A long time ago...

The chill of the dawn creeps into the round tent. Izumi stretches like a cat and yawns. It's about time to get up.
He slides carefully not to wake Koji out of the furs and just moves to put his loincloth on, when his arm is caught by an iron grip and he is flung back onto the soft sleeping place.
Koji puts his weight on the slender boy, looking him straight in his face.
"You didn't think, you could walk out on me, did you?"
"Koji!!! It's broad morning, we have to get up."
Despite his struggles, Koji grabs his wrists and pins them down with one hand behind Izumi's head.
"I don't think so."
He murmurs and pushes the fur over their heads. Koji bows down and starts licking the tender skin on Izumi's throat.
He tastes the delicious flavor on the soft skin, which is unique to his lover.
The other hand holds Izumi's head down giving Koji better access to this so sensitive area. Izumi's protests are somewhat muffled and slowly he melts against Koji, giving in his tender caress, moaning.
As Koji feels his lover relaxing, he emits a soft purr, all the while licking at the yielding throat. He feels the more rapidly beating pulse under his tongue and intensifies his touch.

This is the moment when Aya enters the tent.

She looks onto a huge pile of furs with something, or better someone, moving under it.
A smug grin plays on her lips. "Hrrmm, Chief?" No response.
"Chief Koji?"

She loves teasing Koji a little.
Since he took his mate, he hadn't much time for the girls of the tribe - a fact the girls are quite disappointed about.
She even tried to seduce Izumi once. The boy is just too sweet to overlook. But all she got, was a very inhibited boy, who managed to escape from her best efforts swiftly.
Sigh. Sometimes live is not just fair ...

Finally, she grabs the highest fur and throws it aside.
Two pair of eyes looks at her, first surprised, then the blue pair becomes angry and the brown pair embarrassed. 
Izumi gets red like a beat.
She displays a broad smile. "Good morning chief. I tried to call you, but you didn't answer."

An angry growl answers her.

"I was occupied."

"Well, I noticed. Chief, a herd of Wisents is just a few miles away. The men are getting ready
for hunting. They await you - both."
She smiles at Izumi.
He is still to embarrassed to talk, barely manages a tiny "We'll join you in a minute." Aya nods and leaves the tent.
Horses are saddled; men check their bows and spears. They grin a little and make some good-natured jokes about their chief and his mate. The tribe is very satisfied with its chief Koji and Izumi.
Izumi won his place in the tribe some time ago. He is known to outhunt and outrun anyone. When no one of the nomads finds a deer, Izumi does usually. He likes horses and learned riding in between, but is still more comfortable on
his own feet. But, most important: Any time Koji becomes uncaring or ignorant, Izumi talks
him back to his duty again.

So, the tribe is prospering and the people enjoy their life. Of course, there are problems like sudden colds, hunger when nothing is to gain or diseases. But nothing unusual, nothing they can't handle.
The tribe greets Koji and Izumi as soon as they leave their tent. Izumi still displays a very nice flush; Koji is as distant as ever.
Soon, the men approach a herd of maybe 200 Wisents.
They separate a few animals and take them down with spears and arrows. Koji even jumps on a bull and kills him with his knife. Izumi is far away at that moment, killing a stray cow with a well placed arrow.
He nearly gets a heart attack from seeing Koji doing a stunt like that.
Before he can be on Koji and start arguing, other hunters appear. They are from another nomad tribe, also looking for some meat.
Suddenly the hunters are very tense. Weapons are grabbed, they start gathering together in formation, ready to fight if necessary. Koji steps ahead of his people.
One of the strangers approaches him. The man has a spear in his hand and rides full speed towards Koji, the tip of the spear aimed at his heart. Koji doesn't move.
Maybe three meters are left between them. Koji still hasn't made a move; the stranger is still aiming at him. No one makes a sound.
Suddenly, the horse breaks down and falls aside. A small arrow sticks perfectly placed in its chest.
Everyone turns around and looks at the source of this arrow.
Izumi stands like frozen; much too far away for this kind of clean hit.
His next arrow is now aimed at the stranger, a dangerous fire glitters in his eyes.

From his expression, he is serious.

The stranger starts laughing.
"Hello Koji. Long time no see. You got quite an archer there. Who is he? Must be new, otherwise he would know our little games, right?"
Threatening is displayed just under the surface of the jovial words.

Koji answers cold. "I see you much too often. There is enough left for your tribe. See you."
Koji gestures to his men. The nomads start working on their game, disemboweling the dead animals and preparing the meat for transport.
Still, they stay alarmed.

They ignore the other hunters. The other men shift uneasy.
Obviously, there is some history between the two tribes or, at least, between
the two leaders. The stranger looks around. "Where is Hirose? Shouldn't he lead the hunt as chief?"
"I'm chief now."
In the meantime, Izumi steps to Koji, thousand questions are on his face.

The stranger looks him up and down. "Nice shot, kid. Nice appearance, too. How about joining our tribe? I would give you a girl and a tent for yourself. Koji's not that generous, I bet."
A low growl escapes Koji's throat. "He is my mate, Kurosaki. Give it a rest. We got our share."
He turns to leave and takes Izumi with him.
Kai Kurosaki needs a moment to gather his wits. He's really caught of track. From his looks, he normally isn't shocked easily. A lean body; blond hair that covers one side of his pretty, almost feminine face.  There is something cold and aggressive just under the pretty façade.

"How about a little celebrating? We could try and put our hostility to rest. Maybe even exchange some goods."  
Koji stops and looks back.
"No way."
His men look disappointed. Both tribes travel around a lot. A festivity would give some chances to trade a little, eat a lot, have a few laughs and maybe even exchange girls as wives. 
Fresh blood is good blood, all the tribes try to refresh their gene pool as often as possible.

Koji is quiet, when they arrive back at the tribe. Izumi looks at him. "The hunt was very successful. As soon as the meat is prepared and dried, we have nothing to worry for the winter. A little feast should be okay."
"You don't know Kurosaki. We are old enemies. He even made my former lover his wife - the only thing, they have in common, is that they hate me."
Koji sighs.
"At least, there is some space between our tribes. As soon as we are done with the meat, we get moving again. We can't fight; both tribes are equally strong. So we use to stay out of each others way."

As the evening falls, a single rider approaches the tribe. He brings an invitation.
Kurosaki wants to celebrate the outcome of the hunt. His messenger is a lot too friendly for Koji's taste.
The tribe discusses hot; sometimes words get loud.
Finally Koji decides: "If everyone is in, we accept. Everyone carries his weapons, no woman walks alone, we all stay together. As soon as anything suspicious happens, we are out. Questions?"
Two evenings later, both tribes meet. A big fire is lit, girls dance, meat is roasted. Wine flows, everyone enjoys himself. Koji and Izumi are sitting close to Kai Kurosaki and his mate Minamimoto, a beautiful, tall woman with long, crow black hair.
She looks at Koji like a spider to an unreachable fly. Koji stays cool, but Izumi feels very uncomfortable.
The evening turns into a dark night, both tribes are lost in celebrating.
Koji feels suddenly, that someone leans against him. He looks down and discovers a sleeping Izumi, resting on his shoulder.
Strange, Izumi did just take a little sip of the sweet wine. He feels unusually tired himself.
Before Koji can wonder, he falls asleep, too.

No one notices the sudden movement at the chief's place and a slender body, which is carried away.