Thankfully, she didn't notice my subject change. Instead, she eyed the Deep Rat corpses warily, her earlier smile fading into a concerned frown. “We still have food. I sincerely wouldn't advise using that meat unless it's a last resort.”

I nodded, continuing to skin them. “I have no intention of using the meat. The pelts, however, are another story.”

Once I finished with the last one, I admired the onyx fur. It shone under the light from our weapons, and when I ran my fingers through it, a surprising softness greeted me. Apparently, the rats kept themselves well-groomed.

Facing Clover, I held up the pelt. “Do you think I could make this into a teddy bear or something? The fur is really soft, and I think Daedra would like it.”

She had few toys and, as much as I'd like to spoil her, it just wasn't feasible to buy more. Some months, we barely had enough coin to scrape by. Six mouths were a lot to feed, even with Collin and Beatrice doing odd jobs around Dawncrest to help pay for things. Toys and the like were rare and I'd been meaning to make Daedra a stuffed animal for a good while now. There'd be no softer material than this.

I'd have to find some kind of stuffing though. Feathers were preferred, but if we couldn't find a bird monster, they'd be too expensive to use. Straw was common, but the scratchy stuff always gave Daedra a rash. Knowing her, she'd cuddle it anyway.

Maybe the pelt would be thick enough that it wouldn't be an issue?

I tugged at the pelt, testing its strength. Not bad. It had potential, if nothing else.

Clover tipped her head and considered it as well. Bringing a hand up, she traced the pelt for a minute before nodding. “You'll need to wash it extremely well beforehand, but it should work. I'll cast Cleanse on it too, just to make sure any pests are gone before you give it to her.”

I beamed and tucked the pelts into my pack. “That'd be much appreciated. Would you like something made from them too?”

We'd probably be facing quite a few more rats by the time we were finished here, so there'd be plenty of hide to go around.

She raised an eyebrow and laughed again. “Are you offering to make me a stuffed animal?”

I shrugged. “Or a fur trim for your cloak. Whichever you'd prefer.”

She fingered the edge of her cloak thoughtfully before nodding. “That would be nice, but let's focus on finishing out this level for now. It's hard to tell time here, so we need to keep moving.”

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I pulled my pack into place and nodded. “Of course, lead the way.”

Instead of leading, she tapped her chin and smiled with that impish grin I was coming to expect from her. “Maybe I should have you lead this time. After all, you’ve been staring at my behind the entire time we've been in here. I should get a turn, shouldn't I?”

Her directness was going to take some getting used to, though I'd be lying if I said it wasn't endearing. Lightness swept through me, and the urge to tease her back jittered under my skin.

She'd been flirting this entire time so there was no harm in doing it back, right?

I'd never tried before, but if there was ever a time to learn, now was it. With my decision made, heat crawled up my neck, and I cleared my throat.

Alright, Frederick. Don't mess this up.

I stepped in front of her, a smile curving my lips. “You won't get much of a show thanks to my armor, but far be it from me to rob you of the view. Especially since you've offered quite the nice one so far.”

Delight flushed over her cheeks, and she beamed. “Compliments and a show? You do know how to spoil a lady. Lead the way, my dear Paladin. And feel free to continue with the praise, I certainly won't complain.”

The flutters took off into a frenzy in my chest, and I dipped my head to hide the–most likely goofy–grin stretched across my cheeks.

“Of course, my lady.”

The term slipped out by accident, and she missed a step, catching herself before she could tumble. Her flush darkened, and she grinned, unfazed. “You're going to be downright lethal with flirting, once you get the hang of it, aren't you?”

Focusing forward, I shrugged. “Maybe. Only time will tell.”

As we approached the door, something felt off. The jovial mood disappeared in a snap and I held up a hand for silence. Clover nodded, turning serious as I listened. I could have sworn I heard scratching or chattering noises.

The silence stretched, but then the sound came again, clearer this time. Many legs skuttling along the stone floor.

Spiders.

My skin crawled, and I grimaced. “There's at least one spider in the next room. I can hear it shuffling around.”

Clover eyed the door warily. “If it's an adult, we might have found the last room of this level. Giant Spiders usually travel in pairs.”

I shuddered, disgusted. “We're about to walk into a nightmare of egg sacks, aren't we?”

Spirits above and below, I hated spiders!

Clover patted my arm soothingly. “Probably, but it's okay, I'll protect you.”

I laughed and squeezed her hand. “That's much appreciated. I'll appreciate a Cleansing spell even more after we're done, though.”

She hummed and nudged my arm playfully. “Use your manners, Darling.”

The nickname sent a shiver down my spine, and I swallowed hard. “Will you please use a Cleansing spell on me once I'm done wading through spider guts?”

The words came out in a low, rough tone, my unease clear, but Clover didn’t tease like I expected her to. Her eyes softened with understanding and she patted my chest with a nod. “Of course, anything for you, Darling.”

Another shiver raced down my back as I faced forward, determined not to get sidetracked.

Spiders, Frederick. Deal with the spiders.

Taking a deep breath, I gripped my sword tighter and opened the door slowly, minimizing the noise. When I peeked inside, my soul ejected from my body.

“Clover,” I whispered, my mouth dry as I took in the room covered in egg sacks, “I hate this place.”