[fic] The Measure Of A Man (DBSK version) - Chapter Six
Title: The Measure Of A Man
Band: DBSK
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Yunchun; ChangminxOFC
Summary: Sequel to 'The Masked Fencer.
A/N: The real author's notes will be at the end this time because I don't want to spoil this chapter for anyone. >_>
“Could we rest for a while? I’m getting tired.“
Changmin leaned forward, looking at Bomi’s pouting lips, and nodded. “Of course, my lady. ‘Su, spread a blanket for us.“
Changmin quickly dismounted, then helped Bomi to do the same. The girl felt surprisingly light in his arms, but she wasn’t too far along in her pregnancy, he thought.
Junsu looked out into the dark, rubbing his arms like he was cold. “Something’s wrong, Min-Min. We shouldn’t rest here,“ the young slave whispered. “I don’t like her either.“
Junsu’s almost brutal honesty kicked back in. He’d never expressed his dislike for Bomi this openly, but Changmin knew that the other wasn’t very fond of her.
Usually he would’ve dismissed Junsu’s fear as yet another of his dreams, but Changmin felt something as well. It was barely perceptible, travelling towards them on the wind, but the fine hairs at the back of his neck stood up like small soldiers ready for a fight.
His own before drove him so mad he had to let it out in some way or the other.
Frowning, he made a lordly gesture with his hand. “Go and spread the blankets, slave,“ he hissed.
The expression on Junsu’s face made him regret his words immediately; his best friend’s plump lips trembled and his widened eyes filled with tears at the unnecessary reminder of his status. He’d been replaced by Lady Bomi, but he’d never stop loving Changmin, his one and only love. Just not right now ...
“I ... I’ll ... be back,“ Junsu stuttered before he ran away into the night.
Bomi walked over to Changmin who stood still like he’d been hit by a flash of lightning.
“It wasn’t your fault,“ she said, caressing the young lord’s arm. “He has to accept his place in this world and there’s nothing you can do but one thing. You have to give him orders and make sure he accepts them.“
The way Bomi had spoken made Changmin freeze. This wasn’t the girl he’d come to love, this was a lady of noble birth, one who knew how to deal with slaves. He shook of her hand, staring at her like she had grown a second head.
“Who are you?“ he hissed at her. “And don’t tell me any lies, Lady Bomi. Who are you?“
Bomi opened her mouth to answer his question when suddenly a rider appeared in front of them, his clothes as black as his horse. “Good evening, little sister,“ he called and dismounted.
Confusion took a hold of Changmin, just long enough to stop him from drawing his sword. The black rider wasn’t confused, he was determined and strong.
Blood shone on his blade, black as ink under the pale light of the moon.
***
Tears trickled over Junsu’s cheeks, freezing immdiately in the cold wind, but he hardly felt them. He stumbled on and on without a direction or even an idea of where to go. His pain consumed him, making him tremble and sob.
Changmin, the one he loved, had not only chosen Lady Bomi over him, he’d betrayed their friendship.
To make matters worse Junsu knew that something was going to happen. He’d tasted it in the air, but Changmin had refused to listen to him.
Lost in thoughts, Junsu might have died out there if it hadn’t been for Lord Yunho’s insomnia. The slave ran into a horse as the troops were trying to make their way through the woods.
They’d lost direction after the snow had put out the fires in the distance, but they had no choice but to keep going.
Junsu was lucky; he’d run into the rearguard where he was greeted by a friend ...
“What ... Junsu?!“ Yoochun’s eyes widened when he discovered the half-frozen slave beside his horse. “Junsu, what happened to you? Oh my ...“ Yoochun quickly dismounted and helped the other up into the saddle before he returned there himself. “You’re freezing! How long have you been out there?“
Yoochun would have never spoken this openly to Yunho, but he knew Junsu well and he was a slave just like himself. He was shocked by the expression on Junsu’s face; the younger man looked like he’d never be happy again.
“Min-Min ... we gotta find him.“
Without a second thought Yoochun spurred his steed, directing her to the front of their procession where Yunho was. Yoochun hadn’t forgotten how Changmin had urged on his horse to reach the residence before Yoochun’s death. His own actions seemed to mirror Changmin’s in a horrifying way, but he tried his best to ban these thoughts from his mind. He was riding so fast, the trees and riders and everything else appeared like a blur of black and grey. It was dangerous to do this, but he didn’t care. He had to reach Yunho, had to tell him about the young lord ...
