The truly winter weather swallowed up the Rocky Mountains. In the early morning, which followed after the story-telling evening in the Indian pueblo, the snowfall became intense and soon the whole village, along with the woods around and rocks above it, was covered with cold whiteness.
The men of the Blackfeet Tribe rushed with the last preparations for the tough season and both Kame and Jin helped them every day. It was necessary to chop the wood, to conserve the meat supplies, to hunt more animals down, to prepare their furs and skins for use, to take care of the horses and to build a proper shelter for them. And everyone kept walking out the paths in the growing up layer of snow, so that the old people and women with children could move around the pueblo without difficulties.
They had a couple of days before Kame was supposed to attend Grenet´s trial in Bozeman, so they used it as much as they could to help the tribe out. Their goodwill was appreciated by everyone a lot. The Indians even started to consider Jin as the usual part of every day; the men repaid his greetings and the women prepared hot meals for him and Kame after the daily tasks were done.
Thanks to their common efforts, finally, one cold afternoon came, when almost everything necessary was done and they could enjoy some free time.
For the excitement of all Indian kids, Jin had decided to build a huge snowman on a convenient place in the shadows of the close cliff, where some snow piled up. It was snowing even more than usually, and the snowflakes were wet enough to stick together well. Thanks to that, the final result of Jin´s idea looked surprisingly impressive.
While the happy kids were teaching the black-haired gunslinger how to perform a proper Indian dance around the almost two-meter high snow statue, Liwan explained Kame the shortest way from the pueblo to Bozeman, drawing a few simple lines in the snow surface.
Kame was planning to leave with Jin the next day. It was clear that they would spend at least one night in the wild, before getting to the city. Liwan recommended him to stay in their cave again. The Indian assumed that under the good weather conditions they could reach their destination in the late afternoon of the following day. Kame agreed with him; it would be too dangerous to travel during the night, so they needed at least two days for the travel.
Kame kept looking at the lines, trying to remember the right way as much as possible. He was quite confident he would find it without any bigger problems, but the snow changed everything, so it was wise to be careful and prepared in advance.
While Kame´s attention was focused on the simple map, Liwan was playing with the long stick, which he had used for drawings, and he was observing the loud group nearby.
"Kame, I want to ask you something," the Indian said, frowning a little. "Did he not take, what I said before, somewhat too seriously?"
Kame turned to look at his friend surprised: "What do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean? That way in which he ignores you," Liwan moved his head toward the place, where the snowman was standing proudly.
"Jin? But he doesn´t…" Kame started, but his Indian friend interrupted him right away.
"He does," Liwan stated firmly.
Kame endured Liwan´s sharp glance. He wouldn´t use the word ´to ignore´, but the truth was that the older one kept avoiding him as much as possible in the past few days. Jin didn´t complain about anything, he even looked like enjoying their jobs; he kept playing with the kids... But Kame could count on his fingers how many times they talked to each other during that time. He didn´t know what was eating the older one up, no matter how much he tried to understand. It made Kame sad. But still, he felt the urge to defend the behavior of the older one.
"It´s complicated…" he said slowly. "It´s more difficult for him to… accept this. Us, I mean. He just needs his space."
"And you call that excuse?" Liwan raised an eyebrow. "Look, Kame, I really meant what I said. If Akanishi ever hurts you, I will kick his noisy ass to the opposite shore of this country. Literally."
Kame couldn´t help but smile: "I´m glad I have you as my friend, Liwan. But it won´t be necessary, really. I think that he just doesn´t like to pretend…"
"You do not like it either, I assume," his Indian friend reacted. "He does not make this easy for you."
Kame sighed a little frustrated. A conversation like that did not help to unburden his bothered mind at all.
An unusually big fuss made them both look at the kindergarten near the rocks. It seemed that the snow war had just started there. And as Jin was the only one creating one side of it, he was losing against the kids.
Well, this is quite unfair... Kame thought amused. At the sight, he immediately decided to join the battle. He had enough of pessimistic thoughts for one day.
"Thanks for the explanation of the way, Liwan," he said already calm and stood up from the knee-bend.
"Kame..." Liwan took a breath, ready to continue their discussion.
"And as you also said before," he didn´t let the Indian even start the sentence. "This is between me and Jin."
Liwan repaid Kame´s firm look for a while, before he withdrew from his uncompromising stance.
"You are right," he admitted with an apology in his voice.
Kame nodded to let him know he accepted it. Then he turned away, before the Indian could say any more stabbing remarks and he headed right toward the fighting crowd.
