Ben'hamin

"Petr," he sighed softly. The other warlord came up very close invading his personal space with a tinge of an arrogant smile.

"Derix, you look in need of my attention." They were close enough to kiss, but warlords never openly displayed more than friendly brushes of flesh in public between each other.

"In private, I don't want to discuss this out here," he stated coolly. Petr laughed wicked even to his ears. "Don't piss me off, Petr," he warned softly.

"I won't, Derix. I know my place...beneath you, right?" His clever eyes were mischievous. They were tri-colored split from top to bottom with green centers, red and blue on the sides with the blue on the inside corners. His hair was a burnt yellow-orange falling straight down his back. His skin was pale, but not snow white like the little cat he had delivered to Ben.

"Always," Derix growled but the tone had softened to a friendlier one. Petr chuckled at him and turned about to tread silently to his room. Derix followed him trying not to notice how the black leather clung to his ass in all of the right ways. "Why don't you just wear normal pants like the rest of us, you pervert?"

"Because regular pants would not have gotten your attention or rated a comment," he explained amused. "Why were you staring at my ass, lord Derix?" He never even turned around as he laughed the words out to him.

Derix shook his head at him in resignation knowing he had fallen straight into that one. Petr didn't close the door. He paused beside it like he would, but when Derix passed he did little more than lessen the width of the opening.

"You look worked up. Do you need me, Derix? You know I am always happy to help...in any way that you need," he taunted as he moved closer brushing his hard body against Derix. "Gods, I love you when you show your stripes! You are so wickedly beautiful, my lord Derix."

He trailed a hand along his skin. When he came back around toward his front, Derix grabbed his throat and lifted him up. His eyes grew wide, but not in fear.

"Did you hurt Avron? After I specifically asked you not to do it," he snarled. "Why, Petr? Ben'hamin wants the boy to like us! I thought the three of us had a chance because we had never touched him! You have, haven't you? His brother wasn't enough?"

"Gees, Derix, of course I did! We saved him; it was our right to take a night with him. All of us did," he hissed. "It is our way!"

"I asked you to take him to Ben'hamin, not fuck his brains out!"

"I did nothing wrong!"

"You hurt him," Derix growled, "just like you hurt all of your lovers. You cold ass, after what they did to him, you honestly think you didn't do anything wrong? You just grabbed him up, tossed him around, and hurt him while you raped him! No questions, or explanations, or sympathy," he hissed angrily. "Gods, he is Ruhl'ark's son, you fool! I told you not to touch him!"

"The old one...the king...Why didn't you tell me?"

"I shouldn't have had to tell you. I thought I could trust you. Why did you lie to me, Petr? He fears you now. I should have guessed sooner. I suspected, but I knew when you showed up this time with Kir'sis in tow. He flinched! He fucking flinched when you walked in the door, Petr. What did you do to him?"

"You know what I did to him, Derix. You have been in my bed too many times to hold any illusions on that score."

"You will never touch him again!"

"Of course, I am not stupid! He is under Ben'hamin's protection; it would be suicide. I would never touch him now! I wouldn't have before you told me who he is, but now I would have to be really, really stupid, and I am not, Derix. You know I am not!"

"Tell that to the kid. Avron, step out here, please," he growled still holding Petr captive off of the floor. Petr looked over at Avron and paled in shock.

"Oh, thank you. Now you are embarrassing me in front of a child," he snapped in irritation. "Don't think you are sleeping with me after this, Derix!"

"I did not come to sleep with you, Petr. You have caused me enough trouble." He lowered him letting him go warily. "If I can't trust you to do what you say you will, then I cannot trust you with anything, my friend." Petr's face blanked in stunned disbelief. Derix turned to walk out of his room.

"Derix, you can't mean that! I did not do anything against our laws," he repeated in certainty.

"No, Petr...You did something wrong against our friendship, and in my eyes that is far worse." He never turned around as he touched Avron's shoulder and guided him into the hallway shutting Petr's door behind him softly.

"I am sorry, Avron. I should not have left him in charge of you, but your brother was to be his. I thought I could stay to chastise the others and leave him in charge of taking you to Ben'hamin. He swore to me he would not harm you. I thought that meant he would leave you alone. My mistake, you were right to distrust me."

