“I’m beginning to think this wasn’t such a good idea,” Zolta admitted, finding himself increasingly nervous as the darkness closed in around them, the forest only lit by stars and the weak light of the crescent twin moons. The chesko that Winters had felled was no juvenile, and its weight was getting to him, even with Veera’s help and the draining of blood from a surgically placed neck wound. Veera was also breathing heavily, but sported a determined look on her face as her eyes easily reflected the remaining light. Winters had taken the rear, somehow knowing exactly where to go and seemingly unburdened by the fully grown hyrven draped over his shoulders.

“I sense it too Zolta, just keep moving,” Veera advised, unsure if the unease she felt was because of Zolta’s worries, memories of Io’s discovery from the night prior, or actual danger sense. Looking over her shoulder she was greeted by the sight of Winters’ impassive mask.

‘There is no reason to worry yet Veera,’ Io explained, talking only to her. ‘Our…guest does seem to have made an appearance, but I was able to spot it much earlier this time. It’s maintained its distance since then, after I sent a particularly strong burst of radar and lidar its way. I may have surprised it a bit!’ Io was clearly proud at her improved detection ability, though it did little to help settle Veera’s nerves. She didn’t know what Io was talking about, but was fairly certain that the VI had somehow provoked their pursuer. She exhaled deeply. Crazy humans! Unable to stop herself she looked behind her again, trying to make out anything in the dark forest. If there was an ursae there, she couldn’t see any trace of it, and found herself unable to stop the fear that crept up her spine and chilled her blood. The wind that whispered through the trees above became the breath of their stalker. The motion of branches and shifting of shadows became the movement of something intent on killing her. The chesko carcass became a weight dragging her to her doom. For the first time in her life Veera truly appreciated the mental toll that hunting likely placed on people like her father and Ratha. Only the presence of her human and Io at her back kept her from falling apart and sprinting for home. Even on nights when she’d been unable to return from her farm before dark, she’d never felt quite so afraid for her life. Somehow Winters sensed her discomfort.

“It shouldn’t be long now you two, don’t worry. And thank you,” Winters reassured them, his footfalls heavy with the weight of his armor and his trophy. His tone was gentle, but focused. She was sure that he was tracking their foe as well.

“Thank us when we make it back,” Zolta replied stiffly, hoping that Winters’ words wouldn’t tempt fate or the gods themselves.

“Fair enough Zolta. Let’s all just keep our wits about us.”

“Yeah,” the young Cauthan agreed, refocusing his senses on the darkened world around them as they walked on in silence. In that moment he was more than happy with his decision to apprentice as a smith. He didn’t relish the idea of making forest runs after dark a habit. Asha is going to kill me…

-----

The evening found Ratha engaging in one of her most enjoyable pre-hunt rituals, fletching. It was involved, it was intricate, it was necessary to survival, and it was fundamentally something that she could do alone. The fire pit in her personal quarters played host to a small blaze, crackling merrily as the dry wood warmed her against the familiar and almost comforting chill of night. She felt very much in her element, something she rarely experienced within the city walls. There had been a mild commotion at the neighboring temple a bit earlier, but she’d paid it no mind and quickly returned to her semi-meditative state; a state that was on the verge of being disrupted yet again. With a frustrated growl she threw down her knife and feathers before stalking to the entry of the temple and poking her head into the street.

“What in Valta’s name is going on here?” She called angrily at random passersby. To her it seemed half of the village quadrant was heading towards the west gate. The reply she received was unhelpful, the frightened villager being of the ‘tag along and see’ mindset. With an annoyed huff Ratha retreated inside, knowing she wouldn’t get much satisfaction out of her work with all the hubbub going on. Instead, she holstered her knife, grabbed her quiver and bow, threw on her bone helmet, and strode out of the temple. Well at least we’re not under attack…though I suppose that would be a real hunt.

In a few minutes she reached the open west gate, moving effortlessly to the front of the relatively tame but growing crowd. From what she could pick up, most of them were still trying to figure out why they were there in the first place. Spying her target, Ratha sauntered up to him immediately. He visibly sighed as he met her glinting eyes.

