Winters' hearty laughter rang out amongst the crowd of Cauthan as Zolta and Asha drew close to them, gently pushing their way forward. The young female immediately moved to embrace Veera, tail whipping about with elation at their return.

“We were so worried for you,” she said as Veera returned the hug, prompting a smile from Thantis and Xan as they looked on. “What happened out there? Are the two of you alright?” Winters felt himself take a deep breath as he recalled what he’d seen on his hunt.

Veera hummed in consideration. “We all made it home in one piece, which is what matters in the end,” she replied, looking over her shoulder at Winters as the young man greeted Zolta. “It was not an easy thing though. He still hasn’t told me much about it. We haven’t had a chance.”

Asha nodded with sympathy as she drew away. “Another tale for another time then? I can’t imagine the two of you had much privacy as part of a hunting party…” Asha trailed off with a curious tilt of her head as she noticed something shiny glinting on one of Veera’s fingers as the Cauthan held her spear upright. The shift in Asha’s gaze wasn’t too difficult to notice and a fierce pride began to well up in Veera’s chest, the warmth that was ‘Russell Winters’ driving back any lingering chill from their early morning trek. She smiled broadly at Asha.

“Another tale for another time,” Veera assured her, the promise of gossip more than assuaging the curious seamstress as Winters’ banter with Zolta began to intrude on their conversation.

“I really hope you don’t expect me to patch that up for you. Tyrdus himself only knows how hard that thing must have hit you,” Zolta mused, examining Winters’ damaged breastplate with a critical eye. “Unbelievable,” he continued, rapping his furred knuckles against the metal.

The human laughed. “Tyrdus and you know, me? Not a hit I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. I don’t need you fix my armor, but you’re nice to offer, kid. Besides, you know as well as I do that there’s people in desperate need of cloaks and other warm clothing. Might not be glamorous, but I was hoping your temple could help with that, maybe Asha’s too?” Winters requested. He was pleased to see that his ‘protégé’ was doing well, but he had little appetite for public discussion of his kill. Zolta shook his head.

“You’re just doing it on purpose now, Winters. But I understand. I’m sure my master will have no objections, but I will discuss it with him all the same.”

“Thanks, Zolta. If there are any issues in terms of labor cost just let me know. I’m sure that Antoth and I can reach an agreement somehow.”

“You just killed a creature of nightmares and that’s what you’re thinking about?” Zolta ribbed him with a smile.

“Didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, you know?” Winters replied, smirking as Io gave him a look that clearly indicated she was of a like mind with Zolta. The young smith nodded.

“Difficult times call for something beyond business as usual. I’m sure that my master and the other craftsmen will see it that way as well. The gods favor your outlook though, Winters. We all prayed for you, you know?” Zolta admitted without shame or embarrassment. Winters nodded deeply.

“Thank you, Zolta. Maybe it worked a bit, yeah? I’m still alive and kicking after all.”

“Tell that to your chestplate.”

“It did its job, right? C’mon, don’t be such a downer! Asha, how have you been?” Winters asked jovially, accepting the young Cauthan in a quick, chaste embrace while her mate muttered about how ‘Winters started it.’ The human carried on unperturbed with a brief nod to Xan and Thantis, ensuring them that their presence was noted and appreciated. “You look lovely, Asha. Did your belly get bigger?”

‘You absolute barbar,’ Io scoffed at him, despite co-opting his helmet’s sensors to ascertain the size of Asha’s belly under the dress and cloak for herself. The seamstress giggled and returned to Zolta’s side.

“That’s not something you should be asking a lady, Russell. Though I suppose it’s not like I’ll be getting any smaller for a while. In either case, it’s been less than a cycle since you’ve left. I suspect you have quite a few stories to tell?” She asked pointedly as Veera’s feathers flared.

“Asha, going through him instead of me won’t get you anywhere,” Veera insisted. Winters and Zolta glanced at one another.

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t say anything,” Zolta said quickly, picking up easily enough that Winters seemed in a mood that favored more private discussion. “Maybe we can have a meal together instead?”

Asha cottoned on immediately. “Oh yes, please let us…well I guess we can’t host you yet but I’d be happy to cook!”

