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The Orsso Hills

450 miles west of Myrka

Dawn

Travelling always put Harmond's mind at ease. He and the party were finally going back to more familiar territory to report their findings to their employer Nohol, the baron of the small city of Myrka. There were much grander and richer cities in the large kingdom of Alpta, but Myrka had the most opportunities for employment by far. Its position on the Alpta river provided easy access to high quality soil, making it the breadbasket for the kingdom. It had the highest population of caravans on the continent and, by extension, the highest population of caravan guards.

The other reason Myrka was so popular with mercenaries was the College of Magic. The baron of Myrka had a long standing relationship with the College, and as such provided exorbitant amounts of funding for any kind of archeological expeditions. For sellswords like Ennrion who stayed as far away from brute enforcer work as they could, these missions were a godsend. The adventure through the Great Salt Desert was the first of many expeditions Ennrion and his party were contracted for. In Harmond's experience, Ennrion always shied away from bonding commitments. The money and benefits must have been exceptionally good for him to change his mind.

Harmond sat up in his and Zroc's bedroll and looked out over their camp. They had the only real tent,as everyone else's had been burnt in the battle at the oasis. While the party was not happy about sleeping under the stars, no one was going to question the couple's claim to their tent. The rising sun shone on the brown and grey hills. Tussocks of yellow and brown grass and shrubby sage plants dominated the ground. The only trees, small and stunted by the poor sandy soil, grew near the small ponds and streams interspersed throughout the hills. The days were hot, but the hills provided enough shade to travel comfortably. One of the company's horses nickered softly behind the Dog's tent.

Once they had left the Ana'ashrai Mountains, Ennrion traded in their camels for horses in Geridalr, an Alptan border outpost and first town of note between them and Myrka. Ja'al immediately bonded to his horse and made the initial steps of the journey far more enjoyable by informing the party of the drama between their new animals. Unfortunately for them, feral horses didn't have all that much drama outside of food stealing and horseshoe troubles. Now the only things that Harmond had to break up the monotony was making love to Zroc and sparring with Ennrion.

The Dragonborn only realized how far behind the Dog was when it came to combat after the battle with the Asabi. The day they reunited, Ennrion plotted out a much harsher training regime. The Dog's days now consisted of duels in the morning before breakfast, 8 hours of travelling, and magic study of a new, more advanced magic book before dinner. The Dog went to bed each night exhausted, but found himself waking up earlier and earlier. It wasn't that he couldn't sleep. The small hours of the morning provided much needed peace and quiet. It drove Zroc crazy, usually because Harmond's stirrings woke him up as well. For all his complaining, Zroc always woke up with the Golden Retriever and spent the early mornings cuddled up close to his lover.

Zroc sat up beside the Dog and kissed his cheek.

"Morning love," He murred into the Golden Retriever's ear, "You're up later than usual."

The last day had been particularly challenging for the Dog. After getting thoroughly thrashed by Ennrion during their morning sparring the group did their most technically challenging ride yet, a narrow trail through a steep ravine. He barely even managed to read a chapter of his evening reading. Tonight would be even worse, on top of the sparring it was time to practice what he had learned. This last chapter was mostly an overview on how to push one's self to have more control over their magic and as such, was an invitation for the Dog to push himself to his limits.

"Yeah," Harmond rubbed a large welt on his shoulder and winced, "Ennrion's been going harder and harder on me each day. It's getting harder and harder to get comfortable at night."

Zroc gave the Dog a kiss on the muzzle and leaned back against the pillows. Harmond leaned down and rested his head on the Kobold's chest, his lips kissing the sigil branded into it.

"I know," Zroc replied with a sigh, "But it's the only way for you to learn. Anyone you cross swords with for real isn't going to go easy on you."

Zroc kissed the top of the Dog's head.

"If it's any consolation, you're so close," Zroc continued, "But Ennrion isn't going to stop until you can beat him."

Harmond chuckled and squeezed the Kobold tightly.

"No one can beat Ennrion," The Golden Retriever replied, "I think all of us are screwed when we meet something that can."

Zroc smirked.

"All of us except you," Zroc winked, "He's worried about you, has been since the mummies. He pulled you into this life, so he feels responsible for you. He's gonna make you the toughest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. Won't be long before they start singing songs about your brave deeds"

The Golden Retriever chuckled and kissed Zroc softly on the lips. The Kobold chuckled and kissed back, pulling Harmond close and slowly sliding his tongue into his muzzle. Harmond moaned softly and accepted the slow and gentle make out. He loved these little moments. The sex with Zroc was always incredible, but the Kobold's lovemaking style had little time for moments like these.

