“Whew…wow…that is…a lot…harder…when you run it!” Veera panted as she and a fully armored Winters reached the far side of the bridge that crossed the river near her farm. She could see her boyfriend’s armored shoulders heaving with his own exertion as they finally took a break.

“You alright?” His voice came from behind his helmet, but she could make out both concern and happiness in it. She waved him off.

“I’m fine darling, just tired. You go on ahead and I’ll catch up once I stop breathing so heavily, alright?”

“As you wish Veera. If you don’t see me at the pod I’ll be at the shrine,” Winters told her before continuing on and jogging the last couple hundred yards to his pod. Upon arrival he performed a quick battery swap and ensured the continued functioning of the solar panel array before withdrawing his datapad from its port, removing his helmet, and strolling off towards the shrine to his shipmates.

--Mara Date: Third Week of Winter

----Survivor’s Log, 1st Lt. Russell Winters

“It’s been about two weeks since I last made an entry here, so I think going forward a weekly entry when I change out my suit’s batteries should be more than sufficient. I’ve decided to record this entry a bit away from my pod, by a shrine I built to honor those who didn’t make it off the Lancer. I figured I might as well address the dead so long as I’m here. Surely they’re just as interested as anyone who might find this log.

Anyway, sorry guys, just had to start off the log entry in a more official way. You know how it is right? The last few weeks have been quite interesting, to say the least. I’ll start with the more mundane stuff, survival and all that. Power is looking good actually. I was expecting to find some snow on the solar panels but between the angle and whatever the outer layer is made of, it looks like the snow just slid right off. Definitely going to have to take someone in Beta out for a couple drinks if I get back. They saved me a ton of time with that slick materials science stuff. The food situation is also stable, thanks to my continued success on the hunt. Almost all credit for that goes to Io, but the results are what matter. All the holes in the walls are patched and I finally managed to replace that tattered door flap with a legitimate chesko pelt. It’s not like the old ursae pelt they’ve got at the hunter’s lodge, but it’ll do for now. Io’s occasionally found signs of hyrven activity, but they’re always in a pack from what we can tell. We haven’t seen any other lone targets that we could pick off. I know, you guys probably think I’m being a wet rag here after some of the other stunts I’ve pulled, but it only took one of them to knock me over. If I was ready, it might take two or three. Either way, if they managed that, who’s to say they couldn’t overwhelm me? Not a likely possibility, but one that I can’t ignore. One that Veera refuses to let me ignore, for that matter. So that’s hunting for you, transactional and unimpressive, but it’s keeping Veera and me alive with plenty of spare time, so I’m not complaining there. Besides, it turns out Io’s got quite the singing voice.

Weather’s been interesting actually, according to Io at least. By her telling the temperature swings between day and night and day over day have been very muted. We’ve been just above freezing during the day and a few degrees below at night. So far that means that any snowfall has melted by around mid-afternoon the next day, but the temperature is still dropping slowly. Soon enough I don’t think we’ll see much snowmelt at all. Veera doesn’t seem worried about that, so I’d like to believe that it’s normal on this planet, but it still puts me ill at ease. That’s enough of being depressed though, right? I did plenty of that the first couple months I was here. On the bright side, winter and hunting means I’m pretty much always wearing this cloak! Pretty sweet, eh? Yes Dax, I know you’re jealous but even on Mara I don’t think you could have pulled this look off. Definitely makes running more difficult though.

Guess I might as well unpack that too. So…a couple weeks ago I think, I asked the captain of the guard for permission to fight against his men; wanted to keep my skills sharp. Veera helped out during that negotiation quite a bit and he eventually gave us the all clear. One fight later and suddenly Veera’s all excited about learning to fight and training. I’ll be honest I’m not exactly sure why. The proximate cause was being talked down to by one of the guards, but she’s never expressed much care for the thoughts of the other villagers as long as I’ve known her. Io believes she’s doing it to be closer to me. I’m not sure I buy that fully either. My VI’s turning into a hopeless romantic to be honest.”