Winters turned to look at his mate who gave him a nod and a warm smile. Permission granted, he agreed. “We’d like that, Asha. How about an early dinner tonight at Veera’s place? We need to be ready to depart by dusk if Ratha is to be believed.” His words earned him a piercing look from Veera, but she held her tongue as Winters addressed Xan. “You’re welcome as well, of course.”

“Will you tell us about the hunt?” Xan asked eagerly. Winters nodded. “Then you bet! Definitely worth the walk,” Xan confirmed, his words prompting Winters to approach him. The human nodded to the elder priest before removing his helmet and offering Xan his spare translator. The apprentice looked confused for a moment but accepted it all the same. “What’s going on, Winters?”

“How’s the leg, kid?” Winters asked softly, watching intently as Xan’s face darkened, realizing why the human had opted for a bit of privacy in their conversation.

“It’s fine,” he replied tersely, looking down at Winters’ chest instead of at his face. The soldier nodded, retrieved his tech, and replaced his helmet.

“I ensured that a small shipment of bone came back with the caravan. I hear you’re in the market for a new cane, Xan. We’ll have to show up that old geezer, right? Maybe Asha or one of her fellows can carve it.” Winters suggested. “Sorry Thantis, no offense.”

“I find that this simple wooden cane has suited me just fine, thank you. But it is wonderful to see you alive, Winters. Your return is a most happy outcome. I’ll not begrudge you and my apprentice here a bit of fun at my expense. I should also look forward to seeing this accessory when it is complete. Kel will not mind a bit of individuality among his servants.”

“See this is why I like you, Thantis. The years haven’t dulled your sense of humor. Xan,” Winters turned his attention back to the former guard. “I’ll visit you at the temple someday soon. We can talk more there if you wish.”

“I…alright, Winters. Thanks,” Xan replied in a conflicted tone.

“No problem. Thantis, take good care of him alright? Think you can deliver him to Veera’s place this evening?”

“I’m perfectly capable of getting there!” Xan insisted before wincing in pain. Thantis and Winters met each other’s eyes.

“I will ensure that he arrives one way or another. You have my thanks, Winters.” The elder bowed lightly before scratching his chin and looking to the sky. “If you have the time now that your hunt is concluded, I had hoped that maybe…”

Veera began to chuckle heartily at the death priest’s hesitance. “Thantis, I’m sure that Russell would be happy to share tea and conversation with you sometime soon, right?”

“Of course. It’s no trouble at all, Thantis. I’d like that,” Winters confirmed, looking around him. The majority of the crowd had shifted their attention to the parts of the ursae that had been brought back to the village and a communal effort was underway to deliver the food and pelts to the places where they would do the most good in the village. Seeing this, Winters looked to his friends. “Sorry to cut the reunion short but,” he began, only to be cut off by a wave of Asha’s hand.

“Please, Russell. There’s no need. You and Veera go and take a moment for yourselves. I’m sure that the two of you need it. We’ll see you for dinner, alright?” With plans agreed upon, Veera and Asha shared a final, quick embrace while Winters said goodbye to Xan and Zolta in the typical manner of male Cauthan, a crossing of the forearms. With a bow to Thantis, Winters took Veera’s hand in his and the two of them made a right along the outermost road of the village that would lead them to Veera’s humble and homely abode. As they left, Asha couldn’t help but bring her hands to her chest and let out a hearty, happy sigh.

“Care to share?” Zolta asked as the two of them bade farewell to Xan and Thantis and proceeded to help their fellow villagers with the sleds. Asha rolled her eyes at him.

“I can’t believe you didn’t notice. It was staring you in the face the whole time!”

“What was?” Zolta asked defensively, taking up a rope along with another of his fellow craftsmen as the hunters and guardsmen who had been in the forest returned to their homes or temples to recuperate after their journey. Asha fell in beside him at a leisurely pace, as the nearby villagers insisted that a pregnant female not perform hard labor in the snow.

“There’s some sort of trinket on Veera’s finger that wasn’t there when she left. I think it’s a ring. I think it’s Winters’ token!” She recounted excitedly.

Zolta’s eyes grew wide as dinner plates. “Suddenly I find myself looking forward to dinner just as much as you are, but first,” he cast a glance over his shoulder. “What say we get in on the first ursae pelts to be worked in generations?”

