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DAY 1Keith flapped his wings against the strong summer winds, which were considerably colder than he had first anticipated. He regretted not wearing more than just his tight black long sleeve shirt and thin pants, the cold nipped at his feet and arms and neck, turning his face slightly red.He decided to fly a little lower, this high altitude making things extremely cold compared to the weather down below. He nearly envied the Mer Folk, living down there in the warm waters and sunny shores as his people preferred the cold mountain ranges, with the bitter frost that insisted on making its way to his bones wherever he went within his tribe. Of course, the Feathered Folk liked it where they were, most of them enjoying to be in the unforgiving cold then in the warm comfort of the land around them. However, Keith was not like them. Of course, he still had the signature large, angelic wings that they all proudly wore, but he did not enjoy the same things as they did. He did not enjoy hunting prey as the rest of his kind did, he preferred eating herbs and vegetables and berries that grew near the base of the mountains. He much preferred the warmer weather of the shores and grasslands opposed to the harsh weather of the snow covered mountain tops they lived on. And, to add to all that, he actually didn't mind the Mer Folk, whom his people had been at war with for millennia. Well, to be fair, he had never met one, much less talked to one before, but they didn't seem all that bad. He had heard lots about them, seen drawings of them and, occasionally, got a glimpse of one from afar while going on a long flight away from the mountains.He swooped down lower, now nearing the ocean and sandy beaches that lay far from his home in the mountains. He passed through the cloud layer and into the warmer air, he watched closely as the glistening, blue-green waves crashed against the rocks and sand of the shore. He slowed down, flapping his wings, muscle rippling beneath the thick layer of burgundy feathers, and slowly neared the beach grass that lay beyond the sand. His feet gently touched the ground and he ruffled his wings a few times before folding them up against his back. He crept forward slowly, not wanting to be seen neither by the Mer People nor his people, for he didn't know how far the hunting party traveled today. He stepped onto the sand, the warmth of it soothing the ache that the cold flight had left on his feet. He stepped both feet onto the pale sand and wriggled around, burying his feet into it until they were covered entirely in he gravelly substance. He smiled as he lifted his feet up from the sand and continued down the beach. That's when he saw it.The merman.There, sitting with his back towards him, was a thin merman with tan skin and dark brown hair. He had a greenish blue tale that seemed to match the colour of the water, shimmering as the sunlight reflected off of it.Keith instinctively dropped to the ground, the merman appeared not to have noticed him. He wondered why one of the Mer Folk would be sitting on a large rock by the waters edge so blatantly obvious he might as well have been asking the Feathered Folk to kill him right then and there. For, as Keith had been taught himself, if he were ever to come across one of the Mer Folk, he was to kill it or take it hostage to learn more about the next attack that was being planned.So why the heck was one just sitting there like it was no big deal?Keith knew that the people of the Mer kingdom were ordered not to go leave the protection of the ocean on their own, and therefore he wondered why there was a war at all. It's not like the Mer people could attack them directly, and it's not like they were fighting over land or anything, each respected party was to stay where they were, considering that's where they were able to survive.It was the most pointless war Keith had ever heard of.Well, now was his time to make up his mind. Would he just go home and act like it never happened or approach the creature and see if it would try and kill him or not. After lots of debating, he finally decided on the latter option. He was going to go up to him and say hello, then hope for the best.He silently crept forward, not wanting to scare the creature before he had a chance to say hello. He was about 4 feet away from him when he opened his mouth to say something but shut it again, some sudden survival sense taking control of his body. He leapt forward and snatched the merman's arms, pinning them together and holding him in place. The merman gasped at the sudden attack and struggled violently to get away, shaking and wriggling around in a desperate attempt to get away from his unknown captor.Keith held on tight, not wanting this man who he had no intention to harm to escape him. "Please, I'm not trying to hurt you" he pleaded, the merman still struggling in his grip. Suddenly there was a snapping sound that was a mix between a pop and a crack and Keith instantly let go, not wanting to have hurt the creature. The merman dived forward and plunged down the drop off into the deep water that lay below the rock he had been sitting on.Keith peered over the edge of the rock to see the merman's form disappear into the dark water, his shoulders sagged as he realized his attempt at talking with the man had only ended up being an attack, he had unintentionally injured him and probably scared him off for good. How wonderful, the first time he ever gets that close to one of the Mer Folk and he attacks it, just great.Suddenly, he sees the merman's form appear again in the dark water, just visible. It's racing towards him and before he has anytime to think, a tan, webbed-fingered hand emerges from the water and wraps around his throat, it pulls him down into the water and he tumbles in head first with a splash. Everything around him spins into various shades of blue as he's submerged beneath the water, panic rising in his throat as the merman's firm grip keeps a hold on his throat, holding him in place. He struggles to get free in the man's grasp, kicking and scratching and grabbing at anything he can get a hold of. His wings lay heavy against his back, weighing him down and making his task of freedom even more difficult.Just as he begins to feel consciousness slip away from him, he feels the hand around his throat loosen and pull away. Keith quickly takes this opportunity and kicks up with all of his remaining energy. When he finally breaks the surface of the water he coughs and sputters, spitting out water to make room in his lungs for air. He gasps in breaths, panting heavily, he looks around for the merman and quickly spots him a few feet away, watching him with narrowed eyes and a resentful look on his face.Keith watches him with wide eyes, one hand on the rock to support him so that his wings don't drown him and the other covering his mouth in shock. After what feels like hours of staring at each other the merman breaks the silence."Who the heck are you?!" He hisses, resentment flickering in his deep blue eyes.Keith just blinks at him for a moment, taking a second to register what just happened. "I- I'm Keith... Listen I'm so sorry, I was--" "You were what? Huh? Sent to kill me?!" The anger in his voice makes Keith shrink back slightly, feeling quite vulnerable with little knowledge of how to swim with his wings weighing him down.He takes a deep breath and composes himself, his head aches slightly but he ignores it, now is most definitely not the time to give in to pain. "N-no, I was trying to say hello... I just didn't know how, I'm really damn sorry..." Is all he manages to say. Heck, right now he's feeling so many emotions he's surprised he hasn't hit the guy yet.The merman takes a deep breath as well, obviously trying to keep his temper."So what? You decide to attack me?" He growls,"What? No, I wasn't trying to-" he cuts off as he notices that one of the merman's arms are hanging grotesquely from his torso, his shoulder unattached to his joint.Keith had dislocated the merman's shoulder. Dammit."Aw, man, I'm so sorry... Your shoulder..." He mumbled, concern suddenly lacing his voice as he reached out for him. The merman swam back, "Don't touch me" he snarled, contempt dancing in his eyes. "Listen, i just want