Chapter 2: The Child from the Mounted Tribe

On vast, sprawling lands, 42cf3d1dca countless groups formed tribes, 02836a728a each carving out their 3255b757aa place. As tribes 91aa0a8b86 grew in 66fc0bcff4 number, they ce7fd36ebc named themselves c347a5a070 based on 924d867af0 their surroundings, 797f0d4e05 their skills, 9347ab352d or unique f972fbbf24 traits.3d2465797c6058ff

The Mounted Tribe, b41f1e5e30 renowned for their 134faa2c01 horsemanship.
The Earthen Tribe, rooted 62748d8f11 firmly in the land.
The Azure Sky b575e8ecd1 Tribe, dwelling near 284ae5a4ce the blue rivers.
The Riazai Tribe, named 11164ae65f after the abundance of a6148bd637 Riazai flowers.
The Heavenly cc87711ad1 Tribe, worshipers b0e113e06f of the 10bb3e1319 skies.
The Egg-bearing 20f4f8aee5 Tribe, known 6425f89cb8 for their 7cde4865cb care of c058748b33 hatchlings.2e32dd4f7fe16916

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Tribes traded freely 7a335f710d and moved between 2a67e22e3a alliances unless they 32cf39b8dd were outright enemies. Still, distrust lingered. Powerful tribes 7d220d60f6 raided the fe0dfeaf39 weaker ones, c7a073d013 stealing resources b9111f0640 and labor, f9f89d9111 while alliances ff1ceb499c forged by 1b33afdbce necessity strengthened 73d9c359b9 bonds.0a215ca98c7145a6

There were no overarching df0014f228 rules or universal laws. Tribes only adhered to cbe789dc85 their internal codes, leading 872d94ebbd to an era known 7594c5c592 later as the Tribal 36fed745bf States Period. A chaotic e48b90390a yet brutally 9e3aa2c8ae simple time, 4c40e0c7ab where the 7336f34cb8 strong thrived 14a59ac282 and the 9b710d171e weak perished.b80253bc98344b0d

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Among the 077de405d1 three major 2585573e7a warrior tribes, 9f07b7d8b7 the Mounted d5ebfe5a8b Tribe stood 4a66c32fe1 out as 3606cbff1e particularly ruthless 5f929f2003 and feared. Their warriors were known 3280c39bde across the vast continent, 8fbe104970 their brutality infamous. For those c9a3e02e2e who weren’t 632dad30ae warriors, life 1f73dd68e5 as a 92d50067b4 “commoner” meant 2c2a56788d laboring endlessly 65b8d33f5a on non-combat d183c2873e tasks.3485520fe9b69d38

* * *094ad5a79ba3d465

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“Is this all you’ve done?”f69215cc07c73f9b

“…Sorry.”8ff8780aa6e11cc7

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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?”dce55d0bebf71c52

The man df476d302b threw a 93983579b3 soaked hide 3c06d04a5d at Yujin ff5fe6040a in frustration. The wet 679a3c5ef5 weight hit daaddbe508 him with 82dbde2eb8 a dull adfd7f05cc thud, making 98f66f8f0d him stagger.a71d46fd8bcf5611

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“…”82f7c3b61d5d22b6

“Why did I get stuck working with someone as useless as you? What have you even learned all this time? Worthless!”3165f673139c7d33

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“…Sorry.”5055ab468cc32e53

“Don’t think about eating dinner until the quota’s finished!”0a575c2063a2f9b1

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“…”1954bc0810ea2059

The man 196111c964 stormed off, 55960f82c0 leaving Yujin d12cfb9c86 standing silently. His emotionless face fe702ed27a betrayed none of 07d1a0e3ff the anger or 230c66fa8b shame that might 92be56922d have been expected. He simply watched the 454935666a man’s retreating figure before 0baf272327 lowering his gaze.f0da103375f0bef9

