As the sun neared its zenith, Strong River approached the warrior barracks. A small satchel was slung over his shoulder, containing the entirety of things he considered valuable: the couple changes of clothes he owned, some necessary utensils, and the items he had claimed as spoils from the pair of bandit thugs he had disposed of. He suspected that Elder Wave would have someone checking his hovel while he was gone, looking for any hint of a secret of his sudden bottleneck shattering, and so he left nothing to discover. If Elder Wave found that suspicious in itself, well, River could always argue that he assumed he would have his housing reassigned in the light of his newly elevated status.

The barracks were a bustle of activity as several men went about the business of loading and preparing the herdbeasts for their journey. River looked around, but none of the men paid him any heed as they went about their various tasks. Having never reported before, he found himself at a loss for what to do now that he was here.

"Hey, wimpy! What do you think you're doing there?"

River suppressed a sigh as he turned to the source of the voice. Standing in the shade under an eave were Soaring Wave and his remaining minion, Stumpy. Stumpy's face was grumpiness incarnate carved in thick stone, but Soaring Wave appeared more cheerful. Squaring his shoulders and not adopting his usual subservient hunch, River decided to pivot back to watching the men load the beasts rather than answer the provocation.

"Hey, you little turd, answer when I talk to you!" Soaring Wave's voice neared, bottled petulant fury seething under the surface.

"If you want a reply, you should try and get people's names right, Soaring Wave." Another voice answered from another direction. River turned to see who the new interlocutor injecting himself in an apparent feud would be.

The man was around River's own age, a couple years older than Soaring Wave. Tall and broad-shouldered, his sun-bleached hair was trimmed neatly, and his blue eyes were lively. Under the ubiquitous fur cape of a warrior, his skin was well tanned and his well-defined muscles rippled with every step as he moved to intercept Soaring Wave.

Soaring Wave frowned. "What business of this is yours, Blue Ripple?" he almost barked at the man.

Blue Ripple laughed, small dimples cratering on his cheeks. "I didn't know that I was required to have your permission to have any business or none at all. As it so happens, my," Blue Ripple drew the word out for emphasis, "uncle said I should take River in hand for this little outing. Since last I checked the name of the chief was Lake and not Wave, I figure that won't be a problem, right?"

Soaring Wave, while a promising youth in the clan from an elder's family, was by no means guaranteed a future position no matter what airs he put on. Each of the major families of the clan clawed for influence and resources to raise their own new budding prodigy that could surpass the Human Realm and thus be eligible to lead the tribe in the future, and it appeared that this Blue Ripple was a candidate from Elder Ripple's family.

"Not a bad seed, this fellow," Mister Black mused. "He looks to have recently entered the sixth grade. Nothing outstanding, of course, and you'll soon surpass him, but not bad given how things are here."

River found himself agreeing with Mister Black's assessment of this gregarious youth. Given a couple years, Soaring Wave would not be able to match that kind of pace. It looked like the competition for the seat of the next chief might even lack in liveliness, if Blue Ripple could maintain his lead.

Meanwhile, Soaring Wave's only response to Blue Ripple was a kind of sputtering lack of words. "Fine," he finally huffed. "Have it your way. Enjoy your little wimpy friend." Turning on a heel so sharply he managed to startle his stone-faced minion, Soaring Wave marched into the interior of the barracks, Stumpy rushing to shadow him.

Blue Ripple laughed, almost startling River as he turned to face the man. "Don't pay him too much heed, he's just a brat who needs some reality thumped into him. And that may come sooner rather than later," Blue Ripple mused out loud, his eyes going distant for a moment. "But enough of that. Is that your stuff? Here, I'll help you out."

Before River could as much as protest, Blue Ripple lifted the sack off his shoulder. "A bit light? Is this everything? I could send some porters to go get the rest if you'd like, this trip isn't too long, but it isn't short either." Blue Ripple's eyes expressed genuine concern.

River could only bark out a bitter laugh. "There's no need, Mister Ripple. That's everything. I haven't exactly been... showered with possessions these past few years."

Blue Ripple frowned and nodded, circling his free arm around River and leading him to walk about the barracks compound. "Yes, these past few years must have been... terrible. You know, my grandfather likes to talk about the roots of the clan. One of the things he mentions is how, a few hundred years ago, the Flowing Water came about from the lineages of Lake, Ripple, Cloud, and River."

"Really?" River resisted the almost reflexive recoil from human touch and instead listened to the young man volunteering clan lore that, as an orphan from a young age, he hadn't been privy to.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Yes, really," Blue Ripple affirmed. "But while the names of Lake, Ripple, and Cloud have remained prominent throughout the clan's history, the name of River fell from its status a few generations ago when they couldn't produce someone capable of filling the mantle of Elder. Ever since, they dwindled into obscurity until, well... there's now just you, I think."

River nodded along, somewhat numb at the off-handed revelation someone like Blue Ripple could make in casual conversation, a demonstration of the gulf between their statuses in the clan.

Blue Ripple shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't even know why I was bringing that all up. You might be better off not knowing all that nonsense." Blue Ripple stopped on reaching a herdbeast that was harnessed in leather bearing a wavy symbol. Letting go of River's shoulders, he selected an empty compartment and lowered River's belongings inside. "This one's mine, we'll put your stuff in here and that way nobody will mess with it." Blue Ripple then leaned back against the beast, eliciting a moo-like grunt.

