“You might be wanting one of these,” a guard called out to Veera, a spare torch in his extended hand. She accepted it with gratitude and stored it in her pack, the combined light of the other torches more than enough to allow her perfect vision. The full moons above aided her greatly as well, their pale light filtering through the sleeping branches of the forest and illuminating the snow below with a cold, enchanting blue light. “So, if you don’t mind my asking,” the guard continued. “Where are we going, exactly? No offense, but the hunters are about as silent as a field of shrines,” he added quietly. Veera smiled at him.
“They take after their priestess I suppose,” she replied. “It’s about three days to the north provided there aren’t any setbacks.”
“I’ve never been that far from the village before, even when we were accompanying the hunters on their forays earlier in the season. What’s it like?” The guard inquired curiously, a couple of his compatriots walking closer so as to be within hearing distance.
Veera felt confidence swell in her breast and thought of Winters. I never imagined I’d see the day. Thank you, Russell. A slight chuckle escaped her lips as she remembered the day a metal rock fell from the sky and changed a starving girl’s life forever.
“Uh, is it that strange a question?” Her conversation partner asked, hiking up his grip on the leather reigns that attached to the empty sled behind him.
“Oh no, I’m sorry. I was just reflecting on a great many things, on my former life,” Veera admitted freely. “It’s still a bit hard to believe I serve Uthos now, that I can talk with you as equals.” Faces fell around her, frowns flickering in torchlight.
“I can’t take the words back but I’m sorry for calling you a mutt, Veera,” another of the guards chimed in. “After all that’s happened this year I can only look back on such things with shame. Antoth told us about the north gate, about how you and the human saved Xan. And well, I’ve never had so many bodies to burn before. I’m glad most of them weren’t ours.” Veera felt a chill grow inside her as she remembered bloodstained armor and Winters’ dead eyes. “And now this ursae business?” The guard carried on. “All I can say is that Uthos is a merciful god indeed, to teach us such lessons as he has and let us live to learn from them.”
“I won’t presume to understand the gods, but thank you,” Veera replied. “To answer your question, I think you might all be distressed to know just how close our village is to the beast’s former territory. My mate was explaining it to me on the way back. It was something about the trees. He believes the ursae was maintaining them, allowing them to grow only in ways that wouldn’t impede its movements. He said the beast led him back to its territory, chose to fight there. I don’t know how much of that is true, but I can say for sure that the forest looks very different near the carcass than we’re used to.” The guards around Veera fell into an uncomfortable silence only broken by the sounds of their feet and the sleds in the snow.
“You village dwellers don’t actually believe that, do you?” Ratha demanded hotly. The huntress had fallen back from the front of the formation, leaving one of her hunters in charge of following their old trail back to the ursae. “What would some alien know about our world?”
“I must admit, the idea unnerves me to the point I don’t want to believe it,” one of the guards replied as Veera felt her feathers bristle.
“Of course I believe it!” Veera raised her voice in challenge. “Russell knows plenty about our world, enough to bring down a beast like that. Last I checked that makes him the expert, Ratha, not you. If he says ursae tend to their territory and are capable of hunting and strategizing against pursuers, I believe him.” The gold and black striped Cauthan eyed Ratha carefully, watching her eyes below the jaw of her bone helmet. She watched her hands, watched her legs. Antoth wasn’t there to stop her. Winters wasn’t there.
“Is that right?” Ratha hissed with narrowed eyes. “Then why is he staying behind in the warmth and the light while we’re out here? Seems like the actions of a coward to me.” The huntress bared her fangs as she finished, the challenge clear as day. Veera took it. In a flash she’d jettisoned Winters’ survival bag and leapt upon Ratha, the two of them tumbling in the snow and tossing up powder as they fought for the dominant position. Guards and hunters both began shouting as the two fireball females finally came to rest. Veera had pinned Ratha to the ground with a knee and her left hand, holding her four inch blade to the huntress’ throat with her right. Ratha was completely unperturbed, her own bone-handled stone knife resting against Veera’s windpipe. “What you just did is blasphemy, mutt,” Ratha told her smoothly.
