I have never written for this before, so I am equal parts excited and nervous. I hope this goes well. I hope you all like it since there's such a small fandom for this.

…

Hal Mikkelson was nervous, to say the least. His best friend, Stig, patted his back reassuringly. Hal glanced over his shoulder and smiled hesitantly at his friend. He knew Stig was just as nervous as he was, but the bigger boy would never admit it. Behind him, the twins, Ulf and Wulf were arguing and shoving each other back and forth. Ulf (or was it Wulf?) shoved Wulf (or Ulf) into Stig, who in turn stumbled forward into Hal. The smaller boy went sprawling and rolled onto his back in a daze. Stig reached down and hauled the smaller male to his feet.

"Watch it you two," Stig growled at the twins, who looked suitably chastened by what happened. Hal had just enough time afterwards to realize that Stig was holding his hand a lot longer than he probably should have before the bigger male took his hand away. Hal's stomach heaved painfully and he was surprised by the fact. He didn't like Stig that way. At least, he was pretty sure….

"Sorry Stig," Ulf (or Wulf) said at last, jostling Hal out of his thoughts. "Sorry Hal. Guess we got a little carried away." Hal smiled at whichever twin he was facing and quickly whirled around, facing the other twenty-eight eager faces. They were all waiting for their first instructions as full brotherbands, and everyone was abuzz with excitement. The rest of Hal's brotherband, Jesper, Stephan, Edvin, and Igvar all waited silently behind them. Some had smiles trying not to show on their faces, while others (mainly Edvin) focused solely ahead, waiting for Gort to come around and tell them what to do. Hal sighed inwardly and once again felt Stig's hand on his back. But this time, the bigger boy let it rest there for awhile before removing it. Once again, Hal felt that twinge of disappointment.

"Alright Heron Brotherband!" Gort called, striding into the clearing, the other two instructors behind him. The buzz of talk died instantly as everyone turned to stare at them. "Well, what are you ladies waiting for?" Gort asked snidely. "Get to your instructors!" The Shark and Wolf brotherbands scampered toward their own instructors while Gort turned to the Herons. "Alright guys, today is mock combat. Ulf and Wulf are sparring partners of course."

"No fighting about the weapons!" Hal snapped as each twin turned to the other. Gort shot the little skirl an approving look.

"Edvin and Stephan. Jesper and Igvar." Jesper groaned and hefted his axe over his shoulder, moving off with Igvar not far behind. "So that leaves Hal to spar with Stig." Gort looked meaningfully at the two friends. "No going easy on each other you hear." Stig grinned easily at the instructor and brandished his axe.

"No sir," he replied with a mock salute, steering Hal over to the side of the cleaning. Hal about dropped his fake practice sword when Stig touched him. It's not like the bigger boy hadn't touched him before. Quite the opposite actually. Stig always initiated physical contact. But never before had Hal been so rattled by the bigger boy's touch. "Hal?" Stig asked quietly, right in the smaller boy's ear, sending shivers down his spine. "Are you paying attention?"

"Huh?" Hal asked stupidly, then shook his head and held his sword aloft. "Yeah Stig," he replied half-heartedly. "Let's begin." Both boys instantly crouched and began circling each other, feigning and counter feigning for a bit before anyone actually made a move. Naturally, it was Stig. Without warning, he lunged forward and began a series of rapid blows, which Hal took on his shield. But he grunted with the impact and staggered a bit. Finally, Stig caught him off guard and slapped his side with the wooden axe. Hal cried out and dropped his sword, clutching his injured side and sinking to his knees.

"Are you okay?" Stig asked, immediately stopping. A few of the other Heron members paused in their mock battles as well and watched their skirl painfully heave himself to his feet once again. "I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" Stig asked, discarding his wooden axe and shield and inspecting Hal. For a big brute, he had a light and gentle touch, and under it, Hal couldn't help but feeling a little better.

"I'm fine Stig," Hal replied at last, shrugging the bigger boy off. "I think it's safe to say you won that one. I'd be half a Hal right now." Despite how concerned Stig still looked, he laughed a little at his friend's joke. Smiling, Hal retrieved his weapons and they began again.

…

Hal, along with the rest of his brotherband, fell in an exhausted heap at the end of the day. After their mock battles, they went on a ten kilometer jog, each weighed down with a pack of rocks. So in addition to being tired, their shoulders were stiff and sore. Hal rubbed his aching shoulders, and then felt another set of hands begin to do that as well. He looked up and found Stig smiling down at him. He was too tired to fully comprehend what was happening, so he closed his eyes and let Stig massage his aching shoulders for awhile.

"Alright guys," he finally said, heaving himself to his feet. "Lights out in ten. Gather up what you need and bed down." Groaning, the members began to undress, fix equipment, or settle down in their sleeping spots. Hal removed his outer jacket and breeches and crawled into his sleep sack, closing his eyes.

"Move Ulf," Hal heard, and he smiled.

"But I'm Wulf!" the twin complained, glowering at Stig. The bigger boy glared right back at him.

"Whatever. Just move." Grumbling, Ulf (or Wulf) did so, and Stig spread his sleeping stuff next to Hal's spot, discarding his outer clothing as well. "What did you think of training today?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow. Hal grinned and rolled onto his side, also propping himself up on his elbow.

"A bit tough," he replied. "But essential. I really hope we do navigation and sail trimming soon. Those are my favorite things to do. Besides, we have the Heron. It's the fastest ship in Skandia!"

"Don't let Erak hear you say that. He'd gut you like a herring," Stig replied seriously. Hal winced and held onto his still throbbing side. He was sure he was going to wake up with a nasty bruise in the morning. It served as a lesson though. Never let your guard down.

"I won't," Hal promised. "I'm just saying." Stig observed him quietly for a few moments, and Hal found himself studying Stig in turn. He'd never really thought about it before, but by Skandian standards he supposed his friend was handsome. It's not like he thought about it often! It was just an observation. Without thinking about it, he began to smile at his friend.

"What?" Stig scoffed. "Admiring the view?" Hal blushed faintly and glanced away, rolling onto his back and staring at the canvas ceiling. "I love brotherband training," Stig continued without missing a beat. "I'm glad we're learning. I'm also glad I'm on the same team as my best friend." Hal felt a sudden lump in his throat at Stig's word. His best friend. He was just his best friend. That's all he'd ever be. He rolled onto the side facing away from Stig as he felt the tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. He brushed them away with his hand and then slipped his hands under his head, closing his eyes.

"Me too," he said quietly. "Night Stig." He ignored his friend's noise of protest, and one by one the other members of the Herons fell silent as sleep claimed them. But Hal couldn't sleep. He rose from his sleeping sack and moved to stand outside since it was a pleasant night. He made his way over to the edge of their little clearing and leaned his back against a tree, closing his eyes once again. Stig's best friend. That's all he'd ever be. But why should her care. It's not like he liked Stig that way anyway. All the same, the more those words bounced around his skull, the suckier he felt. He didn't want to be Stig's best friend anymore. The problem was, he wasn't entirely sure what he wanted.