Hello, I am back! Than you for the lovely reviews! Hope I get them again for this chapter. Now, it's probably going to seem shorter since I am not posting a long AN like the last time. But anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Oh… and btw, I don't write "littluns", or however you spell it,
because I'm a bit of a tiny grammar freak. And stuff like that, when I notice it bothers me as I type. Sorry. :-( Also, if some of them are a bit out of character, I apologize. I haven't read the whole book in a year – just a few pages every once in a while, when I'm in the mood.
Chapter 2
The Beginning
Jack pushed Ralph down on his knees, so that all the boys would look down upon him, even the few little ones who had tagged along on the chase. Ralph refused to let Jack win completely, looking each and every one of the boys with a fierce stare, until the others all grew shy and looked away blushing.
Anger coursed through Jack's veins at Ralph's small victory, and pulled the fair-headed boy up with a sharp tug on his hair, eliciting a hiss of pain, which planted a firm smirk on Jack's lips.
"He is to be my prisoner until he heals." Jack announced to all the boys with a voice of command. "Once he has healed, I shall punish him severely, for all to see. You will learn what happens to one when he does not obey me." His voice grew to a warning tone, fierce and cold, sending chills through the other boys, while others even gulped with apprehension.
"Then, I will figure out what to do with him from there for myself. From the time I spend with him as he heals, I will decide what position I shall allow him to fill. Now, Roger, grab a hold of him and find a cave. Samneric, you two follow him, and bar the cave when he finds him. You three will all stand guard and watch that he doesn't run away. My hunters, prepare to feast. We are going to get the biggest hog out here, and eat to our hearts content!" There were several cheers at that statement.
"The rest of you, go down and prepare a fire the old fashioned way and rub two twigs together or something. Just figure it out and make it work by the time we get back so that we can begin to cook our meal. Roger, when you hear us get back, send one of the twins to get me." Roger nodded and Jack began to turn for the hunt when he suddenly turned back. "Oh, I forgot. Did anyone here ever learn anything about nursing or something?"
The boys began turning heads, looking at each other in question until Henry stepped out from the group and said, "My mom was a nurse. She taught me a few things every here and there."
"Good. You follow Roger and Samneric. Help Ralph to heal the best way you know. After all, the sooner he heals, the sooner he can be punished." This last part was followed by a menacing sneer, which Ralph did his best to ignore as he was shoved along by Roger.
"Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh!" The boys shouted out as they rapidly pressed their hands to their mouths Indian-style. They were returning from their hunt, true to their words, as four all of the hunters were pressed in together, carrying the heavy weight of the huge hog.
The others came running to them and huddled around the hunters in admiration, shouting and whooping at the large pig. Jack smiled to himself as he saw wisps of smoke unfurl into the air from the fire the boys had managed to create, just as he had told them.
"Good job," he said, as he and his other hunters set up the pig, tying its limbs to a large spear so that they could turn it as the fire cooked it. After a short time, Jack could already see the meat beginning to tan under the burning heat of the fire, and his mouth watered in delight. Soon the hog would be ready.
Just then, he saw Sam…or Eric, jogging wearily toward him, slightly out of breath. "Roger told me to run down here," he said in explanation to his newly-appointed chief's unasked question.
The red-head nodded and motioned for the twin to sit down to his right. He did as directed and waited in confusion for a long time, never saying a word, for fear of saying the wrong thing. Finally, Jack shouted, "The hog is ready!" and excited exclamations were heard throughout the group. Two of the hunters headed toward the hog and lifted it off its perch, and then began to hurriedly cut it up, taking pieces off. First for their chief, of course, and then for themselves; then they passed pieces around to the others, who stood, eagerly waiting.
As they continued to cut away, Jack said, "I am going to see the others, still in the cave. You two, give me a few pieces, and make sure to save some meat for the other twin, Henry, and Roger."
"Yes, chief." The two replied obediently in unison.
At last, with three pieces of meat in his hands, Jack made his way to the cave, with the twin leading the way. He arrived at the cave to see the other twin standing guard outside of the cave. "You may go with your brother to the feast." The other twin eagerly complied and ran down to other others with his twin in toe.
Jack then proceeded to walk in with languid arrogance, a smirk prominent on his lips and told Roger to leave and join the feast, before turning to Henry. Jack looked down to see Ralph fast asleep, his lithe form resting on a pile of soft-looking leaves, and covered in scraps of cloth, with his upper torso wrapped tightly in what looked to be a once decent-looking shirt, strapped on by long vines.
"This is good work. Henry, from now on, you are no longer a member of my hunting tribe." Henry was taken aback, and grew a frightened look, worried that he had done something wrong.
