Veera’s breath came hot and heavy, vanishing into ethereal swirls behind her as she stuck close to her mate. Even with his armored footfalls sinking deep into the snow he was keeping a quick pace, his own breath fogging the night air outside his helmet. They’d not spoken since departing the hill where they’d spent the day frolicking together. It had only been a couple hours ago but to Veera it felt like days. They’d seen torches in the forest. The nomadic tribes were moving. They were close. Making sure to time her words with her breathing so as not to disrupt her body’s rhythm, Veera voiced the other fear that had set in as the night covered them, the scant moonlight forcing her eyes to operate at their peak.

“Io…any sign of…ursae?”

‘No Veera, not yet. I have all of my sensors calibrated and searching. If it does not make an appearance, that could either be very good, or very bad,’ the VI stated, a serious edge to her voice. She regarded her partner with unconcealed worry.

“Elaborate,” Winters commanded as he stomped through the snow, checking his HUD every few strides to make sure they were still on the most direct route back.

‘I suppose with the two of you currently occupied there’s no better time for a long winded theory. Very well then!’ Io vanished the track suit she’d been wearing as a show of support for her companions during their cardiovascular exertion. In its place she sported a professorial look, complete with wire frame glasses. ‘I’ve been thinking about the ursae’s behavior since its little show of stalking us. I admit that’s not much data to go by, but we have a counter example to compare it to, namely the hyrven that attacked us on our first hunt. The question I’ve been trying to answer is why. Why was it trailing us? Why did it take the time to observe us, even before it knew that I could see it? If it was hungry, like that hyrven, it could have attacked us with little warning. I’m confident that I would have noticed it coming all the same, but certainly at a much shorter distance. In short, I believe we can rule hunger out of the equation. Between whatever its metabolic rate is and the prevalence of other food, it clearly doesn’t feel the need to eat us…at least not yet.’

“Oh joy! I feel…safer already.” Veera snarked between breaths.

‘Fear not oh feisty one, I was just getting to the bad part.’

“That was the good part?!” Veera cried, her feathers fanning out in a show of displeasure that served to vent some of her excess body heat. Io nodded.

‘Indeed it was Veera. For now I’ve only been able to come up with a couple of alternative explanations for what this creature was doing if it was not actively hunting us in order to make us into a meal. The first is that it was simply curious. I find that difficult to believe, though I admit there’s very little information on the ursae to either confirm or deny such a hypothesis. My second theory is that the ursae was investigating an anomaly that had entered its kingdom.’

“You mean Vash doesn’t actually rule these lands? I’d get a kick out of that,” Winters huffed as he trudged on, his muscles burning with exertion as he tossed snow into the air with every stride.

‘That’s not too far off from what I’m thinking, sir. If we take Ratha’s hypothesis as true and we assume that the ursae inhabit the lands to the north and west of the village, perhaps even extending into the mountainous region that marks the middle of the continent, it’s quite possible that Veera’s village is on the edge of the territory that the beast considers his…or hers. Either way, that could explain why the hunters behave as they do, why casualties rise if one goes too far in that direction.’

“What about the…nomadic tribes…then?” Veera asked.

‘Unknown, Veera. Though I get the sneaking suspicion that if our stealthy friend is in the area at all, that’s where he is right now.’

“Anything to take the heat off. Io, ETA?” Winters requested, refocusing them back on the mission and away from important, but still unfounded speculation.

‘The palisade should be visible within fifteen minutes sir.’

“Can you make it at this pace Veera?” Winters called over his shoulder. He would have preferred to remain behind her, but as the only one with the map, he had to lead.

“Don’t look down on me…my love…I’m fine!” Veera insisted, feeling a stitch in her side. Her body ached, but not in a bad way. If anything, she was certain she’d earned herself another full body massage from her man. That thought alone was more than enough to see her through the final stretch.

-----

“Do you two have any idea what time it is? Where have you been?!” Xan cried as Veera and Winters rushed to the north gate.

“Unimportant. Xan, where is Antoth? Is he on patrol?” Winters asked quickly, trying to keep his voice level. Xan replied as he and the other guard on duty opened one side of the gate.