"You know," Zroc murred as he planted a couple more kisses on the Dog's lips, "I'm starting to think I might not be Shahaada's chosen."

Harmond pulled back and blinked. He didn't know all that much about the gods, but he was pretty sure a statement like that was blasphemy.

"Hear me out," Zroc put up his hands and chuckled, "Things have been pretty typical for me. You know in the sex realm."

Harmond rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Sure sure," Harmond let out a chuckle, "If prostitutes paying you to sleep with them because they think it'll bring them favor with the gods is typical."

Zroc scratched under the Dog's chin. The Kobold had a reputation for liking his whores, even when he had a more than willing Golden Retriever of his own to screw every night. Now stopping off in any sort of town meant that the Kobold would be working overtime spreading the word and love of his goddess. Harmond knew it was part of the job but couldn't help but feel jealous.

"That's new, I'll admit," The Kobold said as he planted a kiss on the Golden Retriever's nose, "But think about it. They just want to have sex with me because they think it'll get them something. Whereas, you for example..."

Harmond scoffed and shook his head.

"No way," Harmond replied as his finger moved down to lazily trace the sigil branded into Zroc's chest, "I'm not the one with the mark. She only saved me because you were there."

Zroc looked down and blushed.

"I'm not so sure," Zroc began, "You did the heavy lifting and gave up a litter in offering. Think about it, she's the goddess of love."

Harmond chuckled.

"And you've been doing a lot of loving," The Golden Retriever replied with a gentle nudge, "Don't try to pass this off on me. I don't have nearly enough stamina to please all of the lucky lads and ladies who throw their hard earned money at you."

Zroc sighed and rubbed the back of his head, making Harmond stop in his tracks. Did he really get under Zroc's thick skin? The Kobold shook his head and let out a half-hearted chuckle. His shoulders slumped as the Dog held his paw tightly.

"You aren't understanding me," The Kobold began, "They don't love me."

Harmond sat up and held both of Zroc's hands.

"I think they just think I'm some form of carnal salvation, they think that they can throw themselves at me and I can fuck them a miracle," Zroc sighed, "Just physical love can't be enough."

"Why not?" Harmond asked, "Shahaada is also the goddess of babies and health right? You don't need romantic love for those things."

Zroc looked into the Golden Retriever's eyes.

"But it helps," Zroc continued and kissed the Dog softly, "Look I'm only saying this because of what I've been noticing with you. You notice how all of these guys in the party are starting to really care for you? Not sexually of course, but like a family member."

Harmond blushed and looked down at their intertwined fingers. He didn't notice anything that would imply love. Sure the members of the party had become more friendly to him, but Harmond equated it to finally being able to do an equal share of the work.

"First off, you got me to fall in love with you," The Kobold said softly, "You have Ennrion nearly wholly consumed with worry about your well-being, Warren is following you around like a sad puppy, and most damning of all; you got that Asabi to fall in love with you in five days knowing what, 5 words of each other's language?"

Harmond blushed even harder and shook his head.

"I think you're looking for patterns where there aren't any," Harmond replied, "Look, this whole thing is weird. I understand completely."

The Golden Retriever leaned in and kissed his mate on the lips. Zroc held the Dog closer and lay back.

"You're doing the best you can," Harmond said as he brought his paw up to caress the underside of his mate's muzzle, "She knows that. She's a goddess, she'll let you know if you're doing something wrong."

Zroc nodded and looked up at the Golden Retriever. His frown slowly turned into a smile as he weighed over his lover's words. One of his hands came up to rest on the Dog's cheek.

"I love you," Zroc pulled the Dog into another kiss, "I'm the luckiest guy in the whole world."

Harmond returned the kiss and squeezed the Kobold tightly. Three sharp raps on the top of the tent broke the pair apart. Ennrion was awake and ready to spar. The Dragonborn poked his head into the tent with a smirk.

"Good morning," Ennrion chuckled, "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Just a healthy sleep schedule," Zroc crossed his arms and glared at the taller male, "You guys have been at it every day for the past week. Surely you can give him a day off."

Ennrion shook his head.

"We don't know where we're going next," The Dragonborn replied, "If it's anything like the Great Salt Desert then I want everyone to be prepared."

Ennrion straightened up.

