Rephiam

I walked to the river Wylie's steps behind me. "I heard the others talk about you and Stevie Rae. Are you friends or something? I heard from the others that you're gonna take her home? Like what's her story? Are you guys together? Is she going to be staying long? I've heard that you're going to leave her in a Cherokee tribe while we go against Kain, whoever he is. Is it true? Why can't you just leave her here? Wouldn't she be safe?"

I groaned and stopped. "Wylie, stop asking questions." I turned to face him.

He looked up at me, pail in hand. I just needed him to help me fetch water not talk me to death. He is worse than Stevie Rae when she starts babbling. "Okay… But I need to know. I'm a Raven aren't I?"

"Yes." I say. Why is everything so difficult? "She ran away from home and since we had saved her once before we took her under our care and we were going to drop her at a town but that did not work as planned. We are going to take her home at some point but she will not be staying with us for long. Immediately after I kill Kain we are going to take her straight home. And we cannot just leave her here because she is incapable in fending for herself for long."

"Oh… You didn't answer a question."

"And what question is that?" I asked exasperated.

"… Are you together?"

"By what terms?"

"Like, I don't know. Um… Like together you know?" I blinked at him. "Are you more than friends?"

The question threw for me off for the slightest of moments. "We are not even friends."

"So what? She's a pet?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then what?" He yelled out. "You're relationship is more confusing than that of a bear nursing a deer."

Wylie is really getting on my nerves. "She is just a responsibility."

"Like a pet."

"Not…" I sighed, calming myself. "Not like a pet."

"Then—"

"That is enough. We are fetching water in silence."

"But—"

"In silence!"

Stevie Rae

I sat in the loft patching up some clothing for the guys as well as a hole that was in my skirt that I hadn't noticed before. Rephiam and Wylie came back with the water longer than expected. "Gee, what'd you do? Fall into the river?" Reid asked as they came into the lodge.

"Wylie was talking me to death." Rephiam answered as he placed the pail next to the door. "Place that other one over there."

"I was not talking you to death. You're still alive are you?" Wylie sneered as he followed Rephiam's order.

Amaro snorted. "Not one full day with us yet and Wylie already sneered at you. Rephiam you need to learn better people skills." Rephiam snorted and I felt like chuckling but I kept it in.

"It's his fault. He wasn't being clear with the answers." Wylie complained.

"You were asking too many questions."

The kid scoffed and walked over to an empty chair and sat down. "Apparently not enough because I still don't know who this Kain guy is. All I know is that you want to kill him."

I looked over to Rephiam who was leaning against the window frame and was looking out. "All you need to know is that he is not a person you do not want to be around for long."

About 150 miles away/No POV

His gang plundered the village to no end. They set fire to any building that was not of any use to them. It was a marvelous plan. One that he knew would go off without a hitch. They were to go in the pitch black and first knock out the sheriff and the deputy and slit their throats while they were out of it. Then it was on to the bank as the owner walks out of it to close for the night. With a well place pistol to the head, he as well as two others went into the bank and forced the banker to open the safe. Once that was done there was no use for him so bang, in went a bullet through the head. There would be panic from the shot of course. He went out and his other members invaded the buildings that were useful while others burned. They killed anyone that retaliated, killed anyone old, killed the children and kept only the beautiful women alive. Within the span of 15 minutes they had over taken the whole town. He chuckled as he went into the office of their dead mayor, his body against the white walls, blood pooling around him. He threw himself into his seat and called in for the women he picked out. They were pushed in, the doors slamming behind him. They were tied and gagged. He smiled and before the fun commenced he looked out the window into the horizon. "Soon you will be punished for your betrayal and I will once again take command of what is mine."

The Valley, the next morning/No POV

Rephiam woke early and woke everyone up, except for Stevie Rae. "Wylie." He called over after the kid finished eating. "You are going through training. You will learn to fight and then you will pick one other specialty. Talk to the others."

"I already know what I want to be."

"And that would be?"

"I want to be a healer."

Chogan choked on his water and looked at the kid. "A healer?"

