Journey Into the Knight

Chapter Twenty-Four

Byul's laugh cut through the air. YongSun shot her a look but she couldn't help but smile at the sound. Arcadia was running around YongSun in circles, clearly not understanding the command that YongSun gave her. "You have to be more clear." Byul said walking up to her, reaching for her hands. She pulled YongSun's arms up to her chest, she moved her fingers so her hands formed a claw-like shape, her thumbs resting on the bottom of her other fingers. Byul whistled for Arcadia's attention, she stepped so she was behind YongSun, still holding her hands, Byul moved her hands downward to the right. Arcadia tilted her head. "Repeat the motion." Byul whispered in her ear. YongSun listened. Arcadia immediately laid down on the ground, looking at YongSun for her next command.

YongSun smiled wide and spun around. "I did it!" Byul smiled at her as well. YongSun suddenly realized how close Byul was to her, she was barely a step away from her. They stood there for a beat, until Byul cleared her throat and broke eye contact. "Will you show me another?" YongSun was excited about how much she had progressed with the hand signals in just a few days.

Byul thought it over for a second. "One more but then that is enough, you have training with HyeJin in the morning and we just finished your other training, you need rest."

YongSun wanted to roll her eyes, she had gotten a lot more rest over the last few days and she was feeling better, but she knew there was no arguing with Byul about this. "Okay, what is next?"

Byul did roll her eyes, but she smiled. "Here, try this." Byul put both her hands out, fingers spread apart, she dragged her right hand over the back of her left on one.

YongSun copied the motion. Arcadia watched her as she repeated it. The wolf got up and started moving toward her, but she was creeping along. "What did I tell her?" She asked as the wolf reached her feet.

"You told her to go slow. You can add to it by pointing in a direction." She demonstrated. "She can take up to five commands so far. Like giving her a list, I am working up to more but that is all she can handle for now." She patted Arcadia's head.

They slowly started walking back to the camp, they needed to be far so Arcadia didn't get distracted by the others. "Where did you learn this from, the army?"

A sad look passed over Byul's face. "No, my father taught me." YongSun never really hByul talk about her father before. "He used to run the animal hospital in our village, and he would teach all of the villagers how to control their dogs so there were no problems."

They walked in silence for a while. "I am sorry." YongSun said.

Byul shot her a look. "Why?"

YongSun shrugged. "I don't know, I guess because you lost him."

Byul playfully bumped her shoulder. "It was a long time ago."

"It doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt." She knew she was still hurt over her father's death, but three months versus fifteen years, she doubted it hurt less.

Byul put her arm around YongSun's shoulder and gave her a quick side hug. YongSun's heart went into overdrive. "Thank you YongSun." She smiled and then dropped her arm.

YongSun searched for the right words to say, or anything to say, or do something, but she was at a loss for it all. Her frame of time ended because they were back at camp.

The morning sun burned the back of YongSun's eyes. She was in a clearing with HyeJin, awaiting further instructions. "I want to do something different today." HyeJin's voice sounded rough in the morning. Over the last few days, HyeJin had managed to send her a few visions of her past, she basically knew all of her and WheeIn's history, some she wished she had never witnessed. The last few days they had been doing target practice with her light beams, she could even make little sun balls now. She had no idea what HyeJin had in mind for today but the fact that they were sitting on the ground, she figured something mental. "I want you to try and project something to me today."