Dem actually slept more soundly than he had in recent memory. He hadn’t gotten all the sleep he had wanted, but he did eventually pass out due to mental exhaustion. He felt more rested than he had a right to be. Ina had hugged him long into the night, but did not do so with crushing force, which he appreciated.

When they woke, Ina went to hunt some breakfast while he tidied up a bit, and broke out some more camp rations for himself. She had eye’d him meaningfully before she left, her tails swaying as she walked to where she would jump to the next branch. He had checked the bond wondering what that was about, but he couldn’t immediately identify anything negative. Something was definitely different though. Last night they had used their bond more meaningfully than ever before. He hoped she felt as he did, that they were closer. It was embarrassing to vocalize that to her, for some reason, but he felt it was true. He felt better than he had a cycle ago, even though he hadn’t really solved any of his problems. At least he had Ina, in the end. She wouldn’t desert him.

Ina returned quickly, a small bird in her mouth, insisting that he cook it. Fire was never a problem for someone with a basic set of cantrips. You didn’t learn the cantrip for sparking a fire until you were old enough to be responsible with it, but most everyone could do it. Freshly cut branches took too long to start, but some of the thickest leaves could be stripped of their waxy green surface to reveal a catacombed dry interior that could be used as kindling. Dried branches were better for a sustained fire, but the ones small enough to burn were either up high still attached to the tree, or down below buried under leafy detris. Some trees were so tough it took nearly half a cycle for them to really burn well. Once you had them going they would burn for a cycle or more.

He quickly cooked Ina a meal, making sure to season it with the rest of the salt he had available. She would alternate between eyeing the roasting bird and eyeing him. Again, it felt like she was telling him something, but he couldn’t understand what it was specifically. With her it was usually related to hunger, so he tried to ignore it.

Eventually, after a satisfying meal, they set off. Hoping, jumping, and climbing, with Ina always ahead of him.

Not long into the journey he noticed Ina would sometimes wait a little longer for him, looking back at him, before taking her next leap. Sometimes one or two of her tails would brush against his hands and face as she climbed above him. Normally, when they moved together through the Wilds she was more focused, but he quickly began to suspect she was playing a game with him. This filled him with a kind of joy. He could only assume she must have be happy with the better connection they had made. At least she wasn’t awkward with him. Though, in thinking about it, he doubted it would occur to her to feel awkward.

These behaviors continued for nearly an eighth of a cycle. She seemed to escalate too, maybe because he was trying to ignore her or because she wanted a specific reaction. He didn’t know. Occasionally, she would just stop in front of him, making him bump into her. Sometimes her tails would catch him before he actually pushed into her, other times he found his face in the mane of the her hair. Once, she reached down and pulled him onto a higher branch, all the way to a standing position right in front of her. She was very close, looking him in the eye. Too close. After an eternity, she turned around, once again brushing up against him, and leapt to the next branch. Eventually every time they stopped, even for a moment, she would crowd next to him, brushing up against him, or letting her tails tickle the back of his neck.

It taken him a while, but it finally dawned on him she was teasing him! She had to be! Was she flirting with him? How could he know? Did he dare try using the bond? What if it was all a misunderstanding? Frustration tore through him, eating at his resolve in more ways than one. He wanted her, he finally acknowledged fully, but he still was unsure of her feelings. He almost didn’t want to know. If she rejected him, he would have to bottle everything up further. He would still care for her of course, but he would have to look elsewhere.

When they finally stopped on a wide branch for a moment to rest, they were still three quarters of a cycle from home. The frustration building inside of him, pushing him to look into their bond for something, anything. The lake of her emotions.. had waves. He ‘tasted’ these waves, and realized they were intense joy. She was so very happy, so much so it was actually affecting her otherwise steady outlook. She must really enjoying tormenting him, he thought. He was almost angry with her now. It was already so hard, knowing he needed her in so many ways now, and yet she was teasing him, making it worse.

She was looking at him again, eyeing him with that look from before, his mind grew hot. Finally, something broke and he needed to at least talk to her.

“Ina.. you didn’t answer me last night.. fully.”

She turned away from him slightly, looking at him over her shoulder.

“Do you want me to bring you.. gifts? Of meat? Is there anything else you would like?” There was no guide for what he was doing. He had no way to make such a question sound romantic.

She paused, and spoke in the most alluring voice he had ever heard.

“You’ve brought me lots of gifts in the past, Dem. Make sure to cook them though in the future.”

Did this mean what he thought it meant? He realized he didn’t care anymore, if she still wanted to reject him, she could, but he needed her if she would have him.

He moved towards her, as he did so, her tails began to sway in different directions, seemingly to beckon him forward, until he was standing over her right shoulder.

He reaching out to touch her, to hold her, his hands lightly finding her hips.

Then to his unending surprise she growled at him. He almost let go of her, thinking this was the rejection he feared, but her eyes and her tails told him a different story, drawing him closer. He remember what she'd told him about.. mating rituals..

“Ina, shall we battle?” His voice was light in her mind, barely above a whisper.

He pulled her in tight from behind, and did his best to growl back at her. He was far beyond feeling self-conscious at this point, a heavy tense feeling clouding his mind. He could feel her hot breath as she looked at him over her shoulder. Her tails had him glued to her body, holding him tight. He seemed to be losing himself to some new instinct. His vision narrowing to only Ina.

After a moment holding each other, he got a sudden inspiration. He began to cast several buffs on himself, as buried his face into the mane of her hair. The last spell he cast was Borrow Strength, stealing strength from her might be the only way to win the battle ahead of him.

Finally, finished with his spells, he took his hands from her hips, and wrapped his arms all the way around her, while pushing her forward. Urgency built inside of him, as she growled at him again. He could feel her relenting to his pressure. She wasn’t resisting. Perhaps their battle was already over?

Apparently she had really liked his gifts.