- = - = - = -

Our group's journey to Koyo village had been smooth and void of issues. Once we were in said village, however, problems began to sprout around us like weeds.

The week had become fairly straightforward after we established a steady traveling routine. We'd wake up, eat, hike over whatever trail we needed to cover, stop for the occasional snack or picking of supplies, hike some more, find a clearing to make camp in, eat supper, and promptly go to sleep after a lively bout of chatter around the campfire.

Whenever our supply of meat began to dwindle, Yoon would send us on short hunting trips. Since our first outing had been so successful, Shin-Ah and I had become the designated hunting duo. I did the scouting, and he did the killing.

            It'd been like clockwork. Simple, methodical, and almost therapeutic in an unusual sort of way. We didn't talk to each other much. It was only when I made some sort of mistake with my footing that he prodded the opportunity to speak to me. I wasn't incredibly noisy, but the occasional crunching of a leaf or snapping of a small twig would earn me a pointed look and a swift reminder,

"While it is important to scan the area ahead of you, it is equally as such to watch where you're placing your feet when you walk. Please be careful . . . "

I tried to take his words seriously the first few times. I truly did, but I'd found it rather difficult to focus on the forest floor when he was walking in front of me, tall and deliberate in almost every way possible.

            Shin-Ah was a mystery of sorts.

That's what I thought about the boy, at least. The idea of asking what everyone else thought of him seemed a bit too imposing for my taste, so most of my speculations were kept to the confines of my own thoughts.

            I hadn't seen his eyes before but I'd seen his face, so I constantly wondered to myself what kind of expressions he made behind that mask of his when he spoke with Yona or Jae-Ha about miscellaneous things. Whenever we sat next to each other by the fire (which was more often than not) my mind would wander back to the first night I'd spent with my comrades when Yoon had made a few offhand comments about our many similarities.

Our posture, our stoney expressions, our past dilemmas . . . Some of it was simple and some of it was quite the contrary, but all of those things were compelling to me in some way or another. Despite his blandish demeanor, he was interesting. It wasn't difficult to surprise me, given my many years of solitude, but he was the one who always had me dwelling on the most pointless of things.

            In fact, I was in the middle of contemplating one of those unimportant little things when I bumped into a man who was bent over on the side of the biggest and busiest street in the village.

            "My Gods!" He cried as he nearly fell over, his arms occupied with the task of carrying a large wooden crate.

            "Oh no," I gasped sharply as I watched him try to right himself. Before I could even think about reaching out and apologizing to him for my carelessness, someone else already was.

            Shin-Ah extended his arm out to grab the wobbling man's shoulder, steadying him. As the villager regained his bearings, Shin-Ah took a stealthy step in front of me, shielding me from view. I didn't understand why he'd done it until he said to the villager in a resolute voice, "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings."

He doesn't want my presence to be exploited in such a crowded area, I dug my fingers into my palms, unable to feel the pain caused by my harsh grip. There's still so many questions surrounding my captors . . . They could be anywhere, so it's best to be wary of concealing my identity.

            The man turned to him, completely disregarding me and the others as he gave Shin-Ah a confused glare. "Was it you who bumped into me?"

            "Yes. I am at fault," Shin-Ah emotionlessly explained before pointing to the dark wooden crate resting in his arms. "Can I help you with that?"

"I suppose you could," the villager said more to himself than Shin-Ah before thrusting the crate into his arms and gesturing to the shop opening off to his left. "Here. Take this in there and place it next to the others. Only then will I forgive you for almost giving me a heart-attack."

"Will do," Shin-Ah did as he was told, all while the man took a quick scan of our group.

I couldn't help but flinch when his eyes landed on me. My cloak was on and my hood was hiding my obvious appearance, but every crevice of my mind was shoved full of guilt for creating such a troublesome situation in the first place.

"You're an interesting bunch, aren't ya," he sniffed gruffly. "Is Koyo new to you all?"

"Yes, it is," Hak answered, probably to draw attention away from the other hooded girl in our group. I'd learned that Yona was also a target of interest after listening to a rather extensive story about her royal lineage. "We came from the ports."

The man whistled. "That's an impressive distance to travel. I didn't think Koyo was that interesting . . . Although there have been some pretty nasty altercations here ever since those guards showed up. Slimy bastards, them guys are."

Shin-Ah was walking back toward us when Yoon raised his voice in question, "What's their business here?"

"Hell if I know," the man grumbled as he scratched the side of his head. "That's what everyone has been trying to figure out lately, but whenever someone so much as glances in their direction they start causing havoc in the streets. That's why I'm out here trying to put all my stuff away. I have a hunch that one of them will try to pitch a fit over my merchandise being too cluttered."

I watched Jae-Ha and Hak exchange a commutative look before Shin-Ah returned to our side, his broad shoulders set with hard assertion.

"I completed my task," he said plainly. "Am I forgiven?"

"Hmm . . . " The man looked Shin-Ah up and down, blatantly evaluating his build. "I could use some more help, but I don't want to keep you from whatever task that brought you people all the way from the ports. Besides, I'm sure you lads have been wanting to visit Red Street!"