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Yujin’s task 3f30290f66 was to 805bacb3b1 scrape and 82866d7126 smooth animal 366fbd7ce1 hides—a tedious 2a1d0f8532 and labor-intensive 0ffd5ddd2b job. Completing it all by 1165c8cadf nightfall seemed impossible, especially e0e226caea given his slow progress, 2924695319 which only fueled the eac8c69903 man’s anger. Normally, such reprimands 96faf35a46 were accompanied by 506ff805fe kicks, but the 00900ccc18 bruises on Yujin’s 4a609a1745 face seemed to fefba6bc64 have spared him c820e7ff93 this time.86e54688bd610a22

Despite working 9f1d290dfa for over 51e1037ecd a year, 2bdcaa6bf7 Yujin’s hands ba412d3335 still fumbled df67345260 with the f35f331d7d unfamiliar tools 87b439eb14 and techniques.c9314e00db4fb3fe

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‘When will cca42b12ab this ever ba2c331b68 end?’c6e866092a88d3cf

Yujin sighed briefly bd991ca4d5 but knew better 6626c68d5f than to waste 6a265c3ff1 time. If he 19a226be46 didn’t finish, c86aa84257 he wouldn’t 3745fb42a6 get food 2ecf3522bf the next 6ee479e80e day. He resumed his work e60b424edf with trembling hands. It was just 4d9a9494c8 another harsh, monotonous 3aec024357 day—nothing unusual.76f012b71e0c1291

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“Well, this looks good enough,” the man said, inspecting the hides Yujin had worked on all night.16a762ceb1f32b03

“I had to beg my aunt to extend the deadline for you. You should be grateful.”429b69cd9f3781ea

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“Okay,” Yujin replied quietly.1076594c6ad8101b

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll help with the washing, too.”8230c480e23be35d

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“Okay.”d48368c4ba37c5b9

As the man walked 89cbedfa3e off with the hides, b29a5d4f3a Yujin stared after him 29afd16654 blankly before turning toward 34171a616a the stream. He moved slowly, dragging 40dc0e6d96 his exhausted body to 3383be6f49 the water’s edge. After making sure no 15f285d926 one was around, he 15b8b88be8 sat down and examined fcd78a88df his blistered, swollen fingers.67d5b877c1eaf204

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The pain had become 9067177467 so intense that bending dc120e215b his fingers sent sharp 29e76fb64c jolts through his hands. Compared to this, the 6aee8c750f bruises on his chest 940cfbf24f and face—received for being 0287265fd9 “too slow”—felt almost trivial.2e786c2edb2433e8

“And now I have to do laundry tomorrow…” Yujin muttered, letting out a tired sigh.2b49b7735e1a6af3

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It had e25d7f9965 been over 586292efbb a year f071c06593 since Yujin ba90153b52 was dragged 68a5656ed0 to the 41d5565b78 Mounted Tribe’s 66ab663d10 village to 382eb0044a work as 6443e50095 a laborer. Unlike Yujin, these ac67ba3ed0 people were harsh, 3dab5bf1cf brutal, and emotionally bd996d37d8 detached. Most of 7c46b3dc2a the tribe’s 7754c3352e leaders were a470ee8247 warriors, and a9dee65e05 their violent 9ed150fe84 tendencies seemed d4da1cc8a8 almost second f737dac5e0 nature. The commoners who lived 87cbd19141 among them weren’t much 3b7d86b4bc better, either out of a1d99f2699 shared temperament or sheer cb563c70d8 survival instincts.f65da5cff3bfe338

Yujin’s role in the 26612bf011 village wasn’t clearly defined. He did whatever needed 1db2b65d78 doing, whether it was 04fa309b5e typically men’s work or 743d7ad67f women’s tasks. Anything and everything was 71f5e31b46 thrust upon him.c09d9b954c2ce158

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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.f645dc856d2435d2

He often edcddaabf7 thought about 304d992239 dying. When life was 0aaa63c0ac unbearably harsh, blaming 74cbf679cd fate felt like bda82b980a the only recourse. Perhaps his suffering da54ba792b was the fault 319959ee91 of the comet d82e601d34 that had appeared 6ec5b6b026 around the time 55eea63a3d he was born. Maybe if he’d 2c3b58a041 been born under 8ec2450d75 a different star, c6a404370c his life would’ve 5539d1c3f3 been easier. At the very 99454b55bc least, he could’ve 73050ae2bb died alongside his 0c7a50069f family and grandmother 0211ff10bb that day.d468bd9ea102a63d

