“Standig, wait up!” Lolo sprinted down the path, catching up to him a little out of breath. "I was looking for you."

"Why were you looking for me?"

"I wanted to see you! We’ve been here for two weeks already, and we haven’t had a chance to hang out together yet, just the two of us. I finished my report last night specifically so we could hang out."

"You did?”

“Yes! Why? Is that so hard to believe?”

Standig shrugged. “I thought you’d want to spend the weekend with Fortus or Ulana or your brothers. I wasn’t expecting you to have time for me.”

Lolo sped up to cut Standig off and make him stop to talk to her. “That makes me sad, Standig. I know I’ve had a lot of weird, unexpected stuff going on, but I really was looking forward to spending time with you this summer. I feel like it’s been ages since I was able to have a really good conversation with you.”

“It’s been about a year. Since that week before the Dragon Tribe exchange.”

“Exactly! And last year we didn’t get a chance to really explore partner meditation like we'd planned. I spent this year studying all those papers you transcribed for me. And I haven’t had a sparring match with you in ages. And all the things, Standig!!”

Standig had been trying really hard to appear aloof and indifferent, but Lolo had an uncanny ability to melt right through his defenses. He smiled despite himself. “What do you want to do today?”

Lolo beckoned Standig closer with her finger and he bent down for her. She jumped to wrap her arms around his neck in a giant hug, and his arms wrapped around her waist as he stood up straight, lifting her off the ground and causing her to squeak a little.

“I’ve missed you, Standig. But seriously, you need to stop growing already. Being up this high is kind of terrifying.”

Standig laughed. “Sorry, I’d stop if I had any say in the matter.”

Lolo sighed. “You know, I’ve never thought of myself as being particularly short before, but I was looking around the other day at all the trainees, and I am easily the smallest person here. The shortest guy is probably Fengli, but he had one of those annoying teenage boy growth spurts and hit the six foot mark this year. Even Ulana has five plus inches on me at five eleven.”

“At least you’re not as small as Et’zana.”

“That’s true. But she didn’t come this year. At any rate, Standig, would you please put me down?”

“Oh. Right.”

As he set her down, Lolo felt her heart drop into her stomach and she clung to Standig's arm like a frightened cat until she was back on the ground. “So, Standig, anything you would like to do today?”

“Let’s maybe catch up first?”

“I’d like that. Oh! That reminds me! I saw this garden on the west side of the palace with a whole bunch of water features that looked fun to explore. I’d be willing to bet that there’s a good spot there to sit and talk. Interested?”

“Lead the way.”

The garden was truly spectacular. Full of ponds, fountains, waterfalls, and streams connecting everything together, bridges seemed to be everywhere.

Lolo bounced around the garden happily. “I’ve always loved a good water garden. There’s something peaceful about the way water lilies and lotuses float and bob on the water, and there’s something therapeutic about the sound of running water.”

“Mn,” Standig agreed.

“So, Standig, tell me about your life since the dragon exchange.”

“Well, as you already know, Philige accepted the Pahaad villagers and helped them rebuild west of the Leader’s Lodge. They named the settlement ‘New Pahaad’, which I find confusing in conversations. The villagers keep to themselves, so they fit right in with the Bear Tribe. I don’t see them much. Shanti is probably the most outgoing person out of the entire village, but even she is fairly reserved.”

“How are they settling in?”

“I think they are doing alright. They haven't said otherwise. I visited the village last month to ask Shanti if she was joining the exchange for her final year. Her garden smells good.”

“I miss Shanti.”

“You could come visit this autumn, see New Pahaad?”

“I should! I’ll have to talk my dad into letting me go. So what about you, Standig? What have you been up to?”

“Oh. Nothing much. Philige assigned me to update our military training methods. I have to admit, Lolo, last summer was brutal, but I did learn something about military training.”

“I’ve been thinking about that too. Tamkhee actually wasn’t a bad teacher.”

