AN: I do not own characters of Gundam Wing. This fanfic is yaoi m/m relationship, don't like don't read. This is a fic of pure reading enjoyment.

Chapter 1

He crouched, waiting. Something, someone, was out there. Through the cave opening he could see the sun's last light dissolving behind the mountain. The dank odor of the cave blended with the mountain fragrances and the smell of nightfall---and of something else.

Heero's cold, calculating cobalt eyes scanned the surrounding area suspiciously, balancing the spear in hand, ready to throw. He could hear the small fire he had created crackling behind him deep in the cave. Perhaps the fire was attracting dangerous animals. Predators. But Heero was an exceptional hunter. He waited, patiently, silently, keeping his crouched fighting stance at the mouth of the cave.

Hidden in the bushes, a cougar crouched in readiness. With a rumbling growl deep in its throat, he sprang, leaping from the bushes and to the prey he had stalked all day. The cougar's fierce snarl, however, was cut short, as Heero's spear found its mark. The large cat creature fell with a loud thud onto the earth, the spear lodged in its ribs. It fought to breathe, but the live slowly ebbed away until it was no more.

Once Heero was sure the predator had fallen, not to rise again, he swiftly walked over and looked down upon the mighty beast.

"Hn."

The cougar's belly was cut and Heero disposed of the inedible parts, setting the fleshy meat on a thin straw mat before he began to skin the mountain lion. The skin was still warm from the recent kill. Once skinned, he scooped up the slippery chunks of fat and put in into the waterproof deerskin bag that held his content of dwindling fat. The lion had not had much. The winter had just passed it was too early in the spring. Animals were still lean. Once he had taken what he wanted he disposed of the carcass near the stream and covered it with large rocks. Heero walked back to the cave.

While the fresh meat was roasting on a forked spit over his fire, the Towa settled for the calming task of sharpening the points of his spears. Men from his tribe were considered the best spear throwers in all of the mountain tribes. The man was a silent one with hidden emotions, but he admitted to himself he missed the village of the Bear Clan. The hard winter had delayed his journey. He remembered the Village Chief's last words.

"You have slandered the prideful name of our people. You have murdered your own kin." The Chief had shouted and there were murmurs of agreement from the crowd that surrounded them. Glancing the Chief's shoulder, he saw the bloody body of his older brother Odin lying on the earth for all to see. The Village Chief spoke again. "I curse you to live outside the boundaries of the Bear Clan for seven moons. During this time you will purify the blood on your hands. Live amongst other clans far to the west or live alone. If seven moons have passed and you have not returned, then you are either dead or have taken refuge with different people."

There were cries. Though the young man of only seventeen summers had killed his brother he was well loved, his family well respected. "Now go." Said the Chief. "May the Gods watch over you and clear the malice in you and your brother's hearts who now enters the other world. Come back with valuable trade of your journey and this Bear Clan will forgive you." The eyes of the Chief softened. "This father will forgive you. Now be gone!"

Heero cursed in his head. That had happened five moons ago. He only had two left before he could return to the Clan. During his travels, he had stayed in one place no more than a few weeks. He passed through villages, wealthy cities; to trade for treasures and materials he would bring back to the Bear Clan to regain his honor. He glanced around the cave. An intricate bow carved with sacred hunting symbols lay against the cave wall along with a quiver of eagle-feathered arrows. It was a treasure all in itself. A bearskin back bulged with what Heero knew was filled with turquoise; amulets blessed my medicine chiefs, gold, obsidian tools, and wooden pots and bowls. Heero was wealthy. Yet being by him self made him uneasy. The forest terrain could easily hide hostile Apaches or Querechoes who could kill him and take his possessions. Heero was a strong warrior, exceptional, but not even he was invincible to a band of warriors as quick and quiet as he.

He slept lightly that night. The area made him uneasy. When he woke he gathered all his belongings. He rolled the cougar skin and tied it with yucca twine before attaching it to his pack. He kept his favorite spear in hand and left the cave before the sun had halfway risen over the mountains. His feet carried him North to the Indian city he would visit last. The village of Rainbow Flint. He would trade for the colorful flint to add to his treasure cache and then take the long trek home.

Home. He thought and glanced at his hands. Were his hands now cleansed of Odin's blood? Everyone knew of the hostility between the two brothers. Born two summers after Odin, his older brother would have been heir to the village Chief position. However, Heero knew Odin had felt shunned, felt that their father Treize had favored Heero more because he was the son of his second wife who was more beautiful and loved more than Odin's mother. Odin's jealousy raged.

One night while a band of Apache's had attacked the Bear Clan, Odin had caught him unaware.

