It had been the beginning of war. Silence set as the ship rolled in. Somewhere in the distance, a young man stood on a high ledge, watching as if he had never seen this before. It had been months, years, possibly two decades since his destiny had been decided for him. He was curious to say the least, but in that suspicion he knew that this was dangerous. He had come to this land as a child, never knowing anything else. Never knowing what could have been different. He watched and watched until men reached the shore that he had walked a million times.

"Strange clouds, Grandmother Willow." He turned to the ground where she sat in the middle of a small lake.

"Is that so child?" She spoke with a happiness that he couldn't read.

"What do they mean?" He started to climb down to her, slipping in to the water at last, and finding himself waiting for an answer.

"I don't know, child; we'll just have to wait." He thanked her for her wisdom, as he did every day, and ran as fast as he could to the place he knew he'd be welcomed.

"Father!" He didn't restrain himself from grabbing the taller man around the waist.

"You're back." He held the man close in fear he would slip away again. He heard his father chuckle lowly.

"Come with me, we have much to talk about." He smiled at the boy before him and guided Ed to the tent.

"Father, I've been having a strange dream. I think it has to do with my path." Edward stood close to him. He was just so happy he was home.

"Yes, I think it does, too. Kocoum has asked to seek your hand in marriage." He said delightfully.

"Kocoum, but he's so… serious." Taking a peek at him through the open tent flap, he watched the young man stand around as if he owned the place. It wasn't a bad thing, just that he looked unhappy. His father stood behind him.

"I told him it would make my heart soar. Edward, come with me. As my son, it is your duty to settle down in the village. Kocoum can provide a good steady house, with thick sturdy walls." He took his son by the shoulders to lead him down by the water's edge.

"But father, I think it's leading me down another path." They both stared in to the wafting stream as it moved on.

"As the river cuts his path, though the rivers proud and strong, he will choose the smoothest course, that's why rivers live so long. Their steady, as the steady beating drum." He took that moment to take out a necklace. It was blue lace with river stone hanging off the end.

"You're mother wore this at our wedding. She always wanted to see our child wear it at theirs." Powhatan placed it around Edward neck and smiled down.

"She would have been so proud. It suits you." He said walking away, back to the tent. Edward sat down by the river, waiting for something to happen. Though, it seemed nothing would if he didn't move himself.

"He wants me to marry Kocoum." He huffed out a frustrated sigh. He wasn't ready to settle down yet. He knew that if it was to be so, then he wouldn't have much time.

"He wants me to be steady, like the river," Edward took that moment to pear in to the water, "but the rivers not steady at all." He felt himself become lighter at the words.

"What I love most about rivers, is you can't step in the same river twice. The water's always changing, always flowing." He took a dainty foot and placed it in to a nearby canoe. He wasn't going to wait around. He had time to be exploring.

"Should I choose the smoothest curve? Steady as the beating drum? Should I marry Kocoum? Is all my dreaming at an end? Or do you still wait for me, Dream Giver, just around the river bend?" He said stopping at a fork in the stream. One was sure to be easy sailing, but the other screamed for a challenge. He knew he couldn't resist the feeling of a good rush. He took the second, not looking back to see what might have been.

"Grandmother Willow? Grandmother Willow!" He called out to the shaded trunk.

"Is that my Edward?" She found him hopping up on a stump one of her many branches had once taken a place on.

"Grandmother Willow, I had something I needed to ask you about." Edward scooped his long golden hair over his shoulder to play with it. It hung low, like the striking sun in the sky. Something, he had never seen before on the members of his clan or any other.

"Child, I was hoping you would come see me today. Oh! Your mother's necklace." The old tree sounded delighted by the jewelry hanging around her young visitor's neck.

"My father wants me to marry Kocoum." He hung his head low at the confession. Thank goodness he had someone to talk to.

"Kocoum? But he's so serious." Her face became squinted. It looked almost as worried as Edward felt.

"Yeah, I know. Grandmother Willow, what were my real parents like." It had been weighing on his mind for some time.

"Well, your mother and father were great officials who came over on a large ship from Spain. They wanted to tame the land and spoil themselves with its riches, but shortly after they arrived, they became gravely ill with a disease. Your mother, not about to die and abandon you, pled with the Indians. They were afraid, but the chief and his wife took you in and raised you as their own. Then, your adopted mother died from the same illness." She stopped to watch him for a moment knowing that someone else should have told him about his past.

"Thank you. And now for another question. I've been having a dream."

"Oh, a dream! How exciting. Let's hear all about it!"

"Well, I'm running through the woods and then right there in front of me is an arrow. Then, it starts to spin and it keeps spinning faster and faster until it stops." He said excitedly.

