy clothing, but did this guy have to find her this quickly?

Why does this guy not get the hint? Leave me alone!

"Let me go !" Han Aeng commanded, her voice filled with exasperation and anger, as they resurfaced.

Han Aeng couldn't see his face, as his head rested on her shoulder and his arm firmly wrapped around her. To say she was infuriated would be an understatement. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

Not very surprisingly, Han Aeng was greeted by silence when she had expected an answer. Very naturally, Han Aeng's anger intensified, fueling her determination to break free from his grasp.

On the other hand, the young lad trying to untie her hand was also very slowly losing his tolerance for the girl. But since he didn't explain himself, he couldn't exactly blame the girl for being so aggressive.

She commenced struggling in his arms, splashing the water about, in her futile effort to break free. Han Aeng could sense that the poison would probably kick in again very soon, and she was nowhere near safety. Slowly but surely, Han Aeng was starting to lose her temper and rationality.

He could guess she felt distraught by her reactions and increasing aggression levels, but he didn't bother to appeal to her.

The throbbing inside Han Aeng head made it difficult to think of anything other than survival. Furthermore, she was hungry, tired, and the poison only agitated her foul mood even more. She wanted to get away, but she was as helpless as a chicken. With all the pent up frustration, Han Aeng bit into his shoulder with all her strength, hoping to inflict pain and force him to release her.

The young lad gave a start. Crazy girl!

"Let me go, you jerk!" She demanded once again, kicking about in frustration.

Just as Han Aeng was throwing another tantrum, the young lad managed to untie her hand. He muttered a cheeky little, "As you wish." Letting go of her and sinking into the water together.

His action had caught Han Aeng by such surprise that her free hands went unnoticed by her. The young lad observed her, waiting for her to realise her hands were free, before deciding it was best if he drew her back up for air.

"Still want me to let you go?" Amusement danced in his eyes as he chuckled, "Yikes, that's not good."