Chapter 15 ‘The Surprise‘

As a reptilian chimaera, Aela did not sweat as true humans do. Her body was slow to grow warm let alone hot enough to require perspiration and Aela had precious few areas that could sweat anyway. In fact, intense prolonged exercise or combat were some of the few times Aela grew hot enough to break a sweat.

To keep an eye on the front door, Aela had decided to use her time productively and was in the middle of a set of pushups when a knock came at the door. Aela did her best to make herself presentable, mostly by quickly donning a vest and hastily wiping her brow and pits with a towel.

Aela could smell Markus at the door, she could also smell the familiar scent of a woman as well, though she could not put a face and name to match it. Following Markus prior instructions, Aela unlocked and opened the grated viewing port of the door. She could see Markus easily enough, beside him was a woman dressed in the Guild uniform the southern imperial Guild preferred, a long-tailed jacket, pressed pants and knee-high boots.

There was a third figure, but the strong scent of treated timber and nothing else besides revealed the golem for what it was before Aela’s eyes had time to accomplish the same. Unlike the first golem, this one was much larger, easily eight feet tall. However, just like the first smaller golem, Aela detected no hint of animosity from it, instinctively understanding that it meant her no harm.

Lifting the bar from the door and setting it aside, Aela opened the door.

Markus smiled and seemed to grow noticeably happier upon seeing her, “Thanks Aela,” he said, stepping over the threshold and into the house proper. Markus pointed to the large golem, “This golem’s name is Hector, it will protect the house in our stead while we sleep or about the town or otherwise.” Next, he pointed to the Guild official, “And this is Ms Anabelle, you might remember, she was at the desk that night we first met. Anyway, she will be staying here with us at the house.”

Aela had smiled and sighed in relief in reaction to Markus’s return, but her smile wavered upon hearing that another female of childbearing age would be staying with them.

No doubt anticipating she would be upset by the news, Markus drew closer to Aela, his expression becoming more sombre and he made a point of matching her gaze, “It’s important that she feels welcome, I’ll explain more once I have seen her settled in and introduced her to the others, Alright?”

Intensely searching Markus eyes for some clue as to why the Guild-woman was here in their home. At the very least, Aela was satisfied that he did not seem to be fond of the woman’s presence and took what comfort she could in that fact.

With the momentary seriousness past, Markus smiled again and gave Aela’s shoulder a reassuring pat and squeeze as he passed her by. “Hector, I want you to take guard at the bottom of the staircase. Unless you are informed otherwise by me, no one besides those who live in this house is allowed up those stairs."

The golem slowly made its way over to the place Markus had specified, “Obedient: Understood,” it growled with a voice like a crashing boulder.

Aela had not expected the golem to speak, much less for it to use Markus's own voice, albeit somewhat distorted and strained. It made sense as she considered it since it was his magic that gave the golem life, so why not his voice too?

While Markus acquainted the Guild woman with the others who lived in the house, Aela busied herself with cleaning up the space she had been using to exercise. Normally the task would take only a minute or so, requiring only that the weights were stowed away and the floor swept clean again. But today Aela found herself dithering to pass the time, unwilling to just stand around and wait.

After a while, Markus returned alone, now free of his pack and dressed in the comfortable albeit worn and fraying tunic and pants he seemed to prefer when at home. He took a seat on one of the crates beside her and was thoughtful for a moment before speaking. “I know you probably don’t like the idea of Anabelle’s presence here in our home-"

Our home, Aela felt a familiar thrill as Markus spoke those words.

“-but her being here is a compromise with the Guild to secure a good conduct bond from the town for yourself and other chimaeras.” Markus sighed then tiredly rolled his neck and shoulders.

Aela blinked, unsure of what she had heard, “W-what?"

“It means if the Guild holds up their end of the deal, the town guard and adventurers operating in this area won’t harass you without facing repercussions.” Markus smiled, “There are conditions, of course, Anabelle is to serve as a witness and doubtless some other things besides, but it’s important to remember that she needs to be present any time two or more chimaera are out and about the town.” He frowned slightly, “I don’t like it, but I understand it, I’m sorry but this is the best I could do,” Markus had glanced away as he spoke the last and seemed to somewhat distracted.

Aela smiled in a way she hoped would be seen as reassuring, “Markus, this is a great gift!” Taking a moment to steel her nerve, Aela quickly leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. Her cheeks flushed so hotly that she thought they would begin to smoulder and burn.

Markus reached up to his cheek and distractedly regarded the remnants of her saliva on his fingers. He did not recoil from her as Aela had feared he would. Instead, Markus was still for a moment, then turned slightly to look at her from the corner of his eye, his expression was not one of revulsion or disgust, but instead, Markus appeared to be surprised.

