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Both brothers clamp up now. Neither has ever felt comfortable speaking their story or their thoughts. Both had kept feelings and everything else to themselves. They had shared enough. They both needed time to consider what the other had spoken about. The rest of the day passes uneventfully. Small, unimportant conversations and petty arguments move the day along fairly quickly. Jacqui at points breaks away from the group and rides ahead a significant distance. She then waits for the group to once again to catch up, pointing out safe drinking places for the horses as well as the riders.
Evening comes and the sun begins to make its slow decent down the sky, casting beautiful warm colours of red and orange against the green landscape. The grass appears to dance as flames at the most intense of moments. The group dismount and begin to set up camp. Hunter does not react as quickly as the rest and sits atop his horse, eyes closed and breathing deeply. There is something comforting about the warmth that spreads across his face and travels down his spine.
He opens his eyes as the hairs on his arms prickle. He finds Jacqui watching him. She smiles lightly, having been caught out in her assessment of him. "I apologise, I just find it so very strange that you and your brother do not differ at all. You would think there would be something different that you inherited from your father's."
"Perhaps Khiara has a type." Jasper chuckles as he nudges his sister. She shrugs her shoulders and returns to rolling out her sleeping mat. She then places a blanket over it and slings her bag down to use as support for her head. Hunter feels anger at her name and pushes the feeling down. He should have more understanding of her now that Orion has shared his upbringing with her but instead it has only brought back feelings of anger and a sense of lost that he had hidden long ago.
"Jasper." Orion calls out to him, stopping him from further joking about the matter. Orion grabs a bow and a quiver of arrows from his saddle bags. Jasper nods and secures his own to his back. Orion looks to the others now. "We should not be long. Behave while I am gone." He looks pointedly at Ross who holds his hands up in a placatory gesture, a smile speaking volumes on his face. Together Orion and Jasper trudge off to hunt for some game.
Zandar, immediately after setting up his sleeping mat, drops down onto his temporary bed and closes his eyes. Jacqui again glances over towards Hunter. Hunter rolls his shoulders and meets her gaze. "How would you like a secret to keep from your brother?" Ross' head jerks up at her peculiar question and he tries to catch her eyes. She refuses to look in his direction.
"I have plenty of secrets from my brother. Why would I need another one?"
"Maybe because it is amusing that your brother has no idea what is right under his nose for months on end?" She slyly replies.
"Jacqueline." Ross says lowly. "Stop fooling around. There is no secret that he needs to be aware of."
Jacqueline rolls her eyes and glances at him. "Not if you speak to me like that." Her reply has an amused smirk falling onto Hunter's lips. His eyes drift over to Ross who bites his tongue to hold back further words.
"Now I am interested. This secret of yours, does it involve Ross?" Ross squeezes his eyes shut as Zandar chuckles deeply, obviously not asleep.
"Jacqueline."
"Ross." She replies in the same tone. Ross opens his eyes and sighs. "It is hard enough to keep it a secret from Orion. I do not want to sneak around his brother also. We will never have any time." She speaks, her long lashes fluttering.
"How do you know he will not tell his brother?"
Jacqui smiles and looks to Hunter. She raises one brow. "If he keeps our secret I will keep every secret he ever tells me to myself."
"Why would I ever tell you a secret of mine?" Hunter asks, genuinely intrigued as to why she could ever see that happening.
"You are young and you are handsome." Ross makes a sound of disgust. Jacqui lips tweak up higher. "But you are also mysterious and dark. Plenty of women will be drawn to you when we arrive home, just as they are to Orion. He is swarmed by beautiful, determined young women. Trust me, you will want advice and you will want it to be kept a secret." She raises her head with a prideful air, sure that she is right.
Hunter considers her words while slowly taking steps towards her. Ross watches closely, eyes narrowing. Hunter stops just before her and looks down at her. Quietly, so that only she hears his words, he says, "You seem to be under the misunderstanding that I do not know how to deal with a woman's attention. I have no need for advice or secrets." Dark eyes pin to her every movement but she is not uncomfortable. She steps closer to him. Ross fidgets.
"I sincerely doubt that. You are young and you have spent your life avoiding people. The Usani people know your unfortunate history and no one would go for you when they could get someone legitimate. You will need help." She replies.
Hunter swallows.
In a lighter voice she continues, "Regardless, will you keep our secret?"
"I already know it."
"Exactly."
"Orion will not know from me."
Jacqui smiles and pats him quickly on the shoulder before bounding over to Ross and slipping down onto the ground beside him. He places his arm around her shoulders and kisses her on the forehead. She relaxes into his side and soon they both are whispering to one another.