There were eight children, including Beara, who ganged up against Jin and they were attacking him all at once with snowballs. Jin fought back casually, complaining about their ingratitude loudly, while the kids were laughing gleefully, when they managed to hit the young gunman´s head.
Kame´s ambush caught the children unprepared. He managed to hit three of them with huge balls, before they were able of any defense.
"It was about time for some backup, Kazu!"
Jin´s cheerful voice brought a smile on Kame´s lips, despite he was still bothered by the other´s behavior. For the moment, it seemed that the older one let himself be carried away by the atmosphere and forgot about keeping his distance.
"I´d have come sooner if you had asked for it!" Kame shouted back, avoiding the flood of small snowballs.
Jin just laughed shortly and attacked the kids again.
The villagers were looking at that hullabaloo in disbelief, some in obvious amusement, when the group of yelling children ran through the pueblo, chased by two young men, who kept throwing the snowballs after them as if they had lost their minds.
"Who´s laughing now, huh?" Jin called after the fleeing opponents victoriously, when they entered the forest.
Kame, running side by side with the older one, left all worries behind and enjoyed the effort, which he had to make for getting further in the deep snow and the loud heartbeat in his ears. And he was obviously not the only one enjoying the moment.
But for their misfortune, Liwan with a smirk on his face, which didn´t suit the young Indian at all, sided with the kids unexpectedly. It caught both of them quite surprised and they had to retreat to defense.
The fierce battle moved even further into the woods and then on the huge pile of snow, which was gathered there, when they had cleaned up the path to the lake. The kid´s whoops and the playful threats of Jin were echoing between the trees, scaring some birds off.
As Jin and Kame had to fight against so many opponents, they hadn´t noticed when two boys went around, to get behind their backs. The little Indians waited for them patiently and then made both of them trip over the long stick on the top of snow pile, while they were too busy to repay the awful balls, which Liwan was throwing at them restlessly.
With the soft bump they fell down, made a few rolls from the short hill and ended up at the base of a snow mountain, all their limbs entangled.
The children almost ended up buried in the snow too, as they were laughing so hard, when they saw two white men coated in the layer of snow, who didn´t understand, what had happened to them.
"We surrender!" Kame called hastily, as soon as he saw that the group above them started to prepare another shots. He didn´t pay attention to murmuring Jin, who was trying to protest through the snow in his mouth. "Giving up!" he repeated.
The childish victory cries made an echo in the whole forest and still laughing kids headed back to the pueblo, leaving the defeated ones to their pitiful destiny.
Liwan just glanced at both youngsters down there, making sure they were all right and followed the celebrating kids with a satisfied smile.
*
The cheerful chit-chat and laughing were getting quieter gradually, and soon the forest around Jin and Kame fell completely silent. They looked at each other, both totally out of breath and completely wrapped in the snow. Then they burst out in the heartfelt laughter.
Kame turned on his back to let Jin have some space, still laughing. He felt so hot from all that running around that he didn´t mind lying in the white cold stuff yet.
Jin felt more bubbles of cheerful laugh in his throat, but it faded away slowly, when he looked at the younger one lying next to him. Kazuya had his eyes closed; his cheeks blushed from the furious snow battle and the snowflakes decorating his scrubby hair.
"I haven´t done something like this for…" Kame breathed out.
"Ages," Jin completed without hesitation.
"Yeah…" the younger one confirmed amused.
That cheerful smile, which was playing on the other´s lips, made Jin´s heartbeat heavier and the blood rush faster in his veins. Kazuya was irresistible like that.
Jin looked up to the snow hill, to check if they were really left alone. Hearing absolutely no sound around, he decided to move. Still breathing shakily from the childish game and supporting himself on the elbows, he leant over that beautiful face.
Finally connecting their lips, after those damn long days and nights, when Jin was trying so hard not to even think about it, even though it was the one thing he wanted to do the most, flooded him with inner shaking.
At first, Kazuya got surprised, and didn´t respond on Jin´s action. Only when the older one kept kissing those warm and soft lips tenderly, he came to meet him, kissing him back slowly. But there was such a strong hesitation in it, that it made Jin break their connection. The younger one looked him in the eyes, obviously confused.
And then, so suddenly, that Jin didn´t have time to react, Kame took a handful of snow and threw it into his face. Jin was stunned by that sudden upset move. He felt the cold stuff melting on his hot cheeks and stared at the younger one, who was frowning deeply, looking quite agitated.
"What was that for?" Jin asked harshly, not able to understand what he did wrong.
