No POV

The next morning she woke when a hand roughly fell over her mouth. Her eyes snapped open to see Hotah above her, a dark, lusty shimmer shining in his eyes. She started to panic and kicking. His hand stayed on her mouth while his other hand yanked the blanket off her and then started untying his pants. Her muffled cries worried her. She was about to be raped, actually raped, and no one could hear her. "Shut up." She heard him growl at her. She shook her head and tried even harder to get out of his grasp. The next thing she knows he is yanked off her and thrown out of the loft. A thud followed by a pain filled grunt told her that he hit the floor, hard. While she was regaining herself she looked over to the stairs to see a head go down the stairs. The sound of a punch being thrown and then a body being pulled out the front door was heard next. She got on her hands and knees and crawled over to the small round window. She saw the other Black Ravens around the pole that is into the ground. Rephiam then appeared dragging Hotah by his shirt collar. He threw him towards the pole and Reid and Amaro stood him up and tied him to the pole.

Rephiam was pissed. He goes into the loft wanting to talk to Stevie Rae about last night's events and he is welcomed by the sound of her muffled cries. Next thing he sees is Hotah above her. He cracked his knuckles. "Rephiam, what did Hotah do?" Asked Hothlepoya.

"He was about to rape Stevie Rae."

"What?" The others yelled.

Hotah looked up at Rephiam. "Yeah I was."

"Why brother?" Hothlepoya asked. "Why? I would have expected this from Amaro but not from you."

Amaro looked at Hothlepoya. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Why brother?" Hotah copied in a menacing voice. "Because I conquer nature. Horses, animals, women. It does not matter. And I was going to conquer her."

Reid scoffed. "I would have expected this from Amaro."

"Seriously?" Amaro asked unbelievingly. "Why me? Why would you expect it from me?"

"She is not yours to conquer Hotah." Rephiam answered.

"Then who is allowed to Rephiam?" Hotah challenged. Rephiam remained silent. He really didn't want to deal with this, with him. He was more concerned with Stevie Rae. He turned and started to walk away from Hotah. "It is you, is it not? You are the one who is going to take her. I have known this from the start. The very moment you first saved her." Rephiam stopped. "Face it Rephiam, you have fallen in love with a girl, a mayor's daughter of all things. But we all have Rephiam. In different ways but we have all fallen in love with her." Rephiam turned. What was he getting at? "Chogan and his little son over there love her as a sister, Hothlepoya and Reid as a good friend, Amaro as an ally and me, as a way to fully prove myself over everything else." Rephiam scoffed softly and turned and started to walk again. Hotah laughed. "This is the great and mighty Black Raven leader Rephiam. More a diplomat than a warrior and more a weakling than anything else. You may have changed the tribe for the better Rephiam but in doing so you became weak. If Kalona was here he would have punished you and rewarded me."

Rephiam stopped dead in his tracks and turned on his heels. "What did you say?"

"I am indirectly telling you that your father was a much better leader than you will ever be and no matter how much you try to steer away from who you are, you will always be a Black Raven, you will always be exactly the same as your father."

That had it. Rephiam stormed over to him and punched him hard in the face. He pulled out his blade and cut Hotah free. He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Rephiam picked him up by his collar and he threw him away from the pole. He moved to him and picked him up before ramming his torso into his knee as three times before letting him drop to the floor. Rephiam kicked him in the side and then rolled him over with his foot. He got above Hotah and kneeled down and roughly grabbed him by his hair. "You can threaten the tribe, you can go against what I have been trying to accomplish for the tribe but two things you cannot do is touch Stevie Rae or compare me to my father." Rephiam growled in his ear before shoving his head into the ground and repeatedly punching his face with both his hands. After Rephiam as done placing a lot of well placed punches Rephiam stood and stepped over Hotah. Before deciding he was done he turned over Hotah again and pressed his face into the dirt before finally going into the lodge.

The Black Ravens stood around the badly beaten Hotah before Amaro started throwing out orders. "Chogan and Hothlepoya tend to him and then tie him back up to the pole. Wylie, you want to be a healer like your father, you go with them; watch and learn and do what they say if they ask. Reid, you and I are going hunting for food." They quickly moved into their positions. "Oh and one more thing you three, watch him and do not bother Rephiam. He is too pissed off right now."

