Stepping up to the door… I spent a tiny moment to listen to the sounds just beyond it.

The mansio was quiet. Almost as quiet as the whole Cathedral. I heard the very faint sounds of a single fire. One that was about to go out. One that had been burning for too long without a new log. I heard the snores of a couple people. I didn’t recognize them, but I blamed the thick door and walls on my lack of being able to. I heard no voices. No talking. No humming. No loud Oplar… though I hadn’t expected to find her in the mansio this late anyway. She had her own room here at the Cathedral, her own bed.

Reaching out, I grabbed the handle to the front door and hesitated.

There were multiple sleeping people in the house. It could be either two or three people and they were all on the second floor… and most sounded female.

Yet why didn’t any of them sound like Renn…? Her snoring, even when light and faint was rather distinct. Something I should be able to recognize easily. It was nothing like Cat's stuttering snores as she slept on my back. Yet I couldn't tell if any of the sleeping people were Renn.

Maybe I was tired or something.

Shifting the sleeping Cat behind me, I decided to just go in.

Opening the door, I was glad to find it was unlocked. It would not have surprised me to have found it locked, what with me not being here. And in fact I was a little bothered that it had been. Yes it was safe here, within the Cathedral and within this little courtyard protected by the very heavy gate, but it was not a place I wanted Renn being so comfortable with such as to leave her front door unbarred in the middle of the night.

Maybe these last few years with me, and not needing to lock doors because of it, had diminished her urgency of keeping safe. I'll need to address that.

The reason as to why it was unlocked became clear, though.

Renn froze upon seeing me. She had been about to bite down on a small pastry. Some kind of bread muffin. By the look of the crumbs on her face, she’d already eaten several.

She was alone at the table and the nearby fireplace was burning but indeed low on fuel. It needed another log placed upon it.

“Vim…?” Renn let out a tiny little whisper of a greeting, and I smiled and raised my finger to my lips. To tell her to be quiet.

Although she nodded, she stood up quickly. Her chair squeaked as she stood, and then she hurried over to me. Her tiny muffin bounced on the floor and rolled away as she hurried to me.

I braced myself, and flinched as Renn wrapped me in a hug. If she even noticed that I had someone on my back or not, she didn’t show it. Her arms wiggled and slithered between my and Cat’s body as she squeezed me and buried her face into my chest.

Half tempted to drop Cat right here and now, so I could return the warm hug, I somehow resisted the urge and only returned Renn’s lovely greeting with a single arm.

Although I too squeezed her close… I felt like a complete ass all the same. A single arm wasn’t enough. I should be embracing her with everything I had and…

“Let me put her down, Renn, before you take it any further,” I whispered quietly, before I gave in to my urges.

“Mhm…!” Renn made a tiny noise, akin to a sob, but didn’t let me go.

Taking a small breath, I indulged in her scent for a moment and then gently pushed forward. I stepped forward and Renn obliged me, and allowed me to enter the house. She remained wrapped around me as I turned to close the door… and then headed for the stairs.

“Any rooms empty?” I asked quietly.

Renn only nodded.

Pausing before the stairs, I wondered how difficult it was going to be to ascend them with her wrapped around me… I could do it easily, of course, but could I do it without waking the one on my back or any of those upstairs sleeping? But I didn’t get to figure out if I could do it or not. She actually found it within her to let me go.

“At the end. Hurry,” Renn whispered as she stepped back, and wrapped her own arms around herself.

I stared at the woman I loved for a moment, and worried for her. Why’d she look… hurt? Or rather, maybe exhausted…? Had something happened?

Was that genuine pain on her face, or was she just caught up in the moment and barely able to hold herself back from my touch for even just a few seconds…? As lovely as that would be, I knew better than to think that was the case.

Something must have happened. Of course it had. The world was not kind, after all. Not to us.

Forcing my eyes away from her, I walked up the stairs as quietly as I could. As I passed rooms, I noticed a few things.

Two rooms had sleeping members within them. Their doors were closed. One of the snoring members sounded oddly young… which made me wonder if maybe Fizz had come to visit or something. It made sense, she had liked Renn and gotten along well with her during our last visit.

And also, surprisingly, the main bedroom was empty. Its door was open, and the bed was slightly a mess, which told me that it was likely Renn who had been sleeping in it. Though why she was not sleeping in it right now was another question entirely. It was the dead of night.

Going to the last room in the hall, I quietly opened the door and picked one of the beds. There were three in this room. I pulled back the covers, and with a little gentle pushing I un-wrapped Cat’s arms from around my neck and placed her in bed. I covered her up with the covers and she immediately rolled over, and with a deep sigh of relief went to fall back asleep.

