As he rested in bed Winters found himself feeling oddly cold, wondering if he’d really meant the things he’d said to Veera that day. Home. Family. There was nothing quite like being stranded on an alien world to cause one to reconsider the true meaning of those words. Fortunately, the scene before him ensured that his moment of doubt would be brief. Veera, curled against his side, was laughing softly as she played with Io’s projection, lazily clawing at stars and planets that Io winked into existence in no particular pattern. Even so, it was beautiful; a look at something he thought he might eventually come to call her ‘creative side’. Io herself was sitting cross-legged, as if to rest just atop the gauntlet laid across his chest. Winters caught Veera’s eye and smiled. It felt very much like home, very much like family. She purred for him before returning to her idle distraction, the two of them content to let the fire burn down in silence. As the final embers glowed, Io bid them goodnight, transitioning into her low-light screensaver as Winters returned his armor to the foot of the bed. When he turned back, he could just make out Veera’s face contorting as she stretched.

“Anything wrong?” He whispered.

“Nothing out of the ordinary Russell, I think our efforts today are just catching up to me. I’ve never felt this sore before…well maybe other than harvest days back before you came.”

“Lay down on your stomach?” Winters requested, figuring he could do something nice for her with his hands, repay her for his earlier bath. With a silent nod, Veera rolled over and stretched her legs out, allowing her tail to rest off to the side, not really knowing what he had in mind. He carefully crawled over her, bringing his knees even with her hips and resting just atop her hindquarters. Making sure that Veera’s tail was tucked safely away, he looked up at her as she glanced over her shoulder.

“You know…I’d be a little nervous if you didn’t have your clothes on,” she admitted, thinking their position very similar to that of a mating couple. Winters bent at the waist, bringing his hands down on either side of her head and nuzzling her cheek.

“This is all for you Veera. Trust me and relax, alright?” He leaned back just far enough to capture her ear with his mouth, using only his lips in an effort to convey to her that while he wanted her submission, it was not meant to be a sexual undertaking. Veera complied with a dulcet purr, bringing her arms up so that she could rest her head on them.

“As you wish darling, I’m yours.” Winters felt a brief surge of blood at her words, wondering if Veera had any idea at how adept she was at pillow talk. Bringing himself upright again, he brought his hands to her shoulders, pressing down lightly at first with just his thumbs, rolling the pressure through his fingers to massage the muscles of her neck and upper back. His manhood twitched at Veera’s moan. “By the gods Russell…forget what I said about bathing, I could definitely get used to this.” She felt herself going slack under her human’s touch as he experimented with her body, feeling around for the points where her muscles joined her bones, points where they were likely to knot up after strenuous activity. Points that made her involuntarily grunt and moan like a woman in heat. As he worked his way down her back, Veera relaxed and became accustomed enough to the wonderful sensations that she struck up conversation again. “Darling, I find myself with questions about humans again.”

“That so?” Winters asked kindly, running his thumbs up either side of her spinal column. “How may I be of service?”

“Well, beyond what you’re doing, I was hoping you would tell me about the festivals that you mentioned on the way home.”

“Festivals?”

“You said that you were given time from the military to return home on occasion?”

“Oh! You mean holidays, right?” He asked, now remembering the finer points of that conversation.

“If that’s what you call them, yes. I would like to know more about your celebrations.” Veera looked up at him as he shifted himself up her body, taking her right arm into his hands and beginning to work the muscles there. He smiled back at her, knowing that she could probably see him well given the way her eyes almost shone in the darkness.

“Well, we’ll start with Thanksgiving then. That one is actually similar to your harvest festival in a way, though there’s nothing about mating and bonding.”

“That doesn’t sound as exciting.” Veera remarked, breathing out as Winters moved up her arm and ironed out all the pain from earlier that day. He chuckled at her proclamation.

“Give me a minute to get it out would you? Thanksgiving is meant to be a time for family and…well…the giving of thanks. It was an informal holiday in my country for a long time, until we fought a war amongst ourselves. Veera rolled over beneath him, looking up at him in shock.