to help, I can fix it" he said, gesturing towards the limp limb hanging from the mans body. He honestly had no idea why he suddenly felt like this was his obligation, the merman could probably go back to his tribe or realm or whatever back home and be fixed up just as easily. But would Keith be able to just let him leave without knowing that the damage he'd done had been fixed? No, no probably not.The merman narrowed his eyes but then seemed to decide that swimming back home when it hurts to even turn a fraction of an inch would be both extremely painful and difficult. He reluctantly nodded his head, not taking his eyes off the winged man.Keith smiled weakly and gestured to him to climb back on the rock while he attempted to get back on, himself. The merman heaved himself up onto the rock with one arm, flinching as the other twisted against the rough surface.Keith eventually managed to haul himself up, wings and all, onto the flat rock. He shuffled over next to the merman and gently grabbed a hold of his arm, the merman flinched as his arm was shifted but made no objection. "Alright, this is going to hurt" Keith warned, reaching his other arm around to grab the merman's other shoulder for support. He abruptly jolted the man's arm (okay, maybe man isn't the right word considering he looked to be about the same age as Keith, and was half fish) back into its socket with a pop.The merman yelped and tugged his arm away from Keith, rubbing his shoulder gingerly."Oh, sorry..." Keith mumbled quietly, observing the other's shoulder area to make sure everything was going to heal okay.The merman shook his head, "it'll be fine, Mer Folk heal quickly."Keith nodded, "So... I never caught your name?""Lance. My name is Lance.""So... Lance, come back tomorrow?"The merman- or Lance, looked at him thoughtfully before smiling weakly and diving back into the water and disappearing into the darkness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
DAY 2Keith snatched his thermal jacket from off of the thick wooden table of his cabin and slid his arms in and buttoned up the back, allowing his wings to remain free. He turned and walked out of the small log cabin and into the chilly mountain air.He took a deep breath and stretched his wings wide before leaping up into the air and taking off, he had nearly left when a familiar voice sounded behind him. He turned to see Shiro lifting into the air after him so they would be at even height in the sky, each flapping their wings then falling a few feet before flapping again to maintain a level position."Where are you going?" Shiro asked curiously, raising an eyebrow the way he did when he was truly curious."Out for a fly" Keith shrugged casually."This early? Is it gonna be like your 'fly' yesterday? You were gone the entirety of the day and came back wet and smelling like saltwater" Shiro looked him over skeptically, his curiosity turning to suspicion.Keith sighed, "I will be out for as long as I'm out" he said, then he nodded curtly and took off, flying towards the ocean of the Mer Folk. He could almost hear Shiro's gaze fixed on him as he left.- After a good hour of flying he had finally reached that sparkling blue ocean that he loved so much. He landed on the beach softly, the warm sand sinking between his toes. He wandered over to the rock that Lance had been sitting on the day before. He took a seat on the warm surface and looked over the water, wondering if Lance would come back at all.He highly doubted it, if he himself had met someone from a rivalling colony that dislocated his shoulder he wouldn't have come back. But he waited anyway, the smile that Lance had flashed him the day before fresh in his mind, making his heart beat a little faster.Soon enough, he saw a glimmer of blue beneath the water's surface, followed by the lean outline of that familiar tan body and glistening tail. Lance's head surfaced at the edge of the rock ledge and he smiled up at Keith, placing his forearm on the rock for support.Keith noticed that the brunette's other arm was bent by his side, in a sling that appeared to be made of seaweed. "Aw, man, I'm really sorry" Keith muttered, apologetic eyes fixed on the sling.Lance glanced at his arm and shrugged as best he could, "It's nothing really, it'll heal in a few days."Keith nodded, "I'm still sorry" he shifted his position so that he was sitting with his legs dangling in the water, "So why'd you come back?"Lance looked up at him and smirked, "You intrigue me" he said, his words slurred slightly. Keith blinked at him, taking a moment to process what he said and the way he said it. Was that curiosity in his voice or something else?He didn't have much time to think about it as Lance pulled himself up onto the rock next to Keith. For the first time, Keith actually took a good look at him, admiring the pale blue scales that dusted his arms, forehead, cheekbones and hands. The feathery, translucent fins that decorated his tail and the thin lines of gills that showed on his sides near his rib cage. And those eyes, those indigo eyes that sparkled like the sea and shone with life.Lance smiled at him, interrupting his thoughts, "Mind if I touch them?" He asked, glancing towards his wings.Keith just kind of stared at him like an idiot for a few moments before registering what he asked and nodded, "Yeah, go ahead." Lance extended his hand and gently traced his fingers along the outline of Keith's feathers, noting every different shade ranging from burgundy to crimson. Unintentionally, Keith ruffled his feathers, making Lance pull his hand back and just stare awe-struck at the wings."They're beautiful" he mumbled, reaching out and gently curling his fingers along the top of the wings and manually extending them slightly, watching closely as each individual feather shifted with the movement.Keith felt himself blush slightly, he had never had anyone compliment his wings before, considering he was much disliked and not considered very attractive among his people, seeing as he was much skinnier than most of the men in his tribe. It honestly felt really good to have someone appreciate you when no one else seemed to.Keith reflexively wrapped a wing around Lance and pulled him closer. Lance gasped and made a gesture to shove him away before stopping with his hand pressed against Keith's side mid-push. He drew has hand back quickly, blushing furiously and added, "sorry, I just- um-"Keith quickly pulled his wing away, "n-no, I'm sorry, just a reflex."They sat like this in silence, blushing, not looking at each other for a while. Keith worried that things would just stay awkward, but soon enough Lance cleared his throat. Keith turned to see the merman facing him."I should really get back home now, y'know, royal duties and whatever" he laughed lightly and pushed his dark brown hair behind his ear.Keith blinked at him, eyes wide, "Did you say royal duties?""Uh, yeah, I'm the prince, actually" "Oh... Wow, I-um, I wasn't expecting that"He laughed a little, like it wasn't a big deal, "yeah, well, I should get back, see you tomorrow?"Keith nodded, "I'll be here"And with that, Lance smiled and plunged back into the water, disappearing again as he had the day before.-His return to his tribe was far worse then expected, with Shiro in particular. Keith walked into his cabin like he always did when he returned from long flights, stretching his wings and undoing his jacket, when he heard a voice.He looked up quickly to see Shiro, barely visible, in the darkness of his cabin. Dull candle light flickering off of his face making him look even more intense.Shiro stepped out of the darkness and closer to Keith, where the dusk light filtered through the window, flooding the room with a cold light. "Why the heck are you creeping in my cabin?" Keith demanded.Shiro's gaze was sympathetic, "where've you been?" He asked softly."None of your business" Keith replied coldly, "Now get out."Shiro closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Why do you keep going to the ocean?""I don't""Then why do you smell like saltwater?"Keith opened his mouth to reply but quickly closed it again, "Get what you need and get out, Shiro" he sighed heavily.Shiro's expression hardened as he stalked forward and bumped past Keith. He halted at the door, "This isn't over" he said plainly, then walked out into the village.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
