Hey guys! So I've had this idea for a while now, and I though you guys would enjoy it. I was wavering between writing this and a modern arranged marriage shizaya fic, but since I already read a few of those I though this would be more original. Don't worry, I'll finish the prison fic too ;)

Southern Onaji, Yajirushi Tribe

A young boy crouched in the canopy of a tree, the leaves shadowing his face. They were brown and wilting; most had already fluttered to the floor, dead from the chill that was coming over the country. The boy didn't seem to be cold, even though he wore only a no sleeve vest made from fur and dark pants. He was barefoot and deadly silent. He had midnight black hair, cut through by a thin line of metal that encircled his head. He was thin and tall, but the thing that drew eyes to him were his own eyes, blood red.

'Izaya!' A voice called from down below and the boy, Izaya, who had been frozen still till then jumped lightly to the ground, landing quietly in front of another boy. This one was very similar to his older brother, except that he had blue eyes and was slightly shorter. He also had a silver band running around his head.

'What is it Mikado? I was hunting.' Izaya shrugged one shoulder to indicate the bow and arrow strapped to his back. The Yajirushi Tribe had been archers for generation – they were all tall and thin and could shoot arrows like no one else. They weren't very strong physically; at least most of them, but that didn't matter if they could just shoot down the enemy from hiding. The thought of enemies sent Izaya's gaze towards the horizon, where just behind the short mountain was the great stone castle of the Tsuyo Tribe, Yajirushi's Tribe nemesis. Long before Izaya was born the two Tribes were at war with each other, until they decided on a wavering, weak truce that was bound to break sooner or later. While the Tsuyo Tribe escaped into homes and castles, the Yajirushi Tribe remained living in the wild, where they could sleep in tents and run free through the woods whenever they wanted. Izaya sometimes wondered what it was like to live in a castle, but only on cold winter nights he spent shivering under the furs in his tent.

'Father wants to see you' Mikado said with a shy smile. Mikado had always been like that – while Izaya was fast and lithe like a panther, Mikado had poor health since he was a kid, and didn't shoot arrows nearly as perfectly as his brother. Because of that he often was avoided and didn't have many friends, which resulted in him being painfully shy, even towards his own siblings.

'Gee, can't he wait until I return' Izaya said, flinging his arms out dramatically. 'Oh well, what can I do but obey?'

Mikado giggled and Izaya flung his arm over the boy's shoulders.

'Come, my dear brother' He said, pulling him along.

'Aren't you cold?' Mikado watched Izaya's pale arms for goose bumps and tugged his own dark brown sleeves over his wrists.

'I'm used to this weather. Besides, mother took my shirt away because there was a tear, so I had to make do' Izaya smirked. 'I wonder what father wants with me'

'Who knows' Mikado turned his face up towards the steel grey sky with a light smile. 'But he wants to see me too, so maybe we'll be going somewhere.'

Izaya decided not to deduce anything from what Mikado said and just wait to hear the new himself.

'Mikado, Izaya' Keita Orihara smiled brightly when his two sons walked into his tent. The tent was the biggest in camp – it was huge, actually, made from dark animal skin that was tough and kept the rain and snow out. He was sitting on his heels in front of a movable wooden table, on which was a piece of parchment that he was writing on. Keita was thin and tall, like his sons, but he had wrinkles around his eyes, which were brown, and a greying beard. Behind Keita were the twin sisters of Mikado and Izaya, Mairu and Kururi, both thirteen years old. They shared a tent with their older sister, Anri, but liked to spend most of their time in their father's tent, enjoying his company. They were arranging the last of the year's flowers carefully in rows, before twisting them together to make temporary brooches they wore on their dresses. Zara Orihara was sitting crossed legged on the pile of furs that was her and her husband's bed, carving patterns into two bows made from light wood. They would be the presents for Mairu and Kururi on their coming of age ceremony in a few months, when they would turn fourteen.

'Sit down, boys, sit down' Keita patted the soft furs spread over the floor so that the grass was pressed flat against the floor. Mikado happily obliged but Izaya sensed something was wrong. Zara told the girls to leave, which she did rarely, and put the bows away in a long box, as if she was preparing for a long conversation. Keita blew on the ink on the parchment until it dried and rolled it up. It seemed as if he was stalling. Izaya slowly sat down, setting his bow and quiver full of arrows down next to him. Izaya, who would usually be teasing and cheerful, now fell silent, studying his father. Keita put his hands together and took a deep breath.

'Mikado, Izaya, you have been taught about the Tsuyo Tribe many times.' Keita started.