Heero turned from the fallen Apache he had just slain but cried out in pain as a spear jabbed his side, creating a gushing wound. He looked up to see Odin's sinister smiling face. He felt betrayed.

"You will enter the otherworld now little brother." Odin said. "The Apaches had turned your own spear against you. I tried to save you, valiantly killing the Apaches who murdered you, but as of you, I was too late. Odin drew back his hand to throw his spear but Heero had swiftly taken out knives that were hidden in folds of his deerskin breeches and had already sent them hurtling towards Odin. One lodged itself deep in his chest and the other had found the hollow area of his throat. Odin had fallen and so had Heero due to blood loss. Only one was to awake the next day.

Heero forced the memory from his mind. His brother now rested in the spirit world. It was not good to linger on the past.

Pausing only to eat and take a few minutes of rest, Heero saw the large village ahead by the time the sun had fallen behind the mountains. His feet had carried him swiftly and well. He was seen approaching by warriors who guarded the entrance. When he was close enough, they aimed their arrows at him but did not let them fly.

"Who are you?" one asked.

"I am Heero. Of the Bear Clan. I come to trade then leave."

They still looked suspicious.

"You travel alone or do others hide in the forest to attack?" another asked.

Heero shuffled the spear in between his hands, the men prepared to shoot.

"I come to trade." He said again, voice as cold as the icebergs in the north.

One gave him a calculating gaze and lowered his bow, signaling for the others to do so as well. From the symbol of a deer hoof on his shoulder and the band on his forehead holding up an erect yellow feather at the back of his head, Heero could tell his status was the Hunting Leader. He had obvious authority.

"Come, I will take you to our Chief." He said and motioned for Heero to enter. Heero did not know the proper way to give thanks. These people were Pueblo. He was Towa. Though in many ways the same, they were also very different.

The large bonfire was blazing in the heart of the village surrounded by men, women, and children who all looked at the new stranger curiously. Heero ran his fingers through his messy dark brown hair. He inwardly longed to eat and to rest. The Pueblo village consisted of ten to fifteen round adobe houses with the entrance at ground level much different that the dwellings at the bear clan. He was led to the largest round house of all, where leather hide covering shielding the entrance from view.

The Hunting Leader gave a knock on the wooden side of the adobe.

"Who knocks? I am resting!" came an irritated voice from inside.

"Great chief it is I Trowa. I bring a visitor who says he comes here to trade." The young man said. Heero examined him. He looked to be only a few summers older than him. His hair was a lighter shade of brown than his, with odd bangs that covered half of his face. He was tall, taller than Heero and his visible eye was green and bright.

"Enter."

Trowa lifted the covering and motioned for Heero to step inside, who did and Trowa followed him.

The Chief of the Rainbow Flint tribe was old, gray haired, brow sagging with heavy wrinkles, hands gnarled and teeth crooked. Yet his eyes spoke of wisdom and strength. Heero bowed his head in respect.

"You may speak traveler. You come to trade?"

Heero nodded. "Yes for rainbow flint. I have traveled villages from the Bear Clan to here. I request your permission to trade and take refuge in your village for the night."

The Chief gazed upon him. "You look as that of a traveler. What have you to trade? The Bear clan, it is far. Is Baron still the Chief?"

Heero shook his head. "Treize his son, my father is now Chief of the Clan. And I have many values to trade." He said giving no description of what laid inside his pack.

The Chief chuckled and suddenly looked weary. "Ah. I am older than I thought. Glory makes time fly. I would give you the honor of trading with me first but I am tired. You come at a good time. It is a good night for trading at the fire."

Heero bowed again as did Trowa and they left silently from the adobe.

Trowa folded his arms. "So you are the son of your Chief. Why do you travel these long ways alone?"

Heero scowled. It was none of his business. But it did seem like the green eyes hunter did not mean to pry.

"I was cursed to live seven moons from my home."

Trowa nodded. It was a harsh punishment. "What for?"

"The death of my brother." A harsh crime. Trowa looked at the shorter man, inspecting his chiseled features, muscles, and odd colored dark blue eyes. He sensed a silent danger within him, but for now he sensed no threat.

"Trade with me first. I am Hunting leader but I am also a tool smith. I can bend rainbow flint to my will."

Heero nodded. The crowds around the large fire uneased him. "Where?"

"Wait by the stream. I will bring the flint." Trowa walked off, the yellow feather slightly bobbing with every step.

Heero walked to the stream's soft bank and set down his pack. The crowds and the fire were still to close for comfort but Heero ignored them. He unrolled a hide blanket on which he could lay his goods. He took out a few pieces of turquoise, a few bowls, knives, and then after some thought placed the wonderful bow and eagle arrows on it as well. That should be enough.

