#mi-ran

The first time she felt her child move, Shin-ah was the only one around.

She’d been weaving a net, eager to be useful to the group somehow, when she’d felt it. At first she’d thought the unusual sensation was indigestion or something similar, and didn’t spare it a second thought. But when she’d felt it again, the bizarre feeling that she could only describe as being similar to the fluttering of butterfly wings, she knew.

“Shin-ah,” she gasped, tears welling in her eyes as her hands dropped to cradle her child.

He’d been reluctant to spend time too close to her since she’d rejoined them. Since he’d been the first dragon to forgive her (Jae-ha exempted, obviously), she was fairly sure it wasn’t out of dislike. Her only guess was that he had never been around a pregnant woman before and simply didn’t know what to do.

However, as soon as she’d gasped his name, he was at her side in a heartbeat. His sword and whetstone lay abandoned on the ground, dropped in his urgency to assist his friend.

“The baby,” she whispered, tears still falling from her astonished face as she turned to him.

“Yun...I’ll find him,” Shin-ah offered, turning to do just that.

“Don’t,” Mi-Ran requested, grabbing his wrist to prevent him from running off anyway. “I’m okay. We’re okay. I think I felt the baby move for the first time.”

Saying it out loud seemed to make it real somehow, and she held both of Shin-ah’s hands within hers as she repeated herself, beaming. “Shin-ah, I felt the baby move for the first time.”

“Congratulations,” he murmured, unsure of what else he should say or do.

“Do you want to try and feel it too?” she offered, still radiating joy and pride.

“I...shouldn’t,” he replied, gently trying to remove his hands from hers.

“Oh, Shin-ah,” she said, more happiness falling from her face with every passing moment. “Is it because you think you’ll hurt me or the baby?”

He nodded, already ashamed of himself.

“Do you want to hurt me or the baby?”

He shook his head so fervently that Ao was almost flung loose.

“Then you won’t,” she assured him, moving his hands so that they rested directly atop her baby.

The tiny gasp of amazement and wonder that escaped from him would have gone unnoticed if Mi-Ran were any less observant. “Can I...get closer?”

“Of course,” she replied, scooting over to allow him more room.

She wasn’t exactly expecting that to mean he was going to rest his head atop her stomach, but he was such a gentle person that she couldn’t hold that against him.

“I can hear...the heart beat,” he said, like he couldn’t believe it himself.

Shin-ah’s current position reminded her so much of the cat her family used to own that she couldn’t help but softly stroke his head like he was that cat.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” she asked. “There’s a person in there. One that’s growing a little bit bigger and stronger every day. In just a few months, they’ll be here, and we can hold them, love them, and teach them.”

“Amazing,” Shin-ah repeated, closing his eyes so he could focus on solely on listening to the sound of Mi-Ran and Jae-ha’s child’s heart beating. Even if the child were to be born a Dragon Warrior, the parents didn’t seem to mind all that much. They were almost eager to have their child join them in the world.

Mi-Ran didn’t think the father of her child was a monster. She didn’t think the child she bore would be a monster, even if it did inherit it’s father’s powers. She wasn’t afraid of him. She wasn’t afraid his glance at her stomach was a curse that meant her child would be the next Dragon. She’d allowed him to come so close to her and her child, practically eager to share this moment with him.

In that moment, he made a silent vow. Even if Mi-Ran’s child was meant to be the next Green Dragon, he would watch over it. He would protect the child, teach it everything he could, share his memories of Jae-ha and how much Jae-ha loved it and it’s mother. Even if it cost him his life, he would never let the little heart beating beneath his ears ever think of itself as a monster.

“Are we interrupting?” Jae-ha teased, setting down the spoils from his shopping trip with Zeno.

“Ohhh! The lady is having a cuddle party with the Blue Dragon! Zeno wants to join!” he exclaimed, rushing over and burrowing himself into a good position.

“Can I ask what started this?” Jae-ha asked, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, not wanting to be left out of the cuddle party.

Mi-Ran waded out until the river was lapping at her waist. “C’mon, Yona,” she encouraged to the girl who was still standing hesitantly on the shore. “We’re losing daylight.”

“Are you sure we shouldn’t ask Jae-ha to help?” she asked, only going in up to her ankles. “He was a pirate for a long time.”

“It’s not his swimming abilities I doubt,” Mi-Ran laughed. “Water tends to make cotton very clingy and easily seen through. If he were here, he’d spend more time remarking on the beautiful view than he would doing anything useful.”

“That sounds like him,” Yona giggled, now waist-deep herself.

“Of course it does.” Mi-Ran said sagely. “I know him intimately.”

“Mi-Ran!” Yona gasped, flushing scarlet.

“Sorry, sorry. But, you made the joke far too easy.” She lifted her hands from the water and held them face up. “First things first: you’re going to learn how to float. Although this river’s current is slow, it still has one, so I’m going to hold on to your hands so you don’t float downriver.”

“Alright,” Yona nodded, eager to learn a new skill.

“I’m going to come up behind you and take your hands. Once I do, stop standing and let your legs float out from beneath you until you’re on your back,” she instructed.

All that time spent learning how to fight with Hak had preconditioned Yona to take instruction, so she simply did as she was told and awaited further instruction. Luckily for both student and teacher, floating came rather easily to Yona, and in no time at all they were able to move on to the next step.

“Great job,” she enthused. Yona was the first adult she’d taught to swim, so she wasn’t sure how fast her student would pick things up. “Next you’re going to learn how to hold your breath.”

“I already know how to hold my breath.”

“I’m sure you do, but I need to see how well and how long you can do it underwater. Hold on to my hands again and then drop down into the water. You’ll need both hands when you’re swimming, so you can’t use either of them to hold your nose. Stay down as long as you possibly can, and I’ll help you up when you need to surface. A tip my mother taught me was to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Now, take a deep breath and drop.”

