Smirking, Sean breathlessly told Hawk-Eye. "Boy is it good to see you." Hawk-Eye glanced back at the bodies, while informing them casually. "Your boys passed this way the day before yesterday. Nate said you might be coming in hot. So... I came to help." Sean nodded, pointing to Mark as he rushed out. "He needs to see your doctor right away." Hawk-Eye rode up between them, gently grabbing Sean's arm as he added coolly. "From the looks so do you." Mark's head jerked in his direction. Sean didn't understand, until Hawk-Eye adjusted Sean's shirt to reveal the bullet hole in his arm. Gasping at the sight of his own blood, he shuddered out. "I... I thought it missed." Jerking his arm back, Sean yelped in pain and cradled his arm. Reaching out to take the reins of their horses, Hawk-Eye told Sean calmly. "I've seen it happen to our warriors. They don't feel the pain because they are in the heat of battle. When the battle is over... they feel it. Come on. I'll see what I can do for ya." Leading them down a dusty trail, Sean kept checking on Mark despite his own pain. He wasn't looking so good.

Mark was trying not to lean over the saddle, but he was rubbing his ribs like they were hurting a lot more. Seeing him in pain somehow dulled his own. Behind them, the other Native was leading the two Pinkerton horses and eyeing them with slight mistrust. Upon reaching the encampment, Hawk-Eye helped Mark off his horse and called out to the medicine women. The older woman looked him over, then pointed to a tent. Sean tried to follow but Hawk-Eye raised a hand to keep him out. Shifting on his feet, Sean asked nervously. "Will he be ok?" Hawk-Eye shrugged, honestly replying. "All we can do is wait." Sean opened his mouth to ask more, when Hawk-Eye's mother strolled through the crowd and started scolding Hawk-Eye in a language Sean didn't know. He guessed it was about himself and Mark because her eyes burned right through him. Hawk-Eye spoke calmly to her, but she held up her hand to stop him and scolded more. Eventually, Sean blurted out. "I'm sorry. But he was hurt, and we had nowhere else to go."

Hawk-Eye's mother turned to face him, and the rest of the tribe fell into silence. Pointing at him, she said in broken English. "We told your people to leave. Don't come back. You do. You put us all in danger. They will come for you. They will kill us. I will not watch my people die because your people can't get along!" Sean lowered his eyes to the dirt, mumbling out. "I'm sorry." Her hand grabbed his jaw, pulling him closer and staring into his eyes like she was looking for something in them. Slowly her grip lessened as she told him firmly. "I believe you will be." Lowering her hand from him, she told a warrior behind her in english so that Sean would understand. "Take him. Tie him up. If his people come. We will protect our own with him." A man behind Sean grabbed his arms, causing him to wince in pain but he didn't resist them. The men ushered him away, while Hawk-Eye snapped out. "Mother, please! This isn't necessary!" She whirled on him, snapping in her own language now to scold him again. Sean let the men lead him into a large empty tent, where they turned him around and tied his wrists around a pole.

The even tied his elbows around the pole to make it harder for him to slip free. One of the warriors pushed Sean down to his knees and started to gag him, until the other finished disarming him and waved him away without finishing the tie for the gag. Allowing Sean to spit the gag free. Adjusting to sit down on his ass, Sean sighed to himself. He wasn't angry with them. He was just concerned about what they'd do to Mark. He sat in silence for a long time, feeling nothing except the throbbing pain in his arm. On occasion a child would peek into the tent to get a look at him. Then one bravely slipped inside to his friend's horror to ask curiously. "You understand. Yes?" Lifting his head, he nicely answered. "Yes." The child inched closer, pointing at him as he asked timidly. "Why are you white?" Sean couldn't stop the chuckle that burst from him. Composing himself, he shrugged and returned. "I just am. Why are you that color?" The child puffed himself up to state out proudly. "Because we are people of the land and sky. Our skin was kissed by the sun and our souls nurtured in soil."