‘I’m right here sir! And I resent that accusation. I am a hopeful romantic,’ she asserted proudly, even going so far as to project herself giving him a dismissive flick of her hair.

“Right, of course. My apologies guys, she’s a hopeful romantic. Anyway, I personally think Veera’s just interested in learning her own potential. She was in a bad way and I believe that to an extent she thinks the gods have given her a new lease on life. I know that’s what I’d do. Going from starving and weak to suddenly well fed and full of energy and time? You better believe I’d want to see how fast I could run, how high I could jump…” Winters looked around him, not yet seeing Veera around. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Not going to lie, she’s got a long way to go in terms of getting her strength back. That being said she’s more flexible by default that almost any human, and Io’s got her working on improving that. Well, she’s focused on helping us improve everything but for Veera that’s a big focus. Play to your strengths and all that. So yeah, in case you guys haven’t figured it out we’ve basically got a German VI drill instructor who’s winter mission is to make us into the best soldiers on the planet. Which is nice!” He added quickly in a nervous tone of voice as Io appeared again with a disapproving look on her face. “Seriously though, it’s nice. Back in basic we’d do the same thing over and over again, right? You all remember that. Same obstacle course, same weight room, same twenty mile treks in full gear…alright you transfers from Beta might not have done that, but you get the picture right? With Io, every day is something new. We do a different run, or she has some different mix of body weight exercises for Veera…we’ve even climbed trees a few times! That and she still gives us plenty of free time, so in the end I think she and Veera treat it almost as a game you know, how well can you fill out your combat aptitude pentagon! Given that most of the village seems to take it easy during the winter, I’m proud of her.” Winters paused, rubbing his chin as the smile slowly drained from his face.

“I hope you won’t hold this against me Jess, but I did want to talk about…me and Veera you know? Something happened a couple weeks ago, back when we were first getting into this whole training thing. It was night and we were doing a four hundred, just to get an idea of Veera’s baseline. One thing led to another and we ended up being in the maternity temple right when some guy busts in saying that his mate was finally giving birth and that there were complications. I’m sure you can figure out where this is going by now but we got roped into it and Veera ended up helping to deliver the cub. Cute little thing too. That night…changed us. Veera was forced to really confront the reality of the fact that we can never have kids. Things have been different since then. Before that everything was playful and curious. She wanted to know about sex and pleasure and physical intimacy. Now things are a little more muted. Her hugs linger longer; she wants to be closer but not the way we used to be. Things are more urgent, but less erotic. I don’t think she’s gone after my neck for a week. I don’t really know if I’m putting it into words well but…there it is. Sorry to trouble you all with the petty concerns of the living but it helped to try and get it out. So thanks. I think it’s about time to end this log. I’ll upload my armor’s data from the last couple of hunts. Oh, after I do some fighting we’re going to a wedding tonight! Winters out.”

Turning around, Winters saw that Veera had chosen that moment to join him, embracing him and looping her arms around his back to grab his shoulders. She reached up on her toes to kiss him lightly. “Did you get a chance to speak with them?”

“Yeah. I filled them in on what’s been going on of late. Did you want to say hi?” Winters offered, making sure Veera knew the option was open. With a smile she moved to his side and dusted a thin layer of snow off of the shrine.

“Will you help me?” She requested. With an appreciative smile, Winters nodded and began listening to Veera, repeating back her sentences in English so that she could practice and address his comrades in their own tongue. “Hello Jess, and the rest of you who were friends and family to Russell. I hope you’re all well and that you’ve been able to find your peace here. I promise to continue to take care of him and make sure he lives to return home.” Veera concluded her brief prayer with a bow of respect before walking with Winters back to the pod. “Shall we have breakfast?”

“Sure thing, I’m starving after that run. Io, you’re a bit of a taskmaster you know that?” He declared as Veera reached into her satchel and withdrew a couple of kina and some dried chesko. “Thanks for carrying this by the way, that can’t have made it any easier.”

