Veera’s genetic material is xDNA. For a long moment Winters and Veera just looked at one another.

“Uh, it’s what?” Veera asked him, feeling none too great at having yet another arcane term dropped on her, but feeling better after seeing a similarly confused look on her human’s face.

“She said xDNA,” Winters repeated, looking between the two strands curiously.

“So that means what, exactly?”

“I don’t know. It’s clearly DNA…but x,” Winters spoke with mock seriousness.

“What’s x?” Veera played along.

“Oh, well it’s this letter here.” Winters pointed to the four letter acronym below Veera’s spinning double helix. “So those three letters are D N A.”

“Oh, so that’s what D and N look like! I don’t think I did those ones too well, not that it was Io’s fault. I just had a hard time picturing it. I can see the A though!” Veera was mollified as they switched gears briefly to discuss human runes, a much simpler and comprehensible subject than whatever ‘genetic material’ was.

“Right, did you learn uppercase and lowercase?” Winters asked.

“Io explained the concept briefly, but the lowercase letters were very hard to imagine. They seem to involve fewer straight lines and easy angles. I like these capital letters, they’re easier.” Veera related her relative success and failure.

“Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time in the future for you to work on them,” Winters reassured her warmly.

“I’m not worried love. It’s something I have to do, so I’ll do it. It would be nice to get lessons from you sometime as well,” she said hopefully.

“I’ll be sure to do that then. I guess we can have a little lesson about x right now. See how it’s smaller than the D?”

“Mhm!”

“That’s the nice thing about that letter. All you have to do is size it differently. It otherwise looks the same no matter if it’s upper or lowercase.”

“I see. So…what does it mean though?” Veera asked again, catching Io’s exasperated expression out of the corner of her eye. It was obvious enough that Winters had seen it too and was intentionally dragging on the conversation.

“Well, like I said, it means you have DNA, like I do…only x.”

“So x means wider?”

“In this context apparently,” Winters agreed.

“And that means…”

“Beats me.”

“Me too.”

‘Ahem!’ Io finally snapped, tapping her feet impatiently. ‘If the two of you are well and done playing ignoramus I’d be happy to teach you what the x means.’ Io accompanied her declaration with savage air quotes. The subsequent laughter of Veera and Winters did not improve her mood. ‘Oh yes, join Omega Division they said, see the galaxy they said! They never mentioned anything about thick headed HEL Jumpers and their propensity for getting friendly with sassy natives. I should have stayed in a Beta lab,’ Io muttered sarcastically.

“Io, did I just hear right? Did you, the queen of sass, just refer to someone else as sassy?” Winters asked with mock sternness, placing a hand over his heart. “I do believe the world might be ending.”

“Oh stop it you!” Veera giggled, nevertheless hugging his arm and drawing them close together again, hoping to show her thanks for his light-hearted attitude while she stared her ‘true nature’ in its incomprehensible face. “And don’t lie to us Io, you love being out here in the wilds.”

‘You’re not wrong Veera, but you and the Lieutenant are being very dismissive of my work! I’ve been waiting for hours to share this with you!’ Io explained in a hurt tone of voice. Veera looked up at Winters who began to console his partner.

“We’re sorry Io; we didn’t mean it that way. Veera’s still a little freaked out over all of this, ok? There have been a lot of words and concepts that we’ve introduced her to recently that, even with your translation program, are probably very alien to her. We were trying to lighten the mood a little, you know?” Io sighed and dropped her combative look.

‘I understand sir, though I don’t see how that’s more effective than me just explaining what this is. Knowledge is power.’

“I think I’m prepared to hear about it now. Would you explain what the x really means Io?” Veera requested, much to the VI’s satisfaction.

‘Of course Veera,’ Io replied, highlighting portions of the nucleotides in the model of Veera’s DNA. Winters looked closer.

“Six sided, all the same element…are those benzene rings Io?” Winters asked, pointing to them so that Veera could match the word to the object. “You see those Veera?”

“I do Russell, and I can see that your…DNA?”

“Yes, that’s how you pronounce it.”

“Ok, thank you. So yes, as I was saying, your DNA doesn’t appear to have those. It has these rings…but they don’t have the same color at each point,” Veera observed, able to differentiate between normal nucleotides and x-nucleotides thanks to Io’s color coding of the different atoms that made each molecule, reducing the exercise to pattern recognition. Io commanded their attention again, vanishing the molecular models in favor of the letters A, T, C, and G.

“Oh hey! I know those!” Veera exclaimed happily, recognizing more of the runes that Io had tried to explain to her. “What do they stand for?”

