Chapter 101: Return
The ship jolted as it touched down, the multi-day excursion coming to an end. Joseph waited eagerly next to the doors, his gear slung over his shoulder in the backpack. A change of clothes left him in possibly the most appropriate attire for the weather, the unrelenting sun outside telling of Summer’s last vengeance as it scorched the outside. An errant thought wondered what Pan would be wearing to combat the heat, her usual penchant for functional clothing while she was working only defeated by excessively warm days. He hoped she spent the effort to make herself something nice—she deserved it.
Tel wore her full combat gear, her new rifle resting against her back. With all the extraneous equipment, she looked ready to take on an entire enemy force after being dropped in hostile territory, only her bored yawn ruining the image. She seemed pretty unbothered by the prospect of venturing into the heat, but her shorter coat likely helped with that. She would take to the shade of the forest if it became too much, anyway.
Daisy was faring a little better—the Queen being the one who had imposed on the Wraith’s sleep by using her as a pillow. Tel hadn’t said anything about it, but by the way she rubbed her side every so often, Joseph guessed that the yellow insect had a habit of poking in her sleep.
The accompanying Grand Huntress was dressed for the weather; her chest-binder and shorts would keep her cool in the sporadic breeze. The few items she had on paw were kept in a satchel under her arm, her favoured gun holstered on her hip. She smirked as the Atmo bounced in place—excited to both meet her sister, and bother Tel in a more open setting.
Tech and Leader were mostly there to see them off, the other two crew still absent. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t thank them for the trip, but the Grand Hunter had made sure that their escorts would pass along the message.
The doors hissed open, the usually artificial sound replaced by an actual equalization of pressure. The air sucked in through the crack was hot and humid, just like he hated. Yellow leaves and silver bark were revealed slowly. The eerie silence of disturbed wildlife left nothing but the slight rustle of the foliage. Beams of sunlight pierced through the canopy.
He was almost home.
“This is where we must see you off,” Leader announced, only following them for a few steps out into the open. Tech stayed in the ship, her eyes scanning the surroundings, occasionally tapping something on her ear. Joseph shrugged his bag to adjust it.
“Again, thank you for helping out at Sunny’s settlement.”
The dark green-furred male waved him off. “It was our obligation, think nothing of it.” He shifted his regard to the Grand Huntress. “We will reside here until you have completed your inspections.”
Sunundra nodded. “It will take some suns, based on the documentation.”
“Was that what you were reading?” Joseph thought aloud, interrupting the conversation. The two questioning glances reminded him that he shouldn’t be commenting on it. He rubbed his neck as he gestured to continue, Leader chuckling in response.
“That will be fine. We would also like some time to compose our own reports after recent suns.”
“Then I will be in your care when I return,” the pale-furred female affirmed, dismissing the male by turning away. Regardless of how used to it they seemed, the Grand Hunter still felt weird about how Leader just did as she asked. To him, they were just strangers. To them, Sunny was some high-ranking officer that the others had to listen to. Considering that he had the same situation back at the settlement, it really showed how casually he approached the whole thing.
They watched the dark green-furred male disappear behind the closing doors, Sunundra eyeing him with a muted curiosity.
“I am rather looking forward to seeing your pack,” she admitted when he raised a brow. Joseph paused in his attempt to answer, his eyes wandering the trees. “Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” he denied calmly. “Just that you’ll meet some of them sooner than I thought. Come say hi!”
Sunny furrowed her brow at the cryptic response and raised voice, scanning the surroundings fruitlessly and stopping to reiterate her confusion in Tel’s direction. The Wraith—as helpful as always—just smirked, a mirthful looping of her tail warning everyone that she found something amusing. Joseph shook his head, the peppermint scent that had been washed off of his grey-furred fiancee intensifying from somewhere else.
“Welcome back, sir,” the dark red-furred female greeted in her usual demure fashion, startling the Grand Huntress by speaking from behind her. The Human chuckled, shooting a hand out to stop Sunny from drawing her CARD.
“Good to be back, Scarlet.” He gave Sunundra a grin and nodded to assure her it was safe. “Are the other girls here?”
“Just myself and Faye, sir. Kaslin and Raine are occupied with their other duties.”
He faked a frown. “Aw, don’t like me enough to greet me?”