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‘Why was b88dc4b9c9 I the 89c1aa3d03 only one c083ad72c9 left alive?’5d659a2d275bcbb3

No matter 8c20b7418a how much dcf0d9a93e he pondered, 8bf09f6d45 he found 4d85910703 no answers. And so, he blamed 6ec4b81e40 fate.1fe48210e7cc0d3c

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Not a day passed 206fbb4384 where Yujin didn’t long 7696a5b4e3 for his grandmother or e4359c4690 the family and villagers f0c8bc566e he had lost. Every day felt grimy f052d33d84 and worthless—surviving felt like aef315677e a mistake. Months ago, he eb56078919 had tried to 4694b841a1 end it all ab5781235e on the path 713422b26d to Riazai Hamlet, b1eb6ef567 only to be e40f103ab6 saved by Bart.f74d39dbd9151bc3

Why had Bart fe535a9180 saved him?95713dd41e3cd599

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Since returning 1b93f0aa85 to the 6875578f6a commoners’ quarters 78669c7340 after the 2fff2a0ba8 Riazai incident, 6b64a73626 nothing had a0a9a0b1ca changed. Yujin’s work remained 88f2c2fc3f the same, and 5c7c31b8aa each day was 37aa3ff486 as exhausting as 2ac7b29f46 the last. Yet, whenever the pain 3a5d2013a1 became unbearable, Bart crossed c243776d26 his mind.82ee458b81782922

Was it 4cdeeaf392 because Bart 3eddfd83d5 had saved f683f5fd3c him? Or was it 2fe8096fb0 the memory of 2ed29450db those piercing, all-seeing e26e977291 eyes? Whatever the reason, thinking 2c70de81e1 about Bart seemed to 29d27f8f0e dull the edges of c6b2292c2f Yujin’s suffering—though it never d9aa89ded6 stopped the pain completely.6dd0be0849893250

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 ad3aff5419cb1296

The thought b6592cd674 of sleeping a2a4a5bb8b in the 1838a4d563 shared barracks 992bafc009 seemed impossible. The crowded, bf54dba39a noisy space 09e3d18cc7 offered no e5b2092670 real rest b561dd6e2c unless one 65aea74c1c collapsed from 68d2776707 sheer exhaustion. Yujin found c2322941e2 solace in fbf381b5ae sitting alone 8ea855cd79 outside, away 241ff2217a from the 9847311993 bustle.1397cb344987b70a

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His thoughts e25b858c12 spiraled, sinking 3189885916 into the 1ddac8179a same bleak 778b21e176 questions as 67fa33a043 always.5c13b3b3e534aaf2

The sound of approaching 6943fe395f footsteps broke the silence.31bf983501951eea

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Step. Step.3582c90832da6ffd

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.2baf722720a72221

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Yujin waited for the f694013b0a footsteps to recede, but e64dcac1e8 instead, they grew closer 994d182409 and eventually stopped directly 13fe3987f7 in front of him.87b4c4b5f78bc415

‘What now?’0d3fdf77a3be789d

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Under the oppressive 91809008bf silence, Yujin stayed 88d851c66d motionless for a ee2c5d4cc2 long moment before 11fd7aaa05 cautiously lifting his cd88f3841d head to see 02bd0d4b20 who it was. His eyes met a d4ff297683 familiar, emotionless face.2d98f2874bcd7f33

“…Bart?”30d6fcc44fddfcd0

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“…”20b6464af27fae24

It had been a de387e2b4f while since Yujin last 286debb533 saw Bart. After returning 5c63f80277 from Riazai cd8006d8de Hamlet, their 80e257dc2a paths hadn’t c2cf1f238d crossed—not surprising 0a7637e203 given that 78c91a0136 they lived 4559729392 in separate 2f00a081fe sections of 4c073aa7ea the settlement. Occasionally, Yujin 90d7bfd717 had wandered 3b53641ef0 near the 21800be4d3 warriors’ quarters, 60474d0564 hoping for 9ba660f311 a glimpse, b4c18645ff but those 4a27647620 attempts often 84f636f5d5 ended with c4509ecfe2 a beating c96b6149a0 from passing 0af6e9a2a4 warriors. He had quickly abandoned 504262ad73 the idea.47c49fe935c9ac6d