“You fought a war against your own people?!” He nodded.

“It’s a long story, far too long for tonight. Let’s just say that almost a hundred years of conflicting ideals and governments finally boiled over and part of my nation tried to secede and leave the union. Instead of letting them go, we fought. It was one of the bloodiest wars in my country’s history…even to this day.” Veera reached up to touch his face.

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you Veera, but this was two hundred years ago. Those wounds have long since healed, thankfully.” He motioned for her to turn back over, continuing his story as he gave some attention to her left arm. “So anyway, in the depths of that conflict, the leader of what was left of my country at the time decided to make Thanksgiving a national, official holiday. It was to be a time of prayer and family, where even in the midst of war we could take a moment to appreciate what we still had.”

“Is that what you do now?”

“In many respects, yes actually. Everyone does their best to make it home, a feast is prepared, we catch up with one another, that sort of stuff. Sometimes extended family will show up too, aunts and uncles, that sort of thing.”

“Do your family members live in different villages then?”

“Yes. Some of them live many hours away, even by car. It would be days of travel for your people.” Veera nodded.

“That’s nice that you have such an opportunity then. I would miss my family very much,” Veera said wistfully.

“Yeah…I wasn’t able to make it last year either.” Winters shook his head, unwilling to let himself be dragged down by his own thoughts. Unlike Veera, he still had a chance to see them again. “So that’s Thanksgiving in brief. My dad would always have us sit around the table before we ate and say one thing that we’re thankful for. It was another one of those traditions that we didn’t really enjoy as teenagers but realized was important later on.”

“I’m very thankful for you Russell,” Veera whispered as he returned his hands to her shoulders.

“And I for you Veera. You as well Io,” Winters called over his shoulder, receiving a reply as Io’s avatar glowed momentarily brighter. “Wanna hear about Christmas?” He asked, carefully reversing his position and moving to Veera’s legs. She made no move to stop him as he began with the pads of her feet.

“Darling, you could talk about the material your pod is made out of and I’d still be fine with that if it meant being pampered like this.” Winters swelled with pride.

“I’ll stick with Christmas I think, but thanks Veera. So this one actually goes a lot farther back, and has a religious origin.” Veera’s ears perked up at those words, her curiosity about human systems of worship surfacing. “So, one of the major religions on my planet, Christianity, is monotheistic. They only have one, omnipotent God…though I suppose there’s still plenty of debate over whether he’s actually omnipotent.”

“Wait so…how do they pray for things then?”

“No matter what, you pray to that one god.”

“Even for things like fertility or rain?” Veera asked incredulously.

“Well…Christians have a bit of a problem with open discussion of sex and fertility as far as I remember, but yes. If you have any prayers, you direct them to the same god.”

“How very strange.” Veera’s sentence was punctuated by another moan as Winters began to massage her calf muscle again.

“Not really for me to say Veera, I wasn’t much of a religious man back on Earth so I could be misrepresenting the finer points. Anyway, their legends state that God had a son, and that he sent his son to Earth in order to forgive mankind of its sins.”

“That’s quite the generous gesture. How did he do that?”

“He was a martyr. He was murdered by a local government that didn’t much fancy his teachings. There’s a separate holiday for Christians to celebrate his death and eventual resurrection, but Christmas isn’t about that, it’s about his birth. It’s meant to be a time of renewal, selflessness, and generosity. It’s a celebration of the reaffirmation of this man’s promise as the son of god. Forgiveness, kindness, a second chance, all that good stuff. It’s my favorite holiday,” he admitted with a hint of child-like innocence.

“Why is that Russell? You said you weren’t very religious.” Veera inquired as he moved on to her other foot.

“The holiday has become…less religious as time has gone on. Well, I guess that’s not fair,” he admitted, running his thumbs over her pads and watching her toes curl with delight. “For those who are religious, it still holds all of its symbolism and importance. For those who aren’t though, it can be anything from a celebration of the good that’s inherent in humanity to a day of gift giving and admiring the decorations.”

“Decorations?” To answer Veera’s question, Winters grabbed his gauntlet and turned back to her.

