Author's note. I do not own Glee. This is an AU where New Directions never existed on Earth. Reviews are welcome, I love constructive criticism. Thank you to TheDapperGleek for being my Beta. :3 Again I just want to thank everyone for their reviews. Now on to the story!
Kurt never thought he'd ever being saying this, but swimming in the river was great! It was cool and looked clean and it was just what he needed. The boys had splashed about in the river like children, but currently, Kurt was floating on his back, drifting down the river a bit. The current wasn't too fast and he just floated around a bend.
Ever mindful of the sun, he'd kept his long white poet's shirt on; following Blaine's example and had abandoned his pants on the bank.
"Kurt?" Blaine called, "Come back!"
Kurt sank and went briefly underwater before finding his footing and standing up in the river. It came up to his chest. He laughed and started making his way back to where Blaine was. Kurt paused, he could hear voices. Angry voices.
"There's a drought going on and I find you here, whiling away your afternoon in the river. Blaine you know this is our source of emergency water. You're bathing in it instead of collecting it in barrels like you know you should be helping with. What's wrong with you?" Lord Anderson stood on the bank, his face red and twisted into a sneer.
"Dad, I'm not on water duty right now," Blaine tried to speak, but Lord Anderson interrupted.
"None the less, you need to set an example. You have more important duties than acting like a child. You need to be more like your brother. Cooper would have never left your side to go frolic with some damaged peasant. Who, now thanks to you, we have to provide for until we can send him home. Luckily, we have an instructor on his way. He should be able to provide a song for this. Don't get so attached, he'll be gone soon enough. I also had a talk with the Healer; most of those wounds on that boy came from before you yanked mine here. The healer said they looked like they were caused by someone's fist. Obviously, the boy was beaten by his father for being the liar we know he is. So, instead of bringing help into our midst, you provide us with a liar and probably worse. And now instead of working on a way to send him back or even get some use out of him, you're making friends with him."
Kurt closed his eyes, trying to block out the sight of Lord Anderson. He started to shake. How dare that man. The more he heard him dressing down his son for no reason what so ever and casting slurs and assumptions about Kurt, the more he was sure this man was a terrible father. It didn't matter if he was a good leader or not.
"Why aren't you in the infirmary instead of Cooper? We could use his help while here you are being none," Lord Anderson turned, "Get back to Dalton."
Kurt watched him leave and then looked to Blaine, standing in the river, eyes downcast, tears that only just started running down his cheeks. He waded over to him. He'd never imagined someone's parents saying such horrible things to them. Wishing them ill. That man, Kurt thought his lip curling in disgust, is a bully to his own child. He knows nothing.
"Cooper was always the favorite," Blaine whispered as Kurt reached his side. "I'm sorry you had to see that. He's right; Cooper would have never brought you here."
Kurt reached out to Blaine, taking his hand as he'd taken Kurt's earlier. "No one should ever talk like that to another. And your father is so unbelievably wrong about everything he said. You're a better person than he is. I was hurt and couldn't speak and you were there for me. Sure we had a fight, but you apologized."
Blaine nodded and took a deep breath. "Let's go back and see if we can't get a meeting going tonight with all the warblers about where everyone is with the research."
"Why don't we go back and get some dinner and then ask people afterward. And Blaine, me being here, it hasn't been that much of a bad thing." Kurt thought about the good things that had come from being on Glee instead of Earth. Sure, he had to leave his home, but here there was magic, here there wasn't Karofsky. Most importantly, here there were people who wanted to be his friend.
The two friends started back.
Santana walked, hands clasped with Brittany, leading them all through the forest to the small riverside town that would take them to Dalton. Her opinion of Will Schuester wasn't exactly a good one. This man generally seemed clueless. How anyone thought he'd survive his way to Dalton was mind boggling. He made more noise walking through the forest than Santana and Brittany combined. Granted that Brittany, being an elf, seemed to glide through the forest anyway.
"I hate to bring up a possibly touchy subject; however, I think it might have to be discussed." Will said, breaking the silence of their trip.
Santana looked back at him, "What's that?"
Will cleared his throat before starting, "I hate to, intrude on your personal lives, however I feel that since we've become close with you saving my life and all."
Santana rolled her eyes. Was he for real?
"However, relationships such that you both seem to be in aren't looked, well, favorably."
Santana's face grew dark as she avoided looking back at the man, "We know. We are very aware of what other people will react if they were to find out that Brittany and I are together."
Will cleared his throat again, obviously nervous about this conversation, "I have no problem with your relationship. I believe that you should be able to love whoever you want, no matter of race or not. Dalton is a center for learning and for all races of Glee to come together." His voice trailed off a bit. "It would be alright inside the confides of Dalton, but outside..."
"They don't really want them to come together is what you mean to say," Santana said bitterly. "It doesn't matter. Once we're closer to town, no one will be able to see anything but friendship between us. So no need to get all protective on us."
Brittany tightened her hand. Santana knew that coming out into the world, away from Lady Sue's influence, that they had to go back to just pretending to be friends. Or in some cases, she'd have to be Brittany's servant. The Traveling folk were seen as lower than nothing, even though their magic was a bit different.
"I don't care about any of that. Santana loves me and that's not wrong," Brittany said, looking at Santana with love.
"I care, I don't want you to get hurt because of us," Santana said quietly.
"But we'd be together and I wouldn't have to put up with other people hitting on me. Or having to watch you kiss someone else," Brittany said.
Santana glanced back to Mr. Schuester, relieved that he had fallen back a bit and had appeared to not have heard Brittany. "We can't talk about that now." She let go of Brittany's hand as the dock town came into sight. "We have a job to do and we'll do it without all of this extra stuff getting in the way."
Brittany seemed sad for a minute, "I wish you wouldn't call our love extra stuff."
