Sleep never was a debilitating weakness, Grusha’s senses were just as keen asleep as awake. It was subtle and she nearly dismissed it all together, because there was no obvious murderous violent intent. What tipped her off was the direction of the heartbeat, it was behind her but now was in front. A snail's pace to bypass her instinctual abilities.

In an instant, she was wide awake and saw her stealthy quarry meticulously stepping away. She growled a warning at Lady Hammer who was trying to make an escape, the warrior looked back at Grusha with an alarming surprise. Hammer sprinted away through the entrance, kicking up large chunks of earth behind. A vacuum was left, sucking air in her wake. Aput woke up in a start, wide eyed from a mild sonic boom that ruptured.

Springing close behind, Grusha took chase after her quarry that was fleeing recklessly. Her sandals left clear muddy tracks, making it easy to chase after even though she had a slow start. Tracks zigzagged in an aimless fashion, setting off alarms in her subconscious. She knew she was being led into a trap, but had no other choice than to spring that trap.

There was no way she would let her get away, because of that she increased her pace. Improving the speed she wanted by adjusting her quills into flaps that heightened her aerodynamic potential, she was like a speeding bullet that pierced through the forest in the rain. She could tell that she was getting nearer to Lady Hammer, her scent intensified every passing millisecond. There were still no visual signs of Lady Hammer even though Grusha traversed hundreds of meters in a matter of seconds, the rainfall obscured the already dark forest even more so.

Knowing that there was going to be a trap did not translate into knowing when it will be sprung, or even what it would be for that matter. Grusha’s incredible speed that she built up worked against her, it all happened in flashes of images, the tip of the knee came out from the edge of the tree the same moment her three limbs were in the air. She twisted her head to a side, wanting to ricochet off in a powerful spin to grab onto Lady Hammer in on revolution, to then use that spinning force to hurl Lady Hammer towards a boulder she caught sight of in a corner of her eyes. Like all good laid out plans, there never was a good plan-A, rarely a decent plan-B. Again she underestimated Lady Hammers keen battlesense, she held a heavy belt full of combat experience. She was Neogrecian after all.

Lady Hammer was the only one to dare grip onto her quills, even though it needled her hand with hundreds of prickly small quills. Hammer’s firm grip took hold of her from behind, pitching her towards the boulder she was planning to use against her. Grusha flew across straight to the boulder headfirst.

Recalibrating her senses, she tried to slow down her inertia by building up air resistance with her quills, shaping it into a pseudo parachute. Clawing around to grab onto literally anything, she quickly realized that Lady Hammer already thought about this by tossing her into a trajectory out of the war from any tree or limb. Only one other option, she adjusted her quills like the flaps to a jet to barrel into the earth. She came to a tumbling halt at the base of the boulder, ending hunched over on her knee and hands. Growling at the warrior menacingly, her red eyes glowed in the dark.

The proud warrior she once knew who would never turn away from a glorious battle, high-tailed another mad dash fleeing from Grusha. This angered her greatly, there was no scent of terror. Just boiling hot seething anger, and that anger seemed to be directed to her. Tensing her leg, she sprung forward like a bullet. In two large bounds she nearly caught up Lady Hammer, on the third bound she barreled into the ground. Hammer fell face first into the ground, and skid across the mud. She struggled to break free from Grusha’s firm pin to the ground, but her capabilities were limited with only one arm that she could use. Grusha intentionally pinned her left while standing over her right, making it impossible for Hammer to grab her recklessly again.

After a solid two minutes with her head buried in the wet mud, Lady Hammer conceded reluctantly. She dug her left arm into the ground, trying to lift her side the least bit and took a deep breath and settled back down. Twenty minutes went by, Grusha persisted in holding Lady Hammer in place. Awaiting verbal confirmation of her concession. Until finally Lady Hammer fisted the ground angrily, spraying mud everywhere.

“FINE!” She roared. “I yield, Wildebeest. Now release me!”

She growled in her throat. “Do I have your word that you will not flee again?”

“Yes, you have my word.”

“Far too easy to say that, but very well, I will release. Only under one condition?”

Lady Hammer’s voice pitched highly. “Aye? What condition would my beast desire to impose on me?”

“I formally claim your life-debt.”

Lady Hammer flayed her arms angrily about but could not free herself from Grusha’s forceful pin, she slammed her fist on the ground again.

“And if I refuse these conditions?”

“Your worst nightmare would come true once again.”

“You’re a devilish fiend, Beast. Tartarus has no place for you in its darkest depths. Why don’t you cut me down once and for all? Let me find my way to Greater Olympia, where they await my glorious arrival.”

“If I even try to attempt to cut you down, the life-debt I claimed would be void instantly. However, I know that is precisely what you want to begin with. It is much more torturous to go on living, knowing there is a debt to be settled.”

“Bah! Vlakas.” She muttered in her breath through the mud.

“Skorto.” Grusha retorted.

Lady Hammer sighed. “Compromise? Cease your demeaning address of my name, Lady Hammer is my name of honor. Give me that at least.”

Grusha gave a weak chuckle. “Not on your life.”

“Truly, some arbiter you make out to be, Beast.”

She dunk her head back into the mud and mumbled something through it, Grusha heard precisely what she said, but she wanted to stress Lady Hammer even further.

“What was that, Enyo? I couldn’t quite make out what it was you said.”

She peeled her head out of the mud. “You very well heard me! You and your diabolic sense of hearing could make out a rat’s sputtering fart a league’s worth away. Very well, I yield. My life-debt will be repaid in full, you have my solemn word.”

“Good.”

Grusha released her grip and settled her quills, letting it revert back to its silky long strands of hair reaching down to her waist. There was no reason to hold Lady Hammer back anymore.

“How confident are you with my commitment?” Lady Hammer asked.

“I’d bet my life on it. You’re just like me, where your word is binding. Pacts are our self-imposed laws.”

There was nothing more to discuss. Grusha turned around and began the trek back towards the alcove they had left Aput back at, close to a dozen miles away. His voice could not be heard by anyone else, but for Grusha they were like loud whispers. Frantic and afraid, he hollered into the stormy night. A small smile grew, realizing this was the notion of having someone to return to.

An arm reached and lifted her up from her right side, Lady Hammer helped Grusha to her feet by providing her the leg she needed. They exchanged looks, and shared a mutual nod. A silent agreement. The beast and her warrior returned to Aput in each other's supportive armhold.

When they arrived, there was deep concern in his voice. “What happened? Were we under attack?”

“No. All is fine now.” Lady Hammer responded.

Grusha slipped out of her hold, hunching over on three limbs again. Frogging her way back back under the protection from the rain, but stopped when Lady Hammer failed to follow suit. She tilted her head.

“I will be back, I’ve given my word. However, I require Pegasus.”

Grusha nodded. Pegasus, her warhammer was the relic of her past. To retrieve it meant she intended to carry out her duties as her warrior, equipped with her token that constituted her honor. Lady Hammer accepted her silent agreement, and turned to retrieve Pegasus where they had fought earlier yesterday.

“There is this oddest sensation that I missed something important.” Aput said. “Care to share?”

She shouldered him briskly, curling back in a comfortable ball where she was sleeping earlier. Yawning loudly. “Perhaps later, after you tell me your tale first.”

“Touché. Just my luck.”

Perhaps. She thought.

The man who had in his clutches the beast, and the beast in her clutches the warrior. Bizarre situation to say the least.

You’re either the damndest skorto on the face of the earth, or the luckiest. Only time would tell, that Grusha knew. In her experience, the outcomes were clear.