Warrior by Ellen Oh

Author:Ellen Oh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-09-08T04:00:00+00:00

21

Since leaving Shin Bo Hyun behind, Kira was very quiet. Once again she was responsible for trying to drown him. He’d survived the flood before; could he do it again?

Why would he sacrifice himself? She kept praying to the heavens that he survived. This time, the idea of Shin dead was actually upsetting her. She didn’t want to think of him or his sacrifice at all. Why did he do it? Why did his men unquestioningly follow him into certain death? It was difficult for her to reconcile the actions of Shin with her memories of the man. And yet, whoever he had been was no longer who he was. The idea that this new man could be gone tormented her.

The ache in her heart made it hard to breathe. Confused by her thoughts and the ever-growing pain, Kira kept to herself.

All of Shin’s guards were gone and only one remained from their original contingent of fifteen soldiers. They’d lost their supply horses and no longer had their tents to protect them from the weather. The snowstorms had stopped but the wind that whipped through them was bone-chilling. One night they slept in a cave, another night in an abandoned farmhouse. But the last two nights were spent sleeping in the cold, huddled close together near their campfire.

Their supplies were dangerously low when they spotted a small village. Kira took the lead with Kwan right behind her. There was no sign of demons, but something seemed wrong. She detected a whiff of an unusual scent that was hard for her to identify. It wasn’t human, but it wasn’t demon. And yet it had a demon-like feel to it. Sort of how shaman magic always smelled slightly of demon.

The only sign of life came from a large tavern at the center of the village. It glowed with a hospitable light and they could smell the inviting aromas of an elaborate feast.

Kira was wary.

“What is it? A demon?” Kwan asked.

“I’m not quite sure what it is,” said Kira.

“Then it isn’t a demon,” Major Pak cut in.

She was about to disagree, but she paused. It wasn’t something she could put her finger on. She didn’t know what it was. “I just don’t know,” she said.

“Then we will enter, but cautiously.”

Kira spotted the flash of bright reddish-orange tails in the periphery of her vision.

Foxes. If foxes were living here, then it meant that it was a good food source for them. She hoped that whatever they were feeding on wasn’t human.

When they reached the tavern, Kwan fell off his horse in his haste to enter the establishment.

“Oppa!” Kira shouted. “Don’t go in!”

Without acknowledging her, Kwan ran into the building. Major Pak and his soldier had dismounted and were headed toward the doors. Even Jaewon and Seung seemed entranced as they slid down from their horses. Only Taejo and Brother Woojin seemed unaffected by the pull of the strange magic.

As she dismounted, Kira could hear Jindo’s fierce growls. Looking down at the white dog, she was unsurprised to see his hackles raised, his fierce gaze glued to the tavern doorway.

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