Suddenly the first couple of riders appeared and he cried out to them, making them stop.
“Lord Yunho!“
He reined his horse so that she came to a halt beside Yunho’s stallion and looked at the other man. “My lord, Junsu has to tell you something ...“
Yoochun made the trembling slave repeat his words to him before and with a little bit of gentle asking on Yunho’s side they got the whole story out of the young boy.
How Changmin had repeatedly run off to see the girl at the village, how Junsu had never liked her because she was too elegant to be a peasant and how he’d tried to warn Changmin in the end.
“Bomi ...“ Yunho murmured, his eyes clouding over. “Oh, Changmin, you fool ...“
“Who is Bomi really?“ Yoochun whispered, tenderly rubbing Junsu’s back since the younger man had burst into tears again.
“Do you know Lord Jaejoong? The cruel bastard who slaughtered Lady Heejin’s people? He has eight sisters. One of them is a girl named Bomi. She hasn’t been seen since spring ...“
Yunho and Yoochun exchanged a glance, then rammed their heels into their steeds‘ sides.
***
“Bomi, run!“ Changmin yelled, drawing his sword. “Save our child!“
Bomi laughed, a sound so cruel and out of place that Changmin shivered. “Oh, dearest Min-dollie, why should I run from my own brother? And what child should I save? Did you honestly believe I’d ever carry your bastard under my heart?“
Changmin had always loved Bomi’s sense of humour, but it wasn’t very funny right now, it downright hurt. His sword fell from his hands, landing on the soft grass without a sound.
“Bomi ...“ he whispered, his wide eyes filling with tears of shame and infinite sadness. “Wh-what are you talking about?“
“Wh-what am I talking about?“ she repeated in a cruel imitation of Changmin’s stuttering. “I’m talking about how my people are tired of sharing this country with scum like you and your kin. We don’t wish to spend our lives under your rule. The time for rebellion has come! And you, dearest, have the honour to be our most precious pawn.“
Bomi drew a knife from her sleeve, pressing it against Changmin’s neck. The young lord was far too shocked to even react. He’d seen the signs, all of them, but he’d ignored them. He’d run into Bomi’s trap blind and helpless, allowing her to use him.
“Tie him up, older brother,“ Bomi said respectfully. “But I don’t think he’ll run anywhere any time soon.“
Jaejoong twisted Changmin’s arms behind his back, tying his wrists together so he could no longer move.
“What about the slave?“ Jaejoong asked. “Have you killed him already?“
A shadow danced over Bomi’s face and she was unable to meet her brother’s gaze. “Ummm ... he ran off ...“ she murmured.
“What?! Are you crazy, Bomi? What did you think? Did you even think at all? He’s going to alarm every guard within a hundred kilometres! We do not have enough troops to fight our way out of here! We were safe as long as we had the advantage of surprise, but now ...“
“We can still escape if we hurry,“ Bomi replied cooly. “Let’s go.“
Shaking his head, Jaejoong grinned. “You should’ve been born a boy, Bomi. I’ve never known a man as reckless as you.“
He pushed Changmin towards his horse, then helped Bomi to mount Changmin’s when suddenly the noise of hooves drew near.
The two riders who appeared were all too familiar to Bomi and even Jaejoong recognised them immediately: Yunho and his whore.
This was going to get really interesting, Jaejoong thought as he raised his sword.
“Good evening,“ he called. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, my lord.“ He bowed ironically in Yoochun’s reaction. “And you, too, of course.“ He repeated the gesture for Yunho.
Yunho immediately assessed the situation and drew his sword, trying to ignore Jaejoong’s bow in Yoochun’s direction. He saw the confusion in his best friend’s eyes, but ignored it for the time being.
“Our troops are on the way here. Let go of Lord Changmin and we guarantee you a swift, honorable death,“ he spoke, his voice as dark and wild as his eyes.
But Jaejoong only laughed, the same way as Bomi had done before. He wanted to say something, but at that moment a series of unfortunate events started, changing the lives of everyone involved forever.