"You are horrible," Kame replied at once. "I don´t understand you, Jin. You almost didn´t speak with me for days. And now you do... something like this. Why so suddenly…?"
The hurt in the younger´s voice made Jin feel guilty. Kame was completely right; he did try to avoid him in the past days. He wanted to prevent them ending up in exactly this kind of situation. He thought it would be better like that. It turned out the opposite, though. He made Kame worried, sad and confused with that.
Damn... Is there even a way how to put it without me looking like a pervert? he wondered cheerlessly.
Jin took a breath to regain at least a little of his composure back, before he moved faster than he even intended. He took both Kame´s wrists, forcing them into the snow next to the younger´s head and he covered Kame with his own body, putting one leg right between the lying man´s knees. Kazuya´s eyes went wide in just another surprise.
"Jin…?" he breathed out heavily. "What are you…?"
Jin brought his face so low that he could feel Kame´s warm breath and it made the younger one stop talking.
"You wanted to know what pissed me off, right?" he said in a quiet and hoarse voice. "I will tell you…"
Kame frowned and fidgeted a little in the unexpected position, but didn´t try to release himself. He didn´t say anything, but Jin could feel his heavy breathing through their coats.
"It was not Liwan. It was not you. I was pissed on myself," he stated, suppressing the wave of various emotions, which were sneaking into his voice. "I was upset, because I…"
Jin paused for a while, gathering the will to say the rest too. He was not completely convinced that he should say things like that aloud... But the patient expectation on Kame´s face encouraged him.
"I realized that I cannot control myself completely, when it comes to you…"
The fading blush from Kame´s face was back right away, as the meaning of Jin´s words got to him.
"Jin," he gasped a little. "But… I…"
"It´s not your fault! It´s not anybody´s fault," Jin assured him hastily. "It´s just me being too… weak. God, this sounds really stupid, doesn´t it?" he added with a sheepish smile.
Kame gulped down heavily.
"Somehow… I don´t know what to say…" he whispered hoarsely.
Jin took another deep breath and lowered his head.
"Then don´t say anything at all," he reacted just before he pressed against Kame´s lips again.
This time, he kissed Kazuya desperately, urgently, sucking on his lips and trying to conquer them until the younger one gave in. Jin immediately penetrated inside that warm, wet cave with the soft tongue waiting for his. He didn´t intend to let Kame even breathe; suddenly he was eager to let him know about his desire to stay close no matter what. And he was probably doing more than a good job in that, as Kazuya started to shake in his grip, not being able to repay Jin with the same treatment. At that moment, Kame could only accept Jin´s intrusion and let him do whatever the older one wanted.
Jin took an advantage of it fully, capturing Kame´s tongue over and over again, savoring on its flavor. It felt so damn good and hot to kiss trembling Kazuya like that, to have that kind of control over the younger one, when he didn´t have it over himself.
Kame moaned almost desperately into the kiss, moving under Jin, and brushing against his leg with his thigh. Only that was enough to make Jin almost lose his senses.
With his heart beating as crazy, Jin finally ripped off those sweet lips. His eyes were blinded by strange mist and his breathing was irregular. He slowly realized that he was still gripping Kame´s wrists in a painful capture, but he didn´t want to let them go.
When Kazuya opened his eyes too, Jin could see the same burning emotions, which he felt himself, only mixed with some kind of resignation.
"See what I… mean?" Jin asked breathless.
"Yeah…" a mysterious smile appeared on Kazuya´s lips. "And now tell me, what´s so bad about it."
Jin was repaying his look for a while, before he finally released the grip on his hands and used one to rub him across the cheek.
"It´s all right here," he admitted quietly. "When we´re alone... But if Liwan managed to notice there is something between us… What about other people then? What if they see the same and they realize…?"
"Is it really so important for you?" Kame asked suddenly.
Jin stared at the younger one in amazement.
"It should be for you too," he replied. "Can you imagine what it could cause?"
"Yes," Kazuya placed a free hand on Jin´s face too. "But we´re not so bad at acting, Jin…"
"We are not?" he reacted doubtfully.
"Of course not," Kame confirmed. "Liwan knows me perfectly, so he noticed that, but otherwise… Does it seem to you that anyone else has a suspicion?"
"Well, the old shaman…" Jin frowned. "He smiles at me every time he sees me, as he knows something what I don´t. He´s weird."
Kame chuckled: "In a way he really is. But otherwise it´s fine… We will be fine, Jin," he stated determined. "We can handle this."
