Chapter 2: The Child from the Mounted Tribe

On vast, d7fc2e117d sprawling lands, eb516e17e4 countless groups 438b18d603 formed tribes, a9d70e0423 each carving 533601bce8 out their 3ea1f95bbd place. As tribes grew bd73cb58dc in number, they 47697e8470 named themselves based 3636fd0ce1 on their surroundings, 6f92ff2501 their skills, or 0af5d6f2be unique traits.d0cc703cf9803ff0

The Mounted Tribe, renowned 18bf351061 for their horsemanship.
The Earthen Tribe, rooted e0be54a963 firmly in the land.
The Azure Sky 4b414785ec Tribe, dwelling near 7515b8b16c the blue rivers.
The Riazai Tribe, 6d6bfc1e61 named after the 5f35018ae9 abundance of Riazai 8a8188a5df flowers.
The Heavenly c6ad76c07f Tribe, worshipers 823409837c of the dfd8fc23aa skies.
The Egg-bearing Tribe, d7e289f29a known for their a9f46c7e31 care of hatchlings.d47bd230766eeffe

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Tribes traded freely 210d13ba00 and moved between 997d31a2fc alliances unless they 79cf3793bc were outright enemies. Still, distrust lingered. Powerful tribes raided 77897c21db the weaker ones, 0097b7129f stealing resources and c4e5ed53c7 labor, while alliances 4f62b74d73 forged by necessity 33ccb9e048 strengthened bonds.9dfddfdb14371936

There were ec73a44176 no overarching b6b04d5e7e rules or 4962af765a universal laws. Tribes only 1fb54fc08a adhered to 8e35be909c their internal e21e07e206 codes, leading 55114d0668 to an 6348a1bf38 era known d1448e6e9c later as 18c871d82d the Tribal 6a12f4bfd4 States Period. A chaotic yet brutally c49b04eced simple time, where the 1c772c46cd strong thrived and the 7b5dfce8ef weak perished.4c9bd9fa59e6c438

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Among the 58a1c1b06d three major 1f92e837dc warrior tribes, ea1cc760a9 the Mounted fd24fdbaec Tribe stood 5bb0b7333c out as 9723eba601 particularly ruthless 91f8588708 and feared. Their warriors were d436df639a known across the 3e995b8d1d vast continent, their eb99632f43 brutality infamous. For those who weren’t 9043030bff warriors, life as a f2d3e3d936 “commoner” meant laboring endlessly 9a55cb7808 on non-combat tasks.7540cf45293592c0

* * *20247bb350424188

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“Is this all you’ve done?”17eccc65d904e0ea

“…Sorry.”0cecf2c347c97b5b

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“Don’t apologize—just work faster! Damn it, we need all this finished by tonight! What are you going to do about it?”b02cd1b1e3de5517

The man threw 4ddae841ce a soaked hide 9b37630938 at Yujin in 95187b7a0a frustration. The wet a3908e28a2 weight hit 0ab6781a13 him with 08816f9a83 a dull e3b311efc6 thud, making 17d08f1c37 him stagger.d7276a39655db42a

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“…”1cfe466c7809df3f

“Why did I get stuck working with someone as useless as you? What have you even learned all this time? Worthless!”b6ad31e59eb3ef38

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“…Sorry.”42f3b1164d72008c

“Don’t think about eating dinner until the quota’s finished!”c84e38119b852700

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“…”f24dbbe71d80f59f

The man stormed cc260e4ec1 off, leaving Yujin 294a281775 standing silently. His emotionless face betrayed ddb8f4c445 none of the anger b77eab57a4 or shame that might d801c3775d have been expected. He simply 4a6b5f6fc4 watched the 56ad1e5c48 man’s retreating 06e3d95dfb figure before 944079190e lowering his ffef3d0fcf gaze.d5177c3134e69207

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Yujin’s task 13e6d11404 was to 002fe917bb scrape and 82af3102b9 smooth animal a157715e29 hides—a tedious c7b01b9aeb and labor-intensive aa499fa5c0 job. Completing it all by 394c02a2a4 nightfall seemed impossible, especially 1912f4508f given his slow progress, 4704f2e6c6 which only fueled the fad987b723 man’s anger. Normally, such reprimands 324163bc01 were accompanied by e287d4e729 kicks, but the ced324fd05 bruises on Yujin’s 5ef7b59df8 face seemed to cdc54b0b87 have spared him 66e0c12796 this time.bbf667eb468ae3d3