Wylie looked over to him. "Yeah. Like you."

Rephiam nodded. "Alright Wylie. You will be a healer. You follow Chogan and you will learn." He turned and started to usher the others out and to work. He followed them out to instruct them more.

Wylie smiled and walked over to Chogan. Chogan put his dishes in a tub and looked over to Wylie. "I am sorry to say I do not know how to teach well."

"Oh that's alright. My mother taught me some already. I just need to learn a bit more." He said with a shrug.

"Your mother… Talise."

"Yes. You remember."

"Yes." Chogan smiled softly at him. He placed a hand on top of his head. "Yes I remember your mother."

Stevie Rae gasped. "You're his father!" The two looked up at the loft. Stevie Rae had been awake since Rephiam got up. She pretended to sleep while she listened in on the Black Ravens' conversations. She climbed down the ladder and by this time Chogan's hand was off his son's head. "I knew you two looked alike."

Chogan blinked. He thought she was asleep. "Yep." Wylie smiled.

Stevie Rae chuckled and looked at Chogan. "And by the way you sail Talise you actually loved her. It wasn't just rape or was it not rape?"

"No. It was rape." Chogan admitted. "True I loved Talise, I guess I still do. I was born in the same tribe she's in. We were always friends and I never once wanted to be a Black Raven. I wanted to stay with her and be with her but Kalona, he wanted his friend to help him start a new tribe based on new rules, new traditions and culture. He forced me into it really. He along with Takoda and I built the Black Ravens."

"You're one of the original three? And wasn't Takoda the Raven that—"

"Died in Raymer yes and yes I am an original three to my disgrace." Chogan sighed softly. "Kalona… He wanted to rape women, not so much Takoda but he agreed with him after a while. Kalona was the one who knew about The Valley and the ravens. You see the ravens are from here too and he knew that these animals in here are in a way charmed by the spirits. They can get bonded to masters. He took us and we all received our animals. We went back to my tribe then, mainly because Kalona was unwelcomed in his tribe and Takoda's tribe was farther away. It was then that the Black Ravens truly came to be. We all raped the women, some more than others. I only 'raped' one, Talise, only because I could not bear the thought of her being raped by either Kalona or Takoda. I did not like it one bit. We ran away, leaving my tribe in shambles. I thought she would hate me so I never once looked back, never once went back, and never once thought of her again, until Wylie showed up."

"Oh… Chogan." Stevie Rae silently said.

Wylie smiled sympathetically at his dad. "Don't worry father. She's not mad. She understands. She even left the tribe to look for you but she couldn't find you."

Chogan nodded slowly. Then his facial expression changed. "She named you Wylie?"

His son laughed. "No. My name is actually Raging Buffalo and there was a white traveler with his son that came by and his name was Wylie and I thought, 'Hey, that's much better than Raging Buffalo'."

Stevie Rae blinked. "…"

"… Well. Let us train you Wylie."

Stevie Rae chuckled and as they walked out the lodge she prepared her breakfast and to her dismay it was deer again.

Rephiam

I watched over while Wylie was being trained. Amaro did most of the fighting techniques and training while the others pitched in whenever information could be added. I would be down there with them training the child but I would not be able to be of any assistance. I know the same thing as the others do and I would just be standing and watching when I could be sitting and watching from a rock. I half scoffed, half laughed at myself. No matter how much I try to not be like my father it always seemed like there is no escaping genetics. I shake my head and pull out my knife and start toying with it. Throwing it up in the air and catching it over and over. After a while my watching over became more of staring numbly into space though my knife throwing did not wane at all. I thought about what could have been or what would be different if everything just stayed the way it is supposed to. No Black Ravens, just Native Americans being moved onto territories. Just fights between white men and Indians and not between white men, Indians and the Black Ravens. I seriously wondered if the world would be better without us, if there would not be as much commotion without us. I shook my head no. There would always be problems, opinions that differ from another's, beliefs and culture and religion as well. As long as those are still alive and well there would always be commotion and issues. The Black Ravens are just a manifestation of all that, the black demons that thrive of hardships and problems. The footsteps behind me broke me of my thinking. I stopped throwing the knife and was ready to throw it back if necessary. She sighed and stood beside me. I put the knife away and re-continued watching the training. "Shouldn't you be down there with them?" She asked me.

