Author Note: I apologize that this has been the only thing I've managed to put up so far this month—and that it's actually after midnight, argh. Busy and tiring days! My writing schedule has also gotten out of hand, but there's more details about that in my profile. Rest assured, though, that I'm doing my best. Thank you so much for your patience and I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story. :) I also apologize if the pacing is awkward in this chapter... It's still something I struggle with. Heck, I apologize for any typos/grammar errors/totally messed up wording for this chapter. I just really wanted to put it up for you guys and stop nitpicking at it. :( I proofread it so many times I'm now sick of it, haha.

On an unrelated note, did you guys know that Lai/Lee and Mao/Mariah are actually brother and sister? I found that out recently, much to my surprise. Either I'm blind and/or deaf, or they overlooked that in the anime dub. XD I never knew!

Also for those interested, I'm currently open for short story prompts! The full details are in my profile, so feel free to have a look if you have a short idea you'd like to see me write for you.

The Great War of the Clans
Chapter 3
Lying In Wait

Things grew frantic for Rei after he was unexpectedly appointed his tribe's next Leader. He felt stunned for the first few days and didn't know what to do with himself. Burying his mind in his training and chores only worked for a certain amount of time; someone would inevitably bring up his big position change and leave him feeling scared and numb again.

His friends held a small celebration for him immediately after the Election, which was a nice thought but only ended up making him feel more miserable. What did lift his spirits was the late night talk he had alone with Lai afterward, about the suddenly changed future as well as trivial things from the past. Confiding in his brother was just what he needed to temporarily clear his mind and get a little bit of rest that night. Much to Rei's delight, their talks began to grow more frequent after that. He and his brother hadn't spent so much time talking since they were kids, regaling each other with fantasized stories of adventure. Having Lai there for him was what made the next few weeks something close to tolerable.

The day after the announcement, Hu paid a brief visit to Rei's home early in the morning to explain that he would be leaving for the next fortnight on business. Rei, still tired and overwhelmed from the day before, panicked at the idea of being left alone to deal with the rest of the village. Hu reminded him he wasn't the Leader yet and that he had to stay focused on his studies, which would be changing soon to suit the topics he needed to learn about. Rei didn't know what it was about Hu, but he had a knack for calming people. He supposed it came with being a Leader, which only served to heighten his nerves and feelings of inadequacy even more.

The first few days of Hu's absence were the most difficult. The announcement was still fresh in everyone's minds, making it nearly impossible for Rei to escape the stares. He was quickly overcome with the constant buzz of excitement and gossip that enveloped him everywhere he went, and while he didn't overhear much in the way of negative commentary, he tried his best to avoid all of it completely—good or bad. Once the second week began and the villagers had mostly exhausted their source of gossip surrounding him Rei found it easier to relax and focus on his future task.

Shortly after Hu's departure, Rei's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to ask the Elders why he had left. They were hesitant about giving their answer at first, and only said that he was taking his turn as a scout with a group of other warriors to patrol the perimeter of their lands. Rei had no reason not to accept their answer, but their increasingly strange behaviour when it came to Hu made him wonder what was going on. However, he decided he had too much on his mind at the moment to really worry about it.

Once things had settled down in the tribe and Rei could train and study peacefully again, nothing else particularly special happened—until the day Jun finally came home.

It was unexpected, as the warriors' returns often were, and it made the tribe come alive with excitement. Rei was surprised to see the group of villagers gathering near the entrance of their humble community and ventured over to see what was going on. An elderly but enthusiastic woman quickly explained to him without prompting that the signals had been lit. Sure enough, when Rei backed up and looked to the distant left of the village he saw the tip of the tower situated just inside the forest was alight. It was their signal fire, alerting the clan that someone was approaching. In the days of war it had been used as a warning that an enemy was on their way to attack, but the system had eventually become a sign of happy returns for the villagers.

Rei found it relieving to be amongst a crowd of people who were talking about something other than him for once. He could feel the anticipation rolling off of every person there, each one waiting for a friend or loved one to return safely from their mandatory patrol. Every male villager over the age of eighteen was required to participate in both scouting patrols, which took place every fortnight and also lasted a fortnight on average, and hunting groups, which set out twice a week to hunt for food to feed the tribe. Normal patrols surveyed the White Tiger lands, but there were also guard patrols that protected traders to and from their village and then back to the ones they had come from. None of them were considered a safe job and most of them separated their families for long periods of time, so naturally it was a big occasion when they returned.

