Chapter Text
The sun has begun to set, casting an orange glow over the ship. Wooyoung sits atop the rocky cliffside, waiting, mask hiding his face. The ships sails blow in the wind and the flag is blue with a white design in the middle, but Wooyoung knows it's the ship that has the crew to help him.
He's careful in climbing forward and then takes in a breath for confidence. He'll have to jump from a boulder onto the ship, if he misses he could hurt himself and fall in the water, but if he succeeds he may have the attention of the crew on him. He exhales and runs for the side of the ship.
He groans as his arms manage to catch onto the edge of the ship and he climbs over, arms in pain from the force of hitting the ship and chest throbbing as he stands up. He's on the ship now and he'll have to keep quiet. He breathes behind his mask, eyes scanning the desk and he can hear footsteps. He gulps as he presses his back against a wall to one of the quarters and he unsheathes his dagger that was near a sword as well.
He braces himself for a fight and once the crew member passes by him he presses the knife into his back, grabbing into his firm shoulder.
"Take me to your Captain." Wooyoung breathes out through his mask. In the dim lighting of the sunset, no one could probably see the sliver of paint that makes the mask mimic a fox's eyes and snout. Simple, but a marker for who he is.
"Bit of a bold move attacking a man on his own ship." The man's voice is a bit deep. Broad shoulders but only slightly taller than himself.
"Where this knife is placed is the back of your heart. I'm sure I can find your Captain myself then." He presses the knife deeper into the man's shirt. No doubt with only a thin cloth he could feel the tip pressing into him.
"Alright—alright." The man walks steadily, Wooyoung has to think he's only putting up a facade of not being scared, but he walks across the deck and lands on the other side in front of a door.
He knocks.
"It's San." The man groans, obviously annoyed that he has to even disturb the Captain in the first place.
"Come in." Wooyoung makes himself smaller behind the man, San, and follows him into the captains quarters. They're greeted by two other men, one Wooyoung knows is the captain.
"Let him go." The second man immediately says. He's more panicked than the captain which makes Wooyoung almost laugh.
"You—out." He motions to him. The man looks back to the captain as if he'll only do what he says. The captain looks at San's face and then back to his.
"Go, warn the others." The man eyes Wooyoung, who has daggers for everyone that meets his eyes. Even through his mask, he knows how intimidating he can be. The man leaves the captains quarters and Wooyoung shoves San forward.
"You too," Wooyoung hurriedly reaches forward to shut the door behind him before either can make their way back in. He needs to speak to the captain, alone, which is why he turns back around to face him. "I'm here to bargain."
"By threatening my men?" The captain moves for a weapon, one seated by his desk, but Wooyoung brings back his dagger as if he were going to throw it.
"Ah—I wouldn't do that," There's a few seconds where Wooyoung is staring him down but he's staring back He's encountered many people he intended to kill, even for less than reaching for a weapon, but something about the captains stare makes him uneasy. "You need a out of this port."
The captains eyebrows twitch.
"How do you know that?"
"That flag you've been flying is not yours," Wooyoung lowers his dagger though still holds it in his hand. "Your ship is called The Black Dog. You arrived here bearing a smiling black dog on red, yet it's changed because you've been here to long."
He hopes he's saying it right.
"You've been watching us?" The captains narrows his eyes at him. Wooyoung is glad he got under his skin so quickly.
"You need my help to get out," Wooyoung finally breaks their eye contact, opting to turn and look at one of his maps but not take his eyes off of him completely. "I need something in return first."
"And what makes you think I would do any bargaining with you?" Wooyoung excepted him to be so uncooperative.
"You're running out of supplies," He shrugs plainly. He leans forward a bit just to make his point clearer. "No one here will trade with you because the lord liege—or whatever he is, has ordered it so. And you're blockaded in which means you aren't going anywhere."
He's seen the unsuccessful attempts and the way the ships will blockage him in, just because the lord has made it so. The ruler of these lands is a stubborn man, but Wooyoung has his ways.
"And you can help me?" The captain tilts his head ever so slightly. Wooyoung can tell there's an opening for him to worm his way into.
"There's a famous saying," Wooyoung takes in a breath. "The enemy of my enemy."
"I suppose one out of two vigilantes would placate the lord," The Captain seems to have an edge to his words. Wooyoung's eyebrows raise curiously, though no one else knows but him. "What do they call you two? The fox and the owl?"