The silence began to linger between them and Aela was becoming more certain by the moment that her impulsive and selfish indulgence had been the completely wrong thing to do. It was probably a testament to the value Markus placed on their friendship that he was staying so calm.

Aela had begun to compulsively fidget, her tail energetically thrashing across the floor behind her. Taking a deep breath to steady her rapidly fraying nerves, then without meaning to, Aela began to speak, “Sorry, I didn’t mean, um, well, Aela wanted but didn’t want, erm. Markus was upset and me wanted to reward his for the gift,” her brain stalled as Aela remembered kissing his cheek again and she nearly hadn’t noticed Markus's change in demeanour.

Markus had begun to blush and seemed to be deliberately avoiding eye contact with her, “Oh, well, thanks,” he mumbled, deliberately turning away and getting to his feet, absently scratching at his neck as he did so.

Aela stiffened, back straightening into sudden alertness as her nostrils flared and tongue darted tasting the air.

Markus muttered something, but Aela was not able to clearly make out the words, only understanding the general impression of talking again later that evening.

Aela intensely watched Markus as he went upstairs, likely to his room. She shivered again, her brain now thoroughly divided into two camps. The first was Aela’s conscious self, composed of decisive thought and reason. The second, currently threatening to overwhelm the first and seize control was her primal self, an amalgam of subconscious thoughts, raw emotions and desires. It was Aela’s impartial senses that betrayed her now, feeding strength to the primal part of her brain getting it drunk on the pheromones it had detected in Markus's wake.

Aela had tasted fear on Markus before, similarly, she was intimately familiar with the scent of his stress given its near-permanent cloying presence around Markus since she had first met him. The newest pheromone was one she had tasted uncountable times before, even in this house on occasion, but never from Markus. Given the timing, Aela’s primal senses were all but certain she herself was the cause.

Aela had been appreciative of Markus's open-mindedness and seemingly unconditional acceptance. In retrospect, Aela knew she had been indulging herself in a hormone-driven crush like a young woman moon-eyed at the sight of males in the training yard, wilfully ignoring Markus’s awkward lack of reciprocated romantic interest, choosing instead to entertain imagined realities where things were different between them.

But then things had changed between them, Markus had professed his friendship and lowered his guard, allowing her to see him at his most vulnerable. Aela had seen much of herself in that heart to heart, most notably his profound loneliness and self-loathing. Like looking in a mirror for the first time, Aela had been forced to confront firmly entrenched ‘truths’ she had accepted about herself, albeit this time addressing negative misconceptions she had held onto for most of her life.

If Aela was honest with herself, she had never expected Markus to even consider romantic interest in her, but now? Things had changed between them and she felt that just about anything was possible.

Shivering as she dedicated the scent to memory, Aela hastily set the room to rights and then headed upstairs.

True to his word, Markus had waited for her in the workshop on the second floor, absently looking over the partially sewn textiles adorning the largest table. He seemed genuinely interested in his strange roundabout way, becoming fascinated with the most obscure and least obvious details.

Just having noticed her hovering by the door, Markus flashed her a small smile, “Abigail says you are making great progress,” he motioned to the pants Aela had been working on that morning. It was mostly just adjustments to accommodate her tail which had proven easy enough with what Abigail had shown her, but his acknowledgement still gave Aela a sudden thrill of happiness.

“Thanks,” Aela smiled brightly.

Markus's smile grew slightly wider, but there was now nervous energy to his actions. He seemed less sure of himself and more anxious by the moment. “Erm, so about earlier,” Markus looked pointedly at her, but just as quickly looked away again, “Yeah, so...Why did you do that?” He asked nervously.

Aela considered being coy as she understood southern imperial women were expected to behave, but her mother’s advice, which she had given not just to Aela but to her other daughter Thyra as well, was to be direct. As Svala had explained, it was better to know where you stood. One way or the other, you would be the better for it.

Aela took a few moments to compose her words, “I-” Aela froze, the magnitude of what she was saying temporarily rendering her mute. She gulped hard and tried to speak again, “I-I want-” It was proving far more difficult than Aela thought. Willing herself to speak, the words nearly tripped over one another in their desperate need to be heard, “I want you to be mine!"

Markus blinked, his eyes wide in surprise and mouth slightly ajar.

Much like that afternoon, Aela impatiently waited for Markus to say or do something, anything, in response.

A minute slowly passed and Markus still had not spoken a word, his brow furrowed in thought, “You want me to be yours? Your what? I don’t understand,” Markus was still clearly confused.