“He should be at the barracks. I’m not sure if he’ll be resting or not. He had night shift last night. What’s going on Winters?” Veera could hear the fear creeping into his voice. Grabbing her human by the hand, she bade him halt so that she could explain.

“Xan, we were out playing in the snow, a good ways to the north. We saw one of the northern tribes. They’re on the move.” Xan made a sign with his free hand, clutching his spear tightly with the other.

“Uthos preserve us,” he whispered. Winters looked down at the kid.

“Remember what I taught you Xan. If you survive your first fight, you odds of surviving the next one go way up.” He couldn’t bring himself to tell the kid that ‘everything would be alright’ or that ‘there was nothing to worry about’. They didn’t know what the roving band of Cauthan was after. They could only hope it wasn’t them.

“I will, sir. Now please, go find the captain.”

“You got it Xan. Thank you.” Winters met Xan’s forearm with his own as Veera called a final parting word.

“Selah Xan!” With that, Winters and Veera continued on, having used the brief conversation to catch their breath. A couple minutes later they skidded to a halt in from the barracks and burst through the front door.

“Antoth! You in here?!” Winters yelled.

“By all the gods and especially Kel you don’t have to bloody yell Winters! I’m right here!” Antoth yelled back, stumbling out of his chambers. Without his armor he sported a simple leather tunic and pair of pants.

“He was only yelling because this is urgent!” Veera shouted as well, far too hyped up on her body’s equivalent of adrenaline and endorphins to care about her volume.

“ENOUGH!” Antoth roared, momentarily allowing silence to fall in the small outpost. “Now, given the state you two are in this can’t be a damn crime report. What in the name of Uthos happened?” Winters and Veera looked at one another, the human allowing her to step forward. He knew next to nothing about the tribe they’d seen.

“Antoth, we were north of the village, about half a day or so by foot in these conditions. We saw torches in the forest.” For a moment the guard captain said nothing, his eyes narrowing as his ear twitched. Without a word he retreated to his quarters, emerging soon after with two small chairs. Sitting at his desk, he bade Veera and Winters to be seated as well. After depositing their gear against the wall of the building, they did so.

“Tell me everything Veera, every detail. How many were there? Was it a raiding party or the full tribe? Were women and children among them? What are we dealing with here? Damnit! I knew things had been quiet for far too long. It’s been fifteen years,” the captain grumbled. Realizing he’d been rambling, he silenced himself and looked up at the two of them expectantly.

“We couldn’t see much Antoth, I’m sorry,” Winters spoke. “We were atop a ridgeline in twilight. It was far too dark to see anything other than winking lights in the distant trees. The only reason we know it was torches at all and not some natural phenomenon is because of my helmet’s ability to look at stuff that’s far away.” Winters paused, quite infuriated with his inability to explain magnification in a way that didn’t make himself sound stupid. Antoth was unperturbed.

“How many, Winters?” The human had never been pierced by such a gaze from any Cauthan, even Ratha. He looked ready to go to war right then and there, his tone deep and dark. Winters sighed and rested an elbow on his knee. He looked at Veera.

“Do you think we should tell him?” He asked nervously

“Of course we should Russell!”

“I didn’t mean that! I meant…her.” He pointed at his bracer. Veera’s feathers shook rapidly as her eyes widened with understanding.

“If you think it’s wise Russell.”

“She knows more than anything. We have recordings. It could help save your people.”

“But what about your laws!” Veera cried, recalling something about how everything she’d ever done with her human was technically disallowed by some piece of paper back on Earth. She had not enjoyed that late night conversation one bit. It had ended with her spitting curses at far off humans before pouncing on her darling and kissing him long into the night. Winters was clearly in a similar mood that evening.

“Fuck the Ghaelen and fuck Alpha too, Veera. This is my home now. It could be my home until I take my last breath. I refuse to be gutted in my sleep by some scrawny little shit from up north!” Veera smiled at him and placed a kiss on his helmet, finding the act oddly satisfying, especially given how she’d first reacted to the thing.

