The Silvertail Curse - Market Place

[love_joongie]

Title: The Silvertail Curse
Authors:
love_joongie and
wetundertherain
Pairing: Yunjae, Yoosu, perhaps random side ones along the way
Genre: AU, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, slight Drama
Plot: Is ours. Yup.
Length: Chaptered
Rating: PG
Warning: This is a collab fic, and the poster might change but it’s only cuz we’re so cool.
Summary: Yunho’s family has always protected the necklace, and now it was his turn. Escaping from wolf-like dogs, he ends up in Hallow’s Edge, a small town rampant with injustice and witchcraft. With no money and no one to come to his aid, he threatens a young warlock into helping him.

Jaejoong lives a solitary life with his silver fox Junsu. He runs a small booth where he sells his fruits and vegetables, keeping a wary distance between himself and the inhabitants of the town. That is until Yunho storms into his life, and drags him out of the town he called home on an insane adventure through the woods to destroy the necklace, before it falls into the wrong hands.   
Disclaimer: We don’t own anyone in this fic, but that’s only because we’ve been a bit lazy about our conquests lately… also it turns out you can’t legally own people… I know right? What the hell?
Prologue/Hallow's Edge/

Chapter 2

I got Yunho to push my cart into its usual spot in the market place. I immediately started to set up my booth, placing the baskets of fruits and vegetables in such a way that the tastier looking ones were in front. It was much harder than usual to move them around. I had a throbbing headache and my limbs burned dully. My arms were numbed after I’d moved the apples. Yunho stood by me, looking like he wanted to help out, but unsure of what to do. “Is there anything I can do?” He asked me, after I’d almost dropped the lemons. He’d had to rush to my side, and help me hold them up.

“I’m fine. I’m done anyway.” I smiled painfully and went behind the booth to sit on the empty crates. I was already sweating and all I’d done was move some baskets around. I almost regretted helping that man yesterday, and healing Yunho this morning. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” I asked him coldly. He shrugged and leaned against my booth. Apparently, I’d have to endure him for much longer than I was willing to.

He was attracting way too much attention. The market street was being set up slower than usual, because everyone, especially the women, kept looking back at him, their gazes sometimes lingering longer than necessary. A little girl approached his brooding form and tugged at his pants. She was maybe eight or nine, her long black hair woven in two pigtails on either side of her head. Yunho looked down at her, and I half-expected him to shoo her away, but instead he sunk to his knees and smiled gently at the little girl. “Hello.” He said sweetly. The girl blushed, and looked at her toes. Without raising her head, she thrust a flower she’d been fisting behind her back towards him. Yunho’s smile widened. “Is this for me?” The blush spread wider across her face as she nodded. He took the small, wilting daisy from her, and carefully slipped it behind her ear. The little girl blinked in surprise, and looked up at him. “It looks prettier on you.”

Her entire face turned red, and the girl clutched the flower by her ear, and ran off to her friends. Yunho stared wistfully after her, his bright smile slowly fading. He let out a sad sigh, and then got up and dusted himself off. I stared at him with raised eyebrows, surprised that he could almost be civil with someone. He ignored me, licking his lower lip, his eyes shifting from booth to booth calculatingly. I leaned my head against the wall behind me and sighed tiredly. The sun had barely risen, and I was already exhausted. “You need to eat.” Yunho informed me quite uselessly. His piercing eyes were trained on me.

I shook my head. The gritty wall scratched into my hairline. “I’m fine.” I shut my eyes for a second.

“You don’t look it.” He commented offhandedly, and went back to scanning the market. “Is there anyone here who’s not warlock?”

I opened my eyes and sat up. “What? How would you know that?” I asked looking around furtively. I, then, remembered that Yunho was a warlock as well, and could probably sense the powers of the townspeople. I rested my head back on the wall.

“Well,” He pointed across the street to the soup vendor. Her cauldron bubbled with boiling water. “There’s no fire under her pot.” He moved his finger to the fish booth where the fish still flopped in their baskets. “Those fish shouldn’t still be alive, and…” He grinned, picking up a deep red fruit from my booth. “Last I heard pomegranates don’t grow in this region.” He smirked.

Yunho seemed to be sticking to his not-a-warlock thing. “Well, aren’t you clever.” I sneered, leaning back against the wall, with my eyes closed.