“Well, except that he’s the enemy with questionable ethics that beat you to a bloody pulp. I’m still angry about that incident.”

“I think there are more important things in this world to worry about than me getting beat up a year ago.”

“You mean like a war?”

“For one. So, how did you update your military training?”

“Practice swords and sparring until you make a killing stroke. We’ve also increased our physical training.”

“Same with the Wolf Tribe. My dad had me work with Captain Jianshu this year to update our training methods. We’ve had more injuries this year than the last five years combined, but I think that with the very real threat of war, there is value in learning how to fight to kill without hesitation.”

“Isn’t that the grisly truth,” Standig brooded.

“Well, anything else? Anything fun?”

“Not really.”

“It was that kind of year, I guess,” Lolo agreed. “So then what do you think about the Lion Tribe exchange?”

“I’ve been appreciating the scrimmages. Learning how to think on your feet and make battle plans are good skills to be learning right now. I’m thinking that I will incorporate some battle simulations into our military training when I get back home.”

“Me too. It’s been fun to work as a team! And you’re right that the scrimmages teach a different kind of skill set than just sparring matches and exercise.”

“So what about you, Lolo? What do you think of the Lion Tribe?”

“Oh, it’s been a little intense,” she chuckled.

“How do you mean?”

“Well, our military training is challenging, and our cultural lessons are different. I quite like Scandunt’s teaching style. He spends most of the week teaching us about an aspect of their culture and then lets us go and explore it for ourselves. It’s been kind of exciting, but also a little overwhelming.”

“And then there’s the matter of faking a relationship with Fortus,” Standig rolled his eyes.

Lolo was surprised that Standig bothered to bring that point up. “Yeah, that’s complicated things, I’ll admit.”

“You seem to be enjoying it though.”

“Standig!”

“What?!”

“I’d expect a comment like that from Ulana, but from you...?”

“Well, what did you expect me to say about it?”

“Frankly, nothing. You’ve been working very hard to ignore my relationship with Fortus. Why bring it up now?”

“I thought we were catching up,” Standig shrugged, but Lolo caught something in his tone that made her feel the need to investigate.

“Does it bother you?”

“Your fake relationship with Fortus?”

“Yeah. Does it bother you?”

“Why would it bother me?”

“You’re deflecting the question…. So it does bother you?”

“Again, why would it bother me?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

Standig didn’t have an answer for her. “Lolo, what is your relationship with Fortus?”

“What do you mean?”

“Last night he called you his closest friend. You’re posing as his girlfriend, and, well, you’re a little too good at faking it. I’m not sure where your real relationship ends and your fake one begins.”

Lolo slumped onto the grass. “I’ll let you know when I figure that out.”

Standig joined her on the ground. “Meaning?”

“Meaning it’s complicated, and I’m confused right now.”

Standig wasn’t sure where to go with that and tried to channel Philige. “Do you like him?”

“As a person, yes.”

“Ok. Do you have feelings for him?”

“As a friend, yes.”

“How about as more than a friend?”

“I don’t know. That’s the part I’m trying to figure out.”

“Lolo, how did you and Fortus become friends in the first place?”

“Kind of the same way that you and I became friends, actually.” She laughed softly at the comparison. “I wore him down until he accepted me, and the various traumas of last summer’s exchange kind of forced us to trust each other and gave us something to bond over.”

“Sounds familiar,” Standig admitted. “So, would you say that our relationship and your relationship with Fortus are pretty similar?”

“You could say that, I suppose. What’s your point?”

“Well, let’s pretend for a moment that I'm the one you’re in a fake relationship with.”

“Ok?”

“Would you be all flirty and snuggly with me like you are with Fortus?”

Lolo blushed. “I mean, yeah. I would be willing to do the same thing for you.”

“But would you be able to be convincing with me?”