"A spinning arrow? How peculiar." It was a serious matter she knew, but it sounded so fun, she couldn't stop herself.

"I think it has to do with my path, but what does it mean?" He stopped and stood to get better look at his mentor.

"Your mother asked me the same question when she was young. All you have to do is listen. Listen all around you! To everything, everything at once, just let it all in." Edward closed his eyes and tried to take in what was around him.

"I can't understand." Turning so that his face was to the wind hoping to get what she was talking about.

"Listen with your heart, you will understand." The old tree was becoming tired. Grandmother Willow gave one last piece of advice before she hunkered back in to her bark shell. It was then that Edward knew. He found that he could tell what the men were saying.

"The strange clouds! Thank you-… Oh, goodbye." He waved to her one last time before getting back in to his little canoe and setting off for a shorter spying range. It was about time he got closer to his own kind.

"Roy!" Lord Bradley appeared before the younger man. He was a tall, greedy guy; you could tell by his appearance that he wasn't here for God or Glory. That he was all about the gold, trying to make a name for himself under the king.

"Yes my Lord?" There was no need for him to stand at attention. He was more experienced in traveling than any other on this voyage including Bradley himself, though, Roy wasn't the type of man to make that a point.

"Captain Mustang, I want you to go and scout. Explore the land and find the Indian Territory." Bradley looked back to his plaything in the ship's open window. He was currently pampering his dog.

"Sure." Roy grabbed up his bag and his gun and left the grounds they had claimed not an hour earlier. This should be a piece of cake. He walked and walked, not sure where he was going, but it beat staying there. As long as he didn't have to listen to Lord Bradley gripe about the conditions of the weather taking a toll on his skin or that his back hurt from the long ride, he was just fine. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed something. He turned to see nothing. Thinking that it was his imagination he went on. He did that twice more, becoming frustrated with the thought that he was spooking himself. Roy stopped by a waterfall, washing his face in the cool water. He watched it for a while seeing a second reflection in the liquid. So, he wasn't just seeing things. He grabbed his bag slowly and looked just for a moment, noticing the person's disappearance. He smiled to himself and crossed the river where he knew he would be followed. It would put him at an advantage. The person had no place to hide.

Edward knew that this was trouble, but somewhere deep inside he wanted to be caught. He wanted to know everything about these people. The people with pale skin like his. He watched from a distance, getting a little closer every time. He knew the young man had crossed the river and decided he would wait and then cross it himself. He went with the fog, hoping that would be enough to shelter him from sight. He took one stone at a time pausing to get his bearings to hop to the next. Then, the man jumped out of nowhere. A long weapon was point right at Edward. He had heard tales that they shot thunder and fire and that it would leave strange marks on you if you were their target. The white man watched Edward for a moment before taking his weapon down slowly. Ed felt like running. His heart was pounding. He turned to run and dashed off the rocks to the open field beside the waterfall. He knew that the man was right on his heels. The white man had caught him by wrists and jerked him around so he could have a good look at him. Edward stopped and tried to wrestle his arm out of the gentleman's grasp to no avail. He cried and begged in his native tongue to let him go.

"Calm down… calm down, I'm not going to hurt you." Roy let go of his wrist and he watched as Edward drew back like an injured animal.

"My name is Roy Mustang. What's your name?" He held out his hand. Ed wasn't entirely sure what this was about.

"You probably don't understand a word I'm saying do you… May be I should just-"

"Edward. My name… is Edward." Edward watched as his specimen's look changed from confusion to shock. He still had his hand outstretched so Ed took it with both of his, still not knowing what to do with it.

"You can speak English… He can speak English…" Roy looked down at the tiny blonde before him. He was very slim, had long golden hair, and was hidden by a hide draped over one shoulder and extending around the rest of his torso, coming to a point between his knees. From afar he had thought that it was a woman.

"So, how old are you?" Edward was surprised when Roy reached down to sweep a lock of that golden hair behind his ear.

"I'm nearing my twenty-first year." Blushing furiously, he grabbed his lengthy flaxen mane and tugged it cutely.

"Really? I thought you were around twelve or thirteen. I guess it's just your height that's had me fooled." His assumption made him laugh.

"I don't think that's funny." Edward turned away and began walking to the nearby tree.

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that! Come back!" Roy couldn't resist, but to follow Edward.

"No!" Edward threw that word right over his shoulder. He was highly offended. He grabbed a hold of the thick bark and propelled himself upward through the branches.

"Hold on. I just want to talk." It took him some time and concentration to get to the first branch.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Edward balanced himself on the same limb, stretching out on it so he would have a place to lay and listen.

"We're exploring, but we're mostly looking for gold." He put his hands behind his head, trying to get relaxed. Being in high places wasn't his slice of pie.