“As if my night wasn’t disrupted enough,” Antoth grumbled. “What do you want Ratha?”

“Now Antoth, is that the kind of tone to use with a lady?” She teased.

“Of course not, though I’d say it’s perfectly appropriate for the hyrven standing beside me,” he replied without emotion, staring out at the opaque tree line with a stern expression on his face. Ratha threw him a hurt look, though she smiled as well. Oh how I love this dance, she thought.

“You can only call me that so many times before it ceases to work,” she informed him nonchalantly. “Besides, what of your priestly honor?”

“Uthos demands nothing on the subject of cocky, annoying huntresses.”

“Oh la la, so very prickly tonight. Did a shen crap in your dinner?”

“Ratha, I swear to Kel-”

“Hey Antoth! What’s everyone standing around for? What’s going on?” A new arrival yelled from the crowd. Antoth barked a reply without turning.

“How in the bloody hell should I know? You all just started showing up at the gate! Find someone else to bother. Or better yet, go home!” It was a futile wish.

“That’ll never work,” Ratha informed him.

“As you’re so aptly demonstrating…and was it really necessary to dress up like you want to kill everyone around you? You look like you’re wearing half a skeleton and you’re armed to the teeth.”

“That’s because I do want to kill everyone around me Antoth.” She informed him politely. “Why do you think I serve Valta?”

“Don’t make me draw my blade Ratha, we both know how…wait a minute. Did you…did you fletch your arrows with your own bloody feathers?!” He asked under his breath, noticing the dark brown feathers that contrasted with her lighter auburn fur. Ratha gave him a confident smile.

“Well well, I guess men do notice the little things on occasion. Thought I’d try something new this year, give my kills a little more…flair?” She waved a hand carelessly at her quiver. “You like?”

“No comment.” He looked away from her and refocused on the forest.

“Oh, so you do like!”

“No. Bloody. Comment,” he snarled.

“Have it your way scarface. Seriously though, what’s going on here?” She whispered conspiratorially, only to find him baring his teeth savagely at her. Something had shifted his mood instantly.

“The first hyrven kill of the season, if the rumors are to be believed,” he said under his breath, looking her in the eye with a most superior expression. For a brief moment he saw the shock on her face. “Oh yes Ratha, a short while ago Veera went charging out into the woods to find her…what’s she calling him these days…darling? Sounds like he killed more than he could handle, on his first time out no less. What happened Ratha? He sacrifice your maidenhood to the goddess or something?” Antoth watched the rage build in Ratha’s face. Between Veera, the human, and Ratha’s non-existent mating life he knew he’d struck home.

“Go die in a fire,” she muttered, refusing to believe such a ridiculous tale.

“Now who’s the prickly one?”

“This is madness Antoth. I don’t care how advanced his weapons are, there’s no way he took on a pack and won.”

“Maybe he didn’t take on a pack,” Antoth suggested.

“It takes years to learn how to track them and isolate them when they’re vulnerable, assuming you even survive that. You expect me to believe he bagged one on his first day?” She hissed under her breath.

“I don’t expect anything from you Ratha…I haven’t for a long time.” Antoth replied sadly, growing tired of provoking his perpetual adversary. Her eyes burned with genuine anger, directed only at him.

“Don’t you dare start that with me you washed up, closed off-”

“Hey look! In the trees!” Someone in the crowd yelled, cutting off Ratha’s retort. The crowd fell silent as all eyes turned to face the woods surrounding the village. Torches in the hands of guards and the odd villager cast flickering shadows that leapt out from the gate and into the darkness. Soon enough, three figures emerged from the forest, burdened heavily with the unmistakable silhouettes of the human’s trophies. Veera and Zolta moved in single file, carrying the chesko between them and being careful to not bloody the fur of their lower legs. The weight was clearly getting to them as they plodded heavily through the now empty fields around the town. Winters, on the other hand, looked every bit like a creature out of legend. His posture was unbowed and seemingly unconcerned with the fully grown, though slightly skinny, male hyrven draped over his shoulders. Cheers and shouts went up from those assembled as the hunting party drew closer, masking the threatening growl that emanated from deep in Ratha’s chest. Antoth placed his hand roughly on her shoulder.