Aela realised her mistake and cursed inwardly for it. She quickly racked her brain for the words but kept running into the same problem, she didn’t know the words in southern imperial. So Aela desperately did her best to string together a sentence she hoped he could understand. “I-I want to be bonded with Markus,” Aela fidgetted fumbling for the words, “Maybe life-mates,” she gripped her arm tightly and desperately tried to lock eyes with him.

Markus appeared to be just as stunned as before, although it was thankfully shorter-lived, lasting only a handful of seconds. “Oh,” he said. There was another pause, Markus’s cheeks grew flushed, his intoxicating pheromones briefly overpowering Aela’s senses before fading as the blood sapped from his cheeks again. Markus’s eyes narrowed, “But why me? Didn’t your mother bring you to the dungeon to, you know?...” He shifted uncomfortably and couldn’t quite look her in the eye.

Sensing her opportunity was slipping from her grasp, Aela spoke without thinking, “Mother wants Aela, I-I, me, to be bonded, no one in the clan wants, but maybe, maybe Markus...” She could feel the panic setting in making it all the more difficult to think clearly than the pheromones had made it already. Aela hadn’t considered what she would do if Markus rejected her, the thought having only been briefly entertained before being discarded.

The blood crashing through her veins was so loud, Aela almost didn’t hear Markus, “You can do better. Why me?” He asked quietly, the question seemed to be directed more towards himself than her.

Aela thought Markus was criticizing her attempts to express her feelings and was devastated, involuntarily taking a step backwards out of the room. She was not enough after all. Tears welled in her eyes and began running down her cheeks. Aela had been wrong about Markus, misjudged the relationship between. Her heart ached and she wanted nothing more than to run and hide.

To the clan, she was a freak, anemic and sluggish in the harsh climate of their home, Aela was devoid of redeeming qualities and parents would sooner see their child dead than bonded to her. Aela was unwanted, her presence only tolerated because of her mother's unassailable status in the clan. As much as her mother tried to prevent it, even Aela’s siblings grew to despise her, though as an adult she understood it to be more akin to emotional neglect than deliberate malice. Intentionally distancing themselves from her to improve their own prospects at securing mates.

The familiar voice had returned, venomous words spat from hateful tongues in the darkest hours of the night. “You aren’t good enough, no one wants you and you will always be alone." It was Aela herself who had said these things, although she had only echoed the words and sentiments expressed by others it hurt worse hearing them pass her own lips.

Aela was trying to stem the flow of tears with her sleeve, shielding her face from view as best she could with the other. Aela took another step back and hurriedly turned to leave, unsure of where she was headed, only that she was going to leave this place as quickly as she was able.

Before fleeing into the night, Aela stole one last glance at the source of her shattered dreams and was surprised to find that he had crossed the room and was now only a few inches away from her.

Markus appeared to be just as upset as she was, he was not crying but seemed like he wanted to.

“I’m sorry,” Markus said. He glanced away as if he was ashamed, “I just don't think about this kind of thing, I...I wouldn't let myself think about it...” His voice trailed off and he shivered, “I don't know what I’m meant to do, how I am meant to behave." Markus glanced up at her again briefly before looking away, “I just...” He took a steadying breath, “I don't know why you would want to be with someone like me, you... You could do better,” as if the words had sapped his remaining strength, Markus seemed to shrink into himself a little.

As her mind raced to interpret what he was saying, Aela felt ashamed of herself. Of course, he had reacted that way. Markus had already confided in her saying as much before. But Aela had chosen to ignore it, choosing only to pursue what she wanted. Feeling thoroughly ashamed of herself, Aela tried to clear her throat to speak, to try and explain herself and to apologize, “Mar-kus, I-I..."

“If it’s something you really want, I-I...” Markus interjected, sounding thoroughly unsure of himself and shifted uncomfortably, “If you want, we could try being together.” His cheeks flushed, “C-courting I mean, I-I don't know if that's what you want, but-” Markus took a steadying breath, “It’s all I can give right now..."

Aela blinked, her mouth moving before she had a chance to properly understand what he had said, “Yes! I want!"

Markus took a half step back and nearly tripped over one of Arlee’s toys, “Oh, uhm, right,” he didn't seem to know what to say. Brow furrowed in deep thought he grew more nervous by the moment. “I-” He stopped himself and shook his head slightly, “We can talk more tomorrow, I-I need to get some sleep,” Markus made to leave, scratching and rubbing at the back of his neck like he had an aggressive rash.

It took every ounce of Aela’s rapidly waning willpower to let him pass her by, thick rivulets of drool running unchecked between her teeth and down her chin. She wanted him, here, now, their limbs locked together in primal embrace until the next morning or maybe longer.

