Colin, escaping Nora's strenuous attempts to lure the 18-year-old into participating in ambiguous situations, slowly began to use increasingly cursory excuses. He said that he couldn't go for a walk with her alone because his shoe was holey, that he wasn't too fond of water or that he didn't drink much alcohol. The young woman, who does not revel in much beauty, nevertheless strenuously tried to wrap her hands around the fox's hips as best as she could. However, since her attempts did not yield even small results, Jarl Thea's daughter soon began to get irritated, an apparent example of which was the ongoing discussion between them.
Well, discussion in Rainer's opinion was really a delicate term, because here during the training of soldiers, Nora and Colin began to argue with each other about the technique of wielding weapons. Initially it began with biting remarks toward each other that, and that with two swords in your hands you can at most pull out pieces of meat between your teeth, that a shield during combat can serve more as a tray for serving food than defense, or that axes chop wood and not necks.
Rainer did not want to enter into a discussion between the young men for several reasons. First, the wolf didn't even dare to question the way of fighting with an axe and shield, since this was the main hallmark of the technique of fighting opponents of Jarl Thea's family. Secondly, Rainer had seen with his own eyes how two swords in the course of battle can be a bloodthirsty weapon, so he was not going to argue with Colin. Thirdly, the man thought the whole brawl between the youths was irrational and childish. Besides, Rainer decided that, after all, he would not defend Colin against everything he could. After all, since the boy is not in any danger, the wolf can let the fox have his own verbal skirmishes with other rebels. After all, now Colin was one of them, and he had the right to do so.
- A veil of shields will shatter swords, arrows and all other weapons. - Noted Nora standing in the sunshine on this winter day surrounded by practicing soldiers. - There is no better defense.
- You will cover your squad with shields and the enemy will shower you with arrows until they surround you with armor from the flanks. - Replied the boy loudly, trying to stay focused on practicing his weapons. - Shield covering is a solution for a few minutes and not for an entire battle.
- Well, I wouldn't let my unit be flanked. - Threw Nora dryly.
The wolf had been watching Colin closely all this time. It may seem strange, but all indications were that Rainer liked the peculiar way Colin irritated himself. His stubby, shapely and straight nose crinkled angrily, which the man found charming. Strands of white-orange hair fell carelessly across his forehead, looking well-groomed and healthy in the light of day. His emerald eyes glittered with a glow of wild green and emanated an array of negative emotions from such a trivial quarrel. The same was true of his cheeks, which, as a result of the cold and increasing pressure, turned a warm red hue reminiscent of the sight of the sun setting in the sky.
"Even when he gets angry he looks so... loving." - Thought Rainer with embarrassment.
The rebel leader obviously began to pay much more attention to the fox's behavior after talking to Axel. Unluckily for him, no ambiguous situation occurred all this time from which the wolf could draw any conclusions. However, he wondered about the events that had occurred between him and Colin in the past. The fact that the teenager himself wanted to hug the man on that memorable night was particularly intriguing to him. The embrace at the shared resting place was too intimate to be called friendly. Rainer knew this and was sure of it. The problem, however, was that beyond that embrace, nothing more happened between them. Rainer didn't notice that this made Colin feel aroused or impelled to make further attempts to get closer to the man. On the other hand, he didn't quite know what Colin could have done more. Perhaps the man was waiting for the wolf to be the one to take some action? Maybe the fox feels as insecure about Rainer as he does about himself? If that's the case, the two are condemning each other to a game of pretenses in which each side is afraid to take the first step toward the other.
The thought of this unnerved the man, who had long known that he wanted to be as close to the boy as possible. Of course, he further did not understand how their life would look if it turned out that Colin was interested in Rainer what he was in him. While this was an important issue, the wolf was not currently paying much attention to it. The important thing was to determine first whether Axel's suspicions about his nephew were indeed justified.
Meanwhile, as Rainer pondered in silence, the argument between Colin and Nora took a turn for the worse.
- Well then. - Jarl Thea's daughter finally said. - Why don't you personally show what you can do with those two swords?
- I don't think it's a good idea. - A nervous Colin replied.
- Are you afraid that you will lose? - The girl mocked him.
- It seems to me that you are nervous. - Replied Colin loudly, pouring his gaze into the girl's blinds. - I don't want anyone to get hurt.
- That means you're afraid. - Parsed the girl in the most arrogant way she could. - Indeed, you have no trait similar to your father. Magnar is not a coward.
Colin tightened his hand on the sword he was holding and closed his eyes. His fist clenched with such force on the shaft of the blade that one could see the white on the knuckles of his hand. Then the fox literally walked up to one of the practicing soldiers in the blink of an eye and asked for and other blade. Then Nora's eyes shone and she accepted a shield from another practicing warrior.
