The Oath (Kingdom)

XIV. Village

He woke up in the morning in empty bed. He was confused just for a blink of an eye. Just for that short moment he didn't know where he is, but when he saw wooden roof above his head and felt warm place next to him, he knew, he is home.

But that silence made him nervous. He dressed up and took just one knife that he hid in his sleeve. He noticed that one of his knives is missing. When he walked to main room he found it empty too. No proof of another person.

Morning was chill, with blue and violet colours and mist above lazy river. He breathed to his palms and hugged his torso to keep himself warm. He didn't want to panic, but he started to be worried about Nilah. When he left porch he found light imprint of her little foot in the soil, leading him to the river.

And there he saw her. Her silhouette appeared in the light mist. She was standing in the river. Lazily flowing water touching her legs. Her pants were rolled up above her knees and same her sleeves. Her hands were in the water, like she was searching something. Yeongshin noticed she braided her hair.

He just sat down and looked at her. It was beautiful picture of piece and calm. Sun was rising spreading the mist and new day was coming.

"You will be ill." He said after a while, he was watching her. "The water must be ice cold."

"It's not." She smiled without lifting her head. "I'm used to much more colder."

"What are you doing?"

She didn't have to answer. In the one quick move and with splash of water, she straight herself, holds big catfish in her hands.

"Call me fish-chakho." She hollered with proud smile. Yeongshin bowed his head and smiled. Not because of her joke, but because of beautiful happy sparks that was slowly returning to her eyes.

"You caught us breakfast." He helped her out of the water, to make sure; she will not slip on wet stone.

"I did!" she smiled proudly. "But...only if you cook it."

"You can catch a fish with your bare hands..." he kneeled on the ground next to her and started to gutting her prey. "But you don't know how to eat it."

She sat down to the grass watching him, like she was learning his every move.

"When I run from that merchant, I was starving. I made fish trap from pieces of my dress. But then I find out, that I can't make a fire, so I eat them raw."

Yeongshin looked at her with deep feeling. He imagined her, siting in the rain, hidden under the tree. Scared to death, alone, cold and dirty, with her torn down dress, with raw fish in shaking hands.

"It wasn't that bad." She touched his hand and smiled at him, like she can read worries in his mind. "I was proud at myself that I can take care of myself. Of course I was scared. That I will die and wild animals will tear my body through the land, but I was mainly proud that I caught a fish."

Finally little fire started growing under his hands and he impaled the fish with sharp stick.

"I will teach you everything." He gave her prepared meat and throw away guts.

They were eating in silence until he noticed, Nilah watching the house. "What is it? "

"Nothing, I just still can't believe it, that this is our house."

Yeongshin bow his head, suddenly serious. "To be honest...it's not our house."

Nilah froze and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

He lifted his deep eyes and the sorrow was back, even though his lips were smiling.

"It's your house."