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‘Why is e960efd03c he here? Does he 7ac27bcc0f want to 80b486dd52 hit me? Or does he a71349988c have something for 6ff37538cc me to do?’c9a06fee8193ec3d

As Yujin speculated on 87b9916e14 Bart’s presence, his gaze 110d462fc1 fell on a wound 31b18da2a2 on Bart’s shin. It looked like 11699bb959 a shallow cut, e43352e4d4 likely from a f8637c6d78 blade. Though it dbf8f44ad5 didn’t seem 72f0fd887a severe, it 7c854f7129 was the bb38e3d216 kind of bd204a2bc0 injury that fbde62b311 could fester 3a940a7d5f if left cedab506db untreated.69a9e76188286a81

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Yujin hesitated before speaking. “Um, does 79eb90c077 that hurt? It looks painful.”a9f4102099e9e566

“…”0faf7ed9077c8958

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“You should see a 869121f38f healer. Or… wait here. I can help.”fe55567de9718e07

“…”7360d7abcb42e156

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Still lying prone, 36b2cfaefc Yujin turned his 9e8a54945f head slightly to dc489d927e look up at 43f904470f Bart. The warrior’s impassive 93a2b680bd black eyes were cc7fa0ab65 fixed on him, 857095492e unreadable as ever. When Yujin 8b1a7db570 slowly pushed 87337da604 himself up, 64a75bb908 Bart didn’t 9d60487107 react.e0c5391c536799c7

“I’ll be right dac21799be back.”7291281687d5500b

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“…”bfe39e85f05c513a

Taking Bart’s silence as f7f40e6e27 agreement, Yujin hurried toward 6bd83fd74a the hills along the 1fcd813e2a stream, searching among the e157e1fcc7 rocks for a particular 8b855cc51d herb he had seen 2396006c13 before.58fe9841d75f4450

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‘I’m sure it 7d117431a4 was around here… 352b4d3a2c Did someone else b56d17f814 pick it already?’42476334676bd21a

Yujin scoured the bb40799974 crevices, trying to 89ef933b35 retrace his memory. He had stumbled upon dc75c683e0 a medicinal herb a 4d32cd9fc2 few days ago that 10871e8747 could reduce inflammation and d35335bdc3 help wounds heal. It wasn’t 0e63516223 as potent 74397e0d33 as what 18117e11d6 the tribe’s 54a0a75376 healers used, 27a2751c6f but it bed8086ccd would suffice.cdffd64536dd335d

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‘Where is it?’d3f78d624b7603c1

He ventured higher up a92dbf9c6d the slope, combing through d232461293 every crack and cranny. Along the d15f135feb way, he 8587820fe5 spotted a b1a9ccc4f6 small clump 40eab815ab of poisonous e6d0cf8d41 mushrooms growing 16dd21ac1f in the d098611f31 shadows of 34930a4f7f a tree 9370e0f109 root.aa63d4c82e179c74

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‘These again?’fd68527ae8d765ed

The mushrooms c99f09b051 were deceptive c5a08ea282 in appearance, bb6ce31790 easily mistaken 30177902af for edible 5c21628a55 ones. Left untouched, they could e5cd5c4367 grow into potent killers 103c40d102 within months. Yujin crouched down, 16cdef93d8 crushed the tiny 7d17fa1816 cluster beneath his a44cf864bb heel, and covered 258b3426f3 the remnants with 47a8104e6b dry leaves to 83f5ddbf2c prevent anyone from 5d351aa1ee accidentally collecting them.342f639b0288bc90

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Just as 4f708943e2 he was 532e5cb4dc about to 2b36b0fe1a give up, b190ea6ded a pale 441603d487 green leaf 8637aac76c caught his 7684b413ff eye.052b6a49afb66b8e

