“Light the fire,” Wylen said as he pulled an arrow from his quill.

“And where are you going? It’s almost pitch black!”

They had travelled together as far as they could before the sun had set and had decided to work together as they were going in the same direction. It was actually more economical and safer this way.

Wylen grinned and tugged the string of his bow playfully. “Ah, but Jaelan…I can hunt better in the twilight. Just you wait and see.”

The long-haired man snorted before leaning down to assemble their collected firewood. “I guess I will have to see then. Even my people with the blood of the gods wait for the morning sun to hunt. I doubt you’ll find anything to sink your arrow into.”

Wylen cocked his head to the side like a raven, and pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Well…if I do manage to catch us something nice…what will you give me?”

“Huh?”

“What will you give me?” Wylen repeated. A grin stretched across his boyish face. “After all, you just wounded my pride.” He clutched his chest playfully.

Jaelan snorted again and rubbed his brow. He gave the fellow a scrutinizing look. “If I recall, you called me a woman. If anyone has had their pride wounded today, it would be me.”

Wylen laughed and rubbed the base of his neck nervously. “Y-Yeah…sorry about that.” His eyes crinkled at the sides as he smiled sheepishly at his travelling companion. “Though…you are as beautiful as a woman…take it as a compliment.”

“Call me a woman one more time and I will run you through, truce or not.” Jaelan grumbled, only half joking.

Wylen held his hands up in defense, eyes reflecting laughter. “Alright, alright. But seriously, what do I get if I can bring us back a catch?”

The young warrior sighed and tucked the loose hair behind his ear before looking up at Wylen, face indiscernible. “What is it that you want?”

Wylen licked his lips. His body turned to face the crouching young man. “I want you to tell me about yourself…your clan. What’s it like?”

Two ebony eyebrows arched into Jaelan’s brow as his lips parted in something akin to surprise. “Myself? Why ever would you want to know about my clan?”

Wylen shrugged and cast his gaze to the forest floor. He did not want Jaelan to chance catching sight of his flushed cheeks. Truth be told, he couldn’t stop his curiosity. He wanted to know more about this skilled warrior with long flowing sable locks. How he grew up…did he have friends back home? How many siblings did he have, if there even were any? Was he betrothed? Did the clan of Ellos have any special rituals they performed? After all, they were directly linked to the Gods. There must be something interesting and unique about them.

“Just curious.” He mumbled and tightened his hand on the bow. “I find you very interesting.” He said before looking up and catching the other’s eye.

Strangely, Jaelan felt his heart flutter unnaturally at the overwhelming gaze. It held him captive in its boldness. He coughed and forcefully tore his eyes away, focusing on the firewood. A little startled at the way he reacted towards this nobody.

“Okay…though I doubt you shall find anything.”

Wylen's ears perked up at that, feeling his stomach grow light. “I shall hold you to that.”

Barely an hour had passed before Wylen returned. A triumphant grin on his face, and a rabbit held by its long ears in his hands. Jaelan almost fell into the flames of his built fire in shock. His hands came to the ground to steady him at the last second. He gaped, eyes following the tall warrior as he victoriously strutted to the fire and took a seat. Once comfortable on the forest floor, he immediately set to work preparing their dinner.

“Well then,” Wylen hummed, pulling a dagger from his boot. “A promise is a promise.”

“How did you catch that?” Jaelan gawked like a child. His eyes like two wide saucers. “It’s already so dark!”

With a cheeky grin, Wylen leaned forwards. The flames of the fire cast a shadow onto his face and made his eyes glow like that of a wolf. “Where I come from, I’m known for my skill in archery. I can hit a target blindfolded…from the length of fifteen tall men.”

If Jaelan’s eyes could have grown any wider, they would have.

“Now,” Wylen tweaked his nose before getting to it. “How about that promise….”

:::

After three days of travelling together, Wylen for the life of him couldn’t control his increasing interest in the long-legged warrior. Everything about this man captivated him for some odd reason.

His mixed blood…

The exotic traditions and qualities of his clan…

His masterful skills of swordsmanship…

His musical laugh…

The graceful arch of his neck…

Wylen shook his head. His hand came up to wipe at his face worrisomely. His thoughts kept traversing dangerous waters. It wasn’t healthy and it was causing his groin to stir. Agitatedly he looked ahead and watched as Jaelan scurried on ahead. His long limbs pushed off the ground and gracefully sent him sailing through the air like a sunbeam.

After he grew more comfortable around him, the shorter man revealed himself to be a dizzying ball of energy. Jaelan always had something to say, a comment about every matter they discussed whether he had knowledge about the subject or not. His compassion and kindness trickled through him like sand through a fist. When they had passed through a village on their way North, hungry and thirsty from a long day’s trek, he didn’t hesitate to share his hard-earned meal with the urchins of the street. Wylen had chided him when he caught the man giving all his food away but Jaelan would just frown at him.

“I am strong. I can eat a little less and be fine. These children need to grow and without food now, they will never be able to take care of themselves.”

Wylen sighed and adjusted his quiver. His eyes stared on ahead as he jogged the short distance to catch up to his traveling companion.

:::

Jaelan shuddered under the cover of night. His attention was focused on the sleeping man across the slowly dying fire. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the serene and peaceful expression on the other’s face. The well-defined nose and brow completed Wylen's handsome features, and his lips were accentuated with the small glittering beauty mark at the corner of his mouth.

A hot wave rolled through his body as a wind blew from the west and ruffled the sleeping man’s hair, sending strands of it sailing across Wylen's face. Automatically the warrior’s hand reached up to swat at his face, nose scrunched in the wake of his self-assault.

Unable to hold back his smile, Jaelan let it stretch across his face as he curled further in on himself.

This man…

This warrior with skills of a bow and arrow he had never before seen…

He had captured his attention so completely that it scared him.

In only a week he couldn’t imagine his life without the tall warrior by his side. His dry humor…his caring nature…and his ever-flowing tales and adventures he recited with the enthusiasm of a thousand men.

Jaelan licked at his lips. His fingers drew up to rub the shiver from his chest as he recalled the men from his village. Sure, he had heard about those select few who had chosen to denounce women and instead pledged their heart and soul to a fellow man. There were barely a handful, but they did exist.

At that time, Jaelan couldn’t understand their source of logic. Why they would ever decide to forgo building a family with myriads of children for a single person.

Having never experienced love, it just baffled him.

Especially when he heard how these warriors made love to one another.

He and Soral talked about it once, neither able to comprehend how both participants could achieve pleasure from such a union.

Now as he lay there on the forest floor, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it over and over again.

Wylen was strong. His muscles bulked and stretched his tunic whenever he notched an arrow.

If he could allow himself to imagine those muscles straining for a different reason…

His face flamed.

No. He couldn’t allow himself. These were experiences he would never have. He had a Nation that depended on him. To give his heart to a man was out of the question! He needed to keep his body pure…untainted. Even the thought of giving himself to be conquered was insane.

He was to be the father of a Nation!

The leader of his clan!

Who would respect him as a leader if they knew he parted his legs for another man willingly?

Who would follow him?

Ashamed of himself, Jaelan turned away from the fire and away from Wylen. He cursed at himself and promised to stop such thoughts from ever taking root in his head again.