“No, but I think running back without any food in our stomachs would have been equally tough, if not more so. Besides, the last cycle has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’m constantly hungry, but in a completely different way than I used to be, to say nothing of the soreness in my muscles. Io, how am I doing so far?” Veera asked intensely, bringing her nose close to Io’s projection as she tore off a piece of chesko jerky and began chewing, desperate for protein. Io had overlaid her stat sheet with Winters’.

‘Veera, while I do admire your tenacity and enthusiasm, we have technically been at this for less than a cycle. Remember that it took the Lieutenant around four years to achieve his status as one of humanity’s elite, not to mention another year after that to attain his current rank.’

“I know Io but…I’m not exactly aiming that high yet,” Veera responded. Winters scratched her ears affectionately at the word ‘yet’. Even after a long run she found it easy to purr for him.

‘Of course not Veera, but even so these changes take time. That said, you are making progress. Your endurance and speed have both improved since I began taking measurements.’

“What about the others?” Veera seemed disappointed that she wasn’t improving across the board. Winters remained silent as he ate, allowing Veera to gauge her progress on her own terms.

‘As flexibility is your greatest strength Veera, it is also one of the hardest to improve. That is not to say that you have not, but your other skills are improving faster. As for strength, I believe your lower body is responding much better to our exercise regimen than your upper body. Obviously we know that your species can achieve great upper body strength thanks to the example of Antoth and the other guards, but that may only apply to males. This could be a longer term project for you, or an aspect of your fitness that you choose to improve just enough to keep up with the rest of your body. As for your combat skill, we haven’t been able to test you out on the range or in the arena yet, but I will take notes the moment we do,’ Io reassured her. ‘Not to change the subject Veera, but your pronunciation back at the shrine was good. I think you’re improving there as well. Wouldn’t you agree sir?’

“I would. You’ve definitely improved quickly since we started reading together,” Winters added. Io had come up with the original idea once Veera had developed further in her ability to write letters from memory or with minimal assistance. Winters continued to read to her as he had in the past, but now Io would project the text for Veera as she listened, highlighting each word and syllable as it was pronounced so that she could understand the flow of the English language. Every so often Io would stop Winters and have Veera attempt a word or phrase, providing her with as immersive an experience as they could manage for someone who was new not only to the language, but to its alphabet. Veera’s crest feathers fluttered at the praise.

“Thank you both. I really hope no one’s using the facilities today!” Veera wished. “I want to start learning! No offense Io, but running around and lifting things isn’t as fun as fighting seems to be.”

“Can’t argue with that logic,” Winter agreed, remembering his own elation upon learning that he might be able to spar during the harvest festival.

‘Yes of course Veera, but the fact of the matter remains that if you do not train your body, you will not be able to perform in combat at a satisfactory level, no matter how much you may learn.’ Io had adopted the style and manner of a school instructor as she lightly admonished Veera for putting the cart before the horse. ‘If the two of you are finished, I believe we should head back, especially if you want to have enough time to train before the ceremony this evening. The sun sets rather early now,’ Io reminded them. Asha and Zolta would be formalizing their vows at sundown. The date was rather late in the season, but between their two families it had been decided that way. With a nod, Winters offered Veera a drink from his canteen before quenching his own thirst as they began their walk back to the bridge, breaking into a fast jog once they’d reached the other side.

‘That’s right Veera, breath deep and evenly with your strides, excellent!’ Winters hung back, shaking his head and pleased to see both of his ‘girls’ getting along.

-----

At their increased pace, Winters and Veera managed to cut their trip home down from a couple of hours to a half hour, arriving at the barracks just before noon. Eager to use either the archery range or take her first steps at learning actual hand to hand combat, Veera had prepared them a basket lunch so that they wouldn’t have to leave until evening and the wedding demanded their attention. As they circled around back, they found a couple of guards sparring with wooden short blades, as well as a few onlookers. One of them noticed and called out.

