The room Honey brought Temate, Toni, Surrender and Pipuck into was incongruous with the rest of Bearbhail. A small lobby opened before them, a carpet of dark fur was broken up by a cssic hotel check in counter set atop a tiled stone floor. The counter was carved from a single piece of dark wood, an image of a bear resting under a ray of sunlight adorned the front. The bear and it’s resting pce were carved from bone and set into the wood; the ray of sunlight appeared to be an unidentifiable glowing liquid flowing down from the top and beneath the desk.

  Honey led them to to the counter, motioning for them to wait as he went behind it. “If I could just have each of your name’s, I will register you in a visitor den for the duration of your stay.” Honey took a square cylinder block of wood out and brought his cw up waiting.

  “Toni Ter–” Toni paused, only briefly, a weird thought coming into her head “–ror, Toni Terror.”

  “Ho ho ho! Lady Terror, a fierce name! Here, you’ll den in the first den to your left.” Honey carved her name into the wooden block and the end opened. Honey reached inside of the block and handed her what was held within. Toni took the rod of bone, simir in length and width to the block.

  “Quite simple to use really.” Honey began expining, seeing confusion on her face, “Simply stick the rod into the entryway and spin the den open or close. The rod can be removed and inserted from either side of the door but only this rod,” Honey tapped the rod he’d handed Toni, “and a master rod we keep for safety, can open or close your den.”

  Toni nodded, “this is all oddly familiar if I’m honest, but just a little strange, like checking into one of those novelty hotels.”

  "Quite, we are familiar with several forms of visitor staying's, this is beary simple to reproduce and makes sense to those of this world." Honey nodded to her, then looked towards the other three. "Who's next?"

  “Actually, I was thinking we could only get two rooms. Surrender and Pipuck are both pretty small so, Toni, if you don’t mind could Surrender share your... den?” Temate asked her.

  Toni blinked and looked down at Surrender who had finally climbed off Temate’s shoulders. “If she doesn’t mind I don’t, what do you say, girl’s stick together?” Toni knelt to look Surrender in the eye.

  “Yes! Will be a lot of fun I think!” Surrender said, her voice was choppy and rough, but in less than 24 hours the little gremlin was already speaking very clearly.

  “That is not necessary, we have plenty of bearren rooms!” Honey told them.

  “It’s fine, none of us should be alone right now, safety and all that.” Temate said then turned to his three companions. “Great, I’ll come drop our stuff off in your room Toni, Pip if you don't mind sharing, can you grab us a room?” Temate asked the spiras, reaching out to grab the bag the spiras held.

  "I don' min' ', no' as if I'll nee' i' much" Pipuck said with a grin, Temate nodded and began following Toni and Surrender out of the room.

  “Wait, why put everything in our room, wouldn’t it be safer with you and Pip, or spread between us?” Toni questioned quietly.

  “Maybe, but I intend to go out on the tour while you and Pip do the Empowering ritual, and while I don’t imagine bears would rob us, better safe than sorry.” Temate shrugged. Toni thought about it for a second, then nodded in agreement.

  "I guess that makes sense, though we could also just get one room." Toni thought out loud, then hurriedly tried to add, "not that uh... not that I want to share a bed but keeping everyone together would be safer too... right?"

  Temate snorted a bit, "Maybe, though if bears attack us in our sleep I don't think us being in the same pce or separate is gonna make much of a difference."

  “Yeah, that makes sense... Yes, I suppose separate rooms is more appropriate, and uh not like its costing us anything. I’ll be more than gd to look after our stuff, but this is like a trance thing right?” She said.

  “True, but Pip will be there, maybe Surrender as well, so it'll be safer.” Temate looked over his shoulder to see Pipuck arguing with Honey. "Wonder what they're arguing about."

  "Maybe the price?" Toni ughed quietly at the suggestion, Temate snorted.

  "Alright, lets go find our room." Temate said.

  The trek to the ‘den’ was less reminiscent of a modern hotel experience, and more of a motel experience. Temate and Toni headed out an arch and arrived in a vast open cavern. Simir to the rest of Bearbhaile they'd seen, the cavern was lit by a bright glowing orb that rested at the top of the cavern. It was the only orb in this room however, and it felt and looked like natural sunlight to both their shock and delight.

  The center of the open cavern was dominated by a massive pond surrounded by wooden benches and grass which came up only ten feet from the edge of the cavern. Next to the pool was one of the massive totem pilrs of rock and bone which looked carved from the cave itself. A rge groove allowed fresh water to flow down the totem from above to feed the pool.

  Several circur doors of ivory white bone were set equidistantly along each wall. There was even a second story accessible by stairs near the entrance and the far side of the room. Temate and Toni turned left and walked not 15 feet before they arrived at the door Honey had directed them to. Toni looked at the sb of bone then turned to Temate.

