She knelt before the plant and gently dug it up, pulling out a long, k.n.o.bby root with tendrils. Cutting off the leafy stems, she placed the ginseng carefully in her bag and rose to her feet.
"Who"s that for?" Taejo asked.
"I thought we could give it to Brother Insu as a thank-you."
They moved deeper into the forest, Jindo padding ahead of them, his ears alert as he sniffed the air. The big dog froze, one paw raised in midstep as he scrutinized a thick bush. Kira readied her bow and signaled for Taejo to keep quiet. Jindo rushed into the shrubs, flushing out a small white hare. Taejo shot his arrow, missing his target as it zigzagged back into the thick underbrush.
Taejo yelled and charged after the hare. Cursing under her breath, Kira chased after him when she noted the strong odor of a wild animal. A group of boars and piglets fled past her, shrieking in outrage. She hurried forward only to stop short.
Taejo stood petrified before the largest boar Kira had ever seen.
19.
The boar charged at Taejo. Snarling and barking, Jindo came rushing up from behind Kira and launched himself at the animal"s throat, trying to wrestle the fierce creature to the ground. It bucked high, flinging Jindo over its back. Taejo pulled out his hunting spear and tried to stab the boar.
"No, Taejo!"
The boar slammed into Taejo, who fell backward and landed with a heavy thud. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and ran toward Kira, the boar close behind him.
Dropping her bow and satchel, Kira raced to meet him. "Throw me the spear!"
Catching it out of the air, she raised the spear high past her ear and stepped right into the path of the maddened animal. It made a deep, ugly grunt before attacking. At the last possible moment, she leaped aside, slashing down with her right arm, aiming for the left flank. The blade pierced through the heavy hide. The boar"s high-pitched shrieking turned into a scream as it vaulted away, ripping the spear from Kira"s hands.
Grabbing Taejo by his collar, she dragged him all the way over to a large maple tree and rapidly pushed him onto the overhanging branches. "Climb up and stay there! That"s an order!"
"Look out!" Taejo screamed.
The boar was rushing toward them. Holding the hilt of her sword with two hands, she stabbed at an angle, deep into its neck. Leaving her sword where it was, Kira then grabbed hold of the spear still protruding from the boar"s left side. Using all her might, she launched her body onto the spear and she shoved it deep into the animal. Its front legs buckled under her weight, until finally it fell.
She looked up at Taejo.
"You all right?" she asked.
He started and looked around for Jindo. Not far away, the great white dog lay against the trunk of a cypress tree. Taejo jumped down and scrambled over to him.
Kira retrieved her b.l.o.o.d.y sword and spear. Glancing around to make sure there were no other boars or predators in the area, she ran to grab her belongings. They"d made a lot of noise. Even Brother Insu back at the camp had to have heard the battle with the boar. She hurried over to Taejo, who was checking Jindo for injuries. Jindo yawned and rose to his feet. Kira knelt before him and patted his head, receiving a lick from his raspy tongue.
Kira rummaged through her bag for a clean cloth and camellia oil to clean her blade.
"You did it!" Taejo said with pride. "Can you believe the size of that thing?"
Kira put her sword in its sheath and leaned against the trunk of the cypress tree.
"I think that boar was harder to kill than a demon," she said.
"Thank you, Noona, for saving me." He paused. "Again." His eyes were teary. Kira knew he was thinking of all they had lost.
"Come on," she said. "Let"s carve a portion for us."
She rose to her feet and was immediately overwhelmed by the odor of approaching demons. She yanked Taejo up and pushed him behind her, freeing her sword in one fluid movement.
Jindo growled.
From the depths of the darkened forest, a small contingent of mounted soldiers appeared, surrounding them.
"Shin Bo Hyun?" Kira said in disbelief.
Her fiance gazed back at them, a slight smile playing on his lips.
20.
"Your Highness," Shin Bo Hyun said. He dismounted and bowed. His men fanned out behind him, filling the clearing before them.
"Thank the heavens we"ve found you both!" he said. "We"ve been searching these woods for days to no avail. How fortunate we were to hear the ruckus that led us here."