Hunter stands unable to decide where he will settle. Zandar opens one eye to watch the much younger man. "If you are restless I suggest going for a walk. Those two will not be company to anyone else for a while."
"Does her brother know?" Hunter asks.
Zandar pushes himself up and looks over at the couple. "I do not believe he does. They have been very good at hiding their relationship."
"Why would they need to?"
Zandar glances at Hunter in surprise. Hunter looks coolly back at him. "Our work is not compatible to having long lasting romantic entanglements. Orion has made it clear that if any of us falls in love then we are out. It makes us weak. We cannot be focusing on only ones safety when we are responsible for everyone."
"So why do they not leave and find a home together?"
"You heard Orion. Ross is his right hand man. It would be an act of great betrayal. I am sure that Jacqui feels the same about telling Jasper. He has turned away from many women he felt feelings for to remain here. She would be counted as a traitor."
"So instead they lie and put all at risk?"
"Do not sound so judgmental. You do not know their stories or how hard they have fought this. They are careful and put everyone else's safety before each other's. When they fail to do so I will alert Orion." Zandar again glances at Hunter to see what has sunk in. Instead he sees Hunter already striding away. He frowns.
He does not return for a long time and still has not arrive when the archers return, and it is the first thing that Orion notices as he walks up to them with Jasper tailing him carrying three hares. Ross and Jacqui had separated the moment they saw two figures in the distance and now sit isolated. Zandar had closed his eyes but now sits up and takes the offered food to skin. He sets to work quickly as Orion scans their surroundings.
"How long has he been gone?"
"An hour at least." Ross answers and Orion frowns.
"An hour and no one has thought to track him? Did you at least take note of the direction he took?" Guilty expressions give him his answer. He sighs and again seeks to find a figure in the distance.
"He is a grown man. He will find his way back, I am sure." Jacqui tries to ease Orion's concern.
Orion mentally shakes himself. Where did this worry suddenly come from? They are blood but that, Orion has learnt, does not mean anything. If anything were to happen to Hunter then why should he care? He takes a seat on his sleeping mat and catches one of the hares and sets to work alongside Zandar.
The light starts to fade from the sky when they finally put the hares over the fire to roast. Hunter still has not returned. Orion finally stops fighting himself and rises. "I am going to look for him."
"How kind." They all jump as Hunter emerges from the shadows beyond the fires reach. He sits down and stares into the flames. Orion is infuriated to find that Hunter does not say anything more.
"Where did you go?"
"For a walk."
"Where?"
"Around."
Jasper laughs but quickly smothers it with his hand.
Orion grinds his teeth. "You need to let one of us know where you are going."
Hunter clears his throat and rubs his hands near the fire. "No I do not. If I do not come back then you are welcome to leave and not worry about me."
"There are dangerous people out there who will see you as a way to get to us. This is not about you Hunter. Tell us where you go next time." Orion tries ordering. Hunter does not reply.
Jacqui shares a look with her brother. "You and Jasper did not say where you were heading." She reminds gently and Orion sighs loudly. He sweeps a hand across his eyes and rubs them.
"I apologise." He nods his head to her and she smiles.
○ ○ ○
Dawn arrives and the camp is quiet. Only the sounds of soft breathing and the occasional snore fill the air. Jacqui, Ross, Zandar and Orion are fast asleep curled up on their sleeping mats. Hunter is a little apart with a blanket around his shoulders and his head leaning against his horse's side. His eyes blearily open then close. He is unable to fully fall asleep. The last few months have taken their toll and it is impossible for him not to sleep with one eye open. Jasper is supposed to be keeping watch but from his slumped figure slowly breathing deeply he is not appearing to do a good job.
Hunter rolls his shoulders releasing the building tension and his horse snorts and raises its head and turns to snuffle over Hunter's face. Hunter forces himself to relax and the horse once again lays down his head against the grass. A bird flies overhead and Hunter watches as it appears to vanish into the sky.
He closes his eyes and breathes slowly. He forces his lungs to take long steady breathe to simulate sleep. Eventually it works. Time ticks by slowly and Jasper continues to doze while he should be awake and alert. Because of this he does not hear a few twigs snapping. He does not hear the careful measured steps of intruders. He does not see the dark figures emerging into camp. Nor does he see the weapons they remove from their belts.
The intruders creep up and take a sleeping person each. The leader nods his head to each of his group as his right hand man lowers a sharp blade down over Orion's neck. The rest of them follow his actions. A blade now sits on the soft skin of each of Orion's groups necks.
So how are we feeling about Orion's companions at the moment?