  “I don’t see a hole for the rod.” Toni said, holding the white rod Honey had given her up.

  “It’s probably magic, just try and put it into the edge somewhere.” Temate replied.

  She did so, pcing it right where she’d expect a door handle to fit on a rge circle door like this. It sunk directly into the bone, merging with the door seamlessly.

  “Wooooah! That’s so coooool” Toni said as she took the now door handle and tried to pull. Nothing happened. Then she pushed. Nothing. Then she remembered the instructions Honey had given and tried to push the handle down. Nothing. Then she tried to push it up.

  The door rolled in its frame. It rolled smoothly and she smiled continuing to push it up and up and… It went out of her reach. She frowned, the door was open enough for her to squeeze through but not with the bag. Temate reached out over her head and continued opening the door. One full spin ter and it was fully open.

  “Thanks for that.” Toni feigned a pout. She hated being short, but she did enjoy tall handsome men helping her, not that Temate... Nevermind, she stepped into the room and finally saw something that wasn’t shockingly simir to modern travel experiences.

  The inside of the ‘den’ wasn’t just one room, it was a full suite of rooms. Immediately upon entry she saw a long, dark wood floor and smooth brick walls. To her left was a door frame with a heavy wood door set into it. She opened the door and saw a small stone pool of water set into the floor, constantly fed fresh water from one of two funnels on its edge. Then Toni saw something that took her a second to recognize. A low pit, narrow and not too long, with water flowing through it from its sides and down a long funnel. A squatty potty was her final decision, this must be the bathroom.

  Toni turned and headed further into the room, Temate followed her with Surrender shortly behind. Temate whistled as the trio began to explore the room. Beyond the bathroom was a circur chamber, four rge semi-circur couches surrounded a rge fire pit. The couches were carved from the stone of the cavern itself and stuck up through the floor. Toni began to walk over towards the couches to sit down.

  The fire pit burst into life with a roar! A rge glowing orange and yellow orb, like a miniature sun, bruned nguidly in the air above the pit. Temate whistled loudly as Toni jumped back!

  “FUCK ME FUCKING CHRIST!!” she excimed, dropping the bag on one of the two short steps leading down toward the pit. She took a deep breath and looked over to Temate who had a slight smirk on his face. She gred at him and he stared back, then looked over his shoulder as if searching for who she was gring at. She grumbled and stood, picking the bag back up and continuing down towards the... fire? Sun? There was a joke there, one she knew a gamer friend of hers would make but she couldn't remember it.

  Toni approached the closest couch, finding that the stone had been hollowed out and filled with soft cushions. She sunk into the couch with a sigh, setting her bag beside it. The heat of the sun was soothing and warm, surprisingly very comfortable and perfectly warm despite its proximity. It was as if her entire body was at the perfect distance to a roaring campfire.

  “Hey look at this.” Temate called and Toni rolled over the armrest, zily looking over to him. She hadn't realized how tired she was, from stress? Probably somewhat, it could be– wait is that?

  “Is that… a kitchenette?” Toni asked, incredulous.

  It was, in fact, a kitchenette. Carved into the wall just around the corner from the bathroom, was a countertop with overhead and under counter cabinets! Temate was going through the various cabinets, examining various pieces of dishware and cooking utensils. He walked over to the wall farthest from the entrance and reached grabbed a spot on the wall. He pulled down on something and the wall slid open, fog poured out, softly lit by a blue light from the interior.

  “Is that a FRIDGE” Toni shouted in shock, Temate just closed the door, looked at her, and nodded.

  “There’s a symbol on the counter too, looks like it will heat up, probably meant for cooking. Probably simir to a stove.” He pointed over his shoulder with a thumb. “I don’t see a sink or anything, but then you’re probably expected to just use the one in the bathroom.” He continued wandering around the room, exploring. Then he arrived at the couch with Toni, he didn’t sit with her but leaned over the back staring off in thought.

  Toni examined him, carefully, feeling a warmth inside her that wasn’t caused by the glowing orb that lit his face. She didn’t really know what to say right now, which was odd for her. Normally she could babble about any old thing but she was afraid of what she might say if she let her mouth run. Of what might come out, was that so bad though?

  Toni looked away at the glowing orb spinning in the center of the room and opened her mouth.

  “It’s so warm.” Temate said that at the same time Toni did. The two looked at each other and Toni ughed. Temate just smiled.

  “So. Miss Terror is it?” Temate looked at Toni, she was confused for a moment, then.

