--Mara Date: First Snowfall (Expected)

----Survivor’s Log, 1st Lt. Russell Winters

“I figured I should take some time and create a thorough entry in this log for once. On the day I crash landed here I was given an order in three parts: survive, return home, discover the truth…so to speak. Jess, as of today I believe I can safely say that I’ve fulfilled the first part of your order. A week ago I conducted my first successful hunt, bringing in enough meat for a couple of weeks as well as killing an animal known as a hyrven, which among the local villagers is quite valuable for its pelt and bone. In the time since then, I’ve finished work on the last few arrows I’ll need to hunt going forward. The first of two spears should be ready within the next couple of days as well, just as an added precaution. So food is more or less taken care of right now, as is water. Shelter and safety are also accounted for. I’ve been living with Veera for a couple of weeks now and her dwelling, as with all of those in the village, is surrounded by a twelve foot palisade wall that’s several feet thick in most places. As for our home itself, that situation has been improving as well.

Thanks to the ‘time off’ I’ve afforded myself this week, I was able to patch up the various holes in the walls of our dwelling. That hyrven I killed won me some friends at a local guild hall of sorts, bunch of craftsmen. Not saying they just let me waltz in and take whatever I want, but no one was going to deny my request for a couple of plates and some pitch; and yes, I mean dinner plates. Not sure how they make pitch here, probably from tree sap, but the whole process was simple enough. Heat the brick over the fire until it melts; apply to hole in wall, bam. Fixed. Definitely earned me a few points with the girlfriend too. Why am I bothering to mention this? Well as you can probably tell from the title of this entry, Io’s expecting snowfall. It’s overcast today and pretty cold, about thirty seven degrees right now. So who knows, might experience my first Maran snowfall tonight.

So my ‘home base’ is about as insulated as I can get it and I have the Aegis for now. For all the good that’s happened, I’m still worried about power. I really don’t think I’ll be able to use the fabricator during the winter at all if I intend to keep using my armor like this, to say nothing of Io’s needs, which honestly come even before that. Long story short, I need to get out there and hunt again, this time to secure myself and Veera some warmer weather gear. I’ll be ranging west of the village today, soon as I finish up this log entry.

Might as well touch on the second part of the Captain’s orders while I’m here. In order to fix the comms array on the pod I’m going to need some heavy metals. Right now the only source of those Io and I have been able to locate is atop the staff of the leader of the village. He’s got some sort of gold alloy ornament up there. Given that he hates me the most out of anyone in the village, including the huntress who looked ready to skin me alive the other day; I don’t think that’s going to be an option for now. I’ll keep trying to think of a way to get my hands on it, but force just isn’t a realistic option. I’d be condemning myself and Veera to death. Plan B is to hope the trade caravans I’ve heard about stop by in the spring with something I can use.

Anyway, I guess that covers all the major points. The whole relationship with an alien maiden thing is…going as well as it can, I think. I won’t say it’s not confusing…because it is, but she and I are growing closer as the days go on. Veera’s been out most of the last week, getting in some last minute foraging before the snows come. She encouraged me to get to know the village better in that time, probably to make me feel more at home if we get snowed in. All that time apart during the day means that she’s always on top of me at night. I know that sounds like a good thing but…ah hell who am I kidding, it is a good thing…to an extent. I feel like I could explode half the time, but that comes with the territory I guess. Honestly, I think she just comes from a world in which the idea of physical intimacy for pleasure is so foreign that she can’t get enough…while also being very hesitant about actually mating. She’s taken to stripping down every night now, soon as we finish dinner. What actually happens after that varies day to day, but it inevitably ends with her on top of me and falling asleep, draped in our new blanket courtesy of my first kill. We kept the old one too; keep the straw off my back if I want to sleep without a shirt. So yeah, I’m constantly being blue balled by my incredibly fluffy alien girlfriend. Sorry for rambling, I just had to get that out. It’s always a pleasure to explore her, find out where she’s sensitive and how much her winter coat has come in and whatnot…but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s been pushing herself. We’re having Zolta and Asha over for dinner tonight, the couple I managed to hook up at the festival, so maybe that will keep things calm today, give me an opportunity to talk to her about all this. Well, that’s enough of that I think. I’m losing daylight here. Winters out.”

