Dream in the Sky [Arthdal Chronicles]

Chapter 5: Building Mountains and Digging Seas

The doctor took his sweet time examining Eunseom's leg. He poked, prodded, and pushed it around as he saw fit, and Eunseom could swear that he was doing this on purpose to torment him. After two moon cycles, he was just so fed up with these check-ups.

"What do you think, Doctor? Is Saya recovering well?" asked Taealha from where she sat at the table, sipping her cup of tea. In his peripheral vision, Eunseom saw her reading one of Saya's scrolls.

"Hmm, yes, the leg looks fine," the doctor said, but continued to probe. "Everything else has healed as well. He's made a quick recovery."

"So, I'm good now?" Eunseom asked. Could he finally leave this rotten place? He was so ready.

"Yes." The doctor released his leg and turned to Taealha. During the entire course of today's visit, the doctor hadn't met Eunseom's eyes once. It was nothing new, but it still rubbed him the wrong way. "As Lord Saya has fully recovered, my services are no longer required," he told Taealha.

"Isn't this good news, Saya?" Taealha said with a courteous smile. "You have taken good care of Saya all this time, Doctor. We'll repay you handsomely."

Eunseom could hardly keep himself from rolling his eyes at how fake Taealha sounded.

The doctor bowed. "I was only doing my duty."

Taealha returned to her reading, and the doctor started to pack his bag, all too eager to get out of here. Eunseom, meanwhile, sat up in bed and rolled his pants back down his leg.

Just then, Taealha's servant—Hae Tuak was her name—stomped in in her usual manner. "Lady Taealha, sorry to disturb you!"

"What is it, Hae Tuak?" Taealha asked. She didn't look up from the scroll in her hand.

Hae Tuak stopped in front of Taealha, then whispered so loudly that she might as well not have whispered, "You're needed in the Bronze Workshop. It's time for today's second batch. You know, for that thing."

"Oh, is it that time?" Taealha said, but remained seated. She put the scroll aside and looked at the other scrolls on the table. Some of them weren't Saya's scrolls, but Eunseom's own practice pieces.

As Hae Tuak waited for Taealha, she looked over at Eunseom and bowed to him with a big smile on her face. "Lord Saya, it's so good to see you up and about again!"

Eunseom smiled back without thinking. It was probably very un-Saya-like, but Tanya wasn't here to scold him.

At last, Taealha put the scrolls aside and stood up. "It's too bad. I'll come back another time, Saya."

Please don't. Eunseom tried not to remember their first meeting. Since then, Taealha had visited him almost daily, always insisting on teaching him manners and checking on his progress. He wondered if she had an ulterior motive. She was just too interested in him and especially in his scrolls.

Just as she was about to leave, Hae Tuak in tow, Taealha turned back. "Oh right, I almost forgot," she said. "Tanya's speech the other day—that was quite something, wasn't it?"

Eunseom scowled. "What about it?" He thought Tanya's speech was amazing.

Taealha gave him a pitying look. "Tanya's efforts are useless."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think Tagon would have allowed the speech if he felt threatened by Tanya? He has nothing to fear." Taealha chuckled. "But I have to leave it to Tanya, she's got guts."

Without giving him a chance to reply, Taealha left. Tanya's efforts useless? So the Ago Tribe wasn't safe after all? Or was Taealha just trying to get a rise out of him?