“Blasphemy? You think I give a damn?” Veera growled back as one or two of the hunters drew their bows. “The gods cared nothing for me. Nobody cared for me…until him. I saw with my own eyes what he endured. I saw a living ursae. You know nothing of fear!” She screeched, the blade of her knife sinking ever so slightly into the fur of Ratha’s neck. She could feel the prick of the blade at her own throat but there was no mistaking the look in Ratha’s eyes, confusion.
“Have you gone insane? Your feathers will fall out at this rate, mutt. The only way you’ve seen a living ursae is in some fever dream. And get your knife away from my throat before you get yourself hurt,” Ratha demanded, flicking her eyes to her hunters. Veera chanced a glance to the side as she applied more pressure to the Huntress below her via her knee, knowing Ratha would use any available opportunity to turn the tables. The guards within the hunting party had pointed their spears at the hunters who had aimed their weapons at her. A couple of them gazed at Veera with disdain, but by and large the Cauthan looked on with obvious confusion, unsure if they should intervene at all. Unwilling to cause more of a scene Veera inched her blade away, completing the motion when Ratha reciprocated with her own knife. She stood quickly, making sure to apply as much force to Ratha’s chest as she could with her leg in doing so.
“I know what I saw, Huntress,” Veera spat, her angry breaths forming great plumes in the night. “I will fight you in the ring anytime you wish, but don’t you dare speak of my mate in such a way. He is no coward.”
“The ring?” Ratha replied with disdain, sheathing her blade and turning her back in a sign of disrespect. “I guess you really are one of them now, aren’t you? You think ‘honor’ means anything out here? Or maybe you’re just an alien’s plaything.” She waved to her fellow hunters, signaling that they should put their weapons away. It peeved the Huntress greatly that they thought she needed their help and she let them know viciously. “I would have been fine if it came to that. Doesn’t matter how big she is, she doesn’t understand.” Ratha froze as an unfamiliar, metallic sound reached her ears. She finally turned back as a few guards began whispering heatedly with one another, finding an unfamiliar object pointing at her chest.
“He told me to never point this at someone I didn’t intend to kill,” Veera said calmly, stroking the cold metal of Winters’ rifle with her trigger finger but keeping it outside the trigger guard. “So hear me now, Huntress. I offered you a battle for honor and honor alone, but if you insist then I will play by your rules, life and death.”
“What in the name of Valta is that?” Ratha shouted, trying her best to remain calm as the dark silhouette in Veera’s hands finally registered in her mind. She’d seen it before, seen it on the human’s back as he’d massacred an entire tribe’s worth of warriors.
“It’s death, Ratha; a gift from my beloved to go along with his token. I am not his plaything, I am his female,” Veera replied confidently with something approaching reverence in her voice. “I would very much prefer to not use this. Its twin was destructive enough.”
Try as she might, Ratha couldn’t help the coil of cold fear that snaked through her guts. She’d heard the reports and seen the bodies. She knew what Veera had done the night of the raid. Would she actually turn something like that on one of her own? What the hell am I saying? Of course she would. A mutt like her has no people. Damn that human. Who knew a whimpering little brat like her could turn into such a cocksure annoyance, Ratha fumed internally. Anger burned inside her and drove away the fear but it didn’t overwhelm her survival instincts, honed by years in the forest alone. “I would very much prefer to not speak with you again on this trip…or ever, really. Put that away, Veera. By Valta’s honor no one is dying on my watch,” Ratha declared, turning her back on the barrel and walking to the head of the formation. Why am I shaking?
-----
“Uh…hey,” Winters called awkwardly as he returned to his home, finding the three young Cauthan more or less as he’d left them. They had tidied up a bit and it seemed that between the three of them they’d managed to get water heating for tea. Winters took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, tea sounds pretty good right now,” he agreed, reaching for his helmet.