"You should come Zroc," Ennrion continued, "You did teach me after all. Maybe you could give him a few pointers."

"But then I'd have to put on pants," Zroc groaned, "And get out of bed."

Harmond blushed and gave the Kobold a kiss on the cheek.

"Please?" Harmond asked, "Maybe you could really help."

The Dog gave his best puppy dog eyes. While Harmond didn't doubt that Zroc would be a good teacher, his main hope was that the Kobold's presence would make Ennrion go a little easier on him. Riding was hard enough for the dog without being beat to shit every morning.

"Okay puppy," Zroc kissed the Dog on the nose and got out of bed, "You're giving me something in return tonight."

Harmond smirked as he got out of bed and pulled his pants on.

"Don't I always?"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

45 minutes later

Harmond let out a sharp whine as he was knocked to the ground yet again. Even though Ennrion said the Golden Retriever was getting better, it still felt like the Dragonborn was able to knock Harmond down in 5 moves or less. The Golden Retriever stopped to catch his breath, the back of his neck still stinging from the slap of Ennrion's sword against it. The Dragonborn crossed his arms and waited for the Golden Retriever to get back up.

"You leaned into the lunge again," Ennrion began, "Drive with your arms, not with your body. That way you don't get a sword in the back of your neck when you fuck up."

The Golden Retriever groaned as he sat himself back up and rubbed the back of his neck with a whine. He wasn't going to be able to take much more of this, he'd never been worked this hard for this long before. All he could do was hope this intense training worked. The Dog whined with pain again as he looked up at Ennrion.

"But last time you told me to put more oomph into it," Harmond replied, "How can I do that if I don't put my chest into it?"

Ennrion shrugged.

"It's a fine line," Ennrion began, "Now come on, let's go again."

The Golden Retriever huffed and looked back at Zroc. The Kobold hadn't interjected at all since the pair had started sparring. Behind him the other members of the party meandered about the camp. Smells of sausage and bacon roasting on the main campfire wafted down towards the small clearing. Compared to some of the other places the pair had sparred, this may as well have been the fighting pits of Balrao. It was level, clear of thorny brush, and most importantly, far from any cliffs.

"Well?" Harmond asked, "Do you have anything to add?"

Zroc looked over the pair with a shrug.

"No," Zroc replied, "It's a fine line."

The Golden Retriever stood up with a groan. He didn't know how many more beatings he could take today. Ennrion set his sword down and walked to Harmond's side. The Dragonborn put a hand on the Dog's shoulder and leaned in to kiss him softly on the forehead.

"Hey, don't be discouraged," He began softly, "You've improved so much already."

Harmond looked up at the taller male with a blush and a chuckle.

"Then why haven't I even come close to beating you?" The Dog asked, "It seems that none of your fixes work."

Ennrion winked at the Dog.

"They do work," Ennrion began, "But you're fighting someone different every time."

The Dragonborn brought a hand up to tease under the Golden Retriever's chin. The Dog blushed hard and looked down to the ground. Ennrion was always tender in moments like these. Harmond was sure these moments would go beyond tenderness and flirting if he wanted to. This was not the time. He knew Zroc didn't mind, but this felt blatant. They may have been open, but they never rubbed it in one another's face.

"I'm trying to take this from a well rounded approach," He continued as his fingers absent-mindedly teased the fur on the Dog's chin, "Zroc did the same thing. We'd watch the fighters in the pits, and he'd come at me a different way every time."

Harmond looked up at the Dragonborn with a smirk.

"He probably didn't take this approach though," The Dog nuzzled into Ennrion's hand, "Might have been a little creepy."

Ennrion smirked.

"I wasn't his type," Ennrion looked up at Zroc with a laugh, "He likes them fuzzy and cute."

The Dragonborn looked back down at Harmond and smirked.

"You know what?" Ennrion continued, "I think I'm the same way."

Harmond blushed and stepped away from the Dragonborn. It didn't take him long to figure out that standing around and flirting with Ennrion didn't make the other male go any easier. In fact, it seemed that Ennrion took full advantage of the lull in his guard. Not today, Harmond frowned and got into a firm combat stance. He was going to last more than 5 moves this time. Ennrion picked up his sword and twirled it around in his hand. They both used real swords, Ennrion was good enough to avoid cutting the Dog, and Harmond wasn't good enough yet to make Ennrion worry about getting hit.

"You ready?" The Dragonborn asked, "I'm going to come at you hard this time."