With that, Winters replaced his datapad and resealed his pod before stringing his bow and heading for the bridge to the forest. His survival bag was full of fresh batteries and a small amount of rations for his trek that day.

“Io, you want to boot up Skaði for us?” He requested, trying to focus himself.

‘No heart to heart? Straight to the hunt today?’ Io asked, giving him an amused look while bringing up the necessary HUD elements. He noticed she’d renamed it to version 1.1, seeing that some indicators had been cleaned up or consolidated. With a nod, he stepped off the path back to the village and began his pursuit, hoping to locate some favorable signs of game. Io did not enjoy being ignored. ‘Veera’s actions are troubling you.’ It wasn’t a question.

“Not exactly Io. It’s more that I don’t know how to respond to her. I don’t want to escalate because she’s never given me any indication that she wants to proceed past our regular sort of intimate touching. I don’t want to de-escalate because I don’t want her to think I don’t enjoy what we do at night or that I don’t want her in general.” He sighed, wishing he could kick the dirt in frustration but knowing that he had to keep is noise profile low. He looked to the bland, steel gray sky instead, finding nothing to hold his attention long. Io nodded.

‘I suppose you’ve found yourself at an impasse then, sir.’

“Yes, that much was obvious I hope.”

‘If you’re in the mood to take love advice from a sentient machine, why not just take the next step yourself?’ Io asked, causing Winters to stop and lean a hand against a nearby tree.

“Yeah…I have thought about that. It’s hard not to really, especially in the moment but…”

‘But?’ Io prodded, intent on clearing the issue up so that they could move onto hunting without her partner feeling distracted and out of sorts. It made his vitals unpleasant to her.

“I feel like I’d take things too far, like halfway through she’d get uncomfortable or afraid and I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to stop,” Winters admitted, pushing off of his resting place with a deep breath and continuing on through the woods. He expected some sort of rebuke from Io, but she’d taken an invisible seat, pondering his words.

‘I see, so even if Veera were amenable to the idea of mating and enjoyed it, you’d be worried about the opposite the whole time?’

“Yeah, that more or less hits the nail on the head.” Winters paused to examine some tracks Io had found, a few oddly disturbed patches of dirt and undergrowth. Taking a new heading to the northwest, he continued. “I know I might be needlessly torturing myself here, but if I push this I know I’ll regret it later.” Io acknowledged him sadly.

‘You realize that, while your reasoning is sound, she may be feeling the same? She’s a virgin, sir. For her to take the initiative in that, even though she’s demonstrated moments of boldness in the past, is quite an ask.’

“I can wait,” Winters replied seriously, removing an arrow from his clip and nocking it, leaving the bow at rest. Io sighed at him.

‘Very well sir. I can’t believe I’m about to suggest this, but as your partner it is one of my jobs to look after your…wellbeing. Why don’t you masturbate?’ She asked. Winters took the suggestion in stride, chuckling a bit as he paused for a moment to scan his surroundings. Io had detected a faint scent on the wind from the east. He adjusted his path.

“Wouldn’t be fair to Veera,” he replied simply.

‘Well aren’t you the sexual martyr? You’ll have to explain that one to the VI sir,’ Io told him, giving him a disbelieving look. ‘What could be so bad about relieving that sense of discomfort?’

“I’m sure by now you’ve realized finding a bit of privacy on this planet is no big deal for me. So yeah, sure, I could go ahead and relieve myself out here, maybe mark a bit of territory, piss off an ursae, that sort of thing. But then what? That night I’m not going to respond to Veera the same way, no question there. Maybe she lets it go. Even if she does, and things reach this point again, I’ll just take the easy way out…again. I can’t think of a better way to kill a sexual relationship before it even starts.”

‘So you intend to suffer in silence in the hopes that your next orgasm shatters the cosmos?’ Io could barely contain her laughter at her partner’s mule-headed ideas. Winters didn’t bother holding his own laughter in.

“While I certainly wouldn’t mind that Io, I’m pretty sure that between her lack of experience and us being two different species, it’ll be something between forgettable and an utter disaster. But it would still be her.” He managed a small smile as he thought about Veera. Io seemed to understand.