Derix stopped at Ben'hamin's large bedroom and did not try to enter it again as he held it open for him. "This is your stop, kid. Do not worry about the present I gave to Ben. He likes you far more than those two. Trust me," he whispered with a tiny smile, "I have seen the gift I gave to him. He is much like me and I would not give you up for them."

Avron touched his face and Derix held very still to allow it. "Thank you," the boy stated softly. "Would you like to come in? I am not tired and you are the only one awake except Petr."

"You are still worried Petr will hurt you," he sighed. "Yes, I can stay with you for a bit, Avron." He came inside looking around almost sadly.

"You did not finish your bath, my lord. Feel free to use the pool." Avron went to lie down on the bed with a good view of the bathing pool. Derix smiled at him as he casually stripped away layers of linen for the boy's eyes to feast upon.

"I thought you didn't like me."

"I never said that, my lord Derix. Ben'hamin thinks you are quite beautiful. He is right about that; you are." Derix settled into the water sitting comfortably facing the bed as the pool seats were designed to do.

"You never finished your own bath, Avron. Why do you lay up there lording over me, when you could come down here with me?"

"Lording, my lord," he asked. "I am merely the entertainment. See, I lie here for your pleasure. Does it not please you to see me spread across a bed?"

"It would please me more if you would simply learn to be my friend, pet." He rubbed the water over his face making sure to get his hair completely soaked.

"I would teach you the sword if you allowed it. I would teach you strength and courage and how to listen to your heart."

He looked up and noticed that Avron was entirely engrossed with the spots of water trailing over his flesh. "You are not my diversion, Avron. I do not seek you simply to sleep with you like some whore for my pleasure. You never were that to me."

"Yes, I am beginning to see that." Avron rolled to his back letting his head drop back off of the bed to look at him upside down.

"Playful, pet," Derix asked slipping off of the seat to swim lazily in the deeper depth of the pool to work away excess energy. Avron watched avidly from his place.

He finally rolled to his feet and began to undress to his own loincloth. Derix didn't notice as he continued to swim vigorously flexing miles of muscles with his efforts. The moment Avron touched the water to sit at the bathing seat, Derix knew it. He stopped and turned to watch him sit down.

"My lord, you tempted me to join you," the boy stated with a mischievous smile. "How could anyone watch you swim in such loveliness and not be tempted to come closer to the very thing that fascinates them so?"

Derix laughed shaking his head. "You are possessed of a poet's tongue, boy." Avron ducked his head turning scarlet from his own remarks.

"Anyone looking at you would speak with eloquence, my lord...I did worry if I could trust you, but it was not lack of trust that has always made me so afraid to be alone with you." The boy's gentle eyes came up to trace all of the stripes still visible upon his skin. "You are like a dangerous tiger living among lions. Where do you get your stripes, my lord Derix?"

"From my father who was of your tribe," Derix stated softly. "Why do you think Ben'hamin has such a curiosity for your people?"

"I have no clue. You should scrub off more; you smell like sex."

Derix came up to sit beside him with a smile on his lips. "Yes, Mihr...She is really kinda good if you can manage to not eat her long enough," he teased. Avron's eyes widened in amazement when he tried to consider Derix's comment objectively.

"I couldn't do it. A cat only plays with his food," he stated dryly.

"I don't know, pet...I tend to play with my lovers before I eat them, but I do not consider them food." Avron flushed. "Doesn't Ben'hamin ever play with you? I know for a fact he likes to play with his lovers more than most men around here." Derix grinned wickedly. "I have been busy lately with Mihr. I think I actually miss Ben'hamin."

"I thought you said you got to see him all of the time."

"I do, just not in his bed much lately. Maybe when the warlords leave, Ben will let you toy with his little cat. Then, I will have Ben all to myself for a night." Avron held his breath uncertainly.

"What if I don't like him?"

"You will, precious, he is a little wild, though. I think Ben'hamin will have a hard time taming him."

"I think he is up to the task," Avron stated through clenched teeth. "He tamed me."

Derix touched his chin and brought it up to look into his eyes worried by his tone. "You are jealous, precious. I can see it in those eyes like hatred burning you up. There is no point to it. Ben'hamin loves you. He loves me. He will probably come to care for them just as much. If you are cold to them it will create a wall with you on one side and them the other. Don't force Ben to have to choose between you, or he will throw all three of you out and come back to me."

Avron's eyes glistened and he tried to pull away from his wise gaze. "Listen to me, I know Ben'hamin better than even his own parents! If you want to keep him, show no jealousy to him and learn the path you must follow as all Pand'werain before you have done throughout history."