“Well, that would depend a lot on you, actually,” Lolo countered. “The reason I can be convincing with Fortus is because we are both comfortable enough with each other to just let things unfold naturally. I’m pretty comfortable with you, Standig, but the nature of our relationship is different. I kind of think of you as one of my brothers. But, hypothetically, if you were to flirt with me and give me a reason to change that element in our relationship, then, sure, we could put on a pretty convincing act.”

“So your relationship with Fortus is actually very different from your relationship with me.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose so. Yes.”

The conversation stalled out, and Lolo stood up to further explore the garden. Standig got up to follow her. She found a giant pool with a stone wall built around it that was too tempting not to climb on.

Standig grinned. “You’d better be careful up there.”

“Why? Are you worried?”

“Nope,” he said. Lolo got a weird sense of deja vu from this conversation.

Suddenly, Standig shoved her into the water.

“Standig!” she came up spluttering with her make-up running.

Standig was laughing so hard, he had to hold onto the wall to stay upright.

Lolo pulled herself back out of the pool and tackled him to share the joy of being soaking wet. At some point, both Standig and Lolo ended up in the pool water, splashing and laughing at each other.

***

Fortus woke up around two in the morning drenched in sweat and breathing hard. Carefully, so as not to disturb his father, he climbed out of bed and got dressed. He needed some fresh air to help clear his head after yet another nightmare. After the play last week, his nightmares had become more frequent again-- he was getting them about every other night.

He started walking what felt like an aimless path, but habit took him to the courtyard surrounded by the guesthouses where the trainees were staying. The first three rooms were for the Bear Tribe guests. Next the Phoenix Tribe. Then the Wolf Tribe. The very last room was Huo Lohse’s. He stopped, not really sure why he was there, and turned to head back home. Something made him stop dead in his tracks. Someone was crying, struggling, whimpering. They sounded frightened and helpless. “Lolo!”

Fortus was hit with an incredible punch of adrenaline as he ran to her door and started knocking. Without an immediate response, Fortus prepared to kick the door down.

“Hello?” came a groggy voice.

“Lolo! Are you ok?”

“Fortus?”

He could hear uneven footsteps staggering to the door.

“Hey? Are you ok?” she asked, opening the door to him. She too looked a little sweaty.

“Lolo, I heard… I thought… are you ok?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m ok. I was having a nightmare. You might have heard the product of that. As awful as it sounds, they’re kind of normal now. But why are you here?”

“I, um, well. I was taking a walk.”

“In the middle of the night?”

He sighed. “Actually, I had a nightmare too. I was out to clear my head before heading back to bed.”

“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Well, since you’re awake, I could use a friend if you were willing. It’s just hard to be alone after, you know, being confronted by your deepest fears.”

“Yeah. I get that. Do you want to come in?”

“Is that ok?”

“Come on,” Lolo said, working to rub some of the sleep out of her eyes. “Just like old times,” she teased.

“What do you mean?”

“Back at the Dragon Tribe, I’d wake up from my nightmares and you’d help me calm down and get back to sleep.”

Fortus smiled grimly. “Yeah, back in the good ol’ days.”

Lolo took his hand and brought him over to the enormous bed to tuck him in before climbing in herself on the other side. She rolled toward the middle of the bed so they could be close enough to talk.

“Are you sure this is ok, Lolo?”

She turned around to grab one of the oversized body pillows that no one was using and set it down between them at waist-level as a sort of barrier. “Feel better?”

“A little,” he grinned.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

“It’s always the same one. I’ve already told you about it.”

She nodded sleepily. “Do you need a hug?”

“I wouldn’t turn down a hug if you’re offering.”

Lolo scooted closer to rest her head on Fortus’s shoulder and drape an arm across his chest. Fortus slipped an arm under her head and drew her as close to him as the pillow between them would allow. Lolo quickly fell back to sleep, and Fortus relaxed holding his unharmed, quietly sleeping friend in his arms.