Yona obeyed, her short hair creating a cloud of crimson in the water. Her cheeks were puffed out like she was Ao after a successful foraging expedition. It wasn’t very attractive, but once the basics were handled, Mi-Ran could work on form. A squeeze on her hands pulled her out of her thoughts, and she quickly helped haul Yona to the surface.

“How was that?” her pupil asked expectantly.

“It wasn’t bad,” Mi-Ran admitted. She hadn’t popped up immediately after going under, but she hadn’t lasted longer than fifteen seconds. “I think you can do better.”

A good half-hour and several more royal dunkings passed before Mi-Ran was satisfied with Yona’s ability to hold her breath underwater.

“Well done,” she said proudly, ruffling Yona’s hair. Once she’d gotten the hang of it, she progressed quickly, and in only one lesson was able to hold her breath underwater for an entire minute. “We’re gonna move on to step three now: kicking. Grab my hands again, float facedown in the water, try to keep your legs as close to the surface of the water as possible, and kick. When you feel like you’re starting to run out of breath, squeeze my hands and I’ll help you up.”

Kicking came as naturally to Yona as breathing initially had, which was to say, not that well. First, she was kicking too hard, then she wasn’t kicking hard enough. A few times, Mi-Ran had to remind her to use her body to keep herself balanced while the kicking was supposed to be used for propulsion. But, all of the kicking used more air than Yona was expecting or was used to, so after another 40 or so minutes, Mi-Ran brought the lesson to a stop.

“Time to get out, Yona. Your lips and nails are starting to turn blue.”

“But, I don’t know how to swim yet,” she pouted as the older woman gently urged her out of the water.

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t take you out into the open ocean with me quite yet,” Mi-Ran acknowledged. “However, I think you’re doing very well for a beginner. You didn’t learn how to use a bow or sword overnight, and you can’t learn to swim in a day either.”

“I know that,” she said, wrapping herself in one of the drying cloths and handing the other to her friend. “But, I want to learn everything I can.”

“And I’ll teach you everything you’re willing to learn from me,” Mi-Ran promised. “If you’re up to it, eventually I’ll be teaching you how to fight off octopuses and sharks.”

“Really?”

She’d found a decent looking establishment with a nice-looking menu, and gladly sat down and placed her order. Oh, she was going to miss sitting down and standing up without assistance. So, all the more reason to enjoy it while she could.

Her waitress had just disappeared into the kitchen when someone sat down at her table. The footsteps didn’t sound like any of the ones she was familiar with, and who else would presume to sit with her uninvited?

It turned out to be an average-looking man who looked to be 5 to 10 years older than her. “Mind if I join you?” he asked with a smile.

“I don’t generally make a habit of dining with strangers, so I’m afraid I must politely decline,” she replied, making sure her returning smile was as forced-looking as possible. If she could drive him away without having to directly tell him to fuck off, that would be best. She didn’t want to cause a scene after all.

“My name is Kwan. There, now we’re not strangers anymore,” he said. Clearly, it was harder for him to take a hint than it was for Jae-ha to take Shin-ah’s mask. “Can I ask for your name?”

“You can,” she answered stiffly. “But, I won’t tell you.”

“You look so lonely over here. I’m just trying to be friendly,” Kwan continued, moving from the seat across from her to the seat beside her.

“I look lonely because I came here to be by myself. If I wanted company, believe me, there are no shortage of people who I’d rather dine with. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to enjoy my meal in peace,” she sighed. She’d tried being nice, but this fool wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Don’t be so mean,” he replied, the false warmth in his voice all but gone now, as he laid a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t we discuss this somewhere more private?”

“Get your hands off me,” she hissed through clenched teeth, trying to shake him off.

But, his grip was too strong and he held her in place. “We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.”

In an instant, she weighed her options. She could call out for help here in the restaurant, but that could aggravate him, and he might hurt her and the baby. She could try to fight him off on her own, but her center of gravity was ever-changing and again, there would be a good deal of risk to her and her child’s well-being. Her last resort was to go along with him as much as possible, and call out for one of her friends once they were outside.

Unfortunately, if she wanted to keep herself and her child safe for as long as she could, she didn’t have much of a choice at all. Gritting her teeth, she threw her napkin on the table and stood beside the man. “You’re despicable,” she hissed.

“Sticks and stones,” he chuckled, sliding in behind her and shoving her out onto the street. “Now, get walking.”

“Does anyone know where the lady went?” Zeno asked, looking around for the missing woman.

“She said something about wanting to explore on her own,” Yun answered, not even bothering to look up from the merchandise he and Yona were examining. “I wouldn’t worry about it. With the way her ankles have been looking the past few weeks, she can’t have gotten that far. Besides, she’ll come back when she gets bored.”

No matter what Yun said, he still had a bad feeling. Since Jae-ha was too busy goading Hak, and Hak was too busy trying not to kill Jae-ha, it looked like it was up to him to defend the lady this time.

The man was clever, making sure to stay to the least populated places, limiting her chances of rescue. And those who did catch her eye looked away again as soon as they could. Whatever was going on with her was her problem, and not theirs. So, there went her chances of calling for help once they were outside.

Her abductor’s pace was slowing down, so his destination wasn’t that far off. Time was running out, and it was time to use any and all weapons she had. “Please let me go,” she pleaded, resisting his pushing. “I’m pregnant.”

Kwan froze, but only for a second. “Nice try. But, why am I only hearing about it now? And you don’t look that pregnant. Aren’t your tits and stomach supposed to be bigger? Even if you are, you can only get pregnant once, so that just means I’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Please, let me go!” she shouted. If the pregnant card hadn’t worked, it was time to start screaming, and she’d just have to deal with whatever came of it.