‘Oh for goodness sake, I’ll translate for you,’ Io informed him. ‘Go rejoin your guests. We’re sorry for the absence.’
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, right?” Asha replied kindly, ensuring both Xan and Zolta nodded in agreement. “Is all well?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Winters said as he sat on his bed and removed his cloak. “I don’t know how well Veera and Ratha are going to get along out there, but they managed not to kill one another on the way to find me so I suppose it’ll be alright.”
“If they get in a fight my wager’s on Veera,” Xan decided immediately. “Speaking of which, you and Veera eh? Can’t say I blame you. She’s the only female in the village who could handle you, I wager.” Winters blinked twice and just stared at Xan, unsure how to proceed.
‘I’m sorry, sir. I do not understand male Cauthan body language and intonation well enough to determine if he means carnally or just you as a whole. Personally though, I wouldn’t disagree with either point,’ Io told him in English. ‘Veera does appear to have the most robust physiology of any female in this village, other than perhaps Ratha.’
“Ok I did not need to think about fucking that shortstack! Why are you translating?!” Winters shot back. “Xan, I’m letting you off the hook because you’re a cripple. Zolta, you did well to keep your mouth shut. Asha, would you mind?” He flicked his eyes at Xan.
“Of course, Russell,” Asha replied kindly before swatting Xan with the back of her hand again. It was a light blow of purely symbolic meaning. He was about to protest when both Io and Winters began laughing. The human extended a pseudo-apology to Xan.
“Ah I think I needed that. Thanks, Xan. And for the record she’s handled me just fine so far.”
“Wait, did he mean…” Zolta began eagerly, only to be met by a shrug from Winters.
“Well if you boys are quite finished I would like to know about how Russell proposed to Veera,” Asha huffed, shaking her head. “I know you’re at least partially responsible for Zolta’s magnificent stunt, so tell us! How did it happen?” She asked eagerly, eyes glinting as she locked onto the wedding ring on Winters’ finger.
“What can I say? I asked her to marry me. That’s our word for being bonded. She said yes.”
Asha looked to Io, who had been translating for them. “Is he like this all the time?”
‘Willing to boast about his sexual conquests while remaining tight lipped about the romantic moments he and Veera have shared? Honestly I can’t say, given that this situation’s not arisen since I came to life. That being said,’ Io paused to give her partner an appraising look. ‘It fits his character to a T.’
“Love you too, Io,” Winters offered sarcastically.
‘You know it’s true.’
“I suppose I really should have asked Veera while I had the chance,” Asha said with a hint of regret. Io nodded sagely.
‘Oh yes, Asha. That would have been the better approach by far. You will be joining them for the ceremony, will you not?’
“Oh of course I will! I’d love to!”
“Are you inviting people to my wedding?” Winters asked in disbelief.
‘You weren’t going to invite them?’ Io shot back with feigned shock.
Winters tried again in half-hearted protest. “That’s hardly the point!”
‘Yes, yes, of course it’s not,’ Io agreed dismissively, waving him off without giving him another look. ‘So Asha, what do you think you’ll be wearing? I was thinking something in blue, though I haven’t decided yet. What do you think?’ The AI asked the seamstress, turning her body in an elegant twirl as her outfit shimmered and resolved back around her as a single strap, deep blue dress made of voluminous fabric that seemed to flow over her like water. Her hair fell to her shoulders in waves to match. Asha’s eyes practically popped from their sockets as her tail stood upright and she bounded with surprising speed to sit next to Io.
“By the Twins, how did you do that?!”
‘What, this?’ Io asked knowingly, shifting again to sport another dress, this one in gold. She wore a very self-satisfied smirk on her face. ‘One of my…powers, you could say.’
“That’s so incredible! I’ll have to think of something myself but I don’t know how much time I’ll have with all the work that needs to be done over the next few days. Maybe I could stitch something into the hem of my green dress?” Asha debated as Io looked her over with a critical eye.