Maybe it was this or maybe the sight of the familiar faces, but in any case, Changmin came back to his senses and quickly moved to the side, trying to get over to where his friends stood. His hands were still bound, making him clumsy, and that brought his downfall.
Bomi’s knife found Changmin’s neck like it had a will of its own, ripping through flesh and veins until it was stopped by a bone. For a moment the young lord just stood still, then fall forward onto the snowy ground. No sound passed his lips, but there was still life in him; Junsu knew it.
With a cry so raw and pained it could have melted stone, he ran forward, catching his lord in his arms.
“Min-Min!“ Tears rolled over his face and he sobbed uncontrollably as he cradled the younger man to his chest. Images of their shared childhood, as their years as boys and of their travels to the remote village flooded his mind, robbing him of his senses. He knew Changmin was going to die without knowing about Junsu’s love for him that went far beyond duty.
Poor Changmin, who’d been so happy about the baby ... now he’d never have any children. That thought was enough to bring fresh tears to Junsu’s eyes, no matter how hard he fought them.
“Don’t cry. It doesn’t suit you, ‘Su,“ Changmin murmured, his eyes fluttering shut. “I’m sorry for ... everything. Please ... dream on ...“
Many tales have been written about Lord Changmin’s fall, but none captured the real pain and heartbreak of the moment, none told of Junsu’s love for his former master. The slave broke down over Changmin’s body, screaming his name, trying to make him come back to life.
“Min-Min! Don’t do that! Please, Min-Min! I’ll be good from now on! I’ll light a fire and cook and wait for you, where ever you tell me! I won’t dream anymore! I’ll ... I’ll be good! Just don’t go away! Don’t leave me, Min-Min, I can’t do this on my own!“
But Changmin remained motionless, as beautiful in death as he’d been in life. Snowflakes covered his long lashes, his soft hair that Junsu would never brush again.
The young man’s voice broke at the thought and he just kept sobbing wordlessly.
Unable to see the other like this, Yoochun took a step towards Junsu, but again the uncanny chain of unfortunate events intercepted. Jaejoong took a hold of the younger man’s arm, twisting it and drawing Yoochun against his chest.
His sister had killed his former hostage, but he knew Yunho would sell the world for this one. Maybe the change wasn’t so bad after all ...
Jaejoong brought his sword up against Yoochun’s throat, holding his head back with is other hand. “I think my lord wishes to leave this party now,“ he purred. “Why don’t you hand over his horse, Lord Yunho? I’m sure he’d hate to be parted from it ...“
“Yunho!“
Yoochun’s lips were pale with fear, his voice timid as a child’s, but Yunho knew he had no other choice but to comply. Jaejoong wouldn’t hesitate to kill Yoochun if he tried to free the other.
He grabbed the horse by the neck, pushing it into the right direction. Bomi grabbed it by the mane, forcing it to a halt. Jaejoong tied up Yoochun, then lifted him up onto the steed’s back. “Any last words to your master, Lord Yoochun?“ he mocked Yoochun.
While Yoochun wasn’t as unprepared as Changmin had been, he was still in shock. He probably wouldn’t have said any of this if he hadn’t been. Fear loosened his tongue and he finally spoke his mind. “I don’t know what’s going on, my lord. I don’t know why he’s calling me a lord or why he’s ... why he’s done all of this. I don’t expect to survive this so I ask you to take care of my little girl and Junsu ... Both of them need you.“ Yoochun licked his lips, finally lifting his gaze. “And one more thing before I have to go. I know we never had a chance and never will, but I’ll always remember you. I love you.“
“I’ll find you,“ Yunho replied, his voice firm and determined. “Don’t be afraid.“
Bomi sneered at this, wiping her knife on the travelling cloak Changmin had left with the horses. “Cute, really, but we have to go now. Say goodbye, little whore.“
With that they spurred the horses and off they went, into the darkness where the snow muffled any noises and they were soon out of sight.
It was then that something inside of Yunho snapped and he let go of all self-composure. With a cry so loud and feral that it sounded inhuman he tossed his sword at a tree trunk.
The tip broke and the blade dropped to the ground, close to Changmin’s, just as silent as its predecessor.
A/N: Errr, yes. I was gonna say something to lift everyone's spirit, but this chapter made me sad. ._. Sorry.