Even after Markus retired to his room, Aela couldn't stop herself from staring after him, willing her eyes to pierce the wood and plaster wall so she could look at him again, memories of lingering in the kitchens late in the evenings watching him bathe now taking a prominent place in her mind.

Aela shivered for what felt like the hundredth time. In all her years dutifully obeying her mother's mandate for patience, she had not dared hope for anything close to this.

Unsure of what the morning would bring, Aela had found she could not sleep that night. Instead, alternating between pacing back and forth in her room and restlessly fidgeting as she lay in her bed.

Instinct demanded she act, be damned with the consequences, let them be the morrow's concern. But Aela knew that if she pushed him, Markus would likely end their relationship in its entirety. So she waited, her senses straining for signs of activity from his room but only detecting the occasional creaking of his bed as he turned in his sleep.

Aela maintained this vigil well into the early hours of the morning, boundless energy driving back the weariness and fatigue she should have felt for neglecting her sleep.

Aela had heard Markus moving about his room for the past hour, his bare feet padding across the floor, the floorboards occasionally signalling his passing with a groan or creak.

Aela would have assumed he was as restless as she was, but knew that Markus often read books before they would jog through the town each morning, and frequently walked about his room while reading to limber up the muscles in his legs.

All she had to do now was wait.

Another hour passed and it was roughly the time they would leave the house for their morning exercise, but Markus was still pacing in his room.

Thinking that perhaps he had lost track of time, Aela continued to wait. Two more hours passed and still, Markus showed no signs of leaving his room, even though the other residents of the house were now up and about, beginning to go through the motions of their own morning routines.

It was nearly midday before Aela heard the door to his room open. Only, Markus did not then knock or open the door to her room, instead, walking down the hall and proceeding downstairs.

Unsure of what this meant, Aela began to fidget nervously. Had Markus forgotten? Or was he perhaps deliberately avoiding her? As her mind began spiralling toward depressing thoughts, a third possibility occurred to her and she clung to it desperately, too afraid to question it for fear that it would abandon her. Markus was probably preparing something is all, he seemed so often to be focused on one thing or another that he would forget smaller details, like their shared morning exercises. Even though he had not missed a session previously, it did not mean it was not possible, particularly since they had been on such outings less than a half dozen times prior.

To better set her mind at ease, Aela decided it would be best to leave her room and try and find some hint as to what Markus was planning and once she was satisfied she had not been forgotten she would patiently go try and get some rest. That was the plan at least anyway.

It wasn't until Aela had descended to the first floor that she heard Markus voice drifting out from the dining area

“-did you and Lindsay do while courting each other?” Markus asked, his voice timid yet earnest.

Another man, who had to be Robert, let out a sigh, “Well, the usual things you know?” He replied expectantly and a little jokingly.

There was a short pause before Markus spoke again, “No, I don't. I’m sorry, I hadn't told any of you, but I lost most of my memories of everything before...well, since more than about a decade ago."

This time it was Robert’s turn to be silent.

“I’m so sorry,” Lindsay interjected, “If we had known we could have been more helpful."

“Right,” Robert agreed.

There was another short pause and Aela imagined Markus was shaking his head, “No, It’s fine, most of the time anyway. I relearned most things because I had to because I needed them in order to survive, but this is...different. I don't know what to do and the only way I could think of remedying that was speaking with someone who has been through this sort of thing before."

Whether they were exchanging awkward or knowing glances with one another, Aela wasn't sure, but a long silence passed between them before Lindsay spoke again “Well, when we were courting, Robert would bring me gifts, trinkets or sweets, like that lovely purple ribbon...” Her voice trailed off, no doubt reminiscing.

“It's not just about gifts though,” Robert chuckled, “Although sometimes they can serve as good reminders when you aren’t there. At its core, if we are talking about courting activities, it’s about getting to know each other, see if you are a good match long term, and I suppose it also gives the parents a chance to have their say too, though that doesn't necessarily matter does it Lin?”

“Oh shush!” Lindsay scolded, “Mother and father accepted you soon enough, you just didn't give them enough time to come around!"

Robert laughed, “True, true."

“So, gifts and shared activities?” Markus asked, sounding more unsure of himself now than when the conversation had first begun.

“That's rather blunt, but I guess you're right,” Lindsay agreed, “But it’s best if it’s things you can both enjoy, so you can be relaxed around each other to speak openly and-” There was the slightest pause, “-truthfully,” she said pointedly.

“Hey, I apologized for that didn’t I?” Robert complained.