The Wraith’s impassive expression cracked. “Your charms are too much for them to process without ample preparation, sir.”
A choked laugh burst forth, even Tel snorting at the sarcasm. He wiped a tear out of his eye after he had time to calm down, noticing Daisy warily watching the new addition. He crouched down, beckoning her forth and placing a hand on her base, patting it fondly.
“This is Daisy, she’s the Queen for Sunny’s settlement.”
Scarlet’s eyes widened, a subtle nod given towards the referenced female. “Then this one is—”
“—Sunundra,” the Grand Huntress finished, seeing her male counterpart completely at ease. The Wraith bowed deferentially.
“Pardon me for my discourteous behaviour, high one.”
Joseph rolled his eyes, letting the Atmo skitter back to Tel’s side. “She’s a friend, Scarlet. No need for all the pomp and fluff. Right Sunny?”
The grey and yellow-furred female cycled a breath, shaking her head in amusement. “Normally, I would disagree. Seeing as it is your people, Joe, I suppose I could make an exception.”
He nodded, ignoring the mild chastisement in her voice at giving permission for her. Scarlet eased off the paw she had slightly pressing against one of her hidden weapons as he stood. “Let’s get going. Is Faye going to come out?”
The servant shook her head. “She was walking the wolves when you landed, sir. Her attention is in making sure they behave.”
He didn’t bother to hide how impressed he was. “Already? Damn. Surprised they didn’t bolt yet.”
“Wolves?” Sunundra asked cautiously. He shrugged.
“Some came with a trade caravan, another is one she rescued. They’re remarkably receptive to taming.” The Human eyed the brush, searching through the yellows and golds in a futile attempt to spot one of the best camouflaged predators that this planet had to offer. Even Faye had a similar colour to the surroundings, so she wouldn’t be likely to give away their position.
“Ah, your people’s history with domestication,” the Grand Huntress remarked, looking upwards to parse through her memory. “Dogs, was it?”
His brows raised at the heavily accented English word. He occasionally forgot that he wasn’t the first human she had dealt with. “Yeah. The moss-wolves are like particularly cooperative dogs—minus them still being wild. They’re also extremely protective, and adhere to a pack structure. They know where they stand in relation to everyone else, and have been pretty harsh with the pup when it tried challenging that.”
Sunundra hummed in consideration. “Have you pet them?”
He blinked. “I...”
“I was under the impression that humans liked to pet everything,” she clarified curiously. Tel burst out laughing, leaving Joseph smiling through his embarrassment. If it wasn’t for his improving self-control, he would have personally verified the texture of every member of his pack, just to sate his tactile inquiry. Luckily, he had stopped himself after Scarlet ended up being berated by Tel, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still catching himself trying to scratch at those who were too close.
Volta looked soft, though...
“It never really came up, honestly,” he admitted, shaking off the none-too-subtle hints that his suspicion about the cleaner’s fur was correct. Pan had praised it on more than one occasion, and he was itching to find out. It was half the reason he avoided spending too much time around her; he doubted he could actually stop himself if she remained nearby for too long. With the offloading of duties and subsequent ‘Head’ designation because of it, she had been busy as all hell. Still, there were no complaints, and she seemed to be warming up to the pack, so maybe he could chance a conversation or two.
Even if she did seem particularly interested in his bonded mate.
Sunny returned a facial shrug, the corner of her lips tugged and brow raised for just a split-second. The expression shifted to a teasing amusement when she glanced at Tel still recovering from her chortling.
“You certainly confirmed that notion when you pulled me into your rest.”
His face burned crimson. “I am deeply sorry.”
Scarlet only barely managed to avoid joining Tel’s second bout of laughter as he stared a hole into the ground, Sunundra huffing her own mirth. “Worry not. I am rather ashamed to have fallen asleep so readily as well.”
The tint of genuine bashfulness lightened his apologetic tone. “It’s a habit.”
“One that all in the den is aware of,” Tel added after a steadying breath. “It was quite the sight to see him caress Jax in his rest.”
Joseph’s mouth dropped open. “I...what?”
“Your touch does not discriminate whilst you are at peace, my male,” she teased, closing the meagre distance to poke his cheek. “Though I wish you would save it for us.”