Sean blinked, replying softly. "Wow. I don't have a story like that." The child's friend beckoned him to come out, but the child moved closer. Sean tensed, watching the child reach out to touch the skin of his neck like he was trying to whip the color away. The gesture made Sean feel weird. He'd always been self-conscious about his pale skin, but this felt different. The child peeled back the neck of his shirt a bit, asking as he peeked under the cloth. "You white all over?" Sean nodded, causing the child's eyes to widen in fascination. Meeting the kid's brown eyes, the kid cupped his face and said softly. "Wow. Your eyes are full of water." Sean raised an eyebrow, asking cautiously. "What do mean?" The kid pointed to his own brown eyes, answering excitedly. "Mother says I have dirt eyes. Means I am strong and nurturing like nature. Your eyes are blue like water. I've never seen that." Sean smiled, telling the kid softly. "Where I come from. Blue eyes mean that I'm a descendant of a Selkie. A water creature. So, it makes sense, I guess." The kid blinked, dropping his hands to ask perplexed. "What's that?"

Sean tilted his head back on the pole, shrugging out. "It's a seal that turns into a person. Sings sad songs. Loves the sea." The child sat down in front of him, asking excitedly. "Is it a demon? Is that why father calls you a white demon?" Sean sat up straighter, swiftly retorting. "No. Selkies are... peaceful. It's complicated. But there many different white... tribes of people. Some friendlier than others." The child crossed his legs, pleading out. "Tell me about them?" Before Sean could answer, Hawk-Eye's mom calmly interjected. "Little Feather, go home." The child blushed, quickly scrambling out the tent. Straightening up, Sean tried to keep himself calm. He hadn't done anything wrong. Had he? Crossing the tent, she dropped a pillow down and took a seat in front of him. For a moment he couldn't read her expression. Then a small smile pulled at her lips as she calmly said. "You'll have to forgive, Little Feather. He's never seen... a white man up close." Sean shrugged, smiling back. "I was curious about other types of people at his age. I'm still learning..." Nodding, she took a moment to center herself before telling him openly. "I don't want to hurt you. You seem nice enough. But... my people take priority over your life. You understand?"

Sean nodded. Taking a deep breath, she told him seriously. "Your friend is resting. Since his injuries were greater than those of my people, I allowed it. Simply because you held restraint. That is my favor to you. As for you." Her eyes drifted to his arm, where his sleeve was mostly caked in blood now. Sean didn't bother to look at it. He could feel how bad it was. When their eyes met again, she informed him seriously. "Our warriors come before you." Sean could only nod in response. There was no point in arguing with her. She looked him over like she expected him to yell or argue his case. When he didn't, she removed a cup and a waterskin to make what looked like tea. Sprinkling some herbs into the steaming water, she told him softly. "Here. This will dull the pain until we can tend to you." She took a small sip herself, then cautiously moved closer to help him drink down the rest. When he finished, she collected her stuff and told him nicely. "Your friend will be brought here. Once we have eaten. You will be fed." Sean watched her go, calmly calling out. "Thank you."

Stopping in the entranceway, she glanced over her shoulder with a shocked look but uttered out nicely. "You're welcome." Without another word, she left. Not long after, Mark was carried in on a stretcher and set down where Sean could see him sleeping. His chest was bandaged up and he wasn't tied up to Sean's joy. Every few hours a young woman would arrive to wake Mark enough to give him tea and dab a wet cloth over his face before leaving. Allowing Mark to slumber on. It calmed Sean to see Mark was sleeping so peacefully. When dinner was brought to him, Sean shifted uneasily though. It had been hours and his arm still hadn't been tended to. He wanted to cry out and ask if they had forgotten about him, but he struggled with how rude that would seem. To make matters worse, the woman who brought them food was so scared of them that she only left their bowls on the ground and fled from the tent. Groaning softly, Sean began twisting his wrists to free himself. While he struggled with the ropes, Mark suddenly chuckled out. "Having fun without me?"