“Hrm and both are necessary?” Markus asked anxiously.

“More or less,” Robert replied, “Sometimes the activity can be the gift, and sometimes the gift can be the activity."

“Hrmph,” Lindsay interrupted, “Sometimes,” she said the word sarcastically, “It is best to think of something you can do together, something you will both enjoy and treasure."

“Hey! That's what I said,” Robert jokingly complained.

“Hrmph, not nearly! I swear, sometimes you make me wonder why I said yes,” Lindsay complained half-heartedly.

“But you did,” Robert chuckled sheepishly.

Lindsay sighed, “I did," she agreed warmly.

“Then that's a problem,” Markus said dejectedly.

“What do you mean?” Lindsay and Robert asked in near unison.

“I don't really enjoy doing anything...” Markus said, “I do what I have to, but, I don't really enjoy any of it."

A lengthy silence accompanied by the muffled mewling of Lindsay’s babe passed for a couple of minutes.

“Truly, nothing?” Lindsay asked, her voice rich with concern.

“Nothing I remember,” Markus admitted, “There are a bunch of things I don't mind doing, but I don't enjoy them."

“Ah, well, another fun thing to do is an activity where you teach each other something. A practical skill or a trick, it’s not hugely important, just so long as you can spend time together and talk about things.” Robert’s voice turned conspiratorial, “Although, it doesn't hurt if you have the chance to show off a bit,” he chuckled.

“Hrm, I think we have already been doing that...” Markus said absently.

“Oh, then perhaps you have been courting already and just hadn’t realized it!” Lindsay tittered good-naturedly.

“Maybe,” Markus agreed, but he didn't seem convinced.

“Who is the lucky girl anyway?” Robert demanded good-naturedly.

Lindsay gasped, “Is it that young woman from the Guild?” She asked slyly.

Aela’s lip curled and bared her teeth with a hiss. Even though she knew the woman was not her competition, she still felt a pang of jealousy.

“Huh?” Markus sounded confused “Anabelle? No-"

“Oh then it’s got to be Ms Abigail then,” Robert said matter of factly, “Makes sense since you already have a child together and all."

“Robert!” Lindsay chided, “Sorry Mr Markus, he didn't mean anything by it."

“It’s fine,” Markus replied dismissively, “I know how it looks, and it is what it is."

“Well, maybe if we knew more about the young lady you are pursuing, it would help us provide better assistance,” Robert offered with a conspiratorial chuckle, “Unless you aren't comfortable disclosing such details of course. A lowly tutor I may be, but even I know better than to pry into nobles aff-"

“It’s Aela,” Markus stated bluntly.

The room went quiet in response, either Robert or Lindsay dropped one of their utensils and it noisily clattered against the floor.

“Is that a problem?” Markus asked, his tone making it clear that it was more a challenge than a question.

“But she’s-” Lindsay’s voice trailed off lamely.

A chair scraped audibly against the floor, “Thank you both,” Markus growled, “You have been quite helpful. I think I will leave now before someone says something they will regret."

A little surprised that he had stood up for her, Aela quickly made her way back upstairs as quietly as she could and nearly barrelled down Markus's adopted daughter Arlee in the process.

“Hey?!” Arlee yelped in surprise.

Aela barely managed to grab hold of the back of the girl’s dress in time to stop her from tumbling down the stairs. “Sorry,” Aela hissed, bodily depositing Arlee down at the base of the stairs before hastily turning to return to her room.

“Aela?” Markus asked, a little surprised as he entered the storefront from the dining room. Quickly overcoming his initial surprise, Markus gave her a small smile which broadened slightly more when he noticed Arlee, “Oh Arlee, I have a surprise for you, but remind me later okay? I need to speak with Aela."

Arlee’s churlishness towards Aela evaporated nearly immediately, “A surprise?!” She scrambled to her feet and tackled Markus thigh, “What is it?” She asked excitedly, “What is-"

“Tomorrow,” Markus interjected firmly, “You will find out tomorrow, IF, you behave."

Almost instantly, Arlee became impeccably well behaved, released Markus's thigh and looked quite contrite. “You promise?” Arlee asked timidly.

“I promise,” Markus agreed, “And I know you're going to love it.” He then playfully tussled her hair.

Arlee briefly stamped her feet excitedly and ran into the dining room, “I’m getting a present!” She declared loudly.

Markus watched her go, sighing and shaking his head before turning back to Aela. “Sorry,” Markus said, “I didn't get much sleep last night so I’m not going to be able to do much today, but I need to run some errands in town, would you like to come with me?"