“Shut up!” he warned, backhanding her across the face with enough force to send her sprawling to the ground.

A gentle hand on her shoulder silently warned her to stay where she was. “That wasn’t very nice,” the person touching her chided. “You could have seriously hurt the lady or her child.”

“Zeno,” she mumbled, tears springing to her eyes. The pain in her throbbing cheek was nothing compared to the overwhelming relief she felt seeing his yellow hair in front of her, shielding her from the assailant.

“Look, kid,” Kwan seethed. “It’s really cute to see you playing hero and all, but why don’t you run along home now and leave the adults to their business.”

“But, Zeno isn’t playing, though. The lady is important to him and he doesn’t like seeing his important people being hurt. So, if you could just keep on walking, Zeno and the lady will be on their way.”

“‘The lady,’ huh?” Kwan repeated with a malicious grin. “So, she’s a Lady? Pretty stupid of her to be walking around unprotected, then. Though it does explain her prissy attitude. Since she’s a lady and all, I could probably get a pretty good ransom for her. Here’s an idea, kid. Why don’t you run back to her family and tell them if they want her child to ever see the light of day, they have until sundown to get me 100 gold pieces.”

“Are you joking?” he laughed, shoulders shaking with the force of his giggles. “They’d kill Zeno for saying such a stupid thing.”

“I’ll kill you if you keep mocking me, boy,” the man sneered, drawing a knife.

“Zeno wishes you luck with that,” he replied, still smiling as though they were having a pleasant conversation over dinner. “You’ll need it.”

“I warned you, brat!” he shouted, lunging at the Yellow Dragon who moved to shield Mi-Ran entirely.

The blade caught his cheek and blood trailed down his face. “Yun’s going to be mad if Zeno’s clothes get dirty. Are you satisfied that you’ve drawn blood? Can Zeno and the lady be on their way now?”

“You little punk!” He lunged again, stabbing Zeno in the stomach this time. “That’ll teach you to play hero.”

“That hurts, you know,” Zeno remarked offhandedly, seemingly unbothered that he had a knife sticking out of his abdomen for all to see. “If I have to fight you, I’m not capable of holding back like the others. I’ll probably wind up killing you.”

“Th-that’s a gut wound,” Kwan stammered, face rapidly draining of color. “H-how are you still standing? M-monster!”

“Yes, yes. I’ve heard that one before. If you don’t mind, the lady and I will be going back to our friends now,” Zeno said, pulling the dagger out of his gut and handing it to Mi-Ran after helping her to her feet.

“‘Friends?’ There are more monsters like you?” he mumbled, sinking to the ground in fear.

“They’re not monsters!” Zeno said adamantly. “But, if he ever found out what you’ve done and tried to do to his lady, I imagine one of them could turn quite monstrous indeed.” After that final warning, his demeanor brightened again. “Zeno hopes you’ve learned your lesson. Have a good day.”

“You might want to tie your coat shut, Zeno,” Mi-Ran suggested, hands still trembling as the adrenaline slowly worked it’s way out of her system. “All of that blood is going to draw attention.”

“The lady is right, of course,” he said brightly, pulling his coat shut and tying it in place. “But, Zeno is fine. How’s the lady?”

“Better than I would have been if you hadn’t shown up,” she admitted as Zeno led them back to the others. “Was I wrong to want a little time for myself or should I have brought one of you with me?”

“You weren’t wrong, Mi-Ran,” Zeno assured her, taking a trembling hand in his and squeezing it gently. “You deserve solitude if you want it. That man was wrong to try to force himself on you. You shouldn’t have to be afraid to walk down the streets or enjoy a meal by yourself. Do you want to go back for your tea?”

“No,” she sighed. “I’m done with today.”

“Understandable,” he agreed, swinging their hands back and forth.

They spotted Hak first, leaning against a building. “Where’d you go running off to, old man?” he asked. His eyes widened as he took in the lingering blood on Zeno’s cheek and the darkening bruise on Mi-Ran’s. “Does it have anything to do with the blood and the hand-holding?”

A wailing shriek echoed through the streets of Awa.

“Looks like Droopy Eyes found her,” Hak remarked as he looked out the window from their inn.

Lungs exhausted, Mi-Ran collapsed back into the bed. It was supposed to be a dream. He wasn’t supposed to actually be there in Awa. How was she going to face him? If she knew the answer to that question, she probably would never have left in the first place. With a shuddered breath, she rolled away from him, curled up into a ball and hid her face in her hands. “You were never supposed to know,” she mumbled.

He laid beside her, debating whether or not he should touch her before eventually refraining. He sighed, looking toward the ceiling. When she didn’t respond in any way, he spoke. “Do you want a boy or a girl?” More silence. “I don’t really care as long as both you and the baby are alright.” They had to be. After what he’d seen, he wasn’t sure he’d stay sane if either Mi-Ran or their child didn’t make it.

At last she spoke. It was a strangled whisper so quiet that he couldn’t be sure she was actually responding to him or if she was unknowingly speaking aloud. “But what if they’re a Green Dragon?”

“I don’t know,” he replied frankly before rolling onto his side and wrapping an arm around her. Was he doing it to soothe her or himself? She stiffened, but didn’t shake him off or reprimand him, so he continued. “What’s done is done, so we won’t know until the baby is born.”

She turned over, burying her face in his chest. “How can you be so easy-going about this?” she sniffed, trying not to stain his clothes with tears when she was finally in his arms again. “I could be slowly killing you as we speak…I’m so sorry…”

“I’m just as guilty as you are,” he admitted, holding her closer to him. In fact, he might be a little more guilty than her. After all, their child was more likely to cause her death than it was his. He couldn’t let himself continue down that line of thought…“I could have reminded you about your tansy tea and there were precautions of my own that I could have taken. But, I didn’t and I let you down, too.”

