"Honey! I'm Home!" Ulric shouted, announcing himself boldly with a piece of classical media to the antsy refugees and one somewhat less impressed Elven beauty.

Behind him, bedraggled, carrying pitifully little, and showing the marks of cruelty from their short time as prisoners, Ulric had to concede that he wasn't exactly at the front of a victory parade. Nevertheless, victory was what he had managed. He presented himself at the front of the Prespanger would be rebels and he planted his standard, the defeated Captain bound half dead upon the long flag staff pole, before the congregation of Aes'r, who were represented by his nearly recovered wife.

Taipan of the Ancient Glade, formerly princess Geyrt Iriel, first daughter of the Blood Moon Bald'rt Iriel, was tapping her foot and glaring at him from across the but recently established temporary settlement of Elven shelters holding the Orlethrem refugees. Those glorious emerald eyes, almond shaped, slightly tilted, and bearing glittering bronze flecks, hid well her worry for him behind their critical gaze, as she beheld the eclectic mix of humans and beastkin who followed him.

Ulric's grin held strong against the tide of her disapproval, as a cliffside against the lapping ocean. One day it would be sand, but that day was not this one.

"Ulric Einar, why is it that every time I let you on your own, you bring in strays?" His Shadow, lover, and legal wife asked him when he had approached to within a few meters.

Her skepticism was not unwarranted, Ulric realized. For a former hermit, bush wizard, then guest of the Elves, the fledgling [Lord of the Ancient Glade] was now in the custody of some hundred and twenty to fifty Elven refugees, up to a short time ago prisoners of heinous captivity where they were being tortured to attempt the creation of the Aes'r Bane. He had just dragged in another hundred and change Prespanger Freemen from their incinerated camp. Looking out over them and doing some rough maths he realized that he was growing quite the list of mouths to feed.

He was about to retort when a high pitch cry rose up and the fleeting form of the catkin girl darted across the forest floor to take up her Valin mate, the ginger Prespang mage being grabbed up in her embrace before he took her up and they put on an almost embarrassing PDA. He was pretty sure the soft moans coming from the youth were pain, as he was not a well man and the Leor woman wasn't going easy.

There were times when, dignity be hanged, you just gotta snog your lass, Ulric observed from the side. Also, he wasn't positive, but the Leor girl seemed to be dragging the lad's hands down to cover a pert bottom and things were progressing rapidly enough that any children present would need a few of the facts of life explained to them if those two didn't find some privacy soon. Evidently the couple reached that awareness without being told, and began a sort of awkward crab walk toward the nearest shelter. It's occupants saw the approaching pair and fled, rather than become voyeurs.

Such is life.

Turning his attention away from the pair and, pretending that they weren't starting a rapid process of undressing each other while alternately dragging one another towards a tent, Ulric resumed greeting his own mate.

She was somewhat less obviously overjoyed at his return but he knew better, the twitches of her ears were a dead giveaway. That and his Iriel'en partner was unaware that she had a tic wherein she fiddled with her belt pouches when she was worried, as if unconsciously checking for the presence of various poison vials, medicinal tinctures, and what have you. Currently, her hands had ghosted over her belt three times since he'd come into view.

The harmless meandering came to an end when he gave her a short bow and shook the pole holding his captive in her general direction declaring with excitement, "Look what I caught! It's a big one!", carefully ignoring her previous question. Taking control of the pace of discourse was an important skill in parlaying with Elves.

Her eyes drifted from his person, having given him a thorough examination and satisfied herself that her lunatic Valin was, more or less, unharmed. Free from that concern she was permitted to engage in their usual exchange of pleasantries.

"I cannot help but notice that the only enemy you took alive was female, and not altogether a poor specimen of Valin womanhood." Opened Taipan.

Ulric looked at the bound woman who was still unconscious and hanging from the bonds. She was alright, he guessed, or, had been before he'd downsized her sort of substantially, but he hadn't really paid any mind up until Taipan had mentioned it. He'd been mostly too busy keeping her from killing him to death to think about it. Besides, what were other women when he had his little [Shadow Panther]?

Oh hells, Ulric thought, that's what her father called her. Gross. But the rascally old bastard wasn't exactly wrong to lay that label on her. Moving right the fuck along now, Ulric, he coached himself.

"Pure coincidence, I can assu-" He began.

"I did not know you enjoyed such games, Glade Chief." Taipan cut him off, inspecting the prize with some curiosity and growing interest, circling in an easy stalk around him, in spite of her healing bones.