‘Remember how DNA looks like a ladder of sorts?’ Io asked, quickly displaying a stylized DNA molecule. ‘These are the four letters that make up the rungs of the ladder, the area that connects the two outer strands, as you can see here. That is how this molecule stores information, in the ordering of these letters.’

“That must be very, very long then if you only have four runes?” Veera remarked, understanding enough to realize how complicated a creation she and Winters were.

‘Indeed Veera, the letters line up like so. A will always pair with T. G will always pair with C. In this way, even if you only have one half of the strand, these rules ensure you can re-create it and pass on that information. Do you understand so far?’ Io checked to make sure she wasn’t losing her pupils. Winters, knowing that much from school, allowed Veera to answer. After looking hard at Io’s visual displays, Veera eventually nodded. ‘Very good Veera. Now, your DNA is special. Instead of four letters, you have eight.’

“Eight? I have twice as many as Russell?”

‘Yes. You have his letters, as well as variants of each, like so.’ Io presented the A, T, C, and G again, as well as xA, xT, xC, and xG as well as their molecular structures.

“Oh, there are the rings again!” Veera pointed out, seeing now that each of the modified letters contained that extra ring.

‘Yes Veera. Because of those rings, each x has to pair with its non-x twin; otherwise the molecule would have a variable width and not be stable.’ Io reset the display to show the eight possible pairings, but noticed that Veera was developing a nervous and confused look. ‘I can see that I’m losing you a bit. How best to explain this?’ She pondered, tapping her chin with a finger. ‘Ah, yes! That should work! Veera, today you were introduced to the twenty six letters of the human alphabet, yes?’

“Mhm,” Veera affirmed.

‘With those twenty six letters you can write any word in the English language, as well as any other language that uses that particular alphabet. Now, what is your body made of?’

“Uh, cells?” Veera repeated the unfamiliar word, unsure what answer Io was looking for. She’d only just learned that she wasn’t a monolithic creation of Seil.

‘Well, yes. However, I was referring to your fur and skin, muscle and bone, those sorts of things.’

“Oh, alright! That’s actually easier,” Veera said, happy they were at least talking about things she could see. Io continued.

‘We use the letters of the alphabet to make words. And those words become sentences and language. In the same way, our bodies use the letters of DNA to make words. Those words form sentences that create muscle for instance, or hair. Does that make a bit more sense?’ Io asked, hoping that the combination of the two disciplines would help Veera connect the abstract topic of molecular biology to something she had experienced in her life. Winters, for his part, looked impressed at her thinking but allowed the situation to continue to play out without his interference. Veera fluttered her feathers and nodded.

“Yes Io, I believe I understand. But how is my language special then?”

‘An excellent question. The human language of DNA has sixty four words. Each word is three letters long,’ Io told her. Veera cradled her chin in her hand and considered the ceiling for a long moment.

“That makes sense. You have four choices for letter number one, four for letter two, and so on.” Veera explained, also arriving at sixty four. Io looked at Winters, dumbfounded.

‘She has an extraordinary capacity for basic mathematics considering her circumstances sir.’ Winters nodded in agreement, but reprimanded her.

“Io, it’s rude to talk about people like that when you’re right in front of them. Why don’t you try that again?” Winters prompted, pointing a finger at Veera. Io looked at Veera awkwardly.

‘Pardon me Veera. You have an innate understanding of basic number manipulation that surprises me.’

“Uh, thank you? I think?” Veera replied, unsure of what exactly she’d done to earn the VI’s praise.

‘It was most certainly a compliment Veera. As I was saying though, the wonder of your xDNA and the reason I so desperately wish I could study it more is because with eight unique letters…’ She allowed the sentence to hang, wondering if Veera would understand where she was going. For a while Veera narrowed her eyes in thought, relaxing a bit as her boyfriend tended lightly to her ears.

“I’d only need two letters…” Veera eventually whispered.

‘Exactly!’ Io jumped and clapped her hands, gleeful at Veera’s comprehension. ‘With just two letters your body is capable of the same complexity as the Lieutenant’s. There are only twenty known building blocks of the body, so sixty four words is redundant, but it makes me wonder! Is your genome much shorter than his? Do you have much more complex regulatory sequences or introns? Does your body follow the same processes for replication of DNA as that of a human or does it do something completely novel? There are so many potential implications, all from the addition of that benzene ring!’ Io concluded, her eyes practically sparkling with the desire to understand the unknown. Veera and Winters couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.