Jin kept looking into those shining brown eyes for a while, before he moved down again, but this time he only attached his forehead to Kame´s, trying to calm his own breath completely.
"I wish I could be so sure…"
There was a short silence, during which Kazuya brushed through Jin´s hair gently.
"If you´re so troubled by that, you don´t have to go to the city with me," he suggested then.
Jin´s head popped up immediately.
"Not an option!" he denied firmly and sat up. "Do not even think that you will leave me here!"
"I hoped you say so," Kame smiled, supported himself on the elbows and joined Jin in the sitting position. "I would miss you..."
"Oh, really? Should I be more annoying then?" Jin teased him.
"Don´t you dare!"
"I will try, but no promises."
The atmosphere got somehow easier and warm, but the snow started to feel very cold.
"We should go back, otherwise we catch a nice cold here…" always responsible Kame was the one saying it.
Not that Jin would feel any real coldness, but he agreed and stood up first, raising hand to Kame to help him up, too. Kame staggered a little on his uncertain legs.
"Are you all right?" Jin observed him worriedly.
But the warm look of Kazuya´s shining eyes calmed him down.
"Well... Let´s say that if you have done something like that one more time, I wouldn´t be able to walk myself…" Kame stated slowly with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
Jin almost choked on another wave of heat, which those words caused him. That was some statement the younger one did...
"Ehm," Jin cleared his throat. "Should I be...?"
"Sorry?" Kazuya finished instead of him, before he laughed heartily. "Hell, no..." and he slipped with his fingers between Jin´s, strengthening the connection of their hands.
***
The silence in the huge living room, which was filled with the clouds of cigar smoke, was interrupted by the chime of the antiquarian clock in the corner. Four loud sounds were heard, indicating the late afternoon. The daylight was already fading and soon the dusk would rule over the whole property. The shadows inside the room were becoming deeper too, hiding the face of the smoking lord of the mansion in the dark shade.
Cameron didn´t need to see the facial features of his master to know that Raynold Karnaka´s face showed a deep concern and dissatisfaction, but there was definitely also a calculating expression. The servant was standing in front of the oak table with hands behind his back, patiently, without a word, waiting for orders, about which he knew would come soon.
"So… Those two youngsters just keep getting in my way."
There wasn´t any obvious anger in Karnaka´s voice, he spoke calmly, but there was almost imperceptible vibration in it, which was more than enough for Cameron to know that the man was upset. Not to mention already the third cigar between his lips. Raynold Karnaka was smoking that much only when he was discontent.
He knew that no response was expected from him yet, so Cameron just kept quiet.
"They were probably hiding at the red skins´ place all that time," Karnaka was thinking aloud. "First, they persuaded that old General to withdraw… Then they got involved in the Sioux attack on the railway camp. The Sioux leader was killed during it… And the Army didn´t blame them from anything?" he asked suddenly.
"No, Captain Walker let them go," Cameron replied immediately. "They said that Sioux rebels forced them to cooperate, when they tried to stop them from the rebellion. And also, the Blackfeet Tribe was freed from all accusations."
"Who would guess that those Indians would be so lucky," Karnaka stated, gritting his teeth. "What about General Ord?"
"It seems he was quite impressed by young Kamenashi before and Walker persuaded him they were innocently involved. General had already left Bozeman, taking a few Indian captives along."
"How many soldiers are left in the city?"
"Six and Walker himself. We expect four more to come with the judge from Billings."
"And the condition of that bastard Akanishi?" the man continued with another question.
"He seems to be all right, no consequences of Math´s treatment are visible," Cameron informed his master concisely.
"That´s not what I had expected," Karnaka reacted surprised. "I know what Math can do. That youngster should have been crippled at least. From whom did we get this information?"
"From one talkative soldier, who guarded Major General´s tent, when those two had appeared. Akanishi is probably tougher than he seems, sir," Cameron dared to express his own opinion.
"Unfortunately," Karnaka uttered, taking a long inhale from his cigar. "But I´d say that this statement fits for that brat Kamenashi more. That boy has been causing me a headache for too long already."
Cameron noticed that this time his master revealed more emotions in his voice, sounding really annoyed.
"They both should appear in the city for Grenet´s trial, sir," the servant said slowly. "Just give one order and I will arrange the end of this inconvenient trouble…"
Karnaka pierced him with the cold look, keeping silent for a while.
"It´s quite tempting, Cam, but no… Not yet. I don´t want them dead. I want them to suffer…" the man´s voice was a shining example of ice-cold cruelty at the moment. "Nobody can fool me without paying a price for it."