DAY 5The past few days were a blur in Keith's memory, he had gone everyday to see Lance, and so far no further interrogations from Shiro. There was this odd sense that something was out of place, though. Whenever he returned from his day trips at the ocean, the village would be dead silent and tension would be high. One down side to seeing Lance was not speaking with Shiro, unless it was absolutely necessary. Shiro refused to speak to him unless he had orders from the chief, and even then it would just be a quick exchange of curt words.Keith had tried to ask Shiro, or anyone else from his tribe for that matter, If anything was going on, but no one gave him an answer. Hardly anyone would even look at him, which he supposed wasn't much different from normal, he was a major outcast within his people.Maybe it was because he had no family to call his own, the closest person he had before Lance was Shiro, who had been almost like a brother to him. Which was something he never understood, Shiro was a lead hunter and one of the highest-ranking warriors in the whole tribe and he had taken a reject like Keith under his wing... Literally.Funny really, how after all this time no one he knew really actually cared about him, and now his best friend- no, best friend doesn't sound right, closest acquaintance- was someone from the rivalling colony. Somehow Lance had managed to find himself a place in Keith's heart, a place Keith didn't know existed, and that was the best thing to ever happen to the winged boy.But today, today was special.Something changed today, something unfathomable happened that he had no idea could happen.-Keith landed gently on the beach, flapping his wings a few times to smooth his feathers. He saw Lance already waiting for him at their usual meeting place; the rock they had first met on. He called out to him and hurried forward, exited to finally see him again. Somehow not even seeing Lance everyday was enough for him.Lance turned and waved when he heard his name and smiled brightly at the joy that shone in Keith's eyes."Hey!" Lance greeted, patting the place next to him for Keith to sit down. Keith took his offer and plopped down next to him on the rock."Hey, what's up?" Keith asked, finding a comfortable position on the rough surface.Lance nodded, "Nothing really, just waiting for you!" He chimed in a sing-songy voice. Keith narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Hmph, I wasn't fast enough?""Oh, not by far!" Lance waved his hand for emphasis."Like you could go any faster!" Keith retorted,"I could, actually!""You wish!""Wanna test it?" Lance sneered with a wide grin on his face. "Oh, it's on!" Keith laughed, jumping to his feet and leaping into the air. Lance followed suite by diving into the water, the both of them began soaring through their respective habitats, Keith a meter or so above water and Lance leaping up occasionally from the depths. They continued away from the shore, both laughing and smiling trying to pass the other."Try and keep up!" Lance shouted mid-air in one of his leaps above water, "I could tell you the same thing!" Keith called back, propelling himself faster with a flap on his wings.In one quick move, Lance leapt up from the glistening sea and collided deliberately with his winged friend, dragging them both down into the water with a large splash. Keith yelped with surprise as the force of the merman struck him and he fell down into the ocean entangled with his fish of a friend.Before he knew it, the water had engulfed him. It wasn't a panicky moment like he had thought it would be though, I was somehow unearthly, an odd sense of calm rested around the two of them as they looked into each other's eyes. The deep indigo of lance's pupils locked on the violet of Keith's.The dark water around them faded as they leaned into each other and, in one slow movement, kissed. Their lips touched for what felt like hours but could've easily been seconds, engulfed in one another for that short time.Soon, however, they were reminded of their whereabouts, and how not both of them could breathe here. Lance pulled away and wrapped his arms around Keith, pulling him up to the surface. Keith inhaled a shuddering breath as he reached the surface, holding onto Lance's shoulders for support as the weight of his soaked wings dragged him down."Thanks" Keith panted, catching his breath. Lance smiled warmly and nodded, he opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by a voice behind him."Lance?"The two of them broke apart to stare at a large-built merman with thick, black hair and dark skin, "Lance?" The merman repeated.Lance blinked at him for a moment, shock preventing him from doing anything."Lance, who's this? Why does he have... Wings?" He asked skeptically, glaring Keith's wings with narrowed eyes.Lance's open mouth shut as he registered the situation and looked from Keith to the merman and back again. "Hunk... This is, um, this is Keith" he said.Hunk eyed Keith suspiciously, "Why were you kissing one of the Winged Folk?" he was quite plainly struggling to maintain a level voice.Lance's eyes widened and he pressed his lips into a thin line. Keith looked away, trying not to drown himself with all the extra weight of his wings but still be as unnoticeable as possible."Hunk..." Lance pleaded, giving him a look that read 'please don't be like this'. Hunk looked to Keith, "What are you hiding?" He growled."I'm not here to hurt anyone..." Keith said, reaching his hand out in a calming motion.Hunk only continued to glare at him, "Lance, I need to talk to you, in private" he said, not taking his eyes off Keith.Lance quickly nodded and swam just out of earshot from Keith, gesturing to Hunk to follow him. After a few minutes of listening to incoherent shouting, Keith finally saw Hunk and Lance return. Hunk stayed a little way back while Lance swam up to Keith. Lance grabbed Keith's hands in his and looked down, "I'm supposed to say good bye" he whispered quietly.Keith's heart sank, but he understood. He knew they shouldn't have even been talking in the first place. He nodded slowly without looking up."But I don't want to" Lance continued, his voice still a hushed whisper. Keith looked up at him with wide eyes. Lance leaned in next to Keith's head and whispered into his ear, "Come back tomorrow" he leaned back and smiled sadly, "Good bye" he said, loud enough for Hunk to hear.Keith nodded, "Good bye" he echoed. Lance smiled and turned to leave, "see ya" he whispered before diving into the depths of the water and out of sight.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
DAY 6Keith didn't leave the beach at all that night. He sat on the sand at the edge of the beach near the tree line and watched the ocean. The shallow waves crashing against the rocks and glimmering in the moonlight.He didn't want to go back to his village, just to be interrogated by Shiro and have to lie to him, and then leave next thing in the morning. He also didn't want to leave right after Lance's friend saw them, that could mean not seeing Lance again. Jeez, this guy had him hooked, why was he so desperate for him?A faint glow arose from the horizon signalling that dawn was arriving. Keith squinted his eyes at the brightening light. He slowly rose to his feet and put his hand in front of his face to block the sun. He wandered over to the large rocks at the shore line. He sat down at the edge of the water and bent down, scooping up water in his hands and splashing his face with the cool substance.When he opened his eyes and looked back into the water he yelped and scrambled back on the rock. There, in the water, was a face staring back at him. He took a deep breath and cautiously crept forward, peering over the edge again, he saw a pair of deep, brown eyes glaring back at him. It took him a moment to recognize the face; it was Hunk.Keith sighed, half relieved that it wasn't him going crazy and half trying to reassure himself that what was coming was less dangerous than a monster.Hunk surfaced from the water and grabbed onto the rock ledge. "Why are you here?" He demanded.Keith blinked at him, really unsure of what to say. "I- um..." Was all he managed to stutter.Hunk's eyes narrowed, he