They lay together quietly for an immeasurable amount of time, during which Jae-ha’s hand snaked down to rest on the barely perceptible swell of her stomach, before Mi-Ran broke the silence again. “How long are you going to wait before you start yelling at me?”

“I’m not going to yell at you,” he replied, shocking them both. He’d been planning on laying into her from the second Kija spilled the beans up until the moment she asked that question.

“Really?” she retorted, sounding more like her old self.

“Really,” he confirmed. “I’ve already figured out why you ran. What good would it do to ask questions I already know the answer to? It would stress you out, which would stress the baby. Honestly, I’m more relieved than I can say to find you’re both safe. I was terrified that something was going to happen to you on the road. Bandits, highwaymen, or worse.” Again, he had to force his thoughts away from poor Jeong. “Awa wasn’t always this safe, you know.”

“Speaking of which, how did you know I was in Awa?”

“Paternal intuition,” he said smugly, earning himself a light punch to the shoulder. “I didn’t know for sure. It seemed to be one of the more likely places for you to be. And if it turns out you weren’t here, then the Captain might have had some word on you.”

“Be honest with me,” she requested, pulling back slightly so she could look him in the eye as she asked her next question. “How soon did the Captain rat me out?”

“It wasn’t her who revealed your little secret. As soon as Yona showed her pretty little crimson head within the city gates, Ryou asked if we were here to visit you and the baby,” he chuckled, remembering the look on Ryou’s face when he revealed that he was, in fact, in Awa to see Mi-Ran and his child.

“Remind me to kick Ryou,” she grumbled, burying her face in his neck.

“You’re in a delicate condition,” he chided, practicing his fatherly tone on her. “I’ll kick him for you.”

“I would object to you calling my condition ‘delicate’, but I’m intrigued by your offer to kick Ryou for me. I approve, provided I get to watch.”

“And here I thought I was the one who liked to watch,” Jae-ha teased, slowly running his fingers through her hair.

“You’re incorrigible,” she sighed. Sometimes she loved that about him, but other times it made her want to wring his long, lovely neck.

Gods, he’d missed her. The warmth and weight of her in his arms, how smooth her hair felt on his fingertips, the faint smell of the sea that seemed to cling to her no matter how long it had been since she’d dove, the fire in her eyes when she reprimanded him…As hurt as he’d been at the time, to be with her again was indescribable. Even if their baby did turn out to be the next Green Dragon and his time with her was suddenly much more limited than he’d hoped it would be, he would treasure every second with her and their child.

“Ya better not be doin’ nothin’ shameful in by bed,” Captain Gigan said loudly from outside the door.

Jae-ha winked at Mi-Ran before groaning sensually. She answered with a giggle and moan of her own, hoping she wouldn’t get in too much trouble with the Captain. After all, he started it. She was just following his terrible example.

“Nice try, brats. Ya think I was born yesterday? Now, quit foolin’ around,” Gigan said after a long-suffering sigh. “Girly and the rest of yer friends wanna have a chat with the one with a full cargo hold.”

Mi-Ran’s eyes widened. That was certainly a euphemism she hadn’t heard before, but more importantly, Jae-ha hadn’t come to Awa alone. “Fuck, they’re gonna kill me,” she mumbled.

“I hope ya don’t plan on kissin’ yer child with that mouth,” Gigan chided, opening the door to allow the rest of the Happy Hungry Bunch inside the once-spacious cabin.

Yona, with the fire in her eyes that all were wise to fear, marched right up to Mi-Ran and glared fiercely up at her. “He nearly got himself killed.” The accusation that it was because he was distracted by his concern for her went unspoken, but it cut Mi-Ran to the core all the same.

Mi-Ran turned to her beloved, horrified. The very thing she’d tried to prevent by leaving had occurred because she’d left. “It seems I’ll never be done asking you to forgive me, dearest,” she mumbled, casting her gaze toward the floorboards.

“I owe the rest of you an apology as well. Hak, Zeno, Shin-ah, Yona…I’m sorry for running away with hardly a word and for everything that happened because of it. Yun, Kija…I’m sorry for putting a burden on your shoulders that never should have been yours to carry.”

There was silence as they all took in her words.

Ao was the first to make a move, scurrying up onto her shoulder and nuzzling her cheek. If Ao was happy, Shin-ah was happy as well. He patted her gently on the shoulder, allowing Ao to scamper back to him, and ruffled her hair. Even if none of the others forgave her, Shin-ah had, and that quiet forgiveness brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t use to be that weepy. Damned pregnancy mood swings…

Yun began bombarding her with questions about her health and how she was progressing, while Kija shamefacedly apologized for breaking her trust and telling them all her secret. Trying to listen to both of them at once was giving her a headache, not that she’d complain. Not now.

Hak and Zeno remained silent, hanging back toward the wall, taking in the reunion scene before them and looking every bit the disapproving in-laws.

She’d known that once she’d broken Hak’s trust, things would never be the same between them. He’d still tolerate her presence, but that would be about it. No more teaming up to tease Jae-ha, no more fishing contests (not that he’d ever been much competition in that department), no more little brother. It was something she’d taken into account before deciding to leave, and at the time, she’d still felt it was in everyone’s best interests to distance herself before she became a danger to them all. She’d lost her family a second time, and this time it was all her fault.

And although her father was long gone from the world, she could see his disapproval and disappointment every time she met Zeno’s gaze. She was nearly certain that Zeno wouldn’t reprimand her for tearing their little bunch of misfits apart, which was even worse than anything he could possibly say to her. She’d much rather he just say what was on his mind and get everything out in the open, but of course, that’s why he was doing exactly the opposite: it was her punishment, and she deserved it.