“Then allow me to aid you, Russell. I can tell even if I said no you’d do it anyway. Am I wrong?” Winters rubbed his neck.

“No, you’re not. Thanks Veera.”

“You’re lucky you decided to bond with a fireball, as you’ve called me.” Veera teased him before looking at Antoth. “Antoth, I need your vow, your vow on your honor as Guardian and servant of Uthos that you will not reveal anything of what you see here tonight to anyone.” The captain shot her a disbelieving look, finally pushed over the edge thanks to their long and winding conversation that had, up to that point, completely ignored him and provided him nothing in the way of useful information.

“You have to be out of your bloody mind Veera!” He growled. “How am I supposed to prepare for a potential attack if I can’t tell anyone about what’s happening out there?” To his great consternation, Veera just laughed.

“Antoth don’t be silly, we don’t mean that. Russell, do you think you could do a better job here?” Antoth slammed a fist on his desk.

“Enough games you two!” He yelled, rising to his feet. Winters stood as well, hands out in an appeal for calm.

“Antoth, listen to me. This is a request from a soldier,” Winters began, immediately calming the guard as he invoked military honor. Antoth leaned back in his chair, his short crown feathers waving as he thought.

“Very well Winters. Say your piece.”

“What I’m about to show you is so preposterous that I’m sure that if my superiors knew about it they’d have me thrown into a military prison for unauthorized modifications to sensitive military technology. Beyond that, what I’m about to do is in gross violation of an inter-species treaty between my people and another race of aliens that can also travel between stars. If word got out and the wrong people saw it first, it could cause an interstellar war in the worst case scenario.” He looked over at Veera, who had emitted a small cry of fear. “Don’t worry love; we’d absolutely crush them. Antoth, do I have your word that what you’re about to see will not leave this room? Obviously any tactical data is yours to share freely with your men and the village as a whole.” By this point Io was positively humming in anticipation, having changed into her finest HEL officer’s dress uniform and returning her formerly ponytailed hair to a stately bun. Antoth just stared at them.

“You would risk war with another species for the sake of my people?”

“Yes.” Winters replied without hesitation. “Gah!” At his word Veera leapt from her chair and tackled him to the ground, her feathers vibrating with love and her tail whipping back and forth under her cloak. She refused to allow him back up until he hugged her for all he was worth, enveloping her in a cold, armored embrace that nevertheless set her heart on fire.

“I love you Russell Winters,” she told him happily. Antoth turned to regard the ceiling and coughed loudly.

“I’m sure he loves you too Veera, but we have matters of safety to discuss. Winters, what is this technology you speak of? And who is…she?” The captain requested, thinking that Winters couldn’t have meant Veera.

‘That would be me, sir. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance after all this time.’ Io broke her silence, using the Aegis’ comms system to project her own voice in fluent Cauthan. She also chose that moment to activate the B-MASS and reveal herself physically, bowing slightly to the guard captain as Winters took his seat again. Antoth leapt from his chair, jumping backward and drawing his dagger from the sheath at his hip.

“Uthos protect me; you are touched by Kel! You’re protected by a spirit!” Veera attempted and failed to hold in her laughter as Io brought a finger to her lips in thought. She turned back to Winters.

‘Sir, I would like to be referred to as your guardian spirit from now on. It’s such a beautiful description, especially compared to something as drab as Virtual Intelligence. Being not only alive, but divine sounds…well…divine!’ Her partner smiled behind his helmet. She could always lighten his spirits it seemed.

“We can talk about that later. I think we have other, more proximate concerns,” Winters told her, pointing to Antoth who had now backed himself against the far wall, his dagger raised defensively across his chest.

‘Ah yes, of course, my apologies sir. I was simply caught up in the moment. Antoth, my name is Io. I am a part of the Lieutenant’s armor. I am one of his weapons. I am not technically a spirit, nor am I supernatural in any way, though I must say I prefer the idea. Will you please rejoin us? I have much to share with you.’ Antoth eyed her critically.

“Wait…” he growled. “It was you…wasn’t it? You found the ursae. There’s no way a human or a Cauthan could have done such a thing.”