Scoffing, Sean focused on what he was doing as he grumbled out. "Very funny. I'm hungry and I've got to piss." Mark chuckled a little more, before his shadow drew Sean's attention. Leaning around him, Mark easily pulled the ropes free of his wrists and arms. Straightening up, Mark teased out. "There ya go." Taking a hold of Mark's hand, Mark pulled him up to his feet as Sean muttered out. "You shouldn't be moving yet." Waving him away, Mark muttered out in return. "Who else is going to help you get free." Rolling his eyes, Sean slipped out of the tent to piss and returned to find Mark pulling stuff out from under his pillow. Collecting their food bowls, Sean moved closer, asking nervously. "Mark... What did you steal from them?" Scoffing, Mark told him to sit and said in a soft deep voice. "I borrowed some things when I overheard them talking about you." Sitting down beside the stretcher, Sean reached for the stuff, but Mark slapped his hand and ordered him nicely. "Remove your shirt. Stiffly pulling his shirt free, Sean hissed as the caked blood pulled at his open wound, causing it to start bleeding again. Grabbing his arm, Mark picked up a slender surgical knife and told him reluctantly. "This will hurt..."

Sean whimpered and looked away as he felt the knife dig into his wound to find the bullet. Holding his arm steady, Mark tried to distract him by asking randomly. "You shouldn't whimper like that... Has me thinking about... other things." Sean huffed, wincing out. "How can you think of that now?" Smirking, Mark answered honestly. "Easy. I find myself thinking about you a lot. Don't you think about me?" Sean nodded, then hissed sharply as the bullet popped free of him. Pressing a cloth to Sean's wound, Mark kissed his shoulder and purred out. "If I said that I wanted you tonight. What would you say?" Sean rolled his eyes, chuckling out. "I'd say whatever they gave you for pain is working too well." Mark removed the cloth and began to stitch up Sean's wound, while telling him in a deep loving voice that made Sean shiver. "I don't doubt it. But... As things keep happening. It's the one thing on my mind." Blushing, Sean mumbled out. "I'm sure it is..." Finishing the stitches, Mark quickly retorted. "No. It's not like that. It's... I don't know how to say it without you thinking I'm just horny."

Chuckling, Sean watched Mark wrap a cloth around his arm before teasing in a mousey voice. "Well... What if... Someone comes. And you shouldn't be-" Mark turned Sean's chin with a finger to press his lips to his. Silencing him. When he pulled away, Mark whispered to him. "It's late. They won't be coming in here. And as for me... I'll stay down if you want. But it means you will have to do all the work." Sean felt his blush burn up to his ears. Mark kissed his flushed cheek, then laid down on his back. Sean hesitated to move, prompting Mark to pet his arm carefully and coo out sweetly. "You don't have to do it. You can say no. It won't hurt my feelings." Sean rolled his eyes, replying grimly. "It isn't your feelings that I'm scared of hurting. And... I just didn't imagine my first being... this way." Mark's finger traced designs on his arm, giggling out lightly. "What would make it special for you?" Sean almost answered but cleared his throat instead. He was too embarrassed to say something like that. What if he laughed? Looking away from Mark, he just shrugged and asked defensively. "What was it like for you?"

Mark's hand coaxed Sean's hand into his own. His fingers intertwined with his when he openly told him. "My first time was with a woman in a barn. I was young... I was stupid. And I didn't last long. Magical." Sean snorted and Mark chuckled. Tugging on his hand a little, Mark purred out hopefully. "Tell me what does your magical first time look like?" Sean shrugged again but met Mark's eyes. Feeling Mark's fingers move over his palm, Sean slipped out. "A nice candle lit dinner wouldn't hurt. Fresh sheets. Candles." Sean waited for Mark to laugh at him. Instead, Mark purred out as he rubbed Sean's hand. "Does sound nice. But what about this..." Mark stared up at the ceiling, wistfully saying. "An open field beneath the stars. A midnight picnic with only the crickets and a trickling stream to break the silence." Sean thought about it, then smiled as he whispered to himself. "That sounds nice too." Sitting up, Mark brought his lips to Sean's ear and whispered beautifully. "Or... how about in a tent. Under the stars. With the sounds of crickets. Laying in the arms of the man who loves you for not being perfect. But loves that you care enough to try and be."

Biting his lip, Sean lookedinto Mark's eyes and whispered out breathlessly. "Well, when you say it like that." Sharing a smile, they kissedpassionately. To Be Continued...