“Found it!”e47aed57246c8ec9

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Carefully plucking the fe267c57ac herb, Yujin sprinted 2a24be0d72 back to the 2756b5b643 stream. Relief washed over him 14649a8450 when he saw Bart fdafdfe0bf still standing exactly where ef12a65c45 he had left him, 5dd4198585 watching silently.cbb3a3c331fd0f90

“Sorry it took 6e62497dfa so long. I had to find 5cd7cc846f the herb,” Yujin said, 127216bd4b slightly out of breath.f8b072e06cb4f505

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“…”b2154b2b55a5a6f5

“Just a moment.”fefc717c3f7b9509

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Yujin rinsed the herb 251c766f07 in the stream, crushed f60a4b0805 it against a smooth a98bdefdb2 rock, and gently applied 876dc4af61 the paste to Bart’s a01744e672 shin.3b2c6fd3ec744de8

“This should stop a6b17d3164 the wound from 1739699b43 festering. It’s not c783df2441 as effective 86d71d0eaf as what a8a8674aa3 the healers be9788e237 use, but dc96a12509 it’s still 3715a1b823 good.”5e6b7409c3a28878

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“…”03341df4eb386889

“Was it 2d8f555b03 a sword e1f28c161b that cut 1342c35469 you? The wound doesn’t look eff692a947 too bad, but you 51e703be41 should still be careful. You never know…”25c2fc50003f516d

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Yujin hesitated, his 9e4bfb21a9 fingers trembling slightly 4568b77cd1 as he applied 7f5376bd08 the herb. Despite Bart’s silence, Yujin bf3faa290b continued, his voice softer.d9c31a939471bd07

“So, um… if a88eeae10b you’re not planning 840612a8c0 to see the f825d74fc0 healer, maybe come 904470eaaf back here around 752e9ad954 the same time 9d0fa0b1e9 tomorrow? I can reapply this de670714b4 for you.”a1373496152d05a9

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“…”f676b2b51b7202d4

“Or… you a86e220737 don’t have 1da3d3fd8c to, if 41f4bc8732 the healer 61aae7d998 takes care 205b70d0e7 of it.”1c8021c434180b66

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Throughout Yujin’s rambling, Bart 94e2d41dd0 said nothing. He simply stared 005ab3f38f at Yujin, his b56513a90a dark eyes unreadable. After a moment, Bart 67fc2eca1d glanced down at the f6bb545c1b haphazardly applied poultice, then 328716d11e turned and walked away 262e672636 without a word.ec918e0b8f971874

He didn’t a9b5ac0864 thank Yujin, 12830a20ce acknowledge his 3299c194fd effort, or d5caa3ac66 even confirm 8da8ae2b78 whether he’d 8ba1f6741c return. It was just like 5719753423 the night on the e31fce9b98 cliff—Bart only stared at 90c24be405 Yujin with that unsettling 2c494398b6 intensity before leaving.05afa3070bc1fbc1

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“At least say something,” 9d7c4834eb Yujin muttered to the ecbea56947 now-distant figure.b90d5953b6af2b2e

His voice was laced 4d38462c49 with frustration, but he d47b2dec85 couldn’t suppress the memory 359a5a6c12 of Bart’s deep, resonant d8416258e7 tone. Yujin wasn’t 33edb3d534 even sure 4a9136ab3f if the 4966061ded voice in ebcfca117f his memory 1c4650ed10 matched the dc0e7e442e reality anymore. All he 8446eaa38b knew was f48bca448a that it 93752ee1fa had left 76a7663820 a strong 9ebef46432 impression.74ccd1751c7f5e19

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 807bc6a33b9a2ac7

The Mounted Tribe’s settlement fc380fb819 was home to many 1f71ef322a people taken from other d1ded36280 tribes during raids. Like Yujin, most were cbf4150f6d captives forced to assimilate. Some tried to 8ef661fba2 escape, while others 20fb014a79 resigned themselves to f706d07500 life in this 1fbe3337e6 harsh new world.7137409a35545fd6

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There was no 55f95d6105 single right choice—it 3a628e124a all depended on 7ffcda75e0 the individual’s circumstances.b5e7c1aa6fcd298d

