Kouji remained mostly silent as he and Takuya cleaned the house, only speaking to answer Takuya's questions. When Kouichi returned with the water Kouji produced a wooden bowl that they used as a crude washbasin, and Kouichi pulled some clothes from a chest in the back of the house, throwing them at Takuya.

"You seem about our size. Try these on, they'll mask your scent for a little while at least."

Takuya pulled them on hurriedly as he watched Kouji open the largest cupboard in the room, which was filled with hundreds of small draws, neatly labelled in the looping curves of the elves written language.

Kouji started pulling the draws open one by one, and sighed. "I think someone has taken some of our rarer herbs."

"What about the dangerous ones?" asked Kouichi.

Kouji grabbed a cloth, and used it to remove a key from another draw, fitting it into the keyhole at the bottom of the cupboard, and removed a wooden slat, revealing more drawers.

"What are those?" asked Takuya, looking over interested.

Kouji checked the drawers carefully. "Mostly opiates and barbiturates, things that create addiction through misuse, or can even poison in high doses." He seemed satisfied, and replaced the slat, locking it again, then put the key away carefully.

"Why use the cloth?"

"Safety measure," replied Kouichi. "The key is made of iron, so we'd be able to find who had taken from us quickly." He saw Takuya's puzzled look. "Iron in its pure form interferes with magic. Even steel causes some mild problems. Anyone touching the key would loose their magic for a day, so we could find who had taken these things easily."

Takuya nodded slowly, then looked around. "Uh, where is it that you sleep? I don't see any beds… in fact I don't see any other rooms, so where do you, you know?"

Kouichi grinned. "Your answer is, we didn't even know what a privy was when we first entered the human world."

"Ewww." Takuya giggled a little. "One with nature, huh?"

Kouji glared at him. "Yes. And we sleep on the floor on mattresses. We keep them tidied away during the day."

"Aha." Takuya kept poking around, then stopped as he found what looked to be a small shrine in another cupboard, with a picture of a woman who was missing the conspicuous pointed ears of the elves. "Oh…"

Kouji slammed the cupboard door shut. "That's nothing to do with you."

"Kouji…" Takuya stammered, moving back. "I didn't mean to pry."

"You're poking into every nook and cranny in our house. Maybe there are things we don't want you to see." He looked angry and stalked towards him. "Do you know how much trouble we could be in if it was widely known that we even had a picture of her? As far as the village is concerned, their fantasy is that we just appeared from thin air, and we are ill, not that we were born of a human woman, and certainly not that we're half human."

Takuya blinked a few times, looking upset at Kouji's outburst. "Kouji… What ever they want to see, you are half human. Them being blind to it doesn't change what you are or how you feel. You need to stop hiding."

Kouichi shook his head. "Takuya, you don't see boundaries, but they do. The only way that we can remain here is to abandon our human part as if it doesn't exist, and conform to what they want, else we'd be considered almost like animals, the same as you are."

Takuya moved closer to Kouji, ignoring the glare he was giving. "Kouji, please don't ignore who you are."

//Your temper certainly is human enough, brother,// added Kouichi silently.

"You don't get it, do you first-son? You get more leeway with your smiling face and your gentle ways, and your status!"

Takuya put a restraining hand on Kouji's chest as he started towards Kouichi, which Kouji slapped away angrily.

Takuya folded his arms and stood in Kouji's path. "Kouji, calm down. You need to control your temper."

Kouji spun on his heel, and walked out the house.

"I didn't mean leave!" called Takuya after him. When it became clear that Kouji wasn't coming back, Takuya turned to Kouichi. "I don't understand."

Kouichi sighed. "Elves aren't supposed to have a temper. Not even our… their young do. It's how Kouji's human side shows itself, just like my easy laughter shows mine. Then making Kouji mad about his human side… it escalates." He shrugged. "Kouji will just go for a walk to cool off. The village is used to his quick temper."

Takuya moved to the doorway and looked out. "How long will he be gone? I want to tell him that I'm sorry."

Kouichi sighed again. "He already knows that, Takuya. He just hates his human side showing itself like that."

*****************************

Takuya didn't see Kouji until the following morning when he woke. Kouji was sat in the doorway, with his hair down, and was carefully braiding small plaits into his hair, fastening them with coloured threads.

Takuya propped himself up on his elbows, and watched. Wow. I don't think I've ever really seen him with his hair untied. I wonder if it's for this festival, or for Satomi?

Kouji sighed, and rested his head on his knees. "Good morning Takuya. I'm sorry I yelled at you. It wasn't very proper of me."

Takuya nodded, and sat up properly. "It's okay, Kouji. I didn't realise it was such a sensitive issue to you."

Kouji rose silently, and moved to the table. "I shouldn't let my temper get the better of me. They've never managed to help me stop it. My human side." He took a leather tie and dipped it into the washbasin set on the table. "I wish that I was what I was supposed to be… Kouichi too. Without this taint that makes us unacceptable to the rest of our kind." He pulled the tie out of the water, and used it to fasten the remaining unplaited strands of his hair up in a ponytail.

