"Now what?" this time it was his Shadow that prompted the question.

In an odd way, they were staving off boredom. It was a jarring change of pace to go from sixteen hour days rucking through the wilds to a sedate morning hunt followed by chilling in camp. Taipan's hunts along their travel route had amounted to seeing a boar or a deer and putting an arrow through its heart, followed by a swift dissection of its antlers or tusks and the majority of edible meat and then they were gone. The longest they'd stopped, other than to camp, in the last six hundred kilometers was the twenty or so minutes that those game takings had needed to replenish their meat supply.

Ulric realized that they must have been running low on their flours by this point, and his partner had confirmed it last night.

"Well, let's see-"

Taipans ears twitched and she was instantly on her feet with an arrow nocked, intensity written across her features.

Zero to mach fuck it was the deadly Elf who called him husband and Honor.

He'd joined his Shadow at ready, sword low and his core's current set to spin up wrath at a moment's notice. The throwing knife in his off hand was already bonded to the lightning bolt that would follow its flight and he had enough power ready to make that spell stick.

Half a dozen Elves approached, having risen up from the snow wearing incredibly effective dappled white grey camouflage. That was damned near unfair levels of blending in. His only consolation was that they were outside his high resolution [Ceraunoperception] range, some thirty meters distant, right on the bubble. If he'd been paying attention, he'd have still probably been able to pick them up, even against the "static" interference of the snow. Damn. Still a ways to go there Glade Chief.

Their uninvited guests had risen when his Shadow's swift response had shown their stealth was broken and they strolled into the traveler's camp like they owned the place. Which, Ulric supposed, they actually might. Even so, he'd grown a little more leery of trusting strangers since the whole slaver thing so he was on board with his partner's readiness to get down with the ultraviolence.

His Lord instinct burbled hatefully in the back of his mind and he didn't bother suppressing it. The murderous fury that slept in him now was byproduct, perhaps more feature than bug, of his connection to the glade that he had claimed and which, in turn, had claimed him. That gift of the [Plateau of Ancients] was proof of his bond to that place, outside of the title and its generous boons to his abilities, and had more than once proven effective in defending himself from threats. This legacy of the [Forest Lord] as Ulric had come to think of it, dictated that incredibly violent offense was the best defense and recent experience pointed to that being more true than not.

Neither had Taipan relaxed her guard upon seeing her cousins, which told Ulric that he'd best keep his finger on the trigger so to speak. A stray spark escaped from his throwing knife grounding briefly against his coat. Piss. Energy wasted and, possibly an advantage of surprise lost. Overcharging Ceraun spells had a tendency to do that if he didn't lock down on them.

Seeing the writhing ribbon of violet mana briefly wander up his side put their visitors to a halt, which was maybe to the good. From that distance, some fifteen meters distant, Taipan would feather at least a couple of them before they got close enough to make much trouble of themselves, should that prove necessary.

These were plains Elves and they carried the distinctive green and amber or brown flecked eyes of their heredity, alongside the golden brown tan skin and dirty blond hair, shorn up on side of their heads and the remainder tied into some ornate bun that was caged in a bronze wire. All told, they tended to be a little on the leaner side than the Iriel'en and taller than their Southern lowlands forest neighbors. The six were evenly distributed between the sexes.

"Hoh there! You are far from home indeed cousin! Call off your Valin pet would you? He makes my friend nervous, staring like that." Shouted the self-designated leader, an indeterminately adult male Elf of middling height, handsome, as were they all.

Ulric had to clamp down on his sudden desire to throw the knife at the clown who'd spoken. He and his Shadow had already discussed long ago that it would be a sort of ace up their sleeves that he could speak Elvish. The insult made it a near thing though. Worse yet, just the tone would have been enough to know it was trash talk so he was being treated like an idiot, in addition to the racism.

The unmitigated gall of this guy, he thought. Ulric would stare at whoever the fuck he wanted to, especially when they're creeping around his camp like thieves.

Fortunately, Taipan was the mirror of her Honor's outrage.

"You would do well to guard your tongue, Cousin, before I let my companion close your mouth for you. You would not enjoy it."

Ulric had almost forgotten how incredibly venomous his lady wife could be, she directed her ire at him rarely these days and only minimally. The Aes'r looked to each other in surprise, perhaps having expected her to share their condescension. At one time, not so very long ago, Ulric could have said confidently that she did. Not so for a good while now though. They were bonded through life and death struggles, common purpose, and held each other's backs through the perils of their journey.

Beginning a measured advance, Loudmouth led his crew closer and made to dig himself deeper, "Apologies cousin, I hadn't expected so friendly a relation between one of your clan and the Otherkin, I meant no disrespect."