“It’s my favorite part of the holiday. It’s at the end of December, our last month of the year and the first month of winter. So there are all sorts of really great stuff that go up to complement that wintry feel. I’ve definitely not explained it as well as I’d like but, Io, do you think you could give us a Christmas tree?”

‘Of course sir, I do love the aesthetic myself.’ With a shimmering twist, Io’s avatar was replaced by a full color Colorado blue spruce, covered in a simple motif of lights, snow, and icicles. Atop was a glowing white star. The beautiful image had Veera staring in awe, mouth open, while Winters found himself set upon by a sudden and intense bout of homesickness.

“Damn…” he whispered. “I’m going to miss it this year. Thanks Io.”

‘Yes sir,’ she replied simply, not knowing how she could comfort him. Veera took on that role, hoisting herself up into a seated position and hugging him fiercely around the waist.

“While I’m sure that’s only one small bit of the whole holiday, I can already see why it’s your favorite. It’s so very beautiful Russell.”

“It’s when I find myself most at peace, sitting in the dark and looking at the tree. Been that way since I was a kid, I think.” She held him tighter and whispered to him.

“I hope we can go to your home one day and have a tree. It sounds so silly when I say that here and now though.”

“We’ll add it to the list, along with that little place in the mountains. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t hope for that too Veera, but I meant what I said tonight.” He leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of her head before returning Io to her resting place. “Would you like to finish up?” For a moment Veera just looked at him, feeling an unusually strong pull from inside her. It was so very easy for her to love him when he opened up to her. If that was what he wanted to do, she wouldn’t stop him. She laid back down and turned over, allowing him to return his attention to her thighs.

“I’m sorry to force you to think of home like that, but thank you for sharing. Maybe we could have our own Christmas here?” She felt him still at her suggestion. After a moment he continued, firmly but gently pressing the exhaustion out of her.

“I’d like that.” He whispered, falling silent and continuing to massage her. As she closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of his fingers, Veera couldn’t help but feel warmth blooming inside her. When he reached the hem of her dress and tentatively lifted it past her tail, all she could do was purr with approval. He had left her so very relaxed and so very open to him that it wasn’t even a question as far as her body was concerned. It wanted his hands on her upper thighs. It wanted his hands on her hindquarters. As he did just that, he was rewarded with a long, deep purr born from the bleeding warmth that concentrated at her center.

“That feels…so good,” she murmured. Veera thought she could hear the smirk in his reply.

“Glad to hear it love. Believe me when I say touching you like this is a treat.”

“That makes…two of us then…aah!” Veera gasped lightly as one of his knuckles brushed across her nether lips as he moved from her right side to her left, the sensation confirming for her that, at least to some extent, her body was naturally opening itself to him. Though Winters paused for a moment, he continued when she made no further signal that he should stop, moving down the outside of her left thigh, over and back up again. His face flushed as he felt her heat on his fingertips. The temptation to touch her again was far too great. Pressing down on the inside of her thigh, he allowed a finger to brush against her lips as he moved his hand up and over the surface of her leg. Veera’s tail twitched and batted him in the leg. She was breathing heavily. “Darling?”

“Yes?” He leaned over her again, bringing his mouth close to her ear and taking in the warmth and softness of her body. He supported himself with his left hand, leaving his right between his legs, lightly caressing her ass.

“How did you…do that? How did we get from- ahh! Talking about…your favorite festival to…nnnnhh.” Veera found it harder and harder to focus on forming sentences, her body insistently demanding that she focus instead on the strong fingers still dancing over her fur, tantalizingly close, but still so far away. The realization of what she actually wanted caused her whole body to still, even her feathers and tail rendered motionless as she understood what her body was demanding. His breath was hot on the shell of her ear as he replied, his voice deep and compelling.

“Don’t know…must have been those wonderful noises you’ve been making.” He swiped a finger up her center, this time quite deliberately, thrilled to find the area slightly slick as the sounds of yet another delicious moan met his ears. “To say nothing of how damn good you feel.”