Out of the corner of his eye Rei noticed Mao ushering Xia out of her hut, tugging on her arm excitedly. The sight made his stomach drop and he wished he could send Xia back inside. Perhaps he was being pessimistic, but he thought it would have been better for Xia if she found out Jun hadn't come back later on, rather than watching everyone but her husband emerge from the trees. It made him feel even more sick when Shen hurried outside after his mother and clung to her leg, looking nervously at the large throng of people. If Jun wasn't one of the returning tribespeople, so close to Xia's due date, it would be crushing for his family.

Rei turned his head at the sound of Xia's name being called and relief flooded through him. A black-haired man had broken away from the rest of the ranks and took off running toward Xia. She couldn't help herself and broke down in tears, trying to hurry out to meet her husband despite the awkwardness of her stomach, but he quickened his pace to catch up with her before she could get far. He embraced her tightly for a moment, then bent over to pick up Shen, who was smiling widely, and then hugged the both of them. Rei couldn't help but smile along with the reunited family, especially at the sight of Shen with his father. They were almost mirror images of each other.

Rei slipped away unnoticed by the crowd and made his way home. Jun and Xia's reunion was a private one, just like everyone else's, and he didn't have anyone to wait for.

.x.

Rei was startled awake early one morning exactly two weeks after Hu's departure. His mother was in the doorway, whispering his name urgently. Mind fogged with sleep, he glanced at the barely lit window and then at his brother, who was snoring softly with his mouth hanging open. Unable to make sense of the situation, he simply stared dumbly at his mother.

"The Leader is here for you," she whispered. After realizing what she said, she amended, "I mean, Hu is here for you."

She left as Rei got to his feet and began scrounging around in the semidarkness for presentable clothing, which took a surprising amount of time. He finally emerged from his shared bedroom with his hair still loose and tousled, squinting slightly as he adjusted to the candlelight. His father was at the table, looking very much like Rei with haphazard clothing and mussed hair, but trying his best to be formal as he sat across from Hu, who was the total opposite with his long hair brushing his bare back smoothly. When he glanced in Rei's direction he smiled, looking wide awake.

"Good morning, young Leader," he said by way of greeting, making Rei feel uncomfortable as he looked him up and down with amusement. "I apologize for troubling you so early, but I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to it."

Rei didn't know what to say. His mind still wasn't functioning properly and he wasn't yet convinced that the scene before him wasn't a dream. Hu sitting so casually at his kitchen table—someone of importance in such a mundane, familiar environment—wasn't something he was accustomed to. All he could do was blink slowly.

Hu laughed lightly and rose to his feet. "How about I give you a few minutes to get yourself together? Don't bother with breakfast, though—we've got a bit of training to do, and then I'll have a meal prepared for us at the Elder's hut."

Hu was out the door before Rei could think of how to respond. His parents looked at him with sleepy smiles, somehow still beaming with pride. He couldn't help smiling back, even though he was beginning to realize what was in store for him now that Hu had returned. Having the transfer of power postponed made it easier for Rei to pretend it wasn't going to happen at all. Not to mention the fact that he had been allowed to remain in his family's residence only because of Hu's absence. Now he was going to have to prepare himself to move into the Elder's hut, where he wouldn't have the silent comfort of Lai sleeping in the same room and knowing his parents were only a few steps away.

"Go back to bed," he told them. "Thanks for getting me up, though I'm sorry for the trouble."

They didn't wait to be told twice. Both of them kissed him on top of the head on their way back to their room, his mother whispering "good luck" as she passed.

Rei looked down at himself and realized his shirt was inside out. It was going to be a long day.

After finding more appropriate clothing—loose-fitting and thin, suited for exercise—Rei really only had time to brush and tie his hair. It was a lengthy process every morning and Hu returned before he had even finished. They exchanged a greeting and then Hu leaned against the doorway silently. Rei felt nervous braiding his hair with the older man's eyes on him and tried to finish up quickly.

"You're very good at that," he commented softly, his low voice easily audible in the quiet house. The sound made Rei jump a little.

"Th-thanks," he stuttered, flashing an embarrassed smile and then focusing even harder on tying the end of his hair. He didn't want Hu to notice his hands shaking.