seemed to be trying to think of a way to say this politely. "Listen, I know that you and Lance have something, but... But there's no way it can work. He really likes you, he does, I can see it in the way he's distracted while doing his duties. But that's the thing, he's not the same. He's not himself when he's apart from you, and you, you're not one of us, you can't be there for him." Hunk's cold glare softened as he spoke, a sympathetic look in his eyes.Keith took a deep breath, registering what Hunk said. He felt oddly offended when he said Keith wasn't one of them, but he knew that he was entirely correct, Keith was nothing like Lance, Hunk or any of the other Mer Folk, really. He took a deep, shuddering breath and selected his words carefully."I- I know that things are going to be difficult but... But I can't just leave, not unless I don't have a reason to. I'm sorry." He said, looking down at his hands on the rock. He felt somehow disrespectful, like he was interfering in matters that he shouldn't.Hunk looked down, "I'm not going to tell anyone, for Lance's sake, and I know I can't really stop either of you. But if you care about him, even a little bit, let him go. He deserves one of his own, it went terribly for Romeo and Juliet, how do you suppose this will play out?" And with that, he disappeared under the water again and was gone.Keith sat frozen in stunned silence for several moments before falling back to sit in a more relaxed position, considering Hunk's words carefully. Would it really end that badly? No, it couldn't possibly be that bad... Could it? He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't afford to think about this. Besides, it's not like he and Lance were serious, they didn't have a title even, they were just friends that kissed once... Right?He slowly got to his feet, the sun had fully come out above the horizon now, and was shining down on him, far too happy a sight for such a day. He wished he had just gone back to his village last night like he normally did instead of camp out here like the desperate prat that he was.He began trudging back to the shady tree line when he heard a familiar sound.Wings flapping.He looked up to see the oh so familiar form of Shiro hovering above him. He sighed, first Hunk, now Shiro, what was next? He sincerely hoped Shiro would just stop where he was and go back home, but he knew that he'd been spotted, and that there was no getting out of this now.He began thinking of excuses when Shiro landed on the sand next to him, his large dark wings folding up against his back elegantly."You didn't come back last night" the taller of the two commented, his arms folded expectantly across his chest. Keith sighed, irritatedly, "No, duh, Sherlock."Shiro took no amusement with Keith's sarcasm, "Where were you? Here?" His voice was firm as he scanned the area, looking out at the water, the beach, the tree line, the sky, as if expecting to find some kind of answer.Kieth ignored his question, he loved Shiro, of course he did, they were like brothers, but Shiro was nosy at the worst of times. And Keith's tolerance for questions was thinning by the minute."How'd you find me?" He asked coldly, a bitter crisp to his words. Shiro narrowed his eyes at him, "I knew you'd been coming to the ocean, if you were trying to hide it you were doing a pretty bad job."Keith groaned, "Why are you here?""I want to know why you've been coming here lately, disappearing during the day, isolating yourself--""Isolating myself? Shiro, I've always been--!""Oh, cut the crap, already!" Shiro snapped, his usually calm attitude shattering. He looked disappointed, angry, hurt. A stab of guilt seared through Keith, he shrank back slightly at these harsh words, especially from Shiro. It was so unlike him to just snap like that, and it appeared the both of them had noticed.Shiro cleared his throat, "Sorry, I'm just... Worried" he smoothed his shirt with his hands and took a deep breath.Keith reached out and patted his arm, "I'm sorry, Shiro, I wish I could tell you. I really do, it hurts to leave you so uninformed like this but I can't--" his words were cut short by a loud splash in the water. Both him and Shiro looked over to the sea quickly to try and figure out what had caused the noise. Keith prayed it wasn't what he thought it was, that much bad luck couldn't possibly be crammed into such a short amount of time, could it?To answer the question, yes, yes it could.He crept forward slowly and peered over the edge of the rock, holding his hand out signalling for Shiro to stay back. Sure enough, peeking out from under the rock ledge was a vibrant, shimmering blue tail. Lance was here, and he had most likely seen Shiro, and heard most of their conversation.So. Much. Bad. Luck.How convenient was it that three people, none of which he would've liked to be there in that situation, had been there, in that situation?Then, as if in slow motion, a tan hand reached up and curled around the edge of the flat rock, followed by that oh so stunningly familiar face, before abruptly plopping back down in the water.Keith glanced back at Shiro to see if he noticed, and oh did he ever. He was gaping at the spot where Lance had appeared, a look of shock and something like anger spread across his face. Then, in one swift movement, Shiro lunged forward and reached into the water, soon lifting his hand to show Lance clutched in his grip, being held by the back of his neck.Keith simply couldn't believe it, he stood there stunned, watching Lance claw at Shiro's hand and writhe and squirm, trying to break free. Soon enough, however, Keith's instincts took over and he leapt forward, "Let him go, Shiro! You're hurting him!" He cried.Shiro wasn't listening, he was holding on tight to Lance with his enchanted arm, the one that had been injured then repaired and made better than ever by a sea spell of the river Druids. Keith began prying at Shiro, tugging at his arm and attempting to yank him away from Lance with little success."Shiro, please, don't hurt him!" He pleaded, desperately shoving and scratching at him in every attempt to free his friend. Shiro seemed to hear his plea and dropped Lance, who landed with a thud back onto the rock. Lance all but threw himself back into the water, grasping for the rock once he was submerged to stabilize himself, catching his breath. He glared resentfully at Shiro, his eyes narrowed menacingly. Shiro paid no attention to him, however, all of his focus was on Keith, who had bent down next to Lance and was asking if was okay and if he was hurt badly."So this is why you've been coming down the ocean" Shiro said, his voice full of shocked realization, "I can't believe it."Keith glared up at him, "What were you thinking?!" He demanded. Shiro's eyes narrowed, then softened slightly."I'm sorry, Keith" he muttered, "Why were you--?" The rest of his question was cut short, "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to!" Keith spat coldly.Shiro looked to Lance and sighed, "I-I'm sorry... I didn't realize you were..." He glanced between Lance and Keith several times and looked down.Keith leaned closer to Lance and whispered into his ear, "Are you alright?"Lance nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, "I'll be fine."Keith stood up slowly and brushed himself off, "C'mon, Shiro, we need to talk" he stalked past him onto the beach and turned around expectantly, waiting for him to follow.Shiro heaved a sigh and joined Keith on the sand, "Who is he?" He asked quietly, nodding towards Lance. "He is my friend, his name is Lance" Keith replied, glancing over at the merman quickly."Keith, you can't be friends with a Mer person, you know that" Shiro said reasonably."Why not? Why can't I be friends with him? He didn't do anything to hurt me, or anyone else for that matter. He's a good person and I'm actually happy when I'm around him" Keith protested, jabbing his finger in Shiro's chest. Shiro sighed, "You know why, he's one of the enemies, Keith. Just forget about him and come back to the tribe and we can forget about him, no one has to know.""You're right, Shiro, no one has to know. You're not going to tell anyone." Keith said, no hint of a question in his voice.Shiro opened his mouth to protest, then closed it, he took a deep breath and steadied