‘Very well sir. That girl has no idea how lucky she is. That said I believe that’s enough pining for one hunt. Time to wipe that forlorn look off of your face, by force!’ Io declared triumphantly, allowing her outfit to shift from the typical barbarian hunting garb to something Winters had only seen before at concerts on Earth. She was the spitting image of a female metal vocalist, complete with corset, long flowing coat, lace choker, and knee high boots, all in black of course. Winters uttered a silent prayer, thanking the gods that she’d not gone wild with the eyeliner.

“Trying to seduce me Io?” He waggled his eyebrows at her. She dismissed him outright with a wave of her hand. He noticed she’d painted her nails black as well.

‘Of course not, you hormone laden monkey! Though I will be sure to instruct Veera to visit certain clothing outlets if we ever reach Earth again. No, today we’re having karaoke time!’ She insisted, conjuring a microphone out of thin air and selecting a track from his drop playlist.

Winters just stared at her, his expression quickly morphing from one of smug superiority to utter disbelief.

“I’m sorry, we’re what?” He spluttered, hearing the toll of bells and knowing that Io must have remembered his atrocious singing on past drops. Damn, just when did she start actually changing?!

‘We’re going to have a bit of VI-human bonding time and I’ve chosen karaoke. Don’t look at me like that; I know this is one of your favorites!’ She pouted at him. Winters just looked at her, open mouthed, as Io began singing. ‘In the heart of the holy see, in the home of Christianity, the seat of power is in daaaanger!’ She held the mic out to him as Winters continued to silently gape at her. Io carried on without him. ‘Gave their lives on the steps to heaven, Thy Will Be Done!’ She started banging her head back and forth as the chorus began, her hair flying in every direction. Much as Winters was willing to believe he’d stepped into some sort of alternate universe, he couldn’t deny that Io’s unbridled enthusiasm was winning him over. By the time the song reached its climax, Winters had joined in.

“Dying for salvation!”

‘With dedication!’

“No capitulation!”

‘Annihilation!”

“Papal commendation!”

‘Reincarnation!’

“Heaven is your destination!”

“IN THE NAME OF GOOOOD!” They screamed together. The chesko never stood a chance.

-----

Winters found himself again on the forest path connecting Veera’s farm to her village. For his time and effort on the hunt he’d been rewarded with another large chesko kill, this one certainly a male, based on the horns protruding from its skull. Remembering Veera’s advice from when she’d found him on his first hunt, he’d immediately cut an opening in the throat, allowing gravity to bleed the animal as he carried it home. With a couple hours of daylight left and safety within reach, he and Io were riding high.

‘Your shot was perfect sir! Oh hang on, let’s watch it again,’ Io suggested, bringing up the video from the kill that she’d recorded using his helmet’s visor. ‘See, I suggested you aim here so that if the arrow struck the ribs it would still have a chance to deflect into the heart and…there it is!’ Io cried triumphantly as Winters’ arrow buried itself deep in the animal’s flank and it dropped to the forest floor. ‘What a day!’

“I’m more amazed by your singing ability Io. The hunting honestly feels like a cakewalk now,” Winters admitted. “And don’t get me wrong, it was what I needed Io. I’d been down in the dumps for no reason and forgotten just how bloody lucky I am to still be alive at all. So…thanks, for real.” Io blushed at his genuine smile.

‘I had a wonderful time today as well sir. Will you take me on a date again sometime?’ Io requested, returning his smile.

“Shouldn’t be a problem, I very much look forward to our next session of lethal karaoke.” They both laughed, settling down as the walls of Veera’s village became visible through the trees, easier to see now that the leaves had retreated for the winter. “Let’s get this thing inside, yeah?”

‘What are you going to do with it sir?’

“We still have plenty of meat from the other chesko, even if we’ve had to salt or otherwise preserve it over the last couple of days. I was planning on bartering for a cloak or two.”

‘As per your survival log entry, of course. It would be more efficient for you to be able to walk about for extended periods without the Aegis, to be sure.’

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“I’m more worried about Veera,” he confessed. “If she somehow loses her blanket during the night I’ll wake up to find her shivering a bit.”