“Gods…Russell!” Veera tucked her head, resting her forehead on her crossed arms and tried to regain some semblance of control. “I…” She shuddered as he repeated his motion over her lips, slow, gentle, and insistent. She grit her teeth and stifled her cry. She had never felt like this before, never felt her body demand something so strongly, never felt so afraid at the unknown that she could no longer deny she wanted. She was completely at his mercy. “Touch me.” Her whispered plea was met by a deep rumbling purr of Winters’ own. With the gentlest nip of her ear, Winters brought a single digit to her entrance and began playing with her, running it slowly up one side and down the other, getting a feel for the texture and give, as well as the increasing evidence of her arousal. Everything about the situation was thrilling to him. The power he had over her, her needy acquiescence, the feel of her, the sound of her; everything stirred the beast inside of him awake once again. It demanded more. It demanded entry. Taking a deep breath, Winters moved his finger from the outside of her lips to the center, returning to his vertical motions. Ever so slowly he began to add pressure to the movement, feeling her body’s resistance give way easily. As he pressed further, everything seemed to happen at once. The friction of her nether lips ceased. Veera whipped her face around to meet his eyes. The upper half of his finger found itself ensconced in wet, scorching heat. Her mouth opened wide in a silent and shocked cry. The beast roared. Winters was panting.

“Veera…” He watched her mouth move but could hear no sound. Trapped beneath him, her body began to shake. A second presence made itself known in his mind, shoving the animal within him to the ground. He could hear her claws digging into the straw beneath them. Something is wrong. As gently as he could Winters backed off, withdrawing his finger slowly from her. As soon as he left her and felt the cold air chilling the small part of him that had been inside her, Veera seemed to regain control, turning onto her back and shielding herself with her arms and crossing her legs.

“Russell! I…” She was breathing heavily and quickly, looking far more like a hunted animal than an explorative lover. Wasting no time, Winters pressed himself upright and off her. Sitting next to her instead and holding out a hand tentatively. She immediately pressed herself into his hold. “I’m sorry!”

“Shhh, it’s alright.” He began rubbing the base of her ears gently. “It was…a bit more intense than you bargained for?” Veera nodded against his chest, unwilling to look him in the eye. Any sort of arousal fled his body immediately, exchanged for his protective instinct. Quickly kicking off his boots, he maneuvered them both under their blanket and held her to him, allowing her to take her usual position atop him, free to move away if she needed.

“I don’t know what happened to me,” she whispered into the darkness. “Everything felt so hot…so wonderful. Your fingers were on me and I didn’t want them to stop and then…” Veera choked up, feeling embarrassment swell within her. Her human held her close, doing his best to soothe her.

“And then suddenly it was different, yeah?” He kindly guessed.

“Yes,” came her muffled reply.

“Can I tell you a story Veera?”

“If you’d like; you don’t have to ask things like that Russell.”

“I’m asking because it’s about the first time I mated.” That got her attention as she finally met his eyes. Even that small gesture made him feel warm again; slowly thawing the cold void that had appeared the moment she’d frozen up on him. Veera considered his request. Confident that he wouldn’t tell her about past mates out of malice or spite, she agreed.

“If you think it’s for the best,” she offered, still clearly upset at her body’s reaction to having something foreign inside of it. He began to rub broad circles over her back, moving slowly between her lumbar region, the space between her shoulders, and back again.

“I suppose there’s no sense in beating around the bush or anything. In short Veera, my first time with a woman was an absolute disaster in every way,” he admitted, even chuckling at himself, the memory not holding any sway over him now that he was clothed and in control.

“I find that hard to believe,” Veera admitted, resting her head on his chest as she calmed at the sound of his laughter. “You’re the most competent lover in the world from where I’m standing.”

“No one’s born that way Veera. We all have to learn somehow. In that way, I suppose, my first time was pretty typical for a human. She and I were both virgins, got to fooling around one day when her parents were silly enough to leave us alone. I think her mom might have been in the study or something. Anyway, unimportant. Things were getting along fine enough until her shirt came off…then her bra. I think it was right around that moment I realized that maybe we weren’t going to stop at touching that day. She took my shirt off and…I don’t know. I just started shaking.”