“That is…interesting Io. I can’t say I really understand any of what you just said, but I get that I have double the letters and this means that my body can potentially do things either more efficiently, more complicated, or both. I’m not sure I got much beyond that. There were quite a few words that didn’t translate at the end,” Veera admitted. Io seemed untroubled.

‘That is no problem at all Veera; you got the main thrust of the issue. Did I help to assuage some of your fears?’

“Yes, thank you for asking Io. It’s all quite…difficult to believe, but if it is true then maybe Russell and I aren’t so different?” Veera concluded, giving her mate a brief nuzzle.

‘I’m glad to hear that. I suppose we can leave any other discussions of this type alone unless they become necessary in the future, but I thank you for allowing me some time to explain this. If we are ever in a lab I would love to take another blood sample!’

“What’s a lab?” Veera requested of Winters. He shifted slightly atop the straw before answering.

“It’s a place where humans study the world and create new things. We have labs to study living things, labs to test and create new weapons, labs to work on developing new materials for armor or clothing, labs for anything really. It’s how we understand and manipulate the world around us. I think Thantis’ temple is the closest thing that you have here. He does rudimentary healing, and seeks to understand basic Cauthan physiology, right? He studies the body?” Veera nodded. “Does that answer your question?”

“It does Russell. I shudder at the idea of being a subject of…study, but it completely makes sense that you would devote specific space to the pursuit of practical learning,” Veera told him, causing him to shoot a pointed look at Io. The VI had procured a folder and was jotting down notes.

‘I am retaining this information for later Veera. If we are rescued I am sure we will both be subjects of curiosity. I will not allow them to experiment on you against your will,’ Io insisted emphatically, drawing surprised and then compassionate looks from the other two. Winters realized that Io’s immediate understanding made sense in a way; it was surely something that she was worried about in her own case as well. Veera leaned over and poked Io with her nose. The projection shimmered around her as Io flailed a bit and regained her center.

“Thank you Io! That means a lot to me. The things that humans have done and the things that they know are very frightening at times,” she admitted.

“Sorry love,” Winters murmured sadly, kissing the top of her head.

“It’s not your fault darling. If we were to remain here, it would be wonderful for me. I get you and I get to remain comfortable in my way of life. But I understand things might happen the other way around. It’s better if I get used to all of this now, used to feeling lost and out of sorts.” Veera reasoned, returning his kiss with a chaste lick of his cheek. Winters nodded.

“I guess I’d be a little afraid too, remaining here forever. The idea of adapting for the long term, for the rest of my life, is daunting. You’re very brave Veera. I love you,” he told her earnestly. She couldn’t help purring in reply.

“I love you too.”

‘While I do hate to interject, as this seems like the sort of moment that would result in a long session of kissing before slumber…there is something we should discuss,’ Io informed them, immediately getting their attention with her serious tone.

“What’s going on Io?” Winters asked, holding his gauntlet a bit higher so she could look them in the eye. Her outfit had changed back to the barbarian armor from the festival, complete with face and body paint in some sort of deciduous forest camouflage scheme. Winters couldn’t help raising a brow at her.

‘Your comment about adapting to this planet reminded me of it. I had planned to not mention this at all, since I wasn’t sure, but I’ve been processing your suit’s sensor data from this evening and I believe that my hypothesis is correct now that I have two separate corroborating incidents.’ Winters and Veera looked at one another, confused and a little worried at the VI’s cryptic words.

“What’s this about Io? Is this why you asked to stay home?” Winters prodded.

‘Now before you accuse me of lying, I did review the information from Veera’s blood sample first. However I did also want to isolate and review the sensor data from last night with the intention of comparing it to whatever you brought home today, assuming you did indeed come home after dark, which you did. I did not mention it because I didn’t want to worry you needlessly, either due to false positives or a lack of data.’

“Io I believe we’re more than worried now. How about you tell us what’s going on?” Veera encouraged, immediately on edge from the moment Io had mentioned Winters’ nighttime traveling.

‘Of course Veera, I apologize. Look at this.’ Io snapped her fingers and a small circle appeared next to her, surrounded by bars that radiated from the center, moving up and down seemingly at random. To Winters it looked like some sort of basic waveform visualizer for music.

“What is this Io?” He asked with curiosity. He’d never seen something like it on his HUD before.