"All set, then?" the Leader asked as Rei finished the knot, pushing away from the wall. Rei nodded and stood, waiting for instruction. "Good clothing choice. I know you already have a physical training regimen, but Leaders have to be trained as warriors. I'm afraid that means it's going to become a lot more rigorous, but I think you'll adapt well enough. The first thing we'll do today is a morning run. Ready?"

Rei wanted to say no, but instead he nodded. Hu smiled proudly and stepped outside.

Although Hu had warned him the physical training was going to get harder, he didn't expect such an onslaught so quickly. Rei was doubled over and panting by the time they reached the doors of the Elder's hut, the sun already beating down on his back as it climbed steadily through the sky. Hu made him run laps around the village, followed by repeated climbs of the formidable ceremonial steps leading up to the Elder's hut.

"Now is when I'd begin the hand-to-hand combat training with you—"

Rei's head jerked up to stare at him with wide eyes, chest still heaving.

"—but I think we'll have to work into that more gradually," Hu finished with a laugh.

Rei allowed himself to collapse on his front in the cool grass, letting the morning dew soothe his burning skin. Hu continued to chuckle, resting casually against one of the carved wooden posts supporting the hut's overhang. Rei stared at him discreetly through the mixture of his bangs and the blades of grass. He couldn't figure out how he did it; the man was only just out of breath, and yet Rei, twenty-seven years younger than Hu, could barely stand up.

"Your body will adjust," Hu said, almost as if he knew what Rei was thinking. "It took me a long time, too. There's nothing wrong with you. In fact, you're in excellent shape. I'm impressed."

Rei didn't comment. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the pale blue sky, letting the chilly morning breeze combine with the dewy grass to cool down his overheated body. For a moment, with everything else out of his line of sight, he could pretend he was all alone in that beautiful morning, simply basking in the sun and enjoying the nature around him with no other goal or motive. In actuality, he was training to become Leader for an entire village, something he knew next to nothing about, with no one to help him except for a man he had barely spoken to before the Election. He closed his eyes and wished desperately to be able to rely on his older brother for protection, like when they were children. But he knew that this time, no matter how much Lai might want to, he couldn't protect Rei at all. It was his turn to be a grown up.

"The exercise messed up your hair," Hu said softly from somewhere close by.

Rei jumped to his feet out of fright. He hadn't even heard Hu move, too lost in his own thoughts to keep his senses alert. The man remained crouched beside where Rei's head had lain, smiling toothily up at him.

"Would you like help fixing it? I have some experience," he said, shaking his head just enough for some of his own long hair to slip over his shoulder.

"It's fine how it is," Rei said awkwardly.

For a long moment they simply stared at each other, making Rei feel uncomfortable, but he thought it would be rude to break the eye contact. Finally, Hu stood and said, "I'll go put in our breakfast order. Anything special you'd like?"

Rei shook his head.

"Alright. Come on inside and wait wherever you please. It shouldn't take too long."

Hu strode into the hut without further comment. Rei followed after him a moment later, keeping his distance, and when he entered the building Hu had already disappeared. Seeing no one else around, Rei cautiously ventured down a random hallway, peering hesitantly into the open rooms and wondering where the kitchen was and where Hu had gone. It was a bizarre feeling being in that place, not knowing where anything was, and yet having the knowledge that it was going to be his next home. He had no idea how he was going to adjust.

Rei returned to the entrance hall and seated himself on the steps that led to the raised platform the head table was on. It was the same room he had been elected in, and looking at it from his current place in life made him feel strange and somewhat nauseous. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye and he still didn't know how he was going to manage it all, despite Hu's reassurances. He wasn't a responsible adult who had thought long and hard about his future; despite being a grown man, he still felt like a child, and he had more or less decided to do with his life what his village needed him to do. In a way, Rei mused, he was really doing just that: The village had decided they needed him to be its leader, hadn't it?

It felt like a long time later when Hu reappeared, looking surprised when he finally found Rei. He had a towel draped around his neck.

"What are you doing there? I said you could go where you wished," he said, looking caught between confusion and amusement.

"I didn't want to go somewhere I'm not supposed to," Rei mumbled.

Hu shook his head and chuckled. He stepped toward him and threw a second towel that Rei hadn't realized he was holding in his direction. Catching it deftly, he could feel that it was dampened.