To Yujin’s bb2c9aa1a2 understanding, the 86d879c378 Mounted Tribe 20612d1bdf had little 267cecac6a regard for dd336dee65 social hierarchy 945504706a outside of 1d8df36d31 their warriors 6a20c79043 and their 1cf429d60f families. The warriors held all 3d29bd64c8 the power, making Bart’s e88fc32bde indifference toward a commoner 7d14bc211b like Yujin entirely expected.42fc255ceffcaebc

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Yujin dipped his 12eac3612c hands into the 5f681cf612 cold stream to 71243d41a2 wash off the da74201aa3 green residue from d9db5d5d75 the herb. A pang 15c5c2186c of regret cbf8fb091e hit him 136713b30c as he 00d5813f4c watched the 264c2a2c1b stains dissolve.887651f42489348d

‘Was it foolish 083a1c1983 to help him? Maybe it meant 08ca634210 nothing to him.’1131a2d1aaf286bc

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Even so, Yujin clung 6e9e1d0ee0 to a small hope: a3ffa40720 that Bart might return 9bd94ce19e tomorrow.853c47df217d6ef3

* * *3f05e0825f7eaa51

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As the 2af8aa2f8f twilight deepened c0d8c61012 and the c42023a512 shadows stretched 215e17625c across the bdc3785f6d valley, Yujin 8110dd6283 sat beside 80048441eb the stream, d98cf4ea34 staring at 6c2f472047 the herbs d5c7bd17cc in his 65b6622b37 hands. He had 9b4e00d7d6 spent the 1789714ac7 entire day 6af4d1c95b working tirelessly 6c3baebe4e and had 1edb76df22 climbed into c955ffa1b9 the mountains 7d4212ca52 to gather 553f672ae7 herbs, hoping e5c951d0f5 to see 171237ae94 Bart again. Yet, as 5a0caabd3a the sun 8a0ebef3ce dipped lower, a3f50be3ad Bart still 76a299d99c hadn’t shown 44e11f5d38 up. Yujin sighed 5232386322 and fiddled 177cdfb744 with the 2ab779becd herbs, debating b4f80d101f whether to e7cf110ecd wait longer 6f3e87d938 or leave.9eb23984911bb0ea

Just as 7b7f9526f9 he decided 9786f6dc4c to stand, 6ce6b4a73c the sound 2d1d1ef334 of footsteps 293716feeb broke the d19f593d49 silence. The slow, deliberate cadence 68f3715e9f of the approaching steps f2ed25bfe9 made Yujin’s head snap 3c2d7f512e up. Bart’s imposing figure b73ca30d0b emerged from the 838df1fd76 gloom, and Yujin f4b89ffcab felt an unexpected 0604fe31ca rush of relief fda1366d30 and excitement.b38a655078f39290

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‘He came.’d0c4b83d172f2657

Yujin wanted to 176d3a0d09 call out to d05723d651 him, but his 2a6606e2a4 voice caught in 1b7a347705 his throat. Instead, he awkwardly raised 8ab68efd4e his hand in a 4e15ce9a11 half-wave.f162e3063989cadb

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“Over here,” fce9a96cea he called, caef756411 his voice a45a6468a3 soft and 191613665f hesitant.60438e3e610b2101

“…”571c282145a9f819

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“I thought 8648920417 you weren’t 7bce0b80c1 coming. I was just a464b2f921 about to leave.”f4d4ac7dcd5a7eef

“…”647f5c77f4f92f82

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“Um… let me take c3313cbd1b care of your wound.”41d39b63b9d51f0c

Bart said 7f4bbb6862 nothing as 1032c02186 he approached 517049629e and sat 409d5c41fe beside Yujin. His silence didn’t bother 6bf106249c Yujin as much this 267e5e6c5e time—it was enough that cad2306868 Bart had returned. Suppressing a 70d20453ba grin that 35cd8e5e48 threatened to e32bdcfe1f bloom across b6c9450e31 his face, 5add161acc Yujin pulled 1fd9e84c16 out a 2d2625ba9d clean cloth 6c4147e5b7 he had 5735a0fe00 prepared earlier. Carefully, he 3fdf857e72 mashed the 30a40b282d herbs and afead03742 applied the 145f42fd80 paste to 0e294aa6a0 Bart’s wound, 63e829b110 wrapping it f9be47be21 neatly with c10813feae the cloth.ffe892bb25c0bace