Band: DBSK
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Yunchun; ChangminxOFC
Summary: Sequel to 'The Masked Fencer.
A/N: The real author's notes will be at the end this time because I don't want to spoil this chapter for anyone. >_>
“Could we rest for a while? I’m getting tired.“
Changmin leaned forward, looking at Bomi’s pouting lips, and nodded. “Of course, my lady. ‘Su, spread a blanket for us.“
Changmin quickly dismounted, then helped Bomi to do the same. The girl felt surprisingly light in his arms, but she wasn’t too far along in her pregnancy, he thought.
Junsu looked out into the dark, rubbing his arms like he was cold. “Something’s wrong, Min-Min. We shouldn’t rest here,“ the young slave whispered. “I don’t like her either.“
Junsu’s almost brutal honesty kicked back in. He’d never expressed his dislike for Bomi this openly, but Changmin knew that the other wasn’t very fond of her.
Usually he would’ve dismissed Junsu’s fear as yet another of his dreams, but Changmin felt something as well. It was barely perceptible, travelling towards them on the wind, but the fine hairs at the back of his neck stood up like small soldiers ready for a fight.
His own before drove him so mad he had to let it out in some way or the other.
Frowning, he made a lordly gesture with his hand. “Go and spread the blankets, slave,“ he hissed.
The expression on Junsu’s face made him regret his words immediately; his best friend’s plump lips trembled and his widened eyes filled with tears at the unnecessary reminder of his status. He’d been replaced by Lady Bomi, but he’d never stop loving Changmin, his one and only love. Just not right now ...
“I ... I’ll ... be back,“ Junsu stuttered before he ran away into the night.
Bomi walked over to Changmin who stood still like he’d been hit by a flash of lightning.
“It wasn’t your fault,“ she said, caressing the young lord’s arm. “He has to accept his place in this world and there’s nothing you can do but one thing. You have to give him orders and make sure he accepts them.“
The way Bomi had spoken made Changmin freeze. This wasn’t the girl he’d come to love, this was a lady of noble birth, one who knew how to deal with slaves. He shook of her hand, staring at her like she had grown a second head.
“Who are you?“ he hissed at her. “And don’t tell me any lies, Lady Bomi. Who are you?“
Bomi opened her mouth to answer his question when suddenly a rider appeared in front of them, his clothes as black as his horse. “Good evening, little sister,“ he called and dismounted.
Confusion took a hold of Changmin, just long enough to stop him from drawing his sword. The black rider wasn’t confused, he was determined and strong.
Blood shone on his blade, black as ink under the pale light of the moon.
***
Tears trickled over Junsu’s cheeks, freezing immdiately in the cold wind, but he hardly felt them. He stumbled on and on without a direction or even an idea of where to go. His pain consumed him, making him tremble and sob.
Changmin, the one he loved, had not only chosen Lady Bomi over him, he’d betrayed their friendship.
To make matters worse Junsu knew that something was going to happen. He’d tasted it in the air, but Changmin had refused to listen to him.
Lost in thoughts, Junsu might have died out there if it hadn’t been for Lord Yunho’s insomnia. The slave ran into a horse as the troops were trying to make their way through the woods.
They’d lost direction after the snow had put out the fires in the distance, but they had no choice but to keep going.
Junsu was lucky; he’d run into the rearguard where he was greeted by a friend ...
“What ... Junsu?!“ Yoochun’s eyes widened when he discovered the half-frozen slave beside his horse. “Junsu, what happened to you? Oh my ...“ Yoochun quickly dismounted and helped the other up into the saddle before he returned there himself. “You’re freezing! How long have you been out there?“
Yoochun would have never spoken this openly to Yunho, but he knew Junsu well and he was a slave just like himself. He was shocked by the expression on Junsu’s face; the younger man looked like he’d never be happy again.
“Min-Min ... we gotta find him.“
Without a second thought Yoochun spurred his steed, directing her to the front of their procession where Yunho was. Yoochun hadn’t forgotten how Changmin had urged on his horse to reach the residence before Yoochun’s death. His own actions seemed to mirror Changmin’s in a horrifying way, but he tried his best to ban these thoughts from his mind. He was riding so fast, the trees and riders and everything else appeared like a blur of black and grey. It was dangerous to do this, but he didn’t care. He had to reach Yunho, had to tell him about the young lord ...
