NOTE: The italics in this chapter represent internal thought OR a flash back to youth/childhood.

Still, seeing the soft shimmering gaze of this woman before him brought those desires forth, their power strong. He had to try hard not to step forward and sit beside her to enjoy the firelight with her. He could not afford to get distracted. Or could he?
'It's only one night, Ratonhnhaké:ton! It has been years since you have seen this woman, don't make this night for naught! At least got talk to her?'
The voice in his head was getting persistent. Letting out a sigh he took a few steps forward and picked up the cover to the tin that held the biscuits. He lifted it, looked it over, and then placed it on the tin once again, closing it softly before he walked forward once more.
There was just enough room for him to sit down on the long-chair near Elena's feet, but he did not take too much liberty in doing so. Instead he looked to her and then cleared his throat as if to ask her if it was alright for him to sit by her. She obliged with a small smile, shifting further up on the chair, making a bit more room for him. Then, as if to 'seal' the invitation she patted the cushion and placed a small pillow down for him as well before laying back down and watching the firelight.
This wasn't the first time the two of them had shared a moment alone like this. Their relationship, if any, was a series of random encounters, usually unknown to anyone else but them. He could still remember sneaking into her room one night to give her a gift, a gift that oddly enough was now hanging on her mantle. It was a spiritual charm, to ward off evil and protect the bearer. He wanted to keep her safe even as a boy. Not only because was his nature but also because she had been kind of him when many others chose to exploit him, beat him, or insult him. Even if he was half their blood, his dark skin and clothes did not make for a convincing appearance amongst the white men.
Back in their youth the two of them were friends, nothing more, nothing less. Now in the maturity their being together alone could and would be view differently. They were no longer a boy and a girl, they were a man and a woman. Uninvolved, unengaged, and unbetroth.
Great care had to be taken in situations like this otherwise desires of the flesh might win out over sensibility and conscience.
Lifting the bow from surrounding his torso once more, and undoing the straps that held the quiver and knife to him, Connor placed the items close by at the foot of the long-chair in case he'd need them. It was unlikely that any man or soldier would be prowling about at this hour, but you could never be too sure. Especially when you were someone like him.
Leaning back against the cushions of the long-chair Connor couldn't help but sigh. It felt nice to sit on something that wasn't made exclusively out of wood or metal. The plush materials made his body warm and relaxed and his eyes closed for a moment before the opened upon hearing a small chuckle from the other side of the seat. He turned his head a saw Elena watching him, her face twisted into a grinning smile; she looked mischievous and silly.
However, even now, with such a childlike expression she looked beautiful. Connor shook his mind free of the 'desires' again, looking away from her as he tugged the pointed end of his hood downward to hide his face, not sure if he was blushing or not. Either way, red cheeks were not 'manly' not to mention embarrassing.
He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the soft heckling beside him but it was difficult. Her laugh was intoxicating, it beckoned attention, if only a glance, and he had to work damn hard to avoid doing so. Suddenly he felt movement and soon he felt the presence of a body right beside him. He tried to ignore it, staying still, but his attention was peaked the moment a pair of hands tugged the back of his hood to pull it off. He pulled it back on, and it was pulled back off. He pulled it back on only to find it was not moving forward; she had a hold of it.
"Hood stay's off. 'Tis m'house and I say keep it off, right?" Elena said sternly, but there was a presence of gentleness in her tone that made the whole ordeal seem less intrusive. He laid his hands down idly on his lap, his head and face now exposed. He didn't know why it felt so strange to allow her to see him; she'd seen him before. In fact, she probably knew more about him than anyone else at this point; even for as little time as they'd spent together in their youth. He focused his eyes toward the fireplace, watching the orange flames flicker and dance, but out of the corner of his vision he could see Elena laying back to where she'd been, her own hazel eyes watching the serenading firelight in silence. He let his mind wander and visions of his past came into view.

He was a boy, barely 9 years old. He was running through a field alone, or so it seemed. He heard the laughter behind him and turned his head. Behind him be could see a small clutch of his friends running behind him until they caught up to him. Another boy, a childhood friend, now ran beside him laughing and speaking to him in their native tongue.
They ran for a while, swooping over fallen logs, coursing over the uneven earth, flowing through the forest and field like the wind. He was too busy enjoying the freedom to realize the rest of the group had fallen back, including his friend who now called out to him from behind him, warning him to stop. He thought it was just part of the game, he would not stop, he would wind this race.
Then suddenly the earth tipped up under his feet and he flopped over head over feet into the long grass. As he fell he heard an odd sound, like that of a wounded rabbit. A screeching sound, high pitched and loud. As soon as he fell he leaned up and looked around, expecting to see he'd fallen or stepped on some kind of furred creature but his gaze was met by a pair of bright green eyes and a pale face. Instantly he scuttled backward through the grass, shifting away from the stranger. He tried to get up but his legs were wobbly from the sudden fall just moments before.
The stranger just watched him, their eyes filled with wonderment as the native boy scurried away as if she were a poisonous snake.
"That hurt! Where were y'going so fast? Are y'lost, boy?"