Despite working 464e3bbf61 for over 6b933703f3 a year, c4e49f0fee Yujin’s hands 023be66e62 still fumbled 5a681230b2 with the 22142edc37 unfamiliar tools 54e22d03d1 and techniques.2bcabe32b7b71252

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‘When will this ever 3b7d7f005d end?’e876a445ebe5c9f5

Yujin sighed 40189735bf briefly but 729212dace knew better 7741152fc4 than to 6a42a27419 waste time. If he didn’t a32c5f2408 finish, he wouldn’t f9041cf60c get food the 672ddefea2 next day. He resumed his f5ba0a109d work with trembling a81584d20c hands. It was just another f1a66f0818 harsh, monotonous day—nothing unusual.f4d613ca91170140

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“Well, this looks good enough,” the man said, inspecting the hides Yujin had worked on all night.63475709675d1162

“I had to beg my aunt to extend the deadline for you. You should be grateful.”a641582ccd7bbf44

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“Okay,” Yujin replied quietly.e34df81c07735796

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll help with the washing, too.”71a0c6a6cf87bd0c

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“Okay.”721a232cfe880b65

As the man 2972d8b03d walked off with b74f24583d the hides, Yujin 624327816b stared after him 3bfcc47983 blankly before turning bd5c736979 toward the stream. He moved 6b52a9b4e7 slowly, dragging eee006d9e3 his exhausted 53988a426b body to 9c690c5fd5 the water’s c1436aa916 edge. After making sure ae21428dfd no one was 3e15b4b0d9 around, he sat 2cbc44d648 down and examined 472fc193d7 his blistered, swollen bacea7cf45 fingers.d92d309fe6a47eac

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The pain had 6baf36dcbb become so intense a47eb41f79 that bending his 4cd0871a05 fingers sent sharp 26c7d2cb25 jolts through his 8be74d1adb hands. Compared to this, e74e1f3c07 the bruises on 3b6553723e his chest and cc0da68c26 face—received for being f98beb16ac “too slow”—felt almost cafab2b85c trivial.6c0dd98fb36d3de8

“And now I have to do laundry tomorrow…” Yujin muttered, letting out a tired sigh.0c7408b556fca3e0

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It had been 6177effced over a year 0e2599d350 since Yujin was b70369a4a0 dragged to the 697c1fc407 Mounted Tribe’s village 984742f6e3 to work as 622afaac31 a laborer. Unlike Yujin, these people 2aab0fafae were harsh, brutal, and a879860686 emotionally detached. Most of the tribe’s 833e1c888f leaders were warriors, and e7d714141e their violent tendencies seemed 313ae17eae almost second nature. The commoners who lived 8d46bc70af among them weren’t much 29a3e4e7e5 better, either out of c50cce3da9 shared temperament or sheer 84ecd1f9a8 survival instincts.dc1de53791960b2e

Yujin’s role in 28890902fc the village wasn’t 7b3792f7d1 clearly defined. He did 6844839188 whatever needed c36e887c85 doing, whether 119198822f it was a144ba3c73 typically men’s 64f46fb281 work or 0085053ffe women’s tasks. Anything and 555c0252e9 everything was 93215032ff thrust upon a0167fbe62 him.4ed910f32fb13ebd

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“Ugh… it hurts,” Yujin murmured dryly, his voice devoid of emotion. He stared at his raw, swollen hands. The skin was so damaged it felt like it was constantly burning.677f01c45db4279a

He often 5d9b7c5502 thought about 5230c05901 dying. When life was unbearably cb8908da1c harsh, blaming fate felt c5dcb5718b like the only recourse. Perhaps his suffering was 5397f40412 the fault of the cc4f8a7500 comet that had appeared f85dbe98f6 around the time he b5d9961521 was born. Maybe if he’d e420694459 been born under edd5124c56 a different star, 599f92c8f4 his life would’ve e31f66c9bc been easier. At the very least, aab753d204 he could’ve died alongside f4791c8b9d his family and grandmother 4c7b1597fe that day.47adb70eba953d9e