‘Oh darling, you have at least a cycle to work with. I have a few ideas if you’d like?’
“Well that’s it. Pack it up lads. We’ve lost them,” Winters declared with a chuckle and shake of his head, taking over the duty of allocating water to the four mugs that had been filled with dried leaves. “Don’t worry Zolta, you’ll get her back…eventually,” Winters assured him, trying to figure out how best to use the technology available to him to translate now that Io and Asha were off in their own little world, the AI constantly changing and altering her outfits while the seamstress laughed and complimented her. Every so often Asha would poke at Io’s projection and make a suggestion and the cycle would repeat.
Zolta smiled at Winters. “It’s fine. It’s nice to see her happy,” he said.
“What’s wrong Zolta? Trouble in paradise?” Winters asked, glancing over at Xan. The apprentice just sipped his tea and remained silent, content to listen for once.
“It’s nothing like that,” Zolta replied, looking into the fire. “Things are just…nevermind. It’s not like it’s your problem. You’ve been troubled enough by all of us.”
Winters squatted by the fire and ran a hand through his hair, making himself comfortable before speaking again. “Look, I get what you’re saying and I know that all of you are big on the whole self-sufficiency thing. When you live on a planet like this, in a place like this, I can hardly blame you. But let me try to explain something to you, alright?” He requested, twitching a small smile as Zolta and Xan’s ears turned his way. “Right now I’m a mess on the inside. Well, I think I’m a mess at any rate. I can say without a doubt that killing that monster is the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, bar none. My commanding officers and drill sergeants would all call me a liar until they saw the vids, probably, but back on my ship they’d probably have me telling the tale until I was blue in the face. I know all that but I don’t feel like that. I don’t feel like I just did something legendary. I got myself hurt and made Veera worry. I had to let her go back out there instead of me. I got Io injured as well,” he trailed off, looking over to see Io chuckling lightly, her thin fingers over her lips. The AI looked back at him and blew him a kiss. He gave her a small smile and shook his head, turning back to the two young males.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“You both already know how I feel about killing those raiders and all, despite the necessity of it. The point of this rambling is that if I just have to sit here for seven or eight days waiting for Veera to come back I’m going to get cabin fever.”
“You’ll get what?” Xan asked, tilting his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like that from Thantis.”
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t have,” Winters agreed. “It’s a human term for what happens when we get cooped up in a place with nothing to do. We get anxious and nervous, stressed out. Doesn’t happen to everyone but it’s pretty well documented.”
“Could you go out to your pod then? Or into the forest?” Zolta suggested in an attempt to be helpful. Winters shook his head.
“I admit that given what I just said that would seem to be a solution but…it’s not exactly like that. I know I can walk around wherever I want but that won’t bring Veera back any sooner. It’s not going to change the fact that Io’s only running on one CPU now.”
“What?” Xan interjected.
“Don’t worry about it. The point is I’m going to run around in circles in my head until I explode if I’m not doing something, working towards something, trying to make something better.” Winters paused and shot a pointed look at Zolta. “What’s troubling you? Out with it, kid.” The young smith looked over at his friend who just raised his crest feathers at him.
“You win, Winters. It’s not like I could say no after something like that. There isn’t anything in particular; it’s just that things have been different since the raid. Before that everything seemed, I don’t know, normal? Asha and I were bonded and she became pregnant. We were working towards a place to raise a family. You kept bringing in ridiculous amounts of raw material to work with at the temple. Things were simple. I knew exactly what I should do whenever I woke up. Now I’m not so sure,” Zolta finished in a dejected tone. Winters sighed heavily.
“Asha?” He called. “You made the right choice.” The mother-to-be looked over her shoulder at him before standing and rejoining the circle, bringing Io with her. “Well aren’t you popular with the ladies,” Winters addressed Io, remembering walking in on ‘girl talk’ on more than one occasion.
‘You are just jealous, sir,’ Io replied cockily. Laughter permeated the room as the fire danced merrily.