Good. She’ll be fine for now.

Stepping out of the room I gently closed the door and headed back down the hallway.

I barely made it to the bottom of the stairs before Renn wrapped me in a hug once more.

This time she had full authority of it. And didn’t hold back. I felt ribs strain under the pressure as she squeezed me with what I assumed was all her might.

It felt strangely good.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Renn,” I said softly as I wondered if I should take her out of the house or not.

Where to take her though…? There were a few locations we could go. Some rooms nearby. The underground catacombs too. But I didn’t want to go too far from here. Last thing I needed was for me to be gone and for Cat to wake up here and panic. Especially if whoever was sleeping in the same hallway ended up being someone with traits that were readily visible. Although I had slightly explained to Cat about Renn, the general idea of the Society and its purpose, I'd not gone into great detail. Not enough to keep issues from arising if I wasn't careful.

“Vim…!” Renn let out a tiny whimper as she said my name, and clung to me even harder.

Wrapping my arms around her, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment.

She was warm. Trembling, too. But not just from the cold. She was squeezing me with so much strength that she was trembling from muscle strain. Hopefully she didn’t pull a muscle or something.

Leaning down a little, I brushed my face against her ears and into her hair. I took a deep breath of her… and…

For a tiny heartbeat…

I was at peace.

I forgot all about the Society. The human I’d been carrying for days. The bison family I had failed. The Cathedral around me, and all its annoyances. The soon to be headaches and drama I would undoubtedly have to endure. The requests for help. Reporting of my failures, and hearing reports of the failures of others. The vote. I forgot it all.

I forgot about my past. My future. Everything.

Everything except the woman in my arms.

The relief at finding her safe was now very obvious. I had been doing my best to ignore the panic on the way here, over having lost her because I had left her behind with the others. To search for a family that I hadn’t even ever found. But now that she was in my arms once more… I had no choice but to admit that the feelings had been there. The feelings of pure dread and terror. The worry and fear.

It was those emotions that had brought forth all the mistakes I’d made. The killing of Cat’s friends had been because I had been in a self-imposed rush. I had allowed my worry for Renn to turn into blunt rage. My harming Cat, dislocating her hip, had been from similar stress. I've hurt plenty of people with my great strength before, killed them too, but usually only when during great stress myself. Like during the middle of battle, or when heavily distracted.

I knew this would come to pass. I had known that my affection for her would disrupt me, and distract me. I had known it would come. I had expected it. Yet it felt like it had arrived too early.

If I was already this bad… what would happen next? In a year? Two? A decade? A hundred…? A millennia?

How bad would my love for her become… and how badly will it affect my dedication to the Society…?

Renn’s ears fluttered against my face, and I smiled.

Thank goodness she was safe.

Renn’s squeezing softened, and I felt her trembling change a little. It had gone from being because of her overexertion of squeezing me, to crying.

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Luckily she did so quietly… and into my chest. It was muffled, and not a deep sob but just… gentle. Rubbing her back, I smiled at her. Yes. Those were tears of relief.

“Shed some for me too, would you?” I asked her kindly.

Renn giggled gently, and I loved every moment of it.

Letting a few moments come and go, basking in each other’s existence, I eventually patted her back and nodded.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked softly.

She nodded.

“Oplar and Sillti?”

Another nod.

“Anything bad happen while I was gone?”

She was about to shake her head, but then hesitated.

Oh…?

Renn sniffed heavily, rubbed her face against me, and then took a very deep breath. “I have so much to say,” she whispered with a crackly voice.

Oh no. “What happened…?” I asked softly.

“A lot. But…” she hesitated, and I realized why.

She didn’t want to wake anyone.

“I’d take you elsewhere Renn, but I can’t. I can’t stray too far from the one I brought back with me,” I told her.

“Who was she?” she asked.

“Your friend,” I said.

Renn’s ears fluttered, smacking my face. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the feeling, and I lifted my head and stood up straighter so that she could look up and glare at me.

“Who…?” she asked again.

“A friend. Of yours. Truly,” I told her as I glanced around to check her for any wounds. She looked tired, exhausted, but not harmed or dirty. In fact I could even smell that she had recently bathed, likely only a few hours ago.

Her eyes narrowed at me as I studied her, and I basked in their gleam.

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered as I stared into them.

Her pupils contracted, narrowing at me, and then she gave me a lovely smile as if to prove I was right.