‘Oh my, his mind is as quick as his footwork. Thank you for letting me speak to him!’ Io’s tone was delightful as she bid Antoth be seated again. ‘Yes Antoth, it was I who first discerned that the ursae was stalking my partner. I am pleased to report that we did not spot it at all this evening. May I continue?’

“What are you?” Antoth asked instead, lowering his blade but still refusing to approach them. Io nodded.

‘I suppose a certain degree of skepticism would be natural for someone like you.’

“Great, barely past names and she’s already beginning to sound like Ratha,” Antoth scoffed, annoyed at the spirit’s flippancy, arrogance, and undue familiarity. Io turned back to Winters, looking emotionally wounded.

‘Sir, do I really sound like a spiky, unloved bitch with an unused body and a murder fetish?’ She asked innocently. Winters began whistling in amazement while Veera fell out of her chair, rolling around on the floor and snorting in amusement. She was soon joined by Antoth’s booming laughter.

“I take back what I said! I like this spirit!” He exclaimed, taking a couple steps back towards them and meeting Io’s eyes. “Just don’t ever treat me like an ignorant primitive again, even if I am one,” he insisted, his eyes traveling to Winters’ firearms.

‘I suppose my tone could have been construed as offensive. For that, you have my apologies Antoth. Now if you do not mind, could we continue? While I am happy to engage in idle chatter with a new individual, it would not do for someone to walk in on us, nor would it be wise to delay any preparations you might deem necessary.’ The guard nodded in agreement, accepting Io’s verbal olive branch and retaking his seat, looking at the projection of what he assumed had to be a human female with calculating green eyes.

“What did you say your name was, spirit?”

‘I am Io, named for one of the moons of the largest planet in the human system.’ Her explanation had Antoth looking at Winters with a knowing smirk.

“So maybe I wasn’t too far off when I said you were protected by the twins themselves, eh? Brought your own moon goddess along with you? Smart thinking Winters. Now then, Io, please tell me what you and your partner saw today.”

‘Of course. I captured this video of our encounter.’ Io vanished as a grainy video of winking lights in a distant forest played for them, followed by Winters zooming back to normal magnification, giving Antoth an idea of the distance.

“I’m just going to go ahead and ignore whatever sort of magic that was that allowed me to see your memory and focus on what I can understand. That was a lot of potential enemies, Io.”

‘Potentially Antoth, though I believe I can make a few inferences based on this small bit of information.’

“I’m listening, spirit.”

‘See here?’ Io rendered a still frame for them. ‘You can see three lights in the distance. Two are clearly being held aloft by Cauthan, though they possess a notable difference in height. The third, however, is lower. I can only assume that this is either carried by a child or attached to some sort of cart or sled.’

“In other words, we’re not looking at a raiding party, but likely a full scale migration of an entire village?” The captain suggested.

‘I cannot say so with certainty Antoth, but yes, that is my best conclusion. What do you make of this?’ The captain took his time, stroking his chin idly as he thought.

“It’s either very good, or very bad.” Veera and Winters looked at one another as Antoth elaborated. “Chances are if they’re taking the risk of moving the whole tribe during winter, it’s for one of two reasons. First, something dangerous has driven them this way, in which case we might have to worry about whatever that is more than the nomads themselves, or not. I can’t be sure. Second, they’ve been forced to move in search of resources, in which case this village is the prime and only target.”

“Are you really that far away from the rest of your people Antoth?”

“They aren’t our people Winters. Why do you think we’re so isolated from the rest of the world? It’s not for safety, I can tell you that much.”

‘Much as Russell and I would love to hear that historical tale, I believe it can wait for another day,’ Io interjected, returning them to the subject at hand. ‘What will you do Antoth?’

“That depends. What else can you tell me Io? How far from the village were you? In which direction were they headed?” Io nodded, rendering the top-down map that she’d slowly been compiling over the hunts that she and Winters had been on. The village and its surrounding farms made up the bottom right hand corner of the map, with Veera’s farm off to the west across the river. A location far to the north, further than the farm, was marked with an X, as well as the approximate distance at which Winters and Veera had spotted the lights.