  “OOOOOOH, yeah I felt like, y’know how I don’t like your guys names cause they’re so long? I always felt mine was long, and weird, so I figured this was a good time to change it. So from Terosia was born Terror! Based on that joke I made when we first met.” She blushed at that silly memory.

  “Hmm, smart anyway. I don’t distrust Honey, or the bears, but also what Pip said has me worried.”

  “What, why?” Toni asked.

  “It’s just, I’d rather be cautious then…” Temate trailed off, Toni reached up, and booped his nose.

  “Then what? Don’t hold out on me Mate, we’re in this situation together.” She said, then, “WAIT GRIZZLY, we’re in this grizzly situation together! Damn I wish I’d thought of that sooner…” She leaned her head back on the top of the couch and sighed exasperatedly.

  Temate snorted and smiled at her, “That’s good, bear with it and you might pawsibly keep up.” Temate grinned, she shoved him lightly.

  “Shut it, now what would you rather be cautious then, big T” Toni prompted the big man.

  His face fttened, “Dead.” He said. Toni’s stomach lurched and she sat up.

  “You think they’d… do that?” Toni looked back toward the still open door.

  “Maybe, we don’t know. They’re bears Toni, as nice as they seem even normal people can be dangerous. Pip gave us a warning and while I won’t judge the entire group on that, I won’t distrust them either.” Temate thought for a moment then grunted.

  “Social engineering game 101; Assume everyone is good, but don’t forget somebody isn’t. Pip gave us a warning, we assume the bears are good, treat them as such. But we don’t forget what Pip says, we keep it in the back of our mind and allow it to temper our actions.”

  “Social engineering game?” Toni looked at Temate.

  He nodded, “Werewolf, Shadows over Camelot, Inkognito, Diplomacy, Love Letter, B…” Temate coughed at Toni’s looks of confusion, “Among Us?” Temate added cautiously.

  “OOOOOOOH, Mogus!” Toni said, finally understanding as she hummed the, now infamous, tune that goes along with any reference to the game. “Ok so if we’re treating this like a game of among us, what’s our tasks?”

  “For you? Empower, then I don’t know, look for information, rest? We won’t stay here forever but it is interesting. For me, I wanna get a good handle on this world so I’ll see what Honey, and maybe some other bears, can tell me.”

  There was a long pause as Toni looked at Temate. He really was so… so… The word that came to mind was embarrassing, if he knew what she thought… She was about to comment on how bright the sun is when the two heard a shriek.

  It came from an open arch, another passage off of the main room opposite the bathroom and much further along. Temate moved first and, to Toni’s surprise, unsheathed his machete as he ran across the room and through the arch.

  He stopped in the open door, put a hand to his head, and sighed. Toni slowly, legs aching and whining after finally sitting on the comfortable couch, got up and headed over. She reached Temate and put a hand on the one he gripped the machete with.

  “We’re in a town Mate, rex.” She spoke calmly, then looked in the room and ughed at what she saw. Standing there, sheepishly, was Surrender. She stood in the center of a rge circle of furs and fabric. Honestly, it looked like a giant bean bag someone had thrown a neanderthal’s, as in the prehistoric type, not the modern internet troll type, wardrobe over it.

  “I guess that’s your bed” Temate said. Surrender gave the bed a tentative bounce and stopped when Temate gave her a look.

  “I mean, I’ve had worse, it looks pretty comfy,” Toni said, “Surrender! INCOMING!” she shouted to Surrender. Toni ran and leapt onto the cushion with a fwoomph. Surrender sailed up into the air screeching wildly again. Surrender fell back down with her own, less loud, fwoomph that did not toss Toni into the air. Instead the two women just sighed in satisfaction, luxuriating in the comfort of the soft bed. Temate smiled softly, turning to leave the two girls to rest.

  Temate dropped onto a couch with a heavy sigh. He reached down to undo his hiking boots, it was a tedious affair, but oh was it worth it. He hadn’t taken them off st night, too worried about the torturous stink localized entirely in the tent. God’s that would be horrible. After 12+ hours of hiking, and an entire night, with the boots on they were killing his feet.

  As Temate sat, rexing on the incredibly comfortable couch, he felt his body begin to ache. Gods, 12 hours of hiking, and that fight, he hadn’t moved like that in…. 15 years? No, even in his combative teen youth he couldn’t move like that. His feet and legs were killing him, he began gently rubbing the soles of his feet and sighed. He hadn’t exercised in nearly 8 years, until half a year ago when his roommate had started dragging Temate to the gym.

  Temate narrowed his eyes at his sock wrapped toes, wiggling them while he intensely thought questions at them. Questions like, why don’t my joints hurt huh? And, what do you think of this floor, warm? As well as, is it the Empowering that’s made me feel… younger? But most importantly, will I be able to protect them?