“And you look absolutely filthy,” she said with her smile.

“Mhm. I’m sure. Cooked a few times, I think,” I said. I still wore the half-burnt clothes. Since we had entered Telmik in the middle of the night I hadn't bothered with my appearance.

“One too many times,” she agreed.

I nodded and glanced to the fireplace. Speaking of being cooked alive had reminded me of it. It was about to go out.

I’d not let Cat get sick and die after all I’d done to get her here safely. This house was strangely cold, maybe the fire hadn't been going for long even though it looked half dead already.

Renn allowed me to drag her over to it. She obliged in letting me pay attention to something else for a moment, but she kept her arms around me as I went to adding wood to the fire. I had kneeled to do so, and Renn had gone to clinging to me from behind. I remained kneeled even after I finished with the fire… as to enjoy the feeling of her clinging to my back.

Yes. She belonged there. Not that other cat.

“What took you so long?” Renn asked softly from behind.

“I failed to find the bison family. I spent a little time looking for them. While I did I ran into someone you’ll be very interested in meeting,” I said.

“Hm…?”

Closing my eyes, I ignored the warmth of the fire in front of me and basked in hers instead. “We have much to talk about,” I said.

“Mhm…”

I frowned at the odd way she had responded. Her humming and mumbling was common during moments such as these… since she was the emotional type, but…

Turning a little to glance at her, I raised an eyebrow at the way her ears hung next to my face.

“Renn…?” I whispered softly as I felt her hot breath on my neck. She had rested her head on my shoulder and… She didn’t respond. And instead…

A tiny snore filtered through her hair and into my ear, and I couldn’t help but smirk at her.

What the hell…? Had she gotten so emotionally bothered at seeing me that she had passed out or something…?

I was half tempted to wake her, but knew better than to do so. Maybe she had been tired or something. She did look exhausted, with even dark circles under her eyes. Not a common sight for her, really. Even when she had gotten sick after visiting Landi she hadn't look as weary as she did now. Had she not gotten any sleep this whole time?

Glancing at the logs I had just put into the flames, I noticed the amount they had already been burnt.

We had been kneeling here for more than a long moment. I had simply not noticed thanks to my enjoying it.

Still, as much as I loved the feeling of her on my back I couldn’t let her lay there all night.

It took a little careful maneuvering, but I’d recently gotten a lot of practice at shuffling women on my back, so I easily got Renn up against my back and stood. I lifted her up, and smiled happily at the feeling of her sleeping on my back.

Her arms were around my neck, but not as tightly or hesitantly. They felt almost lazily rested upon me. Her legs didn’t wrap and squeeze around my waist either.

She didn’t feel half-asleep on my back as Cat had done, but instead full on in a deep slumber. As if she instinctively knew I’d never let her fall off.

Yes. That was how my woman should be. Not out of place upon my back, but domineering it.

Carrying Renn upstairs, I took her to the bed. As I went to pulling back the blankets… something shifted beneath them.

Staring down at the white creature, I glared at it and the ball of darkness it was wrapped around.

The tiny stoat made a noise up at me, as if annoyed I had pulled back its covers.

“I suggest you run,” I warned it.

It let out a tiny cry as I reached down to grab the thing it was wrapped around. The monarch’s heart thumped as I grabbed it, and the tiny stoat let out a whine as it stood up and flicked its tails and whiskers at me. It was annoyed I had stolen its source of warmth.

Ignoring the monarch that still lived; I stared instead into the dark heart of a dead one.

What had Renn gotten herself into…?

This was not a powerful heart, but it was a heart for sure. Where had she gotten it…?

The stoat made noises at me as it bounced over to one of the pillows. It dug itself under it, curling up beneath it. Its tiny head poked out beneath the pillow to stare at me, its long whiskers wiggling in annoyance at me.

“Hmph.”

Turning around, I gently lowered Renn to the bed. She slid off my back rather easily, and didn’t wake at all as she was placed onto the bed.

With a small sigh I went to shifting her around. She had looked terribly uncomfortable the way she had slid off me. Completely unlike Cat earlier, who had rolled over immediately as to sleep in a better and more comfortable position.

As I moved Renn, putting her head on a pillow and covering her with blankets, I was glad that she was wearing light stuff. Thin shirt and pants, nothing that would bother her as she slept.

Patting her shoulder ever so gently as I finished tucking her into bed, I glanced at the monarch still hiding beneath one of the pillows.

“You should know better,” I warned it gently.

It chirped at me, but didn’t leave its hiding spot.