Yona, who hadn’t averted her fierce gaze once, moved forward to talk to her again. Everyone else fell silent in anticipation. To Hak and the dragons (even Jae-ha, although he wouldn’t admit it with his dying breath), Yona’s word was law, and what she said would influence the others. Hands on hips and fire in her eyes, she spoke.

“If you ever run away again without telling all of us why, I won’t forgive you a second time,” she warned, before suddenly hugging Mi-Ran tightly. “We’re all here for you.”

“But, I could put everyone in danger…”

“A fugutive ex-general and princess, four legendary dragons-”

“And one beautiful boy genius,” Yun interrupted.

“-are going to be put in jeopardy because of one pregnant woman?” Yona continued as though he hadn’t spoken, before releasing her grip on Mi-Ran.

At last, Hak spoke. “You’ve been spending too much time around Droopy Eyes if you think the entire world revolves around you. Where are your things stowed?”

Mi-Ran stared blankly. Her brain had stopped processing everything after Yona hugged her.

“Yep, definitely too much time around Droopy Eyes,” Hak snorted, before heading out to find a crew member actually capable of answering his question.

“Wait. What?”

“We want you to travel with us again,” Jae-ha whispered in her ear, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“What?” She repeated, brain having yet to catch up with her.

“The green dragon isn’t the same when you’re not by his side,” Zeno said. “He and the missy were both in more danger when he tried to fight without you. Your presence gives him strength and peace of mind. If you’re not with us, he could easily get distracted in the middle of a fight again.”

There was the guilt trip she’d been expecting, but that still hadn’t prepared her for how effective it would be. Coming from Zeno, with all of his life experience, it sounded so sensible…He made her want to agree with him…But, she’d have to give birth eventually, and there was a strong chance that bearing Jae-ha’s child would be his death sentence…

“Only the heavens know what your child will be. But, that child is here because of the love the Green Dragon and the lady have for each other, and love is always a blessing. Please don’t try to deprive him of that again.”

“B-but-” Mi-Ran stammered.

Zeno, like always, knew what she was going to say and cut her off before she could even get her own thoughts in order. “If a situation arises where the Green Dragon can either protect his lady or the missy, I’ll protect the missy and the Green Drgaon can protect the lady himself.”

“The Green Dragon can speak for himself,” Jae-ha mumbled petulantly, moving behind Mi-Ran and wrapping both arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder, pressing his cheek to hers. “And he wants you by his side, come what may.”

“Let’s give them some privacy,” Yona decided, ushering the rest of her friends out of the room. Everyone had said their piece and now it was time for Jae-ha and Mi-Ran to come to a decision on their own. Before shutting the door behind her, she assured them. “I’ll support whatever you two decide.”

“You could die because of me,” she reminded him, clutching one of his hands tightly in her own.

“You could die because of me,” he repeated, moving his free hand down to feel their child growing within her. “You could also be struck by lighting or get tossed overboard in a storm. None of us know how we’ll meet our end.”

“You’re sure I won’t put you all in danger?” she asked quietly. She’d never thought she’d be able to travel with them all again, so it was unbelievable that he was, with everyone else’s support, asking her to join them again.

“The old man may be goofy sometimes, but occasionally he can be very astute. Please, the weeks apart have been agonizing for the both of us. Come with us.”

“But what about when the baby comes? I can’t give birth on my own.”

“If you think Captain Gigan isn’t buying Yun every midwifery text in town, you’re a fool.”

“A baby’s crying could give us away.”

“So could Kija’s hand and our red-haired princess.”

“You’ve spent the whole time I was gone thinking of every way to talk me into coming back, haven’t you?” Mi-Ran sighed, feeling her resolve crumble.

“Among other things,” Jae-ha agreed.

She turned to face him, took both hands in hers, and nodded quietly.

Beaming, he pulled her into his arms and twirled her around.

“Put me down, you ass!” she screeched. “I’m going to be sick if you keep that up.”

He grudgingly obeyed, and took her by the hand, leading her out the door to their awaiting friends.

It only took one look at the joy on Jae-ha’s face and their intertwined hands for them to realize what the decision had been. Yona screeched happily, rushing up to hug Mi-Ran again. Kija and Yun were misty eyed. Zeno was grinning almost as widely as Jae-ha. Even Shin-ah seemed happier beneath his mask. And it appeared Hak had completed his errand, since she spotted him toward the back, all her wordly possessions tossed in a sack over his shoulders.

“If yer all done here, say your goodbyes and get off my ship,” Gigan commanded. “Jae-ha, you better take damn good care of that brat of yours.”

She didn’t remember the roads being this bumpy before. Maybe it was the morning sickness, maybe it was because she normally traveled by foot and not by cart, or most likely of all, it was a combination of the two. Either way, she was going to vomit again soon and she found herself caring less by the second if she hit anyone. And, if she were to be completely honest with herself, there was one woman in the cart she’d dearly love to target. “Accidentally,” of course.

At first, she’d walked alongside the caravan like most of the other relatively young folk. She didn’t want anyone to know about her condition and ask uncomfortable questions. But, her cover was blown after she’d turned down two meals in a row and still manage to decorate the roadside, several of the merchants’ wives who were mothers themselves recognized the signs of a woman in the early stages of pregnancy. The caravan leader’s wife, a matronly woman by the name of Eun-gi, had insisted that she ride in the cart with the others who for varying reasons couldn’t walk.

Eun-gi was wonderful. She didn’t ask questions, except for what would Mi-Ran like to eat, and she didn’t constantly badger her with “helpful suggestions” all of the time. After the second time she’d vomited, Eun-gi had simply pressed a handful of herbs into her hand, and told her they’d help. What an understatement. Not only had they freshened her breath almost immediately, they also helped stave off future bouts of morning sickness for hours at a time. Unfortunately, the herbs were only useful fresh and the caravan only happened by them rarely.