Rephiam climbed the stairs to see Stevie Rae by the window. She was leaning on the wall waiting for him to come up. He mentally cursed himself and Hotah before pulling himself all the way into the loft. He acted as if he hadn't seen her, even though they both know that he had seen her, and went towards where he always go to sleep. She crawled over to him and gave him a sympathetic look. She really didn't care that she almost got raped moments ago. Right now Rephiam needs her. She looked down at his blood stained hands. She took one hand in hers and with the end of her skirt she started wiping off the blood. They stayed silent, not one had a thing to say. She was almost done with the second hand when his other hand came up and covered hers. She looked up at his face and he looked at her. It was a few seconds before he said something. "Are you alright? He did not hurt you?"

"I'm fine. It was a good thing you came in when you did."

He looked down at his clean hand. "I… I did not want you to see that."

"I'm sorry."

"No. I am. I am the monster."

"Rephiam, you're not a monster."

"Then why do I feel like one?"

The two fell asleep in each others arms and were not once disturbed by the others, especially not Hotah. The Black Ravens took shifts watching over Hotah while chores were still completed. Rephiam had ordered them before the morning fiasco that they would be moving out again and this time to finish off their almost three year plan. It was late afternoon when Rephiam awoke with a heavy sigh. He looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled. How could he ever live without her now, he couldn't even know. But he knew that it was something that would be much harder to obtain. As Rephiam moved she woke up too, though groggier than he did. "Rephiam?" She called to him softly. He shushed her and told her to go back to bed. She shook her head and sat up. "I'm not tired." She muttered.

He sighed and looked over her. "Are you alright?" He asked again. He wanted to make sure.

"I'm fine." She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Yeah…" He muttered as he went over to the ladder.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going to talk to Hotah." He climbed down the ladder and left the lodge, going straight towards Hotah. He saw that Hothlepoya was Hotah's watch guard.

"Rephiam." Hothlepoya greeted as he stood.

He looked up and smiled at Rephiam. "Ready to cut me loose?"

"Not a chance." He glared at Hotah, his anger still boiling beneath his skin. "I am only here to tell you that tomorrow when we are leaving you will stay in the back, away from us." Hotah scoffed but he made no attempt to counter. "You will stay out here tonight and will be only cut down moments before we leave, is that clear?"

"Like crystal Rephiam, like crystal."

Rephiam turned away from him and looked towards his brother. "You will be in charge of him."

"Me? Now I understand he is my brother but he—"

"I do not care Hothlepoya. Because you are his brother you will be in charge of him."

"I understand."

"Good. I am going back in. Round up the others for dinner and then you will feed him the scraps."

"Now that is a bit much."

"Is it?" Rephiam asked before he turned back into the lodge. The dinner was quiet and this time Stevie Rae sat next to Rephiam. Despite the fact that only Hotah tried to rape her he wasn't going to risk it with the others. Better if she was as close to him as possible. Stevie Rae had noticed this new sense of protectiveness and she didn't know wither to be taken in by it or fear it. She decided it was best to fear it because if Rephiam had distrusted his tribe members then she should distrust them also. After dinner Hothlepoya did as Rephiam instructed and fed his brother the table scraps. While the others started to fall asleep Stevie Rae and Rephiam waited until sleep to take over them. Since they had rested all day they were not at all a bit tired. She leaned against the wall of the loft and watched as Rephiam glared out the window. After a while she couldn't take it anymore. She crawled over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Rephiam, come away from the river. You'll make yourself sick."At first he didn't budge but when she started to pull him away gently he moved away and reluctantly turned his head away from the window. "I know you care Rephiam, but he's not gonna get out of that. He's tied up good. If I'm not worrying' you shouldn't."

"Once again Stevie Rae, you do not know them like I do." He looked at her and she swallowed at both his statement and the memories of the cliff. She sighed and let her hand fall from his shoulder. She was shocked when he took her hand and held onto it tightly. She squeezed her hand too and the two lay down side by side and once again fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning/Rephiam

I woke up and carefully pulled away from Stevie Rae. The first thing I am going to do this morning is wake up the others then go straight into preparing the horses. I climbed down the ladder and woke up the closest Raven to me, Wylie. "Wake up the others. I need to see Hotah." The kid nodded and went onto his task. I went outside where Mocker flew down to me immediately. He cawed and urgently flapped his wings. I stop and listen to him while I stare out into nothing. "What do you mean he is close?"

