• *It had been a wonderful time since he had woken up in the makeshift den you had created, you had healed him carefully, diligently cleaning out his wounds whenever he would carelessly re open them, playing games with him to keep his attention off the pain. The two had in truth become nigh on inseparable sleeping side by side once injuries permitted, neither one of you had thought about it or wondered about it. It simply. Was. He was thinking back apron all of this while he relaxed on the couch with you one hand slowly combing through your hair ...Valon looked so at peace lying there, so trusting...a warm smile spread a crossed his lips, you had earlier that evening brought him to your families den for dinner unknowing to him it had been a test of heart with the door not allowing any to even see this place unless they were pure of heart...but what of intention? he found himself as he thought on everything that had come to pass...all that you had done, at odds with himself. with so much knowledge in the world was he willing to throw that away to stay here with you? what could cause such a change in his behavior?

    The morning would find him still thinking about it...thinking about valon...he had watched him through the entire night the temptation growing as he shifted this way and that, reaching out he touched his fingertips to his friends lips, tracing the delicate curve of them, he felt..protective, in a way. Like he wanted to shield him from the outside world to keep him sweet..*

    "What are you doing to me Valon..."

    He whispered softly but didn’t expect an answer, with a mental push he would drag his eyes away from him, stop himself from lowering his own head down. To kiss those lips...he bit his own instead however and stared off into the dimness of the den determined to not do something silly..such feelings were between a male and female not a male and a male, his relative newness to mortality must have something to do with it..*


    ---------------------------------------
    Valon

    Nanashi would eventually signal him to pick Valon up and bring him to his room... the two sides of a fairly large cave were as different as the two boys that had... one was plain, serviceable, and with shelves bare of items... the other was also sparse, but, it had things, and color, like there was something that interested the occupant... she'd be carrying furs for Hikage to make up the bed with, or a second pallet for if he wasn't going to share the same bed... wolves tended to sleep together, gender difference or not, for the companionship and shared warmth... Valon's was the plain side, but, that was likely to change, she hoped...

    “He'll sleep an hour or so and then be right back with us. Cat naps... I'm sure you've noticed, yes? I'd suggest resting while you can, or, you can feel free to explore the den. Our home is yours.”

    ---------------------------------------

    Hikage

    **At Nanashi's urging he would lift valon, marveling at his lack of weight. So delicate it occurred to him again...he cradled his burden against his chest picking his way along into the room**

    It looks so empty...not like him at all. I don’t know I pictured..somthing more comforting

    **he settled valon down where he normally slept and covered him a hand touching his shoulder through the material his eyes softening a little, At length though he would rise and follow Nanashi casting one last look back at valons sleeping form his expression hard to read before he’d duck away**

    Nanashi...Valon is so thin..is he that way naturally or..?

    **he wanted to know if Valon was sick..if so there were things he could do..in his realm he had clout...he could help ..here...he was of no status..no family or history though he didn’t mind this, he hadn’t even thought of it since he had met his friend ..he had been..content...and still was much to his shock**

    -----------------------------------------------------------
    Valon

    “I think function rather than form works for him best. Gods know we've tried to interest him in something beyond that, but his heart never seemed to be in it. Still, he did like this... “

    with a whisper of sound, something like a sigh or a magic spell the main lights in the room dimmed and smaller little lights, like stars, would shimmer from the walls and ceiling of Valon's side of the room, just like the night sky, peaceful, restful...

    “He's thin because he doesn't eat a lot, or often, though he knows how, I'm sure of it they way he watches things, but, it's only a partial education, interrupted. He slips out of the den so often, plays so much... He's not sick, not that we can tell“

    . she was a bit wary of giving voice to her true suspicions, since, given his attention to hikage it seemed unlikely that he was really that mentally deficient... she would go about general household chores, cleaning up after the chaos of the puppy brawl... anything valuable was always up high on shelves, but, cushions, rugs and other items often got scattered and needed to be reordered...

    ---------------------------------------------------------
    Hikage

    its beautiful..

    *he moved to touch the illus ional lights noting the position of some*

    who did this for him?

    *there was a pattern to the lights that was familiar to him, a pathway of sorts...had anyone known this when it was put up? in the shape of a long snake..he traced this with a fingertip before he looked back to nanashi and followed her from the room**

    but you were worried it might not be a physical ailment...Valon is..special..different from the others..

    *he meant this in more ways than one as he looked at the sleeping bundle fondly one last time before he came out to the main area and after a brief goodbye would slip out, he needed a bathe and hoped to be back before valon woke up*

    --------------------------------------------------------
    Valon

    I started doing the gem murals years ago... he wanted stars, and picked every little spot that the lights would go. Oddly, he was very insistent on it... wouldn't sleep in here 'till it was done.

    she'd pause in the middle of putting things away when you called her on the worry about Valon...

    Yes, that was our worry... it is harder to heal the mind, but, you seem to have done so... or, perhaps you just helped him find the answer himself.

    - chapter 2

    http://www.gaiaonline.com/arena/writing/fiction/vote/?entry_id=101060533#title

    - chapter 1

    http://www.gaiaonline.com/arena/writing/fiction/vote/?entry_id=101055703#title