I felt joy. Undaunted cheer rushing through me coupled with a warmth I had not known for… a long time. The look in her eyes. The closeness with her. The understanding that we wanted each other throughout the night. The lusts we held were carnal… and yet, that carnality were far too shallow for the emotions we shared. We wanted to relish in each other. To become one. To truly sync in mind, body, and soul for those moments under the gaze of the moons and stars.

Turning my head to its side, I moved close to her neck. I breathed in her scent. Kissed her flesh. Her hands lovingly pet my back as she moved her neck to the side and allowed me free reign. My heart bubbled. Emotions surged. I paused my trance to wrap my arms around her and just hug her close. Her arms wrapped around me as well.

“…I love you…” I whispered the foreign words. Seemingly so simple, but a force that promised to transform my world.

She stood on her tiptoes to whisper to my ear, “…mmm… l-o… v…” Her attempt was fragmented. The words foreign. But the sincerity flowed and her try utterly adorable. The way her tongue pulled on every letter, trying desperately to articulate her feelings in a language I knew.

I smiled and just held her. She held me. Time shivered like rippling water and I couldn’t tell if we were the reflection or the source. But overall, I didn’t care.

The moment was ripped from its enchantment when something moved in the undergrowth. Our heads snapped toward the sound. A tinge of angst formed within us. Was it a predator? A threat?

A second later our question was answered as a small, hog-like creature stepped out. Its beady little eyes locked with ours. I wanted to turn it into bacon for what it had just interrupted; as if sensing this, it turned and crashed back into the undergrowth.

Ivy’s lighthearted giggle sang from her lips. I couldn’t help but grant a chortle as well. Our eyes turned back to one another, ready to continue.

But with the magical moment more distant, I could see just how weary she was. Her eyes still outshone the glory of the stars; but, I could see that she needed rest. I could feel the tiredness within her. It made sense. She had likely never walked so much in her life. And she hadn’t been connected with her bulb… thus using my Spirit and what food she ate as her sole sustenance. The day had brought a hell… and the emotional rapids had buffeted her incessantly.

It was a testament to her strength that she was still standing now.

She leaned forward for another kiss, but I placed a finger over her lips to stop her. Her head cocked cutely in confusion.

“Another time,” I whispered. “You need to sleep.”

“Nnnn…” She tried to resume the kiss again. I chuckled and used my free hand to tickle her belly, earning another adorable chime of her giggles along with her squirming. When she backed out of range, she puffed her cheeks at me in anger.

I shrugged and winked, “Another time. It’s a promise. But we should get some rest because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

“…mmmm…” she mumbled in agreement, sadly hanging her head.

Sweeping forward, my lower hand moved under her legs as my other propped under her back, picking her up in a bridal carry that earned a surprised squeal. Her hair flew all over, covering her shoulders, mine, her body… and making her pouting glare all the more precious as she stared at me through the wild strands. She was so light. It surprised me.

“You don’t like it?” I asked, moving to set her back down.

She quickly hugged my neck, reprimanding me with a “Nnnn!”

A smirk tugged at my lips, “No? You do like it or you don’t like it?”

“…nnn!”

“What are you saying ‘no’ to?”

“Nnn!” she hugged me tighter, saying ‘no’ again. I knew she was just pouting, but it was fun teasing her… and her responses were too much to pass up on. I kissed her on the tip of her nose as an apology, and she answered with a kiss back.

Morning rolled in. We woke. Ate. The journey resumed with us making good time. Both Ivy and I had gotten a full night’s sleep while sacrificing whatever plans we had the night prior, but I was the only one who was even slightly bummed about missing such a passionate possibility. Ivy was especially refreshed and cheerful. The day matched her disposition.

With the Larw children finally being comfortable enough to be near the nature-bound woman, Ivy decided they would skip along the road, pick flowers, collect shiny stones, and find odd branches and plants to show off to Britheer and Yla. They spoke in hand motions and giggles, nothing more. It worked, providing plenty of humorous antics to enjoy while we trekked.

By lunchtime I spied the first glimpse of civilization. A wall. A wooden palisade created of pointed logs stuck in the ground, with sharp wooden spears hidden in their shadow and facing outward. A large wooden gate and two sentry towers, rickety but functional, loomed before us. Thankfully though, the gates were invitingly open.

Through them I spied rows of cabins on either side of the road. Larger buildings belonged to shops and different business establishments; as well as a spired town hall, by the look of it. Wagons rolled over the road to and fro. People walked. Children ran about in play. Horses whinnied. A smith pounded on metal. Conversations abounded. The smell of cooking meat, burning wood, and farm animals carried on the wind along with the noises of the living.

A sigh of relief left us all; though Ivy was understandably nervous and decided to hide behind my back as we neared.

“Ther’ she be… Swallow Lake. Lookin’ pertier than a that one Lamia I met back in the Southlands. Mystil… I think ‘er name was.” Gramps nodded and whacked the ground with his stick. “And she was might dang perty. Gave the best-” he glanced at Yla who was frowning at him. Gramps just smiled and said, “She was a might nice and perty lady, ya.” It seemed Gramps had some stories under his belt. Literally.

I wanted one important question answered, though. Where would Ivy, Ditto, and I stay?

“Is there an inn here, Gramps?”

“Ya. Be the Bessy Barstool. Mostly bar, but got a few rooms upstairs that ol’ Croon rents out when the strangers knock.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Gramps. I’ll be heading there then. What about you all?” I glanced back at Britheer and Yla.

Britheer answered, a smile on his face. “The Slath family. They run the general store and are old friends of ours. We’ll stay there till we…” his smile wavered slightly, “…till we decide what comes next.”