Harmond's eyes went wide. Hadn't Ennrion been coming at him hard every time? Zroc chuckled and shook his head. The Dog wasn't sure if that made him feel any better.

"Yeah I'm ready," Harmond began with a cocky chuckle, "What do I get if I win?"

Ennrion rolled his eyes.

"You get to call it quits a little early," Ennrion replied, "Besides, I'm not gonna reward you until we get to Myrka."

"Fair enough," Harmond chuckled, "Hope your ass is ready to hit the dirt."

Zroc straightened up as Harmond started to menacingly pace in front of the Dragonborn. The first lesson he learned from Ennrion, even before this intensive training, was to always keep moving. He lunged forward with a loud battle-cry, willfully letting his guard drop for a split second. Ennrion smirked and side stepped, ready to capitalize on the presented weakness with a hard slap to the back of the Golden Retriever's head.

He whirled about, only to barely parry a precise slap to the back of his own head. Harmond and Ennrion paused for a moment. That was a first. The moment ended when Ennrion whirled his sword overhead and slashed down in front of Harmond's face. The Golden Retriever backstepped as he parried and countered with a blow aimed towards the Dragonborn's arm. His balance faltered after the Dragonborn's parry, but he managed to keep his feet and follow through with another slash towards Ennrion's head.

Ennrion ducked the blow and whirled about to slash down in front of Harmond's head. Harmond slapped the blade down and charged forward, bringing his own sword up to slash towards the opening at the Dragonborn's neck. Ennrion parried, but not before Harmond was able to follow up with another attack on the other side of his neck. The Golden Retriever's tail wagged with excitement. He had definitely surpassed five moves. He kept up the attack, keeping the pressure up on the Dragonborn's upper body. Ennrion slipped slightly and Harmond lunged forward to make the kill.

As quick as lightning, the Dragonborn side-stepped the attack and used the momentum to cannon his fist into the side of Harmond's head, just behind the Golden Retriever's eye. He yelped and hit the ground hard. The impact drove his teeth into his tongue. There wasn't much damage, but the Golden Retriever could taste blood. Harmond whined and rolled over. He opened his eyes and winced at the white sparkles dancing in them. Zroc stood up from his seat and snarled.

"What the fuck Ennrion?" The Kobold snarled, "How is he going to ride if he has a concussion?"

Ennrion shook his head and put his sword back in his sheath.

"He's fine," The Dragonborn bent down and extended a hand to the Golden Retriever, "Aren't you Harmond?"

The Dog spat out a muzzle-full of blood and wiped his lips. He was sure he'd feel fine in a few minutes. He'd never been punched in the face before, but the others seemed to handle it quite well. He took the Dragonborn's hand and let Ennrion haul him up on his feet.

"So," Harmond panted for breath, "What did I do wrong there?"

Ennrion chuckled and dusted off the Dog's clothes.

"Well, it's simple," Ennrion began, "You were so concerned with beating me that you took the first chance you thought you had at victory."

The Dragonborn rubbed Harmond's shoulders.

"When you're fighting some grunt who's only swung a sword once or twice in his life," He continued, "Then go for it. But someone with some skill with a blade? You have to be patient, tire them out, wait for them to slip up. Forcing it like you did is only going to end badly for you."

Harmond nodded and bent forward to catch his breath. Ennrion walked behind him and picked up the Golden Retriever's sword. In spite of the pain, the Dog's tail started to wag. That was the longest he had lasted against the Dragonborn. Harmond turned to face Ennrion and straightened himself up.

"Other than that," The Golden Retriever began, "How'd I do?"

Ennrion chuckled and walked up to Harmond with a smirk.

"Very well," He replied, "I'm very proud of you."

The Dragonborn tilted his neck to the side to show off a cut in the collar of his shirt. Harmond gasped and looked over it with an excited bark. The sheer elation of actually getting a hit in took the edge off of his pain. Ennrion handed the Dog the sword and pat him on the back.

"Get yourself some breakfast," Ennrion began, "If you need a break tonight, feel free to just read through that chapter again. I don't want you to over do it."

Harmond nodded and smiled softly as he put his sword back into its scabbard. Zroc stormed past Ennrion and glared at him as the Dragonborn passed. Harmond knelt down and groaned. His head was starting to hurt again.

"Hey," Zroc said softly as he knelt down in front of the Golden Retriever, "Are you okay?"

The Golden Retriever honestly didn't know. He shrugged and looked up at the Kobold.