"Thank you," he said politely and began mopping his skin with it, before resting it against the back of his neck in a mirror of Hu. "That feels better."

"Breakfast will be served in a few minutes. Come. I'll take you to the dining hall."

Hu inclined his head toward the corridor winding off to his right and Rei stood up to follow him. The dining hall turned out to be the room at the end of the rather short corridor. Rei entered after Hu, following his lead and feeling like a lost child the whole time. The older man pulled out a chair for Rei, momentarily surprising him. He thanked him quietly, aware of how his voice echoed in the spacious room. Elegantly carved wooden plates and chopsticks were already laid out on the table.

"You should feel comfortable enough to come and go anywhere in this house at your leisure," Hu said as he sat down at the place across from Rei. "It's yours now, too—more so than it is mine anymore. You'll be moving in soon enough."

Rei felt his stomach clench and suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore. "When will I be doing that, exactly?"

Hu rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands, pressing them against his mouth. He hummed for a moment, then said slowly, "Considering my abrupt departure postponed it, I suppose the transition should best be done in the coming week."

Rei felt the uneasy thoughts rushing back into his mind and he wished he could stop them; they made him feel sick. Suddenly he realized if he was replacing Hu as Leader, surely he was taking his place in his home as well.

"Will you be moving out?" he asked quietly, trying not to seem impertinent.

"Yes," Hu said after a brief hesitation.

"Where will you live?"

"Well," the man said slowly, "I haven't quite decided yet. I might take a home in the village, or I might go back to where my parents raised me. I might drift between the two, or end up doing neither. I tend to be a rather spontaneous sort of person."

Hu's orange-gold eyes bore into Rei's and it was hard to look away. There was something in them that Rei couldn't decipher, something secret that Hu seemed to almost dare him to try and discover. Hu was a mystery in so many ways and it made him both intimidating and captivating. Rei found himself, against his better judgment, wanting to know more.

Just then a woman wearing a vivid orange dress entered the room, a large covered tray in each of her hands. She kept her head lowered respectfully and set the trays on the table, uncovered both of them, then bowed and left the room quickly. Rei assumed from her demeanor that she was a servant, and he would come to learn that all of the servants adhered to a similar code of dress.

Hu reached for one of the trays and slid it closer to Rei, then took the other for himself and began adding the food to the plate in front of him. Rei hesitantly did the same. The smell of the food brought his hunger back, albeit only slightly. He transferred half of the chicken and hash-browned potatoes that were on the tray to his own plate, not wanting to take more than he could eat.

Hu noticed his small portions. "Not to your liking? I can have it redone for you."

"No," Rei said quickly. That Hu would even suggest such a thing shocked him. He hated the idea of troubling the people who had already put so much work into cooking his meal, and he was repulsed by the idea of being so wasteful. The White Tigers were not a rich clan by any means, and he didn't want to believe that while the villagers were struggling to keep their family's bellies full their own leaders sent meals back and asked for new ones in their place. He realized if that was indeed the case he might have the power to change it when he was officially Leader. Perhaps the position wouldn't be all bad. "The food looks fine. I'm just not that hungry," he added.

"Nerves," Hu stated rather than asked.

Since it wasn't a question Rei didn't feel it necessary to respond. He hesitantly started his meal and was deeply impressed after just the first bite. His mother was a wonderful cook, but the food in front of him was unlike anything he had ever tasted. It had spices he was unfamiliar with, making it taste almost like a foreign meal. It didn't take long for him to clean his plate and then finish off the other half he had left on his tray. When he looked up afterward he realized Hu was watching him with something strange in his eyes. The older man hadn't even finished eating his own meal yet. Rei felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

"It's good, isn't it?" Hu asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Rei just nodded. Hu resumed eating while Rei sat quietly, fidgeting with his hands under the table. There was a brief moment of awkward silence once the Leader had finished, but then he stood and gestured for Rei to do the same.

"We'll begin the more boring studies now," he said with amusement, "which will, unfortunately, take the most time to do. I think you'll come to enjoy the physical training more after a few days of this."

Rei already agreed with him after only a couple of hours in the stuffy work room.

.x.

It had been a week since Rei began his Leader training, and while his body was gradually adjusting to the physical strain and he had learned a lot about his new responsibilities, there was one thing he couldn't get used to: Hu.