“Don’t even think about it Ratha. I am not playing referee again,” he warned her. She immediately made to bat his hand away.

“You do not rule me you-” her protests were cut short as Antoth bared his claws, painfully tightening his grip on her. She grunted and drew her blade most of the way out of its sheath, shooting him the angriest look he’d seen on her face in months. He matched it with an impassive mask of his own. “Unhand me Antoth, this instant! I know exactly where to put this blade if you don’t,” she threatened. He only continued to stare at her.

“Can you behave yourself in keeping with your status as high priestess of Valta? If not, do us all a favor and turn around right now,” Antoth ordered, loosening the hold of his claws just slightly as a peace offering. Ratha huffed and sheathed her blade, unable to contest his appeal to her own authority. “Ratha?” He tried again.

“Fine. Just unhand me now before people start to talk about the Guardian’s impropriety.”

“I don’t think anyone in their right mind would think twice about me physically restraining you,” he shot back, releasing her nonetheless. Without another word she shrugged him off and marched out of the gate to confront the human, stopping them several meters from the village. Veera and the young smith seemed relieved to have returned to the shelter of their home, though the human remained as unreadable as ever behind his helmet. For a moment she looked him over, completely uninterested in the chesko or his accomplices. The hyrven itself was thin, but clearly hadn’t starved to the point of ruining its pelt. She couldn’t make out a single wound on its body, instead looking closely at the scuffs and scrapes on the human’s armor.

“What’s wrong human? You needed to call in support?” She teased, not having any idea how he would have even done such a thing. Winters chuckled, cracking his neck and looking down at her.

“Yes well, as you can see Ratha, I seem to have stumbled upon an instance of beginners luck,” he replied in a tone that clearly conveyed the opinion that his success was anything but luck.

“You have a very odd way of saying you got jumped by a hyrven,” she shot back, feeling her grip on her knife’s handle tighten.

“Yeah, funny thing that. Turns out hyrven aren’t so tough when you break their neck.” Winters brought his hands together in front of him, cracking his knuckles in a cocky display that had her blood boiling anew. She whipped her head to the left as the mutt began giggling at her new mate’s bravado.

“No one asked you, mutt. All you did was carry the dead,” she spat, feeling her rage threaten to consume her. Winters was on edge as well, stepping toward her as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Veera immediately shouted at him.

“Russell!” He stopped at her command, his hands halfway to Ratha’s neck. Her knife was well out of its holster and she brandished it defensively. Veera demanded her attention.

“I’m not the scared little girl you used to look down on anymore Ratha. Your words do nothing but bring shame to the goddess.” Winters could not have been more proud of his woman. Io was giving Ratha the finger.

“You dare talk to me about shame!” Ratha yelled back as Antoth reached them, having run out the moment Ratha looked intent on provocation.

“Gods damn it all Ratha, get the hell out of here! I’ve bloody had it with you tonight. What else do you plan on doing to bring dishonor to your temple? He brought in a kill, that’s all, so get a hold of yourself! You know what acutally? Just stay right bloody here,” he hissed at her, motioning to Zolta, Veera, and Winters to get inside before anything else happened. Zolta and Veera immediately moved away. The young smith had a look of confused fear on his face, but Veera’s was one of only sadness. Antoth smiled at her. “Winters, you too. I know the two of you butt heads worse than chesko during mating season.”

“As you wish Antoth…a word of warning Ratha,” he began.

“Just shut up and go you insufferable alien!” She retorted. Winters took a deep breath and controlled his emotions. Io was absolutely livid, jumping up and down in his HUD and yelling profanities and war cries at the huntress. It actually helped him bring his own anger in check.

“No. You need to hear this. There’s an ursae out there. It’s been stalking me for three nights now. I don’t know why it’s here or what its aim is, but given that no one alive has ever seen one, you need to know how this one’s been behaving.”