"Okay," Zroc growled, "If you aren't feeling 100 percent after breakfast, then we aren't riding today."

Harmond whined.

"Come on Zroc," He squeezed the Kobold's paw, "It's not that bad. Besides, we've got to get to Myrka."

"No Harmond," The Kobold said firmly, "If you fall off your horse and break something, then where would we be? We'd have to find an inn and stay there till you got better."

The Golden Retriever sighed and nodded. Zroc was right. There was no point in arguing about this. The last thing that Harmond wanted was to be even more of a burden. Zroc gave the Dog a loving look and kissed him on the forehead.

"You did so good," Zroc chuckled, "I'm so proud of you."

Harmond groaned as he got up onto his feet. His tail wagged hard as the Kobold's hands reached out to hold his sides and keep him steady.

"Thanks," The Golden Retriever replied, "Were you that hard on Ennrion when you trained him?"

Zroc chuckled and let out a low whistle.

"I had to be," The Kobold replied, "Ennrion wanted to be a pit fighter. If he would have died in a fight, his dad would have fucking ate me. Or worse."

He shuddered and let out a loud laugh.

"He's training you pretty much the same way I trained him," Zroc continued with a snort, "Although I never rang his fucking bell the way he rang yours."

Harmond rolled his eyes and took Zroc's hand. The pair walked towards the camp nice and slow. The Kobold kept his eyes on his lover, ready to step in and steady him if needed.

"Who's turn is it to make breakfast today?" The Golden Retriever asked, "It's not Jaal is it?"

Meal duty rotated daily throughout the party, obviously some were better cooks than others. Ennrion was widely considered to be the best cook, followed by Harmond, then Warren. Zroc, Jaal, and Uvoc were widely considered to be tied for the worst. Zroc had no concept of how seasoning worked, Uvoc only cooked meat enough to give the outside a slight sear, and Jaal was a strict vegetarian who only made meat if there was nothing else for him to cook. If he had to kill dinner himself, then someone else had to cook.

"You're out of luck," Zroc chuckled, "He stayed up all night foraging for fruits. There's some tubers or something he found, some eggs as well. "

Harmond groaned. Eggs and tubers? That wasn't a good sign. Hopefully Zroc's order extended to bad meal induced nausea. The Kobold gave the back of the Dog's thigh a slap with his tail. Harmond winced but chuckled. He hoped these welts would soon be a distant memory.

"It might not be all bad," Zroc continued, "After all mushroom stew night wasn't terrible."

Harmond's stomach turned at the mere suggestion of it. The pair made their way back to the main fire. Jaal was working away at the fire. He had eggs and tubers frying away on the griddle. The root vegetables were green, and imparting some of that color to the whites of the eggs. Harmond politely smiled and took a seat a fair distance away. At this point, food was food. He just hoped it would agree with him.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That evening

435 miles west of Myrka

The Golden Retriever groaned as he sat up in his tent. He looked around with a drowsy, unbothered frown. Harmond felt good enough to ride after breakfast. The food was much better than he could have dreamed, and got him feeling almost back to normal. Riding for the morning was easy enough, but no one in the party anticipated the heat-wave that hit just after lunch. The heat, coupled with the battle fatigue, made riding a shaky feeling at best. The Golden Retriever quickly dropped to the back of the party, everything after that was a sun-soaked haze. Zroc poked his head into the tent and let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank the gods you're awake," Zroc knelt down at Harmond's feet, "Are you alright?"

Harmond blinked slowly as he caught his bearings.

"I think so?" He asked, "I don't remember anything after it got really hot. Where are we? Did we go as far as Ennrion wanted to?"

Zroc shook his head.

"You fell off your horse," Zroc replied, "You must have hit your head harder than we thought. I'll have to tell Ennrion to take it easy on you the next couple of days."

"B-but I'm fine?" Harmond sat up and growled in pain, "Holy fuck... I'm not fine."

Zroc sat down beside the Golden Retriever and squeezed his paw.

"I told him he was pushing you too hard, Zroc began, "Just stay still. I'll bring some food by when it's done. Just be sure not to over do it. The last thing you need to do is make yourself sick by eating too much."

Harmond nodded and whined.

"Can you help me go out there?" Harmond asked, "I want to visit with everyone. Let them know I'm okay."

Zroc looked down at Harmond with a parental scowl.

"I won't move around at all once I get out there," Harmond whined, "I'll just sit down and relax. I promise."

The Kobold sighed.