"Gold? What's that?" Edward plopped his chin in to his hands to get a better angle of listening.

"It's shiny, you know, valuable, and, it comes out of the ground, yellow. You can trade things for it." Edward thought for a moment. Then, it hit him. He jerked his bag around to the front and yanked out a piece of corn, pulling back the husk.

"You mean like this? We have lots of it." He said looking a bit worried.

"No, it's more like this." Roy held out a gold coin and Edward took it inspecting it before handing it back to Roy.

"We don't have anything like that." Ed was a bit disappointed. He wanted to be of some help, but he had never so much as heard of this stuff, much less had any in his possession.

"Imagine how the guys are gonna' feel when they find that out." He put the money back in his bag. He knew that this expedition was a fraud from the beginning, but where there was the chance of discovery he was the first to sign up.

"Are they going to leave?" Asking with as much hope as he could muster. If the white men went away there wouldn't be war.

"Some of them might. When Bradley comes across it, it'll be hell to pay." He reached out to play with Edward's hair again.

"Will you leave?" He asked a little sadly.

"Well, it's not like I have much of a home left to go back to. I don't really belong anywhere.'" He said sitting up.

"You could belong here." Ed told him innocently, though he knew he probably wouldn't get the answer he wanted.

"So," He put out his hand once again, but Edward didn't take it, "it's alright it's just a handshake."

"Nothing's happening." Edward switched his look between Roy's hand and his eyes.

"No, give me your hand and I'll show you." Cautiously Edward touched his palm to Roy's. Then, Roy gently shook it up and down. There was a small silence between them. Edward couldn't stop himself from looking in to Roy's black eyes. Much like the peoples' of his village, but there was something different. Something he couldn't put in to words to describe.

"That's how we say hello." He let go and shifted closer.

"This is how we say hello… Wing-ga-poe… And this is how we say goodbye… Ana." Roy took his hand and did it with him.

"I like 'Hello' a lot better." He took a compass out of his bag and held it out to Edward.

"That's called a compass."

"A compass?" He looked it over really well.

"It helps you find your way if you get lost. You keep it." He fastened the flap back on his bag.

"I'll get another in London."

"London? Is that your village?" Edward hopped down from the tall tree and landed in the soft grass below. It wasn't long before he found a place to lay in the sunshine.

"Yes, it's a very big village." Roy put his hand out and swept it in a large circle putting a lot of emphasis in the 'big.'

"What's it like there?" Edward rolled over to listen intently.

"Well, there are carriages on every corner, on every street; there are buildings higher than that tree."

"Wow, I wish I could see it." Edward watched Roy stand up and stretch.

"You will, we're going to build them here. We're going to show you how to use the land properly; how to make the most of it." Edward could feel his eyebrow's coming together.

"Make the most of it?" His temper was rising. How could he say that when he had never lived here himself?

"Yes, we'll teach you how to build decent houses, and-"

"Decent houses? Our houses are just fine!" Edward moved to get up, but was pushed back down.

"You think that, only because you don't know any better." Roy knelt before Edward, giving him a know-it-all smile. The blonde shoved Roy off of him and walked towards his canoe sitting on the water.

"Wait, don't take it that way! Wait, Wait." He ran out in front of Edward in the river and grabbed the edge of the wooden vessel to keep it there.

"We've improved the lives of savages all over the world." Edward scoffed at Roy's talk.

"Savages?" Edward tried to get Roy to let go.

"Uhhh… not you just-"

"Not me, just my people." Ed turned away not intending to listen to this any longer.

"Let go!" He tried to row, but Roy only got closer to him, taking more control of the boat.

"No, I'm not letting you leave." They stared each other down for a moment. Then, Edward sprang upward from the canoe on to a low hanging tree limb.

"Oh, come on. That's just a word, you know, for people that are uncivilized." He went back to shore and climbed up ungracefully.

"Uncivilized, so now I'm uncivilized." Edward hung on to a branch nearby, hoping that Roy wouldn't come any closer.

"Well, what I mean by uncivilized is… Ahh-!" The limb snapped as he was trying to get a grip on it and no other was strong enough to hold his weight, so he tumbled down. Edward, afraid that this would be the death of his new friend, hurried after him. He helped Roy up the best that he could.

"What you mean is, not like you. You think I'm an ignorant savage and you've places I guess it must be so, but I still I cannot see if the savage one is me, how can there be so much that you don't know? You don't know." He took Roy on a guide of the forest in his own eyes. He taught him how the people looked at the land. How they would interpret what was going on. How there was a spirit in everything around them. They weren't the only things living life. They were just a part of many things combined.