‘I know sir, but her dress is synthetic wool. That’s nothing to sneeze at, so to speak. All I’m asking is that you not ignore your own needs.’

“Got it Io, don’t worry. Besides, I’ve always wanted a real cloak. Seems like a useful thing to have.”

‘I believe someone is jealous of Antoth’s style choices,’ Io ribbed him.

“What? His cloak is pretty excellent. Can you blame a guy for wanting to be warm and stylish?”

‘Sure, we’ll call it stylish,’ Io commented drolly as they approached the gate, finding Xan on duty and speaking to a young maiden with black fur that Winters didn’t recognize. He nodded politely to the young guard.

“Evening Xan, you’re well?” The salute that Winters received looked much less pained that the one Xan had attempted last week. The human smiled behind his helmet.

“Evening Winters, I am thank you. Oh, this is Eris by the way. Eris, this is the human, Winters.” Xan promptly made introductions. Winters bowed best he could given the chesko carcass he was burdened with. Her pale blue eyes regarded him critically.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she eventually said.

“Likewise. Xan, quick question. If I wanted to exchange this chesko for garments or materials or something, instead of keeping the meat for myself, would I still take it to the temple of Valta first?” Xan nodded.

“Yeah, just let any of the hunters know you intend to trade it. They will tend to it while you collect whomever it is you want to deal with.”

“Noted, thanks a lot. I’ll not take any of your time. See you around Xan. Oh, and it was nice to meet you as well Eris.”

“Good day to you human,” she bade him farewell as he continued on into the village. A few villagers called out to him as he leisurely strode down the main avenue, either in greeting or to joke about how he’d only brought home one trophy that day.

‘So, what do you make of Eris?’ Io inquired.

“I don’t know, hard to say really. She’s guarded, sure, but I can understand that. I’m sure she’s much more open around people she knows.” Winters attempted to shrug, quickly realizing his mistake and grabbing at the chesko. “Ok, nobody saw that.”

‘Whatever you’d like to believe sir.’ Io giggled at him. ‘To return to the subject at hand, I suppose I must agree with you. Very little to work with, but she struck me as a very protective sort of woman.’

“Well, if we meet her again at least we’ll know what she looks like so we can be polite. Speaking of which, you’re alright with the plans for this evening?”

‘Of course sir,’ Io reassured him as they ducked into the temple of Valta. ‘You seem to be forgetting that I’ve spent the entirety of our stay here keeping myself concealed from the Cauthan, Veera excepted, of course. I am happy to be on standby for a night so that you might have guests over.’ Winters acknowledged her with a wink as he called over one of the hunters, thanking the fates that they’d paid a visit when someone was available to help. After a brief explanation, the hunter helped him lay the chesko on one of the gutting tables and encouraged him to go find his buyer. A short time later he returned, accompanied by Zolta’s master.

“I daresay human, you’ll be putting these lads out of business before long!” He laughed heartily, earning him a very put out look from the disciple of Valta. “You said you wish to sell this to us. What for?”

“I’ve seen a number of villagers around with hooded cloaks made of chesko. I’d like two of them, one for myself and one for Veera.”

“Hrrrm, yes, I see. Winter is no doubt practically upon us. Well, I think the trade is more than fair. Are you in need of anything else? This is a fine animal you’ve brought in. Excellent horns too,” he remarked, taking a closer look at the chesko as he made a circle around it, running a hand over the fur.

“Well you guys already gave me that stuff to fix up our walls the other day so-” Winters was interrupted as the older Cauthan help up a paw.

“That was still part of our deal for the hyrven. If you don’t need anything, I won’t force you human, but Tyrdus would surely look down upon me if I were to not at least offer you an equitable trade.”

“Well, if you insist, we are having Zolta and his mate for dinner this evening. We could use a couple more utensils at a minimum.”

“Not a problem Winters, we can head to the storeroom once we finish up here,” the smith declared, pointing out to the hunter how he wanted the chesko skinned. Deciding to take a moment for himself, Winters wandered the temple, finding strips of hyrven meat hanging from the walls to dry along with other cured cuts from chesko. A thought struck him.