Suddenly the first couple of riders appeared and he cried out to them, making them stop.
“Lord Yunho!“
He reined his horse so that she came to a halt beside Yunho’s stallion and looked at the other man. “My lord, Junsu has to tell you something ...“
Yoochun made the trembling slave repeat his words to him before and with a little bit of gentle asking on Yunho’s side they got the whole story out of the young boy.
How Changmin had repeatedly run off to see the girl at the village, how Junsu had never liked her because she was too elegant to be a peasant and how he’d tried to warn Changmin in the end.
“Bomi ...“ Yunho murmured, his eyes clouding over. “Oh, Changmin, you fool ...“
“Who is Bomi really?“ Yoochun whispered, tenderly rubbing Junsu’s back since the younger man had burst into tears again.
“Do you know Lord Jaejoong? The cruel bastard who slaughtered Lady Heejin’s people? He has eight sisters. One of them is a girl named Bomi. She hasn’t been seen since spring ...“
Yunho and Yoochun exchanged a glance, then rammed their heels into their steeds‘ sides.
***
“Bomi, run!“ Changmin yelled, drawing his sword. “Save our child!“
Bomi laughed, a sound so cruel and out of place that Changmin shivered. “Oh, dearest Min-dollie, why should I run from my own brother? And what child should I save? Did you honestly believe I’d ever carry your bastard under my heart?“
Changmin had always loved Bomi’s sense of humour, but it wasn’t very funny right now, it downright hurt. His sword fell from his hands, landing on the soft grass without a sound.
“Bomi ...“ he whispered, his wide eyes filling with tears of shame and infinite sadness. “Wh-what are you talking about?“
“Wh-what am I talking about?“ she repeated in a cruel imitation of Changmin’s stuttering. “I’m talking about how my people are tired of sharing this country with scum like you and your kin. We don’t wish to spend our lives under your rule. The time for rebellion has come! And you, dearest, have the honour to be our most precious pawn.“
Bomi drew a knife from her sleeve, pressing it against Changmin’s neck. The young lord was far too shocked to even react. He’d seen the signs, all of them, but he’d ignored them. He’d run into Bomi’s trap blind and helpless, allowing her to use him.
“Tie him up, older brother,“ Bomi said respectfully. “But I don’t think he’ll run anywhere any time soon.“
Jaejoong twisted Changmin’s arms behind his back, tying his wrists together so he could no longer move.
“What about the slave?“ Jaejoong asked. “Have you killed him already?“
A shadow danced over Bomi’s face and she was unable to meet her brother’s gaze. “Ummm ... he ran off ...“ she murmured.
“What?! Are you crazy, Bomi? What did you think? Did you even think at all? He’s going to alarm every guard within a hundred kilometres! We do not have enough troops to fight our way out of here! We were safe as long as we had the advantage of surprise, but now ...“
“We can still escape if we hurry,“ Bomi replied cooly. “Let’s go.“
Shaking his head, Jaejoong grinned. “You should’ve been born a boy, Bomi. I’ve never known a man as reckless as you.“
He pushed Changmin towards his horse, then helped Bomi to mount Changmin’s when suddenly the noise of hooves drew near.
The two riders who appeared were all too familiar to Bomi and even Jaejoong recognised them immediately: Yunho and his whore.
This was going to get really interesting, Jaejoong thought as he raised his sword.
“Good evening,“ he called. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, my lord.“ He bowed ironically in Yoochun’s reaction. “And you, too, of course.“ He repeated the gesture for Yunho.
Yunho immediately assessed the situation and drew his sword, trying to ignore Jaejoong’s bow in Yoochun’s direction. He saw the confusion in his best friend’s eyes, but ignored it for the time being.
“Our troops are on the way here. Let go of Lord Changmin and we guarantee you a swift, honorable death,“ he spoke, his voice as dark and wild as his eyes.
But Jaejoong only laughed, the same way as Bomi had done before. He wanted to say something, but at that moment a series of unfortunate events started, changing the lives of everyone involved forever.