Asha beamed at her mate and nodded. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, love?”

“That Winters and Veera are going to be idiots and insist that the whole animal be used to help the rest of the village?” Asha couldn’t help a laugh at Zolta’s sardonic reply, even if it was at her friends’ expense.

“I wouldn’t have quite put it that way, but you certainly have a point,” she admitted as they arrived at the village square. Assembled there were the leaders of Zolta and Asha’s temples, as well as Ratha’s second in command. While all of the meat was destined for the hunters lodge, the issue of the ursae pelts was not so clear in terms of how much each temple would receive. However, once the hunter conveyed Winters’ wishes, that his kill be used to feed and clothe those made homeless by the nomad raid before anything else, the debate boiled down to an allocation of pelts proportional to the labor available in each temple to properly treat them and tailor them into hooded cloaks. Zolta and Asha approached the priest and priestess as sleds were unloaded and directed either west or east along the main roads.

“Zolta my boy, what can I do for you lad?” The young smith’s master asked in his typically thunderous voice, his slight gut the only soft patch on a frame hardened by decades of physical labor. “Can you believe that human? First that business with the hyrven and now this? Truly the Lord of the Forge has blessed us this year. What more could one ask for?! Ah, my apologies. I simply find it hard to contain my excitement. These pelts are pristine. Not as lovely as you Asha, of course.” The seamstress giggled and swished her tail modestly as the head priestess of her temple, a slim, poised Cauthan with sandy blonde fur, huffed beside the outspoken smith.

“That’s very kind of you, sir. Zolta and I had a request actually, regarding the pelts.”

“Oh, and what might that be?” Asha’s master inquired, intrigued at the idea of a request from one of her brighter pupils.

“I should like to hear this as well I believe!” Zolta’s master was similarly interested.

“Well it’s about the human, Winters,” Zolta began.

“And Veera as well!” Asha added as Zolta turned to address the huntsman.

“Excuse me, but did the human give any other instructions regarding the ursae?” He asked.

The hunter threw him a disinterested look, taking after the head of his own temple. “No, just that the bone was to be used for that boy’s cane.” Zolta frowned at the flippancy of the disciple of Valta’s tone, but Asha squeezed his hand to bring him back to focus.

“We had thought that might be the case,” she replied with a knowing nod of her head.

“Certainly fits his character, that’s for sure,” Zolta agreed as Asha addressed their elders again.

“With your permission we were hoping to…make something a bit special for the two of them,” she revealed, causing the two master craftsmen to fall into a ponderous silence.

“I suppose it could be useful to have some experience before the caravans arrive. I’ve never worked with ursae pelt before,” Asha’s master began after a spell, placing a slim finger over her lips in thought, eyes glinting at the idea of creating something beyond utilitarian clothing.

“And Tyrdus would surely be displeased if we didn’t honor the one who delivered such fine material to us…” Zolta’s master quickly agreed, throwing the weight of divine will behind the argument. Zolta and Asha shared a look and grin as Ratha’s second in command turned and headed for home, his role as messenger more than complete.

The priestess of the Twins continued. “Mmm…I am in agreement, forgemaster. The Twins would not look favorably upon such pedestrian use of this magnificent beast either, even if it is the human’s wish. Surely there will be enough to fulfill both endeavors?”

“Ah, master? Might I make another suggestion?” Asha proposed, knowing that it was all but decided at that point.

“You have something more, Asha?”

“There were some rumors circulating among the guards and hunters that Winters killed multiple hyrven during his hunt as well. I’m sure that with all of this material we could put together something, right?” She asked innocently. Zolta whispered out of the corner of his mouth as he watched the expressions on their masters’ faces.

“That did it, like hyrven to a carcass.” The idea of joining two of the most luxurious materials known to the village was not easily ignored.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Asha. For now I believe it would be best to honor the human’s wishes regarding the use of his trophy. However, do feel free to set aside material you might want to use for him and his mate. In the event the rumors are true and there is enough for this project, I will lend my hand as well,” the priestess of the Twins confirmed.