"Fine," Zroc began, "Don't be surprised if Ennrion comes up to bother you to spar before dawn. I swear sometimes, that boy's got less sense than an ant in a cake shop."

Harmond slowly stood up, his paws gripping the tent beam for support. Zroc hurried to the Golden Retriever's side and offered up his shoulder. The Golden Retriever leaned against the Kobold, a shaky exhale leaving his lips. His head spun and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Zroc looked up at him and squeezed the Dog's free paw.

"Can you make it?" Zroc asked, "There's no shame in staying in the tent tonight. No one thinks you aren't tough or anything like that."

Harmond rolled his eyes.

"Do you really think I'm worried about what they think of me?" Harmond asked, "Don't you remember Zaror?"

Zroc grumbled and nodded. Zaror was a grizzled Elk who used to travel with the group. He didn't like Harmond at all, and thought the young scholar was useless, even when he started to learn the way of the sword and some offensive magic. Harmond hadn't heard anything about him since Ennrion had caught him trying to seduce a peasant farmer's far too young daughter. From the party's reactions, it was safe to assume that Ennrion had severely dealt with the morally gray troublemaker.

"I'm ready if you are," Harmond blushed, "Just go slow, I'm really dizzy."

Zroc shook his head but ultimately led the Dog out of the tent. Harmond leaned heavily on Zroc's shoulders. He hoped this was just the remnants of shock. The Dog wasn't sure what he would do if he had to retire from this line of work prematurely. The Kobold walked the pair around the back of one of the party's makeshift tents towards the campfire. The other four tents surrounded the fire in a sandy clearing. Short, scraggly trees protected the camp from the worst of the wind and prying eyes from the ridges surrounding them.

Uvoc bent over the fire, hard at work cooking over the fire. Judging by the smell, it was a roast bird, probably a turkey. Ja'al must have been unable to cook such fresh meat. The Camel sat in front in front of his tent. He was peeling tubers, his dagger deftly shearing the coarse exterior off to reveal the white-tender flesh on the inside. He looked up at the pair and smiled.

"Hello Harmond," Jaal asked, "Are you feeling any better?"

"I don't know," Harmond began, "I don't remember feeling any worse."

Jaal chuckled and shook his head as he finished his tuber. Zroc looked towards Ennrion's tent with a frown. The Dragonborn was looking over some maps with his head in his hands. They can't have been lost, could they?

"Hey Jaal," The Kobold said quietly, "You mind watching Harmond for a bit? I'm going to go and see what's going on."

"Sure," The Camel replied, "He probably doesn't need watching though."

Zroc lowered the Golden Retriever to the ground beside the Camel. Harmond propped himself up against the side of the tent. He closed his eyes. The quick position change made his head spin even faster. He really didn't know what Zroc was worried about. How was he going to overdo it if he couldn't walk? Jaal picked up on the Golden Retriever's discomfort and let the Dog rest against his firm chest.

"Understood," Jaal began, "I'll take care of him."

The Kobold shot the Camel a smile and turned to Ennrion's tent. The Dragonborn looked up and waved at the Golden Retriever before Zroc closed the tent flap behind him. Jaal looked down at Harmond and squeezed him a little tighter. The Golden Retriever blushed and put his paws in his lap. He knew the Camel wasn't gay. The last thing he wanted was to make Jaal uncomfortable.

"So do you need anything?" Jaal asked, "Some water? A blanket?"

"Water would be good," Harmond chuckled, "Did Uvoc get a turkey?"

The Camel chuckled as he reached back and pulled his water skin from his pack. He took off the cap and placed the half-full vessel into Harmond's paws.

"Yeah, but I almost butchered it!" Jaal replied, "Even managed to get the thing defeathered and cut open."

The Camel shuddered.

"Couldn't handle touching the guts though," Jaal began, "Lucky for me, Uvoc didn't mind stepping in and taking care of the dirty bits."

Harmond chuckled and shook his head before bringing the waterskin to his mouth and taking a small gulp. He groaned and lowered it, his paws moving up to his ears once he finished swallowing.

"That bad huh," Jaal began, "Fleet-foot is sorry by the way. He said you landed headfirst. It's a miracle you didn't break your neck."

The Golden Retriever chuckled. It felt weird to call his horse by the creature's "actual" name, but the benefits were definitely noticeable. The horse's responded to directions much more enthusiastically and had a far greater bond with their riders.

"That is lucky," Harmond chuckled nervously, "Tell him thanks for me?"