A little disappointed by the absence of the nervous energy that had accompanied his pheromones the previous evening, Aela struggled to find the energy to be enthusiastic. “Alright,” she agreed, doing her best to smile.

Markus's head tilted slightly to one side, his eyes were tired but curious, “I’ll buy us some breakfast from a vendor,” he offered, “I want to get these errands out of the way so we can talk."

This suddenly had Aela’s attention again, “Alright,” she repeated, this time with a noticeably greater level of enthusiasm.

The corner of his mouth twitched in amusement, “Hector?” Markus addressed the golem by the stairs, “Aela and I are going out, once we leave I want you to bar the door again,” he yawned and made his way over to the door, grunting from the exertion as he removed the bar from its brackets despite the bar itself not being particularly large or heavy.

“Obedient: I understand and obey,” the golem growled as it made its own way towards the door.

They didn't talk much as they walked the morning streets of the town. Markus seemed content to remain that way and Aela was too anxious to press him for conversation. So a half-hour, perhaps more, passed in relative silence before Markus made a real attempt at conversation.

“Is there a particular courting activity you want to do?” Markus asked, the direct and unexpected nature of his question catching her off guard. “I-I don't know what courting is like in the northern princedoms and I don't have any experience courting, so...” Perhaps realizing he had begun to ramble, Markus grew quiet again.

Aela thought carefully before replying but couldn't find a satisfactory answer. “In the clan, the unbonded fight, but this is not a good idea with Markus,” She regretted her choice of words but had to hope he would understand the reality of the situation.

Markus chuckled in response, “Yeah, I'd bet you're right,” his smile faded a little as he became lost in a train of thought. “Is the brooch working alright?” Markus asked, his eyes briefly glanced at her chest before returning to the street ahead of them.

Even though she knew it had not been his intent, Aela felt a momentary rush from the direction of his attention, “It is, thank you."

Markus nodded, the smile returning to his face as they continued walking through the town. He looked like he was in no hurry to pursue further conversation, seemingly contented with her company. When Markus caught her staring, a bemused expression crept across his face, “What is it?” He asked.

Aela became a little flustered, she did not realize she had been staring.

When she did not respond to his first question Markus brow furrowed further, “Is something wrong?"

“It is fine,” Aela hastily replied evasively.

Markus appeared dissatisfied with that answer, “Then what is it?” His eyes narrowed slightly and it became clear she now had his undivided attention.

Pressed for an answer she was not sure she could satisfy, Aela thought hard about how she could put what she felt and feared into words without scaring him away. But like a dam under too much pressure, the words began spilling out of her, “Being with you makes me so happy that I am afraid I am dreaming and will wake up to find you gone when I do.” Aela wrung her hands in the shirt at her sides, ”The thought of losing the best thing that has ever happened to me, the fear that this isn't real, I can't stand it.” she tried to hold herself back but found she couldn't, the words just slipping out. “So I devour you with my eyes, committing as much of you as I can to memory, so when this dream is torn away from me, at least I have the memory to comfort me.” Thoroughly embarrassed, Aela was thankful that at least Markus hadn't been able to understand her words, and would only be able to guess at her sentiment. With what she had spoken aloud, another fear joined the ranks of its kin. What if he thought she was crazy and left her? Just the thought of it made her heartache.

Markus had cocked his head slightly to one side while Aela had tried to explain herself. To her dismay, his eyes flashed with frequent recognition as she continued speaking, despite using the northern tongue, and by the time Aela had finished, his expression had grown inscrutable.

A chime sounded from his right thigh and Markus withdrew the tablet from his pants pocket. Markus's eyes shifted from Aela to begin tracking back and forth as he read an incoming message. While he continued reading, Markus's expression softened.

“I-think-I-understand,” Markus said, his tongue tripping over the unfamiliar words.

Aela froze, poorly accented and with terrible inflection, Markus had spoken the northern tongue. And if he could speak it, how much had he understood? She gulped hard, her heart pounding in her chest.

But then Markus smiled, shifting back to his native speech again as he said, “All the more reason to live now. If this is a dream, better to enjoy it while it lasts you know?"

Finding herself nodding her head, Aela had to agree. Fear had held her back long enough and was proving itself to have been largely unfounded anyway. This was one of the things she liked most about Markus, he always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better.

Markus's errands had been taken care of rather quickly after their little chat. He had only needed to place orders with the tinker, armourer and glassblowers, all of whom were located within a half-hour of home.

Rather than feeling frustrated that their outing was proving to be so short, Aela felt touched he had invited her along just so they could keep each other company.

Stopping at a tavern, Markus disappeared inside to get them something to eat. He returned a couple of minutes later and they sat down at one of the outdoor tables.

