Inhale.

She focused on her breath as she sat with her legs crossed on the icy frozen lake.

Exhale.

As her breath stalled on her stomach in a shivering fit, she tried to merge her breath with the cold and become one with it.

There was simply no other place she felt more centered. It was her happy place to relax and do her yoga during the spring, but it's all frozen.

Her guard stood at the edge of the lake watching his master do yoga in a bizarre place and in a bizarre manner, but the only thing he could do is to stand guard and watch helplessly.

"Ajusshi," she called out. "What time is it?"

"It's time to continue the journey to your family home," he replied in a careless whisper, then paused as if in contemplation. "Seriously, master should get up from the cold ice , you shall soon become an ice queen if you persist on sitting there ." He scratched his head helplessly and added respectfully, "Please?"

She decided not to torture him any longer and stood up, exhaled deeply and consciously.

"Have you noticed we've merry bands?" she asked resignedly.

He felt she had become delusional with the cold but didn't answer. She smiled at his oblivious expression and walked to her treasured horse, mirth in her eyes.

As the sky blurred up, the fog grew heavier obscuring visions and making one not see beyond five meters ahead, the road looked abandoned and strangely still making one conscious of any sound or motion.

Suddenly, woodpeckers went into frenzy and flew from the treetops as the mist parted. There, just a little bit farther from them emerged the beast. It was both beautiful and dangerous, every human instinct in them could feel the threat and bloodl.u.s.t emanating from it.

It was otherworldly beautiful, gorgeously flurry, pristinely white but extremely dangerous.

A winter wolf.

There was something about the wolf that gave Myung OK a bad feeling, her thoughts linked to all she knew about wolves but couldn't pinpoint what she felt at the moment.

Hiroshi jumped down from his horse and ran blindly towards the wild canid.

Bang! a thought hit her.

Wolves hunt in packs!

Where the hell are the rest?

Howl.

Whimper.

She saw the beauty fall in a dead swoon.

Idiot was the perfect cuss word for Hiroshi but she barely made a sound when a low growl sounded behind her. She didn't look back to identify the source. Only one prayer filled her heart. "Please, don't eat my baby!"

The horse galloped away like a phantom, it could sense the danger and wasn't as stupid as the human male.

Myung OK hastily spared a glance back to ascertain Hiroshi was in her trail, and to her relief he was. He caught up with her in the race , all shaken with fear of the beasts' wake.

They barely passed the danger when the horses neighed and reared up in fright, almost throwing Myung OK off. She looked ahead to see phantom-like shadows moving in the mist, all shady and frightful .

It was an ambush.

Myung OK jumped off from her horse and pulled the tall horse down as arrows rained down on them. Hiroshi's horse snorted and fell down wounded by some arrows. Her horse struggled to stand making her hold it down protectively.

Hiroshi waded off some of the arrows but was caught by one, he used his shield to cover his master who was struggling with her horse, a gift Daejong gave her.

The arrows ceased one moment creating a chance for escape, but she knew there was no escape for them as the men flew down like weightless feathers.

She patted the horse towards the direction they came from, better to pass through a wolf infested path than one filled with assassins. At least, she might outrun the wolves but not an arrow.

They came crashing down on her from tree tops but she felt them hesitate, she looked back to see strange men running towards her with war cries, but their weapons wasn't directed at her but at them.

In a circle formation, she found them, all twenty men shielding her from the assassins as their weapons were all bloody , probably from a fight.

"Forgive me my lady, we slacked off while dealing with the wolves and nearly committed a big blunder," the one whose clothing had little or no blood splash said in one breath, his sword raised in defensive stance.

"Who are you guys?" Myung OK was grateful but puzzled at the turn of event. She was already regretting sending her fiery arrows away but this situation filled her heart with relief and gratefulness. She was especially happy that sending her horse towards the wolves turned out the best decision she made that day .

"The grand dowager sent us to shadow and protect you. We've been watching you ever since you left the palace."

She knew they were being followed, but didn't know if they were foes or enemies considering their distance. Thankfully, it turned out to be friends.

