Ballad of the Mountain Fox

제 11 장: To Strike a Chord

It pains me to admit this, but there are certain times when even I need assistance.  In this case, it was because I had stepped into a spirit trap, created by the local shaman in the mountain pass village, and I was now hanging upside-down by a rope around my ankle, a few meters—or several feet, for you silly Americans—above the ground.

As the girl simply continued to stare up at me, mouth gaping stupidly, I decided to cut to the chase.

"Help," I said simply.  I've learned it's best to use small words around humans, especially when they're emotionally distraught, like this one obviously was.  She was regretting her 'honorable' decision to not run away from the nobleman, most likely.

"Wh-what happened?" the girl asked, and I groaned aloud.  Why do humans insist on an explanation for everything?  It's not like they understand half the time, anyway.

"I got stuck.  I need help getting free," I said in a clipped tone.

"But...I'm tied up too," she said, raising up her bound hands as proof.

With a martyred sigh, I reached down and undid the rope in a single swift motion.  The girl rubbed her wrists gratefully, but of course neglected to actually thank me.  Instead, she furrowed her brows in further confusion.

"Can't you just do the same for the rope around your ankle?" she asked.  "It's kind of high up..."

"It's a spirit trap," I snapped, my patience wearing thin.  I had been stuck in the humiliating thing for a good hour at least, and I was getting tired.  "It's spelled so that only a human can free me.  Now help me out of this."  My last words came out as a growl, and the girl took a step back warily.

"You said you never help someone unless you get something out of it," the girl replied, and I snarled at her cheek.

"And you said it didn't matter to you, as long as it was the right thing!" I shot back.

She crossed her arms, unconcerned.  "Well, perhaps I decided to take your advice."

For the tenth time that morning, I tugged uselessly at the rope bound tight around my ankle.  As usual, my claws did nothing to break the spelled fibers—it was obvious only a human could untie me.  And if it wasn't this one, then it would be the trapper, after I was dead.

"Fine," I finally said, fixing her with my best glare.  "What do you want in return?"

"I want you to help me," she said simply.

"With what, exactly?"

"Two things."

"Two things?" I repeated, astonished—and it takes a lot to astonish me.  This demand was outrageous.  Yet, I was pathetically desperate.

"Help me cross the mountain pass without getting caught."

I raised an eyebrow.  "Caught?  You'll have to elaborate."

She gave a little huff and looked down at the ground before continuing.  "There are people...looking for me, who want to bring me back to my village.  And there's a group of traveling street performers who know who I am.  If they notice me and tell the magistrate, I'll be sent back—and I can't have that happen.  I want to make it through the mountain pass, and then I'll be able to continue on through Miryang to Busan, where I can make a new life for myself."

I rolled my eyes.  "Very well.  It sounds simple enough."

She looked up.  "You promise?"

"I don't go back on my word, unlike you humans," I spat, offended that she would even think I'd do such a thing.  "If you free me, I will ensure that you safely reach the other side of Joryeong Mountain and aren't sent back to your village."

She pretended to consider it for a moment.  "Fine."

"Fine.  Get me out of this."

"One more thing," she said, and I growled in displeasure.  I had hoped that her memory would be fairly short and she would have forgotten about the second request, but today was apparently not going well for me.

"What?" I snarled.

"Park Young Min is ill, and getting worse," she said.  "You said he was cursed with a sickness, and I think you're right."

Her statement was ridiculous.  "Of course I'm right."

"He's in pain, though he tries not to show it.  I'm not sure what specifically the curse is, but will you help me get rid of it?"

I scoffed.  "Nothing doing.  I don't involve myself in other people's curses."

She raised her eyebrows.  "Then, I suppose, I'll just spare myself the effort of rescuing you.  I'm sure the trapper will come along soon enough..."  She started to turn away.

I bared my teeth and gave a low growl.  "All right.  I'll help you.  But you're making a big mistake.  You're really going to go back to him after this, even though he took you prisoner and plans to turn you in to the very place you dread?"

"He's not a bad person, and besides, he has my belongings," she defended.  "I can't start a new life with absolutely nothing."

"Oh enough," I said, tired of listening to her excuses.  "Fine.  I will help you lift your precious nobleman's curse, no matter how much of a mistake it may turn out to be."

"Thank you!  Uh..."

"Moon Sun," I said.  It was about time I got some thanks from her.

"Thank you, Moon Sun!  I'm Kim Nara, by the way."

"Well, get me down from here, Kim Nara," I snarled, tired of her antics.  Polite introductions were my lowest priority at the moment.

The girl jumped nervously.

"O-of course."

She followed the rope looped around the tree branch down to a heavy stake stuck in the ground behind a nearby tree.  After working at the knot around the stake, the rope finally loosened, and I flipped to the ground and landed on my feet in a single elegant move.

Finally, something dignified about my day.

Kim Nara and I stood facing each other for a moment of silence, and finally I spoke.

"Well, go run back to your little sack of belongings and the yangban who awaits you," I dismissed with a wave of my hand.

"But what about—"

"I'll worry about the people who are looking for you," I said.  "And we'll both work on the curse.  So go on.  Shoo!"

With a hurried nod, she scrambled back in the direction she had come.

"Thank you again, Moon Sun!" she called.

I waited until she was out of sight before unfurling my tails from their invisibility charm, reveling in my returned freedom.  With a last disdainful glance back at the ruined spirit trap and a final smoothing-out of the wrinkles in my clothes, I set off in the direction of my cave.  Surely I had been given a gayageum a few centuries earlier...

The instrument was lying in the back of my cave, right where the dying gisaeng had left it all those years ago.  It was a bit dusty, but thanks to a bit of spell weaving, the strings and wood were still in good condition.

I sat down and put the instrument across my lap, placing my fingers on the strings and striking a chord.

 The resulting sound made me smile.  This would surely be a performance to remember.

Sooo a while ago I got a message about entering the Watty Awards, and I completely disregarded it because it was midterms week and although I was busy procrastinating on Wattpad, I wasn't ready to procrastinate that much by figuring out what the heck entering the awards entailed.  Now, however, things have somewhat calmed down, and I've decided to enter.   I figure I might as well give it a try.  :)