himself, "Why not? How do you know I won't tell anyone?""Because I trust you, Shiro, and I know that you'd be there for me no matter what. I'd keep your secret if your girlfriend was a mermaid--" his voice caught in his throat as he realized his mistake."Girlfriend? Wait... This merman, er- Lance, is your boyfriend?" Shiro demanded, definitely loud enough for Lance to hear.Keith glanced over at Lance to see him gaping at them and sighed, "No- Shiro, that's not what I meant, we're not..." His eyes remained locked in Lance, who had an almost hopeful look in his eyes, "... I don't know. We're not official. Please... Don't tell anyone"Shiro considered this for a while, looking around at the ocean, beach, Lance and Keith. After a few minutes of silence, he nodded, "Your secret's safe with me."Keith sighed with relief, "Thank you" he whispered. Shiro nodded, he spread his wings wide and prepared to take off, just before he left he gently grabbed Keith's arm and whispered into his ear, "For now." And with that, he took off, flapping his powerful wings and soaring away, disappearing over the trees at the edge of the beach.Keith stood, shocked, frozen in spot by the sincerity in Shiro's voice as he spoke. After what felt like hours, he heard a faint voice coming from the water, "Keith? You okay, buddy?"Keith snapped back to the present and looked over to see Lance sitting on the rock ledge they always met on. "Uh, yeah, fine" he wandered over to him and sat down on the rock, staring down in to the water."So... Boyfriend, huh?" Keith looked over at Lance sharply, who wore a large smirk and had an eyebrow raised, a pleased look displayed on his face. Keith sighed, smiling, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that... Shiro misunderstood me.""So... You don't want to be my boyfriend...?" Lance questioned, hurt flickering behind his cocky expression."What? No, no, I do, well, um, it's not that I don't..." Keith stuttered, looking away flushed, blushing furiously.Lance laughed lightly, "So, boyfriends, then?" He questioned, watching Keith nod vigorously and smiled. Lances smile faded a little, "Anyway, who was that guy?" He asked, suddenly aware of the ache on the back of his neck.Keith's expression hardened, "He's, um, my friend, Shiro, more like a brother than anything, actually" he replied quickly.Lance nodded, "Hm, okay. I'm not too sure I like him all that much" he muttered, rubbing his neck tenderly. Keith's brow furrowed at Lance's tender action, "Yeah, that was way out of line. He's normally a pretty nice guy."Lance nodded again, "Meet up tomorrow?" He asked."Sure thing, oh, and, um, y'might wanna talk to Hunk" he replied. Lance gave him a questioning look but didn't say anything, instead, he blew him a kiss and dove back into the water.Keith sighed and heaved himself to his feet, stretching his wings wide and leaping into the air, taking off towards his tribe once again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
DAY 10Shiro swung open the cabin door and marched inside, slamming the thick wood door behind himself. "I'm here" he announced, looking around at the room of high ranking tribe members. In the centre of the room there was a large, sturdy wood table that held candles and half empty mugs. Off to the side there was a large fireplace that projected a warm, orangish glow throughout he room. Crowded around the table there were about a dozen respected tribe members, who all looked at him with narrowed eyes.Outside, there was a blistering rain storm in progress, whipping trees around and knocking over anything that wasn't nailed down. The water soaked through almost everything in the village. Many houses were leaking and the well in the village square was overflowing."You're late" the second in command, Eliza, said with her usual cold voice. There was a murmur of agreement throughout the crowd."I'm sorry, got caught up with the storm" Shiro replied, pulling his hood down and walking over to the table.Chief Enderson nodded, "Shall we continue?" He asked, looking around at the group huddled around him. Everyone nodded and Chief reached into his large jacket and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. He placed it on the table and spread it out with his hands, "Plans for containing the River Druids. They're getting out of hand" he explained.Everyone looked at Shiro expectantly, most glancing at his enchanted arm and waiting for his input on the situation. "I don't think they need to be contained. They help us when we need it and we fish in their river. We don't need more rivalries." Enderson nodded, "Fair enough, but are we going to let them continue to steal the food we hunt?""No, but we could make a deal with them, their resources for some of our food" Shiro suggested. "Not a bad idea. I'll consider it" Chief replied thoughtfully.Eliza cleared her throat loudly and waited for everyone's attention. Once everyone was focused on her, she began, "Very pressing matter, indeed, Chief. However, there is something I wish to discuss, something that I believe most of you have noticed. Keith. He's been disappearing during the days and hasn't been doing any work at all." As she mentioned Keith's name she shot Shiro an expecting look.Everyone in the group also looked at Shiro, "Have you any idea where he might be going?" Eliza asked, an evil type of glint in her eye.Shiro's mouth parted, but he didn't exactly have a response. The #1 rule in the warriors code of their tribe is to report back to the chief or highest ranking warrior any information gained about the enemy nation. He took a deep breath, "I know that he's been going near the ocean" he said, which wasn't a lie, exactly.Eliza looked at the chief then to the rest of the group with a slight smirk playing at the corner of her mouth, "Ah, yes, what do you suppose he's doing there?" She asked, her gaze now fixed on Shiro."I-I have no idea" he lied quickly. He was normally a pretty good liar, but he knew that his response did not sound very convincing. Eliza narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure, Shiro? No sort of guess? Nothing?" Her voice was tempting, daring him to tell the truth.Shiro swallowed hard, "I don't know what he's doing there" he said as calmly as possible.Eliza slammed her hand down on the table and leaned forward quickly, her face now only a few inches away from Shiro's. She wore a menacing sneer and a crooked smirk, her eyes glinting. "Don't lie, Shiro, you must have some idea. That's where the Mer Folk live, is it not? Are you sure Keith can be trusted?" Shiro narrowed his eyes, "Eliza, stop this, I--" he stopped short, Eliza's eyes flashed a bright blue and Shiro's irises widened so that his usually light pupils were almost all black."Er- um... A merman. There's a merman that he's been meeting. Dating or something" Shiro muttered, his eyes locked with Eliza's. Eliza smirked, "Hear that, Chief? Keith's a traitor" she sneered. She leaned back and resumed her position at the table.Shiro blinked a few times, his eyes returning to normal. "Wait- did I just--?" Eliza cut him off, "Why don't we go confront him?" She asked, her smirk never faltering.Chief Enderson stepped forward, "If what Shiro says is true," he looked him over carefully, "Then we'll talk to Keith when the storm dies down a little. For now, everyone go back to your cabins." He ordered, turning away from the crowd and walking off, signalling the end of the meeting.Everyone grabbed their things and rushed outside to their homes as fast as they could, trying to avoid the rain. Eliza, however, exited the cabin at a slow pace, a self satisfied grin spread across her face and her eyes gleamed with triumph.