"So," Blue Ripple continued, his voice lowered from its across-the-field volume of before, "what exactly happened with Soaring Wave's lackey anyway?" Blue Ripple looked around, appearing to keep an eye out for any eavesdroppers.

River frowned, weighing his options for a moment. Mister Black didn't chime in with any opinions, apparently letting him decide this one for himself. It wasn't exactly a surprise that someone in Blue Ripple's particular position knew something had happened with Beanpole.

Taking a deep breath and glancing around himself to ensure nobody was too close, River recounted the scenario to Blue Ripple, from bumping into the trio to leaving Beanpole's cabin. Naturally, he said nothing of his actual secrets.

By the end of River's tale, Blue Ripple was doubled over laughter, trying to hold it in and only partially failing. Tears flew from the corners of his eyes as he gasped for breath.

"Oh my heavens, you actually smeared that twerp in his own--?" Blue Ripple let out a few more choked chuckles. "Oh dear, so that's why he's hiding in bed. I don't know if I'd want to show my face after that either." Blue Ripple took a few deep breaths as he recomposed himself.

"That's pretty ballsy of you, you know. Not the stuffing him in a basket -- he deserved what he wrought right there -- but that you've been keeping your physique advancements under wraps so you could deliver a surprise," Blue Ripple said, genuinely admiring of River's apparent stoic bearing. "So, then, what grade are you actually, then?"

River inwardly smirked as Blue Ripple slipped that last bit in so very casually. "Higher than third. Sort of like how you're higher than fifth."

Blue Ripple blinked, his cheerful dimples vanishing in an instant. "How'd you know that?"

River shrugged, trying to look casual while doing so. "I didn't, I just had a guess after seeing you and Soaring Wave."

Blue Ripple stood there for a moment, stunned. Then he laughed. "Damn, you're good. Say, you up for hearing an idea I just had?"

River shrugged. "Sure, let's hear it."

"I think the clan would be better off in the future if it had an Elder River again. I have a cute cousin, she's a couple years younger--"

River turned to hide the unbidden flush on his cheeks even as he coughed loudly. Thumping his chest as though to clear his lungs, River turned to regard the serious-faced Blue Ripple.

"I'm grateful for the regard, Mister Ripple, but I don't really have a position in leadership in the clan in my eyes now," River spoke, giving a genuine assessment of the offer. He wanted to go a lot farther than ruling some backwater clan, after all.

Blue Ripple nodded. "That could be taken a couple ways, you know," he said, sighing. "It's a pity, though. Things in the clan are really going downhill, with all the pressure from the Dragon's Den. There are even rumors that Wave and Pearl are working together with them."

"What?" River's knuckles cracked as his hands balled into fists.

"Whoa, whoa, hold it, we don't really know..." Blue Ripple said, hands raised in placation. "Just forget I mentioned that last bit. Regardless, the bandits are a problem that will have to be dealt with sooner or later."

"Hopefully sooner."

Blue Ripple regarded River a moment. "So too I hope. But enough on that, I know you aren't really interested in the clan's business, or my cousin, but do you think I could call you brother anyway?"

River blinked, surprised. "Why? I mean, I'm not sure, why would someone like you want a layabout weakling like me as a brother?"

Blue Ripple snorted. "You can put on wool to fool others, but now I know better. We've gotten soft, this clan, but you seem righteous enough. At least, you aren't content with the status quo like so many are." Blue Ripple explained. "Plus, if you call me Mister one more time, I might just go run to a water basin and make sure I don't have any wrinkles or gray hairs."

River couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, Brother Ripple then?"

Blue Ripple offered a hand, "Only if you are good with it, Brother River."

River gripped the wrist of Blue Ripple's offered arm, and Blue Ripple reciprocated. "Brothers, then."

Blue Ripple smiled, the mirthful dimples reappearing. He then gripped River's shoulder and led him about some more while enthusiastically explaining the ins and outs of how a hunting expedition worked, noting that not a lot would be expected of him this go-round as he was a neophyte and just there to fill the numbers and receive some field experience. River filed away the information as Blue Ripple kept talking without interruption.

"So, Mister Black, what do you think?" he inwardly queried his mentor.

"Hm. A brother? Don't you think you sold yourself a bit cheaply, young man?" Mister Black responded.

"I don't. I need someone on my side going out on this expedition, not only to erect a metal plate for Soaring Wave to kick, but also in the worst case scenario. He knows I'm stronger than people think, just not how much stronger, so it'll lend credibility to have such an important fellow report about our "hunting accident" if it comes to it," River summarized.

"I don't know if that's enough for what you're pledging here, but it's your choice." Mister Black did not seem to be entirely approving.

"There's also the part where he knows a lot about the situation with the Dragon's Den and even that some Elders are involved. If I'm going to wipe out Brave Dragon's little kingdom, I need to be thorough, and for that I need information, don't I?"

Blue Ripple continued chattering away to his new brother, completely oblivious to the sinister undercurrents he had been swept into.