Perhaps Jack had actually wanted him to treat Ralph indecently. "I-I'm sorry, Chief. I didn't mean to-"
"You are now the appointed healer." He continued, interrupting the stuttering boy. "You shall wait with supplies in hand for the hunters to return after every hunt. In case one of us gets hurt, you shall be in charge of healing them. You will also be on duty every minute of the day."
"But Chief," The boy dared to protest.
"I don't mean that you can't do as you want. You can live normally and do as you please, but if a boy gets hurt at any time and needs your assistance, you must go to him immediately and help."
Henry nodded, pleased.
"Now leave. Go join the feast with the others. I have told them to save food for you, but if you take too long, their impatience may get the better of them."
Henry quickly left without another word.
Now, alone with Ralph, Jack leaned down and gently pressed a hand to the sleeping boy's slightly swollen cheek. He looked down at the boy and really studied him. The hair-headed youth had such an attractiveness about him. With such angular features, and high cheek bones, he was an Adonis in person.
Too bad he's such a stubborn prat, Jack thought to himself.
Shaking him roughly by the unwounded shoulder, the red-head shouted, "Wake up!"
Ralph's eyelids fluttered slightly but remained shut, nonetheless.
"Wake up!" Jack shouted again.
A slight moan escaped Ralph's lips as his eyelids slowly forced themselves open.
The chief moved away from the newly awoken boy, trying to push away the slight flutter in his lower abdomen, caused by the unwarranted moan.
"Here, eat this. I need you alive if I want to punish you really badly in a few weeks."
Ralph slowly reached his hand out to Jack's, which held the slightly raw meat, brushing their fingers together in his sleepy haze. Jack quickly pulled away, feeling a tingle from the other boy's touch, but Ralph didn't notice, as he began to hungrily eat the meat.
Clearing his throat, Jack began. "You will be treated equally while you heal, and even better, once your punishment has been completed: that is my part of the deal. But don't forget yours. You must completely surrender yourself to me, is that understood? You must accept me wholly as your chief."
Ralph said nothing, and continued to eat silently, but as much as he tried to ignore Jack's statement, he couldn't hide the glare that crawled its way over his features.
"You will stay true to your word, Ralph. I will make sure of it."
The two were silent as Ralph continued to eat until all three pieces of meat had been devoured. The sky outside was bright with sprinkled stars, and Jack let out a yawn of fatigue. He stretched himself out and laid down to Ralph's right, preparing to fall asleep.
"What are you doing?" Ralph suddenly asked with trepidation.
"Going to sleep," Jack answered, his eyes already closed.
"Shouldn't you go sleep with your tribe?"
"Why? So you can run away during the night? I don't think so. As a matter of fact," Jack said, grabbing a stray vine which had not been used on the cloth around Ralph's torso. "I'm going to make it so that if you even move so much as a foot away from me, I'll know." And he continued to tie the vine tightly around Ralph's right wrist, and then around his own.
Ralph was silent with repressed anger.
Jack however, gave his now trademark smirk and went back into his sleeping position.
Crap. Ralph thought. Now how am I going to get out of here before that damn punishment? Then, the darkness that is sleep, took him into its never-ending depths.
"Ralph," Jack whispered into the darkness, looking upon the fair-headed boy's features, darkened by the night. The chief crawled over to the sleeping boy and turned him onto his back so that he could look into his face carefully.
His hand swiftly made its way to Ralph's deliciously pink lips, feeling the smooth texture of the rosy flesh. One finger played with the bottom lips before inserting itself between the two lips and pulling down on the bottom one gently.
The boy stirred slightly, but did not wake.
Jack's breath became uneven and rapid, and his heart began to pump loud and hard.
Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump.
Slowly, he moved so that he sat lightly, cradling the other boy's hips, and his other hand made its way down Ralph's abdomen, feeling every beautiful muscle and millimeter of soft, tender skin.
His brain became muddled and he had, by now, lost complete control of his body.
He breathed in deeply and became intoxicated by the unexplainably dazzling scent of the boy beneath him. His senses went wild, and without another though, he leaned down for a precious kiss-
Gasping uncontrollably, Jack woke up, a light sheen of sweat encompassing his body. He looked over to the boy on his left and quickly had to look away. Had he really dreamed such a thing? Such an unforgivable thing? Had his subconscious been trying to tell him something?
Could he really be attracted to Ralph?
AN: Sorry I didn't italicize the dream like most people do, but that always just gives the whole thing away. You may as well type in big bold letters : THIS IS A DREAM. Anyway, hope you liked it. Please review. Toodles.
xoxo Spideria xoxo