Zolta’s master chimed in. “Don’t forget about us now! Zolta, once we’ve turned out a few cloaks, what say you and I get the forge going, hmm? I’ve not worked decorative metal for years, not since Vash, may Seil rest his soul, ordered the ornament of his office.” Zolta’s eyes widened as Asha clasped her hands together happily.

“Is that really alright, sir?”

“You’d jump right out of your scales if you knew how much the caravans pay for something like carved ursae bone. Any metal we use to thank Winters will be easily replaced many times over. Your mate is quite the inspiring artisan, Zolta. Don’t let this opportunity to honor your house and the gods pass you by!”

“Of course, sir! Thank you,” Zolta replied quickly, not wanting to seem uninterested in such an undertaking. An agreement tentatively reached, the four individuals parted ways to join the bustle of activity that Winters’ arrival had precipitated. As delightful as the idea of luxury craftsmanship was, the reality of winter and homeless friends demanded an immediate response.

-----

As much as Winters’ spirits were buoyed by the thankful Cauthan around him, their eyes bright with hope and appreciation, by the time he and Veera arrived outside her door he was more than ready to be alone together. With a final nod to the few villagers that had followed them to continue offering thanks, he held aside the chesko pelt that served as their door and allowed Veera to enter before him. She did so with a smile, allowing her tail to peek from under the hem of her cloak and stroke against the armor of his upper leg as she passed him. Winters quickly followed, his body unnaturally eager to be anywhere he considered home. As soon as he was inside the human unlocked and removed his helmet, his unkempt hair hanging over his forehead as he met the eyes of his chosen female. Veera stared right back in silence before letting her spear clatter to the ground and swiftly closing the distance between them, sealing her lips against his with a kiss she’d been yearning to give him for days.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“Yes, I will be your mate, Russell,” she affirmed for his ears alone, keeping her tongue to herself while tenderly and eagerly exploring the lips of the alien that had changed her life. She purred as his arms wrapped tightly around her and his tongue ventured forth to stroke her lips in turn.

“What brought that on?” He asked softly between kisses.

“I just…wanted you to know…” Veera began, not wanting to break off her sensual indulgence to form a complete sentence. “Even when…no one else is looking…I’m still yours. And you…really smell.” At Veera’s proclamation, Io incorporated herself via the projector in Winters’ wrist armor and began chuckling freely.

‘Ah Veera, how dull our lives would be without you. In defense of my…ripe smelling partner however, we didn’t exactly find ourselves in a position in which engaging in anything but the most basic of hygienic practices was possible.’ Io said with a glance at Winters. The human nodded.

“Quite the talker today aren’t you? Thanks, Io.”

‘I’ve been hiding out for days, of course I’m going to want to stretch my brain…or what’s left of it,’ Io retorted with a regretful look.

“I never said I minded,” Winters replied, mollifying her as he removed his left gauntlet and set it on the bedframe, its usual place when the three of them were relaxed at home. The symbol of his bond with Veera, a ring in black metal with golden accents, finally saw daylight again after the long trek through the woods. The young female eyed it happily and approached him again.

“And I never said I minded the scent. It is you, after all. That being said, we are having guests tonight.”

“And I don’t enjoy the smell of week old armor any more than you do,” Winters agreed, depositing his various weapons and supplies in the corner of their home before moving to build a fire. “Do you need me to grab water, or-”

“Don’t worry, darling. There’s plenty of snow to melt right outside,” Veera replied, grabbing their empty cooking pot and exiting the small home. While she worked Winters put flint to tinder and started a fire to light and heat the space, a process that he had become quite used to having lived with Veera since the fall harvest festival months prior. Task complete, the human removed the rest of his Aegis Mk. II armor. It had been his home and shell for more than a week in the forests of Mara and had plenty of damage to show for it.

“Damn…” he muttered as he removed his chestplate and the corresponding armor from his back, finally getting a good look at the damage the ursae’s mighty blow had wrought. Massive cracks and lines branched from the point of impact between his shoulder blades, and pieces of the exterior plating had been lost, revealing broken computing hardware and other internal elements.

‘Indeed. Though I suppose we should be thankful that it was the armor that cracked instead of your spine. I don’t envy the thought of slowly freezing to death on your corpse as my batteries run dry,’ Io spoke dryly, shaking her head as she beheld the damage that should have killed her. Winters turned to her from his kneeling position at the foot of the bed.