Heero looked up as a group of different aged boys adorned in small deer kilts approached him. One smiled shyly at him holding out a bowl of fresh berries.

"Do you have feathers? I'll trade berries for a large feather." He said and a few boys laughed at him.

"You little fool!"

"What man wants berries in exchange for a good feather?"

"You trade like a girl."

The little boy shrank back and ducked his head in shame.

Heero reached into his pack and took out a beautiful red macaw feather he had gotten from a small village. The boys gasped at it.

"Sure we'll trade." Said Heero. He did not smile, his face impassive but his tone was friendly. The little boy handed the wooden bowl over to Heero and Heero passed him the feather. The boy took it with delight.

"I am going to make a headband with this! You traveler, you hungry? I bring food to you also!" He ran off waving the red feather in the air the boys following him to the fire.

Heero felt his lips quirk into a smile before he caught himself.

"I saw that. That was nice." Trowa said as he knelt beside Heero with a basket. "A macaw feather? Men would trade turquoise for something so sacred."

Heero shrugged. "I did not need it."

Trowa handed him the basket. There were flint knives of all different colors and shapes, flint arrowheads to attach to straight branches for arrows, and just colorful slabs of flint used to start a fire. Heero inspected each thing he picked up carefully, hardly finding fault in the flint pieces. There were no chips no unbalanced heavy that indicated a different type of stone marred deep in the flint. Heero was impressed. All the pieces were perfect. He settled for two red flint knives of exceptional creation, a black and yellow flint scrapper, and a few blue flint arrowheads.

"Theseare enough. What do you want for them?"

Trowa immediately pointed to the bow and eagle feathers. "I have admired it since I saw it. It is the most beautiful bow I have ever seen. Where did you get it?"

"From a Pueblo tribe on the other side of the forest. I traded it with the medicine chief there. He said an Anazazi man created it."

Trowa nodded. The peaceful people of the north. They were skilled craftsmen men and women alike. It was a bow of wonders and the arrows, flawless.

"I ask to trade the flint for the bow and arrows but the trade seems unjust on my side." Trowa slipped a necklace off his neck. It was a yucca twine chain but the pendent was a dazzling obsidian oval outlined with gold.

Heero took it in h is hands. "I couldn't. The flint is enough."

Trowa's eyes twinkled. "Well if you do not take it as payment for the bow then take it as an accepting gift for your services on the buffalo hunt in ten suns."

"Buffalo hunt? Here in these forests and rocky terrain?" Heero asked.

Trowa shook his head and pointed south. "No in the western plains. It is a two-day travel. It is a great hunt, we are always victorious for only the best hunters go on this trip."

"And how do you know if I am a great hunter?"

The Hunting Chief gave a small smile. "I can see it in your eyes. What is your answer? You would honor us Pueblos with your presence. We will not even be competition. I will use my arrows, you use your spear."

The cobalt eyed Towa finally gave a small smile. What was a small stay? He still had a few moons to go. "I will go."

Trowa nodded. "Good."

The little boy whom Heero had given the feather to had run back with two bowls of steaming food with a plate of corn cakes balanced on top.

"Here." He said. "I brought food for you to Trowa."

Trowa chuckled. "Thank you Yellow Bird." The boy set the food down.

"When I grow up, I will be a great hunter like you. Perhaps the next Hunter Chief." Yellow Bird said puffing out his chest and walked back to the campfire, trying to attempt the adult swagger of a man.

Even Heero had to chuckle at the scene. They ate the food they had received in silence. After the meal, Trowa spoke. "You can stay with me. My hearth is at the edge of the village, the closest to the forest. I like to be close to nature."

Heero put his items back in his pack and rolled up the hide blanket while Trowa picked up their dishes and his basket of flint. "Your mate will not mind?" he asked monotonously and followed Trowa who had begun walking.

After a still silence the hunter spoke. "I have no mate." The visible green eye looked at Heero. Heero nodded. "I have none either. I don't want one. Women annoy me."

Trowa smiled. They reached his adobe. "I think Heero, though you are a Towa and I am Pueblo, our spirits are brothers."

Heero gave a, "Hn.", but inside he felt warmth. Since he had left the Bear Clan he had felt a thick feeling of loneliness. Now, here, he didn't feel so lonely.

AN: This is the first chapter. I know it's a little boring but I wanted to get the plot down carefully. Towa, Pueblo, Apache, Querecho, and Anazazi, are Native American tribes. Yes I know the GW cast aren't native american but i liked the setting and I thought it would be a unique twist different from all other fanfiction. Whaddaya think?