Well, it's not like the assassins would allow them have a decent conversation, they began their attacks ferociously and the guards responded accordingly.

The snowy beautiful paradise turned a battlefield and soaked in blood. Grand dowager's men were good but they were not really up to par with the assassins as they were outnumbered and less trained than their counterparts in the art of killing.

Myung OK saw the dire situation and shook her head dispiritedly.

This situation would not end well.

She took out a sword from a fallen comrade and joined the fight, her will was made up and she swore not to die.

She still had things to accomplish.

People were waiting for her.

Her mom had probably finished cooking her favorite dishes and had set the table.

Her dad was undoubtedly on their porch silently waiting to welcome her home.

Her brother would be home early from the brothel, directing the servants on how to sing a welcome song for her; like he always did.

Daejong...her Soon... was anticipating her return, he's probably thinking up silly things to make her feel loved.

What of her upcoming wedding? the grand dowager is probably picking out her hair ornaments and cloth accessories.

No! she won't die. At least, not this day.

They were dumbstruck as they thought she was helpless; they never knew the true extent of her power. How could they? It seemed as if she simply controlled the falling of the enemies with the flick of her fingers... which is exactly what she hoped they would think; leaving death in her trail.

Her dexterity in combat surprised both allies and foes alike.

Myung OK looked mystical and beautifully dangerous, making the fight extremely intense.

She found herself transformed into a goddess of death, she had never killed anyone but that day her survival instinct kicked in. They were out to kill her, they would die first.

It seemed unending as more assassins emerged, they seemed to be manufactured like war machines as they increased in number.

Hiroshi fought with all he had, the number of their helpers were dwindling speedily making him wonder if they would have survived till that moment if they hadn't come.

An arrow shot out suddenly piercing her on her thigh, there was no time to react as three men were fighting her fiercely.

A cry of pain rumbled out from her throat, but it was no time to pet her wound, after all, the pain is nothing compared to what she had endured .

Like a whirlwind, the remaining men fell like dry leaves, Hiroshi fell last sapping her last strength.

It was over.

A painful jab on her ribs brought her to her knees, she sucked up her pain, spat up some blood and looked up to see the assailant's face . His face had a large scar which ran down from his lower eyes to his cheeks, it was scary and made him mean.

She remembered seeing the man watching silently but didn't see him come close.

"He said you were a mere physician but it turns out you knew martial arts. But there is something about your martial arts that interests and confuses me. I think I have seen it before and it's not something a mere physician, talk more of a mere woman should possess."

One of the assassins urged him to kill the lady immediately as they encountered some losses because of her.

The assassination was meant to last few seconds but thanks to her and whoever the men that protected were, they lost majority of their men in twenty minutes.

The scary man ignored him and continued. "Who taught you those moves. Tell me truthfully and I might consider leaving your limbs intact after your death!"he smirked evilly, cruelty emitting from his eyes.

Myung OK exhaled deeply and ignored him.

The only thing she could do was to drag out time and hope a knight in shining armor would save her.

It was all the same, he would kill her whether she told him or not, but she didn't believe she would die and wasn't deterred from her mission and her true purpose. It seemed to be fueled by each smack he gave her, each kick made her more determined to live and shred the mastermind to pieces.

Frustrated by her silence, he connected his fist with her tummy which sent her sprawling on the ground.

Darkness synonymously came with her pain, her eyes were bloodshot from the intensity and at that moment she made a vow, even if she became a ghost, she would never forgive nor forget this cruelty.

A name came to mind ... a name she would never forget... Choi sang-min!

With her body being frozen in the cold snow, her body began to convulse, but there was another jerky movement she felt as her body laid flat on the cold ground, her own robe soaking her precious blood.

Her left ear was pressed on the snowy ground by the man who placed his boot on her head making it numb, but not numb enough not to pick out the sound.

The sound of her salvation.

A smile suddenly came to her face despite the deathly situation and she raised her numb hands to get his attention.

"I will tell you everything I know," she said inaudibly and with difficulty as he raised her up.

Pressing his ears close to her lips, he heard her say...

"Rest in peace."