33 We need to talk

"If you're going to get anything out of this experience," I said, "we're gonna have to lay down some ground rules. Firstly, don't do anything unless I tell you to do it, and if I tell you to get behind me, that's exactly what you must do."
"but... but...." his voice trailed off,
"No, there's no maybe's in this world.  I know this world. You are new to it. You could get us killed. Think about it." I paused for a moment to think.
"What would you do if a boar approached you?" I looked at him, hoping he had some hunting skills.
"Well?" 
"I'd kill it." In his mind he was practicing the sword thrust.
"Do you know how they strike?"
He looked at me with complete blankness?
"Do you know even what animals live in this area?" 
"No," he looked at me quite surprised, "why should I exactly?" There was a defiance in his voice, protecting his ignorance. 
"You don't know what lives here. I live here. I know what lives with me. So in this respect, what I say goes, do you understand?"  
He looked at me shrugged his shoulders, "okay I understand." 
There was that little boy lost look again that I'd seen when it was in the water, but he wasn't taking it seriously.
Yes, this was going to be a long and arduous journey together. 
"Next,"  I said,  "you're gonna have to get over this thing about stripping off your clothes." 
His head whipped up and he looked at me aghast.  His eyes almost popped out of their sockets and his face blanched white. 
"I don't know what your issue is, but there are some reasons why, when you go in the water you have to enter without your clothes. 
One; the clothes can snag on things under the water. You stand a much better chance of getting yourself free if there isn't anything loose flapping around.  
Two; We don't have that many clothes. If you get wet, you haven't anything to change into and you can suffer from all sorts of very nasty infections. If you have any cuts or grazes on your skin they can turn bad if they remain wet.
Three; In the winter you will not want to come out of the water wet and sit around dripping. You will get chilled and this can cause you to sleep and not wake up again. 
It is much easier to go in wash, get clean, catch fish, if that's what we are doing and then come out of the water. Drying yourself off in front of a fire and putting your clothes back on will keep you healthier. 
You will benefit from it. Do you understand that?" I looked at him hoping that he might comprehend the reasons behind it.  
"Yes, but..., but..... but...," he stammered flushing redder and redder.
"I'm sorry, there are no buts. This is the way it's got to be." I looked at him as he seemed to want to curl up into a ball.
"Come on, what is your problem? I just didn't understand?"
Hiding his face in his hands I heard him murmuring, " I can't, I just cant. I can't go naked in front of a woman!" "Why?" I looked to him, his embarrassment was making him tear up, I really didn't understand what was going on inside his head? 
Eventually he blurted out, "because I fancy you. That's why. Because whenever I see or think of you naked, I get aroused and.... 
"What's the problem?" I shrugged my shoulders not appreciating the issue, "Well?"
 His head hung low and he looked as if he would explode. Tear ran down his bright red face and sweat seemed to appear from nowhere. He was really struggling. Frustration, embarrassment, everything was flowing across his face like rapidly changing masks.
"It's okay, it's normal isn't it?" I said gently touching his arm. His reaction was instant. Pulling away his wrenced himself sideways and turned his back on me. 
"Think about it, please, " I said as gently as I could, " there are reasons you don't let yourself stay wet. I don't want any harm to come to you. Somehow, you must overcome this unless you want to go home and resume your etiquette rich life?"
With this he spun round and looked at me. In his head it was an ultimatum. 
"Okay," he said, "I'll do my best."
In a strange way I knew we had crossed into a new relationship. I could see we had to continue talking and I would have to modify some of my behaviours to suit his sensibilities. After all this isn't Xin.

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