Kira took a close look at the thirty-odd men in Shin Bo Hyun"s company. They were Yamato soldiers disguised in Hansong uniforms, with at least four demons in their ranks. She spied the slight shimmer in the air above them, the telltale sign of an otherworldly being in the human world. Jindo was by her side, barking and snarling. With no horses and the soldiers closing in around them, she could see no possible escape. She wondered if the young lord knew of the demons among his men. They held no loyalty to humans, unless called by one, and even then, it was an uneasy truce. Shin Bo Hyun was no shaman-he would find it hard to control them. Perhaps she could use this to her advantage.
Her eyes darted about, taking note of her bow and arrow case a short distance away. Taejo stepped forward to stand by her side.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice filled with hostility.
"I"m to take you to the queen," Shin Bo Hyun replied. "She"s been so worried about you."
In the background, loud noises indicated approaching hors.e.m.e.n. Shin Bo Hyun signaled to his men, and several moved off to investigate. Not long after, Brother Woojin and a group of temple monks appeared. Brother Insu rode behind them, leading Kira and Taejo"s horses.
Catching sight of Shin Bo Hyun and his men, the group stopped. Brother Woojin looked unsurprised.
"Greetings, Sunim!" Shin Bo Hyun said. "I"m relieved to see you again. It was my understanding that your party was to head to Stone Temple, but I was unable to find any trace of you there."
"Good day, my lord," Brother Woojin replied. "I"m sure you can understand our state of panic and distress at the time. We feared Stone Temple was too close in proximity to the enemy, and it was our mission to keep the prince as safe as possible."
He gazed at Shin Bo Hyun and then at Kira. "But how fortuitous to find you here," the monk continued. "What news do you have of our kingdom?"
Shin Bo Hyun frowned. "It is sad news. Our king is dead, as is Lady Kira"s brave father."
He hesitated before turning somber eyes to Kira. "Kira, I"m afraid to tell you that your mother perished in the attack."
Kira stilled her body even as her mind reeled at his words. She didn"t believe him. Couldn"t believe him. But, a small voice inside of her said, the court ladies were jumping off the cliff. She shook her head. No, she didn"t believe him.
"The kingdom is in disarray. But we were able to evacuate Her Majesty to safety. I have been tasked with finding the prince and my betrothed, and bringing them to her."
Taejo started forward at the incredible news, but Kira held him back.
"Tasked by who? Your uncle? The traitor?" Kira demanded to know.
"No, by the queen," Shin Bo Hyun answered.
"Where is the queen? Who is with her?" Brother Woojin asked.
"My men are keeping her safe. They are pushing north to Guru, but it has been slow going due to the queen"s health."
"What do you mean? Is she sick? What"s the matter with my mother?" Taejo shouted.
"She is not physically sick, Your Highness. It is more of an emotional malady she suffers from. One that I"m sure will be cured with your safe return," Shin Bo Hyun said.
"I must go to her." Taejo tried to break free of Kira"s hold.
"No. He"s lying. Don"t believe anything he says," Kira said in a low voice.
Shin Bo Hyun stared at her, a shadow of regret pa.s.sing over his face. "The truth is that I must deliver the prince to his mother."
"My apologies, but I can"t allow that," Brother Woojin said.
The young lord faced the monk. "I"m afraid there"s nothing you can do to stop me. You"ve been completely surrounded since the moment you arrived."
Shin Bo Hyun"s soldiers had circled behind the monks. Brother Woojin was not fazed. His penetrating glance brought Kira to the b.a.l.l.s of her feet, ready and waiting.
"And so have you," Brother Woojin replied.
And with that, a swarm of monks attacked the soldiers, flying down from the trees and seemingly out of the air. Armed only with their long staffs, the monks knocked soldiers off their horses and circled Kira and the prince.
Shin Bo Hyun cursed and drew his sword as he wheeled around to face them. Right before him stood the little monk, who"d moved with lightning speed.
"Sunim! There are several demons within the enemy"s ranks. They"ll be impossible to stop without a sword," Kira called.
"Then you must take the prince to safety!" Brother Woojin said, standing firm in a defensive posture.
