Sword Crossed Lovers

In an age gone by, three kingdoms ruled over what is now known as the Republic of Korea. Silla, Goguryeo, Baekje shared power, but each kingdom vied for more power and control of the region. A young woman named Ye-jin Kim was from the Silla province, as a promise of peace to a lesser lord in the Goguryeo province she was to wed the lord's son. Ye-jin resigned to her fate, knowing she would only be punished if she even tried to refuse.

“I was promised to your father, before I knew him,” her mother attempted to reassure her. “Sometimes love is created from circumstance rather than happen chance.”

On the day of their wedding, Ye-jin was presented to her groom wearing a simple but elegant hanbok. The chima (skirt) part of was a dark red with gold trim, and the jeogori (top) was as white as freshly fallen snow. Ye-jin's raven black hair was tied in a simple braid in the back. As she entered the ceremonial chambers, gasps were heard all around at her beauty. She held her head high and stared at the alter refusing to acknowledge anyone. Making her way to stand beside the man she was to marry, she stopped next to him before finally taking in his appearance. His baji (baggy trousers) were dark blue with silver trim, his jeogori was the light blue of an early dawn.

“Hello. My name is Young-min Yun,” he said with a little bow that melted the ice in her heart.

“Um..Ye-jin. My name, that is,” she breathed. She hated to admit it, but Young-min was very handsome.

The wedding proceedings went on, celebrations carried on through the night. As the years passed, Ye-jin and Young-min cultivated their love and created their life together working the fields together. One fateful day, word came from the households of their respective parents.

“War? What do they mean, war? And our marriage is now void?” Ye-jin crumpled her letter in anger. They demand I return to their house immediately.”

Young-min lifted his eyes in sorrow. “My letter says I am to report to the nearest fort to serve in the conflict. Refusal would mean death to us both.”

Ye-jin felt her heart shatter, when she entered into this marriage she never believed she would be happy. Now she couldn't imagine life without Young-min at her side. She sighed her resignation, there wasn't any point in arguing. She quietly packed what little she needed for her journey and set out for her parent's home.

Young-min watched Ye-jin trudge down the road from the doorway, his own heart a simple lump in his chest. He wasn't happy when his parents arranged his marriage with Ye-jin, but he was smitten from the first time he laid eyes on her. He treated her as a queen these last few years, happier than ever. Now he was to go fight in a war with his love's providence and likely die in service of his own. Gathering his own belongings, Young-min made his way to the fortress. A towering grey-stoned circular structure rose over the horizon to greet his vision within a few hours, two armed guards stood on either side of the giant red door. They crossed their spears and glowered at him menacingly.

“I am Young-min, I have a letter that says to report here for training,” Young-min challenged their stares.

The guard on the left took the letter and stared at it with a squint. Then he grinned broadly, “I can't read this, I don't know why I bothered.” Lowering his spear, he grunted, “Head inside and talk to General Go Sagye, you will find him near the training dummies to the west.”

Young-min found his way to the dummies, a fierce-looking man was barking instructions to a group of sorry-looking men in rags. “Strike your opponents like THIS!” he was saying as he demonstrated a slashing motion on a dummy. “Fear will get you nowhere, if you must feel something, allow your adrenaline to drive your movements!” General Go turned to stare at Young-min approaching and grunted. “Here comes another, likely just as witless.”

Young-min came to a halt, bowed to his new commander, and introduced himself. “I received a letter from House Yun telling me to report here to serve.”

General Go nodded slowly, contemplating what he should do. He grabbed a training sword and threw it to Young-min. “Spar with me, let's see if you have any skill.” The two men moved into an open circle, wooden swords raised. General Go feinted left, swiping right but Young-min easily blocked the attack. With a quick and purposeful jab, Young-min tested his opponent's balance. The general dodged and slashed in return, testing the newcomer again. Young-min parried and circled more, looking for an opening. General Go hacked straight down four times in quick succession before throwing in a low kick. Young-min was able to block and dodge, returning with a quick jab to the general's left side. The match was drawing the attention of more recruits, no one had lasted more than a few moments in the ring with General Go.

