Outside the cave, the night was dark and the moonlight thin.
An autumn wind howled over the treetops and took with it, several withered leaves.
The owls in the tress stared into the entranceâs dim lighting.
Inside the cave, the flames leaped wildly reflecting on two dim figures.
âHey, Ryan. My hand hurts. . .â JÇ XiÇo Ću finally couldnât withstand it and turned to escape his kiss, her soft voice dragging out in a spoiled wind.
The bed was built of stone and the surface was rough. There was no soft mattress, only the rattan mat covered with rough skins and her swollen wrists were becoming intolerable.
Ryan grasped her two hands in one and he rubbed his thumb lightly against her wrists. Feeling her trembling, he pulled over her quilt and placed it under her. Simultaneously, he bent close to her cheek and stuck out his tongue to lick her.
There was no telling when the quilt had been last sun-dried. While it didnât accumulate dust, the moisture from the surface made JÇ XiÇo Ću frown, âDonât. . .â
What a nuisance.
Ryan simply took off his jacket and wrapped her wrists in it, throwing aside the quilt.
The leather cloth was suede and had a layer of soft fur on it, and with the layer of fabric, JÇ XiÇo Ću finally didnât resist.
However, she would have had no room to revolt.
. . .
JÇ XiÇo Ću buried her whole face in the quilt. This time she gave up on it being so dirty, how long had it been unwashed. But tears constantly overflowed from her eyes and she bite at the edge with her teeth, shaking as she sobbed.
Ryan feared she would suffocate so he slowed down slightly on the offensive and stuck his index finger in her mouth, separating her tightly shut teeth. He reminded her with a scalding, muted voice, âExhale.â
JÇ XiÇo Ću took advantage to bite his fingers and continued to cry, even though she had heard what he said.
ââShe was almost dying.
Ryan probably realized she didnât like the position because he turned her around and embraced her again.
JÇ XiÇo Ćuâs breathing was still stifled and she almost didnât breathe. Lifting her arms to clasp tightly around his neck, she opened her mouth and bite down on his shoulder.
She didnât know how much time had passed, but outside the cave it was silent, only the occasional owl cooing.
JÇ XiÇo Ću fell unconscious and when she woke, she was tightly held in Ryanâs arms. His strong arms were wrapped around her sore waist.
She wasnât used to such close and seamless contact so she shifted and tried to separate from him a little. Unexpectedly, he woke up. In the darkness, Ryan looked at her with the eyes of an eagle seeking prey. They were precise and mysterious. She didnât want to face him but he rushed at her again.
. . .
The night was so long it seemed endless.
The next morning, dawn flooded the valley and dazzling sunlight poured into the cave.
The girl on the bed was curled in on herself and the slender neck exposed from the quilt was covered in red marks. She had wet tears on her eyelashes and her eyes were red and swollen. At a glance, it was obvious she had been bullied last night.
She was the only one in the cave. She opened her eyes to look in a circle and couldnât find any traces of Ryan. She was relieved.
Aching all over, she felt as if she was being torn apart and put back together. Every part of her body complained with discomfort.
JÇ XiÇo Ću felt her legs were even more uncomfortable. She moved and tried to get up from the bed. When she looked up, she saw Ryanâs tall figure coming in from outside. Immediately, she withdrew her newly-outstretched feet and returned them to the quilt.
This quilt wasnât the one from last night. It was the fur of some animal and rough.
Ryan carried in two lively squid and he placed them on the table. His blue eyes looked inside.
The bed had a bulging bump, and the little girl had covered herself up tightly like a small turtle.
Ryanâs eyes drifted a bit and she soon hid. He took back his gaze and walked to the stove, cleaning the spiderwebs and dust on it to begin cooking.
There was no problem with him not eating for a day but JÇ XiÇo Ću couldnât.
Late last night, she had buried her face in his neck and cried, âI donât want to. I have no strength.â
Ryan thought that if he fed her enough, she would have the strength. She was so delicate that a touch could break her.
Not long after, Ryan had made fish soup and put a bowl in front of her.
Ryan wrapped her up in a fur blanket and put her on his lap, exposing her white, delicate face, he scooped up a spoonful of the soup and fed it to her, âDrink the soup.â
JÇ XiÇo Ću was a little hungry, and she wasnât polite, opening her mouth to drink it.
After a moment, she wrinkled her eyebrows and pursed her mouth into a flat line, âItâs not good to drink. . .â There was no taste at all.
Ryan himself drank a sip and couldnât taste anything. He could eat raw meat. If not for her, he wouldnât even deliberately boil this soup.
âIf you donât want to drink, weâll continue,â Ryan touched her lip that was glossy.
JÇ XiÇo Ću stared at him with round eyes and was frightened.
Still wanted to continue?
Ryan didnât agree or deny and put the soup on the table. If she didnât drink the soup, he looked like he would just continue.
JÇ XiÇo Ću quickly reached out her small hand and grabbed his arm, giving in, âI, Iâll drink. . .â
So Ryan picked up the bowl and fed it to her by the spoonful. She slowly drank it.