“I’m sure everyone gets a bit nervous, right?” Veera ventured, still not understanding how that had anything to do with her body’s immediate 180 when he’d entered her.

“Sure, you’re not wrong Veera, but this went well beyond that. I was shaking like a leaf, like I was naked in a blizzard, or cornered by an ursae without weapons…or whatever example you want to use. I tried to control it the best I could but, well, you don’t really hide something like that when you’re rubbing up against someone else. Bless her heart, the girl found it endearing, insisted we keep going. I couldn’t even hold myself up when the time came. She had to be on top. I went soft getting the condom on. Neither of us had any sort of sexual epiphany when I finally entered her. It was uncomfortable for me. It was painful for her. We were on some used mattress in her parents’ basement. Neither of us climaxed. Absolute. Unmitigated. Disaster.” Winters blew out a long breath as he remembered leaving her house that day, the abject shame and humiliation he’d felt. “To this day, I’ve never felt less like a man than I did in that moment. It took me…many times before I was fully able to get over whatever it was that caused my body to seize up when I was alone with a naked woman. I did eventually, of course, but I didn’t start like this Veera. I wasn’t born some ear biting, massage giving, deftly touching, sexual know it all. Hell, I’m not that now; I might just seem like it to you. I was where you are…not so very long ago. Just remember that I love you and I don’t ever want to hurt you.” He made sure she was looking at him, smiling for her faintly glinting irises. “We have the rest of our lives to figure this out.” That final sentence pierced right to her heart.

“This is when I break down and cry Russell, so just know they’re tears of happiness, alright?” Veera spared him the task of deciphering the post-‘sex’ waterworks as she sobbed softly and shifted to rest more of her weight atop him. He found it comforting that they did, indeed, sound like happy tears. Satisfied that he’d repaired the damage as best he could, Winters closed his eyes, content to gently pet Veera’s body until they both found sleep. His dreams were warm and filled with light.

-----

The next morning it was Winters’ turn to sleep in, awaking to Veera’s tail swishing happily in his face as she sat on the bedframe and extended a freshly roasted skewer of meat, vegetables, and boiled egg to him. “Oh man, on the subject of things I could get used to!” He took it from her happily, taking a nicely charred piece of chesko into his mouth.

“You’ll have your whole life to get used to it,” she said to him wistfully, searching his face as she looked for a confirmation of his statement from the night before. Winters hoped he didn’t have too much sleep in his eyes. It was far too early for that sort of subject.

“I meant what I said Veera,” he replied simply, continuing to eat his breakfast before rising in search of his canteen and a drink of water. Veera’s eyes followed him throughout the room as Io looked on passively for her vantage point.

“What is a human bonding ceremony like Russell?” Winters paused and looked at her, finding a needy look in her eyes and a tension in her body that he found he didn’t like at all. Replacing his canteen, he walked over to her and began stroking her feathers and ears with his free hand, the cooking fire feeling excellent on the back of his legs.

“Not letting this go, are you?”

“It’s just…after last night…”

“Zolta and Asha have found their happiness in their way. We’ll find ours in our own way. If that means waiting to mate until your body knows it’s ready and we’ve found…whatever profound meaning there is out there to a physical union, that’s fine. If that means being bonded like they were at the temple, that’s fine. If it means doing things the human way, that’s fine. If it means neither, that’s fine. I’m not going anywhere Veera. That was the best bath I’ve ever had.” He ended with a joke, smiling wide at her and eventually breaking down her walls.

“I’ll admit I found it…enjoyable as well, to say nothing of my massage. Yeah, we’ll figure it out, wont we?” She asked happily, continuing her own meal. Content, Winters sat next to her. When Veera swallowed, she asked again. “Seriously though Russell, what’s a human bonding ceremony like in your culture?” Detecting that she was asking out of curiosity and not desperation, he answered.