With a furrowed brow, General Go changed his stance to one of defensive nature. Young-min

circled back counterclockwise, weary of the general's stance. Young-min feinted a quick strike but the general used the feint to sweep him off his feet and posed over him with his sword at his throat. “You would be dead now if this match were real. However, you show real promise.” Lowering his weapon and offering a hand, General Go helped Young-min to his feet. “I hope the rest of you were paying attention! Read your opponent's movements, predict what he will do next, and be fluid like water!” Clapping his hand on the young man's back, the general led him to become acquainted with life within the fortress.

Ye-jin stared out the window at the gloomy day, wishing her life could return to the homestead she had made with Young-min. She sighed and returned to stitching the linens that would be used to bandage wounds later with the help of honey and herbs. As she worked, her mind wandered to happier times. Working the fields with Young-min, being surprised by little hand-crafted gifts, making meals from fruits of their labors. She used to sing softly while the fire crackled under the moonlight, Young-min loved that. “OW!” Ye-jin put her finger in her mouth, the taste of iron heavy on her tongue. “That's what I get for losing myself in memories,” she thought to herself. It had been a month since she traveled back to her family home, but she couldn't let go of the hope of seeing Young-min again. She was tasked with helping patching up warriors that came from the front, she had a natural talent with herbs that helped her with the undertaking. Theft, on the other hand, was becoming a learned ability.

With every soldier she aided, she took to stealing something from them for her own endeavors. A piece of armor here and there, a hat, and even a sword and dagger. She had hidden the items under the floor, her concern for being caught growing with every item. She eventually decided to relocate the items to a nearby clearing in a forest, hidden under a rock and a self-created hole. The hardest to hide was the sword, she had to dig out a tunnel in the earth deep enough that it wouldn't collapse but was easy to store and retrieve. Under the cover of night, she would sneak out to her stash and practice swinging the sword and dagger. She would put the leather and bone armor on to get used to the weight, chopping, and stabbing in the air. For close to two years, she would close wounds during the day and practice fighting by moonlight. A wounded messenger was brought in, a stroke of luck for Ye-jin. He was carrying troop movements of allies and enemies, as well as maps of where planned battles would be. The next planned battle was in one week's time in a field three days from her home.

Securing foodstuffs, her healer's robes, and other travel items into a pack, Ye-jin set out under the cover of darkness for her secret stash. Donning the armor and tying the weapons to her belt, Ye-jin was startled by the appearance of a Silla soldier brandishing a sword.

“I don't know nor do I care who you are, but I will not go back...” the soldier raised his blade to attack. Ye-jin quickly blocked the attack, grunting with the effort. The soldier brought his sword down in a horizontal chop, allowing Ye-jin to sidestep easily and plunge her sword into his ribs. Blood silently trickled from the soldier's lips, glistening in the moonlight before he collapsed from the blow.

Wiping her blade on his armor, she breathed heavily as it struck her what she had done. She had taken a life, a life that threatened her own, but a life all the same. She steeled her resolve, this was the first life but it wasn't the last life she was going to take. Shouldering her pack, she set off to find the battlefield. Over the course of the next couple of days, Ye-jin carefully plotted her course over paths less traveled. She risked sleeping under the occasional tree, waking at the slightest sound. She finally found a war camp, two days before the appointed battle was to meet. She waited until night fell, then she stole into the camp to gather information. Finding the largest tent, she slipped to the back and peeked through a tear. The tent was void of life, a small stone table was in the center with a brazier burning brightly in the corner.

Light-footed, Ye-jin stepped into the tent, her ears perked up for any signs of anyone coming. Looking at the documents on the table, she saw that the Silla army was easily overpowering the Goguryeo forces in most cases. However, she noticed the name Yun was mentioned in the reports where the battles were lost. Dokkaebi Yun or “demon Yun” was the fanciful name the soldiers dubbed him. “That could be him,” Ye-jin mused to herself. Ye-jin slipped out of the camp unseen, hiding herself nearby to wait for the army to march.