‘In perfect conditions, the location in question can be reached in a quarter of a day, or about three hours. Your day/night cycle consists of twenty one hours.’

“Human measurements?”

‘Yes.’

“Fine, so a half day there and back at what speed?”

‘That would be a normal walk Antoth, surely a faster pace than a caravan containing supply trains, women, and children could manage.’

“Yes, but that’s little comfort given how close they already are. And they’re headed east are they? I can’t say I know that area too well. I’ll have to talk to Ratha. What can you tell me about the area? Are there any defining features?”

“There is a long ridge line that faces north Antoth, that’s the only thing I can think of,” Veera supplied. He nodded again, his eyes closing in remembrance.

“The last raid was fifteen years ago and we killed them all,” he told them with a hint of pride. Veera spoke up in surprise.

“Wait, you did? I thought some got away!” Antoth turned a feral grin on her.

“Oh they did, at first. Ran like the backstabbing cowards they were once they saw the fight was lost.”

“Then how did you-” Veera paused mid-sentence as Winters rested a hand on her knee.

“Think about it Veera. Your home has been discovered by hostile forces. Some of them have escaped with the knowledge of where you live. The captain of the guard is dead.” Winters paused to bow his head slightly to Antoth, a gesture the veteran appreciated. “You’ve likely taken other casualties as well. What would happen if they returned with more warriors, maybe even from a different tribe?” Winters asked, making the assumption that the northern nomads were not a single monolithic entity. Veera got the idea quickly.

“It would be a disaster. So you pursued them then?” Veera asked, not remembering too many details. She’d been but five years of age.

“We didn’t,” Antoth snarled quietly. “The hunters did. Ratha was second in command at the time, if you could even consider the temple of Valta as having a command structure. The chief priest of Valta gathered his men as Ratha interrogated me about the survivors; their number, the direction they fled, distinctive markings, scent, everything.” The guard’s face fell as he recalled the memory, his scars stretching under his fur and reminding him of past battles. “I’ll never forget the look on her face when she left…and when she came back.” Io, Winters, and Veera all stilled as Antoth lost himself to the past for a moment, his tone that of a soldier made old not by time, but by experience. “Most hunters choose to serve Valta in order to provide for their families, to put food in the pot and clothing on their cubs’ backs. Ratha…hunts for other reasons. It’s a challenge for her, an opportunity to test herself against the wilds to prove how strong she is. I may detest her careless indifference to life, but I cannot deny her skill. That woman takes a perverse delight in killing that makes me sick to my stomach but…she saved our home that year.

“Over the next week the hunters returned one by one, empty handed or with proof of one or two kills at most. Even the head priest of Valta returned after three days. We lamented. By our count, anywhere between three to five of the raiders had escaped completely. We’d lost my mentor, the prior Guardian. Several guards were injured and would be unable to fight if a second attack came. A couple succumbed to their wounds during that week. Three hunters, including Ratha, had not returned. The entire village was sick with fear. I did my best to rally the men as best I could, to ensure that our patrols were adequate, even with our reduced numbers. It was a futile task. We needed time and time simply didn’t seem to be on our side…until she returned. The sound of the watch horn must have summoned half the village that night.” Antoth paused, considering how to continue. He chuckled ominously. “I suppose I don’t mind admitting this to you two. I have never been so terrified and so awestruck all at once as when I opened the north gate that night. There she was, standing there as though nothing was amiss, draped in a freshly killed hyrven pelt. A rope was tied around her hips to display her…other trophies. She’d found and killed six Cauthan, gouged their eyes from their sockets, and looped the rope through their eyes and out their mouths. She’d even found and recovered the bows of her fallen comrades, slung across her shoulders. Her fur was matted in blood. It was clear she’d sustained herself on hyrven blood and meat, as well as the blood of our enemies. Her smile was…bestial. Ratha said nothing that night; just walked right on up to Vash’s temple, dropped off her pile of severed heads, returned the bows of the fallen to her guild master, and vanished into her home behind the temple of Valta. Let’s just say that when her predecessor retired, I think it was nine years ago now, she was the unanimous choice to succeed him.” Winters let out a deep breath, begrudgingly admitting that Ratha would be considered nothing short of a bad bitch in the human military, even among the HEL Jumpers.