- Keith sat alone in his tiny cabin, the small fireplace flickering and glowing with warmth. He knew he wouldn't be able to go see Lance today, the rain was far too thick to be able to see a foot in front of your face and the wind would just whip him around like a feather.He slumped down further into his seat and watched the fire flickering in the stone fireplace in the wall. He thought back to only 10 days ago when he first met Lance, oh what wonderful introductory skills he has. Good job, Keith, good job. And Lance, oh god, his heart just fluttered thinking about him. Why was he so hung up on this guy, he had only known him for a little more than a week and-- knock knock knock.Keith looked up at the door, knock knock knock. He slowly stood up and crept towards it, again, more desperate knocking.He slowly opened it slightly, struggling to keep it in place while the wind tried to rip it out of his hands.There, standing in the doorway was a cloaked figure. The figure pushed passed him into his cabin, causing him to lose his grip on the door, which flew open and slammed into the wall. He sighed and began the struggle of closing the door again, his back pressed firmly against it as he stumbled backwards, fighting against the wind.The glared at the figure as he did so, a large, dark cloak draped over the figures body. Only the lower half of the face was visible, but there was a mischievous smirk in place, which was more of an idea of who it was than was necessary."What do you need, Eliza?!" Keith called over the hum of the rain and the whip of the wind, finally managing to close the door."Why, I came to talk to you about your disappearances lately" she said, pulling her hood down and smiling at him with a false kindness."I see," he slid the lock on the door in place to keep it from blowing open again, "Well, speak up then." He urged impatiently.She nodded, "Well, I believe we have a problem you see. A problem with a particular merman."Keith froze, Shiro. He told her. How could he!? No, no, calm down, she's just trying to rial you up. Keith took a deep breath, "I have no idea what you're talking about" he said. Eliza's smirk widened and her eyes narrowed."Oh, but I think you do" she whispered, stepping closer to him so they were face to face. Her eyes flashed a vibrant blue, Keith looked away quickly."Don't play your games with me, Eliza" he said firmly.Smack!She slapped him straight across the face, "Tell me what you know!" She spat.Keith turned to glare at her, his eyes burning with hatred, "GET. OUT." He demanded.Smack!She backhanded him, "I'm not asking!" Her voice was a low growl. Keith reached out and grabbed her wrist, "Me neither" he dragged her over to the door, unlocked it, swung it open and shoved her out into the rain. Eliza's eyes burned with fury, "This isn't over!" She called, pulling her hood up and stalking off, the tips of her wings dragging in the mud.Keith heaved a sigh, not caring that he was being soaked by the rain or that it was pouring into his cabin. He watched the dark form of Eliza disappear into the blur of the rain. This isn't over. That's what Shiro had said when he first suspected. And he was right, they were both right, Shiro and Eliza, this truly wasn't over.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
DAY 11It was very, very early morning. Dawn would not be coming for another five or six hours. Eliza had stormed out of his cabin only a couple hours earlier. He didn't have much time.The moment dawn came, he would be confronted by probably a lot more than just Eliza. If she knew, there's a good chance way more people did too. He had to leave.He couldn't fly in this rain, which hadn't lifted at all in the past little while. He would have to walk. To where? He didn't know. It's not like he could find shelter by the ocean, and even if he could, that would risk putting Lance and the Mer Folk in danger, and he couldn't do that.He packed some clothes, a towel/blanket, his dagger, a bundle of herbs, berries and other edible plants into a bag (which would undoubtedly get soaked, but that didn't matter) and put on the warmest coat he owned. He walked over to his small desk in the corner and pulled out his journal, which he had been sketching and writing in ever since he met Lance. He opened it to the first page, where there was an absentminded sketch of Lance that he was particularly proud of. He ripped out the page and tucked it into his coat, hoping that it would stay at least a little dry, and tossed the journal into the fire.He took a good, long look around his cabin, doubting he would ever see it again, and stepped outside into the raging storm. He closed the door (with much difficulty) and carefully walked through the slush, to the forest that surrounded his village. He stopped at the tree line and looked around at the warm cabins that glowed orange through the cracks under the doors and between the wood panes of the windows.He desperately wished he could just go back into his cabin and stay there where it's safe and warm and pretend nothing happened, but he knew that was just wishful thinking. He turned and trudged into the forest, where he was slightly more sheltered from the rain (slightly) and walked to god knows where.-After a good hour or two of walking his frozen legs gave out and he had to stop and take a break. He settled beneath a large oak tree and pulled his blanket towel type thing out of his bag and draped it over his legs, then spread his wings out and curled them around himself. The rain had let up a little bit, it was now a heavy drizzle instead of a violent downpour. He had been traveling down the mountain, what normally would've taken him 15 minutes had taken him over an hour and he wasn't even at the bottom yet.He sighed, knowing dawn would come in a matter of hours and his people would wake up and try to find him. He heaved himself to his feet, put the blanket back in his bag, and continued on the slippery path down the mountain. This far down, there wasn't any snow, so he was safe from the slush, but that meant there was more dirt, and more dirt meant more mud. Mud was slippery, slippery was most inconvenient. Especially when you're trying to move quickly.He held onto the trees of the dense forest area to keep from slipping. He switched his position with each step to grab a hold of a different tree or branch. His bare feet were soaked and numb, the cold mud caked up to his knees.Okay, enough was enough, he couldn't bare to walk anymore. He pushed through a clump of bramble and into a small clearing. He took a deep breath and stretched his wings wide, hearing a few of his joints crack with the movement. He flapped a few times weakly to get blood flowing again, then propelled himself up with a flap and lifted into the air. He nearly fell back to the ground a couple times. He realized how numb his wings were becoming before he moved them. His muscles ached and his feathers were heavy with the dampness of the mist and the rain.The rain was still coming down, much lighter than before though. Light enough that he would be able to fly in it. He flew above the treetops and looked around. Beyond the forest, there was the ocean, and behind the forest, there was the mountain. Wow.Not a lot.He always thought that if he really looked around, there would be more. But on the other side of their mountain, the mountain ranges stretched on as far as the eye could see. And beyond the forest, the endless ocean.He sighed, continuing on towards the ocean, seeing as he was on the wrong side of the mountain to go to the cold lands of the mountain ranges. Plus it was too cold there, he hated the cold.He stayed close to the treetops, hoping that maybe his bright red wings would be less noticeable.The rain was warmer here, compared to the mountain top, and it was nothing more than a light drizzle. He flew above the forest for another half an hour or so before he finally reached the beach. As soon as his feet hit the sand he collapsed, rolling onto his back and groaning. His aching and tired wings splayed out beneath him.The rain had completely stopped now, although there was a thick mist hanging in the air. He almost wished the rain would come back, to make it more difficult for his tribe members to find him. But of course, it stopped just as he found a place to rest.He sighed, feeling the damp sand seep into his feathers, making him shiver. He gathered his remaining strength and sat up, stumbling over to the rocks by the shoreline. He sat down and swung his feet in the cool water, watching the mud that had caked on his feet wash off in a cloud under the water.He took a deep breath, pulling his feet out of the water once they were clean and stood up. His legs ached and his knees were weak, he grumbled knowing he would have to leave again. This was far too of an obvious place to find him and dawn would be coming soon.He stretched his wings out wide and yawned. His feet were