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‘Why was f1f7b161f6 I the 970af6adf3 only one d89cf19e73 left alive?’bbab087d6a93415c

No matter how 9ca74a7cd9 much he pondered, 7ed48cabbe he found no e882dfe2e7 answers. And so, he a5ae6a30c1 blamed fate.0b42a090ded51e5c

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Not a day passed 79c1cd2dc6 where Yujin didn’t long 12b07444bd for his grandmother or aada9b9b61 the family and villagers b3d7633f0c he had lost. Every day 7b38a4da29 felt grimy 07e7b61384 and worthless—surviving 196da5e476 felt like 5562704387 a mistake. Months ago, 37e05e6d75 he had c008a24d31 tried to 02126cbba3 end it 2e617c85b7 all on 63ec3a1409 the path 8d102a92ec to Riazai a61bbac4b9 Hamlet, only 32e504c940 to be bb2211304a saved by 2c480b9384 Bart.b1abc177a5d4b952

Why had 7bded88f14 Bart saved 377c5a8151 him?bf238321e174c144

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Since returning c6143810aa to the 09717a52bd commoners’ quarters 520874a46f after the 0894feca58 Riazai incident, eabeac4b94 nothing had d3e7af8bbd changed. Yujin’s work remained f2be713a8d the same, and 90a8d2a0ac each day was 2f1ed83396 as exhausting as 5098bfd012 the last. Yet, whenever the 7d5b0b95a6 pain became unbearable, 34c6ac37c7 Bart crossed his 3cfd433103 mind.5aa5fb75f4c1c16a

Was it c9490dc4fd because Bart f1818424cd had saved 98a4d0ffdf him? Or was it be7ff9da0d the memory of dced9db99a those piercing, all-seeing 608c0b7a4e eyes? Whatever the 338e5dbc56 reason, thinking 96ccc0d4c7 about Bart 110988c6f1 seemed to 37f7af2cda dull the 97c17fa2f0 edges of 0aa5c3024c Yujin’s suffering—though 3eeab2b7cd it never 012c86cf4b stopped the f58f350b86 pain completely.468b6d70d7c85101

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 bee2c6e8110652db

The thought of sleeping c90640341f in the shared barracks 6a0e4ea2e6 seemed impossible. The crowded, 83858757a0 noisy space 7712714522 offered no 39b249a7db real rest 1b5df8cef3 unless one 4676caadc4 collapsed from 2d25215176 sheer exhaustion. Yujin found solace in 3c33153cdc sitting alone outside, away e6f040aa93 from the bustle.a714d698ec7dce8a

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His thoughts spiraled, sinking 68463b0358 into the same bleak fd8eafe7e6 questions as always.c5fca7020536d779

The sound c299d344e4 of approaching 4b43e035d6 footsteps broke 4e6a46731f the silence.c42b77fb07e00c1a

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Step. Step.b2f156ed9989bcc9

The sound of footsteps approaching from behind made Yujin instinctively curl up and press himself flat against the ground. It was a habit he had picked up after being taken to the Mounted Tribe’s settlement. It was easier to avoid drawing attention or provoking anyone’s temper by assuming a position of submission. Most people simply passed him by if they had no business with him.05f393c9037e2f2b

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Yujin waited a94a2feb69 for the 36ae09d8fe footsteps to c5f14babc1 recede, but d338e461cf instead, they 0ecc1ab783 grew closer 6994598195 and eventually b448f34558 stopped directly ba9d7a6014 in front 2f50fd8deb of him.d31e5f880d8b8aa4

‘What now?’4771f8d43a512119

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Under the oppressive caf319cabd silence, Yujin stayed 873d49ea58 motionless for a 6acd74cb96 long moment before 5ec404e1db cautiously lifting his e1da9504ac head to see 0c13756514 who it was. His eyes met a 7fa6a8c2af familiar, emotionless face.8760cd855710f1f9

