Warrior(The Dragon King Chronicles)(19)

Shin dismounted and headed toward her.

Kwan stepped in front of his sister and punched Shin hard, knocking him down. Shin's men responded at once, pulling out their swords and menacing Kwan.

"No, no, sheath your weapons," Shin said. "He owes me much more than a punch."

He rubbed his jaw and rose to his feet. Major Pak now stood with Kwan, their anger palpable.

"Come, let us go to my quarters where we can talk in private," Shin said.

"You may have saved us, but we owe you nothing." Kwan spat on the ground.

Kira heard the muttering of Shin's men. Regardless of Shin's past betrayals, he had clearly won over the respect of his army.

"Let's take this somewhere private," she said, putting a hand on her brother's arm.

They followed Shin farther into the woods, his men close behind them. He ushered them into a large circular tent with a peaked roof that had a small chimney. Inside, the tent was warmed by a small stove.

Shin ordered his men to leave them alone. They left reluctantly, making clear that they would be standing outside the tent. He nodded, but his attention was set on Kira. Avoiding his gaze, she walked to the far end of the tent and sat down on a small stool.

"What kind of tent is this?" she asked, fingering the felt fabric.

"It is called a ger," he said. "Compliments of the nomadic tribes of Cathay. They are very easy to assemble and very easy to travel with. You will find it essential to have when traveling the northern lands."

"How are you alive?" she asked.

He sat on a floor cushion and stretched his legs in front of him. "It seems the gods didn't want me dead yet. I floated down that river for a long while until it swept me into a tree and I clung to its branches for dear life. By the time the flood passed and I climbed down, I felt more dead than alive. A traveling family of farmers took pity on me and saved me. They were heading north, so I stayed with them, wondering what I was supposed to do with my life now. I never wanted to be a traitor."

"But you are!" Taejo yelled before he dashed over to Kira's side.

Shin sighed. "Yes, I am. Or was, actually. But I didn't think of myself as a traitor for I was loyal to the head of my clan."

"Your uncle was a very bad man!" Taejo yelled, his voice cracking in grief. "He killed my parents!"

"I'm very sorry, Your Highness. I was not in Hansong when it happened. But he was my uncle, and I did wrong. And I'm trying to atone for my mistakes. Isn't a man allowed to make amends?" He glanced at Brother Woojin. "Can a man who rebuilds his life be forgiven?"

"Of course, my son," Brother Woojin said.

Taejo huffed in disbelief, which made Kira smile.

Shin smiled back. "I never thought I'd see you again. But allow me the opportunity to beg for your forgiveness."

Kwan made a disgusted sound. "We will never trust you, let alone forgive you."

"You're a traitor to all Hansong!" Major Pak growled.

Brother Woojin waved his hands in distress. "Please, please stop! He has atoned for his sins and made a new life for himself. We must forget and forgive."

"I think I'll leave that to you," Kwan said.

There was an awkward silence.

"Well, be that as it may, you are welcome to break your journey with us," Shin said. "And when you continue, I will be happy to escort you to Mount Baekdu."

Kwan rounded on the monk in disbelief. "You told him our destination?"

"Yes," the monk replied. "I have no reason not to trust him."

"Well then, you are not as wise as I once believed you to be," Kwan said. With a final glare at Shin, he stomped out of the tent. The major followed close after.

Kira stood up and walked toward the exit when Brother Woojin stopped her.

"I shall take the prince to find something to eat. Please stay and talk with Lord Shin," he requested. "There is a reason our paths have crossed again."

With a bow, he left with the prince, leaving Kira alone with her former betrothed. There was a long awkward pause as Kira avoided looking at his steady gaze. Finally she heaved an aggravated breath and turned to him.

"One thing that is really troubling me," Kira said. "There were so many demons in that village, but I couldn't smell them. I could sense something was wrong, but not exactly what."

"I think it's because they were hiding underground," Shin answered. "We found huge rooms that had been dug under many of the buildings in the village."