"We've got many names, Captain," Wooyoung lets himself sound impressed. The pair did have many names, he's not surprised the Captain didn't bring up that he knew of him, only that he's able to use the information properly. He's smart, Wooyoung thinks, he'll have to be careful. "You help me and I help you."
"What do you want?" The captains eyes flicker with something Wooyoung can't place. It interests him all the more. He twirls the blade in his hand, letting the metal handle spin between his fingertips.
"My owl has been caged," The captain finally catches on, looking away as they have both revealed their ends of the deal. "By Lord Min."
"You want my crew to help break him out and in exchange you'll get me off this island?" The captain raises his eyebrows as if he can't believe what Wooyoung is proposing, but he's really just considering, mentally, what to do.
"The Black Dog has a reputation," Wooyoung finally sheathes his dagger in its place next to his sword. The captains eyes dart down to his weapons but then snap up to meet his eyes through his mask. "So do I."
"You're not exactly trustworthy."
"Neither are you," Wooyoung immediately shoots back. "We've got our differences, but I see this as a fair trade. I get what I want and you get what you want."
The captain of The Black Dog, son of a disgraced tradesman who was rumored to be killed by his own son. The captains rumored lover, or half sister depending on who you ask, took over the business. Wooyoung doesn't know what to believe about the captain, but he knows he has to get Yeosang out of Lord Min's grasp.
"I'll have to run it by my men," The Captain looks almost disheveled in this light, now that Wooyoung really looks at him. Ruffled shirt, hair astray, and an annoyed expression. "Are you going to wear the mask the entire time?"
"It's a precaution, you understand, don't you Captain?" Wooyoung opts to look down at his desk, then the sword sitting on its end. He isn't sure he could best the Captain in a fight, but he hopes he wouldn't have to. "Why don't you go and tell your men about our little deal?"
Wooyoung can't remember their names.
It wouldn't be an issue if they were not sneaking into a castle in order to save his closest friend, but luckily they've split off. There's a taller one, slender hands, with a crossbow and the one he threatened earlier, whose name has slipped his mind. He's always been bad at names, that's what Yeosang is for.
The rat catchers, servants, and other lower status personnel use a special entrance near the base of the castle. It smells, it's filled with mud, and it's so dark that their torch is the only sign of life as they walk down. The others are searching the other sides of the castle. After all, they have no idea where Yeosang is.
He didn't even give them his name, all he gave was a description and what to say to assure him that he was really being saved. Wooyoung hoped they would be the one to find him, but he knows that's unlikely, even as they come upon the prison cells.
Wooyoung has his back pressed against the brick wall, thinking he'll have to pull something to distract the guards. He could take on two of them alone, but he needs them out of the way without sending any kind of warning.
"Let Yunho go first." The other man says. Wooyoung thinks their names really don't matter because no one is going first.
"Shut up." Wooyoung has to pull his mask forward just a bit to form an 'o' with his lips and whistle. He draws his sword, hand gripping it carefully, as he hears the man's armor clatter toward them. He rushes forward and pushes against the mans armor only to drive his sword into the man's neck. Rarely, do the knights wear their helmets outside of the battlefield.
Wooyoung readies himself for the next knight, hand gripping his bloody sword, but a thwack sound catches him off guard and then he sees an arrow drive itself into the second guards skull. Wooyoung finds himself surprised, he had expected that to be more work for himself.
Taking that in stride, he marches past the two dead bodies and enters the cells. There's few prisoners, all men, though they're all immediately grasping at the metal bars and pleading for help.
"Do you see your friend?" The one without the crossbow asks. Wooyoung scans the cells, looking and looking, but they're all grabbing and pleading to be let go.
"Be quiet!" Wooyoung shouts so loud that he's sure every guard in the castle must have heard him, but it subdues the unruly prisoners. He kneels down, sword still in hand. "Have any of you seen a man with a birthmark beside his eye? Pale skin, a lisp...hand tremors?"
The prisoners look to each other, silently asking and pressuring someone to answer.
"He was taken up this morning," An older man says from the end of one of the cells. A long white beard protruding from his chin. He shrugs, staring at Wooyoung. "'Fraid he might be dead."
He lets out a huff as he stands up and marches back into the hallway.