At dawn the morning of the conflict in a damp low hanging fog, the Silla army began their march. The battlefield was only a ten-minute march from their camp, Ye-jin had marched it repeatedly the previous day to time it and get an idea of how she might join the battle. Following after the men, Ye-jin quietly slipped into the formation at the back and marched in time with them until the calls to halt were called. She couldn't tell what was happening at the front, but she could feel the tension of the soldiers around her.

Horns rang out around them, the men started yelling as they squatted down before charging forward with their weapons raised. Ye-jin narrowed her eyes and followed suit, she had no idea what she was doing beyond trying to survive. All around her men were clashing weapons together in combat, stabbing, slashing, piercing flesh, and dying. It was absolute chaos. She lost herself for a moment until a yelling enemy brought her back to her senses. At the last possible moment, she blocked the downward strike with her sword and rolled out of the way of the follow-up blow. The foe's sword struck dirt as Ye-jin quickly stabbed him in the stomach, causing him to fall. More and more opposing soldiers came to fight her, she lost track of everything except her part of the battle.

Young-min moved as if he were dancing, cutting down his enemies with ease. He didn't stop to think, he didn't allow himself to feel. In his mind, a flute was playing his favorite childhood song, over and over, as Ye-jin's face smiled at him. His movements were fluid like water and wind, as unpredictable as a storm. He fought and killed more men than he could count, but today he locked blades and blinked at his opponent's face. She glared at him, then seemed to recognize him as well. He couldn't hear her over the din of the battle, but she clearly said his name. “Young-min...?” Rattled, he broke off and ran, fast and hard from the field towards a copse of trees near a forest. He sliced, parried, and dodged as he ran until he broke free from the battlefield. He had to get her away, he had to be sure it was her. Looking over his shoulder, Young-min saw she had taken the bait. She ignored the combatants as well as she chased him. Smiling grimly, he weaved through the trees and into the woods beyond. He slipped behind a tree, trying hard to catch his breath as quietly as possible.

Ye-jin felt her anger rising as she chased Young-min. It had to be him, why else would he run? The way his eyes had widened and came alive when they had locked blades as well, before that moment they were dead and distant. No, it had to be him. Slowing slightly, Ye-jin entered the woods she had seen Young-min disappear into. She had to find him, but she couldn't risk calling for him. Cautiously, she made her way deeper into the woods.

Young-min took a breath, stepping out from behind a tree with his weapon raised. With a cry of rage, she raised her sword and clashed metal against metal. He parried, she dodged. He swung his sword horizontally at her throat, knowing she would easily deflect it. Time slowed for her as she witnessed a few stray hairs that fell from her helmet being cut as she bent over backward to dodge the attack. She grabbed a small dagger from her waist and sliced into his thigh, causing him to fall back in surprise. She ripped her helmet off and screamed "We were in love, you knew it was me, you saw me on the field and still you insisted on fighting?!"

Young-min removed his hat, breathing heavily. "Were? Were?" He spat. "I never stopped! Not a moment went by that I didn't hope you were safe, far away from all of this." Young-min's face darkened as he continued. “I spent night after night, sharpening my blade dreaming of you. During the time I spent in battle, it was your face I always saw in my mind, smiling at me and encouraging me to finish this war as quickly as possible!” Young-min plunged his sword into the ground, spreading his arms in front of him. "I will always love you. Do with me as you wish, I can't bring myself to harm you, Ye-Jin." Falling to his knees, arms still spread, he closed his eyes, preparing for his end.

Ye-Jin stomped over and slugged him in his right cheek, causing him to fall over. "IDIOT!" Tears streamed down her face. "I will always, in all ways, love you." Taking Young-min's hand in her own, she pleaded with him. "Let us run away, now. Far, far away before either kingdom comes to find us. Let's go find our own happiness, together, in a land far from here. Young-min, shocked, could only nod in agreement. From the battlefield, they could hear cries of victory from one of the forces. They didn't know who won the battle, but they decided to quit the war, to escape from the war-torn lands of Goguryeo and Silla to what they hoped was peaceful Baekje.