Yes, he did, Ulric thought.

"Yes, you did." Taipan said tone cold.

What a lass. That put Loudmouth on his heels for a moment before he resumed his idiot grin and continued.

He decided that he'd let his wife do the talking, temporarily. For the moment, anything he contributed to this particular conversation was more likely to lead to what someone more politic than himself might call an "adverse outcome" and what he would call "a well merited ass kicking". Besides, he felt like his Shadow was well on her way to taking care of that front as and would do it happily if she felt insulted.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Then I apologize, to the both of you if I have offended. It has been a long Winter. I and my friends are far from our Roost. Surely one as far from home as you might enjoy the companionship of your kin. May we share your fire?" Loudmouth asked, markedly more reserved though he wasn't shy about letting his eyes do some roaming.

Ulric wasn't ready to cast stones on that account and didn't really feel the need to put the Elf in his place overmuch. If he got out of hand, all Ulric had to do was stand there and watch his lover maul the idiot.

Taipan glanced to Ulric with that pinch of her lips that said she wasn't thrilled and "translated", holding to their ruse. She ended her translation into Human by saying "These grassfed bumpkins are without courtesy and cannot speak Human or they would have had the decency to do so."

Ulric almost acceded to their request, out of a lifetime of habitual expectation of accepting an imposition for the sake of maintaining social peace, then he realized that he was under no obligation to humor cockasses. They had claimed the camp first.

One of them there in the back had been glaring at him since they'd entered the firelight, for no reason Ulric knew, he hadn't said the first cross word to these jokers. Something had left a pronounced scar across the scowling female's cheek and ran a jagged course up across the shaved side of her head. Her ear ended two ragged inches shorter than the left one.

The reforged Valin was unconscious of the insolent almost smile he was directing towards that one in return for her menacing. Planting needles in people was as much an instinct in him as it was a thoughtful choice.

"Taipan, feel free to tell them to fuck off to wherever it is they came from. We don't owe this lot a damned thing, far as I can see, especially not if they want to stir up trouble." Ulric said, making plain by his tone his irritation at the presence of this unfortunate first meeting with the plainsfolk.

Gesturing with one hand in the Iriel'en hand speak he made the sign for ambivalence, "It's your call though, I don't feel too strongly one way or the other, other than to note that I seem to attract racist shitbirds pretty effectively."

About ninety percent of the Elves he'd interacted with had been excellent peoples and had been, even if they were a bit reserved, perfectly courteous. Iriel'en especially were great ones for giving proper respect to others in public. In more private settings those conventions relaxed and they lost no time with their joking and teasing. However, in the public settings an insult might, and had within Ulric's sight, been settled with naked blades. Only the fast action of healers had kept the losers of those fights from bleeding out or permanent harm.

The rare instances of active derision stood out more proudly for that uncommon aggravation.

The darker Iriel'en turned to address the troop of Legranel and summarized her stance briefly, "My partner has left the decision to me and I find your lack of courtesy obnoxious, cousins. For the sake of keeping peace, I request you find your camp in another site."

Surprise wrote itself across the features of the plains Elves. Clearly, they had not been prepared to find themselves unwelcome or hadn't considered that a single Huntress would reject their presence so bluntly. Frowns spread through the group as if a breeze carried unpleasant odor.

The scowling female pushed forward, clearly irate, and growled "Who are you, Treesleeper, to tell the Legranel where they are welcome within their own lands!? And in the company of an enemy of our people no less!"

Taipan leveled a heavy look at the female and her gaze had the Elf quantified and discarded within a moment. Ouch. Ulric knew how cutting that look could be, his Shadow had a way of making even small gestures hold barbs.

"I do not need the permission of the Grassfolk to go where mine own feet take me, Nameless. I am Taipan, of the Iriel'en, and this Valin is my consort. You will silence yourself or I will take issue." His Shadow said, her crystalline voice without ambiguity.

It was all Ulric could do not to grin at the rush of color that drew up the neck of the hostile Elf to suffuse her face. He did note that she did not continue to speak though, the reputation of Taipan's folk was well known amongst these. His grip on Xef'tocht tightened though, just in case. Anybody that got any funny ideas wasn't going to have long to regret them. He hadn't relaxed his core, had maintained the spellform in his mind to be released at a moment's notice.

At least one of the lot had not forgotten about the rogue arc either.

"Easy my kin, they were here before we and they hold the right to take in or turn away guests upon their fire." Whispered one of the Legranel softly.

Ulric was glad that at least that female was reasonable and holding to the rules of courtesy.