For a while he told himself he was imagining things and stretching something innocent into something corrupt. But then he began to notice the way Hu's eyes looked when he did things, and then the acts got progressively more deliberate. It was easy to accidentally brush against someone's skin, but tucking someone's hair behind their ear couldn't be anything but intentional.

Rei was too scared to say anything about it, worried he would be acting insubordinate, and he already had too many things he could do wrong and mess up to risk anything further. He also never did anything deeply inappropriate so Rei didn't think he had any right to complain. And if he was completely honest with himself, he didn't mind that much. There was a strange rush associated with Hu's rough hands lightly brushing against his skin that set his heart racing. It made him feel almost desirable, something he had never considered himself to be.

Rei, like anyone else who had survived puberty, had thought about relationships and the things they entailed, but he never had much of a desire to act on those thoughts. Besides, there was no one he knew in his village that attracted him enough to consider becoming mates with. A few people of varying ages and both genders had asked him to consider them, but after rejecting all of them the younger ones took it upon themselves to spread rumours that made Rei unappealing to any potential suitors. No one had expressed a romantic interest in him since. It made him feel somehow defective, and he had given up on pursuing anyone. Lai made him feel better by swearing off mates so they could stay single together—although he had his fair share of askers, all of which he turned down. He reassured Rei about his choice by reminding him that brothers were more important than lovers.

But now there was an older, powerful, dangerous, attractive man who seemed at least somewhat interested in Rei, and it made him feel strange and conflicted and pleased all at the same time. He didn't know what to do, especially since he wasn't even sure if he wanted the touches to stop, so in the end he chose to say nothing.

The thing that concerned him the most was why. He couldn't fathom why someone such as Hu would see someone like him in that way and be so forward about it. He wasn't overly attractive in his own eyes, and he certainly had nothing to offer someone of age and power. It baffled him, and often made him question the man's motives. Yet sometimes he just couldn't help enjoying it for what it was on the surface.

Rei was sitting in his usual place—the uncomfortable wooden chair behind Hu's desk that he desperately wanted to be replaced—being educated by the soon to be ex-Leader. He was learning how to manage the clan's trades, something he was finding especially difficult to grasp.

Hu had spent many days going over the things Rei was having the most difficulty with, each time trying a different tactic or explanation in an effort to help him comprehend the information, and Rei felt steadily more idiotic as they went over it yet again. He supposed his stress and nerves were making it even more difficult to absorb the knowledge and keep it there, but it also had to do with the fact that the subject itself wasn't something he could learn what to do with from a book. Trading was a case by case basis and trade fodder wasn't endless. He had to use his better judgment and decide what was best for hundreds of people. It was terrifying.

"I can't do this," Rei said, frustratedly burying his face in his hands.

"Yes, you can," Hu insisted kindly. "It's hard to grasp and it's scary trying to figure out what to do, but you can do it. I had a lot of difficulty, too. Just take a break and collect yourself, Rei."

Rei tensed instinctively when he felt Hu's hands on his upper arms. They slid quickly upward and began putting gentle pressure on his shoulders, easing into a massage.

"Relax your body," the older man whispered near his ear.

Despite his apprehension, Rei couldn't help doing as he was told. The way Hu's hands were working his muscles felt like magic and it took a significant amount of effort not to moan in pleasure. His body was so tense and his mind so tired and his self-esteem so low. He couldn't make it stop even if he wanted it to, and he really didn't want it to; not at that moment. Hu's hands manipulated his muscles in circles, then up and down, gently kneading occasionally with his thumbs. Rei worried briefly that he was going to fall asleep.

After a few minutes of Hu's massage to Rei's shoulders his hands began to venture somewhat. Rei tensed slightly as they radiated outward, creating larger circles that now included his upper arms as well as all the way down to the middle of his back. The boldness of his actions made Rei's heart pound and brought back the conflicting thoughts. Hu again told him to relax, his voice low and compelling in his ear, but now Rei was too uncertain to feel the way he had at the start. In response, Hu's hands kneaded with more force.

"Don't be concerned," he said suddenly, as if it had just occurred to him that Rei might be uncomfortable. "I have no ill intentions. I simply want to help you as best as I can, Rei. It was very hard for me to transition from living in the wild to leading an entire village, and it would have made things much easier if I had someone I could talk to on a more personal level. That's what I'm trying to offer to you."