“Excuse me, if you don’t mind could I get a cut of this one fresh? Off the hind leg?” He asked the hunter who had just begun gathering his tools. He grunted in reply.

“It’s your kill human, do what you please.”

“That’s fine with me Winters, wouldn’t want my apprentice dining on salted meat tonight!” The smith laughed heartily at his own comment, seemingly unconcerned with the details.

“I’m guessing I still have a bit of credit left over?”

“A bit? Do you have any idea how much the temple of the twin goddesses wanted for that pelt? There were no puncture wounds, no blood, nothing to spoil it whatsoever. Whomever ends up with the cloak they make from that is going to pay a small fortune, be it Vash or some trader from afar. Your efforts are making commerce flow at a time when we’d usually be in a post-festival lull human; I’ll not begrudge you a fresh cut of meat for your guests,” he explained, giving Winters and Io a bit of information on the Cauthan economy and business. Winters nodded.

“Thank you.” He allowed the smith to return his attention to the chesko, resuming his walk around the temple and ending up at the back wall, noticing that the skull of the hyrven he’d killed was resting on a shelf below the hanging trophies, presumably in order to soon join them.

‘It would appear her respect for you is at least equal to her thorniness,’ Io remarked. ‘Oh, speak of the devil, here she is in the flesh.’ Winters turned to find Ratha had entered the temple, dragging a chesko behind her on a triangular sled of branches that had been lashed together with leather. She noticed him and his kill.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me. Apparently the goddess sees fit to test me yet again,” she lamented, smirking at Winters all the same. In her full hunting garb, a hyrven cloak over fur armor inlaid with bone, Winters thought she actually looked more intimidating than he did in the Aegis. He laughed.

“Need a hand there Ratha? I’ve got nothing on my plate at the moment.” She pointed her knife at him with a casual flick of her wrist.

“Honestly? I’d rather die,” she stated matter of factly. The smith and hunter attending to Winters’ kill made a pointed effort to mind their own business while still keeping both ears trained on the twin fireballs inhabiting the space.

“You know that could easily be arranged,” Winters replied, drawing his pistol and observing it in the torchlight. “But I don’t know what I’d do without such a spiky individual to toy with in my life. Antoth just isn’t any fun.” Ratha threw her head back with laughter.

“Those are some bold words human! But I’ll agree with you on the subject of our illustrious guard captain.” She flourished his title such a way as to indicate her true feelings on the subject. “You’d grow bored of him in a day, likely less.”

“Guess I should keep you around then, shouldn’t I?”

“That would be most beneficial to your health Winters.”

“Sure you don’t want any help?” He asked, standing stock still as she flicked her knife at him, the flat of the blade bouncing harmlessly off his chestplate. Io was incensed, but Winters found Ratha’s actions to be oddly refreshing, a reminder of some of the days he’d spent training to be a HEL Jumper after basic, where the only humor around was dark or antagonistic. “I guess that answers that question,” he remarked idly, picking the knife up and spinning it around in his hands for a moment before walking over and placing it on the table Ratha had chosen for processing her kill. “You dropped this.”

“Oh? So I did. I hope you didn’t get it dirty,” she said, taking it and replacing it in the sheath at her belt. Winters was about to reply when Zolta’s master tapped him on the shoulder.

“I’m finished here if you’d like to review the items we have in storage. If you don’t find something to your liking, the sooner we can agree to terms for a new piece, the better.” Winters nodded.

“Don’t miss me too much Ratha,” he waved lazily in parting. The huntress had already strung up her kill and was slicing into it with precision.

“I have a corpse to keep me company Winters, that’s a lot better than you,” she insisted, returning his wave nonetheless. Retrieving his large slab of chesko steak, Winters followed the elder smith out of the lodge.

“You enjoy playing with fire, don’t you?” He joked when he was sure they were out of Ratha’s earshot and back inside the friendly territory of the temple of Tyrdus. Winters let out a bark of laughter.

“Literally and figuratively, yes.”

