12

The night after we arrived is when everyone started setting things up. The next day would be the celebration so it all needed to be done before then.

All the women went out and found flowers and everything they'd need to make flower crowns and dye. The men set up the huts got wood for the fire.

I had a small break around the same time as Lucas. It was a moment I had been dreading to have to face with him, but I couldn't keep doing this forever and i knew deep down Emily was right about him needing to know.

I pulled a Lucas aside and decide it was the only time we would be able to really have this conversation before the festival tomorrow.

"Listen, I know we have been close for a really long time now and I love our friendship. I don't want to lose that with you, but I need to be honest about how I feel." Lucas smiled as I was talking, I don't think he knew where the conversation was going. "I don't want to hurt you because I care a lot about you, so I have been putting this conversation off, but I don't want to marry you. At least I don't think I do. I'm really not sure how I feel about you because I do feel something for you and I think I love you as friend and as a brother, but it's confusing because I haven't ever felt this before. I've never been around other guys and I've never loved someone and I don't know how I feel. I know I should of told you and I feel like I was leading you to believe there was more between us then what there is, but at the same time maybe there is more between us than what I'm willing to admit. I'm sorry I'm so confusing, but I needed to come clean and tell you about it. I also think you should look for someone at the celebration tomorrow and keep your options open because you deserve to find someone who will make you happy and that can say without doubt that you are who they want to spend the rest of their life with and to start a family with and I'm not sure if I will ever be that person."

I could see he wasn't prepared for what I had just said. I knew how to read him and I could se she was hurt.

"Okay, thank you for telling me. I'm glade there isn't any secrets between us, but I think I need some space from you." He said, with almost no emotion in his voice. He was trying to keep everything inside himself.

"I understand, I'll have the leader assign me a different guard." I said and he nodded and walked away from me.

Something inside me hurt, my heart hurt a little knowing I might of just lost him and that he was angry and hurt because of me. No matter how much I knew it was what I needed to do, I also felt that he didn't react honestly. I think he bit his tongue because of who I am and the standing I have in tribe. I wished he would of been honest with me in that moment. Watching him walk away, I just wanted him to turn back and yell at me or show some kind of emotion, even if it was just looking back. He didn't just like when my family left me in that blood soaked burning village. It felt like being abandoned all over again. He was one of the only people in the world I had any connection with and felt any kind of companionship from. He was so angry and upset with me that he couldn't even look back or say goodbye, he just walked away.

If only it was that easy to walk away from the problems that hurt me, but it isn't. It won't ever be that simple for me.

I finished my work for the day and finished my flower crown. I sat by the fire in the hut by myself. The leaders were all having dinner together and they all brought there wives to show off. Which left me completely alone, nobody else knew that Lucas wasn't there guarding me anymore and that I would need a new guard yet since I hadn't gotten to see the leaders since my talk with Lucas. Max who would of normally be there with me as well was off meeting his soon to be wife's family and starting to learn a few of there customs.

A man walked into the hut which started me. He was tall and well built and in good shape. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his hair and pants were wet. The water seemed to be glistening showing the his already defined muscle lines at the light from the fire reached it. I looked up at his eyes they looked red with the fire being the only light in the room but I could see a golden tint to them. He came and sat down next to me his waves blonde hair seemed to start to dry as soon as he got closer to me and the fire.

"Come with me, it's warm outside and there's a small lagoon near here that's warm." He said as he help out his hand to me.

"I can't leave, I don't have a guard and your a stranger. You shouldn't even of been able to get into this area." I spoke strongly, trying to hide my loneliness and the longing to go just of my own choice.

"My names Corey, now I'm not a stranger. I'm all the head of one of the dragon hunter tribes here son, so I don't think anyone was going to stop me. Knowing that I think you should know you are probably safer with me then with here without guards around to even protect you, and regarding our parents they will be out late so we have plenty of time."

I smiled at him, he seemed so familiar.

"I'm Megan, I would like to go but I have nothing to wear to go swimming and sneaking off at night with a strange boy seems kind of scandalous. Does it not?"

"We can meet with my sister and brother, if that would make you feel better. My sister will have something you can wear, nothing scandalous about that." He was smiling at with and his teeth were so white, his smile could of light up the room.

"Okay, I'll come. You win this time Corey, but we can't be gone long."

"Okay, we bring you back here whenever you wish to return."

I smiled at him and took his hand. He helped me up and we walked out fo the hut together. As we were leaving I saw a glimpse of Emily and Lucas. They were sitting together near the door of there hut and talking. He looked sad and as if he was about to cry, for whatever reason I kept running farther away with Corey still holding my hand and leading the way.

We reached his tribe, it was a small tribe of hybrids. There dogs started barking and growling at us as came up to where the higher up huts were. All the men and women I saw as we went by even the low class area all seemed in extremely good shape. Corey yelled "Calm down all of you it's just me."

All the dogs stop barking after hearing his voice and being able to better see him. We walked into the center hut. There sat a girl a little younger than me with black hair and the same golden eyes as Corey, next to her was a man who appeared similar in age to Corey, he had the same golden eyes and black hair as the girl next to him.

"This is Megan." Corey announced to them, they looked back at me and smiled. "Megan this is my brother Sam and my sister Liz."

"Hi, you all have the same eyes." I said.

"Yeah, we got that from our father." Liz said.

"They are my half siblings." Corey said.

"Yeah, me and Liz are our fathers bastard children. That's why me and Corey are the same age." Sam said.

"Hey, don't say it like that, father claimed you both and we have all been raised equally!" Corey defensively said. He was clearly angry and nodded towards me as if to say I'm human and would be more judgmental and to watch what they say. They both nodded back at him.

