Sons of the Lin Kuei

Feverish embrace

Two days had passed.
Two days of journeying through breathtaking landscapes, avoiding civilization and being stuck with three men of the Lin Kuei as your captors.
With each mile walking, you were drawing ever nearer to the majestic mountains, whose very proximity seemed to cool the air with each step taken toward them.
Their peak was to be your goal, the hidden village lay on them. Resting in icy cold winds.

In this newly developed stage of your traveling, Scorpion and Smoke remained entertaining company. The youngest most so.
Their constant presence around you was a lovely contrast against your status as prisoner and the encumbrance of your shackles.
With at least one of them always walking close to you, they had been able to convince Bi-han that they were no longer necessary. You would not be able to run after all, when one of the men was an arms length away to hold you.

It was Kuai Liang, of course, who had been the one to suggest this.
Gratitude had welled within you, as he had removed them for the first time. His fingers working on the tight knot around your wrists, his hands warm and careful not to hurt you further. Your wrists bore testament, littered with the painful imprints of tightly bound restraints. Blue and violet they had painted your soft skin.
You had noticed Kuai Liang watching you with regret in his eyes, as he first saw.
Walking from then on, had been less horrid.

During the nocturnal hours, Kuai Liang would work to uphold your freedom.
Bi-Han was convinced that you were silent and sneaky as a cat and that you would flee the first chance you got. He thus demanded you to be bound to a tree or one of the brothers during the nights.
Kauai Liang worked around this by telling him, that you had been once again secured in chains.
And he would.
Sit before you, during the nightfall, his hands on yours once again. Something that had happened so often now that you asked yourself if he was only looking for an excuse to touch you.
But then while tying the knot, his gaze would fix upon you, delving deep into your eyes, his expression betraying a trust most profound.
A subtle nod from you would follow, and with gentle hands, he would place the rope chain around your wrists, securing it with a tenderness that contrasted the hardness of your captivity. A knot that you could easily escape from was tied. One that would not hurt you in the slightest.
It was a gesture that left you surprisingly comfortable for the night.

Your fidelity to the trust he bestowed upon you was unwavering.
Never did you harbor intentions of escape, nor did you ever raise a hand in defiance. As much as this bothered you, you thought it unwise to run.
You were to exhausted. Too hurt. Too desperate. Too proud.

Bi-Han, for his part, held his distance, a silent observer.
You would notice him continuously glancing at you. Constantly and ever watching.
You could not read his intentions. Not ever.
He was silent and had seized his interrogations. He had also never put his hands on you again.

The other two were a completely other deal however.
They seemed much more captivated by your presence than you had anticipated.

Of the trio, the youngest, Thomas, developed an uncommon fondness for your company.
He often walked alongside you, his curious nature manifesting in a ceaseless stream of questions. Initially guarded in your responses, you now answered without restraint.
You blamed his boyish charm and unrelenting nature.
And of course, that cute smile of his.

It had all commenced innocently enough when he asked you why you had chosen to save his life, the day after he awoke.
You had been surprised he remembered that much.
Your reply flowed easily, heavy with reminiscence and empathy.
"You reminded me of my boys at home. I could not bear to let you die," you explained.
The answer resonated with compassion, and it did not escape the older brothers' notice.

Both had snapped their heads around.
You felt both surprised and intimidated by that, asking yourself if you had said something wrong.

"Your boys at home?" Thomas inquired, his youthful curiosity unabated. "You look too young to have children of your own."