Kira grabbed her bow and arrow case as they ran away, her sword still at the ready. They did not get far when a Yamato soldier attacked them. Kira parried his blows as Jindo rushed his feet, knocking him to the ground. Enraged, the soldier jumped up and drew a dagger. Brother Woojin smashed the soldier in the head with his long staff.
"Hurry! You must make for the temple!"
Kira nodded and kept Taejo close by her side. She scanned the area, searching for the horses. She heard Shin Bo Hyun shouting as he fought off two monks.
"Young mistress! Over here!" Brother Insu waved them over.
They raced toward Brother Insu when a demon soldier captured a young monk right before them, sending the horses into panic.
Taejo was screaming. The demon soldier gorged upon the monk"s liver as the monk begged the G.o.ds for mercy. She shot an arrow through the monk"s head to end his suffering. The monster roared at them, still holding the limp body in its hands. Kira drew her sword and flashed forward, severing its neck.
Another demon soldier appeared before her. Kira could see right away that it was an older possession that had inhabited the human host for too long. Scaly gray hide shone through the flesh. It reached for the prince with a hand that was more claw than human. Kira slashed down with her sword, slicing the arm off at the elbow. With a reverse swing, she decapitated the creature.
Her senses finely attuned to the sickening stench of the unholy ones, she knocked Taejo to the ground with her foot as the momentum of her swing whirled her around to slice off the head of another demon that tried to sneak up on them.
Pulling her cousin up, she half dragged him toward the waiting horses. Up ahead, several soldiers appeared and raised their bows, preparing to shoot. Kira shoved Taejo to the ground and felt the whirring of an arrow whip past her ear. She deflected an arrow with her sword even as she felt the sharp burn in her left arm where another scored a hit.
Before they could shoot again, Shin Bo Hyun appeared, shouting at them.
"No, don"t shoot!" He was too late. The arrow had already been released. Distracted by the young lord"s actions, Kira didn"t notice the danger until someone shoved her from behind. In slow motion, she saw Brother Woojin pierced with the arrow meant for her.
Kira dropped her sword and pulled out her bow, shooting off a rapid succession of arrows and felling several soldiers. She saw Shin Bo Hyun dash for cover behind a line of trees. She heard a choked sob. Taejo was holding the injured monk in his arms.
Around them, the others fought on, but the bodies of the temple monks littered the ground. Long staffs were no match for swords and demons.
"Young mistress, you must get the prince away from here!" Brother Woojin said as he tried to push the prince away. The arrow had punctured his left shoulder; bright red blood flowed from the injury, staining the fallen leaves below him. "Leave me!"
"I won"t leave you!" Taejo shouted.
Before Kira could respond, a disfigured demon soldier lurched into view, heading straight for them.
"My master will be so pleased with me," it hissed. "Not only will I kill the missing prince, but I will dispose of the Demon Slayer also."
Kira stepped forward and blocked its path.
"You can try," she said. "But I don"t think so."
Her words were quickly put to the test by the powerful double-sword attack the creature let loose on her. It took all her strength to defend herself. She was tired from the previous boar hunt, and her left arm was on fire from her injury. The blood had coursed down her arm, making her hands slick. Barely deflecting a killing blow, Kira staggered back.
Just when she thought she couldn"t hold out much longer, a sword slashed through the demon"s neck, decapitating it.
Shin Bo Hyun spit at the widening pool of black sludge pouring from the corpse. He kicked the deflating body of the demon before stepping over it. He grinned at her surprise. "You looked like you needed some help," he said.
"Why? He was one of yours!"
Shin Bo Hyun"s face darkened. "No. I had no idea there were demons among my soldiers. I would never have allowed it."
"I don"t believe you," Kira said. She picked up her sword and held it before her two-handed, praying that more help was on its way. Behind her, Taejo seemed oblivious to everything but the wounded monk.
Shin Bo Hyun stepped closer. "It doesn"t matter. I"ll forgive you." He stopped to take in the tableau before him. "Are you ready to return with us, Your Highness?" he asked.
"I will never go anywhere with you!" Taejo shouted. "I"ll kill you first!"
"How many more lives must be lost before you recognize the futility of your actions?" Shin Bo Hyun asked.