TGW Chapter 38 Part 4

 

At first, Sienna was startled when Rit began running, but she soon regained her composure and pulled hard on the reins. However, no matter how much she tugged, Rit did not respond.

Her riding skills were exceptional. As Kuhn once said, she was quite strong "for a woman" and was usually able to control horses easily. But she realized now that Rit had only been obedient because it chose to be. Rit had never been a trained horse.

The pace quickened, and Rit ran even faster. The scenery around her blurred as it zipped by. The wind roared in her ears. Sienna also realized that Rit had always run at a reasonable speed in the palace riding grounds, never showing its true potential.

‘Why is Rit acting like this?’

Despite Rit’s sudden burst of speed, its posture was stable. It wasn’t frenzied or agitated, and it hadn't been startled by the earlier threat of the monster. Sienna was puzzled as to why Rit was running now that the danger had passed. They couldn’t keep running indefinitely.

‘It’ll stop eventually,’ she thought.

Gripping the reins tightly, she leaned forward to reduce wind resistance. Although she worried about the people left behind, Kaligo had handled the monster, so she felt they would be fine.

‘Kuhn is here.’

The image of Kuhn driving his sword into the beast’s head kept flashing before her eyes. Even though his face had been hidden by a helmet, she knew the moment he appeared. He was the only one who made her heart race like that.

The black-hilted sword embedded in the monster’s head was a striking sight. As she held her breath and watched the hunt, she prayed with all her might that he wouldn’t be hurt.

It was frustrating that their reunion had been delayed yet again. Seeing that man’s face, even for a moment, seemed almost impossible.

---

Kuhn repeatedly kicked his horse’s sides, urging it to run faster. But no matter what, he couldn’t close the distance to the white horse. His steed was a specially bred horse with superior strength, size, and speed, yet it couldn’t catch Rit.

‘Now that I think about it, this is where I found that horse.’

Rit had grown up in the desert, so it must have learned how to run more efficiently on sand.

‘Does it have a destination?’

From behind, he noticed that Rit wasn’t running straight but veering slightly to the left.

Kuhn tossed aside his helmet, annoyed by how it obstructed his view. He felt for the cord around his neck and pulled out a small whistle, which he blew sharply.

He sharply turned his horse to the left, assuming Rit would continue in its current direction. His plan was to intercept it, slow Rit down by blocking its path, and then use a rope to catch and stop it. He mentally rehearsed his approach.

As he changed direction and descended a sand dune, Rit and Sienna disappeared from sight. His mouth felt dry with anxiety. If his prediction was wrong, he might lose her entirely.

He kept glancing up at the sky, hoping to see what he was looking for. Finally, it appeared—a hawk. Kuhn blew a short series of notes on the whistle.

The trained hawk responded immediately, circling in the air and searching for nearby movement. It swooped, paused briefly, then circled again—indicating the white horse running below.

Kuhn tracked the hawk, adjusting his direction accordingly. As he crested another dune, he saw the white horse in the distance. If he kept going straight, he could intercept Rit. He reached back, grabbing the rope coiled around his saddle.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned ahead. In the distance, he noticed a cluster of rocks, all similarly shaped, with small bases supporting much larger tops.

‘Mushroom rocks?’

It seemed Rit was heading straight for them. Kuhn released the rope in his hand. If Rit had a clear destination, it might be safer to let things play out. Forcing Rit to stop too abruptly could cause Sienna to fall and get hurt.

He quickly adjusted his plan. She would likely feel anxious alone in the middle of the desert. His new goal was to ride alongside Rit and let her know he was there.

‘Hmm?’

Kuhn’s head jerked to the side. Far in the distance, the sky was filled with a yellow haze.

‘Damn!’

A sandstorm, thick with dust, was barreling toward them. The fine sand of the desert, when whipped into a storm, became a terrifying force. The corpses left in the wake of a sandstorm were often gruesome, their skin torn and bloody.

For the dead, there was at least the small mercy of knowing their suffering hadn’t lasted long—most victims suffocated when their airways became clogged with sand.

‘Is that why Rit’s heading for the mushroom rocks? Did it sense the sandstorm?’

The mushroom rocks had formed over many years, carved by the harsh desert conditions. Their unusual shapes were the result of relentless weathering.

Those rocks had withstood countless sandstorms. There was no better shelter in the desert.

“Sienna!”

She turned her head at the faint sound of someone calling her name. In the distance, riding diagonally toward her, was the man she had longed to see.

“Kuhn!”

Kuhn’s eyes met Sienna’s, and he pointed in a direction. Sienna nodded in response. Although it was the same direction Rit had been running toward, there was a big difference between being dragged to an unknown place and consciously heading toward a destination.

Sienna adjusted her grip on the reins, using her riding skills to steer Rit while loosening and pulling the reins at the right times. Both horses raced toward the mushroom rock formations. As they neared the rocks, Rit began to slow down. For the first time, it felt like Rit was responding to her commands. She followed Kuhn further into the rock formations.