Ratonhnhaké:ton stopped still as the stranger spoke and he realized two things, she was a girl and she was not going to hurt him. Or so he hoped. Still, he barely understood the words she spoke. He'd grown far too used to speaking the tongue of his people, the Mohawk to remember the words of the white men. He did understand 'boy' and 'hurt'. He realized he must have tripped over her and hurt her, but he did not know what to do to apologize so he simply stared at her.
In the few mere moments that then passed he took the time to study her face. She wasn't like the other white girls he has seen before, she was different. Her face was pale as snow and covered in what looked like small specks of red dirt. Her hair was a bright vivd orange, parts of it bleached out from too much sun, and her eyes...her eyes were evenly placed and the brightest green he'd ever seen before. She was a 'pretty' white girl, and he was not usually one to think such a thing. Perhaps it was how unusual she was that made her that way, that or good breeding. Either way, Ratonhnhaké:ton remained silent and watched her.
"D'ya talk, boy? My name is Elena, Elena Mayvil St. James, what's yours?"
Again the girl spoke in the tongue of white men and Ratonhnhaké:ton shook his head to let her know he barely understood. However, he did remember what the word 'name' meant- identify.
Ratonhnhaké:ton spoke carefully, his body still tight like a coiled spring in the presence of this girl, but he told her his name.
"Ratonhnhaké:ton." He pointed to his chest once before placing his hand back on the ground to brace himself. He knew there was little to no way this little girl could pronounce his name properly, but she wanted to know it.
Of course she repeated him as best she could, murdering his name. Ratonhnhaké:ton couldn't help but chuckle at her attempted folly. A moment later it because obvious that Elena was not pleased at his humor as she gave a scoff and her pretty green eyes narrowed. She did not look threatening, even now with her face red with embarrassment and her green eyes furrowed; she resembled and angry bear cub. Then Ratonhnhaké:ton remembered that even if they were not dangerous, bear cubs were rarely far from their mother and his muscles tensed. This girl would have parents no doubt, perhaps a father. A man with a gun, a killing machine. He'd seen men of his village return dead with bullet wounds from the white man's guns. Ratonhnhaké:ton began to shift his body back again, squirming through the tall grass away from the girl again and she watched him, her angry face now turned into a confused and inquisitive expression.
"What are y'afraid of? I'm not gonna hurt ya." She spoke softly and began to crawl after him. Ratonhnhaké:ton kept shifting back until he was able to gain his footing and he shot up and broke into a run. His legs were still feeble but he ignored it and kept running. He had to get away from the white territory, he was not allowed there. He's gone too far and now he'd been seen.
He turned his head and to his dismay he saw the girl had taken to following him. She was oddly close behind him despite wearing a dress and stiff shoes. Her bright hair flowed behind her as she kept up pace, as their eyes met Ratonhnhaké:ton smirked, if only for a moment this felt like a game- 'catch me if you can'.
It was a dangerous game, a deadly game even. If they went too far in either direction, it would not bode well. Ratonhnhaké:ton kept up his pace, every now and again glancing behind him to see Elena was keeping up with him. They made it through the open field and back into the wooded forest where Ratonhnhaké:ton had come from not too long before. They kept running, blissfully unaware or careless that they were not supposed to be doing so.
Suddenly Ratonhnhaké:ton heard the little girl let out another cry and he skidded to a halt and turned around to see what happened. To his surprised he saw the little girl was now in the grasp of one of the men from his tribe. He spoke sternly and Ratonhnhaké:ton kept quiet.
"What are you doing, Ratonhnhaké:ton?Who is this?"
Ratonhnhaké:ton did not answer for a moment. He would have to choose his lie well, surely he could not say he was playing with this white girl, it would mean he was disobeying the rules he'd been told since he could remember. Of course, he couldn't say she was chasing him either, it would make matters worse for her and she would not understand. His people were kind, but they did not accept intrusion well, in fact they were willing to kill any man or woman that tread too closely to their territory boding ill intent, and chasing one of their own would be seen as such. Even if she was just a girl.
"Answer!" the man spoke again, his voice elevated and Ratonhnhaké:ton could tell he was growing impatient.
Without thinking he spoke, praying to the spirits that his words would make sense.
"I was helping her get out and away from our lands. I did not want her to be hurt, so I said I'd show her the way out of the forest."
Thankfully what he'd just said was not a complete lie. He did not want her to be hurt and they would have eventually made it out of the forest, had they not been stopped.
The large Mohawk man stood for a moment, glancing between Ratonhnhaké:ton and Elena before let go of her roughly.
"See to it she is out of our lands and tell her to stay out, or she will not return home one day."
Ratonhnhaké:ton knew the words were not just a threat, they were a promise. He nodded quickly before running up and grasping ahold of Elena's hand, pulling her roughly as if he were taking her from the man without permission. The two of them bolted off away from the man through the woods. Ratonhnhaké:ton did not look back, but he could sense that Elena was.
"Hurry!" He spoke in his native tongue which he knew she would not understand, but the tug he gave on her hand was rough enough to break her from her stare and she looked at him and then ahead as she was dragged behind him while they ran onward.