"No. I do not have much to offer."

"But you're their leader. There must be something you can offer."

"Nothing at all."

She sat down in the ground, cross-legged, and from what I could see from the corner of my eye, she too was watching them train. "You could train alongside him. It could give him inspiration." I scoffed softly. "Alright…" She said slowly. "Then if you don't have anything to offer them then maybe you can help me."

That sparked my curiosity. I look over to her. "Help you with what?"

"I'm bored."

"And?"

"I…" She giggled nervously. "I want to ride."

"Ride a horse?"

"Yes." She answered almost happily. "My father wouldn't allow me to ride horses. He says it's un-ladylike, whatever that means." She grinned at me.

I shake my head. "There is not one horse here you can ride."

"I was thinkin' about your horse."

"Shadow's Wing?" I asked her. She could not be serious.

"Yeah. I mean he knows me. I ride him all the time with you."

"Yes with me. He is not good with others when I am not there."

"Well then I'll make good with me. I know a way to a horse's heart. Not that hard really." I looked away with a grown. Her country twang is worse than Reid's. Though I find it annoying when he speaks too much, I find it actually sounds… cute when she speaks. "Oh pretty please?" She asked. I look over and there she is kneeling now, looking straight at me and she is batting her eyes. "Please?" She asks again.

I am so taken back by this that I actually laugh and smile. "If I agree will you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" She asks innocently as she leans in and bats her eyes again.

"That!" I almost yell out as I lean away and my smile grows.

She giggles and placed a hand daintily over her mouth. "Okay!" She stands and like an instant she becomes perfectly normal. "Let's go!" What have I gotten myself into?

I whistle for Shadow and he obeyingly comes over. "Good boy." I look over to Stevie Rae and she looks at me with a smile. I look away and sigh. "What have I gotten myself into?" I whisper to myself. I have the reins in my hands which I borrowed from Reid. I have only once put reins on Shadow and the first time was not pleasant. This time he took it a bit more gently as I place the bit in his mouth and fit the reins onto his face. "Alright Stevie Rae, do you need help getting up?"

"I wouldn't need help if there was a saddle."

"I am not putting a saddle on him because he has never worn a saddle before and I am not allowing you to get on him when he is trying out the saddle." I look over to her and she turns away, an even greater smile on her face. I silently wonder what it was I said but I shrug it off and help her onto the horse. She gets herself situated on his back. While she did that I walked in front of Shadow and told him what exactly is happening. "She is going to ride you all by herself. I will be right here so do not try anything rash." He whinnied. I started pulling him by the reins at first, getting him situated with Stevie Rae on his back while she talked to him, petting him and telling him more about herself. Then after a while I let them go and to my astonishment he followed her and went where she wanted to go. She went down to where the others were still training and stopped there. Communicated with them for a bit before riding around once more. I stood and watched as she led Shadow into the wild herd and they ran beside them for a while before coming back over to me.

"That was great!" She laughed as she got off the horse. I took the reins off him while she told me about the experience of ridding him. "He gallops so smoothly! Of course you know because you ride him but it's so difficult to tell when he's carrying two people. He is amazing! He listened to me too did you see? I told you I could get him to listen to me." I only nod as I release him, muttering a small thanks to him for allowing her to ride him. "That was great!" She yelled out as she fell to the ground and catched her breath.

Later that night/No POV

After the training and dinner the group broke into their own things. Wylie stayed with Amaro, Reid and Chogan as he trained some more while Hothlepoya and Hotah were busy gutting out some fox that they killed for food and fur. Rephiam had disappeared and Stevie Rae embarrassingly noticed that she had not thanked him for ridding his horse. She asked the training guys but most of them didn't know where he had gone. Amaro guessed that he was on the cliff. He pointed the way without a second thought and went on to the training. Stevie Rae followed the direction Amaro pointed at and found a small edge that led up the cliff face. Since it was dark she followed the edge, both hands on the wall and her foot always testing the ground before her. She found him sitting on the edge of the rock face and she decided to join him. He looked at her. "How did you get up here?"