"You can own the earth and still, all you'll own is earth until, you can paint with all the colors of the wind." They found themselves under the large oak they had spent so much time under early. Somehow, they had gotten a lot closer than before. Edward honestly didn't want to let go.

"You know, you're the strangest Indian I've ever met." Roy rubbed the milky, white cheek of the younger.

"Yeah, I know… I'm white like you-…" Edward stopped and pushed away from Roy slightly. There was a distant sound wafting through the breeze.

"What is it?" Roy asked a little unwilling to let Edward leave.

"The drums. They mean trouble. I have to go." Edward stepped around Roy to get to his canoe. He had to hurry before they came looking for him.

"Wait," Roy grabbed Edward by the waist, "I want to see you again." He didn't want to let go until he got a 'yes', but the chances of Ed saying that and meaning it would be slim.

"I'm sorry." He let himself be pulled back against Roy's armor. It was oddly comforting.

"I have to go." He pulled away as Roy was about to kiss him. And just like that Edward was going down the river. Roy was at the least to say heartbroken. He would find him again… They would meet again. It started to rain.

Roy found his way back to camp. The work force of the group had started to put together a fence to keep out any unwelcome visitors.

"That'll keep everything out, ay Roy... Roy, is everything okay? You've been awfully quiet here lately. " Thomas was slightly curious. Roy was the kind of fellow to always be in an optimistic mood.

"Awww… he's just in a bad mood 'cause he missed all the action." Percy spoke up from tightening down the last fence post on that row.

"Ah, don't worry Roy. You'll get your chance at the Indians." Thomas was a bit relieved at his friend's suggestion. He was starting to get really worried.

"Look at us, no clothes, no food, while Bradley sits up in his tent all day happy as a clam."

Later that evening, their third friend and Percy soon fell asleep. Roy took this time to sneak off, hoping to come in contact with Edward once again.

Edward was picking corn for the daily harvest. Nakoma was at his side.

"Edward." He looked up at the call of his name.

"You shouldn't be outside the village." His father appeared from some of the tall stalks.

"We'll be alright. We're gathering food for when the warriors arrive." Nakoma but in to their conversation, knowing full well that Edward only came to her when he needed to ask for some advice or just to talk.

"Don't go far. This is no time to be running off." He stopped just in front of them. Edward had been so distracted with thinking he had forgotten to do anything. He tried to hide his basket from view.

"Yes, father." He answered with a fake smile.

"When I see you wear that necklace, you look just like your mother." Edward plucked the stone and held it upwards to his face, getting a better view.

"I miss her." He put the stone back down.

"She is still with us; whenever the wind blows in the trees I feel her presence. Our people looked to her for wisdom and strength. Someday, they will look to you as well." He stopped and put his hand on Edward's shoulder.

"I would be honored by that." Ed tried to not look his father in the eye. He didn't know if he was ready for something like that great.

"You shouldn't be out here alone. I'll send for Kocoum." He walked away, disappearing among the stalks of corn. Edward turned back to his work, but his was confrontation by Nakoma was a sure thing.

"Alright, what is it!" She asked in a strong tone.

"What?" Edward didn't just want to come right out and say 'I have a boyfriend who is also our sworn enemy.'

"You're hiding something." She said firmly, standing her ground.

"I'm not hiding anything." Edward picked another piece of corn and put it over in his basket.

"Edward you can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone." Nakoma stopped for a moment noticing a long figured white man standing just a short way from them.

"Edward! Look! It's one of them. I'm going to get-" Edward covered the mouth of his best friend in an attempt to keep her quiet. Kocoum was bound to be lurking about.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

"I had to see you again." He crept closer to keep his voice low. In the distance Ed could hear someone calling his name. It was Kocoum!

"Please don't say anything." He let go of Nakoma's mouth and vanished through the thick vegetation.

"Nakoma, where is Edward?" She went back to her work acting as if she didn't know what she was talking about.

"I-I haven't seen her." She turned away picking another piece of corn.

"Hhh… Edward can't keep running off like this." He looked around trying to see if he could spot Ed.

"Tell him that. He listens to you." He left Nakoma with that message. It almost sounded like a threat, but interpreting what Kocoum meant was always a hard thing to do.

"Pfft, sure he does." She said just out of earshot hoping that he wouldn't pick up on her sarcasm.

"This place is incredible. I can't believe we came all this way just to dig it up for gold." He laughed to himself at the stupid irony of it all. They sat down on the stump beneath Grandmother Willow, though it was not to Roy's knowledge they had done so.

"Do you hear something?" He asked looking around. He could have sworn he had heard someone talking.

"What was that?" He saw the flash of a face in the bark of the willow. He backed away towards Edward.