Rainer felt uneasy seeing all this. Of course, there was no possibility of anyone getting seriously hurt, as the weapons used for training were not sharpened. Nevertheless, the blunt blade still managed to bruise in a severe way and even slightly cut the body. Rainer did not want anything to happen to Colin however, he knew that he should not intervene. If he did and stopped this "friendly" duel then indeed the rebel community might start to consider Colin a coward, and that's something the man didn't want.
However, the wolf, seeing how much the atmosphere between the young men had thickened, took a few steps toward them, while continuing to hold on to his sore wound, and announced:
- Remember to stop your blades before they strike your opponent's body. - He said seriously and sternly then added. - If you have to duel then do it the way you do it in training. No suspicious tricks or else....
- Rainer calmly. - Nora interrupted, tossing her axe up in the air. - We are just practicing.
- Exactly. - Colin added, completely without looking in the wolf's direction.
Rainer could only hope that the youth would take his words seriously. If they did not, however, he really intended to intervene. He didn't care about the outcome of the fight or who among them fought better. However, he wasn't going to let the duel turn into a meaningless brawl whose sole purpose would be to kick his opponent's ass.
Rainer's warriors curiously gathered around Nora and Colin to watch the fight that was about to begin. Rainer heard his men quietly start betting with each other about who of the pair would win the duel. Wolf did not intend to join in the betting and merely crossed his massive hands on his chest. He began to closely watch the movements of the girl and the boy with his yellow eyes. As soon as his head turned in Nora's direction, she dashed at Colin in a flash.
The girl shielded herself with her shield and began to glide towards Colin, who stealthily spun out of her path of attack and delivered the first sword strike, which the girl, however, managed to parry. Before any further movement could take place, however, it appeared that Colin's second sword was immediately at the girl's neck, who, confused, froze in place.
- You are dead. - Colin said in a slightly bored voice.
- How? - Puzzled the girl, unable to believe that she lost the fight before it began. - Again. - She instructed nervously.
- As you wish. - Replied Colin curving his lips.
As the pair settled into their seats it was quickly clear that Nora had again embraced a different strategy this time. This time she began cautiously circling Colin, who mimicked her movements while holding both swords in his hands. The girl finally moved quickly to meet the fox and swung her axe. Colin managed to parry the blow of the girl, who quickly took advantage of the situation and turned her weapon in such a way that she knocked Colin's sword out of his hand. It was of no use, however, because while the young woman was performing this maneuver, Colin, unconcerned about the loss of one weapon, quickly, without knowing quite when, put the blade of the other wedge straight into the girl's abdomen.
- You're dead again. - He declared apparently surprised by his second consecutive victory.
- Again. - The girl hissed in his direction.
Colin shrugged his shoulders, smiling slightly under his breath. As for Rainer, the wolf himself felt slightly confused. Admittedly, Colin had once told him that it would be better if he never found out how well the boy could handle a weapon, but he didn't think the fox could be that good a swordsman. Indeed, the boy's lean stature was deceptive. The eighteen-year-old Viking's lack of pronounced musculature was more indicative of poor dexterity and experience with a sword. From experience, Rainer knew that strong men make good warriors and not skinnies like Colin.
"I think I need to seriously revise my approach to fighting." - Thought the man as he watched Nora's next clumsy attempt at an attack.
The girl's next attempt to win the duel ended as quickly as the previous ones. A murmur resembling a slight chuckle or perhaps even derision could be heard among the assembled warriors. So Rainer decided that it was high time to end the fight.
- Enough. - The man said.
- No. - Nora objected, lifting her axe from the ground. - Again.
- I don't want to anymore. - Colin replied, again crooking his face.
- This was just a warm-up, now I will not be so easily defeated. - Announced the girl, shielding herself with a shield.
- It is said that cats have nine lives ... not wolves. - Replied the boy, sending his opponent a crooked smile. - You've already died three times, that's enough.
- No. - Replied the girl sternly. - I will not give up so easily.
- Nora, let it go... - Colin continued, but he did not have time to say anything more because the girl came at him again.
Their blades crossed again with a loud clang in this winter air. After literally several exchanges of blows, the girl struck Colin with her shield which threw him off balance. Then the young woman bent down and put her axe straight to Colin's leg.
- You lost! - She shouted. - You don't have a leg!
- And you're out of your head. - Replied Colin, who held his sword literally inches above the neck of an unaware Nora.
Indeed, in the process of executing this attack, Colin might have lost a leg, but he was not about to die. Despite losing his balance, he managed to aim his sword in such a way as to miss his opponent's shield and aim his blade straight at her neck.
- Fuck! - Shouted the upset girl. - Again!