“What do you think?” Markus asked.

Aela carefully regarded the small pile of assorted preserved meats stacked on the large wooden platter, “Is good for a snack,” she replied, “But where is yours?"

Markus crossed his arms and scowled, though the twinkle in his eyes made it clear he had understood her attempt at a joke. “Well, let’s see you eat it all on your own then,” he said smugly.

Smiling wide, Aela was only too happy to oblige. She took hold of one of four still joined sausage links with her right hand and dangled the last of the sausages over her open mouth. Winking at Markus, Aela lowered the sausages into her mouth. This was a trick she had learned from her mother and surprisingly, Aela had proven even better at it. One by one the sausages disappeared straight down into her gullet. “Too easy,” Aela preened, though she wasn't sure Markus was listening.

Markus looked thoroughly bemused, absently chewing at the end of a sausage while eyeing her mouth and stomach. “Now that’s a trick,” he admitted, “Though I would have bought cheaper sausages if I had known you would savour them hehe,” Markus grinned and wiped stray grease from his chin.

Grinning, Aela snatched up a larger sausage, “You think savouring is best?” She asked mischievously. Raising the sausage just as she had done before, Aela ran her tongue down the length of it, making a point of tasting the sweating oils and fats of the cased meat as she lowered it slowly towards her mouth.

Initially entertained by her satire, Markus had grown quiet and still, his attention riveted on her tongue.

This was another trick Aela had learned from her mother, although not perhaps one Svala had intended to teach. Aela had not understood why at the time, but making a show of tasting a sausage in this way was guaranteed to draw the attention of most males in the immediate vicinity. Knowing better now, Aela fully intended to make use of it to pull off her joke. Suddenly snapping her jaws shut and viciously pulling the sausage away from her mouth, half of the meat shredded away and tumbled down her throat with a meaty gulp. Aela was not disappointed, Markus had winced and recoiled so hard he had nearly fallen off his chair.

If Aela had been worried she had taken the joke too far, Markus put her mind at ease when he began to laugh, “Well played!"

Aela smiled and flicked her tongue at him mischievously before depositing the rest of the sausage in her mouth and gulped it down.

“I mean that’s damned impressive,” Markus conceded, “But I am going to stand by my original point, I would have bought cheaper sausages if I had known you wouldn't chew them."

“Chew with what?” Aela opened her mouth wide and leaned across the table towards him, revealing that she did not have the teeth for chewing like he did. Aela’s ancestry was unique so far as she knew and was most notably so in regards to her teeth. Unlike humans or even her siblings, Aela had no molars to chew with, so it only made sense that she would swallow most of her food in larger pieces than everyone else.

Markus leaned in for a closer look and Aela had to resist the urge to flick her tongue in his face, instead, concentrating on keeping her mouth open. This became even more difficult when Markus tentatively reached a finger towards her mouth. “May I?” He asked absently, his attention clearly elsewhere.

Surprised by his interest, Aela nodded and opened her mouth even wider. She had thought he was scared of her teeth, so this was a welcome surprise.

Momentarily taken aback, Markus's eyes grew wider in surprise, “Damn," he gingerly tapped a tooth then ran a finger across it, “Woah tch-” He hissed.

Aela tasted blood and was too slow to stop herself, her tongue rapidly darted out and slathered the tooth responsible, a small tide of saliva diluting and washing the blood over her tongue.

Thankfully Markus had already withdrawn his finger and sat back down, applying pressure to his finger to stem the bleeding. “That was a lot sharper than it looked-”

“Not sharp, serrated,” Aela corrected, knowing that Markus must have run his finger down the edge of a tooth to have cut himself. Seeing his look of confusion, she elaborated, “Not like a knife, is like a saw. Not for slicing, but for tearing,” Aela picked up and tore another sausage in half presenting the ragged break to Markus as confirmation.

Rather than being upset over the ordeal, Markus appeared bemused, “Well that’s definitely interesting," He became lost in thought for a minute before speaking again, “Has the food at home been alright? I must confess I hadn't given much thought to dietary differences when organizing the food budget with the butcher and grocer."

Aela couldn't help but smile, touched by his concern for her wellbeing. Aela shook her head, “It is fine, family is carnivore by convenience, but can eat fruit and vegetables. Aela just can't chew is all."

Now, this seemed to have Markus's attention. “You don't have to eat fruit and vegetables to stay healthy?” He asked enviously.

Aela nodded, “For chimaeras food is energy, so long as chimaera has energy chimaera is healthy," It was a gross simplification, but it was difficult to express the reasons for it with her current grasp of the language.