Kira nodded. "That's why I couldn't smell them right away, I could only sense something was wrong. But why were you using fire against them?"

"I learned that if you burn all the flesh off a demon-possessed human, it releases the demon. So we set that whole village on fire and went after every single possessed person."                       
       
           



       

"Are you sure you got them all?" Kira asked.

Shin nodded.

"I have no news of what has happened since I last saw you," he said. "Sunim said it would be better if you told me of what happened. Can you fill me in?"

Kira examined her former betrothed. He was no longer the meticulous nobleman of Hansong. He looked grimy and tired. New scars webbed the side of his face and neck, giving him an older and battle-worn appearance.

"Your uncle left me this parting gift." Kira pointed at her scar. Shin winced.

"And what did you leave him with?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing-my aunt took care of him herself." Kira answered bitterly. In a low voice, she recounted her aunt's sacrifice, the shaman's death, Eojin's murder, and their subsequent flight from Hansong. She didn't mention her struggle to free her mother's soul from Shaman Ito. It was too personal and not something she would share with him. Thinking of the loss of her mother and her father always brought Kira to tears. She quickly turned her head, unwilling to let her old enemy see her pain.

Shin sat in silence, gazing into the fire that lay between them. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and hesitant.

"When I was stuck in that tree, wondering if I would survive, I kept thinking to myself what I would do over if I had another chance." He stood up and approached her cautiously, dropping down on his knees before her. "And I knew that if I could do just one thing, it was to make amends with you. I am so sorry for all that you have suffered. I don't know how you will believe me, but I will do everything in my power to help you. I, Shin Bo Hyun, will swear my allegiance and those of my men to Prince Taejo and we will fight for him, no matter what."

"Don't be so melodramatic," Kira snapped.

He shook his head and took hold of one her hands, holding it tight within his own.

"You have no reason to ever trust me but I will dedicate my life to proving to you that I have changed."

Kira was moved by his sincerity. And yet, something held her back. Looking at him brought forth memories of years of teasing. He was a constant of her childhood. She could never reconcile his stated admiration of her with the willful teasing she'd endured at Shin's hands. It irked her that she was so aware of him and of the attraction she could feel between them. It made her uncomfortable. It made her mad.

She jerked her hand out of his grip. As much as he was a part of her childhood, she could not forget who he was and what he had done. His uncle had betrayed Hansong and caused the death of her own parents and her king and queen. Taejo had lost his kingdom and they were now homeless.

While she understood loyalty to one's clan, she could never forgive him.

"Thank you for saving us, Shin Bo Hyun. I owe you my life. I will let the others know what you have said. I'm sure they will welcome the allegiance of your men."

Kira ignored the disappointment on his face and made for the door.

"Kang Kira," Shin called. "I am so very sorry."

She paused to study his handsome face. The court ladies of Hansong had loved to moon over his good looks. But they were all gone. She had a vivid memory of their brightly colored hanboks fluttering in the wind as they jumped from the cliff.

She shook her head and left the tent.

He was responsible for so much death and betrayal. How could there be hope of forgiveness?





17





"We can't trust him!" Kwan was in a rage as he paced the length of their campsite.

"We may have no choice," Major Pak said. "We lost our guide, almost all our men, and our supplies in that debacle."

"I will vouch for Shin," Brother Woojin interjected. "I have seen into his heart and I believe he has changed for the better."

Taejo looked puzzled by the monk's comment.

"Sunim," Taejo asked, "what did you see?"

The monk put his hands together and gazed up to the heavens as he murmured a quick prayer. "I saw that the darkness that had colored his aura is now gone."

Taejo started in surprise. "You never told me that you can see people's auras!"

"It is not something I've ever told anyone besides my own master," he said, "for it is a gift from the heavens and a secret I've guarded for over sixty years."

Kira clapped her hands together. "That's right. You never trusted him before. You knew he was lying when he set that first trap."