Fine. Renn would probably enjoy waking and finding it in her bed anyway. It was lucky it was so cute looking.

Staying near the bed, and keeping my hand on Renn’s shoulder, I glanced down at my other hand. The one that held the heart.

Lifting it a little, I stared deep into its core… at the very obvious eye deep within.

Was that a cat’s eye…?

Surely not. Right…?

I couldn’t imagine Renn meeting, and thusly killing, a monarch. So it was likely she had been given it by someone. But who…? The Chronicler…? I couldn’t believe the Chronicler would give her something so precious. Even if Renn had been going around telling everyone she was my wife, there was no way that old crone would willingly give up something like this to her. She wouldn't give hearts to me without a great effort and ruckus for crying out loud.

So…. Who…?

What schemes had she gotten involved with this time? While I was away?

How should I crush them? How to best protect her?

She was so, so precious. So delicate. So fragile. To me she was even more delicate than the other cat in the room nearby. Her snores were the loudest amongst everyone sleeping right now.

Squeezing the heart, I debated putting all my strength into the act.

I had cracked that one. The one given to Landi.

Could I do it again?

I hadn’t tried with Miss Beak’s heart. I hadn’t wanted to. It had been my friend’s. This one though…

For a tiny moment I considered it… until Renn moved.

She shifted, and rolled over a bit. To lay on her back. As she did her hands found my own. They wrapped around my hand and forearm, hugging me closely. I had to bend a little to comply, as she snuggled into my arm in her sleep.

Right. She always clung to me. Especially lately…

Sighing softly I knelt down next to the bed, to let her cling to my arm. Even if it put me in an awkward position. I’d endure it. A few hours of discomfort meant nothing if it made her happy. Even if it was just this simple happiness while she slept.

Resting against the bed, I smiled at her.

I had expected me to be the one to shock her. Yet here she was, shocking me instead.

While I stared at the heart and her, the little stoat monarch squirmed slowly across the bed to Renn. It crawled onto her pillow, and ignoring my glare it snuggled up against Renn’s head, between and under her ears as if for warmth. It curled up amongst her hair and ears, and then let out a deep sigh as it settled in to fall back asleep.

As it did one of Renn’s arms left my own. It slithered upward as she rolled over a little, and patted the tiny creature gently… as if she was awake. She wasn’t, and her patting quickly ended… but her hand remained on the monarch… thus leaving only one of her hands and arms on my own.

The tiny monarch’s whiskers shifted a little, moving some of her hair… as it peered out at me through her flocks. Then it blinked… and then slowly closed its eyes, to sleep.

I glared at the thing, since I felt it was taunting me.

I had taken the heart it had been sleeping with… so it had taken a different heart in exchange.

Damned thing.

The thought of a monarch stealing my heart, for the first time, after stealing so many myself was wickedly amusing. It made me smirk and want to laugh, but I kept quiet as to not wake Renn up.

Enjoying the moment, I sat there as the night dwindled on. Doing my best to not just ignore the church, the world around me, and the heart in my hand... I focused entirely on my sleeping companion, basking in her presence as to both calm down and rejuvenate me.

This may be the first time I've ever returned to Telmik with such joy and urgency. And although glad to finally have such simple joy, it was also terrifying.

Usually by now I'd already be searching out the Chronicler. Or getting reports from Link or Oplar. To find out if anyone in the Society needed me elsewhere, urgently. By now I was already planning on leaving, and preparing to do so. I rarely stayed here long anymore. Even when Celine had been alive my visits to Telmik were usually short. Short and blunt.

Yet I had no plans on getting up. I had no plans of leaving her side. No gumption to search out the Chronicler, or check for any letters of help and assistance. I simply sat here next to the bed, uncaring of the world around me.

If anything proved my love for Renn... If anything proved my love was real, it was this. I'd never once abandoned the Society for any reason. Not even Celine had been able to make me ignore them, although she had tried desperately to do so. Yet here I was, half tempted to pick Renn up and run away to some far corner of the world without telling anyone. Even her.

My love for her was dangerous. And not just for myself, or her. But for the world. The Society. Those around me.

I once almost destroyed the world from hate. Hopefully this time I didn't do so out of love.

Still... even if my love for her was dangerous. Wrong, even. Even if it brought forth problems and chaos... I'd more than happily accept it. I welcomed it, even. As worrisome as it were, it was still enjoyable. I still didn't hesitate. I wouldn't.

"I love you Renn," I whispered ever so gently as she slept.

Hopefully the Society... and this world, will survive my love for her.