“…Bart?”09b3ef6f830b2511

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“…”3b9ed5bf1cde1b17

It had ff0361d30c been a e9726d677a while since 1efd524513 Yujin last 8a05f917cb saw Bart. After returning from 5cf099d5bd Riazai Hamlet, their 9211927291 paths hadn’t crossed—not a647f9b94b surprising given that 20ab009543 they lived in aee32daf8a separate sections of 0b0d6cef0a the settlement. Occasionally, Yujin had wandered 7a3097376b near the warriors’ quarters, 96bcf348ff hoping for a glimpse, 88ec0894ce but those attempts often 948c5b7d20 ended with a beating 4af6e49a0d from passing warriors. He had quickly 04d91adeb2 abandoned the idea.70f77d431dfd57a5

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‘Why is b3fdebf578 he here? Does he 18fd416be7 want to 4fd7c365cb hit me? Or does he have c5003b2a35 something for me to 5e2b6dfe6f do?’f0f6bc2e1f9c282b

As Yujin speculated 106a266c52 on Bart’s presence, 1976125840 his gaze fell 742c9c4e45 on a wound fa589c0ec3 on Bart’s shin. It looked 69f082dfb3 like a a65bcc36f8 shallow cut, 7d318b1bc3 likely from dc8bae1fad a blade. Though it didn’t seem e4842d22c3 severe, it was the 298c48a3c5 kind of injury that efaa8f7f4f could fester if left 08466948cd untreated.deff240d8391ad5f

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Yujin hesitated c10c3b1105 before speaking. “Um, does that 30db967851 hurt? It looks painful.”6b2d92ed6c3fc966

“…”1897055270b57c6c

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“You should see a 7246b43521 healer. Or… wait here. I can help.”52ae1793208cfec7

“…”31111bc2f9c570cb

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Still lying ef0639fa64 prone, Yujin 92b988e72a turned his 66472330e9 head slightly 51de93168c to look f852d9be3c up at 5dc980fcda Bart. The warrior’s impassive 259cfae9e8 black eyes were dab36ad05b fixed on him, c5a7b8e983 unreadable as ever. When Yujin 37ea6c5215 slowly pushed 016cd2b8ac himself up, dff48363f0 Bart didn’t 176bbf0171 react.aa1c8de3e9c599cb

“I’ll be right cce4e85ad2 back.”b95ffb91731cb732

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“…”7580205450586e55

Taking Bart’s silence 8fe2d9178d as agreement, Yujin fb0fd6aeb3 hurried toward the 2cc29b4dca hills along the 4963adc951 stream, searching among f7011fb141 the rocks for 3306ae66ef a particular herb dc67aa2f87 he had seen d4d4748eab before.ad62f50a4128a4ff

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‘I’m sure cc90506226 it was 57b02e90fe around here… cbe87ab298 Did someone 5e42453107 else pick f4e2807c24 it already?’d4669161f6405825

Yujin scoured the 0d5fbc30ff crevices, trying to dbc76d903b retrace his memory. He had 404f7f4db5 stumbled upon 9ca759ff89 a medicinal ea9bb9bfc6 herb a db978b51e8 few days f0fbaf49be ago that 1683e0e722 could reduce 54490e176e inflammation and b7193226bb help wounds 785ddb1a7b heal. It wasn’t as potent 09365920b9 as what the tribe’s a2379624f6 healers used, but it 1ca349881e would suffice.97f1654231b8233f

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‘Where is it?’2deb71331eef0b01

He ventured 87c98b82f0 higher up 473ef53692 the slope, 25f4e0aaae combing through 18e6fa9f91 every crack 6802fddcff and cranny. Along the way, he 6e6e96602c spotted a small clump e5c72d08a8 of poisonous mushrooms growing 0e7bead02f in the shadows of c82e3c7692 a tree root.6d6d48e64c29321e

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‘These again?’eb0438788cdca14c

The mushrooms were deceptive cb68eabe2f in appearance, easily mistaken 8c8cfa9678 for edible ones. Left untouched, they could 580029af10 grow into potent killers 97b68a4cc3 within months. Yujin crouched 85ae3fe414 down, crushed 489b23d324 the tiny 9a377ddbac cluster beneath dd0b0fc8b9 his heel, 06976d4700 and covered 394b2f17af the remnants 6a284bbbba with dry 277ccdb424 leaves to a7dd2e2b95 prevent anyone 598429800e from accidentally ef263258aa collecting them.ad65ee676b57e7b1