'Yes, father' Mikado piped up. 'They live in a large city not far from here. We are…allies' Mikado chose his words carefully. 'But…'

'Yes, but,' Keita sighed. 'The alliance is wavering. We have nothing but the words of our fathers and grand fathers to assure us of the so called peace treaty they agreed to years ago. The Tsuyo Tribe is not patient. They are brutes with great strength but no patience at all. Sooner or later, without solid proof of alliance, there will be war.' Keita studied Mikado and Izaya. 'You two are my only sons. Are you prepared to do anything for this tribe to live?'

'Yes, father' Izaya and Mikado said without hesitation, but Izaya didn't like where the topic was heading. Keita took another deep breath.

'Mikado, you are sixteen now, an adult. Izaya, you're eighteen, more than an adult I would say. I think you are both ready for…' Keita looked uncertainly at his wife. 'Marriage.'

Mikado gasped. Izaya froze. He paled and his hands clenched into fists by themselves. Keita didn't speak until both the boys mastered their shock. Marriage was common after the age of fourteen. But…never had a person from the Yajirushi Tribe married someone from the Tsuyo Tribe. Never.

'Father, are you saying…?' Mikado trailed off, staring at Keita with wide eyes. Keita shook his head slightly.

'The leader of the Tsuyo Tribe requested this. They say if the marriage of two of my children to two of his does not happen, there will be war. I am sorry to say but we would not win this one.' Keita looked at his sons levelly. 'I have chosen you two because Mairu and Kururi are still children, and Anri is already married. You are the last hope. Of course the final say belongs to you – I will not force you. You may take some time to think this over.'

Mikado and Izaya left the tent in silence and before Izaya could even open his mouth Mikado sprinted towards their tent. He had always been good at running. Izaya wondered if he should follow him but he decided against it – it look as though he wanted to be alone. Instead, Izaya took the short hike uphill from where he could see his whole 'village' – a few dozens of tents in different shades of browns, with women, men and children milling around, practicing shooting, cooking food or just talking. Even though Izaya didn't readily admit so, he loved all of them. He would never even think of endangering them with war. Not wanting to think about the marriage, he scanned the people, trying to put them into the three smaller tribes. Before the Yajirushi and Tsuyo tribes were formed there were many smaller tribes. The most skilled three merged to become the Yajirushi Tribe and the strongest three joined to become the Tsuyo Tribe. The three tribes of Yajirushi interbred so it was hard to tell who would have been in which one. Izaya was a pure Ite, because both of his parents were Ite. Ite were the tallest, with pale skin and dark hair. The Yumi were slightly shorter, but they were much faster and better at climbing trees. They tended to have red or auburn hair. The Hari were the ones with the best eye sight and they were the only ones with sandy coloured hair. Izaya had always liked the light hair, and he knew the Tsuyo Tribe had plenty of blondes to go around.

Izaya was spacing out when someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He peered over it and came face to face with Celty, the 'shaman' or the Tribe. She was a Yumi – she had auburn hair and dull green eyes. She was one of Izaya's childhood friends.

'Heard the news' she said gently, sitting down next to him.

'Did Walker tell you?' Izaya murmured. Walker was a year older than Izaya and was one of the people with sandy hair. He was also the Tribes spy and messenger. He always knew the business before anyone else. He had probably brought the order for the marriage from the Tsuyo Tribe as well.

'Yes' Celty admitted. 'What are you going to do?'

'I'll marry whoever they throw at me' Izaya shrugged, trying to be casual about it. He even managed a smirk. 'It can't be that bad.'

'Don't pretend' Celty whispered and that wiped the smirk off Izaya's face. He pulled his knees to his face and buried his face in them. He blinked back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

'I'm scared' he admitted. 'Apparently the Tsuyo Tribe are really strong and scary and brutish and ugly…what if I have to marry some horrible, overpowering woman? Or some old man?'

Izaya knew it didn't matter if he was going to marry a man or a woman. Those things weren't taken into consideration in the Tsuyo and Yajirushi tribes. Celty rubbed his back gently.

'You'll be okay. You're going to marry one of the sons of the leader – they can't be that bad'

Izaya wiped his eyes so she wouldn't see the tears and smiled at her.

'You're right. Thank you.' He got up and dusted his pants off. 'I'll go talk to Mikado.'