“Winters, Veera! Hey, so the rumors were true then?” Xan asked, leaving his seat on the porch and walking over to them. Veera took the lead due to Winters’ lack of helmet, though he did extend a greeting in Cauthan.

“Hello Xan.”

“Oh, cool! Is Veera teaching you?” Xan asked, leaning against one of the vertical beams that supported the roof as Veera stashed their lunch under another bench.

“I am teaching him a few words here and there Xan. In exchange he’s teaching me his tongue, as well as how to fight…though you and your brothers keep getting in the way,” Veera pouted jokingly. Xan had the decency to look apologetic, even if he had no need to be.

“Sorry Veera, you know how Antoth is right? Very by the rules. ‘Don’t disappoint the Sentinel!’” Xan lowered his voice into his best impersonation of Antoth, drawing laughs from both Veera and Winters. Even Io chuckled into their earpieces.

“I understand Xan, and it’s not like I didn’t agree to his terms. I just had hoped I might get to start sooner than this.”

“Yeah, it’s always harder to find free space in the ring after it snows; there’s less to do elsewhere. That said it’s been an odd few days, not much snow. It’s left the sparring ground in even higher demand. Maybe Kel’s still waking up?”

“Don’t ask me, I’m not his keeper,” Winters joked. Xan chuckled as Veera translated. Looking out over the grounds, the young guard suddenly hit on an idea.

“Hey Veera, there’s a couple open spaces at the range. Why don’t you join me? We can even make it a competition in keeping with Antoth’s rules,” he suggested. Veera looked at Winters.

“I know that look on your face feather kitten,” he said, knowing that English would hide his term of endearment from Xan. “You’d rather punch and claw than shoot, right?”

“Well yes, of course! I already know how to use a bow and arrow Russell. Besides, you make it look so exciting.” Winters rubbed the back of his neck as he rolled Veera’s words over in his head. She wasn’t so different from new recruits eager to get their hands on an M-22 for the first time.

“Let me put it this way Veera. Fighting up close may look flashy and exciting, but it’s also dangerous. If you’re skilled with a bow, or in the art of stealth, which Io believes you very well could be given time and effort, you might not ever need to fight an enemy on even footing. At some point you’ll learn, of course, but there’s no shame in winning the battle before it starts.”

“I suppose when you put it that way I seem rather foolish,” Veera admitted, clasping her hands behind her back as Xan waited patiently.

“It’s not that Veera. Believe me; your desire to learn is completely natural. I’m just advising you to not neglect strengths that you already have. You were able to beat me handily at forty feet back at the festival. Those targets look like they’re at least sixty feet away.”

‘Yes sir, just about fifty percent farther than at the festival.’ Io confirmed in his earpiece. The space between buildings back by the temple of Seil hadn’t allowed for those sorts of distances. Winters nodded as he continued.

“Let’s just say that if you can reliably hit targets at that distance with a bow and arrow…” he paused to allow a certain amount of suspense to linger over them. Veera leaned closer to him, the desire for martial knowledge bright in her eyes.

“Yes?” She asked eagerly.

“You might have what it takes to learn to use my weapons.” Winters stated evenly, giving her a supportive but challenging look. Veera’s eyes widened as she turned to Xan.

“Thank you for your offer Xan. I accept!” The guard nodded in satisfaction.

“Awesome! I need to work on my draw anyway, now that my injury is finally healed,” Xan explained as the three of them headed for the large supply shed.

“I noticed Vash’s son is here today as well Xan. Is everything alright between the two of you?” Winters asked. Veera translated as they entered the building and she and Xan headed to the back left corner to fetch arrows and a bow each. Winters looked to the right, finding a suit of hardened leather armor for use in unarmed combat practice. He found it large enough to cover most vital areas and began strapping pieces of it to his legs, arms, and chest. Xan looked around the darkened room before responding to his question.