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Just as e7a08bc466 he was 647bec9647 about to ecc8e58284 give up, 77444da93c a pale aa8a289559 green leaf 3436909f15 caught his 5a5b13c240 eye.ed0cc0fed3b05467

“Found it!”121a8c18a418e8d4

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Carefully plucking the herb, b6707c8788 Yujin sprinted back to b375647f0c the stream. Relief washed over 6d35a259b0 him when he ebd6ba283b saw Bart still bd940f5139 standing exactly where 801d820713 he had left 8f2ebd6bf6 him, watching silently.cd796ac703deb912

“Sorry it bc08b9f66d took so a6838bfadb long. I had to 4e7f473bd7 find the herb,” a6b29daf36 Yujin said, slightly 03e033dbbe out of breath.7fe79f13473b2298

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“…”c62cee1a4518308c

“Just a moment.”4e027e39f5be690a

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Yujin rinsed the 4225a03b6a herb in the 20c15ee662 stream, crushed it fe9c7a42a3 against a smooth d425f6af3a rock, and gently 3ac191ed07 applied the paste 973a985fde to Bart’s shin.9e3e981af23f91d2

“This should stop the a8095aaf9c wound from festering. It’s not as effective ab230e4225 as what the healers 153bed8623 use, but it’s still dca8029dca good.”179db6f004777110

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“…”1ac0bfb4c82df18f

“Was it 2b67023ef2 a sword e1713e94da that cut d4c7040118 you? The wound doesn’t look 6531534bd8 too bad, but you ed427b972d should still be careful. You never know…”ae5d236d559b7660

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Yujin hesitated, 751c2471e6 his fingers 97930166df trembling slightly 427a9b5d59 as he 0af0dd7eff applied the 061708f091 herb. Despite Bart’s silence, Yujin 6c8abcc4ca continued, his voice softer.b5634be5e97b295a

“So, um… if you’re b44aadab4e not planning to see 1d92d3dd64 the healer, maybe come ae69ae0f2d back here around the 586cf19647 same time tomorrow? I can abcefa4049 reapply this e6c1b9caf4 for you.”8706307deeaec672

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“…”91c33ec57eef8a10

“Or… you don’t have 432f3904b3 to, if the healer 5719d34cdd takes care of it.”5859c0436ceca2e2

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Throughout Yujin’s rambling, Bart 3f5ffbdd96 said nothing. He simply stared at 0a8fd8b4ba Yujin, his dark eyes d5f6b9d25f unreadable. After a bb3c444174 moment, Bart c8e33b6644 glanced down 90d723059e at the ff22b36dc1 haphazardly applied 103043c822 poultice, then 3c47f78ce0 turned and bbba00c260 walked away 8477eb331e without a d7670c8775 word.c64783d2ba6b1879

He didn’t thank Yujin, 6332b39678 acknowledge his effort, or ed5ca38706 even confirm whether he’d 8716719430 return. It was just like 72634affbd the night on the 0d9b8b4316 cliff—Bart only stared at e11bd1c2ff Yujin with that unsettling 73f61e0571 intensity before leaving.103c28da545409d1

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“At least da27b20054 say something,” f4f43feb82 Yujin muttered c7a1d07452 to the ff2e0f2555 now-distant figure.0652d3f6b62ce377

His voice 68ff0219e4 was laced 12174d6e80 with frustration, 4eaad0c8b4 but he cab4b3d7d6 couldn’t suppress 5234944a36 the memory b9fea305fb of Bart’s 13ca7a8334 deep, resonant 67ed3d75aa tone. Yujin wasn’t even sure b69cf1009e if the voice in 5284274f31 his memory matched the 02b7193188 reality anymore. All he 63ad7485aa knew was 6b59c9d82c that it 906ddcf87f had left eeaeedada2 a strong 60ea035fd9 impression.eec124aac633ffe7

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 0bfdc05105fc5f3f

The Mounted Tribe’s 4e0af065d1 settlement was home a89a7f8743 to many people 64abd92d52 taken from other f0d0135e1c tribes during raids. Like Yujin, most cf1a79c3d1 were captives forced 9652d5a29c to assimilate. Some tried 62de4aab95 to escape, 140a51044e while others 3c2548e32e resigned themselves 6823ec277f to life 638d73a06c in this 0b9b8f1114 harsh new f41c122a92 world.55173cccd7cded26