‘This is a little something I’ve been working on over the last couple of days, sir. My hypothesis necessitated an accumulation and simplification of all of the sensors present in the Aegis. What you see before you is a representation of the combined readings of all of your external sensors: infrared, motion trackers, visual, audio, and all the rest,’ Io gestured grandly at the graphic, clearly proud of her work. As far as Winters was concerned she had every right to be, though he didn’t see how such a synthesis would be capable of telling them anything that the individual sensors couldn’t. Veera had clearly regained her sense of innocent curiosity as well, now that the subject had shifted to something other than the chemical composition of her body.

“So when these bars get larger, that’s an indication of…something?” Veera asked.

‘In a manner of speaking Veera. Obviously the Lieutenant’s armor is constantly surrounded by things, so the peaks represent deviations from that background. It’s the difference between the forest and, for instance, a chesko within the forest.’

“I think I understand now,” Veera replied. “So what’s this that we’re looking at right now? It doesn’t seem very active.”

‘That was my initial thought as well, but let me play it fully for you. This is a time lapse representation of the readings I took the night of your moonlit confession,” Io said, causing Veera’s feathers to flutter wildly. Winters planted a firm kiss on her lips before turning back to Io’s display, watching as the bars grew and shrank seemingly at random. As Io replayed the sequence over and over, a process that took about a minute for each repetition, something beneath the surface of his thoughts stuck out.

“Veera, do you feel like there’s something we’re missing here? Like there’s a pattern but you can’t quite pick it out?” He asked the other organic. “You’ve lived in these forests the longest; I’d like to know what you think.” Veera’s chest swelled with pride at his request.

“I can’t put a claw on it Russell, but I am in agreement. This does not appear to be fully random. My people sometimes refer to a phenomenon called ‘danger sense’. You find tales of it mostly among hunters or other villagers who spend significant amounts of time outside of the walls and farms. I’ve felt it too. They describe it as a sensation of foreboding. Sometimes it’s rapid and fierce, other times it’s said to be something that creeps up on you over time. It compels you to change what you’re doing, to find a new way home, or turn away from the direction you’re headed. No one really knows what causes it, but I’m sure Thantis, Ratha, and Antoth could all tell you tales of it, either first-hand or stories they recall. While I do not feel it right now, obviously, this strikes me as the same sort of thing,” Veera finished, looking up at her mate with a worried gaze that he returned.

“My people have something similar. We call it a sixth sense. As with your people it revolves around the idea that we, at some unconscious level, are aware of dangers that we might not otherwise detect. Io, you said this was something you weren’t sure of. What changed your mind?” He asked the VI. She looked grateful for the lead in.

‘Sir, as I said earlier, your suit’s data from this evening gave me another sample to work with. Here is what I’ve isolated from tonight.’ Io overlaid a second set of bars around the ring. The first, in white, remained in the background, while the new off-yellow bars began their dance. Winters and Veera narrowed their eyes.

“I don’t know Russell, it’s harder to keep track of both at once,” Veera voiced her opinion.

“Agreed. Io, is there any way you can clean this up for us?”

‘Yes sir.’ Io waved her hands and paused certain arcs of the circle, drawing their attention to the pieces that were still moving. ‘This portion of the information is, indeed, truly indiscriminate. Let me play both nights for you again.’ As she did so, Winters and Veera were able to see that the bars that Io had allowed to move did so more or less randomly. Once she was satisfied that they understood, Io reversed the situation, pausing the elements that had been established as random and playing only a handful of single bars and groups of bars. ‘Now look at these elements,’ Io instructed. Veera and Winters’ eyes went wide as they noticed those particular bars behaving in similar manners, though occasionally with different magnitudes.

“I can definitely see it now Io,” Winters said. “There’s something that’s being picked up here, but it’s damn well hidden.”

‘Indeed sir. That is my conclusion as well,’ Io replied with a grim look on her face. Veera had brought a hand to her mouth and was looking at Winters with great fear in her eyes.

“Gods protect us,” she whispered. “It’s one of them.” Winters reached out with his arm, allowing her to snuggle into his side. She clung to him tightly, not in the manner of one afraid for herself, but as one afraid of loss.

“I’m looking at an ursae, aren’t I Io?” He growled.

‘Unless there is another large predator prowling these woods with extraordinary stealth capabilities, I believe that is the logical conclusion sir. For the last two nights at least, you have been followed,’ Io informed him, visibly upset that something would dare stalk her partner.

“Ratha said they can grow to be absolutely massive. You’re telling me something potentially larger than a grown elephant is barely showing up on our sensors? What the hell are they made of?!” Winters cursed, unable to believe the implications.