“I admire your sense of fashion, Io. And it is quite exciting to converse with a spirit in such a way, but Zolta’s the only one for me,” Asha affirmed, causing the smith’s feathers to shake furiously.
“Is this a Cauthan trait?” Winters asked. “You guys see something that defies all logic and explanation and you just roll with it? Veera’s like that too.” The three looked at one another with confusion on their faces. Io made a face at Winters from Asha’s lap as though he’d just asked a woman why she was fat.
“What’s so strange about it?” Xan countered. “Io’s obviously real. So are you, for that matter. Why wouldn’t we believe it? I mean, I could doubt that your weapons can tear a Cauthan apart, but Veera more than proved that’s the truth too.”
Winters expression changed slowly as he nodded to himself. “Well alright then.”
‘What he means to say is that given humanity’s history of killing one another over concepts like truth and the unknown he finds your perspective refreshing,’ Io elaborated, eliciting a bit of shock from Asha.
“Is that true?” She inquired. Winters shook his head.
“I think it’s a gross exaggeration, but there’s some truth to it. We took to the idea of alien life pretty well though,” he defended. Io rolled her eyes.
‘As of our departure there were at least fifteen national governments whose official stance is that the Ghaelen don’t exist and the HEL is a power grab by developed nations to exploit the weak and reconquer the globe. There are significant minorities of individuals in founding HEL nations who believe the same,’ Io recited disdainfully. Winters scoffed.
“The industry of grievance and conspiracy never dies, I suppose. But don’t be too hard on us, Io. Without us embracing the unknown you wouldn’t exist,” he reasoned. Io pressed a finger to her lips and looked upward thoughtfully.
‘I suppose that’s a fair point, though we have strayed a bit off-topic,’ she acknowledged as Xan rendered his judgment.
“Humans sound pretty weird.”
“Xan, that’s rude,” Asha reprimanded him.
“It’s fine, Asha. He’s probably right on that,” Winters admitted, giving Xan reason to look impressed with himself. “Sorry for getting so distracted. What do you and Zolta intend to do about your plans for the future?” Asha took Zolta’s hand before replying.
“We’re not sure. The houses lost to the fires will be rebuilt, surely, but that will be done by Zolta’s temple as a whole. Once that’s done they will be returned to the temple of Seil.”
“Wait, even homes that weren’t vacant?” Winters interrupted.
“Yes Winters,” Zolta confirmed. “It costs time, effort, and resources to build a home.”
“And what if the families have nothing left to afford them?” The human pressed. The three Cauthan looked around and gestured to Veera’s dwelling.
Winters growled. “The slums…got it.”
‘Oooh, the Lieutenant has that look in his eyes. I like that look,’ Io purred, her face betraying her love of mischief and disruption.
“What about the plot you were hoping for?” Winters continued seriously, ignoring his AI for the moment. Zolta looked at Asha sadly before explaining their circumstances.
“We don’t have enough wealth to buy the plot outright, in all likelihood. We don’t even know who will be the next priest of Seil so it’s pointless to plan around that anyway. By the time all that gets sorted and we collect enough to get anywhere close a house will be rebuilt there and the cost will go up further.” Zolta sighed dejectedly. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re grateful we and our families survived the raid so well but that doesn’t mean it didn’t throw everything into chaos. Uh Winters, that expression you have is a little unsettling.”
“Io, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Winters asked with a devious smile on his face, his body feeling lighter at the promise of a goal. Io returned it wholeheartedly.
‘If by thinking you mean influencing an election, coercing the newly appointed rule of the village to sell you a plot of land, and then building a high tech Maran house with your big man arms,’ she ticked off each one by one on her fingers. With a wink she grabbed a hardhat out of thin air and placed it on her head, tipping the brim at him. ‘Then yes, sir. I’m thinking exactly what you’re thinking.’
Winters let out a booming laugh and looked reassuringly at Zolta and Asha. “Just keep your mate and cub healthy and safe, Zolta. I’ve got this.”