“I’ll be headin’ to the Bessy while ya sort that out,” Gramps said with a skip to his step.

Yla was the one who denied him it. “No, you will be taking a bath.”

Gramps froze, mouth dropping in shock, “Woman! You would dar’ keep a soldier from his drink!” The two locked eyes and had a stare down, the rest of us slowing to curiously see who would win. Gramps smiled, but that smile waned till it fell to a frown. He shuffled forward, “…keepin’ a man from his drink… criminal, I tell ya… criminal.”

Britheer and I exchanged amused looks and we continued on into the town.

However, we quickly found that my presence was not the most welcome. When we walked through the gate, while the guards gave a familiar welcome to the Larw family, they just looked at Ivy, Ditto, and I in silence. Their eyes loomed on Ivy and Ditto with natural curiosity, but with me, they hastily looked away as though in fear. Many of the townspeople rushed up around the Larws, barraging them with questions and greetings. Anyone who looked at me grew silent and then refocused their attentions away.

‘Hmmm… that’s interesting,’ I thought to myself. I had expected at least a slight smile. Or some type of greeting. But they looked at me as if looking through me, then when they focused on me, a flash of fear drove their eyes away. I didn’t care too much. But it was slightly disconcerting.

Not wanting to drag the Larws down from the joy, I silently slipped back and to the side, Ivy sticking to me like glue. We moved around the growing pack of people that were quieting as Gramps began retelling Lonely Briar’s fate. As we moved away, gasps and cries of disbelief sounded.

A thought came to mind, ‘Kamra is evil… but she’s smart. Lonely Briar’s neighbors aren’t going to be rebelling anytime soon after this news.’

Out of curiosity, I looked at the necks of those I passed. They had the marks. But, oddly, the populace seemed rather well fed and strong compared to those of Lonely Briar. There was also a distinction of semi-wealth to be seen. The houses were well kept. People were well dressed, in a clean, peasant and farmer sort of style reminiscing of Medieval apparel. The yards were relatively kept. The area was organized into obvious sections of farms, residents, and businesses. A blacksmith’s shop sat next to the general store, with a clothing, supply, and leathery shop next to it. Each shamelessly displayed their decent quality wares for all to see; high quality for this town, likely.

The Bessy Barstool sat on a corner where the road forked, heading toward a distant lake while the other continued on toward the far side of the clearing a couple miles out. A mill sat on the lake. Docks allowed fishers to practice their trade. It was peaceful, overall. Pleasantly so. A far cry from the previous settlement I had hoped to stay at.

While passing the clothing shop, something caught my eye. I slowed and peered in.

Sitting in front of a wheel loom was a… woman, but with the lower body of a brown spider. Above her waist was that of typical, brown haired lady of her late thirties; hair held in a simple bun. Her clothing consisted of a plain white dress, cut so that the back lay partially on her abdomen while the front covered her… presumably human crotch area. Eight brown, slightly furry legs held her monstrous abdomen afloat, while her two human arms moved while she wove.

While slightly disturbing to me, the most uncanny aspect was how a line of her thread stretched from her spinneret, to the loom that processed it, to her hands that wove it into clothing. A shiver ran through me and I looked away. I felt cruel for doing so. For feeling unnerved by a person’s body in such a way. I knew I had to be more accepting. Ivy certainly looked more than a little unnatural compared to a regular human… but that didn’t change the fact that she was a person. And a special one at that.

But an arachnid woman? Weaving clothing from her own spider’s thread? It just rubbed me the wrong way. It was something I knew I would have to get over. Someday.

I faced forward. Eyes glued on my goal I continued walking till we reached the three-story and rather fat looking building known as the Bessy Barstool. The walls bowed slightly outward from strain and age, with the windows crusty, but containing actual glass. The double doors sat an inch off the ground for easy swiveling. From inside, I could hear laughter. Talking. Some bard strumming lightly on his lute; at least I assumed it was a bard and his lute.

Rickety signs swung on both corners of the door, depicting a cow sitting on a stool drinking a foaming mug of alcohol.

Ivy tugged on my sleeve and pointed at it, a shimmering giggle escaping her. I nodded and pet her head. It was a rather humorous depiction of a cow indeed.

‘Let’s just hope the patrons are as jolly as the cow…’ I mumbled to myself. I started forward.

Someone partially stumbled out of the double doors right before I entered, with one door nearly hitting Ivy, though I pulled her back in time. The tipsy man, rather old and rugged, looked at me for a moment before looking at Ivy. A toothy smile appeared.

“Welsh shey there, miss perty… you all alone?” he asked, his putrid breath causing both Ivy and I to wince.

I shifted Ivy behind me protectively and looked him squarely in the eyes. “She is with me.”

The man looked at me. He tried to focus dumbly, his eyes having to cross to just enable him to look at me squarely.

A flash of fear. The sudden looking away. He turned and quickly stumbled down the street without a word. It was an unnatural retreat too. Not like he was even thinking… more like some instinct drove him into a hasty flight; just like the villagers from before; though they just turned their heads.

My eyebrow rose, “What the…?” I looked at Ivy. She just cocked her head, equally befuddled by the odd behavior. Out of curiosity I moved to the window and wiped some of the smudge away with my sleeve. I could see the smoky interior. The cajoling. The patrons drinking heavily. Barmaids rushing around to service everyone. Some older man standing behind the bar and serving drinks. It was a typical fantasy bar, it seemed.

But I wasn’t interested with the inside just yet. I just wanted my reflection.

Swaying to the side, I finally caught an angle where I could see myself. My own heart leapt a little in sudden fright. One eye was solid white. The other, solid black.

“Uh oh…” was all I could mutter.