“How in the name of the goddess do you know that?” She asked, too shocked to remember her rage.

“We can talk at your temple…once we’ve all calmed down. The safety of your hunters is at stake here,” he insisted. Ratha’s anger simmered, but she understood the larger picture.

“Agreed. Just go human. Don’t make me wait,” she dismissed him. Without another word Winters nodded to Antoth and walked the rest of the way to the gate, greeted by the sounds of revelry and speculation.

“Look at it! Not a scratch on it! How did he kill it?”

“Look at his armor, they must have fought up close!”

“Who takes on a hyrven hand to hand? Doesn’t he have weapons?”

“As expected from the avatar of Kel. I can barely believe it!”

Winters inevitably felt himself flush with pride at the reactions of the villagers who had gathered on hearsay and rumor. If anything he was glad to have delivered a spectacle befitting of their time and interest. Io appeared to be soaking it up too, waving like a member of royalty to the assembled crowd.

‘Now now my good people, no need to push and shove! All of you may pet the dead cat wolf!’ She spoke to herself as villagers cautiously approached them, wanting to feel the fur of the animal. At Winters’ assent they politely moved closer.

“Wow! I’ve never felt this stuff before. Veera is so lucky!”

“This one will fetch a good price to be sure; and not a scratch on it.”

“Damn good kill, human!”

Winters finally broke his silence. “Thank you. Thank you. I’m not keeping it though,” he informed them as a gasp ran through the crowd.

“…and you just ran off without telling me?! I had to hear about this from one of your fellow apprentices! Heading off into the darkness with Veera? Are you insane Zolta? Neither of you are hunters or warriors!” The sound of a particularly displeased young female reached his ears as the remainder of the crowd fell silent.

“If you would excuse me ladies and gentlemen, please.” Winters moved through them, tapping Asha on the shoulder. She spun to face him with a fury in her eyes not unlike the hyrven he carried on his back.

“And you! How could you do that to them? All three of you could have been killed! It’s been dark for more than an hour now!” Asha trained her anger on him, her tail waving furiously behind her as Zolta and Veera stood by with the chesko, unsure of what to do or say. Tempting fate, Winters began laughing. “This is not funny Russell!” Asha yelled.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He waved off her verbal assault. “Will this make up for it?” He asked, removing the hyrven from his shoulders and holding it in his arms before her.

“I…what?!” She stammered.

“I have a contract with your mate for quite a bit of labor and metal. I’m here to pay in full. This’ll cover it, right Zolta?” He asked, not actually knowing how much a hyrven was worth. Zolta nodded dumbly, as shocked as Asha.

“Yeah…you could say that…and then some.”

“Too much? Then consider the rest a housewarming gift! Veera and I are invited to the wedding, right?” He asked jovially, causing Io to break into gleeful laughter at the looks on Asha and Zolta’s faces. He turned to Zolta as Asha continued to stare at him, dumbstruck.

“Zolta, I assume you and your fellows will want to be processing this immediately, right? How’s that going to work?” He asked.

“Usually if a hyrven is brought in, a representative from my temple and from Asha’s will come to bid on various parts of the animal at a minimum. But that’s only because the only ones who ever bring one in are the hunters. If we own the beast already…” he looked to Winters for confirmation.

“It’s my payment. You may consider it yours.” Veera looked adoringly at him.

“Then we should take it to the temple of Valta immediately. We can probably come to an arrangement with one or two of the hunters to properly take it apart in exchange for some part of the animal or other resources,” Zolta explained.

“Very well then Zolta, please go find your master or whomever you’d want to lead that negotiation. You can meet us there. Asha, would you like to do the same for your temple?” Winters asked the young seamstress, remembering something about hyrven furred clothing fetching exorbitant prices with trade caravans.

“Yes, of course. Don’t think I’ve let you off the hook human!” She admonished him lightly before bowing and running off, grabbing Zolta’s hand as she went.