"Where are you going?—We can't just leave them here, they'll be killed." The one with the crossbow pleads, but Wooyoung is already out walking out of the room.
"Not my problem." With that, he heads up the stairs to the first floor of the castle. In the dead of night, no servants, Lord Min or any of his family would be roaming the halls. All he would have to worry about is the guards, though only the ones the captains men haven't taken out already.
The two that are supposed to be with him have left to help the prisoners so Wooyoung wanders the castle, alone, and even if he passes dead guards he knew this is how it would end up. He's using the moonlight shining through the windows to make his way through the castle, alone.
He can hear a struggle in the distance, faintly, and he stops in his tracks. He has to listen closely to hear where it's coming from but he walks closer to the walls in order to make himself quieter, but he comes upon the struggle happening openly in the hallway.
The Captain and his men are fending off guards, swords and daggers desperately clanging off of each other, but the captains men prove to be skilled as their are already guards lying on the floor, dead, and more are quickly added on.
But Wooyoung's heart practically leaps out of his chest as he sees Yeosang with his back pressed up against the wall, protected by one of the captains men that have his back to him and his sword to the guards.
He marches forward, eyes fixed on Yeosang. He can see the bruises and busted lip, cuts on his face and his clothes seemed to be bloodied to. They must have tried to beat information out of him.
"Hey—" Wooyoung reaches out to touch him and his hand barely even grazes Yeosang's arm before he's jerking away.
"No—no, I don't want to go!" The fear in his eyes and his face makes Wooyoung's blood run cold. He immediately reaches up and pulls down his mask so it stays around his neck.
"It's me—it's me," Wooyoung looks in his eyes, trying to get Yeosang to recognize him and the second he does, he's reaching forward to wrap his arms around him. Wooyoung squeezes him, hard, with no regard for his injuries. "You're okay."
"You came." He sounds surprised and Wooyoung's heart breaks all the more.
"'Course," He pulls away just to look at Yeosang's face and take in his injuries. They'd heal, but he needs to see them when they're fresh. "I'm sorry I'm so late."
"Cute apology—save it. This place will be flooded with more guards soon." The captain scolds them and Wooyoung has to pull himself into reality. As much has he's glad Yeosang is alive, they still have to get out.
"You can walk, right?" Wooyoung grabs onto Yeosang's hand as though he can't, but he walks just fine. Wooyoung keeps his sword in one hand and the other in Yeosang's as they walk. The eight of them are way too many people to move through the castle stealthily.
Maybe that's why they come upon Lord Min and four guards dressed in their finest armor. It's all for show for someone of his nobility, the guards could be easily taken down.
"The fox and the owl, missing their masks," Lord Min stands in his robes, clearly trying to escape in the night. Wooyoung shifts on his feet, thinking the mask has done nothing to hide his identity around his neck. "It seems you've brought a menagerie with you."
He's referring to the six other people he's dragged along into this mess. Wooyoung turns back and finds the captain, staring at him.
"Captain, take him to your ship." He lets go of Yeosang's hand and someone else grabs him to pull him behind them, out of danger.
"Wait—you can't. You'll make an enemy out of every ally he has—think this through." Yeosang almost says his name like that would stop him, but Wooyoung doesn't care at this point. Name or face, anyone who's seen him won't make it out alive.
"I've thought it all through the second they took you," Wooyoung looks back to the captain. "Take him to the ship. You'll get your leave like I promised."
There's a split second where the captain shows the faintest moment of surprise.
"Mingi and San, stay with him." Wooyoung doesn't have time for names or who is even fighting by his side. He hears the captain take Yeosang away and he swings his sword around in his hand, letting out a sigh.
He makes quick work out of three of the four guards, the last being taken down by one of the captains men. The shorter, yet broad shouldered one he had threatened so long ago.
"Lord Min." Wooyoung half laughs at his name. What a title to lose over having Yeosang less than five days. The Lord himself must pick up on what Wooyoung intends to do.
"You'll make an enemy out of more than half the kingdom," He stumbles back, afraid. Wooyoung marches forward, eyes deadlocked onto him. "You'll be barred from every city and no one will ever pardon you—no matter what story you try to spin."
Wooyoung is sure it's true, but that doesn't stop him from holding out his sword and pressing it against the man's chest, pushing—pushing further into his clothes, then flesh.
