Our two projects in tenth year before we graduated and worked together were quite simple. I would lead one ambush and he would lead another. There had to be one brain and one brawn in the team. Two brains would lead to no action, only plans never happening, and two brawns were only animals let loose, tasks unfulfilled.

My ambush came first. I was tasked with the goal of competing with another team for flags. We could either steal six small flags for a score of 60 or three big flags for the score of 60. Yes, it was graded out of a total 60 80, so if we only had, say, seven small flags or one big flag, our maximum score would be 30.

Not passing.

Teams beforehand had told us it was impossible but you could force a tie and have both sides fail, so teams began aiming for one or two big flags first before four small ones.

When I saw we were on horseback in a forest instead of snooping around on foot I knew I miscalculated. Clive and I would go after the big flags in their area, meaning we would split up. Each time we got a flag we went to our secret part of the forest and placed a stone there.

Big flags should be carried and one could hold at maximum four small items. Maybe more if we bite it but I wasn't planning on choking as I rode my horse.

My plan was simple, find the three big flags soon and hope the other team, who we didn't know and didn't know us would search for the small flags instead.

Each place we went to would have a stick stuck up there. If we dug it we found small or big flags depending on how subtle or obvious they were. I wanted Clive to kick these sticks down or preferably, stick similar ones where there was nothing and have them dig endlessly.

The spring temperature had made both of us sweat to the point Clive unbuttoned his shirt. His longer hair would fly with each gallop. He told me he was resting in the dark forest after we met up a second time. Thing was, he found four small flags but he couldn't find even one big item.

I showed him the big flag I had found. It was a wooden stick stuck with a huge ball of cloth as crimson as freshly split blood. It took the utmost energy to tie it up and hold it behind me like a child's playing stick, but the color was bright and I feared the other team saw us.

"We have no time. Drink your water then get to work," I said. "We will need to tie these to us, it's too hard to hold while holding the reins."

"It's useless," Clive muttered, wiping off his sweat.

"Wait, don't move!"

There was the soft steps of horses before they slowed and Clive and I turned their way. The other team had found us. I didn't recognize the two, and they gave us strange looks from the side of their eyes. Then I saw. One had a big flag in his hand. He was holding it onto the horse's head and I knew as a knight that it hurt the poor creature.

"Damn," I said. "Plan has been busted. Clive, go back for the small treasures."

"I can't remember where they were, and there's so many decoys!" Our plan had backfired.

Clive was agitated and then for a moment I only saw the silver flash of the dagger he had drawn.

It was a split moment, but the view of his hair blowing wild, literally like a mane, enchanted me. His eyes were full of bloodlust end with a face I've always imagined the god of war to have, he raced to them. Clive looped in between them and one said something but all I heard were the hooves and the yelling.

Clive didn't hesitate to take down the boy who was carrying the big flag. The other boy only backed up his horse and the boy who had the trophy fell hard on the wet soil, his horse neighing and running away. He jumped back up but Clive's horse knew to step back. The sound of the hooves were loud but I managed to hear him.

"Protect what is precious to you!" Clive shouted as he stared at the boy.

Somehow, I never could have imagined that Clive was actually determined to be a knight in training and had his own pride. We left the two boys and to sum up the story we won with three big flags, and exactly six small trophies. Yes, we got 60 on our test.

We clapped each others' shoulder and grinned, the dark forest and two boys all seemingly distant in the past.

We were taking a quick shower when I asked him "Did the treasure really mean that much to you?"

"No," he said, but in his joking tone again.

He finished showering and went to the bath. I heard the water hit the floor although I didn't turn around to see him.

Then Clive spoke.

"What was important to me was that you and your family name didn't get sullied. I could not afford to have anything but the best—because I know you're the best knight in Goldenvale, Nathan."

I snorted.

"Well, whatever you say. You'll be planning the next test, and I won't forgive you if we fail."