“Cutest couple I ever saw,” he said as Veera was left alone with the chesko, which was now resting in the road. She came up to him and placed a hand on his chest, reminding him of the day they met.

“Other than us, you mean?” She asked pointedly.

“Of course. Here, let’s get these to the temple. We’ve got to find someone to butcher the chesko. What?” He asked, finding Veera staring at him with a surprised look in her eyes.

“You’re mated to a hunter’s daughter and you expect me not to know the basics of butchering an animal?” She asked him with a hurt look in her eyes.

‘Oooh you done stepped in it!’ Io informed him lightheartedly. Winters managed to sweep into a bow, even with the hyrven on his shoulders.

“Forgive me, my lady. Shall we go prepare ourselves some dinner?”

“I think you’ve caught us a new blanket as well,” she informed him, feeling her heart flutter as he helped her lift the chesko in a display of raw strength, eventually taking it from her and shouldering the weight himself.

“Ok…this is…really heavy…let’s go!” He grunted, plodding away from the crowd that called congratulations after him as the remaining villagers made plans for late night games, meals, or drinks. After a few paces Veera managed to reclaim some of the burden of the carcass and they finished walking the distance to the temple of Valta. They found Zolta and his master there, though Asha and a representative from her temple had not arrived.

“Human, I must say you are a man full of surprises!” The smith greeted him with a hearty laugh.

“Yeah, been getting that a lot lately. Zolta fill you in?”

“He did indeed! Never in my life did I think I’d be the proud owner of slightly less than half of an untouched hyrven! My word, there’s no blood on the pelt at all. How did you kill it?”

“Snapped its neck.”

“Gods above!” He cried, looking at his apprentice. “I don’t know what twist of fate brought you and the human together…but good job.” Zolta laughed.

“Thank you master. Shall we see if we can find a hunter to properly skin it?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Ratha informed them as she haughtily strode past them all into the temple with a torch in hand. Within moments the light inside grew and her impatient voice called out again. “You going to make me wait around all night or what?”

“Looks like you’ve got your volunteer. I’ll never understand that woman. Here you go,” Winters offered, finally hefting the hyrven off his shoulders and into the combined care of the two smiths.

“You’re freakishly strong, you know that?” Zolta snarked as they entered the temple.

“And the lady loves it!” Winters called after him, he and Veera remaining momentarily in the street.

“Yes, I very much do,” Veera agreed in a sultry voice, giving him a look of reassurance that he was very much on her good side at the moment. Just as the two of them were about to head inside themselves, a polite cough drew their attention. “Oh, hello again Antoth. Sorry about what happened tonight,” Veera apologized to the guard captain. He waved her off.

“You need not concern yourself Veera. The blame rests squarely on Ratha’s shoulders,” he sighed heavily. “I actually came to apologize for not keeping her under control. It was clear she came spoiling for a fight.”

“What the hell did I ever do to her?” Winters asked seriously. Antoth looked around before motioning them to the side, leaning against the wall of the temple. He lowered his voice.

“While it is not my story to tell, know that she wasn’t…always like this.” He looked at Veera. “Your father was a good man. Don’t ever let her tell you otherwise. I never knew your mother well, but I’m sure he had every reason.”

“I told her to her face tonight Antoth. I’m not scared of her anymore,” Veera replied softly, looking up at her human for strength. “Whatever compels her to behave the way she does…I just don’t care. It’s nothing to do with me.” The guard captain nodded sagely.

“Glad to hear it. I’ll leave the two of you to your carcass then. Looks like you’ll finally get some practice in again Veera. And Winters?”

“Yes sir?”

“Ha! Sir! Only modest in victory are you? Either way, congratulations on your first hunt. I daresay Ratha was ready to go out and stalk an entire pack of hyrven just to one up you.”

“I got lucky Antoth. This guy was alone and hungry.”

“Which for most of us would mean death by hungry hyrven. Don’t sell yourself short human. And…thank you,” Antoth finished, his voice dropping. Winters and Veera looked confusedly at one another.

“For what Antoth?” He asked.

