A SHELTER IN THE STORM

The disagreement with Captain Morek went on for a solid fifteen minutes as Kaira forcefully defended Gryff. Iris suspected that the only reason Morek had eventually dropped the subject was due to Laken's owlbear companion. The creature radiated an aura of menacing protectiveness, emphasized by Laken's thinly veiled threats.

Eventually, they had agreed to leave the town on their quest, but Kaira had been adamant about not allowing anyone to join them. Eventually, they bade Helda farewell and departed from Cosdale. Iris had hoped to say goodbye to Neri as well, but she'd left work early, apparently mentioning how she was feeling unwell to Helda.

The group then set off on the next part of their quest which had them bound for the Cursed Forest. Iris sat astride Mocha, while Laken rode his owlbear who now donned a simple saddle the elven man had purchased and fitted in Cosdale.

Their travel along the road was filled with lighthearted banter and conversation. Even the kitsune had decided to have some fun. Akane was currently in her fox form, playfully dashing in circles around Mocha, eliciting snorts of amusement from the horse.

At the wagon's reins sat Gryff, a determined look on his face as he navigated the road. Bree and Kaira sat in the back, sandwiched between various supplies that they had hastily covered with wool blankets because, overhead, the sky had grown ominously dark, threatening to drench them in a downpour. The road was filled with the clatter of hooves and wagon wheels, a chorus of their adventurous resolve.

Their journey continued, Bree's gentle lute strumming filled the air with a pleasant melody. Iris glanced over at the wagon, catching sight of the bard immersed in her music.

'Wow, she's really good,' Mocha nickered from below Iris, the horse filled with a mix of surprise and excitement. ‘Ask Bree to sing it! It’s time! I wanna hear the Ballad of Mocha the Fabulous!’

Unable to contain her laughter, Iris replied, “No one called it that!”

“What’s she saying?” Kaira asked with a raised brow.

Iris relayed Mocha’s request, causing Bree to look up and chuckle. “Well, if Mocha wants to hear her song, I can’t refuse,” she said, strumming her lute and preparing to sing the now-famous ‘Ballad of Mocha’.

Upon hearing the lute, Akane’s curiosity was piqued. Deciding to listen more closely, the kitsune dashed to the back of the wagon and leaped into the air. As she did, the fox cast her magic, creating a shimmering cloud of mana that enveloped her like a thick mist. The arcane light danced around her, obscuring her dire fox-sized form from view.

Then, as if emerging from a dream, Akane materialized in her humanoid form, twirling majestically out of the mana cloud as she landed gracefully in the wagon. Her three tails waved behind her as Iris’s twin with her vulpine features looked around with excitement in her mismatched eyes.

Moving with an alluring grace, Akane quickly went to sit next to Bree, who engrossed in her music, hadn’t noticed the spectacle until the kitsune sat next to her. Giving Akane a smile, the woman started her song, her fingers dancing on the lute as she began to sing the song.

Iris smiled as her best friend listened, enraptured by the song about her fights with the poachers.

As Bree strummed the last note of the ballad, a hush fell over the group, the words of the song still echoing in their ears. In that moment, Mocha was not just a horse, but a hero–a defender of her friends and a formidable warrior.

With a gleeful whinny, Mocha expressed her approval. 'I love it!' she nickered, her voice filled with an infectious joy. 'Now everyone will know about how amazing I am!'

Iris, wearing a tender smile, reached out and laid a hand on Mocha’s armored neck. “You’ve always been amazing to me,” she replied warmly. “And I'm glad everyone else gets to see you as I do–my brave, badass friend.”

Mocha whinnied again, the sound ringing out in the tranquil surroundings around them. Iris couldn’t help but smile, noticing the rest of her party joining in as the tension of what awaited them in the Cursed Forest fell away.

Iris was drawn by the sound of Akane’s happy yipping, her vulpine eyes sparkling with excitement. The kitsune turned to Bree, a pleading look on her face. “Me… next!” she asked after a bit of concentration and struggle, causing Bree to chuckle.

‘Lucky bitch, I want magic that can turn me into a person that I can actually speak with…’ Mocha nickered.

Akane replied with a string of yips that had the horse huff. ‘No, Akane, your illusions don’t help. No one except you and Iris can understand me even then.’

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Iris sighed. “Maybe there’s a way to manipulate the ability that lets me understand you, to let others as well?”

Mocha let out a snort. ‘Maybe.’

The sun elf bard watched the two magical creatures converse, then turned to the kitsune and gave her a slight nod. “I’ll have to think of a fitting ballad for you, Akane,” Bree promised, eliciting a barking cheer from the kitsune.

