Dream in the Sky [Arthdal Chronicles]

Chapter 12: After Silence

Tanya was pretending to listen to Myungjin's ramblings about the influx of new White Peak Mountain's Hearts followers when she overheard the news.

"Are the rumors true?" a street vendor whispered. "About you-know-what."

Tanya stopped in her tracks. There it was, her source of wisdom; she could always count on the merchants to never miss out on gossip while it was fresh.

"They are, I heard it straight from the source!" a patron said.

Tanya couldn't see the patron where she stood in the shade of a stall, Myungjin and her guards between them, but she bet it was one of Hae Tuak's chatty footwomen.

"King Tagon is on his way back from a hush-hush mission! A messenger has just arrived with the news. They say Lord Saya has slain a god!"

"No way! Do you know which god?" asked the excited vendor.

"It's Daraburu. Can you believe it? Daraburu!"

"Daraburu?! Impossible. This is big. Is the former Saenyeok Tribe just going to take it?"

"As if I'd know!" the lackey said. "But for things to come to this... King Tagon and Lord Saya are sons of the Saenyeok Tribe, are they not? Seems like both father and son no longer honor their own god..."

The vendor's gossipy excitement was palpable. "So is it true that the king has made Lord Saya his rightful heir?"

"I heard that the king cleared a room for him in the palace. That's about the same, right?"

They chattered on, but Tanya was only half listening at this point. Daraburu? Palace? Heir? What is it now, Eunseom?

"Niruha? Are you listening?" Myungjin said.

"Ah." Tanya laughed. "Of course I am. Who do you take me for?" She hadn't actually heard any of what Myungjin had said, but it was easy to fix; fortunately, Myungjin's thoughts were easier to penetrate than most.

She opened her mind and reached for Myungjin's. She made a thoughtful hum as she extracted the needed information. "The new believers have to be taught everything anew, I get it," she said sympathetically. "It must be so frustrating for you."

Hearing that she had 'listened,' Myungjin resumed her rant. "Not that we aren't happy about this positive development. Just remembering the days when they hunted and killed us is horrible. But at least Olmadae is back. With him by our side, we will be stronger than ever. And..."

And on she went.

Tanya's thoughts didn't stray from Eunseom for the rest of the day. Something was definitely, undoubtedly wrong, and it left her with a terrible feeling of dread. Eunseom's recent change in behavior had only proven it, and now there were these new rumors...

She wanted to see Eunseom, or at least Mubaek who had accompanied Eunseom on the mission. But they were still on their way back to Arthdal. There was nothing she could do.

Still, by nightfall, Tanya was so restless that she considered taking the risk of going to the Fortress of Fire to await Eunseom's arrival.

She lay awake in her chambers, the night too quiet, too still. She couldn't sleep.

Why could Eunseom never make her stop worrying? These days, she didn't know if she was angry or sad.

Tanya groaned and rolled over for the umpteenth time that night.

Eventually, her eyes grew heavy with fatigue, and she must have dozed off at some point.

But then...

Her scalp tingled, and she woke up with a start.