Kuhn stopped his horse and jumped down. Sienna pulled on the reins, and Rit obediently halted. Kuhn rushed toward her, extending both arms.

“Hurry!”

His urgency was clear. Without hesitation, Sienna jumped into his arms, and Kuhn lifted her up, running toward shelter.

He scanned the area, searching for a suitable refuge. Spotting a hollowed-out space beneath one of the rocks, he pushed Sienna into the small cave and stood in front, using his body to shield her.

Moments later, the world was engulfed by a thick cloud of yellow dust, carried by the fierce wind. The sound of sand striking the rocks was deafening, like a relentless barrage. The wind howled as it passed through the cracks in the rocks, producing a ghostly wail.

Despite the rocks covering more than half of their bodies, and Kuhn using his own body as a shield, sand still managed to find its way into their eyes, noses, and mouths. Sienna pressed a hand to her mouth and shut her eyes tightly.

The sandstorm lasted a long time. It was hard to tell how much time had passed before the howling winds gradually subsided. After so much noise, the sudden silence felt eerie.

As Kuhn’s arms loosened their grip around her, Sienna opened her eyes. Their gazes met.

“Are you hurt?” Kuhn asked.

Sienna shook her head briefly. Kuhn sighed softly and rested his forehead against her shoulder.

The last few days had been harrowing. He had no idea how he’d managed to make it this far. He hadn’t slept in days, but it was as if sheer adrenaline had kept him going, pushing away his exhaustion.

He had prayed that nothing would happen to her, then found himself mentally cursing the world, threatening any gods that might be listening if she were harmed. He was far from rational.

Feeling a hand brush his hair, Kuhn lifted his head. Sienna was gently brushing away the white sand that had settled on his black hair, but her hand paused. Her fingertips cautiously grazed his cheek.

“Ah... It really is you, Kuhn.”

Even seeing him with her own eyes and touching him with her hands, it still didn’t feel real. The man who hadn’t sent her a single word in over four months, who had disappeared without a trace, had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. A bright, pure smile spread across her face, filled with joy.

“And yet you...” Kuhn began, his voice tinged with emotion, but he stopped. He couldn’t find the words to express the complex feelings swirling inside him. Even in life-or-death situations, his heart had never felt this way before. He felt as if he had lost half of his lifespan in sheer fear for her safety.

“I didn’t ask much of you. You promised me you wouldn’t take reckless risks. Why are you here in the desert when you’re supposed to be safe in the palace?”

Sienna’s expression soured slightly. She was so happy to see him after all this time, and here he was scolding her.

“I’m on a diplomatic mission,” she replied, pouting.

“The Iron King was supposed to come. If you were coming, you should’ve informed me ahead of time. What if I had been late or we had missed each other?”

“Didn’t you come because you got word from Levan?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then how did you know to come?”

“It’s a long story, and now’s not the time for that,” Kuhn replied, avoiding the question.

“I didn’t come here recklessly. I’m on a mission from the allied nations, and I received the sacred tree’s leaves from His Majesty to protect myself against the monsters.”

“Then you should have used those leaves to protect yourself! Why did you face the desert beast?”

“And leave everyone else behind?”

“Who cares about everyone else?”

“Kuhn!” Sienna exclaimed, shocked.

Kuhn cupped her face in both hands.

“Can’t you at least do that for me?”

Sienna was left speechless as she gazed into his desperate eyes.

“Can’t you just protect yourself for my sake, regardless of what happens to everyone else?” Kuhn’s voice was filled with pleading.

He rested his forehead against hers.

“If my desire to keep you safe is too selfish, then I can let go of everything else. All I want is for you to live in this world, unharmed and happy. That’s truly all I ask.”

His soft, urgent whisper sounded like a heartfelt plea. Sienna closed her eyes as tears welled up. She realized that what he wanted was exactly what she wanted. She, too, wished for nothing more than for Kuhn to live a healthy and happy life, somewhere out in the world.

If his happiness meant she had to leave him, she could do it. She could endure the lifelong pain of a broken heart if it meant he would be safe.

But as strange as it seemed, knowing that they shared the same feelings made her want to hold on to him even more. No matter what thorny path lay ahead, she wanted to walk it with him by her side.

“Kuhn.”

There was still one thing she hadn’t told him—the final lock on her heart. She knew that once she opened up fully, everything would change. So, even though it felt cowardly, she had hesitated until now.

“I love you.”

The magic of those words was extraordinary. In that instant, she felt herself transform. She felt like she could do anything, even things she never would have imagined if it meant protecting her love. There were no more taboos if it meant keeping him by her side.

Sienna looked deeply into Kuhn’s eyes, which seemed to swallow up all the light around them. His dark eyes were unlike the light-colored eyes of most high-ranking nobles who mixed with the imperial family. When she first met him, his gaze had felt foreign to her.

But at some point, she began to find his dark eyes magnificent, as if they could absorb all the world’s light. And when he looked at her, those strong eyes softened, making her feel like the only person in his world.

“I love you, Kuhn.”

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