“You sure you’re alright, Io?” He asked with great concern in his voice. The smile she gave him did nothing to assuage his worry.

‘The number of scenarios in which I cease to exist increased exponentially the moment my main CPU was destroyed, sir. I am incredibly relieved and thankful to still be among the living, so to speak, but that does not change the reality I now find myself in. It does not stop…the morbid thoughts.’

“Do you think we can repair it?” Winters inquired, unsure as to the full abilities of his pod’s nano-fabricator.

‘I honestly don’t know, sir. We would have to manufacture a new VI-grade CPU. Even though we could just recycle the material, I’m not sure your pod is equipped to construct something so precise. The construction of something that can mimic a neural network is in an entirely different league than repairing a piece of communications equipment, to say nothing of the power draw even if it were feasible,’ Io explained. Winters grimaced, setting aside the damaged plates and removing the armor from his lower body.

“I almost forgot about that. We’ll have to set up an automated distress signal.”

‘Yes, sir. Although we may not need to enable a broadcast until the summer.’

“Oh, what’s this about summer?” Veera asked as she returned with a pot full of snow, the muscles of her arms making themselves known under fur and feathers as she hefted the heavy object into place over the fire, a testament to the strength she had built under Winters and Io’s tutelage over the prior cycles. “Whew, that’s still not the easiest thing in the world!” She looked between the two of them and her face fell. “What’s with the dour looks you two?”

‘Don’t mind us, Veera. We were just discussing my mortality and the potentially low probability of our rescue,’ Io explained dramatically. Winters gave Veera an apologetic shrug.

“I don’t want to say she’s right, but she might be right in this case,” he admitted.

“Then why don’t you tell me about it while I wash you?” Veera suggested, rooting through the supplies that Winters had left behind to procure his rough washcloth and a now diminished bar of soap. Winters smiled at her.

“I’m hurt, Veera. I’m not dead. I just got back from slaying a ‘nightmare’. I think I can clean myself,” he offered, not really knowing why he was refusing in the first place. In the end he chalked it up to latent adrenaline and the nature of being male. Veera just stared at him, eyes full of something he couldn’t quite place and probably a bit of pain as well. She knelt beside him.

“You’re right, Russell. If you were dead I would not be offering to wash you. I’d be weeping before your funeral pyre and debating whether or not to throw myself upon it,” Veera declared softly.

Winters looked at her with wide eyes. “Veera, that’s not what I-”

“I know. And even then, I don’t think I would. The female I used to be…she might have. But you did not give up and die when you lost your first love. For that I will be forever grateful, and so I would carry on as an example and as a tribute to your memory. But you are not dead, Russell. So let me wash you.”

‘Someone’s feeling dramatic,’ Io chipped in from the side, earning her a playful and predatory smile from the Cauthan.

“Io, what did you wear while the two of you were fighting the ursae?” Veera asked innocently, a knowing gleam in her eye.

‘I…well…that is…’ Io began, looking down and sheepishly rotating her leg around the ball of her foot. Veera began to laugh as she and Winters stood.

“She’s got you there, Io.”

‘Says the slayer of nightmares?’ The AI huffed, shifting her projection to show off her favorite combat wear, ample fur and leather armor, face paint, and an oversized, double-bladed ax.

“Thank you for being honest, Io. Now, are you going to let me wash you, Russell?” Veera asked with gentle insistence. The human nodded.

“Yeah, thanks Veera.” With that, Winters nonchalantly began stripping off the skintight under suit. He felt the corner of his mouth turn into a nostalgic grin as he recalled the first tentative, awkward time he and Veera had bathed together. How the times do change, he thought. His mate clearly felt no such compunctions about nudity either, casually throwing her cloak and dress onto the bed and enjoying the heat of the fire directly on her fur. Winters made no secret of his gaze as he walked over to the chair that Veera had set out for him, admiring the healthy, full bodied figure that she’d developed over their time together.