"Did you see something?" Edward smiled and watched his reaction.

"No… I just, ah, I didn't see anything. Did I?" He turned his head and shook it off.

"Look again." Edward egged him on.

"Let it break up on you, like the waves up on the sand!" The tree before him came to life. This was highly unlikely, though he knew that if Edward was seeing this too he wasn't crazy.

"Hello, Roy Mustang." She smiled down at him in her knowing ways.

"What is it?" Edward asked from behind him.

"It's nothing, it's just… Edward, that tree is talking to me." He looked on, hoping that the starvation wasn't getting him.

"Say something back." He said in a hushed tone.

"Don't be frightened young man. My bark is worse than my bite." She laughed at her own joke.

"Say something." Edward coxed.

"What do you say to a tree?" He questioned dumbly.

"Anything you want." Edward pushed him up so that Grandmother Willow.

"So, ah,-"

"Come closer… He has a good soul and he's hansom, too." She said looking to Edward.

"I like her." Roy turned to Ed as he laid his head on Roy's shoulder.

"I knew you would."

"Mustang-!" They all jumped at his name. Percy was calling him from the shore.

"We can't let them see us." He ushered Edward to the side, back towards the canoe.

"Quick, over here." Grandmother Willow showed them where to hide.

"This place gives me the creeps. What if there are savages?" Percy asked cowardly.

"Well, you know what to do if there are." Grandmother willow took that moment to lift one of her roots, making sure to trip them both at once.

"Watch where you put your feet!"

"It wasn't me, it was the tree." Percy suggested.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose the tree just felt like lifting its roots." They looked back in time to see the root fall back in to its place of the ground.

"Let's get out of here." The willow branches came down on the back of each of their behinds.

"Let's get out of here!" They ran for the camp.

"What about Mustang?"

"He's a big lad he can take care of himself!" And they were gone.

"Thank goodness you're on our side." Roy acknowledged stepping out from behind their hiding place.

"Well, I better get back." He grabbed his bag from the ground and turned back to Edward.

"When will I see you again?" Edward's blonde hair slipped over his face to hide his cheeks as he spoke.

"Tonight, right here." He brushed back Edward's hair longingly and pulled himself away from the small Indian.

"Well, I haven't had this much excitement in two hundred years!" She excitedly grinned.

"What am I doing? I shouldn't be seeing him. I mean, I want to see him again." He said braiding the end of his hair.

"Who wouldn't," Grandmother Willow cut in, "I want to see him again."

"But still, something inside is telling me it's the right thing." He tied it at the end and let it hang over his shoulder.

"Perhaps, it's your dream." She said as he sat down on one of her biggest roots.

"My dream? Do you think he's the one my spinning arrow was pointing to?" He turned to her with giddiness in his voice. The old tree only nodded her approval.

"The warriors are here!" Someone shouted from the crowd. Powhatan greeted the chief Indian from the head canoe coming up from the channel.

"Now we have enough warriors to destroy those white demons." Kocoum said as he wrapped his right arm around Edward. Edward looked to Nakoma who said nothing. This was bad, very bad. Powhatan stopped on the hill that his tent sat on and turned to his people.

"Now that we are joined by our brothers, we will defeat this enemy." They then turned away once more to relocate in the tent.

"Father! I need to speak with you." Edward tapped his dad on the shoulder.

"Not now, Edward, the council is gathering." And he went back to what he was doing.

"We don't have to fight them; there must be a better way!" Edward held on to that shoulder tighter.

"Sometimes our paths are chosen for us." He spoke in a soft tone, but was on the verge of breaking.

"But maybe we should try talking to them." He took his father's arm.

"They don't want to talk." Powhatan had had enough.

"But what if one of them did. You would listen to them wouldn't you?" Edward watched as his father sighed on a frustrated note.

"Edward… of course I would, but it is not that simple. Nothing is that simple anymore." He reached out to brush Edward's cheek and then he disappeared in to the tent after the council.

"Mustang!"

"I was out scouting the terrain sir." He hooked his thumb in the way of the gap in their fence.

"Good, good. You must know the Indians whereabouts. We'll need that information in the upcoming battle against them." Bradley stood tall, eyeing the dark featured man.

"What battle?" He was taken by surprise at the thought.

"We will eliminate those savages." Bradley proclaimed furiously.

"You can't do that!" Roy pointed his finger at the lord before him.

"Oh? Can't I?" Bradley was suspicious in his tone. He knew that Roy was claimed to be quite the Indian slayer. He was the best of the best in his fighting skills. He knew that Roy would never turn down a chance to have it out with their enemy.

"Look! We don't have to fight them."

"Roy, what's gotten in to you?" Thomas asked from behind him.