“I’ll get you something to eat.”

I tore my tired eyelids apart to glare at him. “Don’t you mean steal?”

Yunho hesitated, and turned to me again, biting his lower lip. His brown eyes looked incredibly remorseful, and I began to feel a bit guilty at being so cold. I pushed the feeling aside. The faster I got rid of him, the better everything would be. “I… there was no time to get any money when I left.”

I rolled my eyes. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have run away.” I scoffed apathetically.

He gave me a cold threatening glare, which I returned evenly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I groaned, too tired to have an argument, or even this conversation with him. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pouch of gold coins the mayor had gifted me yesterday. I tossed it weakly to him. It barely made it over the baskets and landed at his feet. “You should pay back what you stole yesterday.” My voice was a little bit shaky from exhaustion. I leaned back against the wall again, and closed my eyes. I didn’t hear his footsteps when he left, so I opened one eye to make sure he was gone, and sighed in relief.

~~~

I sprung awake when Yunho dropped the coin pouch on my lap. “Dear Lord.” I gasped, holding my hand to my chest. “Can you make some noise, please?”

“You’re lucky I got here when I did.” He said arrogantly, handing me a warm bun. “The guards aren’t very efficient are they?” I looked up from the bun to see a group of boys he had probably scared off running from my booth. “You should eat that while it’s still warm.” He added, pointing at the bun.

I considered tossing it aside just to annoy him, but my mouth watered at the sweet doughy scent, and I couldn’t bear to throw it away. I took a big fluffy bite, and sighed contentedly. “Thanks.” I smiled at him. The headache was gone, and I felt infinitely better. “I needed this.”

He blinked dumbfounded and then shrugged, turning away from me to lean casually against the wall. He stared off into the distance unblinkingly. “I can’t stay here for long.” He mumbled.

I bit into the bun thoughtfully. “So you’re not planning to settle down here and start a family?” I joked. He snorted. A couple of the town’s women stopped at my booth. I nodded politely at them, and left them to browse through the produce. “Where will you be going?” I asked Yunho curiously. He didn’t seem as abrasive on a full stomach.

He shrugged again. I was beginning to think this was his favourite manner of communicating. “I don’t know.” He sighed. “I need a plan.” He plucked the green pendant hanging from his neck and contemplated it. At second glance, the pendant’s shape seemed familiar.

One of the women cleared their throat. The younger one was staring wide-eyed at my unwanted companion. I tilted my head to look up at him, wondering if maybe he had something on his face. Yunho rested against the wall, a distant look in his piercing brown eyes. The morning sun illuminated his profile, making his cinnamon coloured skin look darker, more exotic. The clothes he wore showed off his muscular build and broad shoulders, revealing the caramel ridges of his torso. Obviously, he was quite a catch, being tall, strong and handsome. The women clearly seemed to think so. I fleetingly wondered how it was that he wasn’t already married. There was no ring on his finger.

I left the rest of my bun on the crate and approached the women. “Yes? Is there anything you’d like?” The older woman, who I assumed was the mother, began arguing with me about the price of apples. Her daughter approached Yunho, who was still staring blankly ahead.

Judging by their heavy skirts and ornate hats, they were from the West, the noble part of town. It was odd that they weren’t accompanied by a man, but I wasn’t one to mention it.

“Um… excuse me.” The younger girl called to Yunho, covering the lower half of her face with her fan and batting her eyelashes at him flirtatiously. “I’m Madeleine.” The girl cooed, her voice soft and sweet.

Yunho could not have looked to care less. He stared over her shoulder and nodded stiffly. I stifled a smile, and continued bargaining with the older woman. Madeleine adjusted her skirts as an excuse to show off her bosom. Yunho continued to be preoccupied by something behind her. She flushed in embarrassment. “I haven’t seen you around here before.” She tried again, with renewed vigor.