Uh oh. His sylvan huntress was working herself up into a mood. He needed to get ahead of this, before she built up steam. He wasn't sure where she was going yet, but he was aware of the signs that said a blow up of some kind was coming.

"Ah, no, you see, her class lets her summon hardened sunlight weapons so it was necessary to make sure she-" He explained before his Shadow cut him off again, running a finger appreciatively over the tightly bound curves of the captured warrior.

"Know now that should you wish to play this one, I will be the one tying your own person to the pole." She advised, eyeing him thoughtfully as she stepped away to return to her easy stance.

A slow grin began to lighten her expression at the clearly evil plans she was laying for him. Ulric waved his free hand hurriedly to curtail those grand designs.

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"Ho now, easy there Taipan," Ulric calmed the Iriel'en woman nervously, recalling prior incidents, "You, ah, get a little carried away when it comes to the whole tying up thing. I like a bit of spicing up as much as the next man but whatever you're a thinking now, go ahead and bury it."

She'd have him staked to the ground naked if this went on, and, while that wasn't necessarily as awful a fate as it might have been before she'd come around to liking him, he wasn't sure he was ready to subject himself to the attentions of his Aes'r bride in that manner. Elves could have some odd ideas about fun sometimes.

Ulric was pretty sure the only way to get out of this without being publicly disgraced was to focus on business.

"This one was the leader of the garrison troops and tougher than nails, else she'd be hamburger right about now. As it was, I more killed her than not. If you can hold off on jumping me, can we maybe take care of making sure our only real source of intelligence lives to give it and get these sorry bastards behind me sorted?"

Taipan tapped her lips contemplatively, scanning the milling crowd of Otherkin and noting the deep, even breaths of the captive soldier that indicated they were not in immediate distress.

"No." His wife told him flatly, before she stepped close to him and took the pole in her hands, needing both hands to pass it to a nearby Celestin who held the makeshift victory banner with a confused expression that plainly said "What in the hells am I going to do with this?"

Deft fingers loosened the catches holding her medical pouch to her belt and she tossed it to the Legranel man standing next to the one now holding the captured garrison leader, who clutched it to his chest with a roll of his eyes.

His Shadow commanded briefly, "See to her aid, kill her if she should attempt to escape." before turning her full attention back to him, and he was now certain that he was doomed.

"I am afraid that you are going to be busy for some small time, Ulric Glade Chief." Taipan told him, running an arm through his and ever so gently twisting it behind him to ensure that she would have him in a joint lock in short order if he made to resist, and he winced more than a little, given that was the arm with the sizeable burnt slash across it's shoulder.

Sometimes you have to hunker down in the rapids and hope the rocks don't take the bottom from the boat. Now was such a time.

Ulric gave the crowd a parting shrug and said, "Just make yourselves comfortable wherever. I'll be back in an hour to-"

"My Glade Chief will see to your dispositions in the morning." Taipan told the watching peoples in no uncertain tone.

"Err…In the morning then." Ulric called over his shoulder as he was bodily shuffled toward the pair's hide teepee.

Once in the relative privacy of the shelter, the bedrolls already made out and some beast lard candles burning with bright, if smoky, flame, his partner released him with a gentle shove and blocked the doorway, hands on her hips.

"Am I in trouble?" Ulric asked, because he sometimes wasn't sure with Taipan.

Shaking her head in the negative, the Elf beauty replied "You are." in a smoky tone that said he was going to sleep little. And like it.

"Okay." Ulric answered, relieved.

Gentle, efficient movements of his Shadow's hands undid the various clasps and buckles that secured his armor and she set them aside in an orderly fashion to the side. Ulric made sure not to disrupt her and took note of the scorch marks on the [Forest Lord] bone plates, the dark coating of enamel/laquer burned through by the solar magic weapons. A puissant foe, had been the Captain. Xef'tocht in its sheath soon joined the various bits of defensive kit, and Blinder alongside it with its quiver of arrows.

Once the armor had been removed, the tall Elf woman took his arms and raised them over head, before pulling off the heavy woolen undershirt that served as gambeson. It peeled away easily enough, except at the shoulder, where congealed blood made it cling to the skin of his right arm. He grunted slightly when the fabric tugged at the wound, but made no move, and let his partner lower his arms, whereupon she made careful inspection of his bared torso and head, cataloguing the collection of bruises from which even Galed Uldin's armor could not shield him. No surprise, he was aching, tired, and full body sore from the repeated exertion of using [Surge]. Even in small bursts, the skill wore heavily on his physical integrity, straining joints and muscles. Absent Lady Bathe Iriel's training in body magic and reinforcement through his core's energies, he would have torn himself to pieces using that ability more than a couple of times.