“Hmm, hey you,” Veera whispered in his ear as he took his seat before testing the temperature of the water. Satisfied, she lathered the cloth and began what had become something of a common routine. This time, however, the two remained silent as Veera worked the soapy rag over his broad shoulders and the curve of his back. She could see the remnants of significant bruising, similar to the time he’d fought with one of Vash’s sun guards, but they appeared mostly healed. Whatever was still aggravating him had to be internal, she concluded worriedly. Veera had hoped that once they were finally alone there could be more conversation, given that every minute since Winters’ proposal had been spent in the company of many of her fellow villagers, but her mate remained quite as she worked, resting his elbows on his knees until she moved to his front. “What is it?” She asked quietly as he leaned back and allowed her access to his chest. There was conflict in his blue eyes, plain for her to see.

“Xan isn’t doing well,” Winters stated, meeting her eyes and holding their gaze.

“What do you mean? His wounds looked alright from what I could see.”

“I didn’t mean what’s on the outside,” Winters continued, lifting an arm for Veera. “I think he’s having a hard time adjusting to his new reality. It’s easy enough to ignore in the immediate aftermath, when you’re grateful just to be alive and you need to put on a strong face for your family and friends. But he’s been sitting in that temple for half a cycle now, coming to grips with the fact that he’ll always find it difficult to walk. He might always be in pain. He might even be suffering from the trauma of having to kill.”

“Russell!” Veera interrupted as she moved to rinse the cloth. “Those Cauthan were evil!”

Winters smiled at her. “I know, Veera. And your sense of right and wrong, just and unjust; your ability to act without question and according to your convictions…you have no idea how much I love that about you.”

‘Oh that’s a good one, Romeo. If only more men would compliment their woman’s sense of justice…’ Io sighed dramatically, fanning herself with the back of her hand.

“I found it quite charming, personally,” Veera countered happily, kneeling so that she could more easily wash Winters’ legs. “I understand what you’re saying about his injury, but I’m not sure what the rest has to do with Xan.”

“I was getting there before the peanut gallery decided to go off,” Winters chuckled, receiving a most unladylike sound from Io’s lips.

“What’s a peanut?” Veera asked. Winters stroked her feathers softly.

“Sometime when we have all the time in the world and nothing to talk about, alright?”

Veera found she enjoyed that idea very much and offered a quick prayer that such a moment could come soon. “I understand, darling. Now what about Xan?”

“On my world we have plenty of people like Antoth and his guards. We call them police. Sometimes they end up killing people in their line of work. Most of the time the killings are justified, but even then the fact that you were responsible for the taking of life doesn’t rest well with some people. You see it in soldiers too, though that’s less common because we train to kill. A cop hopes to never have to kill.”

Veera cocked her head at his explanation. “I suppose I will have to take your word for it, Russell. I know that I haven’t lost any sleep over those I killed. Perhaps it’s different for Xan.”

‘Do keep in mind that you escaped the night unharmed, Veera,’ Io added from her place on the bed. ‘Xan’s injuries and the killings of that night are likely inseparable for him. It is not a stretch to say that your actions that night draped you in honor. Xan’s may have as well, but they also saddled him with a lifelong affliction. Honor and glory will fade, that injury likely will not.’ Winters watched Veera’s crown feathers deflate and lay flat on her head as she frowned and washed the cloth once more.

“When you put it that way…” she whispered, moving to take Winters’ manhood in her grasp. Her touch was soft but deliberate, a far cry from her first tentative explorations months before. She looked up at her human who closed his eyes and hissed through his teeth. “I want you to stay here, Russell. I don’t want you out there again. You could…end up like Xan.”

He managed to open his eyes and look down at her. “Don’t you think you’re cheating just a bit?” He asked, sharing a complicated smile with her as she moved on to the other more intimate parts of his anatomy.

“I don’t mean anything by it, love. But you said it yourself. You’re hurt. Let me take your sidearm. I’ll be alright out there. I want to finish what you started.”

“It’s not…that simple,” Winters insisted, breathing out deeply. “If I lost you out there, I think I’d go insane.” His words led Veera to abandon the washcloth and soap. Settling her naked form comfortably in his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled up against his ear.

“Darling, what’s going on? You’ve been different…” She asked with a hint of fear in her voice. He enveloped her in his arms and began to stroke her back slowly.