"I met one of them." He said nonchalantly.

"You what?" Bradley sneered.

"They're not savages! They can help us. They know the land, they know how to navigate the rivers, and look… its food. And it's better that hard tack and gruel, I'll tell you that." He held out a piece of corn to Thomas.

"Lies! They just want to keep their Gold!" Bradley screamed on.

"They don't have any gold! There never was any." Roy turned back to Bradley.

"Oh, and I suppose your little Indian friend told you that?"

"Yes." He answered strongly.

"Lies, lies! All of it! Murderous thieves! There's no room for that kind of civilized society here."

"But this is their land!"

"It's my land and I say: anyone who so much as looks at an Indian without killing him on sight will be tried for treason and shipped back to the mother land to be hanged!" He gave Roy one last look before turning away and stomping to show his childishness on the subject.

Edward snuck away from the crowd and started to run as fast as he could.

"Edward!" He stopped at the edge of the corn field and turned.

"Nakoma!" Edward found himself saying in a hushed whisper.

"Don't go out there. I already lied for you once, don't make me have to lie for you again." She grabbed Edward by his wrist to keep him in that spot.

"I have to do this." He yanked it out of her grasp.

"He's one of them." She ran in front of him and touched him on the shoulder.

"You don't know him." He argued, not about to look her in the eye.

"You're turning your back on your own people." Nakoma tried to keep the anger out of her voice.

"I'm trying to help my people." He looked past her and pushed her aside.

"Edward please, I'm your best friend. I don't want to see you get hurt." She stretched out her hand invitingly.

"I won't, I know what I'm doing." He jumped in the corn and disappeared like a thief in the night.

"No!"

Roy doused his candle and thrust his head out of his tent. Knowing that no one was around to see him leave, he pushed though the flap and ran to the barrier making his way through the entrance.

Thomas lay awake distracted by the distant noise made by the other recruited men. He watched as a strange shadow went by. He peered out of the crack at the end of his tiny shelter. It was Roy! Thomas slowly crept out of his sleeping bag, jerked on his boots, and followed Roy out.

"Kocoum!" Nakoma stopped behind him. He was bent down, sharpening his arrow on a rock.

"What is it?" He half turned from his project to get a better look at him.

"It's Edward."

"What's wrong? Is he alright?" He leapt from his crouching position.

"… I think he's some trouble."

"The Earth is trembling Child? What's happened?" Grandmother Willow questioned as Edward ran up to her.

"The warriors are here!" He scouted all around making sure no one had followed him.

"Edward." Roy jogged up beside him, taking him in his arms.

"Listen to me; my men are planning to attack your people. You've got to warn them."

"May be we can stop this, you have to come with me and talk to my father."

"Edward, talking isn't going to do any good. I've already tried talking to my men. Their spooked."

"There's something I want to show you. Look." One of grandmother willow's vines swung low and tapped the surface of the water.

"Look at the ripples… so small at first and then how they grow! But, someone has to start them." She eyed Roy in an attempt to persuade him.

"They're not gonna' listen to us."

"Young man, sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. Don't you see? Only when the fighting stops can you be together." She pushed him closer to Edward with one of her many branches. He watched the look in Edward's eye.

"Alright, let's go talk to your father." Edward jumped upward to reach his arms around Roy's neck. Then, Edward pulled away, still standing on his tip toes. Roy decided to make the first move. He leant down to place a kiss on Edward's lips. Their first Kiss.

From the bushes, Thomas stood dumbfounded. He was frozen to that spot.

Kocoum watched on as the love of his life was stolen right from under him by none other than his enemy. This was an outrage. He extended his weapon above his head and sprang from his hiding place giving off the battle cry of war.

"Kocoum, No!" Edward begged in his own language. Thomas loaded his weapon and ran towards them to get a better angle.

"Stop!" Edward grabbed Kocoum's arms and tried to peel him off of Roy. To his dismay, Kocoum only stopped long enough to push Edward away. Kocoum lined up his weapon to jam it in to Roy's throat, but Roy wasn't helpless. He pushed back with an equaled strength.

"Kocoum! STOP!" Edward took his hand and helped Roy push the weapon away, but it was already too late Thomas pulled the trigger on his weapon, firing a bullet directly in to Kocoum's heart. In his dying moment, he grabbed the band of Edward's necklace. It broke off in his grip as he fell in to the nearby creek. Thomas fell to his knees.

"Is he…?" He mumbled, almost to himself.

"You killed him!" Edward turned to Thomas, tears in his eyes.

"I thought-!"

"You stay away from him! You killed him!" Edward started to run toward him, out of anger, but was stopped by Roy.

