Throughout the night, things were tense. Too tense. River could feel the animosity coming off from his skin. It was like those deodorants that lasted too long.

They slept on their sides, no one daring to speak. She felt almost guilty but then shook it off. He did the same thing to her. This was the only right way to counteract.

She was so not sorry about what she did.

The bastard needed a taste of his own medicine and she had shoved it down his throat with the spoon itself.

In the morning, things began to look up. Well, just for her.

She kept her smirky face lit up whenever he walked by or when he spoke to other tribals and he happened to meet her gaze, her heart careened.

He was promising her one thing through those blackmailing eyes. Vindication at it's brightest and at it's pinnacle.

Surprisingly, she kept waiting for it but he never appeared. In fact, he didn't even talk to her. This went on and somehow the whole tribe understood the animus between them.

Yuri seemed to glow nowadays because he thought things were back to normal. His son was free from the witch's snare and Yisrael was back to the man he was.

River also noticed how his gold bands had come off. It was thought provoking that he only wore the bands when he was with her.

She had only seen them off twice. The first time she met him and now.

Did it signify something too? Just like her pearls did?

Tired of waiting for three whole days, her shields dropped and thinking, maybe she actually did win. Finally!

Yisrael is out!

Then her shoulder dropped. Yisrael out?

She had wanted to still continue to play this plucky game with him and she had hoped he would keep it going. Keep his furtive advances coming. Yet nothing.

Heated on the inside and having nothing else to do, she initiated a new bond with his little brother, Yori.

The small boy kept chatting away in his broken English and she helped him by supplying him the right words.

He caught on quick and asked her if she could teach him some more. She didn't mind. The little man was adorable and annoying but she could bear it.

They were sitting outside the cavern where he had brought her to bathe privately. The bats didn't scare her anymore and she felt the secluded nature of the place welcoming.

The village was too crowded and any movement of hers was caught by some Iborian and a look of judgement was passed at her.

Not that she cared but it just goes to show that even if they were some mysterious tribe that was hidden away, people will remain the same.

They are judgmental, uncaring and wasn't the one to open their arms and greet new comers into the popular club.

Chris was having a blast with his on going lame ass project but lately, she had been noticing that he wandered off to isolated areas with his bag. She didn't know why that look a wee bit suspicious.

She didn't follow him because she thought it was probably to do more research and she wanted to keep some distance after she saw him coming out with ruffled clothes from some Iborian woman's tent.

So he had time to cavort with them but not her. She plainly ignored him throughout the day and it was easy because she realized he wasn't as enticing as she thought he would be.

However, there was something going on and her stomach rolled with surmise and it had something to do with this tribe.

The Iborians may look like a normal passing by natives but there was some power working. Each day they seemed more stronger and bigger.

Yori would at times impart knowledge on their customs of rituals. How they all hailed to this one deity, a god below the forest. He who gives them the power to live longer.

It was all very strange and at first, River thought it was croak.

Until she found out accidentally from Yori that his father was 5oo years old and still going powerful. He also mentioned something that Yisrael was to be the next leader but his father wasn't ready to relinquish his control.

It seemed as if whoever becomes the leader has his hands on a very indestructible source. She listened attentively only to have Yori again bored of the conversation and he changed topics.

She didn't know if it was intentional but the boy was too smart for his age. He was ten but he spoke as if he was fifteen years old even with the broke syllables.

"Do you like- any guys?"

She wasn't even surprised with his question. She shrugged and played with leaves. "Nope."

"But- but you like Yisrael."

"What? No! Eww!" She began to pluck out all the leaves in a hurry. She hated that she acted so defensive. Where was her controlled temperament?

Yori's brow scrunched. "My brother is not eww. He is a good man."

She snorted. Yeah right. A good man who likes to spank ass, take his own release and is a bloody sexist. Sounds like a good man.

"Yori. Your brother is...what's the word?" She snapped her fingers, trying to think of the right phrase.