Celty nodded. 'You do that'

Mikado had slightly less noble intentions than his older brother. He was only sixteen after all. He knew he couldn't wish for a good match due to his health, but he hoped he would at least get to marry someone from his own tribe and live a happy life. He didn't even need to marry, as long as he had his parents and siblings. But suddenly he was told he was going to marry one of the violent Tsuyo tribesmen, and it scared him to death. After he left his father's tent he barged into his own. It was much less rich that his parent's and he shared it with Izaya. There were furs on the floor also but there was much less furniture. Mikado's bow, the one he got from his mother at fourteen, stood propped up against the small chest where he and Izaya kept their clothes. He had only used the bow a few times, and despite having natural talent, he couldn't practice archery often because he caught colds ridiculously easily. That's why he slept with Izaya in one tent – it was easier to be warm with someone there. Practically everyone in the tribe slept with someone in one tent – husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, best friends, cousins, mother and children…

Mikado was horrified when he fell atop the furs and burst out crying. He tried to stop the tears but they were merciless, so he let them flow until he felt like he couldn't sob anymore. He knew what he had to do, and there was no doubt that he would do it, but god he didn't want to. When he finished crying he felt a warm hand at the small of his back and when he looked up he saw his brother. Izaya didn't say anything. He saw Mikado's answer in his eyes. Izaya plopped down next to Mikado and pulled his little brother against him, threading his fingers through his hair. He knew what the procedure was – the next morning they would give their reply, there would be a goodbye festival and the reply would be sent to the Tsuyo Tribe. A caravan would arrive to take the two to the palace, where they would be wed to their respective partners and they would stay there for the rest of their lives, possibly never seeing their families again. It didn't sound as bad when put next to the possibility of war and their whole tribe being slaughtered. The night fell over the valley in which the Yajirushi Tribe was, but by then the two brothers were sound asleep.

Northern Onaji, Tsuyo Tribe Castle

'No! Never!'

'Shizuo, please calm down' Innosuke Heiwajima said calmly, filing through pieces of parchment with a bored expression. He was a large man with a long beard and cold eyes. 'This is for the best'

'No it's not!' The young blonde man slammed his fist into the table. 'I don't want to marry some weakling from the Yajirushi Tribe! I don't want to marry at all!'

'But you will' Innosuke flashed his son a warning look. 'This will strengthen us against possible attacks from other countries. There may not be very large in numbers but the Yajirushi Tribesmen know how to shoot their arrows, and they are valuable allies. They will not be bought, so marriage is the only way to unite our two tribes.'

'Yes, because I'm sure two Yajirushi will be super eager to marry us after we threaten them with war and practically drag them here' Kida huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

'Watch your mouth' Innosuke said. 'You and your brother will marry the two available sons of the Yajirushi Tribe and that is that'

'So we don't have any say in it?' Shizuo spat.

'I don't see what you're so frustrated about' Innosuke returned to his papers casually. 'It's only a title thing. You marry, you fuck, if you don't like them then you're free to get a harem. Hell, I'll give you both harems if you want.'

'No thanks' Shizuo glared at his father in disgust. He was scared he was going to hit him so he stormed out of the throne room, slamming the doors shut hard behind him, and bumped straight into his cousin.

'Wow, easy. What's the rush?' Vorona raised one blonde eyebrow, hand on hip.

'Dammit!' Shizuo slammed his fist into the wall and Vorona winced, hearing the brick crack.

'Ouch. Are you okay?' She gently pulled his fist away, leaving pieces of debris falling to the floor. She inspected his knuckles, which were a bloody mess. 'Well, you'll certainly look very handsome for the arrival of your bride.' She said sarcastically. Shizuo sighed.

'You knew?'

'Of course, but I was sworn to secrecy. Sorry' Vorona produced a cloth from the little brown bag that was always slung over her shoulder and dabbed at Shizuo's knuckles. Vorona was a strange one, people always said. Not only was she the captain of the guard, but the second best warrior in the tribe. She was beautiful but she tried hard not to be by wearing male clothing and tying her hair back. Her sharp tongue and flashing eyes kept the lovesick boys at a distance. 'What are you planning?'

'To do as the bastard says' Shizuo said in defeat. 'Like I always do'

'You know, for once I agree with uncle. This is for the greater good' Vorona hid the cloth back into her bag when she was satisfied. 'You'll be fine. I mean, that kid from the Yajirushi Tribe is the real victim here. And I'm also worried about how Kida will take it – he keeps his anger bottled up, unlike you. I'm worried he'll hurt the kid he's gonna marry.'

'Nah, he won't do that' Shizuo said.

'Let's hope' Vorona murmured, clapping Shizuo on the shoulder. 'Well, enjoy your last two days of freedom, cousin.'

So here's the first chapter! I actually had a blast writing it, making up the tribes and all. For the curious 'Tsuyo Tribe' means 'Strong Tribe' in Japanese, and 'Yajirushi Tribe' means 'Arrow Tribe'. And Onaji means 'The Same', ironically. Thanks, Google Translate! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that, because I most certainly did and I can't wait to write the next chapters. Tell me what y'all think!

Love ya, darlings :*