- No. - Opposed Rainer, who by now had begun to move towards them. - You've lost four times, enough is enough.
- Last time! - A girl longing for victory argued.
- If you lose then you will want a rematch again. - Replied Rainer, already annoyed by the situation.
- Right on. - Suddenly Colin spoke up. - I'll fight you again.
Rainer cast a look of overflowing disapproval in the direction of the teenage boy, who again all he did was shrug his shoulders. The wolf reluctantly moved away from the dueling pair, who momentarily crossed axe and sword again. Rainer, knowing what the outcome of the fight would be, theatrically turned his head, being already bored with this farce. As soon as he did so, he heard a loud cry from the girl.
- Fuck yeah!
- Congratulations. - The boy replied. - You have won.
Puzzled, Rainer turned his head again in the direction of the combatants to see that, indeed, Nora had won this time. Her axe hovered just above the head of Colin, whose position in which he held his swords showed that he would have had no chance to defend himself. As soon as the man saw this he had to restrain himself not to laugh out loud. So he limited himself to an inward smile.
- Good fight. - Said the man, the corners of his mouth rising. - It's time for a break.
The soldiers were relieved by Rainer's order and began to hurriedly disperse each in their own direction. Wolf decided to wait for Colin, who carefully put the unsharpened swords back in their place. He exchanged a few more remarks with Nora, after which they each went in opposite directions. When he finally joined Rainer, the latter poked him on the shoulder with a wide smile on his lips. Colin smiled in response and rolled his eyes from top to bottom.
- I had to. - He began quietly. - Otherwise it would have taken ages.
- I saw. - A satisfied man replied. - I always knew you were a smart boy.
- Just under no circumstances tell her that I gave her the win. - Colin giggled. - That would make her angry.
- Rest assured, I am not a madman. - The wolf smiled and then, stepping away from the subject, asked. - Are you hungry?
- A bit. - The boy admitted.
Rainer nodded and then slowly walked with the teenager toward the bakers' cave.
Wolf didn't know why it seemed that Colin was gaining in beauty by the day, although that's not quite the right term. Since the fox looked the same as before it must have meant that Rainer simply began to look at the boy in slightly different terms. He began to pay attention to features of his appearance that he hadn't thought about at all before. He liked his straight teeth and the dimples in his cheeks when the teenager smiled. The long eyelashes that surrounded his emerald eyes. The strands of hair that fell so carelessly across his forehead. The long fingers that Nora was the first to draw attention to. The tail that seemed to be the softest velvet Rainer had ever seen. His grimaces of displeasure at such trivial things as today. The way Colin felt uncomfortable as if discussing sexual matters was also appealing to Rainer in some strange and undefined way. Perhaps it was because the wolf no longer had to fight for this boy's life and could finally focus on such mundane things as his eyelashes or fingers. Another option was what he learned from Axel. Perhaps the realization that he didn't necessarily have to be doomed to one-sided affection toward Colin ignited those desires in him even more?
Rainer watched as Colin, with a smile on his lips, thanked the baker for the loaf of bread he had received. Although the wolf had seen it more than once before, it was only recently that he began to think that the boy was the possessor of the most beautiful smile of all the people Rainer had met. It was a smile so genuine, so filled with that youthful energy and kindness of heart, that Rainer really couldn't believe that someone like him could have someone like Magnar as a father. Wolf didn't know whether he had begun to glorify the boy or just see him more and more intimately. Whatever the cause was, however, it boiled down to the same effects. Namely, Rainer simply enjoyed the presence of the boy and at the same time craved an even closer relationship with him. More closeness. More intimacy.
The man and his boyfriend were just walking toward the cave where they ate, slept and read stories from distant lands. As they entered the dark corridor and their footsteps echoed off the uneven rocks, the man thought:
"I need to find out if he loves in Greek. I need a situation similar to the one when we were cuddling... just how to bring something like this about without arousing suspicion? After all, if Colin is not interested in men at all..." - Rainer then interrupted his thoughts, as a pretty good idea popped into his head.
- Perhaps you would like to go to the hot springs tonight? - He suggested in a rather confident voice. - My wound hasn't bled for long and I haven't been there for a long time either.
The boy pondered his answer for a brief moment, then quickly replied briefly and confidently.
- In fact, I'd love to.
The man nodded with satisfaction once the two had entered his cave.