Bora, Eun-gi’s daughter-in-law, was a pain in the ass. She wasn’t elderly, infirm, ill, or pregnant, yet she’d insisted on taking a place in the cart. When Eun-gi had gently tried to remind her that the cart was only for those who truly needed it, Bora had kicked up the mother of all tantrums and went weeping to her husband about how her cruel mother-in-law was forcing a delicate thing like herself to walk all day while a woman her age got to ride in the carts even though she was perfectly healthy. After an hour, Eun-gi caved, if only to get Bora to shut her fucking mouth.

Bora also seemed to think that just because she and Mi-Ran were the same age, it instantly made them the best of friends. Bora had plopped down right next to her and began chattering away, even though it was evident that she was trying to rest. At first, Mi-Ran tried to ignore her by pretending to be asleep, but even that was no defense, as Bora simply shook her until she “woke up.” Had no one ever said “no” to the spoiled brat in her life?

“I hear you’re in the carts because you’re pregnant,” Bora chattered loudly enough for all the cart and even a few people outside to hear, apparently unaware of basic social graces. “Are you really or are you just faking it to get a ride?”

Mi-Ran stared blankly. How had this woman managed to land a husband? She’d bet all of the traveling money she had left after buying a place in the caravan that Bora’s parents had paid Eun-gi and her husband handsomely just to get her out of their hair. And, if that were truly the case, whatever they’d been paid was nowhere near enough.

“Are you dumb or something,?” Bora prattled on, rolling her eyes. “I asked you a question. Don’t be so rude.”

Mi-Ran took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was clearly having a nightmare and when she awoke, she’d be wrapped in her lover’s arms, his breath on her neck, and her womb empty. Unfortunately, when she opened her eyes, she was in the back of a cart, traveling to Awa on a road so bumpy it clearly hadn’t been maintained since the reign of King Hiryuu, being asked incredibly personal questions by the most annoying woman she’d ever had the misfortune to meet.

“My pregnancy or lack there of is none of your concern, although your mother-in-law and every other woman in the caravan who’s borne a child seemed absolutely convinced I am. And perhaps if you treated people, especially those the rest of the caravan have deemed deserving enough to truly warrant a place in the cart, a little better, your husband might be willing to spend enough time in your company to get a child on you.”

“How dare you!” Bora screeched. “At least I have a husband!”

Her fists clenched. She wasn’t going to slap Bora. No matter how much the uppity bitch deserved it, she wasn’t going to slap Bora. “The father and I were together because we wanted to be, not because his family was obviously paid off to put up with such a spoiled cow. The love between us was no less real just because we didn’t vow anything before the local magistrate.”

Bora blanched. Apparently, Mi-Ran’s guess wasn’t that far off the mark: money had clearly changed hands in order to make that marriage happen. She thought she’d finally gotten Bora to mind her own fucking business when an evil grin crossed the other woman’s face. “If he supposedly loves you so much, why isn’t he here?”

She kept reminding herself that she wasn’t going to slap Bora, even though she was pretty sure that even the pacifistic Yun wouldn’t blame her if she were to slap the other woman silly at this point. “Because I love him enough to not burden him with a child. And fair warning, Bora, this road is incredibly bumpy and I may not have time to warn you the next time morning sickness gets the better of me.”

The annoying woman finally got the hint to leave Mi-Ran the fuck alone, and retreated clear across the cart, getting as far away from her as possible. Satisfied that she’d finally driven her off, Mi-Rana rolled over to face the canvas walls of the cart. A single tear rolling down her cheek as she tried to sleep. Tonight would be the first night since they’d met all those months ago that she wouldn’t have him beside her.

“I think the lady may have passed this way,” Zeno announced, drawing stares from the rest of the Hungry Bunch. It was the first hint they’d had of her whereabouts in a long time. There had been others, of course, but the sightings of women matching her description had always been false leads.

The last one had been the worst for everyone.

The woman truly did bear a striking resemblance to Mi-Ran, from the shade of her hair, to the way her mouth curved when she smiled. Neither she nor her husband knew why they’d received visitors, but were more than happy to give them food and shelter for the night when Yun had offered them a fair trade in medicinal herbs and salves.

And, like Mi-Ran, she was in the early stages of her first pregnancy. She and her husband were so obviously elated that Shin-ah would be able to tell even if he were as blind as he pretended to be. From the way husband and wife would casually rest a hand on her just-starting-to-swell abdomen to the way her husband often looked dumbstruck at his good fortune.

It warmed Jae-ha’s heart and made him sick to his stomach all at once. Those two made it all seem so simple, and he supposed for everyone but the Four Dragons, it was that simple. You found the one you loved and started a family. No need to worry if the baby’s birth meant imminent death for one of the parents.

But, that’s where they’d been wrong. Just because for normal couples, birth didn’t mean possible death for the father, didn’t mean the mother didn’t risk death to bring the child into the world, regardless of whether or not she was a dragon.

They’d all settled down for the night when Jeong miscarried. It all happened so fast…The midwife was busy with another difficult labor, leaving poor Jeong no assistance besides Yun, Zeno, and Yona. Hak tried to keep Kija calm while Jae-ha and Shin-ah searched for any wise woman who could help Jeong.

If they were lucky, Jeong would have miscarried, but recovered.

If they were truly blessed, Jeong would have stabilized and, with plenty of care and bedrest, bore a healthy child at the end of a normal pregnancy.

But, Jeong and Kwan-uk were neither lucky nor blessed. By the time Jae-ha and Shin-ah returned empty-handed from an exhausting but ultimately fruitless search, it was already too late for help even if they’d finally found any. Despite Yun and Zeno’s best efforts, not only had Jeong lost her baby, Kwan-uk had lost his wife.