Satisfied that he was not badly injured and would not be in danger of deepening any wounds, Taipan pointed to the bedroll and commanded, "Sit!"

He did. Perhaps it was the subtle influence of [Snake Charmer] but Ulric was pretty sure that his partner needed him to shut up and do what he was told for a little while. The Elf woman was basically the opposite of needy and, while affectionate in her own way, she wasn't what anyone could be considered clingy. When she demanded attention then, it was best to go with it.

"Tell me, in as great a detail as you are able, the events that transpired in the defeat of our enemies and the liberation of these Otherkin rebels." Taipan told him, unbuckling her knife belt and letting it drop to the floor.

Ulric did, the details coming a bit harder as his lithe partner's nut brown skin became visible in ever greater surface. He needed to swallow when the bare breasts, freed from their shirt presented themselves, tips hardened towards him. He managed to resume his report after a few seconds of blank staring, his hind brain having reset his cognitive functions by way of large diversion of blood flow. A second pause accompanied the shimmy and sway of muscular legs and a lush bottom when she removed her pants. Some sights never get old and, like a sunrise, each carries its own wonder no matter how many times it is observed.

At last, Ulric managed to force himself to finish his tale, to the satisfaction of Taipan, who stood in her glory, with her supple thigh boots still on, because she loved him.

"I fear that I am failing you Ulric." The nude woman told him seriously, wearing full her dignity.

Ulric nodded, as he knew that recent events were not to her liking. She took her duty seriously, and it rubbed her full raw to have been unable to come to his aid this last time most especially.

He took a few moments to appreciate the dance of light over muscle, the artistry of shifting shadows across skin, following his Shadow's breaths. Truly, she was a creature of unparalleled majesty. He became aware that her midnight hair was becoming longer, had almost gained the length to cover her brilliant eyes. His observation was assisted when his partner turned first to her left, presenting one long leg forward her back arched provocatively, before she turned to the other side and raise her arms over her head, hands cupped between her shoulder blades to show off her back and hips.

"You haven't failed anything Taipan," Ulric spoke after letting his mate bask in his attention a bit longer.

She preened little, for one of such magnificence. Most of her pride lay in her heritage and her deeds, not in her form. And now, much of those were bound up in her role as his assassin, body guard, and personal attendant, as well as lifelong consort. What little vanity she did hold claim to did relish his obvious enjoyment of her though.

"None of us have come through these battles unscathed, and they have not been trivial our foes, nor our victories over them." He continued, consoling the Huntress, who continued to shift from one picture of sensual feminine allure to another.

The game now was for her to try to break his self-control, which she was doing in spite of his best efforts to resist. Powerful was the booty, but he tried to keep his higher functions operational for long enough to respond to his partner's emotional needs. These kinds of push and pull interactions defined their relationship.

"If anything, we have come through remarkably well, a thing I have to attribute in large part to your doing," He reminded the very slowly dancing Elf, shifting to make his pants stop pinching before he continued.

"You have stood at the fore of everything that has come against us. I would not have you think that you do either of us a disservice by knowing when it is time to let me do as I must, without your guiding hand on my back. Not to mention, I'm sure there will be a time when it is Taipan who will go ahead to meet some enemy and I will be wishing that I could follow. This is the way of our life now." He told her, that last thought bringing him down some.

It would happen, eventually. He couldn't dodge every arrow and, sooner or later, somebody or some monster would hit him with something he didn't see coming. Varda punished mistakes, and nobody was perfect. That was a problem for future Ulric though, and present Ulric was at the end of his rope, the slow motion hip shakes cracking his resolve to make her come to him.

When he rose and took her up in his grasp, arms around her waist and buried his face in her silken tresses, to breathe deeply of her, she fitted her rump to his body and started rolling her hips. Sex was the most improbably sweet chaser to murderous violence that existed and he wasn't sure why that was, only that it was experimentally proven. It also served to soothe frayed nerves between lovers who had parted not knowing if either would be seen again.

"Tonight I am going to have you biting at mine ears, Ulric." Taipan told him, blushing deeply as she did.

For an Elf, saying such things was considered exceedingly lewd. All the nakedness and dancing weren't considered as intensely intimate as a few nips at her ears. Go figure.

"I will try to avoid roughing you too greatly, but you have worn down what little remains of my reserve, dear wife." Ulric growled into her hair, raising his hands to cup her.

"All according to Keikaku." She purred back at him, holding her hands over his and firming up the pressure to her desired squeeze, before they ceased speaking altogether.