-----
“Geez, I’m beat. Training didn’t prepare me for this.”
“Oh stop complaining, the rest of them did this once already.”
“Well yeah but they’re kind of jerks, aren’t they?”
“Not like I’m defending them, but Veera did have a knife to Ratha’s throat.”
“The opposite was just as true!”
“Enough already you two, it’s over. Let’s just try to get some rest and keep that fire going.”
“How are we low on firewood already?!”
“Everything’s covered in snow, that’s how. Go look for more.”
“By Uthos I’m not going out there alone.”
“Fine you whiner, I’ll come with you. Where’s my cloak?”
“Speaking of alone, where is Veera anyway?” Silence fell over the cadre of guards that had accompanied the hunters on the expedition back to the ursae corpse. They looked at one another within the confines of a large makeshift shelter they’d constructed using multiple individual tents, contrary to the disciples of Valta who had each set up individual shelters for the most part. Guilt fell over them as they opened the tent flap and looked around the encampment that had sprung up in the middle of the forest. The hunters that weren’t on watch were already asleep, knowing Ratha would likely have them up and moving at first light. “Now I feel bad,” one guard admitted aloud, finally locating the tip of Veera’s tail poking out from under her cloak across the clearing. She had her back turned to them but it looked like she was examining the alien weapon that the human had given her. “Then tell her to get over here on your way out, you dolt.” With a final grumble two of the guards left the tent and stretched as they stood upright. As they approached Veera her ears twitched and she turned to face them.
“Oh, it’s just you two,” she said quietly, allowing herself to relax and move her hand away from the handle of her knife. The two guards looked at each other.
“If you’re expecting an unwelcome guest you should come and hang out with us. We’ve got a fire going and everything. It’s not much, but it’s something.”
“Yeah, Veera. You are one of us now after all. Besides I definitely want to get a closer look at that weapon you’ve got there…if Winters is ok with it I mean,” the second guard finished nervously. Veera looked between the two of them appraisingly.
“Did you both just come here to tell me that?”
“Nah, we’re going out to scrounge some more wood. That lot might be used to this,” one of the guards gestured to the hunters’ tents around them. “But we’re enjoying having a bit of heat. No pressure but the door’s always open. Might be a bit nicer than a hide draped over a tree branch, yeah? See you later.” With that the two guards continued off into the woods, spears in hand. They had little need for torches given that the light of the twin moons above was at its zenith of the cycle. Veera looked down at the chesko blanket she was sitting on, smiling as she recalled how Winters had insisted she take the new one. Deciding that he would probably accept the offer Veera gathered up her valuables, leaving her shelter intact just in case she decided spending time with the other guards was not to her fancy. They’d been polite and accepting professionally, when she’d been patrolling the village or aiding in various tasks like rubble removal, but a hint of fear gnawed at her gut nevertheless. One casual invitation wasn’t enough to override years of less than favorable treatment. She padded softly across the camp and pulled the flap back.
“Uh…room for one more?” She asked timidly.
“Veera!” One of the older guards hailed her. “Get in here and close that flap would you? You’re letting the heat out.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Veera replied, hunching over so she could fit inside and sitting in an empty space between a couple of younger guards, one of whom she recalled seeing often at the sparring ring with Xan.
“Ah it’s fine. If anything we should be apologizing to you. Just because there’s been a lot going on lately doesn’t mean we can forget you serve Uthos now as well.”
“Think nothing of it,” Veera demurred, casting a glance back at the door and wondering if she should just excuse herself. It was uncomfortable having so many males staring at her. “I sometimes forget myself.”
“Chesko?” The guard asked, extending her a piece of dried meat. She accepted it and took a bite. “Well since this lot seems to have been rendered mute by the presence of a female, how about you tell us what’s going on with you and the head bitch, eh?”
“I, what?” Veera spluttered as a few of the other guards broke their silence to snigger or chuckle at the mention of Ratha.
“Come now Veera. It’s no secret our temples don’t exactly walk hand in hand.”
