The Oath (Kingdom)

XIII. Sanctuary

All around them changed. The emerald forests disappeared and were replaced by wide golden fields.

And than they joined wide river that was lazily flowed through landscape to little valley. Water was like life. Trees were growing along river bank, strong and healthy. They saw animals hiding in the tall grass. Land here was fruitful. It was like perfect balance in nature. Mountains protecting it from north, river from south and deep woods laying on east. They were coming from grassy fields in the west.

Passing small village Nilah noticed people staring at them with distrust. Whispering and hiding children; especially boys.

"What is it?" Nilah was confused. When she saw young woman almost violently catching her son by arm and dragging him inside the house with death glare on Yeong shin.

"They know what I'm." He bowed his head and tried not to look at villagers. "They thought I'm here to find apprentice. Parents are scared I will take their sons."

"...to became chakho? But you are not one of them anymore."

"It's not that easy Nilah. It's like that burn mark. It never disappeared." He smiled sadly and pat donkey's back. It looked like they are becoming friends. "And they thought that you are a demon."

"What?" She cough and look around on suspicious stares of people around.

"They never saw someone like you. They are scared."

They left village and follow little path over the hill.

"Did some chakho dragged you from your parents from Sumang?" she asked carefully, not to open some old wound.

Yeongshin was silent for a while, like he was looking for a right words. "No. I left willingly. My father was dead, so I left, to get money."

"You mother must have been proud." Nilah smiled, but her smile froze when she saw Yeongshin's sad eyes looking to ground and clenched jaw. "I'm sorry..."

"She hated me for my decision to be a chakho. She despise them...us. I never saw her again after I left with my master. She always send my brother to forest to meet me. That was what he told me. I think that she forbade him to see me again, but he always run away." He smiled sadly.

"Why she hated Chakhos so much that she repudiated her own son?" Nilah was so heartbroken for him. He must be just a kid when he left Sumang. It must be so hard for him to leave without mother's blessings.

"I don't know it for sure, but I think that Chakhos killed my father." His words hang in the air like heavy storm clouds. Yeongshin looked calm when he said it out loud for the first time.

"What?" Nilah furrowed her brow and got down from cart to unburden the donkey. Yeongshin walked slowly next to her little lost in his thoughts. She held his hand in hers to help him.

"At first you must know, we were very poor. My whole childhood was starvation and dirt. So I think that my father was desperate and joined group of thieves. And Chakhos don't hunt just tigers. Sometimes they hunt thieves..."

"I'm sorry..." she squeezed his palm.

He turned to her and smiled lightly. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm here with you."

Nilah kissed his cheek and laid head on his shoulder.

Path before them disappeared in grass. They were standing near river bend. It was like paradise. Slowly floating river, forest near by and in the middle of it, little cottage like from fairytale. With field and small garden.