"Red . . . Street?" Kija asked with the turn of his head. "What is that?"

"Only Koyo's biggest attraction!" The man threw his hands into the air, exasperated. He seemed almost offended by Kija's ignorance as he delved into a lively explanation. "It's an area of the village that is lined up with some of the best brothels on this side of the mountains. If I weren't a married man, I'd roam down to Red Street every night . . . The ladies there are the finest you'll ever encounter, so I suggest that you all go before you get strapped down by the bindings of commitment!"

"Sounds . . . Interesting," Jae-Ha lips curved into a predatory smile before straightening for a question that had Hak debating whether or not to hit the Green Dragon for his lecherousness. "Is this an attraction that the visiting guards tend to migrate towards?"

"When they're not pestering the villagers, that's the only place they wander off to," the man snorted incredulously before bringing a hand up to his mouth and shout-whispering to us all, "I'm not one for spreading rumors, but I had a buddy of mine tell me that their group's leader was staying at the biggest brothel on Red Street. It's where most of the guards report to before patrolling the other areas of the village."

"This brothel you speak of . . . " Yoon seemed to be fighting a blush as he cleared his throat. "W-what is the name of it?"

"Shiroi Hana," the man quickly answered before cursing when he looked to the area behind us, a valley opening that was across the bustling street. "Meh. Looks like I'll really have to put my back into moving this junk. The guards are doing their last patrol before nightfall."

            I turned my head only to see two lightly armored men stalk slowly from the shadows of a stately-looking building. I couldn't make any valid assumptions about their affiliation based on their appearances, but every nerve in my body seemed to prickle at the sight of them.

            Were these the same kind of people Yona and the others faced while I was with Ik-Soo? I wondered as a small sound of alarm veered through my head, telling me to avert my gaze from the intimidating men. I'll have to be on my guard . . . I can't tire the luxury of being mentally engrossed in my natural surroundings right now. There's many things I must remain cautious about when I'm here in the presence of so many strangers.

            "I believe we must be going," Hak said unceremoniously with a falsely relaxed grin. "Thank you for the information. I wish you luck in your chores . . . And your marriage."

            "I need all the luck I can get," the man chuckled loosely before waving us off. "Have fun, youngsters. I wouldn't bump into any of the ladies on Red Street like you did to me, though. You'll get beaten to a pulp!"

            My feet were numb as we walked away from the man's disheveled shopfront. Even though my cloak was diligently covering me, I could feel the pressure of unwanted eyes on my back, passive but imperative.

            Zeno was the first person to speak once we rounded a corner that led to a more secluded street. His voice was low and free of its usual joviality. "We've seen these kinds of guards before. I could recognize that armor from anywhere . . . "

            "It's similar to the last village we went to," Yona murmured, her features obfuscated by the dark wave of her hood. "This village is more like the Capitol though, so it hasn't been overrun just quite yet. There's too many people here, and not enough guards to counter them."

            "It's makes you wonder why they seem to be loitering around," Kija mentioned inquisitively. "If they were planning a takeover like the last one we encountered, they would be less concerned about finding nightly entertainment and more preoccupied with instilling fear in the villagers."

            In the midst of the noise created by the village's common splendor, there was a hard moment of silence that raptured our small group. I had a plethora of questions swarming through my mind, but most of them skittered off when Jae-Ha made a dark suggestion.

            "Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements from up north."

"You think their position here is in direct alignment with the developing army . . . ?" Hak asked with a pause.

Jae-Ha nodded grimly, a gesture that made cold shivers run down my spine. "If what we've heard so far is true, then I'm not surprised by how laid back things are right now for these guards . . . All the dirty work will be done for them once their buddies get here."

"How awful . . . " I murmured beneath my breath.

Everything around me seemed to still when I uttered those two mindless words, but reality was thrown back into place when I felt the pressure of Yona's reassuring hand on the center of my back.

"We won't let their plans unfold to their liking," she said with steadfast determination, calling our attention front and center. "We don't have an abundance of information to support us in our scheming, but we'll form a plan against them. Letting them needlessly terrorize anymore people than they already have isn't something I'll allow in this kingdom . . . I'll protect as many people as I can, if only to prove myself worthy of being King Hiryuu's descendant."

"You are worthy, Miss Yona," Zeno smiled. "And you are also right about devising a new plan."

"We'll need more information before taking action," Kija stated. "But we surely won't want to take our time on this. We don't know when or if this army will appear. Either way, we must be prepared."

"What will we do first?" I asked curiously, and a thoughtful silence filled the air. It was only when Yoon cleared his throat that the invisible barrier was broken.

"Spying," he said. "Time is of the essence, and if these soldiers' leader is indeed loafing around in some weird brothel then we need to act upon that truth as soon as possible."

Hak raised an eyebrow at this, intrigued. "Are you implying that we kill him right on the spot? I have no problem with that, but we'll have to make quite the getaway if that were to happen."

            "Eliminating one of their leaders would surely help us, but I don't think it would assist our current situation that much," Yoon admitted sheepishly, and Yona nodded her head.

