Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Ctter.

  Again.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Ctter.

  Over and over again the sound of metal being mechanically pieced together and taking apart filled the warm, dry den lit by a rge orb hanging over a pit. A consistent sound of tapping, clicking metal emanated from Toni as she gred down at her gun. She gred down at it, furious at it, no at herself.

  She gred harder, already done with her Empowering, but unable to stop stripping her gun. She had to figure out what went wrong. No she knew what went wrong, but how could she have prepared for it. It was her pn that went wrong! Her pn that got Temate hurt! Her fault!

  She growled as she threw the gun across the room into a couch. She made an apologetic 'Ah!' before she'd even fully released it. Then she ran over and picked it up carefully.

  “Oh sorry, sorry baby I didn’t… Ugh let me just.” She started stripping it once again, carefully checking for damage. Great, she was talking to her gun now! It wasn’t her fault, not really, her conscious brain kept reminding her of that.

  But wasn't it? Some part of her whispered into her mind, her heart.

  No. She forced herself to think. It was that thing.

  She saw the intelligence in its many eyes, she should have expected it to react as such. She should have just burned the nest, fuck the value of the threads. Or she should have lobbed a grenade to clear the space, instead of Temate going forward. Or… or…

  She sighed and looked down at her gun, pieces carefully separated. Her hands ran over each piece as she saw the spider lunging, the swarm behind it, Temate reacting. He'd closed the tunnel, blocking the swarm, if he hadn't acted so quickly…

  She shivered at the idea, the image of hundreds of spiders the size of dogs swarming over her. Their legs and fangs piercing her, tearing her apart. Tearing them all apart. She shivered again and started putting her definitively not damaged gun back together.

  Her pn had gone horribly wrong. Milis found barely any other bodies in the tunnel, they'd almost all escaped, likely following that white spider. So how many were coming up that tunnel before Temate had closed it.

  She'd fucked up, and Temate, Surrender and Pipuck had fixed her mistake. No, no her mom would smack her for that. Not her fault but… But it still felt like it was her fault. Her fault that Temate was sleeping in the healing fields, injured again. Her fault she wasn't able to be with him tonight.

  She smacked herself for thinking that, stupid horny Toni. God but they'd just started... you know, and now she couldn't you know because she'd fucked up. She shook her head to clear the thoughts both good and bad as she ran her hand along the reconstructed Sig.

  “Toni still awake?” She jumped, whirling with her gun aimed, catching herself before she fully pointed it at Surrender. The gremlin girl looked at her from the neighboring couch, how she'd gotten there Toni didn't know. The girl was, perhaps unsurprisingly, very good at sneaking.

  “Oh uh… Hi Surrender, you can't sleep either, huh?” Toni smiled awkwardly as the other girl leapt to her couch. Then Surrender unceremoniously sat in Toni's p and brought the taller girls hand to pet Surrenders head.

  “Can call me Ren. And no, I sleep, but you loud.” Surrender grinned at Toni her ears wiggling as if to say 'everything's loud to me!'. Toni ughed and hugged her.

  “Awwww, thank you Surrender but you don't have to do that.”

  “Is okay we like sister spirits. So is special, only for you.” Surrender said, rubbing her head into Toni’s hand. Toni couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes, ugh she was crying so much tely. Granted she'd always been a big crier, but usually at movies and cute retable memes.

  “Thank you Ren, ugh I'm sorry I'm getting your fur wet.” She tried to wipe her eyes and Surrenders tail blocked her hands.

  “We talked, I needed think time, but I decide yes. That mean your tears mine. So is okay.” Surrender's tail wiped away Toni’s tears. The soft, fuzzy spade at the tip poking into the corners of her eyes.

  “Fuck, why are you so nice Ren, you just met us.” Toni asked.

  Surrender shrugged. “Is gremlin thing. You… Hmmm” Toni watched Surrender try and think of how to expin something. A face she'd seen on many English-as-a-second-nguage speakers when trying to find words that didn't exist. Surrender growled in annoyance as she couldn't quite find the word.

  “Not know how say but like familiar but new. I think how expin. Now sleep.” Surrender said and her tail came up to rub Toni's nose. She made no motion to leave however, simply remaining for a long while in Toni's p enjoying her petting.

  After awhile, Toni asked. “Would you stay with me?” Surrender just nodded and smiled in response. This time, she stood and holding Toni’s hand led her gently toward the bedroom.

  The next morning Surrender and Toni stepped into the healing field to a loud guffaw from Pipuck, and a grunt from Temate. Toni saw Temate giving his machete practice swing, grunting with exertion more often then pain. His usage of the bde was interesting to her, practiced, as if he'd swung a bde ten thousand times before.

  “Tol’ you, it's gonna hur’ for awhile, bu’ you can certainly ge’ a goo’ swin’ in.”

  “Hrmmm, it doesn't really hurt that much...” Temate muttered, then swung again grunting.

  For a moment, Toni admired his body. The bandages had been fully removed now, and his heavy olive colored form was shirtless. His body was not raw muscle, in fact the only time it didn't look a bit soft and pudgy was during his swings. Oh but when he swung.