"I am too small to be warrior, Derix! My dad told me so! I was the runt of the litter, so to speak and he sold me himself to the slavers! My brother was where he hung all of his hope, not me. I am just good at being Ben'hamin's pet," he snarled. "You should not have given him your gift!"

Avron stood up to go and Derix grabbed his arm firmly. "I did it for a very good reason! Stop acting like a child, precious, and listen to me for a minute!"

"Why? You saved my life only to ruin it!"

"You are too old to think like that," he snapped angrily. "One: I did not save your life, Avron! I simply stopped something you did not like from happening. Two: Petr was right...By our ways, none of them did anything wrong."

"By your ways, they did," he added softly, "and by my own. Three: Ben'hamin believes in both ways, just as I do. Four: We were hoping we could teach you to honor the ways of both people and make you a strong fighter. Are we wasting our time?"

"Yes, you are." Derix stared at him his soft concern turning cold. Avron let his face and eyes fall. "I can't do it, Derix. My old master used to beat the crap out of me for fun. I am too small to fight. I can't even lift a stupid sword! Kir'sis is a warrior; teach him."

"I don't even like Kir'sis," Derix growled. He shook the arm he held and Avron looked up with a hint of fear in his eyes. "You can be stronger than him, you know," he whispered, "if you just tried to be."

"You don't know me."

"Actually, I do, pet. Who do you think spied on your family and stole Kir'sis from your father? The only warlord of Ben'hamin's tribe that could pass for a tiger if he did not change into a lion would be me, Avron. Kir'sis is Petr's pet because I stole him!"

"You! Why would you do that? Are you trying to start a war? My father will come to get him the second he finds out where he is!"

"We are counting on that...but we were also counting on you, too." Derix let go of his arm. "If you cannot learn to fight before he comes, Avron, what will your father do to you? Will he free Kir'sis and leave you here to be his enemies' whore?"

"No," Avron whispered scared to death by the idea and swallowed several times before he could answer him properly. "He will kill me."

"It is my duty to make certain that never happens, pet. Let me try to teach you," he offered as seriously as he could manage.

"I can't even lift a sword," Avron complained bitterly.

"How old were you? You are much bigger than the tiny child I saved from the Bull Minotaurs that day, Avron! Why do you think Ben'hamin has been making you do chores while we are all practicing? You are stronger than you think."

"And weaker than you see me," Avron screamed at him.

A soft laugh at the door caught Derix's attention. He stiffened and ran to it on swift, silent, bare feet to throw them wide! It was Kir'sis standing there and his eyes widened in fear as he backed away from Derix in alarm. The warlord stared at him in disgust. Avron turned away from his brother hating the sight of him.

"Get away from this door! If I ever catch you spying again, I will cut your throat with my bare hands," he warned the boy just before he allowed him to flee. He slammed the door and saw the stricken look in Avron's eyes.

"Stay here, precious," he ordered him softly, "I have some business to take care of tonight. Don't worry about Petr; he is going to be too busy to worry about you."

He shut the door behind him and the entire building soon echoed with horrifying screams for hours into the night. Several of them sounded like Kir'sis, but most of them belonged to Petr. There was no doubt in Avron's mind who was causing those pain-filled cries. He curled up in the bed and shivered unable to sleep even after they stopped.

Warmth slipped into the bed behind him and as tired as he was, he drifted into sleep before the scent registered in his mind. When he woke, he recognized it, but the owner was long gone as sunlight streamed into the open bedroom.

Avron heard the sounds of metal striking metal and flinched. He knew he should have been up hours ago. Doubtlessly Ben'hamin had come in for his bath and dressed alone while he slept. He growled at himself irritably and got up.

When he went to his lord's usual sleeping chamber, the door was still firmly locked. Avron swore and turned to gather up the discarded dress. "What am I to do with this?"

The lock snapped undone and the door opened behind him. Avron turned startled. "My lord," he gasped in surprise. "I heard the sound of swords and thought you were outside already. You are not training with the men today?"

"Avron," Ben'hamin greeted him happily catching him up in his arms. Avron almost stiffened up in his embrace, but instead he relaxed and accepted a ravenous kiss that had him smashed against a wall. Avron's nose flared.

"Did you enjoy her, my lord," he gasped along his lips. Ben'hamin groaned.