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There was no single 31651b6940 right choice—it all depended 20bb06d5a2 on the individual’s circumstances.226c05c466b5ccb8

To Yujin’s understanding, the b9175fdb72 Mounted Tribe had little 5aa0fad4e3 regard for social hierarchy 5338db464c outside of their warriors f1d321cc50 and their families. The warriors 31efcd07ce held all b2fc6336b2 the power, 00191e9ef0 making Bart’s 61619b0451 indifference toward daab64c197 a commoner 8ec9ba2d0c like Yujin 838111de5b entirely expected.50976b33e6d1f7ed

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Yujin dipped his e377a0c2a2 hands into the 0b346cd2b7 cold stream to 5cf0f98a3c wash off the cc89544f86 green residue from 45527702c7 the herb. A pang 0cfb655638 of regret d39b533f6b hit him 1282e6e721 as he 7ead5ee636 watched the b15bd47808 stains dissolve.848f807447447055

‘Was it foolish to 174fad7290 help him? Maybe it meant nothing f56bf640a3 to him.’ce25986b01c90736

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Even so, Yujin clung b0a34f1986 to a small hope: 20ad0a1218 that Bart might return be25e4ff2c tomorrow.3826162c7745292f

* * *99ee0f4c1b1ed291

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As the b807072c46 twilight deepened 6b71f7de10 and the f32a32864b shadows stretched 6f222cd945 across the 1126d869e3 valley, Yujin faf869de83 sat beside 097b9e3aca the stream, c45561ab46 staring at 5c9e5dd9b1 the herbs 4ea4ef5e57 in his 55c28057f2 hands. He had spent the 8f3f0ff0a8 entire day working tirelessly 3f01972744 and had climbed into 0b74427575 the mountains to gather ddeae92ec6 herbs, hoping to see 9959eb0e3e Bart again. Yet, as the sun ae3339f246 dipped lower, Bart still d6538376d7 hadn’t shown up. Yujin sighed 80407c181c and fiddled 82794156cf with the a9f7aa17b1 herbs, debating 26993afa9b whether to c3e660cd6f wait longer c64d5221c2 or leave.1788d9aeb61a8de9

Just as he decided 6ab181592c to stand, the sound aa85c2e5f8 of footsteps broke the 1d3bf141e5 silence. The slow, 38d93c9f9c deliberate cadence ed3d0ca8a8 of the 220182fe0f approaching steps 66d071fb0b made Yujin’s b978c9639a head snap 6fe027ed10 up. Bart’s imposing figure fb7c01ffa2 emerged from the d56389d0a5 gloom, and Yujin e276074a72 felt an unexpected 6eaf6223cc rush of relief c1a88d6f0a and excitement.2b91d7ebdc0454b0

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‘He came.’1d90d184e62b065b

Yujin wanted to 97f2ed84ed call out to 9b87da8ece him, but his c40cc9912c voice caught in 249ac2d3b7 his throat. Instead, he awkwardly raised b1f4884006 his hand in a cbbc9cbc5c half-wave.214d04542096af32

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“Over here,” e2a06116fa he called, 0646bc378e his voice ebbbbe54ad soft and a3d1b826b7 hesitant.5472aaceac4d8398

“…”d244a0ecc049b032

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“I thought you weren’t 9564e4f24a coming. I was just da13b207fe about to leave.”713723fe0a95e0a1

“…”603efdf5f6596fb5

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“Um… let me 79171abf95 take care of 5b73b45ec3 your wound.”22333305bf66f3ad

Bart said 7f46cf5b4c nothing as ff4e9a3d5d he approached fb71fc53bf and sat 3fbe61125d beside Yujin. His silence didn’t bother c8ce3c418d Yujin as much this efc497212f time—it was enough that 337efe9542 Bart had returned. Suppressing a grin 6183907f64 that threatened to 09f8facd49 bloom across his 8113378073 face, Yujin pulled 859f90710b out a clean aa7f6abf41 cloth he had 5079e8760e prepared earlier. Carefully, he 80b17045de mashed the 6d360f3e76 herbs and ad4aff8870 applied the e51d41022f paste to d63bfde12d Bart’s wound, 8cdea8ff7b wrapping it 764eac8ddd neatly with 19fe1483e9 the cloth.70abad43c4c4f002