“You mean mouth to mouth?” A guard next to Veera interjected.
“Veera, hit him,” the older guard commanded. Veera obliged, throwing an elbow below the young one’s ribs.
“Hey, what was that for Staroth?”
“I won’t have you disrespect the Captain, whelp.”
“But he…don’t you think it isn’t right?”
“I don’t think Antoth would do something he felt in his heart was wrong. I’m sure there’s a reason he and Ratha have been brought together even if we don’t understand it,” Veera suggested, earning a growl of approval from Staroth.
“See? Not even a cycle yet and she’s got more sense in her head than you do. Though I’ll readily admit I don’t understand the Captain’s actions either.”
“It’s just a guess, but I think Antoth probably sees her as an enjoyable challenge. She’s unpredictable and volatile and that goes against so much of what we all stand for. Maybe it helps bring balance to his life?” Veera weighed in, finding herself quickly becoming more comfortable in the smoky atmosphere now that she wasn’t the topic of discussion and having secured the approval of the most experienced guard on the expedition.
“I suppose that’s as good an explanation as any, Veera. Speaking of volatile though, are there going to be any further incidents like this evening? I know she was insulting your mate’s honor and all, but we can’t be killing each other out here.”
“No sir, there won’t be,” Veera promised in a begrudging whisper.
“Wait, you and the human for real? Like really real?” Another youngling asked. Staroth laughed.
“You really are blind, Gael. Veera, don’t mind him. If we’ve all grudgingly accepted that Antoth has made his choice, we welcome your union with the human with open arms. Our brothers in arms told us more than a few stories about the size of the beast and how Winters asked for you. That’s quite the token you have there.”
“I see not all who serve Uthos are blunt instruments,” Veera countered slyly, holding out her left hand. Staroth and the other married guards chuckled together while the others looked on with a bit of jealously.
“I don’t see what’s so special about it,” Xan’s friend remarked, drawing him a venomous look from Veera.
Staroth held his hand up to forestall what surely would have been quite the body blow. “Rakis, you should know better than to taunt a warrior who’s stronger than you are in close quarters.”
“I- wha- she!” Rakis spluttered as Veera joined in the chortling of the other guards, feeling her honor more than defended. Staroth leaned over the fire conspiratorially and spoke in a whisper that was more than audible to everyone inside.
“The lad’s had eyes for you for a couple cycles now, Veera. He’s just mad the human got there first.”
“I…really?” Veera asked, momentarily too shocked to contribute to the playful bantering of the guardsmen around her.
“Oh yes, remember that one time she and the human were practicing with wooden blades?” Another older guard added, eager to pile on.
“When she leaped on him and started kissing him as her dress rode up? The boys had to go throw themselves in the snow after that one! Ah, good times,” Staroth agreed before looking to the sky. “Meylith, I apologize. I love my mate more than anything but you blessed Veera with legs that it would be a sin to ignore.”
“You’d better pray to Kel instead, Staroth. If my mate were to catch wind of this,” Veera threatened. The guard just laughed.
“Ah Veera, that is unnecessary in the end. After that little tussle you had with Ratha I’m not sure I could best you, to say nothing of the human who trained you. There’s no question that most of us are stronger than you are but I don’t think you’d give us the chance to use it in a fight, would you?” He asked pointedly. Veera smirked and flared her feathers.
“Not if I could help it. But I still have half a mind to slide this blade between your ribs for that,” Veera agreed, brandishing the blade and narrowing her eyes. Staroth and the guards beside him seemed more than comfortable though, leaning back on their hands and occasionally snacking on a bit of dried meat.
“I have to admit I’ve received a lot of threats in my life, but definitely never one from such a female. Shall we have a match when we return then? To my knowledge you’ve only ever sparred with the human,” Staroth suggested. “I would like to test my skill against you.”
“But she’s not even gone through basic training!” Rakis protested. Staroth’s eyes widened a bit as he bared his teeth.