"Oh, Gods, yes," he purred as he practically lifted him off of the ground for more hot kisses. "Unfortunately, I missed you while I was sleeping. I slept restlessly without you purring into my chest the way you do so sweetly. Did you miss me, baby?"

Avron didn't answer. He turned his head and tears streamed down his face. "Whoa, pet, what is this," he asked in alarm. Ben'hamin traced the path of his tears with a hand. "Tell me," he growled angrily.

"It isn't anything like that," he mumbled. "No one would dare hurt me and risk your wrath." Avron glanced at the closed door. "Can I see them, my lord?"

"Oh, it is like that, is it? Yes, you can see them. Do you want to now? They are sleeping." Ben'hamin pulled back letting his feet hit the ground. Their hands locked and Ben tugged on it eagerly. "The boy is so pretty, but you can only see him as a cat. He is mad at me." He pulled Avron into the room and over to the tiny white cat.

"He has spots," Avron sighed kneeling down to run a hand in the thick fur. The cat stirred beneath his palm and Ben'hamin pulled him swiftly away. Avron was flung back hard. It pissed him off until he saw Ben'hamin struggling to cage the cat away from him.

"You will not touch him," Ben'hamin hissed furious in seconds. He threw the cat towards the bed where it lay irritably looking at him. "Avron, are you alright?"

He turned his back on the newcomer to look him over. "Did he get you?" The white linen would have showed the slightest speck of blood. "Baby, did he hurt you?" When he still didn't answer just standing there watching the white cat behind him, Ben'hamin came to him turning him slowly and gently as he checked for blood. "You are fine," he sighed in relief hugging him carefully.

The boy behind Ben'hamin was watching them with puzzled eyes filled with fear. He really was beautiful as he blinked those black eyes at them laying in a way that hid his naked state. There was anger, Avron could openly see that, but he was also warily confused as he watched Ben'hamin reassure himself that Avron didn't have the slightest scratch on his skin. His love for the boy was very apparent.

"Come on, let's get out of here and have some fun, huh? Just you and me," Ben'hamin requested with an ever-so-slightly, shaky voice. Avron looked at the boy's pale white wrists locked in chains. They looked so tiny. This boy made him look huge, Avron thought suddenly. "Hey, you...Look at me, Avron," he whispered until Avron's wide brown eyes met his black ones.

"Can I go watch you train today? Can I watch all of the warlords try to defeat you in the courtyard? I want to see you kick their asses," he swore vehemently.

Ben'hamin laughed. "Yes, you can watch me kick their asses, precious. Are you turning into a blood-thirsty warlord on me already?" Avron studied him seeing the pleasure the idea brought him. Derix was right again, he saw.

Avron smiled at him and didn't agree or disagree, but right then he resolved to try. "Come on, maybe we can get there before Derix finishes knocking all of them flat. He looks so good when he has sweat dripping all over him, don't you think?"

Avron blushed and nodded at him. "So, what did you do last night, pet?" Ben'hamin leaned down to smell his skin. "Hmm...I smell him on you. Did he throw you into my bed and have his wicked way with you, then? I have been wondering when his resolute self-control would begin to crack with you. He likes you so damn much," he pointed out. "I think he is actually shy around you, Avron. Isn't that the cutest thing?"

"Yeah, cute..." Derix? Shy? That would never happen!

"You don't believe me, pet? Come, watch him practice and see for yourself if you don't distract him. I would bet he misses a swing the second you walk into the courtyard."

"Of course he will, my lord," Avron protested, "because you will be right by my side!"

"No, I won't be," he suddenly decided resolutely. "I am sending you in without me. I am going to wait to go into the courtyard after you do, pet, because I want to prove it to you."

Avron smiled secretively ducking his head. "I think you are wrong. I still think it will be because he is looking for you." Ben'hamin tugged off Avron's shirt and let it fall to the ground at their feet.

"Now, he can't help but notice that it is you entering the yard. I'll wait. He will look at you even after he knows it is not me. I promise you. Unless you did something to make him ignore you last night, he will love seeing you there. He wants to train you, Avron."

"He told me, my lord," Avron whispered.

"Did he?" Ben'hamin picked him up and encouraged him to wrap his legs around his waist. "Will I get to watch both of you swinging sweat across each other like lovers and madmen," he teased pressing their foreheads together. Avron groaned playfully.