"This is so." Came another softly spoken remonstration from the male at the left of the female peacekeeper, "Joclyn should not have insulted the Hunter's partner and we have strained propriety by approaching in stealth. Besides, you all saw that the Valin holds power in ready. Barbarian wizards are rare but he is one, I would bet my teeth upon it."

Huh. Brighteyes had mentioned being able to feel when Ulric was holding a spell but nobody else ever had. Might be a gifted one with his mana sense. Ulric might have to kill that one first if things went South, mages got priority in his book.

The scarred female pursed her lips at the two more conservative members of their troop.

The leader, this Joclyn fellow, took her arm before she could say anything though, his eyes on Taipan who was watching intently for any sign the one she had warned to stay quiet did otherwise. Her aura was that of a coiled viper, waiting for the prey to come within reach.

The two Legranel that had said nothing looked as if they wished that they were anywhere else, instead of in this situation, but they did not voice their intent. They were not outright antagonistic but they would definitely side with the majority decision of their kin.

Ulric put a calming hand on the shoulder of his thorny partner and tried to deescalate, "Taipan, I don't have any real desire to carve this lot up, but things are trending that way, let's settle down a touch. And, thank you, for being in my corner. You're the best."

It bore remembering that his irrascible mate's tendency towards hostility was not gone, even if some of the rougher edges had smoothed, marginally. Not that it would matter for those who were not familiar with how she was when he'd met her. The woman still had a hair trigger for anyone she deemed encroaching on her dignity. That would include, now at least, slanders hurled his way as well.

She responded to his touch and request by throttling back on her obviously aggressive posture and patted his hand gently to acknowledge his desires.

"Very well, Ulric, if you wish. But I still think some of these would be best served by tasting the grass they are so proud of roaming." She said, with a baring of teeth that might almost pass for a smile.

Her expression softened, "Besides, they speak of you as I did once, wrongly, and it aggravates me to hear my ignorance thrown around so hatefully in my own ears."

That was an almost sweet sentiment, and Ulric was surprised she'd worried herself about it so much. Water under the bridge little lady, Ulric told himself, recalling the awful way he'd treated her when they met and not so shortly thereafter. He smiled and gave her the sign for "it is nothing" to let her know he didn't hold any hard feelings against her. Truthfully, he didn't really hold any against this lot either, everybody was allowed to be wrong, so long as they didn't try to get in his way.

As to these locals, although he agreed with her, they had not traveled this far to pick fights with the natives. Better if they could simply let bygones be bygones and enjoy a peaceful rest. They would move on in the morning and no one the worse for it. He took a hitch of patience and decided to offer an olive branch, against his better judgment.

"If we can leave this place with no hard feelings between strangers upon the road then why not simply allow them to-" Ulric's attempted peace treaty was interrupted by the asshole, Joclyn.

"Enough of this Animal speak! Our cousin clearly allowed her sense to be eroded by wrapping her legs around her pet. We will camp here and they may rut elsewhere if they choose." proclaimed the Legranel, having clearly taken issue with the obviously fond relationship on display before him.

He'd taken three steps towards the speaker before he realized he'd moved. Wrath rolled off of him. Why couldn't the Elf just keep his mouth shut about Taipan and let their problem be with him? What was wrong with these younger Aes’r folk? Here he was trying to let everybody walk away and enjoy the rest of their life in one piece, but nooooooo, the idiot just had to run his fucking jaws.

Behind him Taipan was grinning openly, anticipating this outcome. Part of her vicious demeaner was a product of having to put such as this Joclyn in their places with frequency. As Geyrt Iriel she had spent half a century culling forward nobles who could not tell when their attention was unwanted. They seemed unable to help themselves. It made her think of Ulric's "bug zapper", her attractiveness brought in the worst elements of Aes'r and led them to inevitable doom. Now at least, she could let her Honor sharpen his teeth on them.

"Well? It appears the Valin has some comprehension of his betters then! Have you something to say Barbarian? Please, use a refined speech, I do not speak animal." Taunted the Legranel idiot, his expression saying everything that his mouth did.

Ulric wouldn't have needed to know a lick of Elvish to pick up the insulting nature of the Elf he was about to ruin. He drove Xef'tocht into the ground point first and undid the robe he wore. He only had the two of them and this was likely going to turn out badly. It was a massive pain in the ass to get blood out of the thing, and well he knew it. He shrugged out of the thick fabric and let it fall to the cleared grass below.

Was there irony in teaching someone about courtesy by abandoning civil discourse in favor of the natural condition, absent all the nice pleasantries demanded by society? It seemed like there probably was. Maybe one of those Legranel over there was a philosopher who would explain it to the Elf while he bled out.