He didnât know if human beings were so, but they ate things too slow and could only drink a small bit at a time. In normal times, Ryan would have been impatient for a long time, but JÇ XiÇo Ću slowly drank her soup. With every sip, she blew it to cool it down then drank it and her eyelashes fluttered. Inexplicably, it tickled his heart.
In a certain place, it visibly grew until it became increasingly uncontrollable, blotting out the sky.
JÇ XiÇo Ću had just finished the bowl of fish soup and hadnât had time to speak when Ryan threw aside the bowl in her hand and took her back to bed.
JÇ XiÇo Ću: â. . .â
*
For five whole days, JÇ XiÇo Ću passed them in the darkness and never once stepped out of the cave.
Ryan hugged her day and night and as long as she was awake, he would never let her go. Of couse, she fell asleep.
JÇ XiÇo Ću was simply afraid of him. Once Ryan started this kind of thing, it was like a dark, black hole, bottomless and never ending.
One time, JÇ XiÇo Ću was in a hurry at night and too embarrassed to solve it in the cave. She broke free of Ryanâs arms and walked outside the cave.
When she came back, she saw Ryan staring at the entrance of the cave with red eyes.
JÇ XiÇo Ću was covered again by him that night. A full toss for a day and night, afterwards, she didnât even have the strength to speak, leaving her only sobbing uncontrollable tears.
JÇ XiÇo Ću regretted coming back a bit. Who knew that this was such a terrible torture to herself?
So when Winter and another tribesman came to find them, JÇ XiÇo Ću actually had an illusion of being back out in the sunlight.
. . .
Winter and another leopard beastman stood at the entrance of the cave and took a look inside at such a strong smell.
As soon as he thought of the chief staying with his little female here for five days, he quickly guessed what was going on.
The cave had been made especially for the little female because she didnât like his race.
Ryan had plans for it early on, in case a new leader banned him, he would take JÇ XiÇo Ću to this place.
The tables and chairs were all made by him.
Winter wanted to help at the time, but he was only driven out by Ryan.
However, before the cave was completely built, JÇ XiÇo Ću had took everything she had and fled. She never left a thought for Ryan.
After all, three years ago on that night, Ryan had asked her if she would come back and she had expressed her refusal with clear silence.
Ryan didnât come back to this place and the mountains stones that fell to block the entrance were like his mood, always in the dark.
Nowadays, it was clear that after the rain, the clouds had cleared. Winter and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the chief had finally recovered his little female.
âWhat are you doing here?â Ryan put on his coat and his trousers hung low on his waist, his face not pleased at being disturbed.
Fearing his wrath, Winter and the other man hastened to explain, âChief, our people have reached the Wilnor Valley, but without your guidance Laurence and Dole have some differences. Now the two wonât agree. . . and I hope youâll preside over it.â
Speaking the last sentence, Winter was obviously very cautious.
Sure enough, Ryanâs face looked worse and he bared his teeth, âWhat about the rest of the tribe?â
Winter told the truth, âThe others arenât their opponents. . .â
Seeing Ryanâs expressionless face, he added, âFirst I can send your female back to the race, Camuda Valley isnât that far from here and it wonât take long.â
Ryanâs eyebrows twisted and the air pressure lowered. He was obviously dissatisfied with the proposal. After a long time he said, âNo, she goes with me.â
*
JÇ XiÇo Ću hadnât even had a good rest when Ryan wrapped her up in the blanket and went outside.
She hadnât seen the sun for several days and the light stabbed into her eyes. She buried her face in Ryanâs chest and said in a voice thick with sleep, âRyan. . . where are we going?â
The sounds was crisp and soft, but slightly husky. It drilled through the ears and straight into the bone.
Looking at the exposed side of her face, it was white and clear with a trace of red. Then looking further down, nothing else could be seen, but Winter and the other quickly removed their gazes.
Ryan lifted his eyes and gave them a deep look. Then he lifted the animal skin blanket and covered JÇ XiÇo Ćuâs head, âHunting.â
â. . .â JÇ XiÇo Ću took a while to react. Taking her hunting? She tried to get out of the blanket and shouted, âI donât want to go. . .â
She just wanted to take a good nightâs sleep and rest for a few days.
Ryan briefly stated, âPrey doesnât get the right to refuse.â
JÇ XiÇo Ću: â. . .â
Winter and the other, who were warned by Ryan, had already obediently put away their gazes and set off in advance.
Holding JÇ XiÇo Ćuâs legs in one hand and her head in the other, Ryan soon jumped into a tree and followed them.
The Wilnor Valley was thousands of miles from here and even for Ryan, it took a day and night.
The route they took was through the jungle and with all the jumping up and down, it was bumpy. But Ryan held her stable and from beginning to end, she didnât move.
JÇ XiÇo Ću was held in Ryanâs arms and settled down to sleep all the way.
At the entrance of Wilnor Valley, the other male leopards were resting.
Far off, they saw their leopardâs vigorous and flexible figure driving through the jungle and in his strong arms, he held a petite female who was fast asleep.