“I said, how do we take down a sea monster.”

Chip was staring at the slack jawed otter shaped river. They were in their lavish quarters on the second floor. It was made to accommodate one druid and one ranger, but they made it work. It helped that all of them slept in the same soft nest.

“I know what you said Chip. I heard it. I just never imagined that you would ask me such a question.”

It was the late afternoon on the seventh day of the week. The Fish squad and the rest of the rangers and ranger candidates had off, except for those unlucky enough to have some form of guard duty. Sam had asked for extra training as a patrol leader, and Sela had tagged along, leaving Chip alone with River for the first time in what seemed like forever.

“You want to take this sea monster down, because you want to… cook it?”

“It’s just a big old fish. It’s got to be delicious, and even if it isn’t,” Chip puffed out his chest, “It would impress my husband.”

River gave him a look that told him, because you won’t be impressing your wife much with your bravado?

“Look, I just wanted to have a hobby, you know,” Chip said.

“And you do! You have great hobbies! All of the druids in the house love them, heck I’ve been able to use promises of your baked goods to learn new weaves. That is well worth it.”

River yawned, stretching.

“I … wanted more than that.”

“We could play cards? There’s a library downstairs as well?”

Chip stiffened. His little box of cards was always close at hand except for during his ranger training.

“These cards aren’t for playing,” he said.

River frowned.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Look, Chip I know that this has been a whirlwind of a time for you. Traveling through the burrows to arrive here in the early spring, finding out that you have an affinity to the deck, it’s all a lot. And on top of that you’ve been in the fish squad since the first day.”

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Chip opened his mouth, and River waited.

“It’s because you bonded with us first. That advantage, now that more and more of the candidates and hopefuls have been bonded, is mostly gone. I’m only a short distance away from the pack. I didn’t slow down, they sped up.”

River placed his head in her paws.

“To my eyes you are otterly adorable. You’re certainly fast enough for Sam and Sela, and it doesn’t diminish you in any way that these other rangers are faster. Plus, I’ll let you in on a secret.”

Chip stood there and felt her paws. He was on the verge of something, and he was trying to make sure that it wasn’t tears.

River whispered something into his ears.

“Thank you,” he said, back on the verge of his smile hurting, “Now onto the important question. Can you help me track the queen?”

Rivers' eyebrows darted upwards, but she followed him.

They walked down the stairs, pausing to allow him to don his cloak of office. Chip packed some of his fish pastries and they were standing by the doorway.

River placed his pin just so and they strolled. This time, they moved slow and easy through the valley, to the crack. The mist slowed, lowering down as they exited and came upon the docks area. To Chip the slow walk through his usually running course felt luxurious.

“Ah, this is what it looks like from the ground.”

Chip laughed. In the back of his mind he could sense that Sam and Sela were doing some studying, they would have noticed him moving and probably were wondering about why he was so far out.

“We’re going to have to make something up about why we went out here,” Chip said, his voice hesitant.

“Chip, you’re a wonderful otter, but you don’t have a game face at all. You’re showing me around the docks, and we’re trying to see some of the local sea creatures. That is if they ask after all. I have recovered fully from yesterday's bond.”

The month of training that Chip had gone through had similarly been a month of training for all of the druid candidates as well. River had been teaching some of the newer druids some of the tricks of the trade as well.

“Oh!” Chip had been so caught up in his own problems that he probably should have shown an interest in how River was feeling.

They crested the entrance to the docks, standing at the dividing line between wood and stone.

“How was it?” Chip asked.

“It was good. I was finally able to get Elizardbeth some help.”

Chip remembered the yellow lizard druid. She’d often come crying to River at night. River would calm her down, and Chip would make her some hot food. Elizardbeth loved it when Chip brought her his fish shaped pastries more than anything.

The yellow lizard herself was sitting on the docks, staring out at the open sea as they crested and River picked up her pace.

Hearing the padding of the otters, she looked up and wiped a tear off her face.

“I hope that those are happy tears,” River said.

Elizardbeth sniffed.

“You know they are,” she replied.

Chip got all choked up.