            "We'll have to go undercover . . . Even more undercover than we usually do whenever we enter populated areas such as this," she said with a fire in her eye. "It'll have to be very convincing."

            Kija appeared to be nervous as he asked, "W-what do you have in mind, Princess?"

            "We're going to infiltrate the brothel that the villager mentioned to us. Even if their leader isn't residing there, we'll be able to sap information straight from the soldiers while they're drunk."

            Hak didn't look surprised at all as he murmured, "Oh boy . . . I've got a terrible feeling about this, but who am I to disagree with such a diverting plan?"

            "Diverting?" Yoon asked with a waver to his voice. "It sounds more dangerous than anything! How the hell are we going to infiltrate a brothel of all things?"

            "That won't be difficult at all, Yoon," Yona waved her hand at him with a bright smile. "We have everything we need in order to do that right here . . . "

            My stomach churned as Yona's shockingly purple gaze befell me.

            It seems Hak isn't the only one who has a terrible feeling about this, I slowly realized with a thick gulp. If I know anything about Yona, then I shouldn't be startled by how this so-called 'spying' is going to go . . .

        - = - = - = -

            Almost every day following the start of my new life had been full of firsts.

            I had gone hunting for the first time, I had seen a waterfall for the first time, and I had been gifted with the first group of friends I could fully trust with all of my being.

            But, out of all the unworldly things I could've anticipated with such eccentric people at my side, I surely hadn't expected to wind up in a brothel as a fake prostitute.

            I didn't even know what a prostitute was until Jae-Ha took the initiative to tell me, I lamented as I fought the urge to scratch my nose. The air was heavy with aromas I didn't understand and I felt half-inclined to sneeze. To think that Yona would give me such a peculiar task. I would do anything to ensure her success, but being here amongst all these outward people is almost overwhelming.

            Shiroi Hana was home to a plethora of things that I couldn't seem to digest.

            There were all kinds of men scattered about the place (most of which were drunk or in the process of becoming so) and all of the other "show ladies," as Yona had called them, were smiling and laughing and pouring alcohol into small dishes for their rowdy guests. I was sitting in the main room of the building where most of the commotion was, but there were other rooms located on the higher levels of the brothel. Every once in a while, a thoroughly intoxicated man and one of the show ladies would make their ascension to the second or third floor. For what, I wasn't sure, but I didn't feel a pressing need to figure that out.

            Jae-Ha and Hak were out amongst the crowd: chatting, wooing, and eavesdropping on the drunken conversations that were haphazardly floating around them. Since Zeno, Kija, and Yoon didn't have the demeanor of a typical brothel-goer, they were busy trying to get a read on the soldier's patrolling routine by scouting the crooks and crevices of the village area. We weren't sure if we would be making a getaway anytime soon, so certain preparations were being put into line under our leader's rule . . .

            Yona had wanted to join me on the main floor, but Hak had quickly denounced the idea of her being so visible to the public. She had disputed his rejection, claiming that the show ladies' attire would conceal her identity well enough, but Hak was adamant in her remaining unseen. The sheer white cloths the women wore over the lower-half of their faces did a decent job in covering the shape of one's expression, but Yona's hair was too glaringly noticeable for that to do her any good.

            Mine wasn't much better. In a sea of generally dark-haired people, I was a beacon of light, strange and outlandish to those who only expected normality. That was why I had Shin-Ah accompanying me. We were at a table in the corner of the room, an area that was more obfuscated from view but still open enough for us to assume our role as lookouts. I was sitting with my back to the wall and my face to the crowd, and Shin-Ah was sitting straight across from me. Since he was considerably taller than me, he did a good job in veering away any unwanted gazes. If his mask wasn't enough to keep people at bay, then his steely frown surely was.

            "See anything new?" He asked in a voice that was loud enough for only me to hear.

            I shook my head and whispered, "No. Not yet."

            Shin-Ah sighed. "We've been here since nightfall. It took some time getting those clothes and sneaking you back here, but it's taking even longer for more guards to show up . . . It's concerning."

            I shifted at the mention of my clothing. It was a touchy, unimportant topic that shouldn't have raised any cause for concern, but I couldn't seem to ignore the cool draft curling up the skin of my right leg. Along with my white facial covering, I was bestowed a mainly black dress. Its hem was tactfully embroidered with white flowers that snuck up the questionably high slit on the right side of the dress. My old dresses had never been very long, but there was something about the design of this one that had me drawing inquiries.

            Why would someone wear a piece of clothing that nearly slides off half their body when they sit down? It's distracting, to say the least.

            I shrugged the thought away as I stared deep into the holes of Shin-Ah's mask. Despite their cavernous appearance, they managed to calm me down during times of distress. I could always count on the fact that Shin-Ah was peering back at me with those mysterious eyes of his. I couldn't see them for obvious reasons, but I knew that they were free of assumptions and aimless derision. Pretentious, I had learned, was something he was most definitely not.

            My gaze snapped back to the rest of the room, to the people loitering within it. Hak and Jae-Ha were on opposite ends of the room, both chatting with different ladies. They looked perfectly engaged