"I understand, sir," Cameron nodded quietly.
"We will stick to the previous plan," Karnaka decided. "You know what to do. About those two – just warn them for now. If Math´s performance, the burnt house, and that woman´s death are not enough, I will think of something else…"
"Yes, sir. You can count on me. There is just one thing – about your presence at the trial…"
"No way," Karnaka denied before Cameron could even finish the sentence. "Ord is gone and I don´t care what Walker demands. You go there instead, personally. I want a detailed report later and you´re the only one I can trust with it."
"As you wish, sir… And about our young enemies, if you please, I might have one idea. How to… make them suffer."
Raynold Karnaka raised his eyebrows: "That is quite unusual from you. All right, I´m listening, what is it?"
"Actually, we could even kill more than two annoying flies with it…"
An awful smile could be seen on the face hidden in dark shadows: "Now you have my attention, Cameron… I´ve got a good feeling that I know what´s on your mind…"
***
It was their last evening in the Indian pueblo before departure to Bozeman and Jin knew that there would be no other chance to ask about what he needed to know. And he had to ask someone; otherwise he would keep torturing himself by uncertainty all the time.
Well, someone was not the best way to put it. There was only one man he took into consideration regarding to that issue. He would have died from shame, if he had to discuss it with the old Shaman or anyone else. But even though he was gathering courage for it the whole day, it still took him hell a lot of efforts to make himself open his mouth and talk to Liwan, when they finally happened to be at the fire alone for a while.
"Hey, Bear... Can I… ask you about something?" Jin really had to force the words to come out of his throat, which was narrow from nervousness.
The Indian raised his eyes to him: "What is it?"
"You know…" Jin kept his voice low, while checking on their surroundings. "There´s nobody else, with whom I could… hmm, discuss this so…" the young gunman shifted a little at his wooden seat. "I just need to know…or maybe... find out..."
"You take too long, Akanishi. Just get it out," Liwan interrupted his blabbering impatiently.
"All right," Jin checked that nobody was listening to them again. Especially a certain former bartender, who was preparing for their departure at the moment, had to be left out of this. "What should I do to… make Kazuya... hmm, you know, happy?"
Liwan´s gaze made Jin feel even more embarrassed than he already was.
Damn, is there really no way how to ask about it properly? Jin wanted to bury himself under the ground right away. He should have never start talking about this...
At first, Liwan was honestly confused by the young gunman´s question.
He noticed that the two young men figured that tension between them out again, as they came back from the woods clearly in the good mood, with their eyes shining like little suns. Like fools fallen in love...
But from that evening, it was also visible that Akanishi was anxious about something. And now, he probably decided to bring it up. Liwan just didn´t understand, why Akanishi came to consult it with him.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked the fidgeting gunslinger. "Should you not know this yourself?"
Akanishi coughed again, clearing his throat. The young man was so nervous that he unconsciously started to pull on the edge of his coat, almost tearing the cloth apart.
"Well, yes... In general, I do know it. But I have no experiences in that, you know," he seemed desperate about how to express himself without using many words.
Then Liwan finally understood and he got baffled: "Akanishi... You mean that you want to know what to do, when you are in bed together?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes," the gunman breathed out quite relieved that he didn´t have to say it himself. "I´ve heard you have no problem with this kind of... stuff, so I thought that you could…" Jin stopped talking, when he noticed that the Indian was choking on laughing.
"Hey! Stop laughing!" Akanishi sulked. "I´m serious here!"
Of all people, he asked me about it. Oh, great Manitou…
Liwan was really on the edge of hysterical laughter. A question like that, he would have never imagined, it would come. Not from Akanishi, not from anybody else.
"You... hopeless..." Liwan managed to get out despite the lungs squeezed in incontrollable laughing.
"Fine! Sorry I bothered you!" Jin snapped totally embarrassed and angry.
"Wait! Wait!" Liwan raised an open palm to stop the man from leaving. "Wait, just a moment," he cut the laughter and forced himself to calm down a little.
Akanishi was stabbing him with the insulted stare.
Well, at least he asked about it, Liwan thought. He cares about Kazuya...
"I don´t want to…" Akanishi tried to explain himself again. "I don´t want to do something wrong."
"I hope you do not want me to teach you," Liwan couldn´t help but give that response and then he had a hard time to suppress the next attack of laughter.
Akanishi´s face turned red.