A small yip and two larger barks of warning set him on edge, distracting him from getting too flustered. A small, yellow, hexapedal canine burst forth from the bushes, barking and growling at Daisy as it ran. Two more wolves bolted after it, tackling it to the ground and baring their teeth at the misbehaving pup, Faye rushing down from a tree to help contain the chaos.
Tel eased off her daggers, having taken a defensive position between the Queen and the potential threat. He hadn’t even noticed her move, nor indicated that he suspected the yellow insect was the target... His mind recalled the few times Pan moved before he had even opened his mouth, following commands unvoiced. Even Sahari had an instance or two where she did the same.
“Apologies,” Faye panted, picking up the terrified pup from between the irate adoptive parents. “This one had gotten too excited.”
The tiny moss-wolf nuzzled into the deep gold-furred Wraith’s chest. The two larger variants finally noticed who was around, going prone in front of Joseph and staring at the ground. Crouching, he reached out and scratched at their heads to tell them he was glad they had acted. Now that he was touching it while they were still breathing, it was somewhat therapeutic to play with. Before he knew it, he transitioned to thoroughly petting the two wolves.
The laughter from Sunny caught him off guard, the female holding up a claw when he raised his brow at her.
“Your subordinates extend to the wildlife, Joe,” she managed between breaths. “And your servants are relaxed, even after such a blunder.”
He glanced between Faye and Scarlet. The gold-furred female was busy cooing to calm the scared canine in her arms, while the dark red-furred one quickly erased the amusement from her face, her tail swaying lightly in display of a good mood. He snorted, giving the two wolves a pat on the side and smiling when they rose to a sitting posture, tongues lolling out of their mouths after receiving the pack leader’s affection. They checked to make sure that their new child was done being disruptive before joining Faye’s side. Leashes hung off her uniform, but it looked like she was letting them run free when he showed up, and she wasn’t given enough time to corral them back. They were happy to stay with her for the moment, so he doubted they would cause any trouble.
Tel absently soothed Daisy, the Atmo having clung to her until it was clear that the temporary danger had been resolved, a paw gently rubbing her back. Seeing that her recent person of interest was no more unsettled by the situation than she would be by anything else, the Queen resolved herself, approaching the two adult wolves.
They closed their mouths, lowering their heads. The joint of a blade mimicked the petting that Joseph did, earning a tentative lick from the appreciative canines. Within seconds, Daisy was receiving a bath from the pair, chittering her enjoyment loudly. Joseph’s smile threatened to rip his face in half, his cheeks hurting from the grin.
“They’re family too, Sunny,” he replied, his heart warming as Faye was dragged into the events with fondness in her eyes. Her laughter cracked the reticent facade.
Yep, he belonged here.
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They breached the treeline, revealing the tall silver wood of the reinforced palisade. Sunny paused in her step, eyes wide.
“That is quite the wall.”
Joseph considered it as he slowed to a stop, a fist placed to his lips. “Yeah, I guess. It’s been like this for a while, so I stopped thinking about it.”
“How did you... Atmo?”
He nodded. “Mama helped us a lot. We had a fence like you do, but by the time winter came, we wanted something to keep everything out.”
She exhaled, tilting her head to concede that he had probably achieved his goal. She kept silently eyeing the barricade as they walked next to it, eventually taking on her guide’s disregard for the massive structure.
The gate was sparsely populated—the pack already well underway in their work for the day—so he was surprised to see Sahari and Jax among those manning it. The female noticed first, his scent likely carried by the breeze. She shot out of her seat, head darting towards him. As soon as she laid eyes on the returning Grand Hunter, she visibly relaxed, pointing to him for the benefit of her smell-blind partner. Jax hefted himself off the chair he was occupying unhurriedly, bracing his weight against his axe as he stood. Lugging it up onto his shoulder, the two walked to the opening in the wall, the black-furred male grinning at seeing his friend again.
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Joseph barely got a chance to speak before Sahari crushed him in a bear hug, his bag dropping to the ground in an effort to spare the contents.
“I’m back,” he choked out, fruitlessly trying to pat his way to freedom. Jax did the honours, prying an arm off and letting the Human fall the inch or two to the ground.
“We are blessed to have our illustrious, irreplaceable, Grand Hunter grace us with his presence. Did you not find any females worth taming this time?”
“Fuck off, Jax,” he wheezed.
The heavy thump of a massive paw on his back punctuated the laughter. “Of course, Joseph. Tel.”