No sooner had Bree spoken than the guys in the group started clamoring for their own songs, each requested that Bree immortalize their adventurers in her melodious verses.

Bree chuckled, flashing a mischievous grin at Gryff’s back. “Just wait until I write a song about your heroic deeds, Gryff. Maybe I can include a verse about that time you got tangled in your own net–now that will be a ballad for the ages!”

Gryff acted wounded by the bard’s playful jab, which pushed them all to start coming up with silly teasing.

Kaira and Iris couldn’t help but join in with teasing the guys, although she had to admit a song about a ranger befriending an owlbear sounded like fun.

As the laughter and good-natured teasing continued, Kaira decided to redirect the attention to Iris. “Bree, when you write the song for Iris, don't forget to include the part where she returned from her quest with Akane, all covered in dried mud clumps in her hair!” She giggled at the memory, earning an indignant cry from Iris.

“It was Akane’s fault I fell into the water!” Iris exclaimed, shooting a playful glare at the kitsune. The reaction only caused Akane to burst into a bout of vulpine laughter, her mismatched eyes gleaming with mischief.

Taking the tease a step further, Akane used her illusion magic to change Iris’s appearance. Within seconds, Iris was virtually covered in illusory twigs and mud, all over her face and entwined in her hair. The group erupted in laughter, the air around them filled with lighthearted cheer.

Despite her feigned indignation, Iris couldn’t help but join in, her laughter blending with that of her party… her friends. The illusion, the laughter, and the camaraderie all served to bring a feeling of warmth that Iris felt as if she could bask in during the coldest winter.

Kaira glanced up at Iris and asked Mocha if she could join them. Mocha shot Kaira a look then told Iris to convey a message.

‘Tell your girlfriend that there will be no funny business on my back,’ the horse nickered seriously. ‘I swear, I will buck you two off so fast. I know how you are, Iris.’

Iris’s eyes widened. “Me?! What?”

‘Yes, you. You can’t keep it in your pants,’ Mocha replied.

“I absolutely can keep it in my pants,” Iris complained.

Kaira laughed. “Come on, Mocha, be nice to her. She’s only trying to get into my pants.”

Iris blushed.

I mean… she’s not wrong.

‘See! That’s what I’m talking about! I swear, I will kick both of you off,’ the horse nickered, even as she moved closer to the wagon, allowing Kaira to smoothly transition from her spot in the back of the wagon and climb up into the saddle behind Iris without even stopping.

Kaira wrapped her arms around the adventurer as she settled behind her. A moment later, Iris felt the shorter elf lift her butt off of the saddle and lean close to her ear, her breath sending a shiver down her spine.

“Hey you,” the sultry voice whispered.

Iris felt her cheeks heat up. “H-Hey.”

The alluring whisper next to her ear continued, sending a rush of anticipation through Iris. “Do you wish to officially court me?” Kaira asked.

The question sent more shivers down Iris' spine, her heart pounding in her chest. “W-what?” she stuttered out, her mind spinning. “Does that mean you're my girlfriend?”

“Is that a cultural thing?” Kaira’s voice asked, her voice softer now, but no less intense. “Can you explain?”

Iris responded, explaining what it meant, which had her explain the difference between being a girlfriend and a fiancee.

Kaira hummed. “Does this mean you only want to be casual partners?”

The question hung in the air between them, making Iris' breath hitch in her throat. The realization that this was not a joke, that Kaira was truly asking her to be in a serious relationship, made Iris feel an overwhelming sense of joy.

And maybe, a bit of fear.

“A courtship does not mean we will marry immediately, if at all. It is the agreement of establishing of a purpose-driven romantic relationship if that is what you are worried about,” Kaira explained.

That makes sense.

Iris had spent so long pushing people away, so long running from her feelings. But Kaira, with her bravery and her strength, had chased Iris down and caught her.

So Iris found herself at a crossroads: to keep running or to take a leap of faith.

It was an easy choice, she shifted in the saddle so that she could look Kaira in her mesmerizing grey eyes. “Yes,” she breathed out, her voice barely a whisper. “I would love to court you.”

With a bright smile, Kaira leaned in, capturing Iris' lips in a sweet kiss that sealed their promise.

As Iris turned back around, Mocha let out a soft nicker, ‘I’m happy for you, Iris.’

A tear threatened to fall as she leaned forward closer to her friend’s ear. “Thanks, Mocha. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you,” she whispered.

A pleased sound came from her friend as Iris sat back up. She felt Kaira shimmying behind her, the little wiggles would have caused her to heat up noticeably if there weren’t so many layers of armor and clothing in between them.

Okay, maybe my cheeks are heating up just a bit.