"You can tell him that yourself," Jaal smirked, "Simple stuff like that they understand..."

Jaal's gaze wandered to Uvoc's back.

"Speaking of," Jaal continued, "According to Fleet-foot, there's something going on between Uvoc and Warren."

Harmond blinked in shock. That was a surprise. Warren was a notorious poon-hound who always made a point to brag about his sexual conquests to anyone who would listen. Uvoc, on the other paw, was basically a mannequin. Harmond didn't even think the Wolf had ever talked about being with anyone romantically before. Jaal chuckled at the Dog's reaction.

"That's what I thought," Jaal continued, "But apparently they wait until all of us go to bed before meeting up."

Harmond chuckled and smiled at the Wolf.

"Why haven't they told anyone?" The Golden Retriever asked, "You guys have been nothing but supportive of Zroc and I."

Jaal shrugged.

"I couldn't begin to tell you," the Camel smirked and shook his head, "Warren is far weirder, and far harder to read than any animal I've ever met."

The pair shared a laugh that quieted as Warren walked back into the camp. The Rat looked excited, his tail twitched behind him excitedly, and he wore a large grin across his face. Judging by the blush that tinged the inside of his ears and face, he was also incredibly nervous. His paws clutched something tightly. Uvoc turned and smiled at the Rat.

"Hello Warren," He said, his tail wagging hard behind him, "What you have?"

Warren chuckled and brought a paw up to rub the back of his neck.

"I know you had said that," he blushed even harder, "In your tribe. When a warrior makes a kill, his family or mate or whatever makes them a trophy."

Warren held out a silver chain with a cleaned turkey skull on the end of it.

"I know a turkey doesn't make a good trophy," The Rat chuckled softly, "But it'll do until you kill yourself a dragon or something."

Uvoc smiled and took the necklace from Warren's paws. The Rat rubbed his arms and watched with barely concealed anticipation as the Wolf's large fingers deftly clasped the jewelry around his neck. Uvoc stood up and took Warren's paws in his again.

"So," Warren looked down at the Wolf's paws, "What do you think?"

The Wolf squeezed Warren's paws and leaned in to rest his forehead against the Rat's. Harmond looked at Jaal with his jaw agape. Was this actually happening?

"Good," Uvoc said with a soft smile as he tilted his head and leaned in closer, "Pretty like you."

Warren stood on tiptoe and shared a quick kiss with the Wolf. They embraced shortly and pulled away, likely to avoid getting carried away. The Rat smiled and turned, inadvertently making eye contact with the Golden Retriever and the Camel. He froze, his eyes wide and mouth dropping to let out a whine. Harmond put up a thumbs up and shot the Rat a kind smile. If this made the two of them happy, then it was Harmond's duty to make sure they felt supported. After all, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to handle being shunned after he and Zroc got together. Warren shot the Golden Retriever a relieved half-nod and scurried off to his tent.

"Well," Jaal chuckled, "Maybe we shouldn't tell Zroc and Ennrion just yet."

Harmond looked over at the Camel with a smirk.

"Why?" Harmond asked, "If Zroc tries to start shit, I'll make him sleep out in the bushes. He'll play nice sooner or later."

The Camel let out a laugh and moved his arm out from behind the Dog.

"I meant for them," Jaal gestured at the direction Warren ran off in, "Clearly they aren't ready for people to find out."

The Golden Retriever nodded and looked back toward the fire. He made a note to talk to Warren alone when he had the chance. He didn't know much about relationships, but he felt that he could help in this regard. After all, it wasn't like Warren had ever dated males before. At least, not to Harmond's knowledge. Uvoc walked over with a large turkey drumstick. The Wolf had outdone himself this time. Harmond could practically taste the bird from where he sat.

"Warrior is awake," Uvoc knelt down and held out the steaming turkey leg, "Best cut for best warrior."

Harmond chuckled and took the piece of meat.

"I don't know about that," Harmond began, "He kinda kicked my ass."

Uvoc smirked.

"Hmm, you here still," The Wolf clapped him on the shoulder, "And Ennrion cheat."

Harmond smiled and nodded. Jaal lay out a plate for the Dog.

"Thank you," He looked down at the Wolf's new jewelry, "That's a really pretty necklace you have there. Is it new?"

Uvoc beamed from ear to ear. His tail wagged hard behind him.

"Yes!" He straightened up with a smile, "Warren make it. Hello friend Zroc!"