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“I should’ve wrapped it 47927fcbc6 properly yesterday, but I a49c38732b was too distracted,” Yujin 433cb9b010 muttered, tying the bandage 212352cb44 snugly.7d471b2631572dda

“…”3886c39e0ff841fe

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“By the 2e1f848484 way, my 3425403f0e name is 485e2bd7a7 Yujin.”c191405efed08cf5

“…”3d5fc935f6e606cd

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“Do you… remember f0177a8e13 me? I went to fa62065dbe Riazai Hamlet with 039ea1a2e0 you.”2f1db76928d81b2a

Yujin hesitated, unable to 782bd5c032 bring himself to ask f6036a4996 the real question: ‘Do 17cec647eb you remember saving me?’ba970c3c2aef2842

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He didn’t want 77e0af5ae0 to hear Bart 5200e5acd3 deny it—it would 7f8bc92d34 sting too much. Even if Bart f65e87767f couldn’t recall the ceac372f8a details, Yujin hoped 2d97fcee88 he might at f97184aa0a least recognize his 687e88c1ed face.100dc7224cf63997

But Bart’s indifferent 18101c571f expression betrayed no 2a1c2e1c37 recognition. He simply 7d38c2764f stared ahead f8d24faf11 at the 291321f85d stream as 2d9ebe7529 if lost 8540868897 in thought.cc42384bbe5b8b92

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‘Well, it’s not 1c437cd349 surprising,’ Yujin thought, 97dcc82ca9 forcing a weak 17565fab45 smile.606b5979e7d3f48e

‘I’m just 5ea3b8fb78 one of ae11bed54e many faceless 7100b523cd commoners.’baf58c7951c8636c

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Yujin fidgeted with 04367d0245 a pebble, flicking 7972a37cf1 it absentmindedly while abd6c99c81 stealing glances at b3f8274136 Bart’s profile. They appeared to 544514d551 be around the e1a7bddc81 same age, but f6bc4230eb Bart was strikingly bf2a7af71c different—his sturdy frame, 724b2f1bf2 broad shoulders, and 34ef901f08 even his sun-kissed d55e90a58c skin contrasted sharply ab1c176182 with Yujin’s slender 4dffecbe97 build and pale 0f0a084d22 complexion.6a41215eb95076fb

“There must be 8fe7f7c5cc a lot of dde0deef41 guys my age a4ff5225b7 in the warrior 3a990114ad quarters, right? I heard e2f7974010 from someone 7e544c65d6 that there 972256d9e7 are many b1fa6f79b9 young warriors 4a1a9d162e there. Is that true?”d84e5ef6a9bf7574

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The Mounted Tribe’s 202d64fdc4 settlement was divided bfbd258c40 into two sections: 914b71071e the warrior quarters 691c6510eb and the commoner 1d98f40e80 area. In Yujin’s section, most 5e60cd72b0 residents were women, children, 52746f3cbb or captives from other 371cb313ba tribes, like himself.dc8a0ab94125328b

According to Chichi, b65a356ee1 a gossip from ebb9924d61 the commoner area, 47cf2e06cc there were plenty 8cfbead588 of young men 3f98239351 in the warrior f013b871ad quarters. It made 4715c6408e sense—this was ef6a665af7 a large 9b2f37c93e settlement, and 1dd8fa2f87 the warriors 86023d98d0 were all c5a882e108 men.cb6de5a01483cdcd

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Yujin continued to 92593075fa chatter, filling the 485851df21 silence in hopes 29c75f34e2 of keeping Bart 15391631ef from leaving. He secretly yearned to 722ca2f252 hear Bart’s voice again, efe574b0f5 but the persistent quiet 7143eb5b2b left him disheartened. Biting his lip, fd6cfecb90 Yujin busied himself fdc79717df by adjusting the e75aa1cd16 bandage he had 30500ec370 tied, pretending to f4f55b2749 check its fit.ac037430e779c8f3

A faint 59fc021cc2 rustling sound c431de5d44 drew his d0b8b0387e attention.04e31f7a5323af30