  She watched as he swung and the fat along his arms and body seemed to tighten into muscle itself. Sweat dripped down his body and over a discolored patch of skin near his sword shoulder. Brown mud instead of flesh, the image of huge mandibles smming into his flesh filled her mind, breaking her reverie.

  “What on EARTH are you doing. Mate you shouldn't be-” Toni began exciming but stopped at the gre Temate gave her.

  “I'm fine. Need to get used to it anyway…” He said, but he put his bde back into the sheath and onto the bed. He took a towel being proffered by Pipuck and wiped the sweat off his body. Then he turned to Toni who was gring, but also admiring his body.

  To her surprise Temate blushed and quickly put his three yers back on. The bck cotton long sleeve and gray fleece jacket covered his body, but not where the spider had bit him. His orange-yellow-red striped poncho, to Toni's surprise, was already stitched back together. That Barr thread must be really good stuff!

  “So, I'm good to leave now if we want to.” Temate said as he turned back around to face her, strapping his machete to his hip.

  “Huh?” Toni said dumbly.

  “The Leshy?” Surrender asked. Temate nodded and Pipuck eborated on Toni’s eloquent question.

  “Wha’ do you mean the Leshy, wha’ abou’ em?”

  “Ah, sorry about that Pip. I offered to help Timbear out until we leave just before all the spider biz. He asked us to go visit a Leshy commune nearby and see if they know what’s going on, as apparently there's some 'rot in the air'.” Temate expined.

  Pipuck grunted. “Tha’ makes sense, anythin’ knows what's wrong with a fores’ i’ woul’ be them.”

  “You know the Leshy?” Temate asked.

  Pipuck nodded. “They’re no’ natives of this realm. Or any realm as far as we know, the bears may know more, to be hones’ with ya, havin’ been realm walkers longer than most modern fae.”

  Pipuck looked between each of them as they spoke. “They’re to the realms wha’ humans are to your worl’, omnipresen’ and prolific. The Righ is actually one of em, so was the Hedgelin’ you lo’ kille’ when we firs’ met.”

  “Spirits which inhabit pnts, right?” Temate asked Pipuck.

  Pipuck nodded and gave Temate a look of appreciation. “For the mos’ par’ aye. They’re the living idea of life wherever they go, inhabitin' pnts or their appropriate counterpar’.”

  “Any risks?” Toni asked, crossing her arms as she thought. She had to get everything she could this time, no mistakes.

  Pipuck thought for a minute before replying. “No’ really? They’re no’ tricksters like mos’ fae. In fac’ they’re very straigh’ forwar’, the only thin’ I woul’ caution agains’ is do no harm to pnts in their domain they are often protecte’ and reac’ violently to perceive’ threats.”

  “Like the Hedgeling, that big woody thing which attacked us when we entered the Righ's nd.” Toni said thoughtfully.

  “Aye, like the Hedgelin’.” Pipuck nodded.

  “So we go there, do no harm to pnts, ask whoever’s in charge if they know anything, and come back.” Temate stated.

  “Ehhhh” Pipuck wiggled their hand in the air. “They’re suspicious of outsiders, it’s very possible they’re goin’ to wan’ you to do somethin’ to prove you’re a frien’ of the collective. No idea wha’ though. Coul’ just be some gardenin’, coul’ be huntin’ a foul beas’.”

  Temate grinned at that. “So we’ll have a quest, and potentially get to fight something?” He asked.

  Toni stepped in at that. “Hopefully we can avoid that, spiders are one thing but I’d rather avoid killing anything… intelligent.” She frowned at that thought, hadn’t she done just that? “Or sentient rather.” She amended.

  “We probably won’t be able to avoid that forever.” Temate said, looking at her. She frowned at him but nodded.

  “Bad people exist, and if we’re talkin cssic fantasy world tropes, that includes bandits and assassins and the like.” She looked up at Temate and stared into his eyes for a while. Would she kill if she had to? No, she knew that answer.

  If they were a threat to her or any of the people in this room, she would. Was it twisting what her father had taught her? She didn’t think so, she would only do it to protect, in absolute necessity. She smiled at Temate, who gave her a soft smile in return.

  “If it comes down to any of us or someone else, I won’t hesitate.” She pointed a finger at Temate. “However I’d still rather avoid getting into trouble, or fights we can avoid.”

  Temate seemed to mull that over. “I agree, at least with what we know…” He trailed off, Toni didn’t press him this time, she had her own things to think over.

  “So we go Leshy now? Or wait heal?” Surrender inquired before both Temate and Toni could fall into thought.

  “We should wait till Temate’s healed, obviously.” Toni said without hesitation.

  “No” Temate spoke up quickly. “Timbear and I figure it will take a week to travel there, with Pipucks poultice, which they can make on the go, I’ll be fully healed long before then. Right?” Temate looked at Pipuck who frowned but nodded.