"I'll be able to make you do anything I want!" He was teasing, and I washed my face, pretending to not hear him.

I finally finished showering. "I heard it's a fight with weapons," I said.

"It suits me," he said. I thought for a moment how the boys said it suited someone from a warring country or someone who grew up hunting for food themselves. Somehow it felt sad.

"It doesn't suit you. Killing doesn't suit anyone," I declared.

With that I dived into the shallow bath we had and cleansed myself. The faint smell of soap filled the water and Clive was swimming away from me. That was rare of him, I thought.

We both swam wordlessly, but for once we weren't competing or arguing, and his presence made me feel as ease.

His body was visible in the bath and I saw many small scars on his back reaching his waist. I didn't look further.

I lied.

Either way, we swam leisurely round the same route until I resurfaced and when he crashed into me. Instead of getting mad I found it in me to laugh. His skin was warm and made me feel ticklish although it couldn't have been more than a bump.

"I like your hair," I said instead. "I don't usually like hair too long but I liked yours that length."

It was just below his nape, and constantly needed his attention, as why he was always brushing it back. He grinned and swam away to return closer, and this time he pulled his wet hair from his face, and then smiled.

"How about now?"

Droplets I know had been used by others and weren't new were on his nose and trickling down the crevices of his face. His familiar deep-set eyes, hooded with light eyelashes. His jawline to his chin—I felt as though I'd rather to be a drop of water on him in that moment than be Nathaniel Rottings.

I looked away. "We should go dry ourselves off and open the bath for the next pair."

We left and once we did, I heard boys who were waiting enter, groaning loudly about how they failed their test.

Clive and I wiped ourselves down and Clive was still fluffing out his hair later when we dressed casually in bathrobes.

"Glad we passed, aren't you?"

"Yes, but you are reckless. Plan your test with care, I'm warning you."

He laughed as always, somehow as though he was pleased me he took his towel and dried off my hair before I threw the wet towel at him. We laughed so much those days.

Clive's test was much more difficult than mine. We would have to fight another pair in a forest with traps, and we could choose to either use swords or bows and arrows. The arrows were fake, the points wrapped so that it was soft.

Our goal was to simply get both of the opposite team off the horse first. Once knocked down, however, they needed to be brought to the professor as we stayed on your horse.

Similar to the first one, people cheated. Clive decided if I fell off I would run around as far opposite the direction to the professors and he would attack them so both of them fell first.

He was casual about the "planning", and he shrugged the night before.

"What's important is to not fall together," Clive said.

I had heard "fall for each other" and stood up in shock.

"I'm not falling for you!"

Clive stared at me with his mouth open, an innocent look I didn't see often. Then he hid a smile before he gave up and laughed.

"I give up, Nathan! You're so adorable!"

His whole demeanor relaxed and he looked at me with that sweet smile.

"I said we wouldn't fall together, but now I guess I might fall for you," he joked.

"I misheard!" I sat down. "Stop laughing and plan sincerely."

"I planned it already. I'll be taking a sword as you take the bow. Bows are useful for staying long distance and still hurting them." Clive grinned. "You're a good bowsman."

"But we need a plan!" I repeated, somehow uncertain.

"Please don't, focus on staying on your horse. As I said, there's really nothing to plan—"

"It's the hardest test!" I snapped. Teams were getting riled up by their last failed scores and willing to take people down with them again. I didn't want us to be so...underhanded.

Clive touched my shoulder and rested his head against it.

"I can't wait for next year. We would room together."

"Well, all pairs room together," I said.

"If we pass this test," he said, "would you be my friend?"

I stared at his hair, and realized it was the first time he was bashful. Usually he always looked at me. I wanted to see his face but his head was turned down.

"Yes," I said in the heat of the moment.

Clive looked up like a small animal, but his ears were actually pink. I touched it and he didn't recoil from the touch. They were strangely warm and I was relieved to see it was Clive alright.

"Friends and partners," I said.

"Thank you," he grinned.