‘I do not know sir, but whatever this thing is has kept its distance. Perhaps it can even detect that it’s being surveyed by the Aegis and is adjusting its behavior accordingly? The only thing that I can say with any certainty is that something is out there and it’s stalking you, sir.’

“Do any of these readings show up during the day?” Winters asked, feeling a small but steady drip of adrenaline even though he was safe behind twelve foot palisade.

‘No sir, that was the first thing I checked for when I detected this pattern. I do not see anything like it during daylight hours,’ Io confirmed.

“Well, on the one hand, that makes me feel a bit better because we have some time to work with when I’m on the hunt now. On the other hand, this behavior pattern matches what we’ve learned so far about the ursae, and I am definitely not thrilled about the idea of them hunting us,” Winters concluded, drawing a small squeak from Veera. He rubbed her shoulder and laid his head atop hers, gently reassuring her. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

“You’re still going to go though,” Veera replied sadly.

“I have to Veera.”

“No you don’t! We…we have enough dato I think, we can try to-”

“Shh, feather kitten. Please. I can’t let you starve or live in poverty when I can do something about it. I refuse to let us be that way,” he tried to reassure her with iron determination.

“I would rather be hungry than alone,” Veera whispered, causing his chest to tighten in that painful way that circumvented any source of physical trauma. “I would rather sleep with you each night than with a blanket made of hyrven. I’m scared,” she admitted freely. For the briefest of moments, Winters thought of agreeing. In the end, he shook his head vehemently.

“Veera, I have the will and, more importantly, the ability to kill every last thing in that forest and survive it. I will not see you suffer again if I can help it. I will come home. I made you a promise.”

“So did he!” She sobbed quietly into his chest, quelling any further impulse he might have had for male bravado that evening. After a short while Veera looked at Io. “Please keep him safe.”

‘You have my word Veera.’ Io bowed to them, showing she was serious. ‘Though we will not intentionally remain in the forest after dark, nor go hunting for ursae,’ she said, shooting a warning look at Winters. ‘I know what to look for now if the fates conspire against us. Any further incidents will only help perfect my ability to detect whatever this is. For now it appears content to watch. That will prove to be a fatal mistake.’

“Well I’m glad you two are so confident,” Veera replied, drying her eyes. “Sorry Russell, I just had a moment there.”

“You’re allowed as many of those as you like or need Veera, but you’re not allowed to be sorry for them,” he insisted.

“I just wish there was something I could do for you,” Veera confessed, her contemplative look accentuated as their fire slowly died and allowed the chill of late autumn to permeate the room.

“You’ve already been doing that Veera,” Winters assured her.

“What do you mean?”

“If you went with me on the hunt, I’d be worried sick over you. You have nothing to protect you like I have in the Aegis. I’d be focused more on protecting you than actually killing game. Forgive me if this sounds…too male…but it’s wonderful coming home to a warm fire or tea. It puts my mind at ease knowing that whatever crazy stuff I manage to acquire out there, you know how to turn that into things we need like salt, or vegetables, or even bloody furniture!” They shared a small laugh at that as he continued. “It meant more than you probably realize coming home tonight and seeing that you’d been trying to learn English all on your own. You make this place worth coming back to, and you’re doing things that have to be done in order to keep us both alive this winter. I want you to keep doing those things feather kitten. You can worry over me while you do them, but I made my promise. I’ll be keeping it.” After a moment Veera nodded against him.

“Do the women of your species get mad at things like that?” She asked after a time. Her question gave Winters pause.

“Where did that come from?”

“You asked me to forgive you. What would I forgive you for? You told me you’re prepared to risk your life to feed us and make our lives more comfortable and asked that I continue making this space of ours into a home for the both of us. That seems like the most natural thing in the world Russell. I take no shame whatsoever in being your mate,” she informed him resolutely, crawling onto his lap and reminding him that she was very much his woman. With brief apologies to Io, Winters returned his gauntlet to the foot of the bed before kissing his Cauthan tenderly, bringing a hand to her cheek and the other around her waist. The fiery passion of the previous night simmered under the surface, but Veera clearly sought to convey something softer and deeper to him. With ease and care, he held her to him and laid them both down on the bed. Neither paid any heed to the already late hour. With the hunt looming ahead of them, sleep was the last thing on their minds. Instead they continued their kiss, slowly and lovingly exploring one another. Winters ran his hands along Veera’s arms as she rested atop him, moving on to explore her spine, running his fingertips down and over her dress and building a tactile picture of her in his mind. She was doing the same, allowing her hands to roam over his shoulders and arms before traveling to his muscled flanks. Her touch was perfect to him, not hard and needy, but not light and hesitant either. It simply was. He had allowed her space, and she was enacting the lesson he’d taught her the night before. “I like the way your body feels. There’s no secrets, no rounded edges. It’s like I can be closer to you,” she murmured, tilting her body to the side so she could bring her left hand across his abdominal muscles. Her purr was music to his ears as his own hands traveled lower, finding her dress again riding up in the small of her back. Taking the opportunity presented to him, he slipped his hands underneath it, running his fingers through the fur of her back and pressing firmly enough to feel the contour of her muscles and vertebrae.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of touching you like this Veera. You and your fur feel wonderful, stripes and all.” He kissed her again, leaving tender pecks along her muzzle. A single tear fell onto his face, causing him to open his eyes and gaze into Veera’s captivating irises, shimmering in the darkness that the fire had left behind.