"It's rare that it's happened. Our reputation has kept us safe," Wooyoung stares into his eyes, then suddenly pulling the sword out. He had only made a dent, not enough to hurt him, not really. Wooyoung tilts his head at him. "You hurt my brother."
"He's alive—he's barely hurt," He tries to reason but Wooyoung looks away, not believing a word. He saw Yeosang's face for himself. "You won't kill a lord—you'll have every major house chasing behind every move you make."
Wooyoung snaps his eyes back to him, staring hard. The Lord is right, he knows that every major house will be a nuisance.
"Let me tell you something, Lord Min," Wooyoung reaches up and pulls the mask over his face, showing off the design to the lord. He leans forward, just for effect, as he seethes, "I bite like a real fox."
In one, swift, movement Lord Min's head is severed from his body and thuds against the floor. His head even bounces a little as his body collapses a second later. Wooyoung feels the breath drain from him as he takes a single step away, looking down at the dead lord bleeding out onto the castle floors.
Wooyoung had promised the captain a way out of the city, and he had a plan, somewhat, but he reaches down and grabs the lords head by his hair. San and Mingi, as he remembers the captain referring to them as, don't say anything as they follow behind him.
Marching back down to the port is quiet. No one makes any move to ask Wooyoung questions or why he's taken the lords head, it doesn't matter, the chaos at the port proves that someone has leaked the news of the events that happened in the castle. Wooyoung imagines it's the prisoners that were set free or guards who managed to escape.
He finds no spot to stand and make himself taller or for everyone to see so he settles for what he knows best.
"You will let us leave this port!" Wooyoung holds up the lords head that's still dripping blood with how fresh it is. The men, sailors, and pirates all seemed to be stunned by stand still as though that gives them something for them to hide behind. "Or you'll end up like your precious lord."
He drops the head in the mud, marching off to get onto the captains boat. Everyone sees and everyone knows they worked together, but fulfilled his end of the bargain.
"Where is he?" He stares down one of the crew members through his mask.
"Captains quarters." He says meekly, motioning to where it is like Wooyoung doesn't know. He hurries forward, tearing off his mask in the process. It rests around his neck as he opens the door.
The captain is standing at the end of the bed, Wooyoung nearly runs into him, and there's another crew member sitting with a rag and a bucket of water beside the bed. Yeosang is curled up in the corner of the bed, as small as he can get, avoiding looking at anyone
"We tried to help him—or clean him off. He won't let anyone touch him." The man has long black hair and a slender face.
"I'll do it," Wooyoung steps forward and the man is out of his seat rather quickly. He wonders how long they had been trying to coax Yeosang to let them help. He can see the blood all over his body and subsequently, the sheets. "Sorry about your bed."
"It can be cleaned." The Captain shakes his head. Wooyoung reaches down and rings out the water of the rag, then looking up at Yeosang.
"Do you want to start with your hands?" Like we always do, he wants to add, but he knows that's what they always start with. Even as the years pass, it's always the hands they clean off of each other first.
Yeosang timidly scoots forward, legs swinging over the end of the bed so he can put his hands flat on top of his upper leg. Wooyoung gently grabs onto his hands, cleaning off the blood from them.
"I'm sorry." Yeosang whispers like he knows he shouldn't say it.
"No," Wooyoung wipes at his hands. "It wasn't your fault and it wasn't my fault. It just happened."
And he happened to make an enemy out of major royal houses and likely more sailors and pirates than they could take on their own.
"Everyone has seen your face." And Wooyoung wants to ask where his mask is, but he knows Yeosang had likely lost it when he was taken.
"Only the crew." He shrugs. He knows the captain can keep a secret and once he lets them go, he's sure the captain won't go spreading word about what he looks like since he was apart of killing Lord Min.
"Do you trust them?" Yeosang's eyes lift up to try and catch Wooyoung's, but he doesn't want to look at him now. Covered in blood, tired, and upset that Yeosang is hurt.
"I couldn't get you alone." Trust is a strong word, but in a time of need they've proved to be good fighters and empathetic, even if Wooyoung had dismissed releasing the prisoners he imagines they were in there for some petty crime Lord Min deemed bad enough. None of it mattered now, Wooyoung saved Yeosang. That's all he needs.