Santana closed her eyes before continuing forward, "I do love you." No matter what, she always seemed to hurt Brittany, even when she was trying to protect her. And for as long as she'd known the blonde elf, she had been trying to protect her. Her world was duller without her in it.
"Oh look! Let's try and get passage before we grab lunch. Who knows how long we'll have to wait." Will said as he walked faster to catch up with them
The dirt trail they were walking on turned smoother, worn down from more feet walking on it until it turned into cobblestones with houses on either side. They passed a few homes and a tavern and kept going until they reached the wooden planks of the docks.
The docks were busy, people loading and unloading their cargo. Will took the lead and led them down the docks a bit. "My contact is a river troll captain by the name of Tanaka. We've done business before. He sails on a trade ship named Jolly Good Fellow."
Santana and Brittany followed, keeping silent and separated.
Will soon located the ship and Santana got a good look at the Tanaka. He was one of the uglier trolls she'd see in her life, with large tusk teeth that curved out of his mouth and muddy brown skin.
"William!"
"Hello Tanaka, it's been awhile hasn't it." Will responded before clasping Tanaka's arm. "I'm looking for passage for myself and these lovely ladies traveling with me. Do you think you could help?"
Santana felt Tanaka's eyes run over her body and hid her disgust. Men were all the same, no matter the race they came from. Outwardly, she jutted her hip to the side and gave him a sweet smile.
As the men started to haggle, Santana rolled her eyes and turned to Brittany. "We should contact Lady Sue and let her know that things are going as planned. And grab some food to eat while we're on the boat," she eyed the vessel with a bit of a sneer. "I doubt they have decent fresh food on board."
"Can we pick up some dried pineawiws? I really like them," Brittany responded. "And some nice soft cheese. I haven't had that in a while. Not since Lord Tubbington told me that it made my breath smell like tuna."
Santana smiled at the reference to the small half feral feline that Brittany kept back home. "Sure, he's not here so he can't complain. And I don't mind."
Kurt sat next to Blaine at the table in the great hall in dry clothes, his hair still a bit damp still from the river. He cursed his thick hair, just a bit. "So," he began as he started dishing some leafy salad mix onto his plate, "What did your dad mean when he said my voice was damaged." He took some of the long white tubers that Kurt found he liked. They tasted similar to cucumbers. Ripping off a handful of bread, Kurt spread some cheese on it and looked to find Blaine staring at him with a slightly guilty look on his face. "Well?"
The answer came from the boy sitting on the other side of him, Jeff. He was a slim forest troll whose tusks were small and accented the boys face instead of being gruesome. "Well, isn't it a bit obvious, Kurt?"
Kurt tilted his head, "What?"
Nick, Jeff's constant elven companion sitting across from them, cut in, "Kurt, your voice. We all know, it's okay. In fact, I'm glad you brought it up. Maybe I can have my parents send some traditional medicines from back home that can help."
Kurt swallowed the food in his mouth and pressed his lips together, "What is wrong with my voice?" He arched his left eyebrow at them.
David who'd been on the other side of Blaine poked his head forward, "Do you mean to say that your voice has always been, well, that high?"
Kurt felt his appetite disappear. Along with his desire to be in the presence of anybody else at that moment. "There is nothing wrong with my voice; this is how it sounded before I was so rudely injured. Now, if you excuse me, I believe I have some work to finish in my room." He made to stand, but Blaine pulled him back.
"No, don't go Kurt. We weren't making fun of you. It's just; we've never heard someone our age with such high dulcet tones." Blaine put his arm around Kurt's shoulders and squeezed, "please, you should eat."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any offense," Jeff said. "Really."
"Me neither," Nick offered him his hands upheld. "Truly, I apologize."
Kurt felt the tension in his back drain somewhat. He relaxed into his seat and picked up his fork. Some of it had to be from Blaine's half hug. "Alright."
"At the risk of sounding rude, can you sing?" Wes asked as he scooped up some of the corn like vegetables on the table. They tasted like peas to Kurt.
"I sing very well back home. And I'm sorry for misunderstanding your concern. I've had to deal with a lot of attacks on my masculinity back home. It's been very nice being here and not having to worry about that." Kurt stabbed a piece of salad forcefully and smiled at the boys surrounding him.
"I don't know why anyone would question that, you are very lovely to look at," Nick said.
Kurt snapped his head up and looked at Nick with wide eyes as he felt a flush come to his face. "What?"
"I can see the appeal. Not that I'm interested or anything Kurt," Wes said.
"Interested?" Kurt repeated his voice even higher than normal. Were they being serious or was this some joke he was the butt of?
Jeff elbowed him, "Frankly, according to the ideals of trolls, you're not particularly anything to look at, however, as I am enlightened to the shortcomings of this world, I can safely say that yes you are attractive."
Kurt looked down at his lap, "Are you joking with me? Are, "he hesitated and his voice dropped to a whisper, "relationships between men and other men normal here?"
"Why wouldn't they be?" Blaine asked Kurt.
Kurt looked up and met Blaine's eyes. He wasn't kidding?
Blaine smiled before continuing, "I mean, I'm purely attracted to men. I think Wes is asexual and David doesn't have a preference. And Nick and Jeff. Well they try to keep it low key when they date outside their race. Dalton is very tolerant of that. Not many places are."
Kurt felt the breath leave his body. "You're gay?" He asked Blaine.
Blaine looked a little confused, "Well I'm not particularly now, after what happened this afternoon."
"No no no, I mean, you love men?" Kurt asked.
"Is that what you meant by gay? Being a lover of men? Then yes." Blaine said it with no hesitation.
There was too much to deal with. He just wanted to finish his meal. Kurt nodded and went back to eating his salad. He missed Blaine giving him a confused glance before the conversation started to pick up around him.
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