“I prayed to the gods,” she whispered back, nipping and pecking his own lips and bringing her paws to his face. “I prayed that I would live long enough to see the man you really are.”

“Veera…”

“I will pray every day for your safe return,” she promised, shedding another tear. Winters brought his arms up to hold her to him, reaching all the way up to grasp her shoulders under her dress.

“Thank you my love…for everything.” He hugged her tightly, resting his chin in the cradle of her neck. “I’ve needed great strength in the last cycles, and you’ve given it to me.” He said no more, knowing that Veera would understand his meaning. For a time they simply continued to kiss, neither rushed nor lustful, keeping each other warm as a slight chill worked its way past the door and through the walls. Every surface and curve of their upper bodies was explored tenderly in the darkness, with the two only passing into sleep a few hours before dawn.

-----

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” Veera whispered as she rested her head on Winters’ chest. Seil had risen long ago, but the two of them had decided to spend the hours of early daylight in bed. Winters didn’t mind at all.

“It’s peaceful, isn’t it?” He replied, running his fingers through her feathers and remembering the prior night with fondness. His hunger was growing though, and it finally compelled him to rise. “I’ll build us a fire before I go. It doesn’t seem to be warming up much. Are you going to spend the day here?”

“Don’t you think I should see what I can find in the forest?” Veera asked, feeling a bit unsure at the idea of staying home all day.

“I guess that’s a decent point. Plenty of time for learning once we’re snowed in, yeah?”

“Exactly. Here now, eat.” Veera insisted, handing Winters a kina to go with the fish and eggs he’d already taken. He looked at her with thanks before setting himself on the ground for a late breakfast. Once their morning rituals were complete, Veera helped him into his armor, making sure to avoid the brutal serrated tips of the two arrows that Winters had attached to the plating of his left arm. They were made of some dark patterned material with a certain amount of gloss to it. Figuring she likely wouldn’t understand much of it even if she asked, she ignored them and made sure that her human took everything with him that could be used to kill a potential aggressor. The only thing he left behind was the firearm he’d used at the funeral service for his comrades, a weapon he referred to as a rifle. When Veera asked, he explained that his pistol possessed more stopping power and was easier to use in the event of a close quarters confrontation with any sort of hungry predator. Satisfied, she allowed it to stay, resting in the corner of their home. When Winters was dressed in all but his helmet she reached up to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck and refusing to let go for a long moment. He tasted delightfully of mint.

“I won’t forget my promise Veera. Be safe out there.”

“I will my darling, you do the same. Take care of him Io.”

‘I will use every tool at my disposal to ensure our safe return Veera. As the Lieutenant said, please be careful yourself. I know you will not be venturing as far, and that you’ll be headed south, but even so we will worry for you.’ Veera looked up at Winters, searching his blue eyes for a long moment.

“There are so many things I want to say to you,” she started, not even knowing how to put the emotions into words.

“I feel the same way, and I suspect that no amount of rushed conversation would be enough. So let’s both get back safe, alright? No heroics.”

“While picking herbs, Russell?”

“Hey, you never know right?” He shrugged and smiled at her, a genuine display that warmed her from the inside.

“I suppose so. Come now darling, let’s be on our way,” she insisted, taking his hand and leading him out into the street where they were greeted by a crisp blue sky and the golden light of the changing seasons. After a final tender kiss that had her tail waving with happiness, Veera said goodbye and watched her human turn and make for the west gate, sword and shield on his back and bow in hand. She didn’t think he looked like Kel, but she was sure anything that got in his way would feel otherwise. After a brief moment of consideration she ducked back inside and knelt before her small shrine, entreating the gods to ensure their safe return. “Selah, Russell.”