“For spinning that little tale about the ursae. Ratha needed to cool down and you accomplished that expertly. I know you probably wouldn’t weep for her, but there would be chaos if we lost the priestess of Valta just before the winter hunting season,” Antoth explained logically, though Winters thought he heard something else buried in the guard’s tone of voice, regret maybe. He frowned under his helmet.

“That wasn’t a story Antoth. It’s real,” he replied, making sure that his tone conveyed the gravity of the situation. Antoth snarled.

“Are you bloody serious? An ursae has been stalking you for three nights…and you’re still alive?”

“Yes, last I checked,” Winters joked. Antoth blew out a long breath and looked into the night sky.

“I take back what I said. Eiur and Auril must be watching over you personally, to say nothing of Kel. Very well then, if you two will excuse me I need to inform my men posthaste. Gods above, an ursae…” He bid them farewell and strode off into the night, his cloak billowing behind him in the torchlight. Veera looked at her mate.

“I was terrified out there,” she whispered shakily, remembering how her body had almost betrayed her.

“I was too. I’m sorry for getting you involved right after telling you I wanted you to be safe.”

“If you had left me at home in the dark without knowing what happened I would have taken a very long time to forgive you,” Veera informed him sternly. He nodded.

“Then all I’ll say is thank you…partner. Shall we?” He jerked his head at the chesko carcass.

“Let’s. I’m in the mood for meat tonight.”

‘Oh boy! I get to do wissenschaft! Onward valiant steed!’ Io cried triumphantly, brandishing multiple very sharp and pointy instruments while cackling gleefully at the prospect of finally getting to open up one of Mara’s native fauna.

“She’s very excitable, isn’t she?” Veera giggled, assuming Io meant something along the lines of study or learning.

“Veera, we just spent the day hunting, being hunted, punching a hyrven in the face, and then being hunted again in a dark and unfamiliar forest. I haven’t been this hyped up since…”

“Oh? Go on…” Veera encouraged impishly.

“Well combat wise it was a long time ago…but our first kiss was pretty insane as well.” He mumbled. Io regarded him as if he were a precious baby bird.

“Come on loverboy, time to get to work!” Veera informed him happily as they hefted the chesko again and headed into the temple.

‘Adrenaline feels awesome!’

-----

Upon entry, the two of them saw Ratha and the smiths had taken over the large slate table on the right side of the hall. Ratha had already hoisted the hyrven above the table by its hind legs, using a rope tied to the wall and slung over the rafters of the main hall. Winters made a sound of understanding.

“Well that explains the ropes.”

“Of course silly, how else would you properly skin an animal?” Veera asked. He just looked at her. “Wait…you’ve never?”

“Can’t say I have,” he admitted. Veera breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be the expert among the two of them.

“It’s been years for me, and I was always just helping my dad. Sorry if I screw anything up in advance!” Ratha made a disgruntled noise behind them, quickly returning to terse but polite negotiations with her clients.

“Pretty difficult for me to criticize when I’ve never done anything like this. Anyway, Io? Feel like helping out?” Winters requested, making sure that no one else heard him. Io immediately sprang into action detailing two different cutting patterns for skinning and butchering elk, along with important tips such as angling the knife properly to avoid contaminating the meat with hair and how to prevent accidental puncture of internal organs like the bladder or liver.

“Really Io, elk? You’re a subtle one.”

‘Don’t act like you don’t approve.’

“Oh no I do, very much. Never liked the Ghaelen much. I suspect we’ll learn something new today though, so let’s get rid of the internal organ profile. We’ll be careful with the blades. Thanks for the advice.”

‘Of course sir, I will leave you to it!’

“Alright then, let’s get this started. Veera?” Winters called, seeing her rummaging through the various crates on the right side of the room, paying little heed to Ratha. She returned with a large leather bundle that she rolled out on the table. He saw it included multiple sharp stone knives, including a serrated one that had to be a bone saw. Additionally there were gloves and aprons for them both, as well as a large leather bag, a bag of salt, and multiple used but otherwise very clean looking pieces of cloth and leather that struck him as similar to the ones they’d received at the festival when he had enjoyed his first taste of chesko. “Geez this place is loaded!”