"Edward! He was only trying to help," Roy stopped and turned to Thomas at the sound of other Indian's approaching, "get out of here! Go Thomas!" With a nod, Thomas ran back to the camp. The warriors grabbed Roy; not knowing who to real culprit was and drug him away. Edward silently hoped that Roy would forgive him for not saying anything. He turned away from the sight of his love and walked out to the middle of the stream lifting Kocoum's head out of the water. It was tragic to see your friends getting struck down by a force you tried to protect. Soon, people came to carry him away, giving him a proper funeral.

Powhatan watched with a pained expression on his face as the men carried Kocoum in to the camp.

"WHO DID THIS!" The warriors threw Roy in front of their chief and lifted his head by grabbing a fist-full of his hair and pulling it backwards.

"Edward was out in the woods, Kocoum went to find him and this white man attacked them!" The Indian with his hair said it like he was disgusted by the point that he was even in his presence.

"Your weapons are strong, but now our anger is stronger. At sunrise, he will be the first to die!" Nakoma watched from the crowd with a guilty conscience.

"But father!" Edward had made his way back from the stream.

"I told you to stay inside the village and you disobeyed me. You have shamed your father. Because of your foolishness, Kocoum is dead. Take him away!" Edward sank down on to the soft dirt beneath him.

"Edward, I sent Kocoum after you. I was worried about you. I thought I was doing the right thing." She looked down on the man beneath her before sinking down to his level as well.

"It's my entire fault. All of this is because of me and now I'll never see Roy Mustang again." Edward lowered his head at the thought that he had screwed up.

"Come with me." Nakoma took Ed's hand and led him to the tent holding Roy.

"Edward wants to look in to the eyes of the man that killed Kocoum." She gestured to Edward as she talked to the guards. He was the chief's son after all, there was no way they could turn down a request from someone of his power.

"Make it quick." The guards moved aside and held open the door to the tent. Edward tiptoed from behind and crouched before Roy taking him by the chin and lifting his head upwards.

"Edward." He said in an exhausted tone.

"I'm so sorry."Edward crumpled against Roy's broad chest.

"For what? I've been in far worse scrapes than this. Can't think of any right now, but…" Roy didn't want to make Edward feel any worse. He could tell that Edward was in far inferior pain. It was the inner turmoil that hurts the most.

"It would have been better if we would have never met." Edward turned away to hide his tear streaked face.

"Edward, look at me. I would rather die tomorrow than go a hundred years without knowing you." He kissed Edward's forehead.

"Edward…" They heard his name being called from outside the tent.

"I can't leave you." Ed scooped back some misplace hair to its original spot.

"And you never will. No matter what happens to me, I'll always be with you, forever." Edward pulled away as Roy placed a kissed on the palm of his hand.

"Help! Help! They've got Roy!" Thomas burst in to the camp waking up the members from their sleep. Bradley watched from hut, holding on to his supposed servant in the night.

"This is just what we need. The gold is as good as mine." He blew out the candle held in his hand.

"Your right! Now we sound the drums of war!" Bradley burst from the tent and ended the shouting with the declaration that the morning's dawn would bring battle.

"This is what we feared. The pale face is a demoded. The only thing they feel at all is greed. Their different from us, which means they can't be trusted. We must sound the drums of war!" The Indians chanted and cried out to their ancestors for guidance for the journey soon to take place.

"They're going to kill him at sunrise." Edward sat beneath Grandmother Willow.

"You have to stop them."

"I can't." He dipped his head low, drawing up his knees.

"Child, remember your dream-"

"I was wrong, Grandmother Willow, I took the wrong path. I feel lost." He tucked his face away concealing the tears that already found a home on his cheeks. Edward took the compass out from his breast pocket, giving it a long look. He was desperate for an answer.

"The spinning arrow!" He watched the pointer bob back and forth at the slightest movements.

"It's the arrow from your dream!" Grandmother Willow spoke up from her trunk.

"I was right! It was pointing to him!" Edward stood up as the arrow span in all directions, even though he wasn't moving.

"Sunrise!" The wind had picked up.

"It's not too late child! Let the spirits of the Earth guide you!" Edward closed his eyes and searched his inner soul.

"You know your path child! Now follow it!" The pin on the compass stopped in one direction.

"This will be the day! Let's go men!" Bradley said, leading them onward with a point of his sword.

"This will be the morning. Bring out the prisoner." Roy was drug from his solitary tent to the ledge that Powhatan was standing on.

"I don't know what I can do; still I know I've got to try!" Edward sounded watching the two sides coming together in the distance.

"So, we make them pay!" Bradley shouted from the front of the army.

"Eagle, help my feet to fly! Mountain, help my heart be great! Spirits of the Earth and Sky, please don't let it be too late!" He called out as he ran.

