"Look what you've done," Brother Tomo scolded his friend. "You desperately need tutoring in conquest. You catch thieves and rogues with a rope, but not your coming singer." Torin stood up with the man in his arms and had become visibly concerned. Had he acted too roughly?

"Do you think ... he holds a grudge?" he asked little Skippy beside him as they made their way to his cave. The little red-haired boy thought for a moment.

"Hmm, ... Master Mori chan pretty well remembers every tiny prank we play on him. Then he always makes us do detention and lots of homework, or pulls our ears, or sometimes he even gives us a slap. So ... I would say ... yeah?" Torin Hood gritted his teeth and made a playfully startled face.

"Uhhh, I'm really in trouble now. Is there anything I can do to appease him again?" he then wanted to know.

"Oh yes, Maid Mori chan likes strawberries, he loves them. All his female admirers gather these red berries at this time of year to score with him. ... And he always sits on a lambskin because he thinks there is nothing warmer than that and ... he likes to sing, very often in fact and also ... quite beautifully," the student said and towards the end, it almost sounded a little admiring. Torin's brain was going at high speed. He could fulfill any of these wishes!

Confidently, he bedded the sleepy one down, put a cooling bandage around Mori chan's injured ankle and asked Little Ryo to keep a guarded eye on their future member. Then he set off with Skippy to search for the coveted fruit.

"I owe you a great thanks. Without your help, I probably would have had to beat him unconscious to get to him." He winked at the little one, who was growing taller with pride.

"That was a small thing for me. And ... if you need my help, I'll be by your side ... even if now Maid Mori ..." The redhead pulled a pout, knowing as a small child he would never be taken as seriously as an adult. Besides, he was not blind. The guiding care that the folk hero gave to his victim could not be overlooked. He glanced up at the tall blond man and saw his satisfied smile. "You ... like him, ... don't you?" Torin's dreamy gaze turned to the blue sky shining through the treetops.

"Oh yes, ... I love ... his voice."

Mori chan yawned. It was dark around him as he heavily forced his eyelids to open. He stretched and winced in pain at the same moment. His right ankle hurt like hell, and he had that rascal to thank for it all. He wanted to pull his legs carefully to him, but was horrified to find that now the left one was tied in a sling.

"Oh no, ... I am almost dead. This cave will be my grave," he wailed, his fingers digging convulsively into the soft ground on which he lay. At least he had been bedded on fur. Sheep, to his great delight, as it smelled of lanolin and wool. "Lord in heaven, please let it pass quickly and painlessly," he pleaded, searching the dark room for Torin Hood. It was silent, only his own agitated breathing could be heard and not the slightest shadow stirred. How much longer would he have. How many minutes remained before the folk hero would finally finish him off. Even if he loosened the rope around his leg with his hands, which were curiously not in shackles, the injured ankle might prevent him from escaping. Or ... should he try? He would have to crawl, at least out of the cave, hide somewhere in the thicket and wait until someone found him, or he would starve to death. No, that option would be the wrong one. There should be another way to escape the clutches of the blond, but in the end the injured man had no choice, because the voices at the entrance of the cave called Mori chan's attention. The low spoken words came from Torin Hood, he was quite sure.

"What are you doing out here? Didn't I specifically ask you to watch him? What if he runs away?" The lying man rolled his eyes.

"What a wooden head that hero is." The person addressed in front of the cave, could not be assigned by the teacher.

"But, ... I was paying attention. He sleeps like a rock, and I just wanted to relieve myself for a moment. Besides, I tied him down..."

"You what?!" And then fast footsteps could be heard and Mori chan began to sweat. Deeper and deeper he sank into the white, fluffy fur. His heartbeat raced with fear, or excitement? What should he do? How to react? He could yell at him, angrily berate him, or plead and beg for his release. So the just awakened man closed his eyes again and pretended to be asleep. There was simply no time for productive thought, because Torin was already approaching him, muttering angry words under his breath.

"No one should be tied up in their own home." Yet he could imagine why Ryo had done that. The skinny companion, was a cautious type and didn't trust anyone over his own path. And it would be no different with Mori chan. "You shouldn't have," the blond whispered as he knelt beside his camp and set down the bowl of strawberries. With gentle grips, he loosened the sling around the leg. As he did so, he stroked the bare skin of the dainty foot, marveling at how feminine his prey was. His skin was so delicate and even the hair on it, quite sparse. A heavy breathing was the reaction of the smaller one, to the unconscious caresses and at that he winced notably.

"Mori chan? ... Are you still asleep?"

'Yes, damn it!" came no reply.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I promised not to come close to you anymore ..."

'So what about it!' the teacher spoke to him in his mind.

"But ... someone had to bandage your injury and, most importantly, make sure you were softly bedded. ... I hope ... my sleeping place meets your expectations."

'Your sleeping place!!! Oh, my goodness ...' And as he took a deep breath to keep from crying out loud, he smelled something else besides the typical lambskin smell. He dug his nose into the white fluff to resist the urge to check on his beloved berries, getting another note in his mind that reminded him of the moments he was so shamelessly at the mercy of the folk hero. Whose masculine scent beguiled him and caused that dizziness he now felt again. Hanging helplessly from the tree as he had last, he unconsciously groaned aloud.

"Mori chan? Are you awake?"

'Arg ... grrr... no!" The addressed turned on his back with narrowed eyes to give the curious one a better look at his slumbering face. He muttered something to himself as if he was dreaming and hoped Torin would fall for it.

Which the latter actually did, ... or was he just playing dumb?

