"I was comfortable," Shadow teased, playfully. Then, he paused. "And so were you. I did not want to disturb you. Plus, I feared you would slip back into nightmares had I left..."

"yes but you are also my owner in the eyes of the people here. you should have left me to my dreams." he turned and smiled. "even my family would never have done what you did. they only would have woken me up and told me to dream something different." walking up to Shadow he smiled wider up at him. "thank you sir." he wanted to hug him but he felt that it would be wrong to do so.

Shadow, sensing his want to hug him, gave him a polite, one-armed hug. "You are welcome. I'm glad I was able to help you." He seemed puzzled by the sudden rush of emotion coming from Angelo, but he didn't comment on it--he was quite pleased that he was acting more friendly.

wrapping his arms around him, angelo started to cry. he had not yet full graved for his family and now he could not hold it back. as he cried silence his body shook, his fingers dug into Shadows robes.

Shadow allowed his other arm to drape over Angelo, and pull him closer. "...Let it out," he murmured, reaching up to stroke his hair. "Let it out. You will feel better once you finish..."

after a while his tears tuned to sniffles and then he pulled away. "I am sorry...."sniff" I got your clothes all dirty. "sniff. stepping away he looked over at his clothes that Shadow had brought down for him. "I need a bath now."

"It is not a problem," Shadow assured him. "...I should probably take a bath, as well..." he commented, scratching his head. "It is a large bath...it fits about four people...do you want me to join you, or is that awkward for you?"

"it would not be to awkward to me. we used to all bath at the same time in the pools and streams when they were available to us to use." Angelo reached out and picked up his outfit before heading to the back where shadow had said the bath house was. "an is it not already a practice for men to bath with men here?"

Shadow, knowing he had an extra outfit set out in his bath house already, followed him out. "All right, I was just asking. It is a common practice, but it is one I am not used to." He rarely ever bathed with Rosethorn when he was alive, and he'd never bathed with anyone else in his life.

"well if you would like to bath without me I can wait." he smiled up at Shadow. the way he acted was that to a big brother. his eyes shined with a freshly blooming love.

"No, it's all right. If it doesn't bother you, then it doesn't bother me," Shadow assured him. He seemed to see this in him, and he was happy with that.

smiling Angelo ran ahead to the bath house and opened it up. looking in he smiled and turned. "it is not what I expected of your bath house."

"What did you expect?" Shadow asked, curiously, as he stepped inside. He began to get everything set up.

"ummm a hole in the ground filled with water. not this tiled wounder land with the nice raised bath." striping off his clothes quickly Angelo hurried to the bath tub and climbed in. " I did not know that privet baths could be as nice as some of the public baths." he leaned on the tub side looking at shadow. "you know you are slow getting in the water is nice and warm, does this have a fire heating it form the outside? I header that some of the new baths have hallow floors that a fire is built next to the only opening. then all the heat is drawn up into the building and then up the sides of the walls where there are chimneys."

Shadow made sure he had a spare outfit in there for himself before quietly shedding his clothing and stepping into the tub beside Angelo. "There is a fire heating it, yes..." He leaned against the side of the tub, resting his head against it contently. He usually hated taking baths, but he seemed happy, now.

(time jump, Years. they have moved from the old home to another in a different town about a year ago. Angelo has taken to going into the woods out back and asked that shadow not fallow him. most of the time he returns with food of one sort or another.)


Leaning back in the pool Angelo sighed. the pain from the whip was just leaving his back. he did not plan on telling Angelo about this. it had been his fault in a way that the man had whipped him, he had acted above his station in their eyes. he was just so used to the way Shadow treated him that he had forgotten to hold his tongue in the market. Angelo's back boar many a whip scar a few of them from Shadow himself. but they would not have been there in the end if Angelo had not told Shadow that it was stupid for him to heal them after whipping him. he would not let Shadow heal them, it only defeated the purpose of the whipping in the first place.
the pool was one that Angelo had made in the stream in the woods. it had taken him some time but he wanted a place to be by him self. he know that Shadow knew about it, just as long as Shadow did not come out here to pester him when he was getting time alone.
he still had not allowed Shadow to teach him about his gifts or even wake them. he knew that Shadow was not lying but he did not like to think that he could have done something for his family if he had just had the training. it was because of his sister that he had gotten whipped for. he had seen her working for the shop keeper and told him he had no right to own her. he was going to have to talk to shadow about her tonight.