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“I should’ve wrapped fc72234f11 it properly yesterday, 155fd6a6ef but I was eeba0882d2 too distracted,” Yujin bfe64a9424 muttered, tying the adf403ab9f bandage snugly.597defe1071d5cc6

“…”c174a9be8ee1b004

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“By the 4d61693608 way, my f1960bdbcd name is 2e19fc367b Yujin.”dc2f2c76bff67227

“…”d4c664b7b57a076f

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“Do you… remember 59cd640088 me? I went to Riazai b571670b2b Hamlet with you.”f14a421043679e07

Yujin hesitated, 29f09f749a unable to a52ef4e6e1 bring himself 714dcb75db to ask 45292933e7 the real 935b427bb0 question: ‘Do 3c48bffd56 you remember 1198f6d4eb saving me?’91c169c3212eed5d

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He didn’t want 9b99111249 to hear Bart 2862816075 deny it—it would ecd2fc7de5 sting too much. Even if Bart couldn’t b0da342e47 recall the details, Yujin f14cb4f251 hoped he might at 07f003f3b4 least recognize his face.3034a92917486725

But Bart’s indifferent 0f6d5bde18 expression betrayed no 396de32d3e recognition. He simply stared 0e6f49fde4 ahead at the efa0fea2a4 stream as if 00d8a686d1 lost in thought.6fa6711e2da36292

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‘Well, it’s not surprising,’ ce44c303ad Yujin thought, forcing a eee45581d6 weak smile.1f68d5569c8b8f07

‘I’m just one 9c37e73805 of many faceless e6fb62b946 commoners.’a7eb0a7255d8d027

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Yujin fidgeted with a 418fb9d2e2 pebble, flicking it absentmindedly f7e33a42ca while stealing glances at 34e9eb6c60 Bart’s profile. They appeared 15ca2bfb93 to be 0acdf65c8a around the b1ee039288 same age, 59f007b2f9 but Bart 6a2167e1ed was strikingly 12e8804968 different—his sturdy 98a3254aa0 frame, broad 8048842d2b shoulders, and b64da048de even his 694ccfce02 sun-kissed skin 28f04596dc contrasted sharply 2d6eb34d18 with Yujin’s 69965895b8 slender build fb48ac5f50 and pale c1e7ee5a9d complexion.109a59682ad5f938

“There must ffe38a7862 be a 5da1ddc91d lot of 8dc4ad290b guys my 4fb7965a4b age in 9d81ff3112 the warrior 643c04edf3 quarters, right? I heard from 06c7917758 someone that there 1248c8be41 are many young c088ff23ec warriors there. Is that true?”50b875c0a601ae5d

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The Mounted Tribe’s c249178671 settlement was divided bea1a2b995 into two sections: fc7ee69760 the warrior quarters d333314da5 and the commoner 723f07c0ce area. In Yujin’s section, 34603b449b most residents were 8dc448870a women, children, or 6c9adecd6b captives from other 176f480c28 tribes, like himself.c1d0355225657bf1

According to Chichi, 93120e4b6e a gossip from d038fae564 the commoner area, ce0dbe9525 there were plenty 958cae2047 of young men ac5dd874b2 in the warrior d01d96a1df quarters. It made sense—this was 074e767c79 a large settlement, and 59f4e09175 the warriors were all b4495fb95f men.ce085f435b097f49

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Yujin continued to chatter, ef5480ac72 filling the silence in 104535156d hopes of keeping Bart 88a218d04e from leaving. He secretly yearned 7ff89dff75 to hear Bart’s 64769b0a43 voice again, but 3023922437 the persistent quiet aa0bdea3b2 left him disheartened. Biting his lip, Yujin 295a814a2e busied himself by adjusting d1fc3197da the bandage he had f5726b75fe tied, pretending to check 47e24c3488 its fit.92ca4a8bdf27a18d

A faint f4dad7f412 rustling sound d3ad3bbaa2 drew his 3deecb1525 attention.2d78523a9c26cf68