He looked down at her, so trusting and peaceful, and brushed some stray hair out of her face. His hand lingered by her cheek and he began to mindlessly trace the features of her face. She started to stir, and he stopped, not really wanting to disturb her as she curled in closer to him, her face burrowing into his neck.

“Lolo?”

“Hm?”

His hand found her cheek again, and before he even realized what he was doing, he kissed her. And she kissed him back. At some point amidst the ensuing flurry of passion, the pillow between them was discarded.

Fortus woke up extremely confused and a little too warm for comfort. Lolo was still sleeping peacefully against his shoulder, the pillow hadn’t budged. He worked to extract his arm from under her head without waking her, but he was unsuccessful.

“Fortus? Are you alright?”

“I need to go, Lolo.”

"Is everything ok?”

“I shouldn’t be here.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, you’re a girl, I’m a boy, we're both attracted to each other….”

“That’s what the pillow is for.”

He had to smile at her innocence and rested the palm of his free hand against her cheek. “You and I both know that if I really wanted to do something to you, a pillow wouldn’t stop me.”

“Are you saying that you really want to do something to me?”

“I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind.”

“There’s a big difference between thinking about something and doing it.”

“But still, I shouldn’t be here.”

“If you feel that way. Fortus, I trust that you would never do anything to hurt me. But if you don’t feel like you can trust yourself, I understand. It’s your call.”

He looked down and smirked to see that Lolo hadn’t even bothered to open her eyes for this exchange. “Lolo, I need to go before I do something that I can’t take back. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Ok.” She sat up to release his trapped arm, eyes still closed, and rolled over, instantly asleep again.

Fortus couldn’t help but laugh a little as he saw himself out and shut the door carefully behind him.

***

“We need to talk.” Lolo pulled Fortus aside after combat training the next morning.

"Yeah," Fortus sighed a little reluctantly.

"Can you explain to me what happened last night?"

"Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember! Half asleep or not, that sort of thing is kind of hard to forget. I just want to understand why it happened."

"Well, like I said, I was on a walk after a nightmare-"

"No. Not that part. The part where you got up to leave citing the fact that we are attracted to each other and saying that you had to go before you did something. What was that all about?"

Fortus suddenly felt hot around the collar. "Uh. Well. You said you trusted me to not hurt you. Last night, I felt like my judgement was impaired, so I left."

"You were protecting me from yourself?"

He nodded.

She grinned at his discomfort. “What were you thinking of doing, exactly?”

“U-um,” he stammered. “Are you really going to make me say it out loud? At the time, I was holding a beautiful girl in my arms while lying on a bed. Use your imagination.”

Her demeanor became serious again. "Do we need to talk about this?"

"What is there to say?"

"You tell me."

"Lolo, last night was a mistake. I shouldn't have been in your room and put you in that kind of danger."

Lolo narrowed her eyes, studying his expression. "Last night really rattled you."

"It did. I would never be able to forgive myself if I'd hurt you or taken advantage of you, Lolo. Last night came too close for comfort."

She nodded. "So what do you want to do about it?"

"You have an annoying knack for getting straight to the point and asking the hardest possible questions to answer," Fortus shook his head. "We said we are just friends, right? Which is fine, but if that's the case, then we need to start acting like we are just friends. Whatever this is, it’s getting too confusing."

“You’re right. This is confusing. To be honest, had you done something last night, I’m not even sure how I would have responded.”

“Are you saying that you have feelings for me?”

Lolo shook her head. “My feelings haven’t changed. I still just think of you as my friend, but it is getting too easy to get closer and more intimate with you.”

“Then we should stop this right here.”

Lolo's eyes flickered with an incoming tease. "Are you dumping me?"

Fortus laughed. "I guess I am."

"What about your stalkers?"

He smiled. "Oh, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. You've already given them a lot of reasons to back off, so thank you for your help."

"Well, it's been fun, Fortus." She slugged him in the shoulder and laughed when he flinched. "Fair warning, I'm out of practice just being friends with you. This is going to feel a little awkward for a while."

"Same here."