The problem was there was none.

She can't seem to come up with any words even from the leather bound dictionary that was kept in front of them.

Yori impatiently waited. "He is what? Tell me."

"I'm telling you. He is..he is...uh.." Fuck, who was Yisrael?

"Looks like you are out of words, River."

Her spine stilled. Every fucking time he creeps out of nowhere and she still couldn't hear him.

She looked around for him but she couldn't see him. Tugging on her sleeves, she glanced at Yori who pointed up.

And as her gaze went up and up, there he was. Holding a thick vine that was coiled around his fist as he sat on one of the highest branch of the rain forest canopy.

Bastard knew how to climb too? Did he know everything?

"Yori go home. Father is looking for you."

Oh no. She did not want to be alone again with him. She had finally accepted the end of this illusionary entertainment and now that she has, she refused to go back in to it.

She grabbed Yori's small arms before he stood up, looking at him pleadingly. "Stay here. Please."

Yori blinked with confusion but nevertheless sat back when Yisrael barked out something in his language and the little brat sprinted away.

Just great. Some friend.

"So found any words yet for me?"

She glared up at him and his eyes twinkled with mischief. He was in a good mood apparently.

Something which caught River by surprise. Wasn't he all broody and oozing of acrimony?

She just denied him his pleasure, he should all trampling around, his fury barking out at everyone but no, evidently he looked fucking cheerful.

That does it! He doesn't deserve to be happy while she rots in misery.

She snapped at him, standing up. She shook her empty fist at him. "Actually you don't deserve a word. You are obsolete! Archaic! Vieux jeu! Prehistoric! Bygone! Démodé!"

His boisterous laugh rankled her further.

"Seems like you do have words for me. What do they mean?"

"All of them mean you are fossilized."

"So you just kept rambling on words with the same meaning?" He spoke to her, fatuously. Like he was displeased by her. Like she was some student and she had failed her master.

Fucking brute!

Unable to keep it in, she stomped on her foot and shouted. "You are dead to me!"

She began to walk back to the narrow passage. She was simply done with him when he swooped down like some Tarzan, snaking his brawny arm around her waist and pulled them back up with the vine to the branch he sat on.

She grabbed onto him, her eyes closed as she squealed. When they didn't move anymore, he whispered into her ears.

His breath was like dew drops of water and it swayed her. Tingling her neck and other sensitive areas.

"Open your eyes."

When she did, her breath caught. She saw the sun. Out in the open with the trees tops beneath the sky acting like the ocean.

The majesty and size of the view was simply breathtaking. A coupe of jays screened high out from different trees, their sounds almost natural and poetic.

The simpering wind had mulchy mix of refreshing fragrance of the leaves and woody incense.

This was another world altogether.

She glanced down and her head spun at how high up she was.

The branch holding them was sturdy and thick. It was big and wide enough to hold the both of them but it still freaked her out.

Just one moment her feet were on the ground and now they were coiled around him like a snake as they sat up high in the canopy.

She was on his lap, her thighs wrapped around his waist. She clung on to him for dear life as she gazed back into his dark eyes.

"How did you do that?"

"Well, like you said we are fossils. Fossils of an old mystic time. We were supposed to be extinct but here we are still living and breathing."

"You didn't answer my question."

He saddled back against the trunk of the tree. His legs dangled either side of the thick bough.

He looked like he did this hundredths of times. So easy going and unruffled. She made a point not to look down again at the great height. One slip and she falls down to her death.

Resting against the thick bark, he hefted her up so she straddled right on him. Her breasts met his rippling chest making her gasp.

She noticed from the corner of her eyes that his gold bands were back on.

"You didn't make me cum."

He gripped her sides with his rough hands, his thumbs extending around just under her breasts.

She bit back a whimper, battling with the urge to ground her heat against the very prominent hard on. "Well, you didn't make me cum first."

Flicking his pointed tongue on one of his canine, he smirked. "Let's change that then."