Liege

3. On the road

The journey to East Fifeland takes four weeks if the weather and other conditions are good, but it can take much longer. So they set off the next morning, to try to avoid the first cold spells of autumn before reaching their destination.

They have a small guard of 30 trusty men. In their journey they cross lush forests, valleys and mountain passes, but not many settlements. By the second week, the food from the castle is depleted, and they begin to make camp for the night a bit earlier, allowing a few hours to hunt their own dinner. They will stew or roast their catch of the day: rabbit, woodcock, capercaillie, grouse... One of those nights, while hunting in the hours before dusk, Jeff and Bible become stranded from the rest of the group. 

They are in a forest, not far from a burn, they can hear the low hum of the water behind their steps on the crunchy forest soil and their own breath, when the chilling roar of a bear close by startles them. Bible reacts without thinking: he fiercely stops Jeff from running, crushing him with his own body, making them both lie still on the forest floor.  

Imperceptibly lifting his head, Bible spots a tall and bulky brown bear, preparing for hibernation, advancing towards them no more than 100 metres from where they are.  

Bible is in a high alert state. He waits for the bear to approach with his hand knife ready to attack, his body protecting Jeff's. 

All happens in a split second, the bear comes closer, shortening half of the distance in a few strides, and then stops. It seems to smell them, but at the last minute, when Bible is already flexing his muscles to attack, about to tell Jeff to flee to save his life, another bear appears from their direction, and both animals engage in a loud fight.

Both men breath heavily in relief. They tacitly understand they need the bears to get further away to move out of their way. Bible's slow rise and fall of his ribcage reverberates over Jeff's middle back. He becomes aware of Jeff's body underneath him, his scent fills his nostrils, his soft hair is brushing his hand, his thighs are covering Jeff's and his cock is nested on Jeff's buttocks. He notices - not without panic - he has an erection.

"Will Jeff realise?" thinks Bible, mortified. He wants to move but he has to wait because it's not safe yet. 

Adrenaline is pumping through the veins of both of them.

Jeff also breathes deep, Bible has moved ever so slightly so he's not crushing him, but he's full of angles, some parts of his leather armour are hard, and something is poking between his buttocks... Is that what he thinks it is? Jeff is speechless. 

He has always been hot and bothered, since puberty, watching Bible training bare chested, his skin covered in oil, making his muscles glisten under the light. He knows he's attracted to Bible but can it be that Bible is also attracted to him? 

He flexes the muscles of his buttocks and Bible lets out a groan. 

Luckily the bears are still fighting, slowly getting further and further away. They are making so many blood curling noises they must have not paid attention to the noise.

Bible just wants to tell Jeff to stay still, ask him not to do that again but he doesn't because... how can he explain? 

Jeff has had his answer. He feels light, like dreaming, somehow he's not so scared of the bears anymore. Only excited with the thrill. He never thought it could be possible...

Meanwhile Bible keeps an eye on the bears, while making an effort to calm the reaction of his lower body, and as soon as the bears are a good 150m away, he whispers on Jeff's ear a short command, "Go!" and they leave the place, first running then walking at a good pace for a long while, until they stop near the trunk of an old oak tree.

They are catching their breath, Jeff struggling a bit, his cheeks are red and he has his hands on his knees. Bible distractedly takes leaves and dust from Jeff's clothes and hair.

Jeff's mind is still in a cloud, he's so excited with what he found out that he holds Bible's wrist and raises his head to make eye contact.

The other hand moves swiftly behind Bible's hair and Jeff brings him closer for a kiss.

Bible is surprised at first, when Jeff's lips touch his tentatively, but then he reacts to the kiss very passionately, caging Jeff on the wide trunk, devouring him as if he was a starved animal. 

They kiss for some time, a minute or half an hour - who knows? -  trying to quench the thirst of years of hiding their attraction.

They hear noises, a horn. They recognise the sound of their group, at last.

They separate in silence, ever so slowly and go to meet them in the already dimming light.