“We have returned,” the grey-furred female reported casually, gesturing for the Wraiths to go back to their duties. Scarlet informed them that she would return after taking care of some things. “I trust that our request for you not to incinerate the den was heeded?”
“We would not let him near the kitchen, even if he asked,” Sahari quipped, prodding the male. She was absolutely beaming, her grin wide and genuine. Tel rolled her eyes, but wasn’t able to keep the smirk away at the toothless barb.
“You have a gun?” Jax observed, mildly impressed. The Wraith’s smile broadened as she shifted the long rifle on her back.
“I do.”
The black-furred male waited for more, but simply shrugged when that was all the answer he was going to get. He turned his head, Sunundra and Daisy entering his vision from his blind spot. “Ah, a guest. And an...Atmo?”
Joseph blinked, sighing as he berated himself for being too caught up in the reunion to introduce them.
“This is Daisy. She’s the Queen at Sunundra’s settlement. She’s also the closest thing Violet has to a sister, and she’s excited to meet her.” He moved his outstretched hand towards the pale-furred female patiently waiting. “This is Sunny—or Grand Huntress Sunundra, if we’re being formal. She’s here to check the place out before making a decision about reintegrating with your military.”
He ignored the wide eyes of the two, pivoting to point over his shoulder with a thumb. “The big guy is Jax, Head of security…and of driving me nuts. The other is Sahari, she manages the allotment of workforce to other Heads based on what’s needed, as well as dealing with the on-boarding of new people. You’ll meet the rest as we go, I’d say.”
“A pleasure to meet you, high one,” Sahari greeted politely. Jax echoed the sentiment, bowing his head. Both noticed the CARD tucked into its holster, but Joseph waved it off.
“She’s a friend, don’t worry.” He raised a brow at Sunundra, figuring it would be better to at least ask permission before formality was completely tossed out the nearest window. “Is it okay if we just treat you like one of us, or would you rather the titles?”
She seemed surprised, but tilted her head indifferently. “Such hardly matters now, but I thank you for consulting me.” She finished her insincere gratitude with a small glare softened by a smile. Joseph rolled his eyes.
“Just skip the extra shit,” he directed back towards the two. “She’s a guest while she’s here for a few suns, but we’ll drop the surveillance.”
“You keep your visitors under watch?” the Grand Huntress inquired. He shrugged, giving the large black-furred male his delayed hug before waving the group onward, taking the lead.
“Figured that was pretty standard.”
“It is,” she allowed. “But your demeanour did not strike me as one to do as much.”
Joseph returned the waves of greeting from the passing pack, several stopping to point at the small yellow Atmo as they passed, some bursting with excitement. He warmed seeing them so enthusiastic at the unveiling of another Queen.
“Like I said, they’re my family, Sun.”
“And only the Void awaits what dares harm them,” Tel finished, the sway in her step rocking the firearm on her back. Sunundra eyed them for a moment, dismissing any thoughts she had on the matter when a few of the pack got close enough to scent her. The wary gazes returned.
“She’s a friend,” Joseph called out, waving his hand dramatically to waft away the concern. Without a second thought, those on edge exchanged glances and casually returned to their day. He grinned at her perplexed frown. “Something wrong?”
“That was not merely adhering to their Grand Hunter,” she remarked.
“Nope. They’re good people.”
“We trust his judgment,” Jax amended casually, nodding to a passing security member.
“He is the Guardian. When one is considered kin by him, there is no question,” Sahari expanded. The Grand Huntress’ brows rose, then furrowed as she gave him an accusatory glare.
“Guardian?”
He held his hands up defensively, not bothering to turn around to address it. “Don’t ask. Wasn’t me.”
“There will be time to speak of his undesired assignment later,” Jax offered, gesturing towards the base. He shot Tel a wink, opting to use his blind eye. “I believe we would all appreciate a meal, no?”
“Starving without me, Jax?” the Wraith remarked flatly. Joseph coughed his embarrassment into his fist, his eyes not meeting hers.
“Actually, I wouldn’t mind it either. Is that okay, or would you rather relax? We can bother the others if you want to just hang out—it’s been a rough few suns.”
His fiancee stared him down as they walked closer to home, sighing before the warm smile surfaced, a teasing lilt working its way into her voice. “I suppose it would do no good to have my male pining for what I have to offer.”