Maybe it was this or maybe the sight of the familiar faces, but in any case, Changmin came back to his senses and quickly moved to the side, trying to get over to where his friends stood. His hands were still bound, making him clumsy, and that brought his downfall.
Bomi’s knife found Changmin’s neck like it had a will of its own, ripping through flesh and veins until it was stopped by a bone. For a moment the young lord just stood still, then fall forward onto the snowy ground. No sound passed his lips, but there was still life in him; Junsu knew it.
With a cry so raw and pained it could have melted stone, he ran forward, catching his lord in his arms.
“Min-Min!“ Tears rolled over his face and he sobbed uncontrollably as he cradled the younger man to his chest. Images of their shared childhood, as their years as boys and of their travels to the remote village flooded his mind, robbing him of his senses. He knew Changmin was going to die without knowing about Junsu’s love for him that went far beyond duty.
Poor Changmin, who’d been so happy about the baby ... now he’d never have any children. That thought was enough to bring fresh tears to Junsu’s eyes, no matter how hard he fought them.
“Don’t cry. It doesn’t suit you, ‘Su,“ Changmin murmured, his eyes fluttering shut. “I’m sorry for ... everything. Please ... dream on ...“
Many tales have been written about Lord Changmin’s fall, but none captured the real pain and heartbreak of the moment, none told of Junsu’s love for his former master. The slave broke down over Changmin’s body, screaming his name, trying to make him come back to life.
“Min-Min! Don’t do that! Please, Min-Min! I’ll be good from now on! I’ll light a fire and cook and wait for you, where ever you tell me! I won’t dream anymore! I’ll ... I’ll be good! Just don’t go away! Don’t leave me, Min-Min, I can’t do this on my own!“
But Changmin remained motionless, as beautiful in death as he’d been in life. Snowflakes covered his long lashes, his soft hair that Junsu would never brush again.
The young man’s voice broke at the thought and he just kept sobbing wordlessly.
Unable to see the other like this, Yoochun took a step towards Junsu, but again the uncanny chain of unfortunate events intercepted. Jaejoong took a hold of the younger man’s arm, twisting it and drawing Yoochun against his chest.
His sister had killed his former hostage, but he knew Yunho would sell the world for this one. Maybe the change wasn’t so bad after all ...
Jaejoong brought his sword up against Yoochun’s throat, holding his head back with is other hand. “I think my lord wishes to leave this party now,“ he purred. “Why don’t you hand over his horse, Lord Yunho? I’m sure he’d hate to be parted from it ...“
“Yunho!“
Yoochun’s lips were pale with fear, his voice timid as a child’s, but Yunho knew he had no other choice but to comply. Jaejoong wouldn’t hesitate to kill Yoochun if he tried to free the other.
He grabbed the horse by the neck, pushing it into the right direction. Bomi grabbed it by the mane, forcing it to a halt. Jaejoong tied up Yoochun, then lifted him up onto the steed’s back. “Any last words to your master, Lord Yoochun?“ he mocked Yoochun.
While Yoochun wasn’t as unprepared as Changmin had been, he was still in shock. He probably wouldn’t have said any of this if he hadn’t been. Fear loosened his tongue and he finally spoke his mind. “I don’t know what’s going on, my lord. I don’t know why he’s calling me a lord or why he’s ... why he’s done all of this. I don’t expect to survive this so I ask you to take care of my little girl and Junsu ... Both of them need you.“ Yoochun licked his lips, finally lifting his gaze. “And one more thing before I have to go. I know we never had a chance and never will, but I’ll always remember you. I love you.“
“I’ll find you,“ Yunho replied, his voice firm and determined. “Don’t be afraid.“
Bomi sneered at this, wiping her knife on the travelling cloak Changmin had left with the horses. “Cute, really, but we have to go now. Say goodbye, little whore.“
With that they spurred the horses and off they went, into the darkness where the snow muffled any noises and they were soon out of sight.
It was then that something inside of Yunho snapped and he let go of all self-composure. With a cry so loud and feral that it sounded inhuman he tossed his sword at a tree trunk.
The tip broke and the blade dropped to the ground, close to Changmin’s, just as silent as its predecessor.
A/N: Errr, yes. I was gonna say something to lift everyone's spirit, but this chapter made me sad. ._. Sorry.