  “Yes, bu’ ’ if we wai’ a day longer you’ll be heale’ up completely an’ there won’t be any risks a' all...” Pipuck said hesitantly. Temate's gaze was intense as he looked around between them all.

  “God’s no. Look I get it, I got injured pretty bad and you guys are worried, but I operate fine, and there's little risk of injuring it.” As if to emphasize the point Temate lifted a rge rock off the ground, grunting and straining under the weight.

  He dropped it back into the dirt with a heavy thud before continuing. “I don’t want to sit around twiddling my thumbs for a whole day.”

  Temate looked between them all. Toni's eyes scrunched up, concern and worry filling her. He shouldn't push himself so hard.

  “What if we run into goblins Mate, or something worse. We don’t know what’s out there. It could be any number of dangers, what about a wolf? Could you handle that? A goril? A tiger?!” She waved at the surface.

  “We avoid it, or we fight it. I can fight, and anything I can’t beat like this, I wouldn’t be able to beat uninjured either. Right Pipuck.” Temate turned to Pip who glowered.

  “It’s true your strength isn’t diminishe’ especially with your [Powers] bu’...”

  Temate sighed. “We’re going. I can handle it, I-”

  “Mate. Please just wait a day.” Toni interrupted him, stepping closer. He gave her an irritated look and she stopped a few steps off. “I know, I get it you’re antsy, I am too but I just… I want you at your best okay? Not risking injury just to keep busy instead of healing up properly.”

  “I am at my best Toni. It’s no worse then working out with sore muscles, sitting and waiting for a day isn-”

  “Mate please I’m worried okay, I just saw you nearly die again!” Toni cut in again, why didn't he get it? This was stupid, dangerous, risky!

  Temate gred at her this time and replied slowly. “I understand that Toni bu-”

  “But nothing! You can’t j-”

  “Stop doing that.” Temate growled and Toni paused, confused.

  “Stop what?” Toni saw Temate’s angry expression and was concerned, had she fucked up again? She just wanted him to be safe, to be smart, he didn't need to take the risk! She was about to start expining when Temate spoke.

  “Stop interrupting me. It’s rude and disrespectful.” Temate's voice was low and calm, but firm.

  Toni blinked. “Ah- cutting you off? I… I’m not-” She looked to Pipuck who raised an eyebrow, then Surrender. “Am I doing that?”

  “You are. I’ll admit I understand why you’re doing it, you’re worried and it’s easier to cut me off then to hear me out.” Temate raised himself from the healing bed he’d been leaning on.

  “That’s not… I’m not…” Toni thought about it, had she been doing that? She was just trying to make him understand it was a bad idea.

  “It’s alright, I’ve had worse reactions to fear and stress. It is, however, not okay, understand?” Temate looked at Toni pointedly, he’d stopped gring and his eyes were soft, almost apologetic.

  After a moment of thought, Toni just nodded. Temate stepped around the bed and hugged her softly and after a moment's hesitation she returned it. She buried her face into his soft stomach and felt her fear melt away.

  “Trust me Firestick, I know my body, we’re in no more danger leaving now then if we waited for the wound to fully heal.” He whispered to her.

  She ughed at that, stupid nickname but it was pretty appropriate all things considered. She looked up into his face, her Daddy’s face, and searched it for any trace of a lie. There were none, of course there weren’t.

  "An' I can also confirm tha' with the extra work I di', an' my new [Power] [False Flesh], tha' will hold, though i' migh' be less resilien' to a good hi' from a weapon." Pipuck added in to reassure her.

  Toni nodded slowly. “Fine. Let’s pack and we can go.” She said that, but she didn't let go. She didn't want to let go, she felt so safe here in his arms.

  She held the hug for nearly a minute until she heard a cough from behind her. She turned still, not breaking the hug to see Pipuck staring at them.

  “Well? We goin’ or wha’?” They said, grinning at her. She gred at the little Spiras and stuck out her tongue. Temate ughed above her and moments ter she squealed as she was lifted off the ground.

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” She shrieked at Temate who held her cradled in his arms.

  “Well you don’t seem to want to let go, and we should get moving. So I figure this can do both, and you can see I’m serious about being fine.” Temate ughed at her pouting face as he carried her out.

  She blushed as bears turned to watch them while they made their way to the Warm Dry den. Then even brighter as they entered the main lobby where Honey was rexing. The bear grinned at them as they entered and Toni coughed.

  “I think you’ve made your point Mate.” Toni muttered upward.

  “Nah, it’s not much further to our room. Hey Honey, we’re gonna be headed out soon to do something for Timbear, okay?” Temate said to Honey as they walked by. The bear nodded to the two of them.

  “I’ll keep the rooms Warm and Dry for your return, will you be making use of the comforts before you leave?” Honey asked without any hesitation. Toni blushed even brighter at the idea, they had been separated st night.

  “You know what.” Temate said, “I think we might, after all I’m not sure I have made my point.” Temate grinned down at her and Toni had to bury her face in his stomach to hide the apple red her face must be by now. She also had to stop herself from squirming in anticipation.