“Joseph!”
He silently thanked the Hunt Mother for the distraction from the innuendo, looking to a gap between the buildings to see Nalah walking over, Mama in tow. The Hatcher halted her progress as she caught sight of Daisy, blades limp. The blond-furred female followed suit, an ear flicking as she regarded the odd pairing of visitors.
The Grand Hunter covertly held up a finger, waiting to see what would happen with the closest thing Violet had to a biological mother, and the newly introduced sister.
It didn’t take long.
Mama hurried forward, enveloping the young Queen in her blades and clicking frantically, the slight whine of overjoyed crying scraping at his eardrums. He ignored the sharp noise, not wanting to interrupt the scene before him. Several of the passing pack peeked to see what was causing the issue—a few even pulling their weapons in case violence was an appropriate solution—but upon seeing what looked to be a heartfelt moment, they all gathered around, some grabbing for a paw of their mates or close friends.
“Mama,” he primed, waiting for her to look up at him. “This is Daisy. She’s the Queen of Sunundra’s nest. They have a hatchery, but no one dedicated to it.”
The blue Atmo froze, looking down at the cuddling yellow insect. She produced her tablet from over her shoulder, quickly scratching something down in English.
[Her Hatcher passed?]
“I—“ He caught the thought in his throat. He never thought to ask. “Were there two of you?”
Mama looked crestfallen. [There should have been. I have never properly met them.]
He drew his lips thin in a grimace. “Daisy?” The Queen turned her head to him slowly. “Did they...not make it?”
She paused before clicking in agreement, not adapting to a nod quite yet. He walked over to hug her, soothingly stroking her back.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m sorry to hear that.”
Mama reestablished her embrace, including him in the arrangement. Hardened looks around the pack were shared, a decision reached amongst the members.
“Grand Hunter,” one called. “May we host a gathering for our newest guests?”
He lifted his head to see who had spoken. The carpenters that joined with Mi’low stood side by side, tails intertwined and paws held. Both wore the same hurt expression, a silent plea to allow comfort to the Atmo child devoid of one to care for her.
The pack really had come a long way.
He squeezed Daisy one last time, pulling away from the two Atmo and brushing himself off. “Sounds like a plan to me. New friends, and new Atmo. Let everyone know.”
With that, the pack dispersed, lingering members quickly escorted away. He felt his own remorse surface. How many people—who would make those same faces, those same pained eyes—were now gone, just because someone told them to throw themselves into the grinder? How many were reluctantly following orders until a bomb went off under their feet?
How many of them were ones he had killed?
Scratching to his side drew his attention. [What happened?]
Joseph forced a faint smile, his eyes wandering to the cloudless sky as the sun bore heat down upon them. His voice came out as a whisper, low to keep prying ears at bay. “A lot happened, Mama.”
[Would you like to talk about it?]
He forced the breath he was taking out. “Later. We should finish with introductions and get them settled away. Tel?” he beckoned, the Wraith lost in a slight daze. She snapped out of it, her ears perking forward. “Do you have anything in your room?”
“Nothing in particular.”
He thumbed towards Sunundra. “Can she use it while she’s here?”
“Unless you plan to exclude me from your rest, I have little need of it,” she agreed loosely. The half-hearted poke fell flat.
He nodded. “Sounds good. Could I ask you to make sure?”
“I must begin my preparations anyway,” she admitted, adjusting her equipment and backpack. “I should also relieve myself of this.”
“We’ll catch up later. Love you.”
Tel rolled her eyes, not quite turning fast enough to hide her pleasure at the addition before she left.
“And our new guests?” Nalah asked, reminding everyone that she was there. Sahari welcomed the presence as the two mates stood side by side, a black-furred paw reaching across to rest against the planner’s hip.
“A visiting Queen and Grand Huntress Sunundra,” Sahari provided, snickering at her mate’s widened eyes. “We have been assured—and given permission—to treat her as kin for the duration. Worry not, she is a friend.”
Nalah frowned, looking between the black-furred female and Grand Hunter before eventually nodding her acceptance. “Then we welcome another of high station to his collection.”
“Don’t,” Joseph warned, pointing an accusatory finger. “Don’t give her that idea.”
