The upside of Yuze's role as First Eye was that very few people actually knew who he was or what he looked like.
The downside of the one fucking time he'd gotten caught was that it brought him face to face with the one fucking person who'd met him as Lord Rong.
Beng Shai.
He'd clearly been out of the field too long if he'd slipped this much. Getting caught by lowly warriors was embarassing and it was simply bad planning on his part that the situation did not give him any chance to slip away before he was far too out numbered to try.
He'd rushed, worried because of the battle and that nagging feeling that something was wrong. He hadn't taken the time to properly plan and prepare before he'd walked into the enemy camp and now he had vital information but no way to get it to Chenzhou.
He was still dressed as a tribesmen, which probably saved his life in those first few moments when the warriors were demanding to know who he was, but even Yuze's perfect grasp of the tribal tongue wasn't enough to calm them when the enovys and the tribal leaders they'd been talking to suddenly exited the tent and found them all standing around it.
Yuze had tried to slip away in the chaos but the golden-eyed man had caught him by the arm and Yuze had known instantly that he was in trouble.
"Well, well," His grip was like iron, even though he matched Yuze in height and general size, and his gaze was sharp as a sword. "You're far to attractive to be one of us." He'd followed it up with an appreciative look at everything Yuze had to offer.
Yuze had been so taken aback by the statement that he'd gaped at the other man for a heartbeat too long. "Excuse me?"
A confident smirk grew under the golden eyes. "I knew you weren't one of us. No man in the tribes is this pretty."
"Because I was surprised you were so blatant? Didn't your mother teach you how to treat strangers?" Yuze yanked his arm free with a scowl.
"You're accent slipped." Golden eyes taunted.
It hadn't and Yuze gave him his best 'you're being ridiculous' look. He'd been getting a lot of practice with it since Eirian had brought Finn and the terrible twosome into their orbit.
Golden eyes actually faultered under it, a fush rising in his cheeks as he scowled. "You're a spy."
Yuze rolled his eyes. One of the first things he'd learned from the previous First Eye was never to deny anything outright. Denials only made the accuser certain they were right, even when they were dead wrong. Instead, it was better to divert attention, sow confusion and doubt. "Do you accuse everyone who doesn't return your interest of being a spy?"
Snickers rose from the group surrounding them and the flush on golden eyes grew deeper. It wasn't hard to imagine he was popular with his looks amd people who knew how attractive they were, were always embarrassed when someone wasn't attracted to them.
"Just the ones who are." He frowned, eyes narrowed. "And you are attracted to me."
Yuze sighed. "That's the hill you want to die on?"
Golden eyes nodded vigoriously and Yuze wasn't the only one who looked a bit exasperated.
But really, if his ego was so desperate to have a hole poked in it, who was Yuze to deny him. Maybe he'd stomp off and Yuze could slip away when everyone's attention wandered.
"A siren's song on the outside, a harpy's shriek on the inside," Yuze gave him a considering look. "Not sure its worth the effort."
Someone guffawed. Someone else laughed. Golden eyes turned bright red and Yuze took a second to pat himself on the back before the disappointment set in.
Golden eyes didn't look like he was going anywhere and now he was mad too.
"Kai Low." Golden eyes snapped around and a quick exchange followed in oen of the Bandri's minor tongues. Yuze wasn't fluent but he could pick out enough words to figure out the discussion was about golden eyes, Kai Low, heading north too bring something to Beng Shai.
Kai Low turned back to him with a smirk, the flush gone and his confidence back. Yuze shifted, uneasy. "That's fine. I'll bring him. See if the others know who he is."
Yuze persed his lips. He did not want to go north and he definitely didn't want to see Beng Shai, but there were too many blades at his neck to argue.
It would be a nearly week long trip, he could find an opening and escape. It was worth allowing them to identify him as a member of the Camelia to get the information about the land of Song and Snow to Chenzhou as quickly as possible.
He's just have to wait for the perfect moment, he thought grimly, as he was stripped of all his weapons.
~ tbc