getting cold standing on the wet rock and he shivered.He cautiously began making his way back to the sand, being careful not to slip, when he heard a voice."Leaving so soon?"He jumped and whipped around, loosing his footing on the slippery rock and nearly falling flat on his back, before his wings propelled him forward to his feet.He looked down at the water to see Lance, wearing his signature smirk and staring up at him."Wh- why are you here?" Keith demanded, breathing heavily.Lance raised an eyebrow, "Why wouldn't I be...?"Then it occurred to Keith, Lance doesn't know. He doesn't know that Keith's on the run. He doesn't know that Eliza knows, heck, he doesn't even know who she is. He doesn't know how his tribe would react. Keith took a deep breath and crouched down at the edge of the rock. "My tribe knows about you. They know that I've been coming to see you. They know everything. You have to leave here now." He said, choosing each word carefully.Lance gave him a confused look, "So, what, they're coming after you now?" Keith nodded, "They will be, and soon" he looked up across the ocean to see the sky becoming paler."How do you know? Couldn't you just be overreacting right now?" Lance asked."There is a very slim chance they're not going to do anything about it. They don't treat traitors very kindly, I've seen it before" Keith explained.Lance looked at him, "What would they do?" He asked softly.A pained look flashed across Keith's face and he looked away, "The punishment for betrayal is death."Lances eyes widened, "They're gonna kill you?"Keith shook his head, "Only if they can find me" he said, standing up straight and brushing himself off. "Now, please, leave. If they find you they'll kill you.""Where will you go?" Lance asked.Keith paused where he stood, "Away." He began walking back to the tree line before he was stopped. Stopped with three words that completely changed his mind. Three words that set his heart ablaze."I love you."Keith stood motionless at the edge of the rock where it met sand. He could feel the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He quickly took a deep breath and blinked them away. "I love you too. I'll see you soon" he glanced back at him and smiled. "I promise."Lance smiled, "I'll see you."Keith looked down and took off into the forest at a run, ducking branches and jumping over logs, wondering if he would ever see that loveable merman again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
DAY 11 pt.2Dawn had long since come and Keith had no idea how long he'd been walking. His feet hurt more than ever now but he continued on, not wanting to fly in fear of being seen.He knew he was being a little paranoid, but he did not want to face his tribe. Especially Eliza. That witch.He kept on wondering how they found out, or how Eliza found out, at least. Shiro was the obvious answer, but he couldn't help thinking that he hadn't told them on purpose. Keith knew of Eliza's ability, had she used it on Shiro?A loud hiss startled him out of his thoughts. He snapped back to reality just in time to see a greenish-yellow snake that had been victim of his foot slithering away. He sighed watching the poor creature disappear into a clump of bramble.He stopped for a moment and took in his surroundings. He hadn't meant to wander too far from the ocean, but none of this was even a bit familiar. The dense vegetation all around him looked completely new to him.He sighed and looked around, planning to retrace his steps, but he had no idea which direction he had come from. It all looked the same.He groaned and kicked a nearby shell in frustration. Wait. A shell! He crouched down and picked it up, tracing the delicate grooves of it with his fingers. The ocean must be close. Whether that was a good thing or not he did not know.He stood up and looked around, focusing on the direction of the wind. Once he had located a faint breeze coming from what he assumed was the east, he pushed past a clump of bracken and saw a deep blue through a cluster of trees. The ocean.Now he had to decide what his next course of action would be. Go to the ocean or not? He could plainly tell that this wasn't where he normally met Lance, but would he be too noticeable to anyone looking for him?Was anyone even looking for him?He crept closer to where the ocean was visible, being careful not to step directly on the prickle prackle that was the forest floor.He could see the pale golden sand and how inviting its warmth was. In the forest here, rain drops that had collected on the foliage still dripped on him. Out there, the sun shone weakly through the clouds, providing at least some warmth.He took a deep breath and slowly pushed through the thick layer of vegetation and onto the sand, the warmth heating up his numb feet.He smiled at the fresh air and cool wind blowing against him, he hadn't realized how thick the air had gotten in the forest.He took a few steps forward, enjoying the feeling of the sand sinking between his toes. He wandered closer to the shoreline, this part of the beach had sand at the waters edge instead of large rock plates. He dipped his toes into the water and shivered, a large smile on his face. Somehow, this moment felt unreal, like he was discovering the world around him all over again.Odd, really, how your perception of reality varies with each different thought.He wadded further into the water, up to his ankles, and felt the shallow waves splash gently against the tips of his feathers.He smiled, making a mental note to show Shiro this place later. Oh. Wait. Shiro. Right, he wouldn't get the chance to show him.His heart sank knowing he would never be able to go back to his old life, not that there was much, but still, it's all he's ever known.He fiddled with the shell in his hand that he had found in the forest before chucking it as far as he could into the ocean in frustration. He watched as it landed with a splash into the water, sending ripples out in every direction. He imagined it hitting the ocean floor and being reunited with its home, once again becoming part of its ecosystem where it belonged.He looked down, where did he belong?Was he meant to find Lance, or was that just a mistake that he should have ignored? Was he meant to be wandering around, hiding from his people? Was he meant to be so alone? Where did he belong?"Grrrrrrrrr..."A low rumbling sounded from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. Something instinctual told him to be very careful. He slowly, very slowly, turned around. There, standing at the edge of the forest, was a large, purple, cat-like wolf creature. It had piercing yellow eyes that seemed to glow even in the daylight. Thick, dark fur decorated its whole body and made it look even larger and more menacing. It had broad shoulders and a long snout, which bared glimmering white fangs from beneath a wide snarl.It had massive paws with razor-sharp claws that glinted in the sunlight. It growled again, a low rumble, and snapped its jaws at him. Keith watched the beast carefully, not daring to make any sudden movements. The beast, although snarling and growling, seemed to have an odd curiosity for Keith and didn't move from its attack-ready position.Keith narrowed his eyes at it, and the creature, oddly enough, seemed to follow his example and narrow its eyes. Keith swallowed hard, he was nearly trembling with fear but he forced himself to stay calm, not wanting to do anything to upset it.The beast growled once more, louder his time, and gave him a knowing look with those golden-yellow eyes before slowly turning around. With a flick of its long tail, it hunkered back into the woods and disappeared through the undergrowth.Keith took and deep breath and collapsed on the sand where he stood, taking in what had just happened. He continued to breathe deeply, trying to slow his racing heart. That creature. Those eyes. He remembered every detail of the beast with precise accuracy. The shining claws, the long pointed ears, the glinting teeth. Everything.He sat there on his knees, not moving, too stunned to do much of anything. When he heard a loud crack coming from somewhere unknown, he jumped to his feet. He looked around quickly before rushing back into the woods, where he would be better hidden, and stayed there for the remainder of the day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
