'Leave him alone!'

Jun pounced on Hayu, pinching his head with her arms.

The other boys cheered and laughed as the two were rolling down the hill towards the little pond. Interlocked like two snakes.

Jun had just come back from the forest, gathering branches for the fire, when she saw the five kids poking Miku with a long stick. She had left him there so he could warm up a little in the pale sun. A cold spring morning. Miku, again, had woken up with a pounding headache. Still, they had to do their chores and his father would not soften his heart just because the boy was feeling a little unwell.

'The heat of the iron does not wait for the hammer!' Chul used to say on such occasions.

So they were out collecting wood when Hayu's gang had found Miku. Their favorite target. Whenever they saw him, they delighted in the fact that he did not see them. And yet, he always could sense them coming. Every time. But there was little he could do. They would outrun him. They would outmaneuver him. They would outnumber him. And bully him. Unless Jun was there. Then their teasing was limited to nasty words and whistles. Miku, though, was used to it by now. Twelve years of being a child with no eyes had made him detached. But he saw different kind of things. Jun was often startled by his perception. There had been many times when he knew where a horse that had run away could be found again. Or where the fish in the creek would gather. He could tell that it would rain soon when the sky was still blue. And he knew when it would stay dry even if everyone could see thick dark clouds and hear thunder rolling in.

The two had learned to trust each other's guidance. For Jun, too, was an outsider. A foundling. A bastard. Not from the tribe, maybe not even a Jeong. She was the most gifted rider, even compared to the older boys preparing for their Boro, and that was reason enough to make her an outcast. Another source of contempt was her skill with the bow. Her marksmanship was suspicious. A small partridge mid-flight: Jun would shoot it from two hundred feet. A hare in the dusky light of evening. No match. Even the wiggly trouts in the creek, racing back and forth, would be pierced with an arrow in the blink of an eye. That could not be natural, they said. Some sort of sorcery guides his  hands, they said. Some even swore that they heard he was the offspring of Maju The Witch, who wanted to drop the brat into Panta Hole, but missed, when she was flying to her lair in the Tenshi Forests.

It did not take long and Jun had Hayu pinned to the ground. His face pushed into the mud, the boy was twisting and turning, but she did not let go.

'JUN!!...STOP IT!'

Kemujin shouted. In her rage she had not noticed her father coming and she was stunned as he snatched her from the Hayu's wiggling body. He grabbed her by the neck.

'Why, in the name of An, do you always fight. Leave him alone!'

'But...he...he..!' Jun was grasping for air.

'I don't want to hear a word of it!', Kemujin snapped at her.

'Take Miku and bring the firewood to Chul....and tell Yua I will be home by nightfall.'

'...but Hayu bullied...', Jun tried to explain but a sharp 'GO!' shut her up.

'...Come on..'

She dusted herself and took Miku's arm.

'Let's leave those fools alone...'

Jun knew that her father had a good grasp on what actually had happened. It was not the first time Kemujin had seen the gang play nasty tricks on the two but with Hayu coming from Jidoja's bloodline there was not much he could do. It was politics. The Elders were a step above. Their offspring too.

'...The blind and the bastard....The blind and the bastard...', they could hear them chant while Jun was picking up the bundle of wood.

'Are you alright, Miku?

'Yes', he replied indifferently as they trotted off.

Sometimes it was hard even for her to understand if he had given up entirely or if he was just drifting with his mind - to far away places. Maybe the nasty words don't bother him, maybe he really does not care, she thought to herself.

'I do care...a little', he suddenly said.

'It's just...I cannot do much about it...you know?'

'How did you know?' Jun asked perplexed.

'..Know what?'

'...what I...ahh...never mind. Let's go home...'

Weaving fates with Miku had woven their minds too. He could listen to her silence - and hear it like a song.

When they reached their huts Yua was cleaning the stove. It was the day of the Blue Emperor so the grain had to be cooked and the food prepared for the week.

'Put the wood on the ground. I am not ready yet.',

Yua mumbled without turning around.

'And then go and tend Maja. Kemujin said she is limping a bit...by the way...did he find you or are you two are back because you want to sweep the floors?'

She turned around with a cheeky smile. When she saw Jun's scratched face her jovial mood vanished instantly.

'Did you fight again?'

'They bullied Miku!'

'It was no big deal...', he hastened to say '...didn't bother me...'

Yua came up to him and brushed the hair out of his face.

'Was it Hayu and his gang again?'

'...it was nothing, really...they are just stupid...and afraid'.

'Miku...', she softly said '...sometimes I wish I had your vision...'

It was rare in boys and even rarer to be palpable at such a young age but as one of the moon-women she could sense that Miku had the gift, undeniably.

'...You see the things as they are...and that's what makes them afraid...'

'I know...That's why it does not really bother me a lot!'

'Next time...', she turned to Jun

'...just walk away. You know that Hayu thinks he is something special...but I fear his blood is like dew. Gone when the sun rises higher.'

She looked up to the far away peaks of the Tenshi Mountains. The last of the snow glistened in the sunlight.

'The Boro will not be easy for him...'

Then, attending to her cooking preparations again:

'...Which makes me think...When you two are finished with the wood and Maja, you can grab your bow. See if you can find a hare or some fowl...it would be nice to add some meat to the stew.'

It was twelve years that Maja had found Jun on the day the Tenggo had raged out west in the plains. She had become old now. Her back was sagging and she was laming frequently, but her eyes were not dulling yet. When she heard Jun and Miku coming she acknowledged them with a long snort.

'Hello Maja...What is it with your leg?'

They stopped at a distance from her.

'Come here...Come...'

First Maja was reluctant to move. But after a Miku streched out his hand she slowly started to trot towards them. Her right front leg laming slightly.

'Come on, my friend...let me have a look..'

Jun tapped her on the shoulder and Maja lifted her hoof. A bloody patch the size of Jun's thumb. It looked bad.

'Ohh dear...poor Maja...'

'What is it?', Miku wanted to know as he scanned the leg with his fingers.

'...Is it this bloody spot again?'

'Yes...looks bad. Worse than the last one, anyways..'

'Hmm... we have to find some dragon locks.'

'But the nights are still too cold...it does not grow that early'.

'Maybe in the clearing in the birch forest. The plants grows sooner there...'

'hmmm...maybe...but we have to take Hiji. It is too far to walk. Can you get her ready, I go and tell mother.'

Miku nodded. He whistled, a long falling sound with a short rise. Instantly Hiji was loping over neighing wildly. The mare was still young, but curious and playful with a strong mind. Some day, Kemujin used to say, she would take over Maja's lead. And now, with Maja growing frailer every moon, it seemed this day was coming fast.