Mountain Rose

05. Father's Tale of Woe

"If my misfortune is your happiness, I'll happily stay unfortunate."

Agust D, The Last

Jungkook wasted no time. "What happened out there, Father?" he asked, eyes wide as he leaned forwards eagerly, "You owe us a story!"

"Your father has had a difficult journey," my stepmother interjected, "Let him rest. Heaven knows we've all had a rough time."

"He came back from the dead, that's what happened."

"Hoseok!"

"What, it's true!"

My father chuckled, watching us indulgently. "Every moment without each of you was death itself," he said, looking at us one by one, "I never feared for my life; it was yours I was thinking of. I couldn't allow myself to leave you, not without a proper goodbye."

His eyes met mine, and there was something in his gaze that I couldn't catch.

But the flickering light of the flame was probably to blame. Shadows danced on the wall as it burned, and my father adjusted himself on the large cushion, wrapped up in a blanket as he looked at us.

"Your mother will have to forgive me," he said with a look at our stepmother, "But I will tell you a story tonight. I'm sure you all deserve to hear it."

A shiver rippled through my arms as he said that, and I scooted closer, an excited smile on my lips.

How strange, to even think how forlorn I've been the past two weeks, and now, too happy beyond measure.

Father pursed his lips. "It was dark, and the other village merchants and I were camped out in the forest," he began, "It had rained, and by nighttime, it was freezing. We set up a fire, and had some provisions for food; we were about a day's journey from here. It would have been an uneventful night, and I was a little grumpy, you see, having to sleep on the damn ground with no layer save the horse's blanket."

I smiled at that, suddenly remembering how Hoseok had fallen into the river as a child, and Father had been more upset at having to wade in to fish him out than the fact that my brother had been choking water out of his lungs.

"We were all taking turns to keep watch for the night. Kim and I were having a bit of a smoke by the tree, and talking about our children – which reminds me," he said with a slap to the forehead, "Kim said his daughter Naeun is getting married in the fall, and he wanted us there."

Jungkook sniggered. "Wasn't she the one Hoseok had a crush on?"

"I think everyone had a crush on her," Jimin said dreamily, "Too bad she's engaged to the odious Changmin."

Hoseok shot up. "She's engaged to who?!"

"Shut up, all of you," I shushed them. "Continue, Father, please."

"Where was I- oh, yes. While us two fathers were reminiscing about our growing children, we heard the howl," he continued, rubbing his arms as he shivered, "I can never forget it. Not one moment. I've never been more afraid in my life."

My stepmother placed a hand on his back, patting him as he shut his eyes, wincing from the memory, unease making his face look even older.

"I could see them, headed our way. Perhaps they smelled the meat that was part of the goods; I could feel their eyes watching from the shadows, a pack of them, smelling like wet dog and hunger. We barely had a chance to wake everyone up," he said, swallowing, "Merchant Kim tried to fend them off by throwing logs from the fire, but they were not fazed. This was their forest, and we were the strangers. The whole time, I was thinking to myself, I had to do something. And so, while the men tried to fend them off, I got a slab of the pork Butcher Choi had ordered from Bucheon, and I went right at them, waving the stupid thing and presenting myself as sacrifice."