“I’m not from around here.” Yunho answered simply. The girl began to puff up indignantly, but her mother, having bought my apples, led her away from my booth. I almost felt bad for the poor girl. A pretty young woman like her must not be prepared for such blatant a rejection. He pushed himself off the wall and approached me. Without saying anything, he tilted his head to the left. I followed the direction with my eyes. A couple of shifty-eyed soldiers scanned the market-place carefully. They weren’t dressed like Hallow’s Edge’s official guards. In this weather, they usually wore civilian clothing with their weapon belt at their waist. These guards however were suited from head to toe in heavy armor. The initials MC were branded into their shoulder and chest plates. “They’re not from here either.” Yunho whispered to me, and I nodded in agreement.

“I wonder what they want.” A third soldier walked out of the booths with an injured creature in his arms. It was much too big to be just a dog, but not muscular enough to pass as a wolf. A hissed curse sounded in my ear. Surprised I turned to Yunho, but he was gone. “Yunho?” I could still feel his powerful aura, but could no longer see him.

“I’ll be back.” I heard him whisper, though I had no idea from where. Could he manipulate light and become invisible?

“That’s what I’m afraid of!” I called after him, wherever he was, but he had vanished. I turned to the soldiers. The hurt dog was now watching me wearily. The headache was back. I sank onto my crate and bit angrily into the cooled bun. For whatever reason, I guessed the heavily armored men were after Yunho. He could be a thief, or a rapist, or a cold blooded murderer escaped from prison, and I had sheltered him and fed him.  Hopefully, he wouldn’t mention me when he got caught.

I pushed the thought of Yunho aside, and continued to work. It seemed like Ms. Madeleine had spread the news about the stranger, because most of my clientele for today were of noble birth, and attempted to peer into my booth. Some more shameless straight out asked me where the handsome young man was. Others even thought it was me and attempted to woo me.

In any case, business was booming. The good noble ladies probably felt embarrassed for showing up to the market with their men in tow to see Yunho, so they bought generously. By noon, my baskets were half-empty. I was even considering closing up early, when Yunho appeared. He handed me another bun and, apologetically, the coin pouch he had somehow taken without my noticing. “Sorry.” He mumbled, adjusting the new leather backpack on his shoulders. “I needed a few things. I’ll pay you back, I promise.”

I didn’t know whether to be irritated or thankful, so I settled on glaring at him while I ate the bun. This one had beef in it. My eyes widened when I tasted the salty and delicious meat. “These are expensive.”

He shrugged like I’d expected him to. “I thought you’d need the energy.” He muttered.

The market usually got slower around noon, because of the heat, so I sat down to enjoy my meaty bun. “So, you’re all ready to go now, aren’t you?” I asked coldly. He nodded, biting his lower lip. “Then, go.” I suggested helpfully.

Yunho seemed to deliberate for a few seconds. “I need your help.” He finally said. I glared at him. “What?” He looked innocent.

“What more do you need from me?” I got up to shout at him. “I gave you shelter, I gave you money, I gave you food…” I counted off angrily. “What more could you possibly want?” He seemed taken aback by my sudden outburst. A hollow crack was heard near the wall, but I ignored it. “I don’t know why you’d think I’d help you willingly! If you think I want to risk being associated to a criminal, when-”

“Criminal?” He seemed confused and offended by the word. “I’m not a criminal.

“Then why were those guards looking for you?” I growled at him.

“That’s none of your business.” Yunho snapped, his voice low and dangerous. He was so irritating. I gave up arguing with him, and turned away, but he gripped my wrist forcefully and pulled me back. “I need to get out of here, and you’re going to distract the guards while I do just that.”

“Why would I-” I began, but the pendant he wore started to glow bright red and throb. My eyes slid down to look at it and widened. I knew that snake. I’d seen it before. I jerked my wrist free from his grasp, and plucked the now green pendant from his collar bone. I held it up so he could see it. “Where did you get this?” I growled at him dangerously.

As I clutched it between my fingers, I began to feel that the power I felt emanating from Yunho wasn’t his at all. He was completely human. All the raw magic aura came from the necklace. There was a louder crack, and a dark green vine started slowly up the wall. “Where. Did. You. Get. This?” I asked him again.