He’d grown to like their guests just as much as his wife had, so Kwan-uk allowed them all the chance to bid her farewell.

Jae-ha knew that he should have politely declined and offered to stay with him while the others said their last goodbyes. Instead, he’d foolishly followed Shin-ah into the room and nearly vomited at the sight.

Yona and Yun had done their best to clean Jeong’s body and bedroom, but the stench of blood and death lingered everywhere. Worst of all, a woman who looked so similar to his own that he’d always had to look twice at her just to be sure, lay pale and still on the bed. A brilliant young life abruptly cut short. She’d never see another sunrise, never again feel her lover’s lips on her, never hold her babe in her arms…

Mi-Ran…

She could be bleeding out like Jeong had. Anywhere. Who would be there to help her? Strangers. By her own admission, the only people she knew and loved in the world were all standing in front of him. Was she alright? Was she even still alive? Who was she with? Was she completely on her own? Was she dying right now, alone and in pain, wishing to see him one last time before she left the world?

“Jae-ha, calm down,” Yona urged, sounding anything but calm herself. “Breathe!”

How could she expect him to breathe in this cramped little room full of grief and death? He wanted to run far away and never come back, but he hadn’t felt this chained down to one spot since he’d fled from the Green Dragon Village. His legs had never disobeyed him before, so why had they started now?

“Hak! Kija! Take him outside now!” Yun ordered.

He hadn’t had the strength to walk on his own, let alone the strength required to resist being carried around like a rag doll by Hak and Kija.

“Get a hold of yourself, Droopy Eyes,” Hak urged, uncharacteristically concerned. “Take a deep breath.”

He was getting awfully tired of everyone telling him that. He would breathe if he could. But, how could anyone expect him to carry on as though nothing had happened? Had they not seen what he had?

Suddenly, golden yellow filled his vision and a warm hand took his. A gentle squeeze was all that it took to get him to take a breath. He hadn’t even realized how desperately he’d needed that air until it came rushing back into his lungs. It wasn’t until Jeong had already been buried and his extreme reaction had been explained to Kwan-uk by Yona that he’d realized just how long Zeno had sat beside him, silently holding his hand until he came back to himself.

“What gives you that idea?” Jae-ha replied evenly, not wanting to get his hopes up for even a moment.

“This herb here,” he began, pointing to a patch a vegetation that had clearly been plucked clean weeks ago, judging by the amount that had regrown in the time since. “The mothers of the Earth Clan swear by it in early pregnancy. They say it soothes the stomach and cleanses the mouth. It’s also useful to those who have a particularly rough time with their monthly courses.”

“Maybe I should pick and dry some,” Yun mused, investigating the herbs for himself. He hoped that if - no, when - they found Mi-Ran again, he might be able to give her some. Even if they didn’t, at the very least, it might be helpful to Yona.

“Don’t waste your time, lad,” Zeno said sadly, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s useless dried.”

“Oh,” Yun mumbled, disappointed.

“I doubt she’s the only pregnant woman in the region,” Hak reminded them. Loathe as he was to admit it, he wasn’t sure he could take seeing everyone’s disappointed faces when it turned out to be another false lead. “How do we know it was her?”

“Zeno knows why!” he said brightly, smiling wider than any of them had seen since before Mi-Ran’s disappearance as he pointed at the tracks on the ground. “Because this isn’t the first time Zeno’s spotted those plants and that someone’s been picking them. Not many pregnant women in the area would be traveling to Awa!”

Her presence was missed immediately. She’d been another woman in the group so Yona didn’t have to manage alone in the testosterone ocean, someone who could put Jae-ha in his place without hitting him (most of the time), a sea woman who provided the group with good income and an even better fresh food supply when they were near the sea and a downright ferocious negotiator when they weren’t, and the nets she wove were just as good at trapping potential foes as they were at trapping sea creatures. Although, she could be a perfectionist, was prone to anxiety attacks when she thought she let anyone down, and was unwilling to communicate when communication was needed the most.

So at first, Yona wanted to respect her friend’s decision, knowing firsthand how much it stung to have others decide your fate for you, and although it pained her immensely, her order had been the only thing keeping Jae-ha from tearing off into town after Mi-Ran and Kija the day she’d left. She’d quickly changed her mind after Jae-ha had been wounded too easily in a fight.

Although their victory came easily, it was hardly thanks to Jae-ha. The fight had barely started, and one of their assailants had already drawn blood. The Green Dragon could have dodged the clumsy strike quite easily, but his heart wasn’t in it and he was lucky to have only received a flesh wound to his arm, and not to be struck in a more vital location.

“What happened out there?” Yona asked, concern palpable, as Yun bandaged the wound. “You’re not getting sick again, are you?”

“I’m fine, kiddo,” he replied with false cheer, focusing on Yun’s treatment. “It was a lucky hit.”

“Look me in the eye and say that,” Yona commanded. He responded by lowering his gaze to the ground. “Jae-ha, look at me!”

He obeyed before he could even think of doing otherwise, and the look in his eyes frightened her more than she’d been when he’d been on nadai. His eyes were practically lifeless, all of his normal joie de vivre gone. It was worse than seeing the blood on his arm. He was in anguish and it was torture to see him like that.

You didn’t hurt one of the dragons lightly, and whatever Yona’s initial thoughts about the matter had been, Mi-Ran had better have had a damn good reason for doing this to Jae-ha.

Yun and Kija, the only two present who knew, were determined to remain quiet. Jae-ha had begged them for days to tell him what was wrong with her and why she’d felt her only option was to run from them. Yun maintained that he couldn’t say because of healer/patient confidentiality, and Kija, anguished, replied that he’d given her his solemn word to never speak of it without her consent.