'Caw! Caw, caw! Caw, caw, caw, caw!' While I was hunting I saw him!

"Where is he?"

'Caw! Caw, caw, caw!' I do not know. He saw me and ran off.

"Hm. Get the other birds. We are moving out as soon as possible. If necessary we will skip breakfast." After one last caw he flew up behind the lodge.

"Skip breakfast?" Hotah asked. I looked over and saw as he tried to get a footing. "I am starving. Those scraps yesterday did a whole lot of nothing."

"Go cry a river." I told him. I then called for the horses.

"How do you expect me to perform well in battle if I am as weak as a day old pup?"

I look back at him for a second as the horses reach me. "You can eat on the way there." I suppose we can all eat on the way. I thought to myself as I lined up the horses. At that time Wylie came out and looked at the horses before talking to me.

"What's going on?"

"Get the others tell them to come out here. Also tell Amaro to go into the cellar and get the weapons and tell Chogan to quickly prepare the breakfast. We are eating on the go."

"Why, why are we rushed?" He stuttered.

"Just do what I tell you."

"Yes Chief." He then ran back in.

"Listening to me huh?" Hotah asked.

I groan and go in to wake Stevie Rae. The others have countless questions when I come in. I ignore them all. "Just set up the horses, get the weapons and be quick about it. Wylie if you have time set up Chogan's horse for him if he cannot." I climbed up and shook Stevie Rae by her shoulders. "Wake up."

"Huh? What? Rephiam?" She gradually sat up. "Is there a problem?"

"We are moving and quickly."

"Why?"

"Just get up, get ready and help the others if anything." I heard her stuttering, obviously confused by the way I am acting but I am in a hurry. If he came by and then ran that must mean that this is going to end soon and it is going to end, even if it is the last thing I do. I went outside and nodded as the others quickly prepared their horses. By that time Mocker and the other ravens flew down onto the roof. Mocker cawed and I nodded at him. "Good job Mocker."

"Rephiam, why are we in a hurry?" Hothlepoya asked while he prepared his horse and attached the Tomahawk and varies other weapons onto it.

"Kain was spotted by Mocker just outside The Valley." The others stopped briefly before quickening their pace. "My thoughts are that we are going to end this rivalry today and if you want my opinion I would not have it any other way." I took my bow and arrows and a saddlebag and prepared my horse. I also added a few more knifes and a Tomahawk.

"What about the girl?" Reid asked. He tied on his saddle and put his guns in there but he went towards the pile and got a set of knives as well.

"We are going to have to race to drop her off. If Kain came around here there is no doubt in my mind that he would come in here and check the place out. So take everything and make sure nothing of value is left behind."

"What about Hotah?" Amaro asked, he leaned on his finished horse and looked at me.

"Since you are done you set up his horse."

"What? You are really going to let him join us?"

"We need all the men we got."

Hotah chuckled and smiled at Amaro. "Yes, exactly."

Amaro glared at him. "Listen here, if you do anything towards her again—"

"Oh my spirits! You seriously have fallen in love with her! I was right!" He laughed evilly. I rolled my eyes walked over and punched him in the face. He groaned and I walked over to his horse since I finished with mine.

"Help me with this Amaro." While we prepared his horse I could not help but feel that I was being watched. I looked over to the lodge and sure enough there was Stevie Rae holding some bundled up food in her hands. She looked down nervously before coming out. She started handing out the food. Chogan came out a bit after her and handed out the rest. She stopped before me. "Stevie Rae, I need you to do something else for me." I left Amaro to finish off the horse while I pulled her away.

"What is it Rephiam?"

"I need you to pack up all your things and come back out here quickly." I leaned down and picked up the last knife and handed it to her. She looked down at the knife and then back at me. "I cannot guarantee that we will be able to get out of here without a problem, there might be a chance, but in the off sight, keep this with you."

"You don't think I have to use this right?" She asked me, her face filled with worry.

I turned and saw Hotah being cut down and lend to his horse. "I surely hope not."

The drama, the issues, the insanity! I'm eating popcorn while I'm writing this. Lol, jk, the popcorn would distract me. No but seriously, please review.