“Drop it.” He growled evenly. Even with no magic power, Yunho was completely unafraid of me. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Did you steal it?” I continued carelessly. “Is that why they’re after you? Who did you kill to get it, huh?” As I spoke, the dark vine grew higher and higher up the wall, its strength pulverising the bricks beneath it. This was a blatant act of witchcraft, and if a noble would see it, I’d be reported immediately, but at the moment I didn’t care. Yunho was going to tell me exactly what he was doing here, what he’d done, and what he was up to. “Answer me!” I shouted, and almost didn’t recognize my own voice.

It infuriated me even more that Yunho did not even bat an eyelash at my order. Thorns nailed the plant I’d unwittingly given life to, to the wall. Yunho’s hand snapped up, lightening quick. He snatched my arm, twisted it and pulled me against his chest in one frighteningly fluid movement. The vine stilled completely. “Make any move and I’ll snap your arm like a twig.” He said so low I had to strain to hear him. “You’re silly magic tricks don’t frighten me, nor are they of any threat to me. I’ve been trained to be stronger and faster than any magic, and I will not hesitate to kill you if you touch the necklace again.” To say I was terrified would have been an understatement. His eyes were ice cold as they bore into mine, and I had no doubt in my mind he would do it. “Now, you listen to me, Jaejoong.” I was momentarily surprised that he remembered my name. “This necklace has been protected by my family for three generations, and I’ll be damned if I lose it to some pretty face farmer boy. So, you are either with me, or against me. And trust me; you do not want to be against me.”

It took a couple of seconds for a concrete thought to form in my frightened mind. “So… the soldiers… “ I whispered. “They’re after Grexel.”

“Who?”

“The necklace.” I pointed at the jewel with my free hand. “That’s what it’s called.”

Yunho’s eyes went from curious to suspicious. “How do you know that?” He breathed, twisting my arm painfully. I gasped as pain laced through my arm, but he didn’t loosen his grip.

“You’re from the North aren’t you? The family in the woods.” His jaw set, but he nodded slowly. I felt myself grin excitedly. I looked around remembering where we were. “You should let go. People are watching.” I whispered. The children that I had saved yesterday paused in their games to watch us. I was sure other people had their eye on us as well. “This isn’t the place to talk about it.” Yunho didn’t release my arm. His eyes narrowed distrustfully. “I can help you.” I added. “You can trust me. I’m on your side.”

A loud clip-clop of hooves was heard nearby. Yunho turned sharply towards the noise, and I groaned. There’s only one person in Hallow’s Edge stupid enough to bring a horse-drawn carriage into the market place. The mayor bumbled out of the carriage, and hobbled towards my booth. His well-tended mustache twitched when he noticed Yunho standing unsuitably close to me. He gently released my arm, and gave me a quizzical look. ‘Mayor’ I mouthed, before turning to my most regular customer. “Good afternoon, Mister Mayor.” I said in a bored tone. “What will it be today?”

The short stubby man gave me a slimy grin. “Ah Jaejoong. You don’t need to be so formal with me.” He chuckled, and I resisted the nausea that overtook me. “You’re looking as lovely as ever.” He added before directing his gaze to my companion. “And you are?” The mayor asked jealously. I was tempted to roll my eyes.

“I’m his brother.” Yunho said smoothly. I grimaced at the obvious lie. No one in their right mind would believe he was even loosely related to me. I shot him a glare and he shrugged apologetically.

The mayor stared at him deadpanned. “His brother?” He repeated incredulously. “How come I’ve never seen you in my town before?”

I expected Yunho’s shrug and was not disappointed. “We have different mothers. I’d only just heard of his existence a month ago. I thought it was my duty to find my brother.” He clapped me on the shoulder and pulled me in for an awkward hug. “Don’t we make a handsome pair?” He grinned.

I could see the mayor struggling with himself on whether or not to believe Yunho. Really, even I was almost convinced were related. I cleared my throat conspicuously. “Right, so Mr. Mayor, what can I do for you?” I forced a happy smile on my face. Reuniting with your long-lost half-brother should be a joyous occasion.