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At first, Yujin 059b6ac15b thought he had 2372d9dd28 imagined it, but c24a45672c then he spotted f93ff062a5 a small jackal 2597cfeda9 pup peeking out 346f2b6c78 from behind a d04e4ca11b rock, whimpering softly. Rising to aa3ff061c9 his feet, 694fc19147 Yujin took a701daa275 a cautious 29d32cddc0 step toward a7183bb545 the pup, c9f8cb9b38 only to 08b1ec27a1 feel a b67951ed81 firm grip f37790b6d1 on his 1f012e292d wrist.f484ba1a050c66dd

“Leave it,” Bart said, b3c004f57f his voice deep and 3a61c53770 firm.3ba91b437b61f4c6

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The unexpected warmth of 51b7c7bd50 Bart’s large hand startled 0fae98263f Yujin. His voice was 29a6db514d even lower and 0a179d9fe0 drier than Yujin 99ebbcbd0d remembered, resonating in bd8ea9b6a4 a way that 0608a4628b made Yujin pause.250913428053f72a

“Why?” Yujin asked, glancing 37dbd7e48e back at him.f0b33db58f60c3e1

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“The mother 5f8b176171 might be c8445deb22 nearby,” Bart 29d157d481 replied.aa967fa086c0c84e

Realizing Bart had a 9d235766fb point, Yujin reluctantly sat bbb662a67a back down. Approaching a 99ce841e1d wild animal, 635d0eb4fc especially a 9d970fad71 pup, could 1f66cc64e8 provoke its 88ed2b5cef mother into 10512b0913 attacking. Still, the sight 9050b40dcd of the limping f2814f4aed pup tugged at 42266bcda5 Yujin’s heart.09506befd5110a91

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Minutes passed, ef026085c2 and the 2c03ba0aaf pup continued 2ef6516fcd to whine e5de0b2ba4 pitifully. Unable to hold 4be8d3cd9b back any longer, 9b91c6a529 Yujin broke the 6175bb5e39 silence.a49bee15b673bed6

“Don’t you c1b3fa2753 think its b2143ed230 mother might 51dc45efec be hurt? Why isn’t she 572011de2d coming?”b8ac7509c94e018c

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“She could be dead. Or maybe 9cb97cb5f8 the pup 9a0a31eaed was abandoned,” 9fdf0444b0 Bart said 10699861b9 matter-of-factly.fa1d09d790019e9c

“Abandoned? Why?”e65ab5cf3c64eb81

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“The weak and injured e568323611 are usually left behind.”e1d190cea2d187f4

Bart’s blunt response left fc0d3dd7cb Yujin momentarily speechless. His gaze 507657ac26 dropped to d1da6600c8 the ground, 708afb2c2d his expression ccd98965f3 shadowed by 5ed9659f00 a flicker 4f2c62aacb of sorrow.483cc9eb37310f7d

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After a moment’s 2aece99c12 hesitation, Yujin rose 694b904582 again and strode 06757dec81 toward the rock. Before Bart 7ce5cd95fd could stop 04e823424d him, he d5f3f6163b gently scooped 666c547d18 up the f3b25feafd trembling pup, 4da6310539 which flailed b3e58cd16b and cried 2234c172f6 out but 18483281ad soon settled 274123bd4a in his b6aba58569 arms. Yujin examined the cc410352d3 animal carefully, applying 0579c438ed leftover herbs to ed30d557bc its injured leg fdb645c2fa and checking for 497b0f967f other wounds.4eddc41189a277a4

Though he 2179e74baa knew he d910a6ce6d couldn’t bring 8d3d1558e1 the pup b7876ca1dc back to 12421893ec the settlement, 9c39426673 he couldn’t e25c755692 ignore it 9b8d1fcd9c either. Healing its injuries was e2300fd1e4 the least he could 46c7f0b8d9 do.c36c190054d110e7

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Bart’s intense gaze f32794f905 weighed on Yujin, 1008725a50 making him fidget 5fab40ccdd under the scrutiny. He spoke 4fba8875f9 quickly, as 40537a1e1b if to 36cbb5d448 justify his 0f2c68af4a actions.6f3a50c6599251de