“I suppose so. It’s not like we ever got along before that, but things haven’t been worse afterwards either. Neither of us got a mate this year, so it’s not like his victory meant anything other than that he’s bigger and stronger than I am; but it’s not like you couldn’t tell that just by looking. Don’t worry though Winters, I’ve been working on what you told me, about fighting with my strengths. I’ve started to win more sparring matches!”

“That’s great to hear Xan. Shall we?” Veera asked, now that they’d acquired their weapons. “Are you coming too darling?” Xan laughed and looked jealous all at once.

“I was going to see if I could get any takers for a real fist fight. If not, I’ll be right over.”

“As you wish. Don’t have too much fun now!” Veera told him as she and Xan headed right after leaving the shed, taking position at the far end of the range and engaging in casual conversation as they slung their quivers over their backs and tested their bows. Winters looked after them until arrows began to fly. Even at sixty feet it still seemed Veera was capable, if not accurate. She was hitting the target at least. Glad to see there was ample room for improvement; Winters turned and walked over to the ring where the current pair of combatants were finishing up. Resting his arms against the fence, he looked over the assembled guards, catching and holding the gaze of Vash’s son. He felt his eyes narrow in challenge.

‘Sir, I feel I should remind you that Antoth said you aren’t allowed to harm his men.’ Io’s tone of voice indicated her heart wasn’t in it at all to stop him if he chose to do so.

“What do you really want Io?” He joked as the strapping young Cauthan stood at the encouragement of his friends and began striding over to him.

‘I want you do deal as much damage to his oversized ego as you can without getting us tossed out of the village!’

“That’s my girl,” Winters soothed her as Vash’s son approached him. He noticed Io’s triumphant smirk as they realized that the two were only the same height thanks to the ears. Even so, that didn’t seem to make any dent in the young Cauthan’s confidence. Even Winters grudgingly admitted that he was a fine physical specimen based on what they’d seen.

“So, Kel-spawn, what is it you want?” He asked while feigning disinterest, though it was more than clear he was itching for a fight.

‘Oh, that’s a new one. I’m sure he spent weeks thinking that one up,’ Io retorted, sitting down and crossing her legs in an elegant and most disapproving posture. Winters simply jerked his thumb at the ring and hopped in.

“Io, how would I say ‘how does it feel to be on the receiving end’?” Winters requested, knowing that the gods of combat would surely disapprove of him planning his victory celebration before engaging in a fight. Even so, he wouldn’t forgive himself if he missed such an opportunity. Shouts of encouragement and hushed whispering rose from the small crowd that had assembled as Winters’ opponent thrust himself into the ring, extending his claws as he did so.

‘I would advise a defensive approach sir, we do not know how the Cauthan fight hand to hand,’ Io advised. They had only been involved in or witnessed sparring matches with weapons previously. Winters was just thankful that Vash’s son had kept his claws sheathed when beating on Xan.

“Understood Io, I’ll take that under advisement.”

‘Funny, I seem to have heard that you plan on ignoring me entirely!’ Io yelled indignantly as Winters pounded a fist into his palm and rushed forward with a grunt, telegraphing a heavy but easily dodged punch with his right fist, drawing his arm high above his shoulder. His opponent smirked, crouching slightly and bouncing on his feet, ready to evade. As Winters began his motion, he kept his fist tight to his body, bringing the punch down across his chest to his left hip, as opposed to swinging at his opponent. Using the momentum of the feint, Winters pivoted his body around his right leg and spun into a roundhouse kick, delivering a fierce blow directly to his opponent’s left shoulder. Thanks to his initial deception, Vash’s son had already been drifting to the right in an attempt to avoid the incoming punch. Winters’ attack only added to this momentum and in an instant he found himself face down in the soggy dirt with a throbbing shoulder. The shouts and cries of surprise from his brothers in the guard only added to his anger. As he jumped back up, he noticed that Winters had again increased the distance between the two of them and looked very pleased with himself. The human was holding one arm behind his back and had extended a hand toward him, palm up. With a smirk, the human bent his fingers at the third knuckle repeatedly, a challenge. He growled deep in his throat and felt his scales shake with rage.