“Honestly? Very much like what happened last night. The bride and groom will pick a venue. It could be a place of worship, it could be secular. In front of their family and friends they exchange vows and rings that go around this finger.” Winters held up his left ring finger and tapped it at the base. “Like I said back before the festival, we use rings as a universal symbol, unlike your village’s custom of using something more unique to the couple.”

“What do you want yours to look like?” Veera continued happily, practically bouncing while seated, her ears lively and perky. Io interjected at that moment, eager to participate in a ‘womanly subject’.

‘Veera, there is a common…well I wouldn’t call it a saying so much as a truism. Human girls, from the time they can understand the concept; will think about their wedding day. What will their dress be like? How will their bouquet of flowers look? How large will the diamond in their engagement ring be? What will the decorations look like…’

“I believe she gets the picture Io,” Winters cut in. She shot him a withering look before turning to Veera, gesturing at her partner with a flippant hand.

‘And that, Veera, is how the men of Earth think about their weddings. More specifically, they do not,’ Io proclaimed with a solemn nod and whisper. ‘Barbar.’ Winters looked innocently at Veera. Io certainly wasn’t off the mark.

“Though I hate to give Io a point here Veera, she’s not wrong. I can’t say I ever thought about it. If…if Jess and I had made it home after this deployment then maybe I would have considered the concept in and of itself but no, I’ve never thought about what sort of band I’d want to wear.” Veera stood and kissed his head.

“I’m glad that we’ll get to choose together then.” Her profound statement was interrupted as she brushed a paw through his slowly growing locks of hair.

“Did you just get food in my hair?” Winters ran his own hand through his hair as Veera skipped past him to where Io was projecting a vast array of both engagement and wedding rings, presumably of her own design. He didn’t even know if Io had any desire to see them mated in a formal manner, but she clearly wasn’t about to let such an opportunity to educate Veera and make him uncomfortable at the same time go to waste. Watching as he absently finished his meal, Winters noted that Veera seemed to demand that Io slow down whenever rubies were involved. Red huh? Well alright then. With a smile, he stood and bade his ladies a temporary farewell, making his morning sojourn to the outhouse and back. After a brief chat he and Veera came to the unanimous conclusion that the day would be an ‘off-day’ in spite of Io’s protests; though the VI did give up rather easily.

‘Very well, but fair warning to you both, this rest day is coming out of next week,’ she insisted. Given the soreness that permeated Veera’s body, even after Winters’ best efforts the night before, that sounded just fine to her. Deciding instead to head out into town and explore, they grabbed their cloaks as Winters pocketed the necessary hardware for Io to tag along in his street clothes. After checking the fire pit one last time to ensure it would burn down safely, the two stepped out into a light snowfall.

-----

“Oh I still can’t believe Asha’s pregnant!” Veera exclaimed softly as they wandered out of the village square. The bonding ceremony had prevailed as the topic of discussion since they’d departed their home. Though it hadn’t captured Winters’ imagination as it had Veera’s, he was still pleased to see her lively and happy. He had no desire to repeat the aftermath of Laran’s birth. Io voiced the question that Winters had asked silently that previous evening.

‘I wonder how she knows she’s with cub.’

“I can’t say for sure myself, but I’m sure that Asha must have felt something change inside her over the last few…weeks?” Veera looked over at Winters for confirmation that she’d used the correct word. He nodded with a wink. “Yes, over the last few weeks then. Bearing cubs isn’t the sort of thing that one takes lightly. This was no joke,” Veera declared solemnly.

‘Of course Veera, Asha doesn’t seem the type. Though the Lieutenant and I love to hate on Vash, his speech on the final night of the festival was a point well made.’ Winters and Veera shared a subtle chuckle at Io’s forthright characterization of the mayor, pausing their strides as a certain Cauthan with a distinct profile exited a building on their left. Even with his hood up, there was no mistaking him. Winters nudged Veera with his elbow.

“Veera, am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”

“That depends darling, are you seeing Antoth walking out of Ratha’s temple with his head still on his shoulders?”

“Now you never know, she could have decapitated him and propped the hood up for good measure but…yes. I think that’s exactly what I see.” They looked at one another, eyes glinting with unspoken mischief. A second later they took off at a brisk trot, hailing the surly captain.

