Chapter 17

                                    

                                          
Almost two weeks had come and gone. Daiki was with his father on the way back from his merciless training. His mood was more than horrible. His old man had used any feint to get his youngest to talk about the time he was away. Daiki had resisted, fought, and lost. He hadn't told his father how far he already had gone with the redhead, that was private. But Masahiro was sharp. Sharp enough to see that for his son, the man from the Kagami tribe was more than just a friend. Even if it would be only friends, without question, it wasn't something he would allow. Only over his dead body.
                          
As it was, both men were emitting auras of anger, almost murderous intent. Daiki, because he got told to never see the redhead again. Masahiro, because the Kagami tribe got into his territory. Even by accident, he wouldn't tolerate that. Years of fake freedom had led to that and he was furious to teach them a lesson. 
                          
Certainly, Daiki didn't know what his father was planning and currently, the only thing he could think of was a way to escape his old man's clutches and see the redhead again. 
                          
On the days he was with his father he couldn't even think once about the Kagami's guy. The training methods of his old man were just too harsh and exhausting. But when the night came and they finally, long after midnight, laid themselves down to sleep he let his mind wander into his very own dreamland. Blazing red eyes, sun-kissed strong body, and a furious voice, accompanied by a deeply flushed face occupied his dreams every night since he was brought back to his tribe. It drove him nuts sometimes but it also strengthened his resolve to see the hothead again no matter what. 
                          
The time of the monsoon was approaching and like always, their tribe prepared to move into higher regions, deeper into the jungle but also closer to the Kagami tribe. Daiki would use that when his father was distracted by other things. He had done it dozens of times in the past years and he also knew that he could count on his siblings to make a silent escape. But still, it felt like a decade till the time to pack up finally would arrive. For now, all he could do was holding his feet still and wait.
                          


                          
꧁✿.｡.:* ☆:**:..:**:.☆*.:｡.✿꧂

                          


                          
Deep, deep in the rainforest an old woman laid her last belongings into the liana basket and let her golden eyes wander one last time over the interior of her small hut. "Obaa-san are you ready?" A sovereign voice asked gently from the entrance.
                          
"Ah, Seijuurou. Come and help me with this." She waved her bony hand at him and handed her basket over when he approached her. They were moving out to find higher grounds like every year but this time the old woman felt that something was about to change. The stars whispered in her dreams and since a few weeks back, the colors similar to a rainbow would attract her eyes wherever she would go. 
                          
She clapped the young man on his back and closed the door behind her. For almost four months they wouldn't be back here and she made sure that no one could enter her little fortress. 
                          
Eventually, they got on their way. The young man followed the old woman without asking where they were going. As always, she knew where to go. It was like that since he was a toddler and not even once had doubted her decisions.
                          


                          
꧁✿.｡.:* ☆:**:..:**:.☆*.:｡.✿꧂

                          


                          
Kagetora shouldered his bow and quiver, stuck his knife into the holster at his waist, and looked at his daughter. "Riko-tan ..." His voice was serious as he nodded to her in agreement that he remembered their plan and would try to contact the light-blue haired male of the Aomine clan. Suddenly, Riko was squished in a tight embrace. "I will miss you, my little baby girl. Give Papa a goodbye kiss." 
                          
Moist tipped lips came closer to her cheek and a vein almost popped at her temple. She chopped the edge of her hand at her father's head. "Stop that right now! Moa~ disgusting." and stepped back. "But Riko-tan!" Kagetora wailed and looked with puppy eyes at his only daughter. "Fine, fine. I will miss you, too. And now go. Go! The kids are already waiting for you." She wagged her hand at him and glared. 
                          
"Yes, ma'am. I will be on my way then. If something happens ..." 

"I know! It's not the first time you are away. Stop making a fuss every single time, moa~."
                          
She pushed her father out of their tent and clapped him on his shoulder. "Take care, Papa." Kagetora waved and got to the little group which was standing on the border of the small village. Soon they moved out. Learning how to hunt, survive and defend themselves. Living in the jungle wasn't easy and every citizen of the tribe did his best to teach their children how to survive in this misanthropic environment.
                          
"Are they going already?" Taiga moved from his seat and stood beside Riko who looked at the shrinking backs. "Yes, they will be away for a month and we will meet them at the new place." She watched the redhead out of the corner of her chocolate-brown eyes and saw the longing to go with them which emitted out of every pore of the chieftains' son. 
                          
Taiga wasn't out of the village since he got back from his little journey. His father had it forbidden and gave him useless tasks that didn't help to divert the redhead's mind off of a certain Aomine tribe's guy. Currently, he was making flour for the flatbread everyone loved to eat and when Taiga made it, it tasted especially good. So he didn't complain much since it would make everyone happy. But he wanted nothing more than to see the bluenette eating his cooking and that made his heart twitch in pain, because it would never happen again. He averted his eyes and got back to his work. 
                          
A sorrowful sigh escaped Riko's mouth, wishing she could help him. Tell him that they had a plan and her father was about to carry it out. But if it failed, the brave, by everyone well-liked male would crumble even more and no one wanted that to happen. It was bad enough as it was. More and more angry looks were directed at his father for his crude behavior towards his only son. If he dragged it further out chances were good that someone demanded a change in the leadership position and that could mean that their tribe would fall apart.
                          
Some family issues became tribe issues once in a while and if the boiling point was reached, there was no going back. Her father and other older citizens of the clan, sometimes told the old stories, how the Kagami tribe was formed. In the end, within those tales, laid the truth about how the once big clan was split and two tribes, the Aomine and Kagami, were born. Since then, territorial fights would happen until the great grandfathers of the current chieftains came to an agreement on how to prevent more casualties and the still existing boundaries were drawn. By the time, nineteen years back, they lived in peace and even formed some new friendships between the two tribes. Until something similar to now happened and every friendly gesture broke apart. 
                          
Riko snapped out of her deep thoughts as a huge hand landed on her shoulder. "Yo, Riko. I called you three times already. Junpei and I wanted to go down to the cliff to get some colored earth and flowers. You want to come with us?" Teppei smiled at her and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at the waiting slender black-haired male which was already tapping his foot in annoyance on the ground. "How long does it take you two to get moving? We don't have the whole day!" Junpei shouted and crossed his arms over his chest as his two friends slowly approached him. 
                          
"Really, get your temper under control. You get worse by the day." Riko slapped the back of his head as she walked past him with a twitching eyebrow. "Nee, do you two still remember why our and the Aomine clan got into fights again? I was thinking about the stories the elders told but I can't quite remember."
                          
"Hm, that isn't often told. I don't know either. What about you Junpei?" Teppei mused out and looked at his friend's sour face. "Like hell, I know! I was like six the last time I heard that story. And now get your asses moving, I want to be back before the sun sets." He stormed off followed by Teppei and Riko who shrugged their shoulders and left the question alone for now. But inside Riko had the feeling that the tale, which no one could quite remember, would maybe lead them to a conclusion for the problem with Taiga. She would investigate it when they came back from their errand.