  Temate gred demandingly at the big toe on his right foot, and then gring harder at the big toe on his left foot. He grunted, unsatisfied by the answers that never came. He looked up at the roiling light sphere, then around the room, sparsely decorated yet surprisingly cozy. It was a cave, a rather strangely modern cave, but a cave.

  A cough from his right pulled his attention over to Pipuck, who sat down next to the two camping bags on another couch.

  “So eh, bears am I righ’?” Pipuck chuckled uncomfortably as they sat next to Temate.

  “Hmm, why do you dislike them so much Pip?” Temate asked after thinking for awhile. Pipuck scratched at their chin as they thought.

  “Woul’ you believe tha’, puns are the lowes’ form of ‘umour in all the known realms?” Pipuck asked.

  “I would believe you believe that. You’d be wrong, but still. I wouldn’t believe, or at least would hope you don't, that you hate an entire species just cause you believe that though.” Temate rolled his neck as he talked, getting a couple satisfying cracks as he did so.

  “Hmmm….” Pipuck looked into the fire and Temate saw something interesting. He wasn’t good at reading people but what he saw on Pipucks face looked distant, old. For a moment Temate was reminded that the spiras was not as childish as they looked. They looked ancient for a good long minute, then they smiled.

  “Unfortunately you’d be wrong! We fae ‘ate anyone who can py with words better than us!” Pipuck ughed at some joke only they seemed to get.

  “I’m afraid I don’t get the joke Pip.” Temate’s straightforward statement cut Pipuck's ugh short and the spiras looked at him.

  “Wha’ are the fae known for in your realm, Mate?” Pipuck asked after a long pause. Temate hummed thoughtfully and looked up at the glimmering center of the fming orb in their room. It wasn't painful to look at, not like the sun, which made it a decent thing to watch roiling and moving as he thought.

  “Depends on the culture really, but broadly; fae are fickle spirits of nature, typically winged, tricksters and pranksters. They can also be helpful when respected, they made heroes, could alter the fates, for good or ill. They typically were seen as mostly harmless but could be associated with death and some very dark tragedy. Honestly it’s all so old you can basically make up anything and cim it’s part of the fae.” Temate rattled through the immediate thoughts and added one more, considering Pipucks previous statements.

  “They often have a thing for verbal agreement, never make a deal with the fae or give them your name at least not before receiving theirs.”

  Pipuck nodded thoughtfully, “I couldn’ tell ya ‘ow accurate any of tha’ is to be hones’. The Spiras are one of the newes’ additions to the Fair Folk, our species ‘as only been travelin’ realms for 2 millennia.”

  Temate raised an eyebrow, “That’s a pretty long while.”

  “Aye, i’ is for a lo’ of young realms, like yours. Especially young species like yours who ‘aven’ even lef’ their rock…” Pipuck was thoughtful for a moment, “The one thin’ I know is true, is tha’ the fae, in the pas’ and even now, are fond of agreements. Verbal agreements are jus’ as vali’ to us as written, for we hold a differen' understanding of the power of words, of idea and tha’ which canno’ be seen and regute’ or understoo’.

  “So for all of our thousands of millenia of ‘istory words, ‘ow you say them, wha’ you say when you do, thats importan’. It’s also powerful. So when I say we ‘ate those who are better with words then we. I mean i’.” Pipuck looked at Temate deathly seriousness painted across his visage, clear even to Temate. “An’ we ‘ate bears.”

  Temate nodded slowly, “I think I get it, and I already talked to Toni. We’ll be careful and pay attention, thank you Pip.”

  Pip smiled, their teeth gleaming in the firelight. “Goo’! Then why don’ you go ge’ tha’ tour, eh? I’ll look after the sses an’ ‘elp Toni with ‘er Empowerin’ when she wakes, Surrender can ‘elp me.”

  “How did you know she was asleep?” Temate asked.

  “Ach I took a peak in their room, was gonna toss the bags in there bu’ I didn’t wanna wake em. An’ if Toni wante’ anyone to wake ‘er up she’d wan’ i’ to be you.” Pipuck winked at Temate who ughed and shook his head.

  “Pretty sure anyone randomly waking a sleeping person is asking to get their head smacked off.” Temate reached down and strapped his boots back onto his feet. “I’ll take you up on that offer though, close the door and lock up when I leave okay?”

  Pipuck nodded, following Temate to the door. Then he looked up and gred, “I’ll uh, need ya to close the door, looks a bi’ ‘igh for me.”

  Temate ughed and closed the door, but just before he did he said one st thing. “Maybe we should call you Pipsqueak.” He heard an outburst of ughter from the other side of the door as he closed it. He waited a moment and watched the door rod, when it disappeared through the door he nodded and went to find Honey.