“I saw…” Winters began heavily but found himself unable to finish. Io had incorporated herself behind them, looking on with utmost curiosity and concern. Veera waited patiently, sharing her heat with him and gently touching the parts of his upper body she could reach easily. She could feel her feathers vibrating softly, anticipating with a measure of dread the tale of what had happened to the man she loved out in the darkness. “They’re all dead, Veera.”

“I…Russell?” She pulled back to look him in the eyes. She could see tears shimmering there. “Who?”

“All of them,” he repeated, feeling the dam burst. Being alone with Veera, stripped of his armor and made vulnerable, held by her, he felt he could finally reveal what only he and Io had seen. The AI lowered her head and turned away. “Every male, female, and cub that was left. They’re all dead.”

Veera drew in a shaking breath and held Winters’ face gently in her paws. “If you don’t want to talk about it we-”

“It hunted them, tracked them down, ate them,” Winters recounted, shutting his eyes tightly and shaking his head. “I was angry. I challenged it, let it know I was coming for it, coming to kill it…it understood me, Veera.”

“I…what?” Veera stammered, momentarily unable to deliver to him the compassion she wanted to. “The ursae did?”

Winters nodded. “It knew we were hunting it, understood that I wasn’t one of them, that I wasn’t weak, wasn’t prey. The survivors of the first attack they-” Winters choked back his emotions violently again, remembering the vivid flashes of his nightmares.

“Darling please, you don’t have to,” Veera tried. Winters carried on regardless as Io sat and rested her forehead against her knee, recalling the brutality they’d seen in the forest.

“The ones it didn’t eat, they scattered. They had no food or shelter. Some surely starved or died of the cold. The rest were stalked. It butchered them, gored them, decapitated them, opened them from belly to shoulder, left their guts hanging out in the snow. It tried to warn me, threaten me. There was a girl, couldn’t have been older than you, maybe a little younger. She…she was the first. The look on her face…she died screaming, Veera. She died so that bastard could send me a message. So I…I killed it!” Winters roared through his teeth, his hold on her becoming almost painful. “I crippled its leg and opened up its mouth. I shoved my spear straight into that fucker’s brain and ended it all. I roared like some sort of deranged animal about to gorge itself on its prey. I just yelled. I didn’t know what else to do. So many…” He met her eyes again. Veera felt herself beginning to cry at the chaos she saw there. “So many died, because of me.”

‘No!’ Io and Veera both shouted in unison.

“No, Russell. Please, you mustn’t!” Veera pleaded, placing the lightest of kisses on his lips as he trembled with bottled up rage and sorrow. “You avenged her, didn’t you?”

“No, that’s not it. I made it so that-”

“We’ve been through this before, Russell,” Veera tried patiently. “They chose their path. That it ended the way it did is not your fault. Please, listen to me.” She held his head to her chest and stroked his hair, allowing him time to work through everything that he’d kept bottled up so that he could do what had to be done. “It’s over now, Russell. Let it be over. You’ve done everything anyone could ever ask of you.”

“Not if you go back out there…” He whispered into the downy white fur of her chest. “That girl. If you ended up like that girl and I wasn’t there.”

“You would end your life,” Veera stated bluntly.

Winters nodded, grinning in spite of himself at Veera’s candor. “Possibly after going insane but yes, I think I would.”

‘But sir!’ Io interjected, the idea of his suicide running so very contrary to her core routines she could not help but speak up. ‘How can you…the Captain’s orders and-’

“I know, Io,” Winters replied tiredly, shifting to hold Veera more fully, so she could never be lost to him again. “But if you lost everything, lost your friends, lost your family, lost not one but two women who you love deeply, could you keep going?”

‘But what of Xan, Zolta, Antoth and the others?’ Io tried weakly, meeting his tired eyes over Veera’s shoulder.

“You’re right Io, just like always. But that doesn’t change who I am. Doesn’t change that I’m not strong enough to fulfill Jess’ orders no matter what happens to me. Right now I don’t know if I could go on just like that,” Winters admitted, feeling Veera’s hold tighten around him in turn.