"Where' re we goin'?" she asked, and Ratonhnhaké:ton heard the word 'where'. He did not answer verbally but pointed forward toward an opening through the trees just ahead. It lead out into another field, this one a shimmering golden color composed of wheatgrass. The grass was tall and soft, but also sharp and painful if you did not take care while running through it. The cuts it left were often called 'ghost wounds' because you could not see them but you could feel them all over.
As soon as they made it through out into the open, Ratonhnhaké:ton let go of Elena's hand. The momentum of the skidding halt was enough to send her tumbling forward into the tall grass with a yelp, her dark green dress puffed up in the air as she fell.
"Hey! What are 'ydoin'?!" She yelled instantly after she fell, and Ratonhnhaké:ton turned to run away once more, but he could hear a sound that distracted him yet again. She was crying.
Had he thrown her too hard? Had she been scratched by the billowing grass already?
Regardless of what happened Ratonhnhaké:ton turned back around and looked down at her. He could see her looking over her hands, they were shaking, and her face was red with anger and wet with tears. She sniffed loudly and Ratonhnhaké:ton knelt down carefully and looked her over with a tilt of his head.
"M'hands hurt." She muttered, and for good reason. Ratonhnhaké:ton looked just to her left to see she'd just fallen into a stinging nettle bush. He watched as she reached out her hands to him to show him. They were already turning red and sore. He gingerly reached out and grabbed them with his own and looked them over. Even now with being reddened and covered in a thin layer of dirt they were soft, small, and very pale. Ratonhnhaké:ton turned them over and looked at the top of them seeing the snow white skin and then he saw her forearms the speckles of brown covering the skin there. He reached up in interest and trailed a finger over the spots as if to wipe them off, but they did not budge. Then he remembered he had them as well, on his face. Not nearly as many, nor were they as visible, but he had them too.
"M'daddy calls 'em 'Angel kisses'." Elena spoke and Ratonhnhaké:ton looked up, his fingers retracted from her skin the instant she spoke and he looked away in slight embarrassment.
"Y'have 'em too, I can see 'em." She spoke again and this time it was he who felt fingers on his cheeks, trailing over them gently, poking the small faint spots that were visible on his tanned skin. He knew he should push her away but he simply turned his face slightly and let her prod him for a moment before pulling his head away.
"Ah!" Elena let out a yelp and withdrew her hand as if bitten and she stuck a finger into her mouth. Ratonhnhaké:ton watched for a moment and then remembered the nettle.
"Come." He said softly to her in his native tongue, tugging on her arm for her to follow him. He hoped she would understand and thankfully she did as she got up with him and followed him.
They walked in silence until they reached a small drop in the land, below a small creek of fresh water.
"Wash and cool your hands, it will feel nice. Trust me." He again spoke in his native tongue but used body language to show what he meant. Pointing to her hand and then down to the creek before rubbing his own hands together. Luckily again she got the hint and he watch her nod before she attempted to climb down the steep decline. The dirt was still soft and she appeared to be having trouble keeping herself steady. Ratonhnhaké:ton moved forward quickly as she fell to catch her, unfortunately he was too slow and she slid down the dirt hill to the bottom with a squeaking yelp. He half expected to hear her cry again but to his surprise she simply got up, brushed her dress off, and walked over to the babbling brook to put her hands in the water.
Following her lead, if only with a bit more agility and grace, Ratonhnhaké:ton slid down the soft dirt to meet her in the small crevice. He moved upstream, knelt down, and cupped a handful of the clean water for a drink. He then turned and watched Elena for a moment again, seeing her rubbing her hand in the cool water, the contentment on her face showed she was enjoying the comfort and chill on the stings from the nettle.
Ratonhnhaké:ton's attention was peaked the moment he heard a few twigs snap and his gaze shot up to the other side of the crevice. The sounds did not come from human feet, it came from an animal. Nimbly leaping to the other side of the creek he climbed up the incline easily with silence and saw his suspicions were right; a strong and healthy doe was picking through the wheatgrass, her head buried for a few moments before she looked up; her ears and eyes scanning as she chewed the few morsels she could grab while head down. If he'd had his bow Ratonhnhaké:ton could have easily killed the magnificent animal, it would make food for weeks for his people; meat, hide, and precious bones would be used. However, he did not have any weapon so for now; this beautiful beast would live to see another day.
He then heard the fumbling grace of Elena climbing up behind him and he reached down behind him to hold her up while she climbed until she was beside him.
"Oh m'word, it's beautiful!" she said loudly and Ratonhnhaké:ton shushed her watched the doe look up instantly from her feeding, her wide dark eyes scanning the horizon and her massive ears tilting and turning to pick up any sound. He knew that the deer could see them, she could no doubt hear them breathing, but she did not fear them. She knew young were usually not a threat. It was predators with weapons she was on the lookout for. Still, Elena's voice must have caused some discontent because the doe trotted off through the grass, back into the shelter of nearby wood and out of sight.
Ratonhnhaké:ton sighed in both annoyance and calm as he watched the deer disappear from view. He then looked to his side to see Elena there looking right back at him, her pale face and vivid eyes boring into his own dark features.