DAY 14Two weeks ago, if you’d have told Keith that he were soon to be on the run from the very people that had “cared” for him all his life, PLUS have some odd relationship with someone from the supposed enemy nation, he would’ve said you’d lost it. There was no logical explanation for how this had occurred.Obviously, God doesn’t award logic to gays.Since the last time he’d seen Lance, he had only left the shelter of the forest twice. The first time had been refreshing and much needed after breathing in the thick, damp air of the woods. The second time, however, all of his fears had been confirmed.Whilst sitting along the water’s edge, enjoying the fresh, salty air, he had spotted an odd looking bird. Bird? No, not a bird, it had been too large to be a bird. By the time he recognized it as a member of his tribe, and which member to be exact, he bolted for the coverage of the undergrowth.Still, he didn’t know if Eliza had spotted him then. That had been two days ago though, there was a good chance his tribe had given up their search. They had probably assumed he`d have died of starvation or was eaten by the wildlife… right? He hoped so.He pushed past a particularly prickly clump of bracken, continuing his endless walk through the thick forestry. He`d considered several possible options for his future, maybe set up camp here in the woods? Maybe find a nice cave in the mountain range?He had no idea what he was going to do, but whatever it was, he better decide fast.His lungs now burned and his legs ached. It had only been a few days since the vigorous downpour, but already the forest was dry and oddly humid. Even through the thick coverage of trees, the sun beat down on him relentlessly. In some spots, the ground was damp and squishy, in others it was dry as a desert.He stopped, leaning against a tree and slowly sinking down into a sitting position. He pulled his bag in front of him and unbuttoned it, removing his coat (which he had stuffed into the top the bag due to the heat) and placing it down on the earth next to him.He reached deeper inside and pulled out the few berries he had left, quickly popping them in his mouth before rummaging through his sack again. He`d hoped that there would’ve been some more herbs or something for him to eat, but there proved to be nothing left. Only some damp clothes and his blanket-towel remained inside.He heaved a sigh and sloppily replaced his affairs where they`d been, shoving them back into the bag. As he was putting his coat away, a crinkling noise caught his attention. He reached into the inner (and only) pocket of his jacket and removed the sketch he`d drawn of Lance. He had forgotten about it, and admittedly Lance all together, over the course of the past few days. His heart did an odd sort of flutter looking at it, as stupid as it may sound. He scanned the image, smudged slightly from being tucked in his pocket and a little damp from previous rain, but still intact. He had done a good job of capturing the angular cheekbones and long lashes that framed Lance`s face, the curve of the merman`s lean torso and defined muscles. Keith sighed looking at the drawing and silently cursed himself for thinking about Lance now; there wasn`t a point. The chances of him ever seeing the other again were very slim. He knew he should just throw the drawing away, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he stuffed it hastily back into his bag with the rest of his things.Sighing, he dragged himself to his feet again, slinging his bag over his shoulder and continuing on through the dense forest.After only a few more minutes of walking, he pushed away a particularly thick clump of bramble and gasped as his extended foot didn’t connect with solid ground. Before he had time to react, he felt his leg give way under him and he soon found himself tumbling down a steep, sandy cliff side.Sharp rocks scraped against his skin and his feathers as he did an awkward half-tumble half-roll down the hill, dust flying up into his mouth and clouding his vision. After what felt like an eternity, but was more realistically only a minute or so, the tumbling came to a gradual end. By the time he stopped completely, he was lying on his back on a warm sandy surface. He could feel several scrapes and cuts all over his body and he ached everywhere. The world was spinning around him and his head pounded insistently.He groaned and sat up, quickly putting one arm behind him to steady himself and the other to his head, trying to look past the spinning. After a few minutes of just sitting on the sand, the pounding had lessened enough for him to stand.He sighed and stumbled over to a nearby rock, sitting down quickly to let the sudden wave of vertigo pass.He quickly did a mental check of things; arms? Check. Legs? Check. Wings? Check. Good, everything was still there.Suddenly, he was very aware of the unsettling taste of dirt and blood in his mouth. He spit unceremoniously onto the sand and wiped his mouth, scowling at the blood on his hand. He growled, realizing that his bag was somewhere between the top of the cliff side and the bottom, and kicked the sand in frustration.He looked around at his surroundings, narrowing his eyes at the blaring sun. Opposite him was the ocean, which began about 5 metres away from him. Behind him was the hill, and behind that was the forest. He looked along the expanse of the hill and frowned not seeing any way to get back to the woods by foot.Begrudgingly, he heaved himself to his feet, wandering towards the water. In this part of the shoreline, the water met sand instead of harsh rock plates.Keith wadded in the cool water up to his ankles, relishing the feeling of the water soothing his aching feet. Soon, he found himself standing in the water up to his waist, his wings lifted high above his head to keep them dry.He could feel the sting of the salt water in his open wounds that he’d received from the fall, but they were inconsequential to the soothing feeling of the water against his skin.He closed his eyes and let himself relax, despite having to hold his wings up. The sounds around him blurred together and the only feeling he was aware of the refreshing water surrounding him.“Keith?” A voice sounded from behind him, startling him out of his calm state, the sheer familiarity of it chilled him to the bone. Instantly, Keith’s eyes shot open and he spun around, using his wings to help him turn in the water. “Shiro?!” he demanded, going tense under his friend’s gaze. Shiro’s eyes shone with relief, but also showed an overwhelming amount of concern.“Keith… what are you…? How did…?” Shiro seemed to be searching for the right words. Keith slowly padded forward, towards the older man, and out of the water.“Hey, Shiro. How’s the tribe..? Keith offered as a friendly conversation starter. Shiro just shook his head, laughing softly, and pulled Keith into a tight hug.“I missed you. You just been camping out here for the past few days?” Shiro asked, his voice was steady but also held a thick note or worry in it.“I’ve been around.” He replied simply. Shiro’s eyes suddenly darkened, as if a thought had just come to mind. “Keith, listen. Most of the tribe have given up, or never cared at all, to look for you. But… not Eliza. She keeps insisting we look for you. If she finds you, she’ll have you hung.” Shiro said, his voice suddenly strained, in an almost unnatural way.The weight of Shiro’s words hit Keith like a slap to the face. Of course, he’d known what would happen to him if he was found, but he’d never thought about what it would do to the people around him. To Shiro, to Lance. Hell, Shiro would be killed, or at least punished too, if they found out he’d helped Keith.“Shiro… I…” Keith had to get Shiro out of here, fast. He racked his brain for the words, but just couldn’t find them. He couldn’t find a way to tell Shiro to leave him. Of course he couldn’t; he’s him and Shiro’s Shiro. He knew he was being selfish, but… he just couldn’t make him leave.“Keith, just, be careful, okay? I don’t need you—”“Hello, boys.”An icily cool voice sounded from behind shiro, and both boys snapped their attention to it’s owner.There, standing on the beach, with her arms crossed and a wicked smile on her face, stood Eliza.