“Hey, Antoth!” Veera cried happily, laughing as the guard’s shoulders visibly drooped with exasperation. Nevertheless, he turned to them.

“What do you need Veera? Winters.” He nodded at the human.

“What? No jokes about criminal acts today?” Veera prodded. Antoth narrowed his eyes.

“No child, not today.”

“Child!” Veera exclaimed, hands on hips. “You’re like…ten years younger than my father would be!”

“Veera, I just had to deal with Ratha…willingly. So please, not today.”

“What gives Antoth? What had her twisted in knots today?” Winters asked as Veera translated. He looked between the two of them before growling in reply.

“One of her hunters has gone missing.”

“Shit.”

“By the twin moons.”

“Scheiße.”

“Yeah, now you get why I’m not exactly in a joking mood?” He snarled, earning quick nods of apology from them both. After a long breath to calm himself, Antoth continued. “Though I suppose taking it out on the two of you would be unbecoming of one who serves the Sentinel; in fact, perhaps the two of you might be of some service here.” He shot a calculating look at Winters.

“What do you need? Search and rescue?” He asked, wishing he’d brought the Aegis as Veera continued as an intermediary. Antoth waved them off.

“No, we’ve sent parties already, though to be honest I don’t think they’ll find anything,” he confessed, his dark tone matching his look. “Since you gave us that information about the possibility of an ursae in the area, no hunters have gone on multi-day expeditions, not even Ratha. The hunter in question left the village yesterday morning. In other words, if he ran into trouble it was more than likely fatal trouble. Doesn’t even have to have been the ursae.”

“Then what do you need from us?” Veera requested politely.

“I’ll get to that. For the time being, upon consulting with Ratha, we came to the mutual agreement that a partnership between our temples is in order.” Winters leaned over and whispered to Veera.

“I’m not dreaming, am I? Did he just say that he and Ratha agreed on something?!” He was rewarded with a pinch of his cheek by Veera, her claws extending just enough to make him aware of their presence.

“It would appear you’re not dreaming, my love. What does this partnership entail Antoth? You and Ratha don’t really seem the types to go against tradition.” Antoth paused a moment, looking around as if to consider her words.

“You’re not wrong Veera, this isn’t exactly well-trod ground. That being said, there’s nothing that compels the hunters to refuse our aid, nor does our duty as guardsmen stops at the city gates. It’s an unprecedented move, at least in recent memory, yes. But the information we have thanks to Winters is also unprecedented. Given the situation, we believe it prudent for each hunter or hunting party to take along an attaché from the guard force. There’s safety in numbers, my men will learn something, and the hunters will have an added layer of safety against hyrven, nomads, or gods forbid, that ursae.” Winters nodded his head in agreement, finding the idea reasonable enough assuming the guards could maintain an adequate amount of stealth.

“And us? You said you needed something from us?” Veera pressed, eager to learn what Antoth thought they could do.

“Now don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not telling either of you to risk your necks doing something stupid. That said, the two of you are out in the forest a lot, especially you Winters. All I ask is that you keep your eyes open and if you see anything, report it to Ratha or me, preferably both of us.”

“Not a problem,” Winters replied, pleased to see that Veera clearly felt the same way. Io joined in as well, rendering a salute knowing that her sensors and detection algorithms would be key to such an effort. Figuring that lighter conversation could wait for another time, Veera and Winters bade Antoth farewell. “Well,” he began, taking Veera’s hand in his. “I was going to suggest a little forest walk in the snow but, considering the circumstances…”

“I think that’s still a fine plan but I’d feel much better with one of those spears in my hands…not that your own hand isn’t quite nice.”

“No offense taken, I promise.” Winters leaned in and tilted his head to kiss her under the hood of the cloak, feeling suddenly very protective of his lady. Up until that point, winter had indeed been a magical time for the two of them, full of snow, memories, and even new life. As they headed home to arm themselves, Winters had a sinking feeling he was bound to discover, sooner or later, why the Cauthan referred to winter as the time of Kel.