Rei didn't say anything, simply because he didn't know what to say. He supposed what the man told him was reassuring, but it still left him uncertain. Did that mean he was blowing things out of proportion, as he had feared, and Hu merely wanted a friendship rather than a relationship? But Rei's other friends didn't brush his hair out of his face or give him spontaneous massages. The thoughts made him feel as confused as his lessons did.

Suddenly, the door to their work room burst open and Lai rushed in, panting. Hu's hands disappeared from Rei's shoulders and were on the desk in a flash, his finger running over a piece of parchment as if he were referencing something. Rei couldn't help but wonder about the quick change of position if Hu insisted he had no ill intentions.

Lai, trying to catch his breath, glanced quickly at Hu with confusion and Rei wondered what he had seen, but it was gone again in an instant.

"Xia's having the baby," he said after a moment. It looked like he had been running around the entire village delivering the news.

"What?" Rei said in surprise, jumping to his feet.

"Come on," Lai urged him, and Rei hurried around the desk and out of the room without a backward glance. He could tell Hu was following them.

They ran to Xia's hut, where a sizable crowd of people were already milling around, all of them eager to see the new member of their village. Lai grabbed Rei's arm and helped him push their way through the throng and into the house, leaving Hu behind to remain outside with the other villagers.

"She's here!" Mao squealed with delight the second the two men got inside, her hands clasped under her chin. "It's a girl!"

"She had it already?" Lai asked, sounding slightly relieved. Knowing his brother, Rei would bet anything he had volunteered to be the messenger in order to avoid being present during the birth.

Mao nodded enthusiastically and led them to the back of the hut, where Xia's bedroom was. She put her finger to her lips, indicating they needed to be quiet.

The only other time Rei had been around someone shortly after they had given birth was when Xia had Shen. It was a similar scene to then, Xia laying in bed looking very tired and Jun by her side, along with one of the village's midwives and their doctor. The one exception was Shen, sitting at the bottom of the bed and staring uncertainly up at his mother with the baby in her arms.

Xia looked up when they entered the room and gave them a wide smile. She looked terrible, but she also looked happy. "Come meet your newest tribemate," she said, her voice a bit rough.

Rei and Lai moved closer to the bed and Xia pulled down the blanket that partially obscured her new daughter's face.

"She's so tiny," Rei said softly. Lai didn't speak at all and Rei glanced at him, then bit his lip to hold back his laughter. He had a look on his face that was a mixture of repulsion and confusion. "You've seen a newborn before," he said with a slight nudge to Lai's side, unsuccessfully keeping the laugh out of his voice.

"And I felt the same way then," Lai said, half-grinning. "I don't mean to be rude, it's just... She's all wrinkly, and messy. And wrinkly."

Xia laughed. "It's okay, Lai. Not everyone feels the same. I'm not offended."

"I am," Jun said, although he was smiling. He reached across his wife to stroke his daughter's cheek. "I think she's as beautiful as her mother."

"What are you going to name her?" Rei wondered.

"We're not sure yet," Xia said, looking at Jun. "We have some ideas, but none are quite right."

Shen silently crawled further up the bed so that he was near his mother's head and situated himself to better see the baby. Jun reached over and ruffled Shen's hair, which made his face light up in a grin.

Rei felt a warmth inside him at the sight of Xia and her family together. Her and Jun were some of the best people he had ever known and he always wanted the best for them. Looking at them then, with a brand new person cradled in Xia's arms, made Rei determined about his leadership position for the first time since he had been elected. If it meant the safety and happiness of the people around him, Rei could do it. He had to.

.x.

The two weeks that followed tested Rei in every way. His body ached from bruises and overexertion, and his head often throbbed from the long hours he had to spend studying. Combat with Hu was dangerous, even when he was going easy on him. The man had years of training and firsthand experience on Rei and he wasn't afraid to use his strength. Rei had come a long way in a short time, but he still couldn't win against Hu.

The borderline-flirtatious touches hadn't ceased, either. Nearly every day Rei had his hair brushed aside, an affectionate touch on his neck or back, or Hu speaking softly near his ear, raising goosebumps on his skin. It made him feel ashamed, but Rei had begun to enjoy them.