“Be it on your head then Winters, shall we?” He motioned to the back of the building and Winters followed, giving a nod of greeting to a couple of the guild members who met his gaze. He didn’t see Zolta, but figured that meant he was either working on his piece or spending some time with Asha, both of which he considered good uses of time. After they entered the warehouse, they moved to the near left corner of the room, which housed most of the finished goods that were generic enough to be produced en masse and stockpiled. Zolta’s master pointed him to a small pile of cloaks made of chesko fur. “Take your time Winters, I’ll be out front if you require anything else.”

“Yeah, no problem. Don’t let me keep you,” the human replied, beginning to rifle through the garments, holding them up by the shoulders to get an idea for their length and width. Thanks to Io’s scan of Veera, he had no problem selecting one for her, a basic piece with two clasps, one just below the neck, and another partway down the chest in case the wearer desired a more thorough protection from the elements. He was pleased to find the fasteners were made from filed pieced of bone as opposed to wood, which would hold the cloak together by means of leather loops woven into the other side. Upon closer inspection he realized that all of the cloaks shared a ‘two button’ design and was able to find one for himself as well.

‘Shall we give it a bit of a test?’ Io asked. ‘Even if you’re wearing the Aegis, heat is heat sir. It makes no sense to bleed it any faster than we need to.’

“Was thinking that myself Io. Hold on just a moment,” Winters said, laying the leather-wrapped chesko gently on the floor before swinging the cloak over his shoulders. “Huh, a tad short when I’m suited up but this will do very nicely I think,” he remarked, throwing the hood up over his helmet. It was a tight fit, but nothing that would strain the material. With his broad shoulder armor he found himself only able to fasten the top brooch, but that was sufficient to keep it in place. Receiving a thumbs up from Io, he gathered and folded both cloaks as well as a couple of dinner plates to supplement the two that he and Veera had acquired for themselves after his first hunt. Satisfied, he shifted that load to one hand before grabbing his other parcel and heading back to the main temple workshop. After a quick check with Zolta’s master, Winters bid them farewell and headed for home. He and Zolta had agreed that the young couple would join them after sundown, which by Io’s count gave him and Veera a bit less than an hour to prepare for their guests. Looking forward to the look on his girlfriend’s face, he headed home, taking another back alley route that he was becoming steadily more familiar with.

-----

“Oh dear, what should I do? Should this go here…or maybe over there? To think that I’d ever be fretting over there not being enough room in this house again!” Veera ran a paw through her crest feathers and sighed, trying to arrange her two new chairs around the fire pit. They’d only gotten them in the day before and Zolta and Asha would be arriving soon. A soft chuckle, slightly distorted, reached her ears and she turned quickly to find her mate standing in the doorway. “Oh thank the gods you’re here. Russell, do you think I should have the chairs facing the door or away from it? Or maybe one on each side? Or maybe the other side here?” She looked at him urgently as his helmet turned back and forth to survey their home.

“How long have you been here Veera?”

“I got back in the middle of the afternoon. Now help me!” She brushed off his question, beginning to pace worriedly back and forth.

‘I love her. Can we keep her?’ Io asked Winters privately, finding Veera’s attention to detail to be ridiculously endearing. Winters killed his audio projection.

“Using the ‘L’ word now are we?” He asked curiously.

‘Thought I’d try it out in a few places, see how I like it. Unlike you I’m not blessed with electro-hormonal systems that will produce the condition naturally. Therefore I must create the conditions. Don’t tell me you don’t just want to bed her this instant,’ Io insisted. Winters’ eyebrow climbed higher.

“No, not exactly the emotional reaction I was having. That said, I do love her very much, and this moment is definitely going in the books as one of the reasons why.”

“Russell! Don’t ignore me!” Veera demanded his attention anew, her back still mostly turned to him as she nervously whipped her tail back and forth low over the ground. Setting down the plates, meat, and cloaks, he strode up to her and encircled her with his arms from behind, crossing his arms over her chest and eliciting a long sigh from her.

“Easy girl, I’ve got you,” he commanded. Veera stilled against him as her breath caught in her lungs. His armor was hard and cool against her, a stark contrast to the warmth of his voice and the gentle hold of his arms. She found herself mentally and physically unable to move. What in the name of the goddess? Veera could only wonder why her body was betraying her, why her concerns regarding home décor were immediately forgotten, why her core was beginning to feel particularly warm. “There we go, a bit more calm now? It’s just Zolta and Asha coming over, you know that right?” Winters asked, unable to feel her body quaking lightly against his armor.