A viscous smirk appeared on the mayor’s face at my words. Yunho met my eyes and grimaced. I very slightly nodded. “It’s not what you can do for me, Jaejoongie, but what I can do for you.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

He sighed sympathetically, and approached my booth. “You see… there are rumors going about of a witch hunt that’ll take place tonight.” He whispered.

“A-a witch hunt?” I did my best to act surprised. “But what on earth for?”

“I don’t want to go into the details, but it seems as though the people believe there are some odd goings-on about town.” He said gravely. “I know you’re innocent, Jaejoong.” He added with a disgusting smile.

“Thank you.” I grumbled.

“But I cannot deny that your booth generates… suspicious activity.” He glanced at Yunho, who was leaning casually against the counter. “Just so you know, if any trouble arises, my home is always open for you.”

“That’s very kind of you, sir…” I began.

“Please.” The mayor interrupted me, gripping my hand over the counter. “Do consider my offer. We wouldn’t want any harm to come to you.” He grinned in a thinly veiled threat. “Or to your ‘brother’.” He added.

“Of course, sir. Thank you.” I sighed. He gave me another sleazy smirk, before staggering back into his carriage. I rolled my eyes as it left. “Don’t hold your breath.” I groaned.

Yunho watched me curiously. “Aren’t you worried about the witch hunt?”

I shrugged. “Not particularly. He threatens me with a witch hunt every other week. It’s a terrible way to coerce me into his bed.” I shuddered. He laughed breathily, and then sighed. “So what’s your plan?” I asked him. Now that I knew who he was I pretty much had to help him.

He opened his mouth to answer, but quickly shut it. He looked past me, furrowing his eyebrows. I looked over my shoulder. A tall, willowy girl, with her hair wrapped in a black bandana made her way over to my booth. She tucked a strand of red hair back into the wrap, looking around warily before walking to where Yunho and I stood. “Jaejoong, I need to speak with you.” She whispered, her eyes shifting around the market place. They landed on Yunho for a second, and she blushed before looking away. “Is he safe?”

I nodded. “What is it, Dina?” I asked the enchantress. “Is your husband alright?”

“He’s fine.” She waved her arm dismissively. “I’m more worried about us.” She pointed at the market place. “You must’ve heard about the witch hunt.”

“We always hear about witch hunts.” I reminded her. “The mayor can’t do anything. This town won’t survive without us.”

Dina looked around furtively, and took a step closer to us. “It’s not the mayor!” She whispered urgently. “I heard from the officials that visited my husband. A higher lord is here. You’ve seen the black guards haven’t you?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Their master visited the useless lump. There’s talk of cleansing.” She shuddered. “If this hunt takes place tonight you’re the first one they’d go after.”

“Why would they go after him?” Yunho asked her.

The enchantress looked at him, then back at me questioningly. I nodded. “Jaejoong’s great-grandmother was one of the first witches to settle here.” Dina explained quickly. “You need to leave. This lord has a grudge against all magic.”

“Alright I’ll think of something.” I mumbled, biting my lower lip. Where would I go if I left? I had never been anyplace but Hallow’s Edge.

“Think of it fast.” Her gaze wandered around the place again. “It won’t be safe after sundown.” The enchantress paused, and whipped her head back wildly, causing a red curl to come loose and tumbler before her face. “I have to go. Be safe.” She whispered before leaving my booth.

I bit my lower lip. “Where would I go?” I thought aloud.

Yunho stared after Dina calculatingly. “I guess you’re coming with me.” He grinned. I looked up at him, surprised. “If it’s true that you’re on my side, then I won’t abandon you.” He continued. “You could be useful.” He sent a smirk my way.

I didn’t really want to spend more time with this irritating man, but I didn’t have a choice. It was either go with him, or burn at the stake. “I guess I’m going with you.” I mumbled and started packing up the cart.

Yunho nodded to himself, and glanced at the vine I had accidentally grown. “You can make more of these, right?” He asked me, sounding like he was hatching some genius plan,

I didn’t look up at him and continued cleaning up the stall. “Of course.” I huffed arrogantly, folding the top of the booth into a cart.

“Good.” He grinned slyly at me. “Then I have a plan.”