“Ooh, I see. Veera, Rakis would like to challenge you too! What is it lad, if you beat her you think she’ll give you a chance to win her over?” Every guard in the tent burst out laughing at that point, leaving Rakis with his hands in his lap looking frustratedly at the ground.
“What…what would a human know about pleasing a female!?” He finally shouted in defiance as the flap to the tent opened again.
“Sounds like we’re just in time! More firewood guys. So what’s all this then?” The two guards asked, retaking their seats in the lively atmosphere. Veera rubbed Rakis’ head patronizingly.
“The young ones are being led to say the sorts of things they might regret later,” she said silkily, throwing Staroth a look. “Should I let him down easily?”
“You think his enemies would?” Staroth replied seriously, earning his fair share of serious nods from the assembled guardsmen around the fire. Veera flared her crest.
“Sorry Rakis, but even if you got your chance you’d never be able to satisfy me. Not after the nights Russell and I have shared. Same goes for any of you for that matter,” Veera declared smugly, realizing a few things about the extent of subjects permitted during ‘guy talk’. The tent was quiet save for the hissing of wet firewood as Staroth and his comrades shared a look. Veera felt a spike of panic as she worried she might have overstepped, but then the old guard threw his head back and howled with laughter, clutching at his flank as the others joined him. Even Rakis had to smile at the resounding nature of Veera’s reply.
“Oh by Uthos, my sides! Rakis you walked right into that one, kid! You really think a female as strong as Veera would bed an alien if he wasn’t a hyrven in the sack?! Ah Veera, where have you been all our lives? I’ve not had such fun since my own training days. Or is he more of an ursae when you’re under him?”
“I’ve been here the whole time, you ass!” She sniped, tossing a bit of snow at him. Rakis and Gael even joined in, emboldened by Veera’s actions as the laughter carried into the night. The tent flap opened again.
“Excuse me, do you think you sods could not wake the entire forest?!” One of the hunters asked furiously, poking his head into the tent. He was met with a face full of snow.
“Let them come! We’ll show the human we can fight!” Staroth declared jovially.
“The Huntress will hear of this when she returns from scouting!” The hunter threatened. Veera lobbed a handful of snow his way next.
“Then I’d be happy to settle our score from earlier. You ready to see your precious Huntress on her ass? Not that you’d be the first. That would be my Captain.”
“BWAHAHAHA!” The guards roared as the hunter left, spitting curses at them and muttering about how their expedition wasn’t some stroll through the woods. “Oh did you see his face?! Ah that was brilliant, Veera. Brilliant I say! So c’mon then, the night’s still young. I can still see the Twins in the sky. Let’s see that weapon of yours eh?” The other guards cheered at Staroth’s suggestion, all eager to know about one of the human’s legendary hyrven killing devices.
“What? You mean Winters’ rifle?”
“Yeah, the black one! C’mon, it couldn’t be that bad, right?” Another guard called.
“Having used it, I can assure you it would. Give me a moment would you? Keep your bloody scales on,” Veera ordered before turning around and carefully extracting the rifle from her pack. After swatting away an interested hand from Gael she unloaded the weapon, checked and double checked the chamber, switched the safety on, and placed the magazine between her legs where she sat. “Any male who thinks of trying to touch the ammunition is a dead man in the sight of the gods,” Veera declared. “And you’ll treat this weapon as if it were your firstborn cub!”
“As you wish, my lady, now hand it over! What’s yours is ours and what’s ours is yours!” Staroth boomed, accepting the rifle from Veera with all reverence due an alien artifact. As the weapon passed from hand to hand, awed exclamations punctuating happy conversation around her, Veera thought of Winters, the one who’d believed in her when none of her own would. A new kind of warmness filled her. It was different than the feelings she associated with her mate and it would never replace him, but all the same she felt as though for the first time in her life a different void within her had been filled. Please forgive me, my love. I’ll make sure no one hurts themselves. It’s just…it feels so wonderful to belong.