Chapter 5

Kirik struggled with himself. Visions of her slick, wet skin taunted him and it had taken quite a bit of effort to remain composed. Her shy reaction had also been rather appealing; it was very different from the behavior of his own women. They were usually more than willing to flaunt their attributes for the men. A faint crease appeared between his brows and he forced the mental image away, finishing the remainder of his meal.

He heard rustling sounds and he glanced up. Kael had finished bathing and had reappeared on top of the rock slabs, tightening the straps on his armour. Kirik smiled; perhaps he could clean himself up and get some rest now.

Andi and Anya had also finished eating. Anya, still angry, refused to look at either male and was rolling her jacket up as a makeshift pillow. Wanting to escape her current reality for a bit, she laid down and closed her eyes. Though a hard bed, the warmth from the rocks compensated for the lack of softness and seeped into her weary limbs. The soft bubbling of the hot spring made for a soothing background noise, and she was soon lulled into a deep sleep.

Andi watched Anya for a bit. Her sister's breathing soon grew deep and steady. Good. She needed rest. Andi wondered if she ought to still play lookout and reluctantly decided against it. She was also incredibly drowsy and figured if she was going to be killed, she'd rather be asleep when it happened. It was doubtful, though. Kirik and Kael had not harmed them when they last dared to fall asleep in their presence. They most likely wouldn't now.

Still, she remembered the water incident clearly and she wasn't terribly anxious to have another prank pulled on her again. She shot Kael a distrustful stare. The young male had taken a seat on the large, flat stone he'd rested on earlier and was examining his sword. She watched as he took a small whetting tool from his belt and began to run it along the edge of the blade. Andi didn't understand how it could get much sharper than it already was. She recalled the way it had sliced so cleanly through her bed at home. And through that poor dep-

But she clamped down on that particular memory. Hard.

He did this for a long while, stopping to test it every now and again with his thumb. When he was apparently satisfied, he began to polish it lovingly.

Sudden movement caught her attention and she jerked her head to the side. Kirik had risen and was striding towards them. He paused as he passed his brother, turning slightly to say something to him. Kael nodded without looking up and Kirik hoisted himself up onto the boulder once more.

He glanced down at Andi and then at Anya. His gaze lingered a bit too long on her sister for Andi's liking and she glowered up at him.

"Leave her alone, you-you," she stopped, frowning slightly. "What are you, anyhow?"

Kirik gave her a cold stare, "a superior race."

Andi was undaunted, "whatever. Why's that message so important that we have to go all this way?"

He cocked his head, mildly amused at her candor, "why do you assume that it's any of your business?"

She appeared insulted, "because it IS my business. You brought this upon us, not the other way around. I have every right to know."

He raised his eyebrows, "you believe you have rights? Kael was correct. You are foolish."

With that said, he proceeded to hop to the other side and began to undress. Andi blushed again and turned away. Obviously, they had entirely no modesty whatsoever. She mulled over his last comment, expression brooding.

What had he meant by it?

Troubled, she inched a bit closer to Anya and cuddled up next to her, using the pack to prop her head up. She stared up at the green orb, faintly entranced with the patterns it casted on the cave ceiling. Soon, her eyelids drooped shut and she also slumbered.

He finished undressing and carefully laid his sword by the edge of the hot spring, making sure it was within arm's reach. That done, Kirik eased into the rock pool with a faint growl of content and leaned back against the side. The heated water felt wonderful on his overworked muscles and he let his eyes fall shut for a moment. Soon, he would also sleep.

He dunked his head under and stayed submerged for a bit, letting the water cleanse him thoroughly. He resurfaced with his hair plastered against his skull. He gave his head a brisk shake, raking his fingers through his hair, slicking it back into spikes once again.

Kael had finished caring for his weapons and was now exploring the recesses of the cavern. Finding nothing of interest, he sighed and made his way back to the hotspring, crouching by the side of it. Kirik was still leaning back with his eyes shut. Kael glanced over at Kirik's blade and he reached a hand out to examine it.

"That was quite a rescue earlier," Kirik chuckled, not bothering to open his eyes.