The blond-furred female smirked, her tail freeing itself from Sahari’s in amusement. “Would it really be such a stretch to say as much? You have—”
“—And that’s Nalah,” he interjected, raising his voice in exasperation. “She plans out the settlement and utilities.” He gave her one last playful glare. “And has taken way too many cues from Jax.”
“I am far more clever,” the mentioned male protested.
“Don’t you have people to beat up? Or at least supervise while they beat each other up?”
The Head of security raised a claw, lowering it with a sigh. “I was on break.”
“And now?”
“I should return,” he grumbled in disappointment, stopping over to wrap an arm over the Grand Hunter’s shoulder and giving him a squeeze. “I will see you when my shift is over, yes?”
“Yeah, I’ll see you then.” He turned to Sahari, the female making a terrible effort to seem innocent. A deadpan stare earned a similar exchange. She gave Nalah a quick kiss before heading back to work.
“And that leaves us with you,” he continued, raising a brow at the blond-furred female. She shrugged, slipping in a hug before wandering back to wherever she had been before. Mama opted to stay with Daisy, so their group whittled down to just him, Sunny, and the two Atmo.
“You have quite the close relationship with them,” the Grand Huntress noted, watching the odd pack member carry on with the others. He sighed, giving a defeated grin in return.
“Family, Sunny. They’re a pain in the ass sometimes, but I love them.”
She returned a smile of her own, the warmth tainted by a hint of sorrow. “And they love you as well, that much is obvious.”
“I’d hope so,” he groaned, stretching out and fixing his bag. “Come on. Pan’s probably inside working with Idee or something.”
“Idee?”
He didn’t want to go into his growing ‘collection’ of Grand Hunters.
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Pan was probably busy, given that she hadn’t tackled him to the ground again. Either way, the hub opened up before them, the forge outside blissfully inactive and allowing the regulator to cool the air. He hadn’t really noticed it before—the stale air of the ship and moist blanket that passed for breathable atmosphere outside giving him a skewed sense of temperature—but by god was it a difference. Suddenly, his sweat was an ice-cold coating over his skin, and the air stopped threatening to drown him as slowly as possible.
“I gotta drop this off in the room,” he announced while shrugging the backpack off his shoulder, pausing when he noticed Sunundra’s surprise at the circular section of the building. “What?”
“It is a den,” she commented blankly. Her focus drifted from table to chair, from the map on the back wall to the couches that the pack gathered around to hang out. Board games rested in various states of progress, a blanket from one of the rooms lay haphazardly over the Atmo couch—evidence of someone having been taking a nap mid-day. The beating heat was stripped from the beams of sunlight peering through the hexagonal skylights, additional ambient glow filtering through clean windows.
Volta—and whoever she worked with—had done a great job of keeping the place clean, but it still felt lived in, rather than just clinically presentable. There was even the odd orange or white fur clinging to assorted surfaces, black interspersed if one were to look for them. It wasn’t messy by any measure—it was just the natural state of things five minutes after a good scrub, as any pet owner could attest—fur simply had a habit of randomly showing up, no matter how thorough you were.
It was home, plain and simple. Countless nights spent sitting around while listening to Sahari and Nalah playfully argue over the results of checkers or chess. Endless days joking around with Jax and Harrow on break. Warm and cold moments huddled on the couches, or watching the fire through the window with Pan and Mama, Violet always finding time to enjoy their company. Mealtimes of crossing his fingers in hope that Tel hadn’t added those damned spice-bomb berries in an attempt to cause havoc—only to laugh at the expense of whoever bit into whichever item was tainted, himself included.
There was too much to really pin down what exactly made the once alien structure so familiar, but from the look on Sunny’s face, he could tell that she knew. With the weight of their conversation on the ship sticking to his mind, now he did too.
He nodded, both embarrassed and regretful to have disregarded the needs of those close to him out of ignorance.
“It is.” Joseph took a breath, the mundane sight before him suddenly filled with fondness and comforts. He glanced back to the group, gesturing for the three of them to follow. “Come on, I’ll show you the dorms.”
Sunundra walked in step behind him, her eyes wandering even the banal hallway. Be it the time of day, the constant activity, or even just good ol’ nostalgia, he found each scratch on the wall and scrape on the ground to be a declaration of those who lived there.