Markus smiled and his eyes widened slightly, “The dungeon energy,” he said matter of factly, “So long as it has material, it can become whatever your body needs. That’s it right?” He asked excitedly.

Surprised, Aela nodded. Remembering that he and Svala had spoken at length on the day they had first met, Aela should have assumed someone as insatiably curious as Markus would have at least peripheral knowledge to allow for such leaps in understanding.

“But you still taste things like humans do? Generally, I mean, you can taste things right?” Markus was now ignoring his injured finger, resting both elbows on the table and leaning closer, making it clear she had his undivided attention.

Aela nodded again, of course, she could taste things. Most often her problem was being able to taste and smell too much, especially here in town with so many humans living in such close proximity with one another.

“Stupid question I know,” Markus raised a hand placatingly, “But I don’t know much about chimaeras beyond what Svala told me and what I have seen with my own eyes. Most of what I have heard from other humans can hardly be considered reliable, you know?"

“Not a stupid question,” Aela corrected, “You want to know things, truthfully, not rumours,"

Markus smiled, “Exactly. People just seem to take so much for granted, accepting that the first thing they are told is the way things are and then make no effort to check let alone challenge the truth of it.” He let out a long sigh but stopped himself as if remembering something, “Aela, you said your mother had gone to retrieve some of your siblings right?"

Aela nodded, “Most likely Bjorn and Ulf,” seeing Markus’s clear interest, she decided to elaborate. “Mothers second eldest children born after Beowulf. They are twins, rare, sharing an unusual bond between them. They are children of mothers first mate Nyal, who is Beowulf’s sire also.” She scratched her arm absently and tried to think of how best to describe them. “They are big, slightly more than mother last I see them, but not nearly so much as Beowulf. As long as mother is around, they will behave,” perhaps that had been poor phrasing on her part as Markus now seemed markedly more interested.

“What do you mean?” Markus asked curiously, “Are they normally a problem?"

Aela shifted uncomfortably. Even though she didn't get along well with her siblings, she still did not feel comfortable speaking ill of them in their absence. “Only excited sometimes, competing for rank."

“Like a strength hierarchy?” Markus asked curiously.

Aela nodded, “It is clan law."

Markus brow furrowed slightly, “You have mentioned the clan before, can you tell me more about it?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Aela quickly considered what she could tell him and what she would need to leave out. “Mother’s clan, the Blutjäger, is many families, working and living together for protection. Blutjäger respects strength above all else, strength of mind, strength of arm or strength of will, it is all the same,” gnawing at her lips, Aela decided that was probably all she could tell him without consulting Svala first.

Dissatisfied but clearly unwilling to push the issue, Markus sighed, “You're sure that your brothers won't cause any problems in town while they are here?"

Aela nodded, though she had begun to have doubts, “So long as mother is with them, she will keep them in line."

Markus sighed again and ran his hands through his hair in mild frustration, “Well, I guess we will see what happens when they get here,” he shrugged again and relaxed. “Maybe I’m just overthinking things, I need some sleep.” Markus got to his feet and stretched, “We should probably head home don't you think?"

Aela nodded and got to her feet, then without really meaning to, looked down at the platter still scattered with a half dozen uneaten sausages. She was going to say something but caught Markus glancing at a space between two storefronts further down the street. With her keen eyesight, she could make out the crouched and huddled forms of two youths dressed in filthy rags, a young man and woman. Initially believing that they were staring at her, Aela was surprised by their distinct lack of fear, but then she realized that they weren't looking at her at all, but staring hungrily at the platter and it’s soon to be abandoned sausages.

Markus met her eyes and gestured pointedly with his head to signal they should leave.

Aela followed Markus's lead and they left the outdoor dining table and began returning home.

Unsurprisingly, the pair of youths wasted no time in setting upon the platter and stuffing their mouths and pockets as quickly as they could manage.

Walking back home together, Markus was unusually quiet. As tired as he was, it was obvious that he was actively engaged in thought, his lips moving slightly as if he was silently arguing with himself. Noticing he was being watched, Markus glanced at her, his expression softening as a small smile crept across his lips, “Sorry,” he apologized, “I’m just trying to plan out what I am going to be doing tomorrow,” Markus scratched his neck absently, “Do you want to go out like this again tomorrow morning?"

A little surprised, Aela nodded. Was this what Robert and Lindsay had been talking to Markus about? Was this courting?

Markus's smile widened slightly, “Great.” He yawned loudly and nearly tripped, “Yeah, I definitely need to get to bed," Markus chuckled tiredly. and headed off to his room.

Aela watched Markus go and felt a mounting sense of anticipation. Tomorrow, was going to be a big day!