‘Ah, I see now,’ Io spoke into Winters’ ear as they increased the distance to their foe. ‘You rapidly attacked and embarrassed him, which will force him to come at us in a state of heightened rage. We will then evade and defend, which will serve as a contrast to our opening move and anger him further. In that fury we will easily defeat him, yes?’

“Now you’re thinking like a HEL Jumper Io.” Winters muttered with pride. “Fighting in a blind rage is a one way ticket home in a body bag.”

‘Says the berserker?’ Io teased.

“I never said there was only one kind of rage Io. Let’s do this!” Winters became light on his feet as Vash’s son came at him in a blur of razor swipes with his claws. Winters was able to dodge most of the attacks by backpedaling or moving side to side. On occasion he would bring up an arm and block his opponent at the wrist, keeping the claws safely between his arms and the rest of his body. Unfortunately, even with his first strike, his opponent was still fresh and eager. His deflections and blocks didn’t open up any further opportunities for attacks as he almost always found himself having to deal quickly with yet another swipe from the other side. From the distinct lack of any sort of fist based attacks, Winters figured that Xan had just been a distraction or a little game for the mayor’s son. Now he was swinging to fight and injure.

As Winters continued to evade around the ring, always moving in a circle so that he was never backed into a corner, Io remained silent and observant, cataloging their opponent’s fighting style and trying her best to not be intrusive as her partner fought off a relentless, but slowing, volley of attacks. By that time everyone from the archery range had stopped their activity and had joined the growing group of onlookers at the edge of the ring. Even Antoth had poked his head out of his ‘office’ to ascertain the source of the commotion. “Well well, Tarn might finally get that kick in the ass he needs,” the captain remarked under his breath. “He’s coasted far too long on his own size and his father’s cloak tails. Oof, nice one Winters.” Antoth headed back inside as a small roar went up from the assembled spectators. In a bit of a desperation move, Tarn had attempted a downward swiping attack with both arms at once, presumably attempting to defeat Winters through sheer power, or to get him to guard his face and open another opportunity. Antoth had immediately seen the problem with that avenue of attack. He and Tarn were among the tallest of the guards, meaning that ‘power from above’ was a viable option for them in combat with other Cauthan. Winters, however, was tall enough to arrest the attack before the height of its power, before Tarn could bring his full strength down onto his opponent. Winters had even made a show of it, rushing in to grab both of Tarn’s wrists before casting them aside with a roar and delivering a swift headbutt right into his unprotected muzzle. Veera and Xan both cheered loudly for him.

‘I must say sir, that was inspired. Be careful of the blood though, I’m not sure that will wash out,’ Io advised as Vash’s son reeled backwards in pan, clutching a hand to his bleeding nose.

“Curse you human!” He growled, coming at Winters again with a combination of closed fist punches and kicks that were clearly intended to rake his talons back across vital areas of the opponent on the recoil. Winters and Io were both grudgingly impressed, continuing to defend until Winters felt comfortable attacking into the new style. The fact that his opponent was clearly tiring helped as well.

‘Perhaps we should end this sir? I appreciate your ability to accept less dangerous blunt attacks in favor of dodging the pointy bits, but at this rate he might get lucky thanks to saturation alone.’

“Do you have enough information to teach Veera how to fight like a Cauthan?” He asked between breaths, huffing as he jumped back and out of the way of a series of quick lunging kicks. The handspring he performed was completely superfluous, but earned him a few points from the crowd nonetheless.

‘Oh ye of little faith sir. I intend to teach her to fight like a HEL Jumper who happens to be blessed with natural weaponry. I have what I need. Finish him!’