"Of course not!! That´s disgusting, you idiot!" the gunman seemed totally upset and shocked. "Just tell me! And if you do not stop laughing I´m leaving! I don´t need this!" he was trying to keep at least some pride for himself, but it didn´t exactly work, as the Indian saw how nervous Akanishi was.
"All right, all right," Liwan tried to be more serious. "Look, it is quite simple, actually..."
"Simple?!" Akanishi yelped. "How can something like that be simple?!" realizing that he was quite loud; he checked their surroundings in panic again.
"Listen," Liwan leant closer. "I suppose you know, what makes you feel good, right?"
"Of course," Jin murmured, his face still blushed.
"Well, Kazuya is a man like you. So basically, he might like same things, right?"
Jin stared at him, as the Indian would have just told him the secret of the world´s creation.
"At first, you can try what you like yourself. And I guess you will figure out the rest by that..." Liwan continued, admirably calm talking about things, which were the peak of discomfort for Jin.
"Uhm, well, yes," Akanishi nodded. "But when it comes to…" he took a deep breath. "You know what I mean!" he finished urgently.
Liwan sighed and looked at the dark sky above them. He had never had such an interesting conversation before...
"Can you imagine how that act works out?" the Indian asked Akanishi then.
Hell, yes! I can imagine it more than well! Jin thought desperately.
Exactly that thought made him feel so hot, that he wanted to dig a huge hole and bury himself in it. Even for him it was clear, how would any closer relation between two men turn out in the end, but... There was something else...
"Yeah, I can... But I think… It must… hurt," Jin finally revealed the most important fact, which was bothering him.
At that moment, Liwan stopped feeling the urge to smile completely. The black-haired gunman was thinking over that really seriously. Liwan realized that he admired Akanishi for that he really asked him about it, even though the young white man didn´t feel comfortable with it at all.
"All right," he said looking directly into those dark eyes filled with uncertain expectation. "You will owe me for this, Akanishi, but I think I can give you a few advices…"
***
They prepared to set off right after the dawn of the next day.
Despite the very early hour, Jin and Kame were equally surprised to see a few kids, who somehow got to know they were leaving the pueblo and came to show them off. Beara insisted on Kame taking her up in his arms, not paying any attention to the disapproving look of her brother Liwan, who was the only adult Indian present.
"When you back?" the Indian girl asked pouting.
"In just a few days," Kazuya assured her.
"Really? Jin too?" Beara demanded another confirmation.
The older one, who was altering Kuro´s saddle to make it more comfortable for the animal, blinked in surprise. Kame smiled warmly.
"Of course," he said. "We will be both back soon."
Beara nodded, finally satisfied and she placed a sweet kiss on Kame´s cheek.
"Jin too!" she insisted, raising her hands toward the older one, who was still kind of baffled about the affection he received.
A little hesitantly, Jin approached Kame, who handed the small girl over to him with such a beautiful smile, that Jin forgot about the kid in his arms completely, until Beara gave him the same present for the road as to Kame.
The only one, who seemed highly outraged, was Liwan, who started to scold the girl as soon as Jin put Beara back on the ground gently. But that small clever kid just smiled, then she ran to her brother and grabbing his warm poncho she dragged Liwan down to her, so that she could kiss the Indian too.
"Envy is ugly," Beara said wisely.
Then she waved at both leaving men one more time and set off for the return to the wigwam before any more adults could find out about her not being in the bed.
Liwan watched his small sister leaving with a totally helpless expression, about which Jin had obviously a lot of fun, as he tried to cover his laugh by coughing unsuccessfully. The Indian stabbed him with his eyes, before his face gathered quite a calculative look. He approached Kazuya and hugged his friend firmly. Jin´s smile froze on his lips, when Kame repaid Liwan the same heartily.
"Be careful, Kame," Liwan urged on the younger one, looking into his eyes. "Grenet in prison does not mean there will be no troubles."
"I know," Kame nodded seriously. "Take care, too, my Brother."
The Indian squeezed Kame´s shoulder for the last time, before he approached the older one.
"See you, Akanishi," Liwan said, raising his hand to him.
Jin accepted it with the stiff face and squeezed it as hard as he could. But Liwan just smiled at him with a surprisingly friendly expression.
Kame observed the short battle of their eyes with the raised eyebrows, but didn´t comment on it. Then both youngsters took the reins of their faithful animal companions and being followed by the rest of the kids and Liwan´s look, they headed toward the gap between the rocks. The children didn´t go further than to the beginning of the crevasse, but they kept waving after them, until they lost Jin and Kame from their sight...