“We’re running low on supplies.”

“Pretty sure you can find some ferals to eat.”

“Fuck you.”

Mark glared at Brye. She glared back. A soft breeze blew through the forest.

“Either you kiss and makeup, or we can keep walking. It’s bad enough super-cock here is slowing us down.” Shery rolled her eyes, shifting her shoulders and causing Noah to squeak. The Mousegirl was tied up and gagged tight, getting carried by the gray-skinned maiden like a sack of potatoes.

“Aren’t both of you supposed to be good at this kind of shit?” He glared at them.

“Not sure if you’ve noticed, we’re not Hunters.” Shery rolled her eyes.

“Or feralborn.” Brye added. “Give me a well stocked hole to lounge in, maybe some girls to kill, this shit? Fuck this shit.”

It was impressive how quickly the domineering facade fell off the moment hunger started gnawing at the fox’s heels. Mark just rolled his eyes in return, focusing ahead and on pushing himself to walk faster. The forest had turned into an annoyance of shrubbery and thickets. It was a pain to walk through, and the human was ever thankful for his jeans. Even if they were getting mangled up.

“Fucking finally, a hog-trail.”

Brye growled, pointing at the barely visible ‘line’ of missing vegetation.

“Is this thing even going in the right direction?”

Mark glanced upwards for a second, confirming the sun’s position through the shade of the trees. “Trail’s headed West.”

“Close enough.” Shery shrugged. “Aubria is in that general direction, we’re bound to stumble onto an actual road sooner or later.”

“Kinda surprised our otherworlder pet knows navigation but not survival.” She quirked a brow, and Mark felt something twitch in the back of his mind. The fox smirked. “Ah, your brother knew this kind of thing, and it rubbed off on you?”

Mark snapped. “Stay the fuck out of my head you fr-.” He halted his word before he could finish it, noticing Shery tense and Brye’s hackles already rising. His mind returning to the river, the drowning, the fox saving his life. The human shook his head. “I’m not your fucking pet.”

There was a moment of surprise on the fox’s expression, quickly replaced with an amused smirk. “Once we get to Aubria, you can tie me up and spank me if you’d like. Until then, you’re going to be the pet.”

Snorting loudly, the young man just kept moving, glaring at the fox as she took the lead and Shery covered the rear. His eyes trailed over her two tails as they danced back and forth. Her humor had clearly improved from just that interaction, and the human was left all the more confused for it.

“MFFFF!”

The muffled shout came from Noah, the mouse abruptly becoming far more animated, shaking her head against the blindfold and mouthpiece desperately. Instantly, the group froze, not paying so much attention to the Mousegirl as much as their surroundings.

Brye was the first to act, jumping out of the trail to the right and vanishing uncannily fast. Mark realized she’d used an illusion of some sort, but he couldn’t get the chance to ponder over it as a rumbling growl from his left. The human lifted the stick of wood right as Noah squeaked when she was dropped.

Shery pulled out a far thicker stick of wood, looking mighty heavy.

“Feral mutt, run or get pummeled.” The gray skinned maiden threatened, raising the stick as she stepped closer to Mark, keeping slightly ahead and to the left.

A shriek from behind them made them freeze and spin around. Yipping and barking sounds followed, ones that were getting further and further away quite quickly. Human and maiden hesitated right until Brye stepped from the bushes, wiping away blood from her fingers and grimacing. “Kitsune, was trying to trick you to steal the mouse for a quick meal.”

Both of them glanced at the blindfolded and muffled maiden that was still wriggling and trying to escape the wires that kept her tightly bound.

“When the fuck can we get rid of this piece of shit?”

“When the bond breaks and killing her won’t cause our human to get all traumatized.” The Nogitsune’s gaze flickered towards Mark, and then back at the mouse. “Resilient little fucker doesn’t even feel worn down.”

Shery nodded, picking the mouse back up and slinging the maiden over her shoulder. “How the fuck does a bond last through her trying to kill him?”

“Not really our job to play the psychic. Just get him to the Boss and see what we do from there.”

“Bitch, you ARE psychic.”

Brye rolled her eyes again, turning to follow along the hog-trail with the others close behind.

The hours just ticked by, with Brye managing to find some of those edible over-sized berries that Mark had long since grown to hate. “How come these are all over the place?” He didn’t take a bite. There was a general agreement no one would unless they didn’t have much else of an option.

“Ferals love the stuff.” The Nogitunse just shrugged.

“You’d think they’d also love the more edible crap.”

Shery growled. “Pretty sure Brye’s cunt is attached to her nose, and that’s why she only ever picks up on these.”

“Feel free to find something else that you’re sure is edible.” The fox glanced over her shoulder at Shery.

“Boar.” Shery and Mark replied in unison, frowning at her. “And there’s birds too.” The human added.

There was only a shrug in response. “If you find one, tell me, I sure as fuck haven’t been able to pick up on anything.”

“Turns out the wildlife is smarter than you.”

Brye growled, but didn’t reply, just continuing her walk.

Things rolled slowly like this. Walk, break, and walk some more. Everyone in the group kept eying the handful of fist-sized berries being carried, and none wanted to take a bite until it was time to settle for the night. At that point, it would be easier to at least set-up someone to guard things over.

Mark was not looking forward to being the sex-toy of the two maidens.

Which was why he felt infinitely fortunate the moment they’d spotted an actual honest-to-God road. Dirt and well trodden, with the patches of forest cleared out at either side to give good visibility for anyone moving through. It meant there would be other people, sooner or later, at the very least.

Maybe even someone with real food for a change.

His stomach grumbled just from imagining it.

“We’re pushing things a bit hard.” Shery glanced back and forth, confirming there was no one traversing the road currently. “Think we should pull a snatch-and-grab?”

“Definitely.”

“A what now?”

Mark felt a trickle of concern.

“We could pretend to be some hunters, claim Noah’s a feral we caught, remove the collar and all that.” Brye pointed at the squirming mouse. “But that only really works if you’re not going to try to sell us out just so you can escape.”

“Which you tried.”

“Which you tried.” Brye nodded along with Sherry. “We’ll keep you nice and away from the action while we do the work.”

He almost jumped out to complain, before reminding himself exactly what he was going to complain about. Mouth shut, he left it at that. If they wanted to do all the work, then better for him. He was just a payload to them, after all.