Shadow, who had been working around the house all day, had fallen asleep in one of the den chairs. He looked rather funny, actually--his mouth was hanging open slightly. He had wanted to go after Angelo when he slipped out into the forest this time, but he didn't. He would respect the boy's privacy unless he felt there was a good reason he should follow him. They were just settling into their new home, and he didn't want the nice feeling of the past few weeks to be disrupted by trust issues.

After a moment, he jolted awake, having had a nightmare, and just sat in the chair, unsure of what to do, now.

sighing Angelo relaxed the pain from the cuts washing over him and then through him. he had come to enjoy pain, most pain any way. he still could not stand the first touch of the whip. he shivered as he shifted in place causing his cuts to brake open again. "ssssssssss, that one hurt."
"why don't you heal it then." the voice was soft and lilt, he looked around trying to find what it was that had spoken. it was not Shadow, he could never sound that much like a young girl. laughter filled the glen, adding to the sound of the water flowing over the rocks on the far side of the pool. looking around again Angelo pulled himself up so he was standing in the water. "oh what a body, that of a warrior, but is he just as good at magic?"
"I am not a mage." he voice cracked, it had been a while since he last had his voice crack. the water coursed down his back like fingers, he shivered. "who are you? show your self."
"we?" the voice crackled like a brook. "your not looking hard enough we are plane to see." movement caught in the corner of his eye but when the turned he could not see them.

Having decided to check on Angelo, he frowned. He knew he didn't like it, but with such strange circumstances, he felt it might be necessary. ~Angelo? What do you see?~

He wasn't used to this area yet. So, he wasn't quite sure what to expect. ~If you feel like you are in danger at any time, I will come and help.~

closing his eyes Angelo tried to force the pain from his cut from his mind as he pictured the pool and the surrounding area. what Shadow could see clearly but Angelo could not was three water nymphs lounging in the pool a crossed from angelo. they were no danger to Angelo at the moment, most of them would never harm a mage or even come near one unless they were called.
"oh look sister he says he is no mage yet he talks like some of them do." Angelo eyes whipped open as he looked at where they were if he could see them. then slowly they appeared to him.
"ummmmm hello." Angelo said slowly in Greek. he had found he liked the Greek language over his mother tongue. once he had leaned how to read and write in it he had not gone back. "I did not know I was interrupting, I will go." two of the Nymphs flashed over to him before he could go and grabbed his arms.
"oh no please stay and be with us." they smiled seductively. "we really would like you to stay." this whole exchange could still be seen by Shadow. Shadow could tell these three were looking for a lover even if Angelo did not see it.

Shadow, who had no problem entertaining women, grumbled. If the three of them wouldn't go away, that might be the only option. He entertained women when he was bored. He had never been fond of the institution of marriage, however.

~Angelo. The three of them are looking for a lover, on and off most likely. I have dealt with water nymphs before and they are usually docile creatures. But, if they're denied, they can get violent. If you do not feel like it, I would be happy to entertain them, if it cools them off.~

~I am not interested in them, not like THAT.~ Angelo tried to pull away. "lady's listen I don't want to be rude or anything, but I just cant do what you need or want from me." the main one who had been speaking to him pouted then reached froward and pulled his face close for a kiss. the other two pulled at his skin trying to get him to come to them and not her. he tried to pull away as the nymphs powers started to take him over. these three were not here for just a casual lover they wanted one for keeps.

Shadow rolled his eyes. He gathered up some power, and then suddenly he was there beside them. Being older and a tad stronger than Angelo, he pulled the three nymphs off of him, holding them back. "Ladies. This one is mine, not yours," he informed them, pleasantly. But, there was a hint of a threat in his voice. "Perhaps you should travel downstream and find someone else."

pouting they looked at Angelo who at the moment was trying too catch is breath again. "he does not look like he has been with you." the speaker turned puppy dog eyes on him. "and if he has not then you cant claim him."
"he owns me." Angelo gasped out, as he pushed himself to the other side of the pool from there.
"that's not fair," a flash of a nasty side appeared on her face only to disappear just as quickly. "you cant keep him forever you know, nature killer." the three disappeared into the water leaving a wet shadow in their wake. they had purposely splashed him as they went.

Shadow shook his hair out and then wrung his robes out. "...That splash of water was actually rather refreshing." He then noticed Angelo's back. "You're bleeding..." he noted, unnecessarily. "What happened?"