Evidence of their early installations of furniture marring the floor. The occasional gouge on the walls told stories of why the crossbow testing was permanently moved outside. The rare cut in the walls paid homage to when Violet was too excited to contain herself, her blades making short work of the surface before she reigned in her energy. Even stubborn dark stains from various injuries left a trail here and there—one leading to his room from the time Pan had gotten overwhelmed during her spar with Harrow.
Memories—both good and bad—had left their mark here.
It was home, filled with people he had grown so close to. People he held no issues with forming a massive pile of limbs and fur on nights where everyone wanted to be just a little closer. People who could ask the world of him, and he would move mountains to achieve it.
People who he had offhandedly suggested he was sick of, despite knowing how much he had become dependent on them. They claimed that he was the reason that they still lived—that they had started to thrive at all.
He knew that they were the ones keeping him together.
“This is going to be your room for a while,” he mentioned, gesturing for the Grand Huntress to check out Tel’s previous room. The grey-furred female never really kept much of anything in there anyway, so it wasn’t like it had a particularly personal feel. The bed was prepared, and probably never touched. A desk in the corner remained as spotless as it always was. A closet and secondary door to the bathroom closed out the features of the room, not a single item out of place.
Sunundra looked at everything like she would be disturbing an ancient tomb if she were to even breathe too heavily, gingerly checking compartments and sheets like they were worth a fortune. Daisy was equally interested, only being so careful because Sunny was. He didn’t think a ding or two on any of it would be a big deal, but he appreciated the care.
“It is rather different from mine,” Sunundra admitted, finally looking at him. There was a touch of praise to her voice, as if he had achieved the impossible. Her outpost was used the same way that he ran the Hall; it was a place of work and business, rather than somewhere to actually live. She had the burden of a pack on her shoulders when she found her own place, making sure that everyone could do what they had to—at least until somewhere more appropriate was constructed. He had the luxury of prioritizing it for habitation first and foremost; the other functions of the settlement had been added as they were needed after the fact.
“And it is yours,” he corrected, biting back his amusement at her stupefied expression. “While you’re here, anyway. You’re a friend, and you’re the first person to care about the Atmo enough to cry over them. You even patched me up—assuming Tel wasn’t just pissed off for no reason.”
A shadow fell over her face, her eyes guiltily burrowing downwards. “It was a selfish reason that I treated you.”
“So?”
Sunundra blinked. “Would that not change things?”
He shrugged, annoyed by the bag he was still holding onto. “Doesn’t change the fact that you saved me—apparently—endless suns of suffering through the recovery process. I really can’t think of a reason you would have had that would change my mind.”
She glanced at Daisy, then Mama—the two keeping back while they watched the Grand Hunters talk. She matched his gaze, slowly leaving it as she spoke. “I wished not to see you... See a human, perish again. It would be...”
“It would feel like you lost him again,” he concluded. Sunny nodded, a dry self-deprecating laugh barked.
“I did not even attempt to free myself when your sleeping form reached for mine,” she whispered, paws clenching. “I yearned for the familiar warmth of another, unable to deny it despite myself.”
“I don’t see a reason that you should hate yourself for it.”
“Is it not dishonest to put memory over urgency?”
He lightly tossed the bag onto the bed, wrapping Sunundra into a hug before she could protest or resist. One hand scratched between her ears, the other bracing against the small of her back. Tension faded, a quiet Lilhun remaining in his arms as she lost against the urge to return the embrace. The subtle shaking worried him.
“When’s the last time someone just held you? Offer any sort of affection? Do you even remember someone looking past your scent?”
The dam broke, muffled sobbing choked by the fabric of his shirt. A momentary push away was abandoned, his concern for his perspiration disregarded in favour of helping someone finally address the loss of their loved one.
He knew that she just needed the silent embrace and calming heartbeat of someone who cared; he had gone a long time after Emma without it until Pan came along. He still remembered crying himself to sleep when that relief was given—when the threat of being left alone again dug into a wound he had purposely neglected, never truly mended.
“Mama?” he asked quietly, pulling Sunundra to the bed so that they could rest their legs. She didn’t protest, letting him guide the moment. “Can you show Daisy to your room, if that’s okay? Figured she might like spending her time with you guys.”
Mama clicked her agreement, gently ushering the young Queen out of the room. The pale-furred female slowly quieted down, but he knew she wasn’t done, her weight firmly leaning into him.
The wound was exposed. Now he was helping it heal.