~~~

I did not like this plan. For some unfathomable reason, it had me knocking on the backdoor to the mayor’s house, silently cursing Yunho for coming up with this horrible idea. One of his maid-servants, the woman whose husband and children I’d saved yesterday, opened the door for me and quickly bowed. “Master has been expecting you.” She mumbled, keeping her eyes to the ground. “Thank you for yesterday.” She whispered quietly when I passed her. I patted her softly on the shoulder and walked on, already dreading what I was about to do. Really, why did this part have to be in the plan at all?

The woman ushered me into the waiting room, leading me to one of the plush velvet sofas. She handed me a glass of wine, before leaving to announce my arrival. I took the moments alone to assess my surroundings. The mayor lacked much in taste. The walls and floor of the room were matted with hideous teal green velvet carpeting. The ceiling was left bare, and painted a strange shade of bright orange. Other than the sofa I occupied, the waiting room was furnished with a rather large coffee table, a horrible lamp shaped to represent the female body, and a cupboard which was the only sane-seeming object in the hideous room. I hoped his taste in partners wasn’t as terrible as his taste in furniture. I would have to take that as a personal insult.

A finely suited man came in after a few minutes and bowed deeply to me. He seemed to notice my dislike of the room, because when he lifted his head he offered an apologetic smile, before ushering me to a stairwell. He did not speak as he led me to his master’s chambers, which was just as well. Frankly, I was in no mood for conversation. I hoped Yunho would not forget Junsu when he packed my things. It would be awful to leave my only friend behind.

The room I was led to was just as terrible as the last though much bigger. The carpet coloured walls were a wine-coloured red. Pristine white couches were carefully arranged in front of a daunting bed. I gulped and followed the servant to my seat. He asked me if I wanted anything to drink. “Oh… no thank you.” I managed. He bowed again and left the room. I lifted my gaze to the gigantic crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I idly wondered how easily it could fall down and crush me. It was a tempting alternative to spending the next few moments with the mayor.

“Ah, Jaejoongie.” The fat man waddled in, followed closely by the maid, holding a tray of two fancy looking glasses and a rusty bottle. “What a nice surprise.” He sung, not sounding the least bit surprised. He sat down so close to me he was almost in my lap. The maid placed the tray on a heavy marble table, and left us. I almost called after her. “So…” He hummed, placing a chubby hand on my thigh. I swallowed the rise of bile in my throat, and discretely shuffled to the side of the couch. “How long will your brother be staying with you?” He asked with a creepy smile on his face.

I almost asked him who he was talking about. Luckily, I remembered Yunho and his plan. “Oh, I’m not sure. It’s nice to have company.” I mumbled, concentrating on the grounds. I bit my lower lip, beginning to sense the seeds and vines that grew near the mansion’s walls. I drew power from the element, letting it fill me with gently glowing green energy.

The mayor seemed bemused by my answer, but he occupied very little of my attention. “If you felt lonely, you could have always come to me.” He grinned slimily. He slid even closer to me, and squeezed the muscles of my thighs. I ignored his advances, concentrating on the task at hand. “There is always room for you in my… home.”

I nodded blankly, puling vines out of the grass with my mind. “Yes. That is very generous of you, sir.” I managed to say. If I was doing this correctly, the vines would grow into the walls lacing themselves into the cracks and holes in the building.

“Oh, you flatter me.” He chuckled in false-modesty. “I would extend this hospitality to anyone really.” I almost scoffed. “Let’s have a drink, shall we.” He suggested, leaning over to fill up the glasses with a sparkling yellow liquid. He finally released his grip on my thighs. I numbly reached for the cup, my eyes trained on the window. My vines grew pressed against it, creating crackling fissures on the glass. I smiled into the cup I was only pretending to drink from. “Do you like the champagne?” The mayor asked, placing his arm on the back of the couch so that it rested on my shoulders. Where is Yunho already?

“It’s a bit bitter.” I lied, having no idea what the drink tasted like. The mayor laughed heartily, leaning over to me again. I squirmed away in disgust.

“It’s supposed to be sweet.” He smiled trapping me between the armrest and himself. Anytime now, Yunho… I thought to myself. I could smell the mayor’s breath now, drunk and unpleasant. He stared at my mouth, licking his lips as if facing a mouth-watering feast. Oh dear Lord, where is he? The mayor’s lips were a hair away from mine.

There was a loud crack and a vine broke through the window, wrapped around the mayor’s waist. It pulled him off the couch and away from me. He screamed as he flew across the room.

At the same time, Yunho burst through the doors, a lit torch in his hand, and two unconscious guards at his feet. Junsu stood excitedly on his shoulders, his puffy silver tail curled around Yunho’s neck like a fancy scarf. “What took you so long?” I shouted at him from the couch.

