The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 58: Katan Village

Calista was sharpening her weapons when she heard soft rustling. Jabbing a knife into the trunk of a tree, she snuck around the corner of the hut to see Yoon piling various vegetables and food in a wheelbarrow.

"Need some help?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice, hand over his heart.

"Geez, you stubborn fighter, you scared me!"

She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, and flashed him an apologetic smile. He ignored her, swiftly loading the rest in the wagon.

"I think that'll be enough." He muttered to himself.

She was just about to ask what it was for when Ik-soo called out his name.

"Where is everyone else?" Yoon asked curiously, not seeing the others with him.

Ik-soo told him they were still sleeping and she grinned, having a clue as to where Hak and Yona went for their rendezvous after he caught her practicing swordsmanship in the rain.

"Can't I go?"

"No, you stay here."

"Careful, you're starting to sound like me, Yoon." She teased the flushed boy as he shushed her harshly.

"Where are you going?" She asked curiously, following him. They were heading toward the border of the Wind Tribe, and when they got closer, she halted him.

"Wait, are you going where I think you're going?"

"I didn't ask you to come, you can go back." Yoon said and she stared at him seriously.

"I'm coming with you." She decided, not keen on the idea of letting him go alone. Throwing up her hood to conceal her identity, she wrapped the ribbon she stole from Hak around her face.

They entered the Fire Tribe's land, a scarce acre of land greeting them. A couple children ran out to eagerly greet Yoon and she quietly observed from the sidelines, out of sight. He reached out to many more people, each one's face flooding with relief as they saw him and the supplies he brought.

She faintly heard him say that he was going to make some warm food the minute a child said he was hungry, and her heart warmed. No matter how sharp-tongued the pretty boy was, he had a big heart.

Outstretching her arms to help him start a fire and boil some water, the children that clustered around her gasped as they caught a glimpse of the steel that glinted in the sunlight on her exposed forearms.

She didn't miss the way some of them drew back in fear, and she crouched down low, trying not to appear as a threat.

Unwinding the fabric from her face, they came closer as they saw the kindness on her features.

"It's alright." She soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to do this so that Yoon can cook you some food, okay? I bet you all are hungry."

After receiving some shy nods of confirmation, she got back to work, finishing up the task quickly. She came back to where he was still at the entrance, conversing easily with what looked to be the chief of the village.

None of the others looked like they had the weight of the world resting upon their shoulders.

A frown buried its way onto her face as she overheard his pained revelation of another increase in the taxes and she just barely restrained herself from punching one of the crumbling walls.

Those rich bastards. She cursed under her breath in anger. They think they're taking care of their people by having them pay for the military, saying it was for protection when really it's an excuse to neglect their duties as leader.