Brand of the Desert

Broken peace

The months spent beneath the general's roof had, in time, transformed the estate's vast unfamiliarity that had first terrified me into a quiet, ordinary refuge. The smooth wooden floorboards no longer felt alien beneath my boots, and the plain white underclothes had long since become a modest, unstructured hanbok that let me move through the inner quarters without a single rustle. The wound on my wrist had healed completely, leaving only smooth skin where the iron shackles had once dug deep into fresh flesh. The memory of that harsh sand dune now existed only like a faint illusion.

But the peaceful stillness the inner quarters provided did not last long.

Three messenger scouts on exhausted warhorses foaming at the mouth raced straight into the central courtyard. Their dark military cloaks were covered in a thick gray layer of ash. In their hands they carried our city's camp flag, a vivid crimson banner, torn and tattered by the wind.

"General!" the lead scout shouted in a hoarse, terrified voice. The cry echoed sharply across the whole courtyard. "The desert tribes have broken through the lower valley! A massive tribal alliance has gathered along the eastern ridge! Peace has been completely shattered! War has broken out across the entire front!"

The air in the wide room froze in an instant.

Before the scout even finished reporting, the sliding lattice door was shoved open with a harsh scrape of wood. As Hyunjin stepped forward, every trace of his bearing changed completely in the space of a single heartbeat. The easy, quiet curiosity he had shown behind closed doors vanished without a trace, replaced by the fierce, intimidating aura of a pure military commander who dominated the entire courtyard.

He was already wearing the thick, dark leather under-armor of his unit, and the heavy cloth only made his sturdy, broad shoulders stand out more as he looked down at the frantic scouts below. His sharp, dark eyes tracked the tattered war banner. His gaze, reading the messenger's posture and lip movements, was focused entirely on visual analysis.

"Strengthen the outer perimeter." Hyunjin ordered. His deep voice carried a low, resonant boom that silenced the courtyard's chaos at once. Even with fear surging in, he stood tall and issued sharp, absolute, completely steady commands, and the soldiers looked up to catch his swift, directive hand signals. "Assemble the main cavalry unit at the valley bottleneck. Establish the defensive line immediately."

As soldiers raced to arm themselves and the heavy clang of metal plates rang out everywhere, the courtyard instantly turned into a whirlpool of frantic motion.

Hyunjin turned on his heel. His sharp gaze cut cleanly across the open threshold and fixed squarely on me. He strode into the room. Before the chaotic courtyard scene outside could be fully blocked by his massive frame, he closed the distance between us with quick, heavy steps and stopped right in front of me.

He reached out. His large, warm hand seized my shoulder with forceful, firm pressure, pinning me in place. Looking straight down at my face, his dark eyes were deep and unwavering, and his gaze, reading my expression in an instant, was filled with sudden, intense protectiveness.

"The war has reached us." Hyunjin whispered. As he moved close to me, his hot breath brushed my skin, and his broad chest pressed perfectly against mine, rising and falling with quick breaths. His fingers tightened on my shoulder, holding me beneath his gaze. "This estate is no longer safe. Tonight, you'll move with my main force. I won't leave you alone anywhere the desert tribes could find you."

I met his intense, unblinking eyes directly and answered with a firm, determined nod. There was no time to be afraid or hesitate. The estate's safety was gone, and my only choice was to trust him completely.

Seeing my silent agreement, Hyunjin wasted no time. He let go of my shoulder and moved quickly to the heavy wooden chest at the back of the room, opening it wide and taking out smaller, darker leather armor plates made for a young soldier.

He came straight back to me. His movements were urgent yet unbelievably precise. He began wrapping thick leather protection around my chest and torso. Under the warm light of the room, the distance between us was suffocatingly close. With every breath, his broad chest brushed softly against me, and his long fingers moved carefully as he tied the thick leather straps. To hide the fact that I was a woman from the outside world completely, he firmly pressed down the curves of my body. He slipped matching iron guards over my shoulders, then drew up a dark cloth to cover the lower half of my face, leaving only my eyes exposed.

Once the final knot was secured, Hyunjin enclosed my hand in his large, warm palm. His grip was firm and reassuring. He led me out of the room and into the chaotic courtyard.

His broad, solid frame completely covered my back, and his chest pressed firmly against my shoulder. His long arm wrapped around my side as he took hold of the leather reins. Locked securely in his protective embrace, I could feel his heart pounding powerfully and rapidly through the leather under-armor, straight into my spine.

With a rough yank on the reins and a commanding shout, Hyunjin kicked hard at the horse's flank. The warhorse reared its front legs high, then charged violently toward the estate's open main gate. A huge cloud of dust rose as we raced blindingly toward the vast plains, and we thundered at full speed toward the hidden frontline position.