"Savages! Savages! Destroy their evil race! Until there's not a trace left!" Their voices resonated off the mountain in to Edward's ear.

"How loud are the drums of war? Is this the death of all I love, carried with the drum of war?" He dashed on noting that he was coming closer! He would make it! He could feel it!

"No!" Edward threw himself in front of Roy.

"If you kill him, you'll have to kill me, too." He made no plans to move.

"Son, stand back!" Powhatan commanded.

"I won't! I love him, father." Powhatan drew back for a moment, feeling like he'd been slapped.

"Look around you! This is where the path of hatred has brought us! This is the path I choose father! What will yours be?" Edward held on to Roy tighter, hoping that his father would see reason. Powhatan look around. What had he become? He felt the wind rush through his hair and he was reminded of why he loved the land in the first place, why he wanted to protect it so badly. His wife. She had loved the Earth, cherished it, explored it, and lost herself in it. He turned back to the war waiting on him.

"My son speaks with a wisdom beyond his years." He raised the staff intended for killing above his head in a show of peace.

"We come here with anger in our hearts, but he comes with courage and understanding. From this day forward, if there is to be more killing, it will not start with me." He looked out to the crowd with a confidence that was read by everyone.

"Release him." A warrior came from behind him and clipped the rope binding his two hands. Roy wasted no time getting reacquainted with Edward. He grabbed him in a bear hug and squeezed lightly.

"Now's our chance! FIRE!" Bradley urged his crew on, but Thomas stepped out from the line up.

"No, they let him go." He trudged towards Bradley.

"They don't want to fight!" Another spoke up.

"It's a trick. Fire!... Fine! I'll do it myself." He forced the gun out of Thomas's hand and took aim.

"No!" Roy pushed Powhatan out of the way just in time, but he was the one who took it in his place. Edward fell beside him, checking his pulse and lifting him up at the same time.

"You shot him!" Thomas accused.

"You saw him! He walked right in to it! It was his own fault." Bradley looked as shocked as the crowd, but that soon turned in to anger.

"Mustang was trying to help! Get the gun! Put him in chains and gag him as well." The men started to close in on him.

"I'll see you all hanged for this!" Bradley shouted as he was lead away.

"Is he going to make it Thomas?" Some men asked as he approached one of the row boats.

"As soon as he makes it back to England the better." He said looking back and putting his bag in to the vessel.

"Well let's hope the wind is with him."

"When will the boat be ready?" Thomas asked with concern.

"Any minutes now, just loading up the last bit of cargo." The man in blue answered pointing to Bradley.

"The ships almost ready. We better get you on board." Thomas said kneeling low beside Roy.

"No, he said he'd be here." Roy confirmed placing a hand on Thomas's chest. Then, from out of the mist came a mob of Indians led by Edward, carrying baskets of vegetables for their trip home. Thomas walked up to Edward and took off his cap.

"Going back is his only chance. He'll die if he is stays here." He looked down as Edward laid his hand on his shoulder, not uttering a word. Edward took a seat beside Roy and held up a yellow sack for him to take.

"Here, it's from Grandmother Willow's bark. It'll help with the pain." Roy took it along with Edward's hand as well.

"What pain? I've had worse pain than this. Can't think of any right now, but-" He cut off to take a labored breath. They looked up to see Powhatan approaching them. He took off his shawl and draped it over the white man he had come to know.

"You are always welcome among our people, thank you, my brother." Then Thomas came forward and handed the necklace that had been broken earlier to Edward.

"My mother's necklace." He refastened it around his neck and felt a hand touch his face.

"Come with me." Roy pled, but Edward knew that that wouldn't be possible. He had a duty to his people. Still, he looked to his father for an answer.

"You must choose your own path." Powhatan smiled at him warmly. Edward turned back to Roy and nuzzled the hand that graced his cheek.

"I'm needed here." He said with tears in his eyes and for the first time in a long time Roy felt pain prick his eyes as well.

"Then, I'll stay with you." He said taking Edward's face with both hands.

"No, you have to go back." Edward said doing the same with Roy.

"But I can't leave you." Roy was surprised when he felt a tear fall himself.

"You never will. No matter what happens… I'll always be with you. Forever." Edward tilted forward to indulge in one last heartbreaking kiss. He watched as Roy was taken away, as he was put in to the tiny row boat, as he was hoisted over the edge of the ship and on to the flat surface of the top. Deep inside, Edward couldn't stand it. He broke away from the onlookers and ran. He ran until he reached the top of the highest ledge close to the sea and waved to Roy, knowing that he would be waiting for it. Then, the ship sailed away in to the distant sunset. Somehow, Edward knew this wasn't the end.