Titans of Trickery

Seol crouches on the frosted ground beside him. The palm she places to balance her weight burns against the cool earth. Her eyes shift to the dying embers.

"I did have a dream. Not about a spider. About its web. I was following a fine silver thread and ended up entangled in it." Seo listens to her, focused on the flame, his head tilted. "What does it mean?"

Seo's fingers move as if he is stroking the dying flames. Seol sees a flicker of silver in it before the flame is extinguished - leaving behind thin tendrils of smoke that glitter in the moonlight.

"They send you a dream, mama," his voice is soft. In an unprecedented move he reaches out and takes her hand. "Don't be afraid."

Her cold fingers curl around his, short nails scraping for purchase. Seol doesn't look away from those silver eyes, eerily glittering in the moonlight.

"Explain." They stand up together, and walk back towards the place where they had left the horses waiting. Seo doesn't let her hand go.

"Has lady Ji mentioned a mountain god of dreams to you - ever?"

Seol frowns thinking back to the occasional mythical stories the head court lady of Kang compound had indulged her with. In the mountains of Shinju people had a different culture which was often tied back to witchcraft and age old customs their ancestors had dabbled in . There were several mountain gods and several melodious prayers uttered to them as and when their help was enlisted.

"You mean Lain the sleep stealer?" She is finally reminded of the befitting myth. "I thought he was a mischievous half god, not entirely a god. Isn't he?"

Seo bows in agreement.

"It's a dangerous position to have. To inherit powers of a god but not have the proper guidance or discipline of one. One might call him mischievous on a brighter prospective. But Lain was misguided. He considered himself wronged and had always been vengeful. Enlisting his help often leads to trouble. Among the mountain gods, if one has a reputation of ending up on the bad side of things - it is him. They call him the god of conspiracy. Making deals with him doesn't end well."

"What have they done?"

"Lain has the ability to manifest dreams. His manifestations take the form of men and women. When one has to send a spy, but a man could not manage to penetrate the security of premises meant to be infiltrated - short sighted people often tend to enlist the sleep stealer."

"So the man I saw…" Seol tries to understand. By the time they have already reached Woo and Bi and Seo helps her mount. Seol reaches to stroke Woo, gleaning strength from her companionable presence. "It wasn't a man but a dream? That's why the shadow melted away before I could find him?"

Seo refrains from mounting, holding both Bi and Woo's reins, he leads Woo for her. It is a comfortable proximity for conversation, Seol could see Seo's profile highlighted in the moonlight and deduce when he filtered information.

"But whatever they saw - they will tell the sender?"

"Show," Seo corrects her. "What they saw the sender will see in their dreams." He examines her expression and amusement dances in his silver eyes. "You are fascinated."

"Isn't it fascinating?" Seol inhales a lung full of autumn night. "You will never catch the man behind the breach. Forget men of wind and dust - this is the true form of collecting intelligence."

Seo doesn't answer immediately and when he does his voice is strained.

"It's not as rosy as you think, mama. Bargains between gods and men are not bargains between equals. A man might gain a few victories but lose an entire life trying to settle the debt."

Seol thinks it over. Her eyes rake over Seo who looks thoughtful, as she wonders whether Seo knows how similar to the queen he had just sounded. Before her thoughts have found their destination however, he speaks again.

"Since you've been awfully confident about your riding prowess, would you mind taking the lead back?"

She is taken aback by the suggestion and her eyes narrow suspiciously.

"Kang Seo, are you attempting to deceive me into going back to the palace and to try investigate on your own?"

"Ah," he clutches a mocking hand against his heart. "Your faith in me is moving."

Instead, he hands her Woo's reins and mounts Bi.

"Or would you rather be tempted into a competition?" The mischief in his voice makes her giggle.

"Oh, you have better sense than to race with this princess -!" She leaves the words tinted with a chuckle to trail after her as she kicks Woo into a gallop. The night is clear and mildly lit - and the trek they had taken is fairly free of obstacles. Seol hasn't been exaggerating when she spoke of her riding skills. Of all the animals that she has access to horses are the most adaptable to her whims and she enjoyed the exhilaration of riding. The fresh air that cooled against her skin and threatened to pull strands out from her braid and Seo's laughter behind her - Seol basks in the moment until - until the silence behind her sabotages it.

She pulls Woo into a trot, ears straining to hear the sound Bi's hooves would make. There isn't any hint of it in the autumn air.

"Kang Seo, for your sake I hope you haven't gone behind my back. I'm not going to take this kindly." She makes the warning obvious and her displeasure apparent.

Still there is no reply. Sharply, Seol turns Woo around, the mare protests with an annoyed neigh before complying. Her eyes widen slightly as she scans the moonlight parameter.

There is no sign of Seo.

"Kang Seo!" Fury burns in her voice as she rises it an octave. If there's anything Seol hates more than being deceived, it is being considered a child. It seemed like something which often happened to her. "Seo!"

Despite anger that burns low, worry begins to claw at her. It's highly unlikely that Seo would leave her unaccompanied and undefended at night in an unknown location - when there were obvious signs of enemy activity around.

"Seo?" She tests the call on her tongue, feeling anxious by the passing moment. "KANG SEO!!"

Bending down low against Woo's mane, Seol urges her to gather speed, her eyes peeled for any sign of Seo.

"Huh! Whoah! " Woo is annoyed about the abrupt stop they make. They find Seo and Bi, not much further from where the stone circle had stood.

He is bent over Bi, cheek pressed against the matted gray mane of the pretty mare. Her eyes shift to his hand gripping the reins and she pauses.

"Kang Seo - are you quite alright?"

"I'm fine." The strain in his voice is prominent. Seol reaches over and brushes her fingers along his white knuckled grip, trying to take the reins away from him, succeeding only to turn his eyes on her. The sparkle in the silver is gone. Something heavy sinks to the bottom of her stomach.

"Seo?" Her anxiety rises. "What is wrong with you?"

"Mama…" his voice slurs. "Don't stay here - hurry - leave!"

*