Eating pieces of bread and sipping them with the spring water, Rainer was already devising a plan on how to provoke Colin. On the one hand, he knew that the conversation in the hot water spring had to flow naturally so as not to panic the boy. Since Colin was really shy in these matters then Rainer knew that if he pressed then the whole situation could end worse for him. He also had to be very careful because he knew very well how his member reacted to the sight of the eighteen-year-old's naked body. He guessed that if his penis hardened and Colin saw it, the latter would feel confused and thus uncertain, which would ultimately lead to his shyness. In the end, therefore, Rainer decided that he would let the situation develop on its own somehow. In doing so, he counted on a little luck, but also realized that if the boy sensed any trickery, he would immediately back off. So he decided to treat the trip to the hot springs as if he just actually wanted to take a bath.
"So my plan is no plan. Great." - He thought slightly disappointed in himself.
When they finished eating they gave themselves a few moments to rest after exercising outside and then got down to reading the book. To be honest, learning to read Latin letters was going better and better for Rainer and he wasn't making as many mistakes as he did at the beginning. Colin indeed proved to be a good teacher who, despite his young age, was extremely understanding and patient. Of course, more than once the fox laughed at the wolf when he made some really stupid mistakes in reading. Rainer was sometimes irritated by this, however, sometimes he laughed too. Despite the huge problems he had combining these Western symbols, his work and effort finally began to produce visible results. As a result, the wolf learned many interesting and fantastic stories from distant lands. Sometimes he wondered if it would be possible to sail there someday and see if, for example, in the southeast of the Mediterranean Sea there was really a tree with the forbidden fruit of Christians, or if a lost mythical sword could be found in a rock somewhere in England. All these stories, however, paled in the face of the tale of a Slavic dragon devouring only virgins. Rainer already knew the story by heart, so Colin wouldn't let him read it. It made sense, because you can't learn to read something you already know by heart and can quote from your head.
As evening came, Rainer began to feel a surge of stress. He thought it was silly, after all, he told himself that his plan was not to have a plan. Despite this, however, in the back of his mind the man knew that he would have loved for anything to happen between him and Colin after all. The thought of this made his hands sweat and his heart beat faster. The man looked around the room where it was already twilight completely as if he was quickly trying to come up with some other, less stressful idea to lure Colin into an ambiguous situation.
- Are you all right? - Asked the boy, looking carefully at the man.
- Yes. - Answered the wolf immediately. - I was just wondering if maybe I could have a beer in the hot springs.
- This is probably not a good idea. - Said the boy calmly after which he added. - But don't worry. I'm not going to drink without you. Shall we go?
- Yes. - He grunted under his breath. - Let's go.
To be honest, Rainer was convinced that a beer would do him good now. Alcohol could relax his nerves and calm his mind. However, he knew that it was not a good idea to drink when his wounds had not yet healed well. So instead of a keg of alcohol, the man took two blankets in his hands, which would serve as a covering once they came out of the water into the cold air.
Walking toward the hot springs, Rainer felt his heart begin to rise to his throat. He wanted very much to tell Colin how he felt about him. He craved it, but he couldn't do it until he was sure that information about it wouldn't destroy their relationship. Because of this thought, another thought went through Rainer's head. Then the wolf thought that, as a last resort, it might be better to just keep these feelings to himself in order not to lose his friendship with Colin. There would be many difficulties involved, but this option did not cause Rainer to lose anything. Unfortunately, he could not gain anything either, which led the man to a momentary feeling of depression and anger.
"What if I told him just like that? Although... no. That's an idiotic idea. How would I do it anyway? For Odin... why does it have to be so difficult?"
Pondered the man when they had almost reached the hot springs. Overwhelmed by the whole situation, the man was walking ahead without looking under his feet, when suddenly and unexpectedly Colin caught him by the arm.
The man reflexively looked straight at the boy to find out why the man had stopped him. However, the boy's head was pointed toward the ground and his mouth was slightly open completely as if the man had seen a ghost. So Rainer swung his gaze to the same spot where the young boy was staring. He quickly noticed what he saw. Some small, indistinct shape shrouded in the gloom of night emerging from the ground and snow, climbing toward the sky. As Rainer was about to bend over to look at the strange object he immediately realized what his gaze was landing on.
- Fuck... - He said quietly in his low voice with a certain note of fear in his voice.
- Exactly... - Agreed the boy in a slightly trembling voice, then immediately added. - We have to tell everyone...
Rainer did not respond to the teenager's words. For his head was now swirling and racing with all his thoughts at once. He had planned this evening completely differently. In no way did he expect him to lead the fox to the hot springs only to immediately return to camp.
- You know, I didn't think that one flower could cause so much emotion in a person. - Said Rainer nervously, smiling crookedly at the boy.
By saying this, the wolf probably wanted to somehow defuse the tense atmosphere. In vain, because when Colin finally raised his gaze in his eyes only fear could be seen. There was no longer any question of going to bathe and spend the evening together away from the world around them. With the first snowdrop growing above the thin cover of white snow, it was clear that spring has come.