“With pleasure.” Winters crouched down, remembering his first hunt and his fight with the hyrven. As soon as his opponent was in range, Winters leaped at him, finally delivering the promised right hook to the jaw as his weight sent the both of them crashing into the dirt. When the dust cleared, Winters was panting heavily but ultimately victorious, kneeling over his foe with easy access to his neck. Io gave him a phrase in Cauthan.

“Do you yield?” Winters asked, pleased to see his basic linguistic ability took Vash’s son by surprise. He coughed and wiped his nose clean of blood before resting his head against the earth.

“Your pronunciation is an insult to the gods human, but your skill is undeniable. I yield.”

‘Would you like to insult him now? I’ll happily repeat the phrase.’ Io reminded him of his earlier taunt. Winters just shook his head. He was sure Antoth would have some sort of Uthos related admonishment about graciousness in victory, to say nothing of his own former instructors. Besides, lording over primitives is a Ghaelen specialty. With a subtle shake of his head, Winter stood, extending his hand. Vash’s son took it and hoisted himself upright.

“Next time we fight, you will not be so fortunate human,” he promised.

“Hey Tarn, how’s it feel to get your ass handed to you?” One of the other guard’s called out. Winters recognized him as one of the few that had been with Tarn when they arrived.

“I would like to see you do better, chesko fucker!” Tarn shot back, bringing a hand to his nose and climbing out of the arena. Antoth chose that moment to appear again, confirming to Winters that the grizzled captain had been watching the whole time.

“Tarn, my position as your superior requires me to admonish you for your language. Now get over to Thantis and have him take a look at your nose. The rest of you, get back to work.” He signaled to Winters to join him at the far end of the sparring pit, nearest to his office. Winters nodded and headed over, leaning casually on the rough wooden fence. “Good job Winters. Carry on.” Without another word he donned his helm and headed back inside, presumably to head out on patrol. After taking a brief moment to collect himself and allow his breathing and heartbeat a chance to stabilize, the human returned to where Veera and Xan waited patiently for him.

“So, how was the range? Did you do well?” He asked. Veera gave him an incredulous look.

“Oh, are we going to pretend you didn’t just beat the snot out of the mayor’s son?” She asked casually. “Because if so, I’ll have you know that I was able to land all of my shots.”

“All in the center?” Winters asked, knowing the answer already. The pride in Veera’s voice slowly faded away.

“Well…no. I only hit a couple in the bullseye.”

‘All that means is that there is room for improvement Veera. His words were not an admonishment.’ Io added her two cents.

“What about you Xan?” Winters turned to the young guard. Veera translated his question.

“About the same as Veera, maybe a bit worse. I’m able to fully draw without any pain though, so I’ll be back at it in the future. You’re welcome to join me Veera, if you’re around.”

“That’s very kind of you Xan, though I was hoping to get in some time here as well.” She flicked her head and gestured to the sparring pit. Xan developed a thoughtful look.

“Give me a second. Winters you might as well stay where you are,” he advised before turning away from them and addressing his compatriots. After a couple minutes of whispered conversation, an agreement seemed to be reached and Xan returned.

“We’ve decided!” He declared.

“Decided what, exactly?” Veera asked, her crown fluttering in a wintry breeze.

“We decided to give you and Winters some time in the ring on the condition that you allow us to bet on the outcome; namely whether or not you can land a single hit on the human” Xan spelled out the terms. Winters personally had no problem with it, but knew that enduring the scrutiny of other townsfolk might be a sticking point for Veera. Even if she proclaimed not to care, which he believed, that didn’t change the fact that showing a thick skin was tougher than not having to. He looked at her with a kind glance.

“If you’d prefer somewhere else, we can,” he promised, reasonably confident that after two weeks her body would be ready to handle at least an introduction to basic combat, even if her strength and endurance still needed improvement. Veera leaned over the rail and kissed him, much to the delight of the assembled onlookers.

“I would very much like to learn now.”