The sun beat down with a relentless, golden ferocity, turning the humid air into a thick veil that clung to the skin. In the fields, the soil was warm and fragrant, a mixture of life and decay that characterized the Kabua lands. Having reached the riverbank, the group settled into the jagged shade of the ancient trees that lined the irrigation veins of the village.
Katty, despite her initial reluctance to join the trek, found herself captivated by the scenery. The river was a ribbon of molten silver, several feet wide, its current humming a low, constant song against the smooth stones. "Oh wow, so this is where you get water for the fields? This river is so beautiful!" she exclaimed. Her green eyes sparkled with a genuine, childlike wonder that momentarily stripped away her icy, high-market facade.
"Hmm, yes, it is," Manu replied, puffing out his chest slightly with a sense of territorial pride. "And we also bathe here after a long day's work. It's the only way to wash off the sun."
While the boys sat down to devour the meal the girls had brought, Lara remained standing, her posture stiff. She was pointedly giving Fuyu the cold shoulder, her chin tilted upward. She wanted him to see that she was here as a dutiful daughter and sister—a delivery girl, nothing more. She certainly wasn't here because of the "invitation" he had issued the night before.
"Wait, so we can also take a bath here?" Katty asked, her excitement bubbling over. She looked at the crystal-clear water, desperate to escape the sweltering heat. "Sister Lara, I want to go inside and play a bit; it seems fun. What about you guys? Do you want to hop in the river and have fun?"
"Yeah, we will!" Manu said, already standing up to shed his gear.
"No, I am good," Fuyu said, his voice a calm, low vibration. He leaned back against the rough bark of a tree, watching them with eyes that seemed far too old for his face.
"I am also not going inside; we already bathed in the morning anyway," Lara added, declining with a sharp sniff. She looked down the riverbank, seeing other tribespeople at a distance, their voices muffled by the wind.
"Oh, come on, you're both so boring... Anyway, I'm going in!" Katty declared. With the uninhibited grace of the tribe, she shed her leaf garments, her lithe, slender body shimmering in the light for a brief second before she plunged into the water. Manu followed with a splash, and soon the two were laughing and diving, the cold mountain water a blissful reprieve.
Fuyu sat in the deep shadow, the breeze drying the sweat on his brow. The presence of Vasana was quiet but heavy, a coiled spring in his gut. He didn't have to wait long. Lara, unable to maintain her distance, drifted toward him and sat down, her hip just inches from his.
"Don't get any wrong idea," Lara hissed, her eyes fixed on the splashing figures in the river.
"What?" Fuyu asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Don't act innocent. I can tell what you're thinking," she said, her gaze finally dropping to his lap. Despite the shade, the heat of his arousal was visible, a prominent ridge beneath his leaf skirt. "That 'thing' is hard. Why? Don't expect me to help you in this matter anymore. I told you—I brought the meal, and that is all."
Fuyu turned his head slowly to look at her. "Oh, but I thought something else. You know, last night it was really troublesome. The risk of Aunt Susan or Mother waking up to your noises was too high. But now... look behind us, Lara. The bushes are thick. The forest is deep."
Lara's breath hitched, but she tried to maintain her resolve. "Nah, we aren't doing anything. I have a reputation to think of."
"Come on, Sister," Fuyu pressed, his voice dropping to a seductive, persuasive hum. "You can't leave your brother in this situation. Look at me. I can't even focus on the planting. The fire is too hot. You need to help me."
"Nope. I said no," Lara said, though her hand moved slightly closer to him on the grass. "Can't you see people are around? Katty and Manu are right there. Someone will see us."
"That's exactly why the bushes are the best option," Fuyu countered. "No one looks into the deep brush while there's a river to play in. We go deep, and no one will ever know."
Lara turned to him, her eyes searching his.
"Really? But why should I help you? You were so cold last night. You didn't want my 'generosity' then."
Fuyu leaned in closer, his scent—a mix of earth, sweat, and the strange, metallic tang of the spirit—filling her senses. "I was thinking of your own good, Lara. Think about it. If we had been caught in the hall, Aunt Susan and Mother would know everything. They would think you weren't 'pure' anymore. It would be impossible to explain that you were just... servicing me. Your future marriage would be ruined."
Lara nodded slowly, the logic sinking in. "Hmm, true."
"Yes," Fuyu continued, sensing her resolve crumbling. "And as for your help... how could I ever not want it? What would I do without you? I'll need you even after you're married to some rich hunter. You'll be like Big Sister Sara—the one I can always turn to."
Lara put a finger to her chin, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. "Hmmm... so you do need me?"
"I do."
"Fine then," she whispered, her voice a naughty purr. "But you need to promise me something first. You're going to let me help you relieve yourself tonight as well."
Fuyu's eyes widened slightly. "Tonight? When we're all sleeping together again?"
"Yep. I want to show you my skill, Fuyu. I can do it in complete silence. I can make you forget everything else without a single soul knowing. If you promise not to stop me tonight—and you stop demanding 'mating' for now—I'll help you right here, right now." She reached out, her palm sliding onto his thigh, her fingers gently stroking the heat beneath the fabric.
"Alright," Fuyu rasped, his self-control fraying. "I promise."
"Let's go then."
"We have to hurry," Fuyu warned, standing up. "Katty and Manu won't stay in that water forever."
Lara gave a proud, confident giggle as she stood. "Don't worry. I'll make that 'stinky liquid' come out long before they decide to dry off. I know exactly how to handle you."
From the river, Katty paused, wiping water from her eyes. She saw the two of them stand up. She saw the way Lara's hand had lingered on Fuyu's lap, and she saw the purposeful way they vanished into the dense greenery of the forest.
"Oh, where are they going?" Katty thought, a slow, knowing smile spreading across her lips. "They were just talking so intensely... and now the forest? Interesting. Very interesting."
"Katty, stop smiling! Take this!" Manu shouted, sending a huge arc of water crashing into her face.
"You... take this then!" Katty laughed, throwing herself back into the play, but her mind was no longer on the game. She remembered the whispers she had overheard the previous night—the strange, heated negotiations between the siblings.
The curiosity began to gnaw at her. "Jeez, I really want to go and see. They must be doing what they talked about. I want to spy on them... but Manu is right here. I can't just leave him. But then again, if I don't go now, I'll miss it."
She played for a few more minutes, her movements becoming distracted. Finally, she waded toward the bank. "You continue, Manu. I'm coming right back."
"Where are you going?" Manu asked, wiping his face.
"To take a pee," Katty said simply. She stepped onto the grass, quickly pulling her leaf skirt over her wet skin.
"Alright," Manu called out. "But where are Fuyu and Lara? Did you see them?"
"They went to pee too," Katty lied smoothly, her heart racing with the thrill of the hunt. She turned and slipped into the forest, following the path Fuyu and Lara had taken.
Manu watched her go, shaking his head. "I see... but she could just pee in the river like me. Why go all that way? Hah... girls are strange." He took another deep breath and dove back under the surface, blissfully unaware that the "safety" of the communal group was being dismantled just a few yards away in the dark, silent heart of the bushes.
Katty is now stalking Fuyu and Lara through the dense undergrowth, her green eyes sharp and searching.