“Did you expect anything else human?” Ratha called, unwilling to allow him to entertain the idea of a poorly run guild hall.

“I’ve been curious actually, where do you get your salt from?” Winters asked Veera as she began testing the edge of the various blades she’s chose, finding them satisfactory.

“There’s a nearby deposit to the south, along the river,” Veera explained, allowing Ratha to return her focus to a very careful skinning of the hyrven. “We also get some from trading.”

“I see. Thanks. Shall we?” He asked, tying the rope to the chesko’s hind legs with a firm knot before hoisting it up and securing the rope to the wall of the temple, turning to find Veera apprehensively contemplating it.

“Nervous?”

“Of course. I’ve never done this myself,” she admitted in a whisper.

“First cut is the hardest. Don’t worry, we have a bit of help,” he informed her as Io began indicating where to make incisions in order to open the carcass for gutting. “Windpipe first huh? Well these things probably have that at least given the morphology,” he mused, moving behind Veera and guiding her hand to the throat of the animal.

“Only you could turn butchering an animal into a romantic moment,” she laughed, pausing. “I got it, thanks love.” Nodding, Winters stood back as Veera made the first incision, becoming more confident as she got a feel for the thickness of the hide of the chesko. Once the necessary cuts were made, Winters began removing the internal organs with Veera instructing him as to which were edible and which would either be disposed of or fed to the shen. He was ecstatic at the prospect of both eggs and bacon. All the while Io flitted about gleefully, taking scans, making observations, and occasionally ordering Winters to open up the B-MASS and feed her samples of blood, bone, tendon, and flesh. Once the more distasteful parts of the animal were dealt with and the pelt removed set aside, Winters walked around the carcass, his mouth salivating at the prospect of truly fresh meat. Veera was clearly having similar thoughts. “What’s your favorite cut?” She inquired happily.

“Depends. For breakfast, right around here.” He pointed to the fatty belly of the animal as Veera nodded. “Otherwise, if I’m eating a lot, I prefer the leaner stuff, so the flank, the shoulder, the hip. That is assuming the distribution of fat on a chesko is anything like the animals back on Earth. Seems to line up for the most part,” he concluded, having finished his observation. “What about you?” Veera pointed to the ribs and spine.

“The meat around the bone, some of the fattier cuts. I remember back when I was a cub, I would practically pounce on them before my mother could even cook anything. We would have it in stews or roasted over the fire. She’d always have to lick my fur and feathers clean when I was done. It’s been a long time,” Veera said wistfully, stripping off her gloves and selecting a different set of knives for them. Winters took his with thanks, his heart warmed at the thought of a young Veera covered in blood after a meal. I wonder what that says about me, he considered, moving close to her as they began removing the front legs. While the internal organs had been more unfamiliar in form, the quadrupedal nature of the chesko meant that as far as musculature was concerned, everything was in the same place he expected. With Io’s help, he was able to passably butcher his portions of the animal, making sure to give extra love and care to the portion that would provide him with ‘chesko bacon’, salting it and setting it aside as Veera looked on with fluttering feathers and a smile before returning to her own task.

It took some time, but eventually they had processed the entire animal, with Veera neatly separating everything into useful piles. They had meat and bones for soup, cuts for grilling and roasting, organs and offal to be exchanged for eggs, the pelt, and a decently sized pile of bones they intended to leave as a small donation to the temple along with a cut of meat. They had slain the animal and provided all of the labor, but they did still use various supplies. Once Veera was satisfied that she had appeased the gods and returned a suitable amount of value to the temple, she looked to her mate. Ratha had long since concluded her work, immediately retreating to her sanctum. The smiths had taken the hyrven pelt once it had been cleaned, leading Winters to assume they had their own method of curing the pelt. The corpse had been salted and re-hung to dry. “I wouldn’t mind trying hyrven jerky I suppose,” Winters mused to himself. “Are we all set?”