“Alright, I think I might be afraid of Ratha again,” Veera admitted, sharing a nervous laugh with Io as Winters dropped his elbows to his knees.

“Not to keep us off topic Antoth but since you’ve told us this tale…why isn’t Ratha as bloodlusty now as she was then?” Antoth nodded solemnly.

“Duties of command, no doubt. She didn’t just kill those bastards who attacked us; she found tokens of her fellows so that their families would have something left to hold onto. For the life of me I have no idea how a creature of such devotion never managed to form a bond with a mate, but it’s always there Winters, just under the surface. That hunt changed Ratha forever. Before she was confident, cocky, standoffish…maybe even a bit childish. Her inability to accept your father’s own bonding was testament enough to that, Veera. But when she returned? All of that was mixed together with her undeniable achievements and the fact that she’d taken a Cauthan life…many Cauthan lives. The resulting cruelty has defined her to this day, though to her credit she has never allowed it to overwhelm her duties to the Huntress.”

“You say that as if you admire her Antoth,” Winters remarked, eying the captain with great interest. Antoth huffed in reply, shaking his head sadly.

“I admire her skill and her devotion to her Goddess, Winters. I would be most hypocritical if I didn’t, serving Uthos as I do. My admiration ends there. She is a petty and self-absorbed creature who killed her fellow Cauthan and took from it precisely the wrong lesson, that life is cheap and expendable. Nothing could be further from the truth.” Antoth trailed off as his eyes glazed over, evidence of another memory they would not be made privy to. Winters was sure the guard was reliving his own first taking of life. Will that be me one day? Am I going to have to kill down here? Would I be able to stand it? In that moment the human was most grateful for his helmet. His face had formed into a terrifying grimace.

‘Captain, is there anything more you require from us?’ Io finally broke the silence that had prevailed since Antoth’s statement about Ratha’s lost ‘humanity’. He shook his head.

“No. You two have done more than enough for now. It may be ill-omened given what we’ve just discussed tonight, but I must be on my way to inform Ratha of these developments.”

“We could do it Antoth, we don’t mind,” Veera offered, noticing the pained look on the captain’s face.

“No Veera. Ultimately the safety of this village falls to me. I must coordinate with her to ensure we are not caught unprepared. The best thing the two of you can do is to keep working on your training. I’ve seen you fighting out there. The day you land a hit on Winters is the day you’ll likely surpass most of my first and second year recruits, so don’t despair. Your teacher is one hell of a high bar.” Antoth stood, pausing to look down at them. A smile returned to his face as his thoughts were filled of training and embarrassing a new generation of guardsmen. “Out of curiosity, how long did it take the two of you to get back here in the snow?”

‘Two and a half hours Antoth. They ran the whole way,’ Io informed him with great pride, beaming at Veera and thrilled to display the results of her training regimen.

“Well now, is that so?” The captain’s thin smile stretched into a genuine display of happiness. “You may not be following in his footsteps Veera, but your father has every reason to be proud of the woman you’re becoming. Now that I’ve gotten all of the weakness and sentimentality out of my system, I’m off to tangle with our resident hyrven,” he declared, earning laughter from both Winters and Veera. “Io, I don’t understand a thing about you but it was good to meet you. Tell me, do you have a map of the village?”

‘You mean like this?’ Io rendered a perfect three dimensional replica that slowly spun for them.

“That is exactly the kind of spooky human space magic I’m talking about! Winters, you and Veera are to report here tomorrow morning sometime after breakfast. I’ll take all the help I can get. If we’re lucky, it will all be pointless. Selah to you both.” Antoth threw on his cloak, grabbed a spear and strode out into the night, waving a final farewell to the three of them. Io turned to consider her partners.

‘Well Veera, it may not have been in the manner you expected, but I’d say we were just conscripted into the town guard.’