Kael jerked his arm back, startled, "your point?"

Kirik grinned, "no point. Merely an observation."

Kael's brows knitted together, "and what about you? Arguing with the other? Since when do you stand for that?"

"Why so defensive, little brother?" The grin grew wider.

Kael let out an irritated grunt and rose to his feet, "make no mistake, when this is over I am going to take great pleasure in ending her."

"Of course you are," came the amused reply.

Kael glowered down at his elder and folded his arms across his chest, crossly. He turned his attention to the sisters and appeared to consider something. Kirik opened his eyes and watched his brother, curiously.

"If we did take them back home alive, do you suppose they'd fetch us a decent price at the slave market?" He asked suddenly, eyes gleaming.

Kirik mulled it over, "perhaps. Although, I don't know how skilled they'd be at heavy labor. They're awfully frail."

"They'd be the first humans to be offered, though. The novelty alone might sway a buyer," Kael went on.

"Novelty wears off quickly. Slaves are too valuable a commodity to just purchase on a whim. Especially if their usefulness is in question."

"Maybe," Kael said, sounding unconvinced.

"Patience, brother. We must first-"

"Yes, yes. I know. First things first," Kael muttered.

Kirik stood and climbed out, reaching for his pants, "I'm tired. I need to rest. You keep a watch."

Kael nodded, "sleep well, brother."

While Kirik slept Kael grew restless. It was difficult for him to sit and do nothing. He heaved a bored sigh, fell back onto "his" rock and rubbed his hands over his face. After a short while, soft sounds of stirring from above him caught his attention. He flicked his glance upward and saw the younger girl sit up, blinking and rubbing at her eyes. Interest piqued, he also sat back up and watched to see what she'd do.

Andi brushed errant strands of hair off of her face and peered around blearily. She'd no idea of how long she'd slept or if it was even daylight yet. She saw that Anya had not yet woken and appeared to be in a deep sleep. Her eyes were moving rapidly under her closed lids, suggesting she was having a lively dream. Andi considered waking her when something struck her shoulder lightly and hit the ground beside her, bouncing a couple of times.

Frowning, she glanced down and saw it was a smallish pebble. She tilted her head, puzzled, when another one hit her other shoulder. What... ?

Kael chuckled softly and tossed another rock up at her. She finally turned to look and noticed him. The now familiar scowl fell over her features as she realized that it was he who was the source of the pebbles.

She threw one back down at him and he caught it, smiling snidely. His behavior reminded Andi of the boys of her youth. The ones who would annoy the girls for the fun of it. Oh yes, this had a very similar feel to it. Deciding on dignity once more, she jumped down and stalked up to him, keeping her face neutral this time. As she regarded him he did the same to her. The two stared at each other for a long moment before Kael made a dismissive huffing sound and turned away, apparently losing interest.

Andi, however, continued to study him. Specifically, his hair was what held the majority of her attention. The particular hairstyle he favored was unusual; shaved on both sides and worn long on top, it resembled a long mo-hawk and was held out of his eyes by a leather cord. The ponytail fell halfway down his back. None of the men of her village wore their hair as such. Still though, it looked very soft and she found herself wanting to touch it.

Kael, beginning to be irked by her scrutiny, turned back to glower at her, eyes flaring again. Andi raised her eyebrows but didn't back away.

"You won't kill me. Not yet, anyhow. You don't scare me," she told him flatly, refusing to be intimidated. Her thumping heart told a different story, however, and she hoped he couldn't hear it beating through her chest. She found she certainly could.

A wrinkle of confusion appeared on his forehead as she spoke and it was obvious that he didn't know what she was saying. Kael found himself halfway wishing he could, though. He shook his head at her and shrugged.

She waved the gesture off, "yeah, I get it. You don't understand." Her mouth thinned and slanted to the side as she wondered what exactly she was doing.

Kael quirked an eyebrow, feeling much the same way. What did she want? The girl appeared torn for a moment before she slowly reached a hand out towards him. This time, both of his brows raised in surprise before drawing together in a scowl of his own. He caught her by the wrist before she could touch him and a low growl of warning rumbled from his chest.