Takuya moved behind him, and placed a hand on Kouji's back gently. "Kouji, you have to stop running. I tried that, and it didn't work." He felt the muscles of Kouji's back tense under his hand. "None of us are what we're supposed to be by our people. We're what the gods want us to be. It's important to them that you're bridging two peoples."

Kouji shook his head. "Takuya, I'm not bridging them, I'm torn between them." He looked up as a drum started beating outside. "I need to go. They're starting." He away from Takuya, dodging Takuya's outstretched hand. "Stay here. Kouichi and I will be barely tolerated. They won't accept you yet. Maybe they will eventually." He moved outside, singing the tune Takuya remembered softly. Soon he could hear other voices blending with the beat of the drum, with pipes and reeds adding to the harmony.

Takuya closed his eyes and listened. It must be the new moon again today. They're singing to their gods. He felt his magic prick up its ears as the air filled with static. I wish I knew what was happening.

******************************

The twins returned a few hours later, along with a tall woman with brown hair pulled into an elaborate design of looped braids on the top of her head. She was dressed in a long robe, as opposed to the britches most of the female elves they had seen wore. While she looked to Takuya's eyes to be in her late twenties, her grey eyes bespoke of a much longer, and more patient life then that of other twenty year olds he'd known.

Takuya tried clumsily to imitate the bowing motion that the twins had done towards King Elbert, only to receive a cold stare from the woman.

"So you've taught our ways to this human?" She moved into the house and sat at the table.

Kouichi sat opposite her. "We did not teach him that. He simply learnt by observation."

Kouji moved quietly to the large herb cupboard and started picking things out, placing them into a bowl.

The woman Takuya took to be Satomi sighed slightly. "You were… unwise to bring him with you, my young charges. Anything of import can have nothing to do with such rough people."

Kouichi shook his head. "Honoured-One, Takuya is not all that he appears to be. He has magic as strong and as bright in my vision as any of the People-of-the-Trees."

"So the child is a healer, but you cannot hope to replace your father with another." Satomi shifted slightly to look at Takuya. "And the People-of-the-Earth are not welcome amongst us, as you well know. Does he even know what you are, or does he think you pure like I?"

Takuya looked at Kouichi, seeking permission to speak.

"Tell her, Takuya."

Takuya nodded slowly. "Honoured-One, I know what Kouichi and Kouji are, and it matters nothing to me. I'm not a healer, my magic lies in fire."

Satomi raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise, and turned to Kouichi. "And did he learn our tongue by observation?"

Kouichi shook his head. "He was chosen by his peoples' gods to serve them. They've given him our language because they want him to succeed at this."

Satomi nodded. "Then maybe he should join us and tell us of this important message that you decided to go against the council and return to deliver?"

Takuya moved to sit, and was surprised to see Kouji meekly producing cups of a strange smelling powder. He watched Kouji pour hot water into the cups carefully before returning his attention to Satomi. "My ruler, King Elbert, has asked me to come to you, and present a request for our two people to talk out a peace. He sent me because I'm the only human in the kingdom who can speak your language."

"And that is it? No arguments, no explanation? Just 'We want peace'?" Satomi shook her head. "You People-of-the-Earth are too set on instant gratification, and simplicity of thought."

Takuya shrugged. "I have a letter to give you, or rather, to read to your council, but it is written in my language."

Satomi stood. "I trust that together you can translate his letter for us to read. I'll see that your weapons are returned, sons of Kousei, and you and your 'friend' may wander freely except for our holy sites. If you disrupt the peace of our village more than you did before this arrangement will be reconsidered." She walked to the door, then turned back slightly. "Once this letter is translated, I shall hear your case. If I deem it to be other than some foolhardy folly, which I currently believe it to be, I shall consider presenting the request to the council." She bowed her head slightly. "You have my thanks for your hospitality." She then left.

Both Kouichi and Kouji's demeanours changed subtly, and Kouji poked at the still full cups he'd set out.

"I wish she'd acknowledge that I'm even here."

Kouichi made a face. "Do you think I particularly enjoy having to deal with the council on both our behalves, just because I'm the elder?" He took one of the cups and inhaled the scent of the herbs in the water. "At least she didn't dismiss us, and we'll regain our property and our lives, at least for a short while."

Takuya took one of free cups and stuck his tongue into the liquid cautiously, before making a face at the bitterness. "Eugh… Anyway, where are we going to get pens and ink? And I can't write your language, only speak it."

"Today is a rest day, tomorrow we may be able to find what we need. I think Halle makes paper as well as linen, so we'll go see him tomorrow." Kouichi sighed. "The only way we can do this, I think, is for you to read it to us, and we'll write what you say, because we can't read your language either."

Kouji shook his head. "Tomorrow, at least one of us needs to go foraging, else we won't eat anything but herbs."

Takuya nodded. "So show me around a little, and then I'll help with the hunting."

Kouji laughed. "You'll be a great help with that, I'm sure."