“Love, take me to bed please,” Veera requested tenderly. He complied, lifting her easily before laying them down gently on the straw and fur. He wrapped them in their blankets before allowing her to cuddle up to his side, the point of interest between his legs long forgotten. “When you left me here I thought I might go crazy with worry. Every moment I wondered where you were, what you were doing, if you were alright. You suffered again, for us. But you chose this path, my love. You chose to do great things, great and terrible things. You saw it through to the end. Now that you’re here…now that we’re here, there’s so much left to do. I did not give my heart to a killer,” Veera insisted, gazing up at him from her favored position, lying atop his chest where she could feel his heartbeat. “I gave it to a man worthy of his deeds. I won’t abandon you on this path, Russell Winters. I won’t settle for the idea of a broken tool, discarded once he’s proved his use. I won’t demand to leave your side if you need me here but please, consider letting me go finish what you started. That…woman,” Veera ground out, earning her the smallest of chuckles from Winters. She thought her heart might explode at the sound. “I will not allow her to share in your glory. It is yours and yours alone.”

‘Ahem.’

“And yours, Io,” Winters affirmed, feeling the shadows slowly shift and lighten thanks to his spent tears and the persistent companionship of Veera and Io. He sighed deeply, watching Veera’s head move thanks to his breathing as it rested atop his chest. “I want us to stay like this, forever,” he admitted. “There were some moments on the trek back when I just wanted to disappear into that forest, let it swallow me whole. But…” He held up his left hand and watched the firelight glint off his wedding band. “I still went out there, didn’t I?”

Veera smiled and poked his chest with a claw pointedly. “Yes you did, my human. Despite my protests I might add,” she replied slyly, conjuring memories of a cold, moonlit night outside the city gates, a moment when both wondered if it would be the last time they saw one another alive. “I will learn to use any weapon you think is best so please, trust me the way I trusted you?”

Winters closed his eyes a moment, trying to suppress the possessive and destructive forces inside him as Veera began to softly purr atop him, stirring the warmth within that was a direct testament to her influence on his life. “Stay with me here a little bit longer. Then…I’ll teach you to use my rifle.” Io’s mouth promptly dropped open while Veera gasped delightedly and kissed him flush on the lips.

“I’ll stay as long as you need,” Veera promised, rediscovering the wonderful place that was the crook of Winters’ neck and draping her leg across his lower body. “Thank you, Russell.”

Winters breathed her in, allowing her earthy scent to calm his nerves and fears. “It’s your duty now, isn’t it?” He asked compassionately, remembering what she’d told him at the gatehouse.

Veera stilled for a moment before nodding. “Yes. I’m sure Antoth would let me stay if I requested it but-”

“There’s no need. It’s alright,” Winters reassured her, using his left hand to scratch gently at the base of her ears. “I’m very, very proud of you, Veera.” His affirmation had the Cauthan’s feathers shaking with embarrassment as Winters recalled the promises they had made to one another many cycles before, long before any kisses or shared nights. “I meant what I said back then.”

“Huh? What’s that, Russell?” Veera asked curiously

“That even if I’m gone I want you to live, to thrive, to put those bastards who hated you for no reason in their place,” he recited firmly.

“I am thriving, Russell. That’s all thanks to you,” Veera purred happily. The human shook his head.

“I can’t take all the credit, but I’m glad no matter who’s to blame. Just come back to me,” he demanded, a tone between that of a lover and a fellow soldier. An icy pit opened up in his stomach. It was far too similar to the way he and Jess had spoken to one another. Veera responded to his voice, unsheathing her claws and pricking his chest.

“Just teach me how and I will, just like you did. I’ll kill anything that tries to stop me,” she promised with a growl. Io threw her hands into the air and procured a military grade helmet before hiding inside a concrete pillbox that would have looked at home on the shores of Normandy.

‘Oh yes, fabulous. Why stop at the pistol that blows people in half? Let’s give the feather kitten the high caliber rifle as well!’

“Sounds like fun! What’s a caliber?” Veera asked, earning a bit of a sadistic grin from Winters. The promise of a well-armed and trained wife-to-be was serving to beat back the worst case imaginings of his inner mind quite nicely.

“I’m inclined to agree with the fluffy one. Sounds like fun,” he added, raising his head off the bed to wink at the AI. “What’s the worst that could go wrong, Io?” Her emerald eyes pierced his before she shook her head in resignation.

‘When…or if they find us, your court martial will be the trial of the century.’