Outside of dealing with his training regimen, Rei also had to cope with moving from the only home he'd ever known to one he had come to associate with mental and physical exhaustion. All of his friends had shown up to help him move his meager belongings, but part of him wished that they hadn't. There was a strange feeling between him and Lai, the two of them surrounded by their friends who wouldn't feel any difference at all after Rei had moved. It seemed like something private they should be allowed to share on their own, though neither of them would say it aloud.

Rei's first night in his new room was nerve-wracking and restless. He barely slept. It was Hu's old lodging and one of the most lavish bedrooms in the building, naturally befitting the tribe's Leader—but its previous owner's presence lingered, making Rei feel strangely intimate with Hu in a way he wasn't sure he wanted to be. The only reason he got any sleep at all the few nights afterward was due to his physical exercise tiring him to the point where his body didn't care where it slept anymore.

He had no idea where Hu had gone, and he didn't have the courage to ask. The only times he saw him after changing residence was for Rei's training.

One day, as the third week of training was coming to a close, Hu unexpectedly deviated from the schedule Rei had grown accustomed to.

"Let's go for a run today. I want to test how your body is faring with all of our training."

Rei simply stared at him, uncertain. They had already completed most of the day's training and Rei wasn't sure he really wanted to use his body more than necessary. Just because he was getting stronger didn't mean he wasn't tired.

"It'll be fun," Hu encouraged with a smile. "Come on. Wouldn't you like to get out of this stuffy room early today?"

Seeing no way out of it, Rei grudgingly agreed. They left the Elder's hut, Rei somewhat hesitant although he told himself there was no cause for alarm: he was only going to be away from his village and completely alone with the man who had been growing more and more forward in his advances over the last few weeks.

Rei's stomach twisted uneasily as they warmed up, and then he followed Hu into the forest without a word.

Despite the rules against it, Rei had explored much of the innermost lands surrounding the village when he was young, but he had never been as far away as Hu was taking him now. Their path seemed to be aimless at times, curving at random around trees that were completely unfamiliar to Rei. The foliage flashed by in a deep green blur beside him while Hu occasionally leaped over fallen obstacles with the grace of a panther ahead of him, a motion Rei inevitably had to mirror shortly afterward. He couldn't help feeling nervous as they travelled steadily deeper into the forest and further away from their tribe.

They ran for what felt like hours without stopping and Rei began to reach his limit. Still, his pride wouldn't let him look weak in front of someone so strong so he dug deep in order to push himself harder. He managed to keep his pace steady for a short while longer, but his increasingly ragged breathing was something he couldn't hide well enough. Hu glanced over his shoulder and assured Rei their destination wasn't far now. That knowledge spurred Rei on just enough to finally make it.

Hu slowed as they approached a break in the trees, which turned out to be a small clearing filled with so much sunlight it looked like an aboveground pond. Rei was so taken aback by the strangeness and beauty of it that he momentarily forgot everything—his fatigue, his nerves, his uncertainty. He couldn't resist walking into the very centre of the veritable pool of light and twirling on the spot, taking in as much warmth as he could absorb. Looking up with his eyes shielded, he realized the phenomenon was caused by the way the trees broke off in that part of the forest. They all leaned to one side and their canopies couldn't reach far enough to completely block off the light, so when the sun was sloping down toward the horizon late in the day as it was at that moment it inevitably flooded the clearing. It was like a halo above Rei's head, transforming him into a deity's angel. He loved it.

Suddenly, Hu was there. In his daze Rei had forgotten he wasn't alone. He could feel him standing close to his back, the sound of his breathing near his ear. Then he felt the man's hand on his cheek, a featherlight touch that tickled slowly backward and into his hairline. Rei tensed and his breath hitched.

"Your hair is so beautiful," Hu breathed, his voice taking on a more husky tone than usual. The sound of it made Rei shiver and goosebumps raised on the back of his neck, which made the older man chuckle softly. Both of Hu's hands were in his hair now, first playing with the loose hairs at the nape of Rei's neck and then stroking his braid down to the tip, coiling it around his fist. "I've wanted to touch it every time I see it. I just can't resist now, not when it's shining in the sun like this. If you want me to stop then I will."

Rei opened his mouth slightly but then hesitated. He wasn't sure what he was going to say until the words finally slipped out of his mouth, whisper quiet. "No."