"I understand I was the bastard child for my mother too." I said, I don't know why I said it but I did, they all look at me surprised that I said anything at all, so I continued. "I was originally from a tribe like this, who taught dragons, but we came under attack and my step brother sacrificed his life to save me. I was to young and wasn't strong enough to do anything since I was kept a secret. My family hunted down his killers and got revenge but they were all killed for it. I was the only survivor. The other tribe found me in the village as everything was burning around me. I was the only person left alive. The tribes leaders took me in and claimed as their child and raised me as their own." They nodded at me.

I didn't tell everything or the complete truth, but I have a few pieces of the truth so I also wasn't completely lying.

"See we don't have to watch ourselves around her, she's like us." Liz said.

"Well, as happy I am with bonding time, Liz I need an outfit for her we are going swimming."

Liz got up and walked over to a chest and grabbed what looked like a dress but was open in the front, in the front was just a body suit. She grabbed out a second one as well and handed me one. They were both black fabric, but they were softer than any cotton made fabric. It was silk I had only ever felt silk at the market we never purchased or made any since we didn't have the materials.

"Sam get up, and both of you out. We are about to change and we will meet you outside with the horses shelter." Liz said.

Corey and Sam both left the hut. Liz turned her back to me and started to change so I did the same.

"You guys have a shelter for your horses?"

"Yes of corse, otherwise they might get sick and are out in the open to all the elements. Does your tribe not?"

"No we don't, they have them tied up outside all the time. They get sick and die very often, but then they just replace them as if they are nothing."

We had finished changing.

"Well we don't feel that way, but you will be able to choose a horse once we get there. You know how to ride right?"

"Yes, but why will we need horses?"

"It'll be the fastest way to the lagoons and springs."

Liz smiled at me and lead me to where they kept the horses. It was a structor that have walls on four sides and two opening that were on both sides of a path, while the horses were on each side of the path.

There were four horses that were out and ready to leave. All of which were pure white and seemed to shine where the light hit them. I had never seen anything like it.

"They are Akhal-Teke. That the breed, they are know for there speed and endurance and of course their metallic coats. Their also very smart." Corey said.

"They are pretty."

"Do you need help up?"

"No I think i can do it myself." I started to try and get up when Corey came over and lifted me up onto the horse then got on his afterwards.

We road for a few miles at least before we reached the lagoon. We all got off and went to the water. I jumped into the water with Liz it was dark and I notice that their eyes all seemed to glow red. We swam around for a while and splashed each other and pushed each other underwater. I was splashing Corey so he swam underwater and pulled me under. I could feel how strong he was by his grip. I felt our body urs press against each other forced by the water. I felt a pull to him and my skin seemed to feel an electric feeling where our skinned touched. It wasn't like a shock or zap feeling but it was more of a warm sensation and it was like a magnetic force was holding us together. I didn't want to pull away. I have never felt this way before when it came to anyone. Lucas had held my hand and touched my skin before but I never felt a pull to him. A pull that made me want him and want to feel his touch.

I had felt an immediate connection with him and the others. I don't know if it was because they were like me or if there is more to it, but maybe this is what I feels like to want someone and the start of a connection that could be love.

I opened my eyes and saw his they were glowing red back at me. It probably should of scared me or any normal person would of probably been, but I felt safe. His eyes felt like there was a warmth to them. I could see his happiness in through them. I could see he was feeling the same pull that I was, I needed to go up for air but I could bring myself to move away.

He must have seen it in my eyes or felt the same because pulled me back up. Once we were above the water he pulled away from me. I came back to my normal senses.

"It's late, we should head back soon so you don't get in trouble." Corey said.

"Your right we should be heading back."

"How about we make a fire back at your village do your don't get in trouble, our father would be fine with us not being home when he returns, plus that way you aren't alone with guards." Corey said.

"I'd like that." I said and smiled.

We all got out of the water and I got onto the horse by myself this time. We road back to camp and started a fire. We were at the back of the hut, everyone was the front they didn't circle our hut so nobody would be back there to bother us.

I was happy, we sat and joked around with each other. I grew closer to them as we talked. Liz invited me to come get ready with her but I knew the leaders wouldn't be ok with that so instead I told her to come here. The guys said they would escort her over and then would meet us at the festival. They left after the leaders returned. Only me and Liz were in the hut when they came back which they were ok with since she was a female and the guys were outside and said they were escorting their sister and were staying to guard to make sure we were safe. They left with all of the horses but they were sneaky about it then I'm sure they road back. When I said goodbye to them I saw Emily, Lucas, and Max outside the hut looking to see who the leaders were talking too. I'm sure they weren't thrilled to find new people. I could sense the worry from others, they realized I was unguarded and they hadn't even noticed the men from a different tribe in are area. Non of them were really worried about me they were more worried about what the leader would do to all of them.

The leaders didn't say a word to any of them they said good bye to my guests and we then returned to the hut. We didn't talk about the fact that they were there since the men weren't in the hut and only Liz was so they didn't care that much. They were irritated that none of our peoples guards were their though because if something would of went wrong they didn't believe that they would protect me over their own sister or that they could of been there and harmed me and nobody would of ever know since I had no protection. They wouldn't worry about it right now though because we had bigger things to prepare for since tomorrow would be one go the first spring celebration held with all the tribes that gather at breeding season.

So we didn't worry about it instead we went and laid out everything we would need for tomorrow's celebration. Then we had some berries and water. We double checked that we had everything we needed so we could get ready and be dressed properly in the morning tomorrow. Afterwards we put the fire out and went to bed.