-----

Winters and Veera spent the walk home absorbed in their own thoughts, their hands clasped tightly together as they moved along the mostly deserted streets. Looking up, Winters noted the twin moons in the sky. They had been in the waning phase of their cycle for days, and now shone only slightly, thin crescents in the dark, star-filled sky. “Of course they would be,” he grumbled, annoyed at the possibility of fighting off a raid of some sort under the darkness of a new moon or cloud cover. His muttering got Veera’s attention as they finally arrived home.

“Still thinking about it?” She asked, replacing her effects before starting on a fire. Winters earned himself a thankful look as he hoisted a pot of day-old dato and chesko stew over the building flames.

“Hard not to. You aren’t?”

“I suppose I am, a bit, but there’s nothing much we can do right now. We informed Antoth, he’ll inform Ratha, and if they need to they can get Vash involved, though he has no direct influence over the defense of the village. Honestly Russell, I’m more concerned about Io.”

‘What did I do?!’ The VI protested hotly.

“Nothing, nothing!” Veera waved at her from her chair before leaning over to stir the stew. Her gesture served to calm Io substantially. “It’s just that I’m worried someone else might find out about you. I know Antoth’s not the kind to reveal a secret or break an oath, but he wants to talk to you again tomorrow. He’ll be talking to Ratha tonight. She might ask questions about how we knew what we did. I honestly don’t know what he’ll say.” Winters began chuckling at her side, an idea popping into his head.

“You know, he doesn’t even have to lie. Can you imagine Ratha’s face when Antoth tells her that I’m protected by a guardian moon spirit?” Veera’s face slowly but surely split into a wide grin and before long they were laughing over dinner, fears of what they’d seen no longer hovering over them like storm clouds. After sating their hunger and spending some time sipping tea in light conversation, the two of them retired, Veera snuggling up tight and close to her human under the blanket. His smooth skin was always pleasantly warm.

“Darling, thank you for today. I had a wonderful time in the snow with you.” She kissed him gently on the cheek to accentuate her gratitude, sighing with contentment as he brought his left arm around her. She chose to remember the happy moments.

“You’re welcome Veera. I did too. You’ve never been sledding?”

“I suppose I could have, but I was never allowed to go that far as a child. Maybe one day soon we can take Zolta and Asha out for a try?”

“I don’t see why not, once we’re confident the forest is safe at least…well…relatively safe,” Winters reasoned rubbing his chin with his other hand. “I need a shave soon.”

“What would you like for Christmas?” Veera asked innocently, taking their conversation on a complete tangent. Winters cocked his brow but did not protest, looking instead at Io.

“Io, it’s gotta be coming up, right?”

‘Yes sir, it is currently December 20th back on earth, meaning that Christmas will arrive in approximately six Maran days,’ Io informed them, not bothering to break her screensaver mode. Veera purred delightedly, poking his chest with a claw to get Winters’ attention.

“You said Christmas was for giving gifts, right? What would you like?!” The human felt his heart warming with the spirit of the season and Veera’s enthusiasm, though he found a certain embarrassment in being put on the spot to ask for something from Veera.

“It’ll sound lame but, I’d be happy with you,” he admitted, bringing a hand behind his head and smiling at her. Veera cocked her head.

“I’m going to assume you meant that in a broad sense. Otherwise you’re in trouble mister!” She warned playfully, clearly not in any mood to follow through with that threat.

“I did mean it that way, promise. I don’t know, maybe a bath too?” He added with a wink, earning him a playful swat of a paw from Veera. “Your turn,” he continued, catching her off guard. Propping herself up on her elbows she began tapping her index fingers together and looked down at the straw bedding.

“Would it be too lame if I said I’d want the same?”

“A bath?!” Veera’s eyes went wide for a moment.

“No! I mean you!” She hissed before throwing a hand over her mouth. “You see…it sounds so mushy and it’s not even original anymore.” Winters brought his right arm up and over to fully envelope her in a hug.

“I don’t mind Veera,” he whispered, scratching her ears to calm and reassure her. “You can have me for Christmas, I promise.”

-----

“Who the hell is it? Get lost! I’m not in the mood.”

“You think I am in the mood, Ratha? We need to talk.”