Yona and Hak agreed not too long ago that the secret had to be a matter of life or death for Kija to be so conflicted. Jae-ha was convinced Mi-Ran was dying, a hypothesis not helped by Yun’s comments about respecting his patient’s privacy. Shin-ah had seen something off about her internally, but decided not to worry everyone else even more and didn’t mention it. Zeno just stared off into space with a frown on his face and remarked about how disappointed in her was, he expected more, etc.

However, today was the day the line in the sand had been crossed and Yona was determined to get answers, even if she had to ask the same old question for the hundredth time. She turned to Yun, tidying up after treating Jae-ha. “Why did she leave?”

“I can’t tell you that,” he answered, sounding for all the world like he wanted nothing more than to tell her. “She was my patient and I can’t tell you things that have been told to me in confidence. No matter how much I might want to.”

“Why did she leave?” Yona repeated, tone harsher than before.

“I can’t tell you!” he shouted back. “Stop asking!”

Fired up as she was, she could tell when she was barking up the wrong tree, and aggravating Yun wouldn’t have any good results. So, she switched targets. “Kija!”

“Princess,” he mumbled, also trying to avoid her gaze.

“Why did she leave?”

“I swore I wouldn’t tell…”

“Are you so blind that you can’t see one of your brothers falling to pieces in front of you?”

“Princess, please. I-”

Yona was on the warpath and couldn’t be stopped. “Will you really continue to watch him suffer like this, knowing that you have the solution? Could you live with yourself?”

He couldn’t stand it any longer. Yona was striking all the nerves he’d hoped she’d never touch. “SHE’S PREGNANT!” he cried, tears beginning to fall. “Mi-Ran left because she’s pregnant!”

“Kija!” Yun shouted, an entire reprimand in that one word.

The rest of the group fell silent, trying to process what they’d just heard. Apart from Yun, Zeno was the only one who didn’t seem all that surprised by Kija’s revelation, which did not go unnoticed. All eyes turned to Jae-ha, waiting to take their cues from him.

How could she not tell him something so important? Was she afraid of how he’d react? Was that the only reason she ran from him? Why did he have to hear that he was going to be a father from Kija and not the woman carrying his child? Would the child be the next Green Dragon? Had he signed his own death warrant? Where had she gone? Was she alright? Had something happened to her on the road? Was she eating enough for both herself and the baby? Would the child be the next Green Dragon? Was she going to be able to support them on her own? Could she still do her diving while pregnant? Was he going to have a son or a daughter? Would the child be the next Green Dragon?

“Kija, do you know where she went?” Jae-ha asked, fists clenched tight enough to draw blood.

“N-no,” he stuttered.

“Then, we’re going to find her,” he vowed. He didn’t know whether he would shake or kiss her when he saw her again, but come hell or high water, he would see her again.

Hak put his hand on the father-to-be’s shoulder. “Damn right we are.”

“I gotta admit, I wasn’ expectin’ ya to be this useful when ya turned up begging for my help with a bun in the oven,” Gigan almost complimented as Mi-Ran dismissed her pupils for the day. “Just helpin’ to keep the nets in good repair would have earnt ya room ‘n board.”

Several of the fishermen‘s daughters and sisters were interested in earning an independent income, and Mi-Ran had been more than happy to teach them the basics of what she knew. It was a good thing they were all beginners, since she wasn’t sure she she ought to do the really deep diving in her condition. Even so, they’d all shown decent promise in the few short weeks she’d been in Awa.

She was about to thank the captain for the gracious compliment when Il-sung, a crewman, came running up to the captain and whispered something in her ear, shooting Mi-Ran a dirty look. That was a surprise. She didn’t remember doing anything in particular to offend him. They’d always gotten along before and he was the father of two of her most promising students.

“Do it,” Gigan nodded to the man, who went running off to fulfill whatever errand she’d just sent him on before turning back to Mi-Ran. “Yer ankles are lookin’ more than a mite swollen and the rest of ya ain’t lookin’ that good neither. Take a nap in my quarters. I ain’t so cruel as to work a pregnant woman to the bone. That’s an order.”

“Yes, Captain,” she replied brightly, not one to turn down a free nap in a comfortable bed.

It wasn’t the first time she’d dreamed of Jae-ha since arriving in Awa, but it was one of the more realistic. The bedding was soft and warm, the linens clean and pleasant-smelling, and even if he was just standing by the bed, he was there. It was perfect.

“How’s the baby?” he asked, hesitatingly putting a hand on her stomach, like he was afraid one touch would break her.

“Getting bigger every day,” she beamed, resting her hand atop his.

He looked at her, confused, as he withdrew his hand. “You’re taking my presence much better than I thought you would, considering you ran away from me crying the last time I saw you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I can’t just have a nice dream where we just enjoy the fact that we’re going to be normal parents having a normal child. You enjoy making things difficult even when I’m unconscious.”

His eyes widened in understanding. “Mi-Ran, you’re awake. I’m really here.”

“Nice try, dearest,” she said, sitting upright and wrapping her arms around her knees. “But, no matter how hard you try, I refuse to let you ruin this dream. Now, join me, and I can tell you all about my adventures getting here.”

“We’ve got a lot of things to discuss, Mi-Ran,” he said sternly. “But, first, you’ll have to accept that I’m telling you the truth and that you’re awake.”

“Nonsense. If I were awake, you wouldn’t be here, and you certainly wouldn’t know I’m expecting,” she giggled.

“It’s against my principles to hurt you without consent, but you aren’t leaving me a choice,” he sighed before pinching her arm.

“Knock it off!” she replied, swatting his hand away. “That hurt!

She blanched, realizing what she’d just said. “That…hurt. You’re really here?”

He nodded.

A wailing shriek echoed through the streets of Awa.