“Your stupid fox tried to run away.” He pouted. Junsu nudged his head forcefully. “Well, you did.” His glance swept across the room and met with the shocked mayor restrained on the bed by my vines. He looked at me, cocking an eyebrow in amusement. I glared at him. He snorted and turned on his heels. “Are you coming or what?” He called over his shoulder, as he stepped over the unconscious bodies.

I followed him down a long hallway that led to a different staircase than the one I had climbed to enter the mayor’s chambers. Yunho moved slowly and quietly, testing each step before taking it. “Why are we going so slowly?” I whispered, because of the tense atmosphere.

Yunho shrugged. “I may or may not have roused the guards.” He shot me a smirk over his shoulder. The fox made and adorable coughing sound, laughing. “Hey, none of this would have happened if you hadn’t tried to run away.” He growled at the silver fox on his shoulder. Junsu barked quietly. Yunho glared at him as if he understood. “It IS your fault! You bit me.” He whined at the fox. Junsu nuzzled his soft silver head in Yunho’s neck apologetically.

“If you two are done bonding…” I whispered tilting my head towards the stairs. I could hear guards coming up the ones behind us. We tiptoed as quickly and quietly as possible, making it to the staircase just as the guards spilled over onto the second floor. Perhaps we weren’t quick enough. “Now what?” I asked Yunho, still whispering.

“Now we run.” He took hold of my wrist with his free hand, and barreled down the stairs. The other men clamoured after us, clumsy in their heavy armour.

“You! Stop!” One of the guards shouted breathlessly. Ignoring him completely, Yunho lifted me by the waist, and jumped down an entire flight of stairs, landing on the balls of his feet silently, and without pause he sped down the hallway to the magnificent front doors. A guard appeared in front of us. He was smaller than the others, and his armor did not fit him right. He tried to raise his sword over his head to threaten us.

Yunho merely released me, and, in two precise movements, grabbed the man’s head armor through the holes for his eyes and pulled him forward, and quickly pulled his sword from the man’s hand. The guard stumbled to the floor.

We burst thought the doors. Yunho handed me the sword he’d taken, and tossed his lit torch against the mansion’s walls. The vines I’d grown caught on fire, lighting up the entire building like a candle. This was to distract the guards from following them. Yunho had really thought of everything. “Here.” He handed me one of two backpacks he had slung over his shoulders, and took the sword back. “This is the stuff you wanted.”

Without pausing to hear my words of thanks, Yunho turned left, running uphill. “Where are you going?” I shouted. “The forest is that way!” I pointed in the opposite direction.

“But the horses are this way.” He grinned pointing to the stables. Junsu barked excitedly. Yunho grabbed my arm again. “Come on!” He pushed the stable doors open, rushing in.

“What do you know about horses?” I questioned him. Yunho looked into a couple of stalls shaking his head and moving on to the next. He finally stopped in front of one and smiled.

He opened the door, and went inside. “Hey, pretty girl.” He cooed at the animal I assumed was in the stable. There was a soft neigh, and Yunho tugged out a gorgeous completely black horse. “Good, girl. See? She’s already saddled up and ready to go.” He beamed at me. I’d seen the horse in many of the mayor’s parades across town. It was his prized possession. She was uncharacteristically calm in Yunho’s hands. Last time they had brought her out, the beautiful animal destroyed three stalls and almost killed a child before she was reigned in.

Now, she seemed perfectly tame, even rubbing her nose softly against Yunho’s cheek. He patted the mare delicately. “You know how to ride?” I asked, surprised. It seemed unlikely that a man who’d grown up in a forest would know how to steer a horse.

“Of course.” He rolled his eyes, patting the horse’s neck, before moving to another stall. The black horse followed after him, neighing playfully. Yunho went inside that one as well, and brought out a sandy blonde horse. It too followed him trustingly. “Can you?” He brought the horse to me and handed over the reins.

In lieu of an answer, I placed my foot in the foothold and launched myself onto the blonde horse. Junsu hopped off Yunho’s shoulder, and onto my horse. He settled himself on my lap. Yunho climbed onto the black horse, and let it trot to the open stable doors. He looked back at me and grinned boyishly. “Let’s go.”

~~~
A/N: Yay! Speedy post. Now u must all wait for wetundertherain to finish the next chapter and all will be well. so blame him not me HAHAHAHHA