He could almost hear the grin in Hu's voice. "You don't want me to stop?"

Rei shook his head slowly, feeling like Hu was teasing him with his question. It made his cheeks feel hot. He looked shyly over his shoulder, eyes downcast so he would only see his hair wrapped around Hu's hands. For some reason the sight made Rei feel good; his hair, shining blue-black in the sunlight, complemented Hu's darkly tanned skin in an appealing way.

Knowing that Rei was watching seemed to encourage Hu. He took the end of the plait, where Rei had tied a strip of black fabric that day, and began removing it slowly enough that Rei could stop him if he wanted to. Rei kept quiet and simply watched, mostly out of curiosity. His Leader seemed to take great pleasure in undoing the tight weaves of his hair, his fingers sliding easily through the sea of black while the sunlight glistened off of it. Once Rei's hair was completely unbound Hu took half a step back simply to admire the young man in front of him. Rei felt increasingly more nervous as Hu let out a sigh of what sounded like amazement.

"It's not just your hair that's beautiful, you know," Hu said after a moment, stepping closer again, but this time moving around to stand in front of Rei. He gently took Rei's chin in his hand and turned his head to look at his face. "Everything about you is... captivating," he breathed, staring unblinkingly into Rei's eyes.

The new, more intimate actions made Rei's heart beat hard for different reasons. He knew he was enjoying the attention and he would be lying to himself if he thought otherwise, but there was so much to worry about. Was Hu telling the truth? What would he want with someone who had nothing to give him in return? Would they even be accepted by their tribemates? Or was that not going to be an issue, because Hu simply wanted to play with him? It wasn't unheard of to have an age gap between mates, nor for one to take a mate of the same sex, but Rei was conflicted. Something seemed wrong; he had nothing to offer the man. Still, it was hard to resist when someone as attractive as Hu, full of power and authority and the promise of safety and maybe even love, offered himself as he seemed to be doing. He could no longer tell if this was dangerous or something he could let himself enjoy.

"You don't believe me," Hu stated. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I—" Rei hurried to say something apologetic in case he had offended him with his silence, but was cut off when Hu wrapped his arms around him and drew him tight against his bare chest.

It was just a hug, but it made Rei's heart flutter. Hu held him gently and protectively. The musky, wild smell of his skin enveloped Rei and his hair tickled the side of his face, surprisingly soft. It didn't take long for his own arms to wrap tentatively around Hu in return. The muscular feel of the older man's body against him made him feel like a little boy.

For a long moment they remained like that, Rei's heart thudding rapidly between them, until Hu spoke again.

"Don't doubt yourself," Hu whispered, his mouth right beside Rei's ear. "If you do, remember that I've... grown very, very fond of you."

Rei froze and his breath got stuck in his chest. He must surely be in a dream because everything about that moment was too strange and foreign, too impossible and complicated. Rei wanted to wake up so he didn't have to respond or even think about what his Leader had just said.

Hu didn't give Rei much time. In an instant so quick he barely realized what was happening, Rei's lips were crushed hard under Hu's. All his mind had time to register was that Hu's lips were rough and chapped, and that's when the forest around them rustled as a dozen or so men jumped out of the trees on all sides.

Hu pulled away and stepped in front of Rei in a protective stance but quickly realized they were surrounded and his efforts were futile. Rei's mind felt numb from the kiss, as if his higher brain functions had been sucked out through his mouth. He stared around at the strangers, not understanding—then he saw the face paint and a wave of nausea hit him.

"What's going on?" Rei asked helplessly, his voice barely audible even though the clearing was as silent as the dead.

The strangers moved at the exact same time Hu did, rushing each other and exchanging blows. Rei knew he should do something—he had been training for weeks for this very thing—but his mind had shut down. It didn't make sense and he was too frightened to remember his training. He heard Hu let out a cry of pain at the exact same time a rough cloth bag came down over his head, shutting out the rest of the world from his eyes. Rei struggled then, but his reflexes had kicked in too late. He was grabbed roughly, tied up, and dragged off, Hu's feral growl the last thing he heard fading off into the distance.

- Toadychan (24,944 words)

After the last chapter I bet you all were screaming throughout this one. XD Rei doesn't know what you guys know! Uh-oh. The next chapter, as expected, will take us back to the Phoenix clan, but I've got to figure out what exactly to write, haha.