"I followed the edge." He nodded once and looked out again. They sat in silence, something they always did. They just enjoyed each other's presence even if they didn't want to admit it. "So…" Stevie Rae started, "um… I suppose that you um, I don't know, care?"

"For what?" He turned his head.

"Hm… I don't know…" She mumbled, her finger tracing the course sand nervously. She thought about earlier that day when Rephiam wouldn't allow her to get on a saddled Shadow. "I guess… About me?"

He stared at her and she stared at him. He silently scoffed and turned his head away. "Why would I care for you?" She never understood why he always pushed her away. It was getting on her nerves.

"Well… You're taking care of me, you protect me, you usually never leave me alone, you—"

"I am only doing that because of the others."

"But they won't do anything to me." She countered.

"Then you obviously do not know them as well as I."

Silence came again and usually she would bask in his presence as they usually did but she was getting angry. She wanted him to admit it, to say anything. She practically did just a moment ago. "I know you care for me. You have to."

"No I do not."

"I know you do. I just feel it."

"You feel nothing."

"How do you know what I'm feeling?" She asked angrily. She was going to get it out of him wither he liked it or not.

"I do not, but I know that I do not feel anything."

"You do." She almost yelled out. She was becoming frantic. "You must have feelings besides the stereotypical anger and lust."

"I do—"

"No you don't! You're just a Black Raven! Just as bad as your fa—"

"Do not say that word." He looked at her with murder in his eyes.

She, for a moment, got frightened but that passed over. She was going to say it, despite how little she knew of the Black Ravens and their founder. "As bad as your father!"

"That is it." He grabbed her roughly by the arm and threw her onto the ground. She yelped out at the sudden movement and within seconds she found him laying on top of her and in the next second a big hand went around her neck, pressing just tight enough into her neck. "You want a Black Raven Stevie Rae? You want a Raven like my father?" He placed one leg over her legs and now her legs were between his. "I could rape you right here and now and you would be helpless. Then I could kill you by coking you, right where my hand is." To emphasize he pressed his hand harder into her neck, she gasped in effect. "Here is your stereotypical Black Raven and to get the point across, I am not like my father. Understand?" He almost yelled out. She grumbled a sound of understanding. "This is how it should be." He muttered more to himself that to her. "You should be scared, you should hate me, yet you do not." His hand was cutting off her breathing and she had to hold back tears of pain. Just as suddenly as he had pinned her his lips crashed onto hers. Her eyes widened and the hand on her neck disappeared and moved to her waist. After the shock wore over Stevie Rae closed her eyes and kissed the Black Raven back. He kissed her roughly, his lips sliding over hers as he did most of the work. In the back of her mind Stevie Rae realized this was her first kiss, her first kiss was with a Black Raven and more specifically Rephiam. She copied his movements and formed her lips with his. She found her arms wrapping around his neck and just as quickly as the kiss had started it ended. She breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. He loomed over her, completely normal as if nothing had happened. He got off of her and stood. She propped herself on her elbows and looked at him, her eyes shimmering with the quick and rough and passionate kiss from just moments ago. Without another word he turned and walked away, leaving her alone on the ridge.

After she had regained her breath and she went over the event before she stood. Why did he leave? Why did he kissed me and leave? Why did he threatened me, kissed me and then left? The question rushed through her head over and over as she walked back down the ridge. She reached the small lodge and noticed Rephiam wasn't there. She asked Wylie where he went. "He stopped by but then he took Shadow and galloped off. I don't know where he went." She felt a mix of sadness and more anger. Sadness because he's gone, anger because he's gone. Reid offered her dinner but she passed saying that she wasn't hungry. She climbed up to the loft and laid down in her itchy hay bed. She pulled the blanket over her and slowly drifted to bed with small tears streaming down her face.

Whew… Let me just say, longest chapter ever. 8 pages in word. Anyways... Please review.