“Yep! Just have to carry it all home!” Veera stated proudly, her arms covered in blood. Winters removed his helmet and smiled at her.

“This was…actually pretty fun. Certainly a very manly activity back on earth.”

‘Our people are fortunate to be in the position where cleaning an animal can be a hobby,’ Io remarked. Veera nodded.

“And how are you feeling Io?” Winters replied, having tuned her out once he and Veera had gotten in the groove of work.

‘I feel wonderful sir! And I do thank you for your cooperation. I’ll be sleeping in tomorrow if you don’t mind.’

“Permission granted. Lots to file away?”

‘Indeed, to say nothing of the information I received about the way proteins function on Mara! Thank you for your help as well Veera. I hope you both enjoy the fruits of you labor.’

“That’s very kind of you,” Veera replied without mentioning Io’s name, unsure if Ratha was still listening. As she grabbed the first load, Winters gave her a look. “What is it love?”

“Would you mind going on ahead? I wanted to have a little chat with Ratha.”

“Just don’t fight, alright?”

“I have no intention of doing so,” he reassured her.

“I’ll see you at home then. Oh and leave the pelt, we’ll have to cure it tomorrow after it dries.”

“Understood.” Winters bade her farewell and looked around, finding the temple oddly eerie when deserted. Extinguishing half of the torches in a show of conservation, he headed for the back room. Figuring a gesture of goodwill couldn’t hurt, he knocked.

“Ratha?”

“Please tell me you didn’t break anything,” came the reply. Figuring that was as good as he was going to get in the way of permission, Winters entered. “What is it human?”

“What the hell have you got against Veera?”

“If that’s all you came to ask me then this conversation is over,” Ratha declared flatly. “Just leave me be. You’ve already disturbed my fletching once this evening.”

“Why are you such an unreasonable woman?”

“Because you are, as I said, an insufferable alien!” Winters shook his head, remembering Veera’s wish that he not fight.

“Have it your way Ratha. I just wanted you to know that I was serious about the ursae. It’s out there. My armor saw it.”

“I have no idea what that bloody means. How can you be sure?”

“It’s the only explanation anyone knows of for these readings,” he stated tersely, knowing that in the end there was no way he could truly convince her if she didn’t want to believe. Ratha paused her work and contemplated the fire before nodding her head.

“Much as I hate to admit it, you have no reason to lie to me about something like this. My hunters thank you for your warning human. Will that be all?”

“Yes. Goodnight Ratha.” Winters received only silence in reply as he stepped out of her chambers. Seeing that Veera had managed a second trip, he grabbed the remainder of the chesko and left the temple, wondering how someone as devoted to her duties as Ratha could also harbor such abject hatred. He’d seen very little of her rude banter or prodding jabs. She had been downright furious for the most part. “What the hell is with her?”

‘If you ask me, she needs to get laid,’ Io promptly rendered her judgment.

“That goes without saying, but there’s something deeper here,” Winters reasoned.

‘Be that as it may sir, I do not believe it concerns us. Ratha has shown no indication that she will allow whatever grudge she harbors to prevent us from partaking in the hunt so long as we follow their customs. Perhaps this is best left alone?’ She suggested. He couldn’t help but agree.

“You’re not wrong Io. Maybe this is one instance where curiosity is just a bad idea.”

-----

Ratha emerged from her room into the faint light of the remaining torches, pleased to find all of the used tools separated for cleaning.

“Hmph, at least the mutt knows how to show respect.” She muttered, walking over to take a look at the chesko pelt that Veera and the human had left to dry. Her jaw clenched tightly. “I guess that fool did teach her a few tricks after all. Not the best work I’ve ever seen…but not the worst.” With a final look of disgust she turned on her heel and trudged back into her personal room, throwing a piece of fish into her mouth. It tasted like ash. Resolving not to waste any more food on her uncooperative taste buds, the huntress sat on her bed and watched, unmoving, as her fire burned down. She only allowed the defeated sigh to leave her lips once darkness had shrouded her. “She could have been mine…”