She seemed surprised. "What, you think I could hurt you or something? I just wanted to feel your hair," she said a bit peevishly, attempting to pull herself free.

Kael held on for a second longer than necessary before releasing her, but was completely taken aback when she reached out for him again. This time, curiosity got the better of him. He didn't try to stop her but only held himself tense, prepared to react if she tried anything foolish.

Andi noted his rigid posture but paid it no heed as she tentatively ran her fingers through the loose strands of his ponytail. The texture of his hair was as smooth as it appeared yet a bit more coarse than she'd first thought. She peeked up at his face, testing the emotional weather brewing there. He was watching her intently but there was no apparent anger.

Encouraged, she reached up and hesitantly touched the side of his head, where it was shaved. The hair that was growing back was much softer than the longer strands, and really, it didn't feel much different than human hair.

Unable to resist any longer, she moved her hand over his cheek to see if his skin was as sleek as it looked. It was. It was very smooth and soft but also firm and unyielding at the same time. She also discovered it to be much warmer than her own. His body temperature seemed to run much higher than hers, which probably accounted for why he could stand the cold so much better than she.

Interesting.

She took a moment to watch him. He returned her frank gaze with another of his own and she briefly wondered what he must be thinking. He seemed to be strangely receptive at the moment and when no unpleasant repercussions were forthcoming, curiosity quickly dampened her caution. She found herself running her hands over his armour, poking at the various buckles and odd decorative symbols that adorned it. She was so engrossed with her exploration that she didn't notice Kael's wide-eyed stare.

He'd put up with her previous disrespect and had countered it with petty aggravation, but this new behavior left him baffled. He wasn't certain if he should stop her or allow her to continue.

Seeing as he had nothing better to do at the moment, and remembering how bored he'd been moments earlier, he decided on the latter. He sat back, moderately entertained, and observed as she pulled at a bit of chainmail that covered his abdomen. He even went so far as to shift himself several times to lend her better access. However, when her wandering hands strayed a tad too close to one of his swords, he jerked back and shoved her arm away.

"Kraltz jhonta melitri!" He snarled, showing his teeth.

Andi arched a brow and drew back instantly. He hadn't liked it when she got near that blade. She supposed that made sense and made no move towards it or him again. Instead, she focused on his mouth. His canines reminded her of a wolf's; made for biting and tearing flesh. She brought a hand up to her own teeth, prodding them with a finger. She wished hers were pointed too. How neat would that be?

Kael glowered at her for a second longer and watched as she touched her small teeth, aware she was staring at his mouth. After a moment of consideration, it was apparent that the move towards his weapon had been unintentional and he relaxed once more, wondering what she'd do next.

She only stood there, watching him thoughtfully. Feeling vaguely disappointed, he cocked his head and studied her with detached interest. Finally, he figured turnabout was fair play and one side of his mouth curled up into a crooked smile.

Narrowing his eyes, he leaned forward and grasped her around the throat, bringing her a few steps closer. He heard her breath hitch with surprise and smirked slightly. However, he was careful not to squeeze too tightly as he brought his face closer to hers.

Andi froze as she felt those strong fingers close around her neck, and memories of the previous evening when he'd discovered her under the bed flashed through her mind. He'd grabbed her by the throat then too, had lifted her off the ground by it. Only that time it'd almost been a strangle hold. Now, she fought to remain calm as he examined her but, oh, she was frightened. Of their own accord, both of her hands curled around his wrist in an unconscious attempt to regain some sort of control.

Kael studied her features with the same casual air, unmindful of her fearful expression. Again and again, his eyes went back to those freckles on her cheeks, beginning to become fascinated with them. His free hand came up and he smoothed a thumb over them to see if they felt any different from the surrounding skin. They didn't, and he again wondered if she had them anywhere else. A sly smirk crept across his features. Well, what better time than now to find out?

He dragged her forward and onto the rock slab beside him, forcing her to first sit and then lay back. This time, her gasp of surprise was more pronounced and she attempted to struggle back into a sitting position. His grin grew a bit wider and he tightened his hold on her neck just slightly. She stopped squirming immediately and stared up at him with huge eyes.

