Ballad of the Mountain Fox

제 18 장: Half Rest

Young Min stared up at the ceiling beams, wondering what on earth had gotten into him lately.

Was he really thinking of staying in Bird Village until that suspicious stray woman was…well, okay?  If she was no better than those bandits whom he had—Young Min grimaced—killed, she didn’t deserve any sympathies on his part.

But then, a small part of him whispered, what if she really was innocent?

He had been debating Nara’s culpability ever since taking her into custody, but like a parasite, the idea had grown and twisted in his mind until he was no longer certain that he was doing the right thing.  Maybe he should have just let her go…

And if she is guilty? Another part of him wondered.  Or a witch, like Won Soo seems to believe?

Young Min snorted.  Had he really been considering his servant’s superstitious beliefs?  Though Nara had seemed adamant about magic being involved with his illness, his poor health had begun long before they had ever met.  She had no reason to curse him—not that he believed she had the power to, anyway.

“Young master!  Are you awake?”  Feet shuffled across the floor in the hallway, and the soft noise of fabric against wood roused Young Min from his musings.

“Come in, Won Soo,” Young Min replied, sitting up so that the blanket covering him slid down to pool around his waist.

Early morning sunlight filtered through the door as Young Min’s loyal servant entered the room they had rented at the inn.  In the time Young Min had spent musing, Won Soo had cleaned his face and brushed off as much of the travel dust as he could from his clothes.  Young Min supposed he should do much the same, but the thought of getting back on his horse and spending all day traveling down the other side of the mountain to Miryang filled him with dread.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to leave?” Won Soo asked upon seeing his master still in bed.

Young Min sighed.  “Yes, I suppose.”  He threw the covers completely off and stood up, his face a mask of neutrality against the pain that shot through his limbs.  Won Soo was busying himself with packing their things, but Young Min didn’t miss the surreptitious glances the servant kept sending his way.  Even though the servant had made it known the previous day that he was aware of Young Min’s affliction, he kept silent.

Young Min walked to the door and half-turned to call over his shoulder, “I’ll wash up and then we can get the horses and go.”

“Of course, young master,” Won Soo replied.  If he noticed Young Min’s white knuckles as he gripped the doorframe, he didn’t mention it.  Young Min had to give his servant credit for not panicking, as he often did.  Perhaps Won Soo was braver than he appeared.

The washbasin was outside in the courtyard, filled to the brim with water from the last night’s rain.  Young Min scooped up a ladleful of the cool liquid and closed his eyes as he washed the travel dust from his face.  When he had finished, he set the ladle down and looked up.

Glowing amber eyes watched him from the far corner of the courtyard, and Young Min felt his breath catch.  The young woman was pale and slender, with a pleasant face, full lips, and sleek ebony hair that cascaded halfway down her back.  She was beautiful, but there was an unnatural, almost predatory sense to the way she cocked her head as their gazes met, studying him without so much as blinking.  Any normal girl would have blushed and turned away.

Young Min cleared his throat.  “May I help you?” he asked.

The woman merely responded with a slow blink.  Young Min tried again.