“Love…” Veera managed, thankful as he turned her slowly to face him. He loosened his hold so she could remove his helmet, immediately tossing it to her left and not bothering to look as it rolled and came to rest against the wall.

“Veera what’s-” Winters’ question was cut off by his girlfriend’s lips on his. She nipped lightly at his lower lip before snaking her tongue into his mouth to taste him, finding the lingering taste of mint, much to her delight. His startled groan stirred her.

“I don’t know…” she whispered. “You just set me on fire. I don’t know what happened I just…” Veera trailed off and closed her eyes, purring as the rough material of his gauntlet moved south to her hindquarters. He exhaled heavily and brought their foreheads together.

“Sorry, I’m a selfish man.”

“Crass as you may be my human, you make me feel attractive. I don’t know of any female in the village that has this much physical attention lavished on her. I’ll forgive you if you help me solve my little problem before dinner?” She mewled, arching her back as he groped her. He chuckled.

“I’m rubbing off on you. And I very much like it.” He took a couple of deep breaths and brought his hands higher to encircle her waist. “I promise to help you in just a moment, but I have something for you first. Close your eyes?” She gave him a wary look but did so promptly. Stepping away from her for just a moment, he grabbed her cloak and returned, draping it over her shoulders while planting a soft kiss on her nose. “Got you a little something,” he told her happily, fastening the top brooch for her as she opened her eyes excitedly and looked left and right at her shoulders before running a hand over the material and fingering the bone clasps. With a playful laugh she twirled once in place for him.

“How do I look?!” She asked eagerly.

“Like you’re ready for snow. How does it fit?”

“It’s snug and warm,” she informed him, flipping the hood over her feathers to test the fit. She gave him a fierce hug after determining her crest had enough space. “Will you still help me if I forgive you right now?”

“Of course feather kitten.”

“Then you’re forgiven darling. Did you get yourself one?”

“I did indeed!” He donned his own cloak with a grand flourish, also presenting Veera with the fresh chesko for dinner. “Now, as promised, I believe our guests should have the chairs this evening and that they should be placed together, facing the doorway. That way they won’t be subject to any drafts that happen to blow in and they can enjoy their meal together. Crisis averted?”

“Yes my love, thank you. I think I was just going a bit insane. It’s been a long time since guests have been hosted in this home…other than you of course. I wanted to do honor to Meylith. She’s given us much since the harvest festival. Oh look, it even fits over your armor! Though it is a bit tight…” Veera pondered, taking the time to size up his own cloak, picking at the fur and minutely adjusting the shoulders so that they lay perfectly over his pauldrons. She stepped back and gave him an approving nod. “Quite dashing!” The two lovers shared a quiet moment of laughter before Winters caught her gaze again.

“We have been blessed, haven’t we?” He spoke seriously. “Should we…offer a prayer?” Veera said nothing in reply but her eyes conveyed the enormity of her emotional reaction to his words. Taking his hand softly, she led him to her shrine, moving around his weapons and bidding him to kneel with her. Io even joined in as a show of support to her biological companions, projecting herself in a comfortable kneeling position.

“So long as your entreaty is humble, the goddess will hear you.” Veera whispered before closing her eyes and clasping her hands together in her lap. Meylith, please watch over this home of ours. Grant us the patience to understand one another despite our differences, all three of us. Though I may never be a mother, please grant me the ability to be a worthy mate to this human. Help me equal his strength and bravery. We will treat our guests this evening in keeping with your customs. Selah.

Uh…Meylith right? I won’t ask for much, just that you keep Veera safe. I’ll do what I can to treat her the way she deserves, the way one of her species would,as best as I can. Hope that’s enough. Also if you could make it so I don’t burn the chesko tonight, that would be awesome. Thanks.

Dear goddess of the hearth, consider yourself blessed, for you are the first deity to ever be addressed by artificial life…so far as humanity is concerned. Assuming this really is your domain, please watch over these two loveable idiots that I call family. Io out.