He lessened the pressure and nodded his approval at her. He turned her head to the side and examined the curve of her neck where it joined her shoulder. No spots there. He pulled the collar of her shirt to the side and down over her shoulder, eliciting another startled exclamation out of her.

Ah. There was a small, dark brown, beauty mark on her chest, a few inches below her collarbone. He ran his thumb over this one as well, and arched a brow as she shivered a little. His gaze returned to her face, expression pensive. Kael watched her curiously for a moment before he deliberately pulled her shirt up, exposing her stomach. There were no freckles there either, but he smoothed his hand over it regardless, watching her muscles contract fluidly under his touch.

Andi's mind was racing as his inspection began to get a bit more personal than she cared for. And she also wasn't very comfortable with the rush of warmth that overtook her following his caresses. But when she felt him begin to tug down on the waistband of her trousers, it was too much, and she pushed against his chest.

He didn't move back but he did stop fiddling with her pants. He looked at her face again and there was no mistaking the wickedly playful gleam dancing in his eyes, or the mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He knew very well what he was doing. He was purposely toying with her.

"S-stop," she stammered. Then with a bit more force, "stop!"

Instead of stopping, however, he slid his knee over to straddle her. Andi pushed back on his chest again and attempted to scoot out from under him. He caught her hands in his and held them over her head, beginning to take great delight in this little game.

Andi, on the other hand, was officially regretting what she'd started. Her alarm intensified when he moved to hold both of her wrists in one of his hands, leaving the other one free to roam. Kael tossed her another one of those fiendish smiles as he slowly traced a finger down her bare stomach and towards the buttons on her trousers, his eyes never leaving hers. Her resulting squeal tickled him to no end.

She felt his fingers teasingly tug at the buttons before returning to the collar of her shirt. He pulled it over her shoulder again and pressed a finger against the small beauty mark on her chest. Andi was struggling in earnest now, her wrists twisting fruitlessly in his grasp.

Kael chuckled and leaned in close to her face again. "Url va haelonirl il zrut malot drotz," he told her softly, before pulling her collar even lower.

"Get off of her!"

A flicker of regret flashed across Kael's face at the shout, already knowing that playtime was going to be cut short. Just as it was beginning to get quite entertaining, too. Pity.

He turned to look and saw that Anya had awaken and was gazing at the scene below her with dismay. The sight of her sister being held down by the young male was horrifying. The commotion roused Kirik and he stirred, blinking slowly and yawning. But by this time, Kael had already released Andi and had scooted back away from her, expression vaguely amused. Andi, meanwhile, had snatched her shirt back down and hastily fixed her collar, cheeks pink. Kael beamed, knowing that he'd gotten to her.

Kirik sat up and glanced around, puzzled, wondering who had been shouting. He saw his brother sitting on the boulder with his hands clasped behind his head, looking innocently unconcerned; arousing Kirik's immediate suspicions. The woman was perched above him, obviously upset. The younger sister was sitting on the rock beside Kael, trembling slightly and appearing a bit shaken.

Kirik, grumpy at such a rude awakening, threw Kael an irritated glare, "vhaka vria lur krilatirl il harlo?"

Kael was looking at anything except his brother, although not bothering to hide his smile. "Url nilot krilatirl prahtiz," he replied loftily.

Kirik tightened his jaw and turned his gaze on Andi. The girl had climbed to her feet and was inching her way back towards her sister's direction. Kael swiveled his head to follow her progress, still looking rather pleased by whatever had happened.

"Are you harmed, girl?" Kirik asked her.

Andi shook her head no, but she kept her eyes on the ground, her cheeks reddening even more. Anya observed this and shot Kael a fierce glare. She snatched her jacket, pulled it on angrily and set about gathering their items to pack them away. Andi crawled up beside her to help.

Kirik watched carefully and then he also threw another sharp glower at Kael. The juvenile looked appropriately sheepish for a moment before his smirk returned.

"Did he hurt you?" Anya asked softly, concern coloring her features.

"No. He didn't," Andi mumbled, turning her face away.