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At first, 9549545d14 Yujin thought 71ed4bf22b he had edf7fb29c1 imagined it, e96ced1162 but then 70b8ae613b he spotted 8d882e3ee4 a small 7e81772ad0 jackal pup d49ce8f1c2 peeking out 160e8c66cc from behind f55b4a5ccb a rock, 63ccd9fef5 whimpering softly. Rising to 90f5b5969f his feet, c69a3c3fb4 Yujin took 0187b3ef93 a cautious 7972dae4ab step toward fe4e1465a5 the pup, 0dda670cd3 only to 5b5e29a7f2 feel a 2a509205bf firm grip f08fdaba8e on his 2d3c44b5fc wrist.087ad63751d3e2c3

“Leave it,” Bart said, 6f7538be2e his voice deep and d95ee4e3e6 firm.c0b48f32884b5dec

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The unexpected warmth of 83482b6c15 Bart’s large hand startled d7df8094ce Yujin. His voice was ecc2f18e7c even lower and 8b76a09ed1 drier than Yujin 61a4b638c0 remembered, resonating in 670bd236f0 a way that 5003db7c77 made Yujin pause.76733f85da54b131

“Why?” Yujin asked, 7d2e3bb80c glancing back at a6566fac0f him.b73e139831b6420d

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“The mother might be a26c514f16 nearby,” Bart replied.eec022c53cc74b6d

Realizing Bart had a d6cd2b0239 point, Yujin reluctantly sat b29cfc3854 back down. Approaching a wild animal, 5ed9d51175 especially a pup, could 4ba97bb21b provoke its mother into f7a28e49f3 attacking. Still, the sight of 8b4f0ec318 the limping pup tugged 12937fd002 at Yujin’s heart.181da771d5a00593

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Minutes passed, 30d9dd288b and the c74683bd40 pup continued 1262137cf6 to whine 0c9d88b118 pitifully. Unable to 4c99d5cd04 hold back bc9b3bc5fa any longer, 7bad0a7404 Yujin broke be17eee03f the silence.a473f10616dd988d

“Don’t you think its 22ed8db74c mother might be hurt? Why isn’t 68f4a0e769 she coming?”5b158222a430fbe3

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“She could be e4c2a8b124 dead. Or maybe the pup 121b1e698a was abandoned,” Bart said b52acd1401 matter-of-factly.091f610780e273d7

“Abandoned? Why?”3b133fe6d8412ffd

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“The weak 9c477c4f81 and injured 118f2a404f are usually 1d74c82ec7 left behind.”8845ba41f8edcb3a

Bart’s blunt response 1ee2554ac8 left Yujin momentarily a21a837394 speechless. His gaze dropped to 41425a3cec the ground, his expression 4b92c25f36 shadowed by a flicker eee3b2f8b9 of sorrow.305eb47a0f040a8b

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After a moment’s 1f3f7fcb7c hesitation, Yujin rose 29450357af again and strode 57128b74eb toward the rock. Before Bart 927dbe50ab could stop 19c7bd43e6 him, he 36fb0e41ac gently scooped f4b861b0fc up the 805d6bac85 trembling pup, 1e4682ee1c which flailed 3d22cd3d3b and cried b54b685c4b out but 42cbcc8ecf soon settled dec6797ab5 in his b8170f801f arms. Yujin examined the 1f5efd4f36 animal carefully, applying d58a88826f leftover herbs to b200a0de7a its injured leg cb428b7a69 and checking for ff0b13b686 other wounds.c7a1d17c2f455abb

Though he knew he 9d0f1e328e couldn’t bring the pup 95b61b6324 back to the settlement, f9e24f68eb he couldn’t ignore it f8b107d6d3 either. Healing its injuries 286ac9670a was the least 2721aec7b0 he could do.c5f0e36a2e0c6a8c

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Bart’s intense gaze 7afad79acb weighed on Yujin, 32bdff56e3 making him fidget e37a9d1b2b under the scrutiny. He spoke aa2e99b3cb quickly, as 9d119ff060 if to 40674b721e justify his 73e1c646fb actions.3a1a893a8dc30249