"Brother Tomo, what should I do? He won't wake up and now he's talking nonsense. Maybe he has a fever and in the end he'll die of thirst or starve to death. Look at him, he's so thin and ... delicate." That sounded genuinely concerned and Mori chan was able to relax a little again. What a fool this man was. Breathing a sigh of relief, he listened to the conversation until Torin's companions revealed their wisdom regarding wake-up methods.

"How about a bucket of cold water? Or, just shake him hard. I'm sure he's tougher than you think," Little Ryon opined, eyeing the folk hero's camp suspiciously.

"Why so rough," the other countered, winking in Torin's direction. "I'm for gentler things. ... Feed him the berries, brush his hair, or massage his healthy foot."

"Hey? ..." Ryo complained, "Yell at him or slap his face!"

"Oh no, play your instrument for him or just kiss him awake," Brother Tomo grinned.

"I thank you for your help and well-intentioned advice. You have inspired me greatly," the hero assured his friends, waving goodbye.

"Well then, have a successful night," the two still wished, disappearing from the small dark cave and leaving their leader alone.

The injured man had just felt reasonably comfortable, feeling the warmth and softness of the fur with the smell of strawberries in his nose. But as the two companions took their leave, he gritted his teeth in disapproval.

"Mori chan? Are you still asleep?"

'Fucking hell! YES!' Torin just couldn't resist. His faithful friend Tomo was a genius in matters of love. So wise and learned, that's why the folk hero would take his advice. But before that, he put some of the fruit in his own mouth and enjoyed the fruity treat. Then he bent over the sleeping man, who suddenly began to blink. When Mori chan saw the face of the blond coming closer and closer, he held his breath.

The next moment he felt Torin's fingers on his forehead, gently brushing aside some tangled curls. A touch of that strawberry scent floated between them, eliciting an expectant sigh from the prone man.

"I will do anything to please you. ... But don't do anything ... that you don't want," Torin murmured softly and the addressed man already thought to feel those wonderfully curved lips on his, but then the mixture of man and berry evaporated, and the distancing footsteps told the lanky man that his tormentor had let go of him. He groaned in surrender and only now realized how tense his whole body was. There was this desire for more, which he knew only from the lonely nights in which he worked hard on himself until he reached the liberating point, only to feel stupid and dirty afterwards.

'What has that blond rogue done to me?' The heat on his cheeks, the fire in his crotch, the rapidly pounding heart, the sweaty hands ... "I ... I'm ... in love? ... Oh God, I'm ... in love," he groaned breathlessly, tears obscuring his vision. He felt so helplessly at the mercy of this unknown circumstance, so willing and ready, that he straightened up despite the pain in his foot. He glanced around at the sound of guitars that suddenly entered the cave and showed him the way to his desired destination. Gritting his teeth, he hobbled a little way toward the exit, and only when he pushed aside the hanging leather like a curtain did the last rays of the setting sun dazzle him.

Torin sat on a stone, his eyes closed and a dreamy smile around his mouth. In his hands he held a guitar almost lovingly, and the nimble fingers played a melody that sounded very familiar to Mori chan.

'I didn't know it could be played so beautifully. How does he know my self-composed song?' Overwhelmed by what he heard and saw, the lanky teacher began to sing, took a few more shaky steps closer, and gave expression to all his feelings in his delicate voice.

"My baby, sweet baby

I see you smiling when I close my eyes.

I miss you, need you now,

that much I can say. Yes, I'm home.

Gently wrapped around me, driving me crazy.

If I can just feel your touch,

is all I need.

Tell me. It needs no words.

Oh, oh, baby, sweet baby

Torin had stood up, continued to pluck the strings of his instrument, and slowly walked toward the singer, who murmured the last syllables into the cool evening sky. As they faced each other, Mori chan leaned on the taller one. His hand long on Torin's shoulder, relieving pressure on his throbbing ankle. Slowly he raised his head, trying to search for an answer in the features of the man before him. But the blond still let out a string or two, looking very focused, almost as if in Trace.

"Torin?"

"Hm...?" Mori chan cleared his throat in embarrassment:

"I ... I am awake now ..."

"Hmmm ..." the shorter one only earned a mischievous grin.

'Arg ... either he likes to embarrass me or he's really a little slow on the uptake,' the singer thought to himself and slid his fingers down his counterpart's neck to push him down a little further. But even before their eyes met, the teacher was now struck with fear. A thought forced itself into his brain, a memory of the letter, of the hero's spidery writing. "I love your voice ..." was written there, clearly ... the voice. Instantly he withdrew his hand and stumbled backward, regardless of his terrible pain.

"I ... am ... sorry," he stammered in confusion, wanting to turn around, but Torin had already put his guitar aside and pulled the stumbling teacher back to him.

"Stay with me, ... please." The deep voice caused a hot shiver down Mori chan's spine, and as he looked up at Torin with flushed cheeks, there was no longer any doubt. Never in his life had his heart failed to beat so hard and fast, no food, no matter how tasty, failed to satisfy his stomach like this. All he saw in those big sleepy eyes was infinite tenderness, sincere and honest.

"It's a pity ... that you don't sleep anymore. ... I would like to have awake you ..." Torin leaned forward, touched with the tip of his nose, Mori chan's cheek and smiled promisingly. "... with a ..." The rest of the sentence was smothered, by soft full lips that closed that tiny gap to finally experience the sweet taste.

"You're a thief, ... Torin Hood," the smaller one whispered between soft kisses.

"I know, ...but your heart, Maid Mori chan, is certainly the most precious thing I have ever stolen in my life. ... And I'll never let go of it again."