The Wolf headed back to the fire, his tail still wagging furiously. Harmond turned around to see the Kobold standing behind the Golden Retriever and the Camel.

"Really?" Zroc asked, "Warren makes jewelry now?"

Harmond kissed the Kobold on the head and made some room beside him. Zroc chuckled and sat down beside the Golden Retriever. His hand moved down to squeeze Harmond's paw while his head nuzzled into the Dog's neck. The Golden Retriever set the drumstick down onto the plate beside him and wrapped his arm around his lover.

"Yeah," Harmond shrugged, "It's pretty. Maybe he'll make you some if you're nice."

Zroc murred and kissed the Dog on the cheek.

"I'd rather get you some," He nibbled on the Golden Retriever's ear, "What do you think about a cock ring?"

Harmond gasped and recoiled from the Kobold's teasing muzzle. He looked back at his boyfriend and growled at the shit-eating grin on his face. The Dog leaned in and started to tickle over the Kobold's side. The pair laughed until Zroc fell back with the Golden Retriever resting on his chest. Jaal looked over the scene with a polite smile. Harmond knew that the Camel's tribe were not wholly supportive of same-sex relations. He only hoped he didn't make the Camel too uncomfortable.

"You're in luck," Zroc began, "We're shortening our travel days. Now you only spar with Ennrion once a week. The other days you and I are drilling with the sword."

Harmond wagged his tail. Training with the Kobold was going to be a wonderful change of pace. Zroc was going to be a stern teacher, Harmond was sure of it, but at least the Golden Retriever wouldn't have to worry about losing any teeth turing the fight. Zroc kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and looked up at him with a lewd grin.

"Looks like you're feeling a little better," The black-scaled male's hand went up to tease the Golden Retriever's arm-fur, "Here I was worried I'd have to ride you tonight."

Harmond rolled his eyes and got up from the Kobold with a smirk.

"You better go get some turkey," Harmond began, "Uvoc and Warren might eat it all otherwise."

Zroc kissed the Dog on the lips and shot out from under him.

"Yeah," Zroc dusted himself off, "Over my dead body! Hey fluffbutt! You better save some of that for me!"

Uvoc turned to face the Kobold with a playful growl.

"Want eat!" Uvoc smirked, "Win fight!"

Harmond shook his head and chuckled as Zroc sprinted towards the Wolf and tackled him. Uvoc didn't budge, but allowed the Kobold to grapple him without scruples. Jaal looked over at Harmond and smiled.

"You know," He began, "I really like the two of you together."

Harmond looked over at Jaal with a blush.

"I didn't get it at first," Jaal chuckled softly, "I don't think I really got it until we left Cherathai's cave. Until I heard what Bhisk said about the two of you."

Harmond blinked. From the fire, Warren and Ennrion were now cheering the wrestling males. Zroc was holding on for dear life while Uvoc tried to throw him off.

"Oh," The Golden Retriever said softly, "What did he say?"

Jaal looked down at Harmond and smiled.

"Well," He smirked, "Before you kissed, he said something about you always being welcome in his home, and that if circumstances allowed, that you and him could pick right back up where you left off."

The Camel smiled at the Dog.

"But more importantly," Jaal continued, "He said he wasn't worried about you. Because you had someone to love, and cherish, and protect you through all of your coming trials. He said that warmed his heart far more than having you to himself."

Harmond looked down at his paws and chuckled softly. He couldn't believe Bhisk had said that. Tears came to his eyes and started to freely roll down his cheek. He truly was lucky. Cheers erupted from around the bonfire as Uvoc finally shook off the Kobold and pinned him under his white-furred bulk. The Wolf helped him up and put a turkey drumstick in his hands.

"Eat, get big," Uvoc smirked, "Then you win."

Zroc chuckled.

"Fine," He stuck out his tongue, "I almost had you though."

Uvoc gave the Kobold an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

"Almost," Uvoc replied, "Next time scale-butt."

Zroc laughed and took his prize back to Harmond's side. His smile faded as he saw the tear-trails rolling down the dog's cheeks. He knelt down in front of his lover and looked into his eyes.

"Harmond? What's wrong?" Zroc said softly, "Is everything alright love?"

Harmond nodded and smiled at the Kobold.

"Yeah," The Dog replied, "I've never been better."

The older male sat down beside his mate and let his tail brush over the Golden Retriever's lower back. He looked over the eating Kobold and out over the rest of the campfire. As long as he had his friends and his lover by his side, he would be unstoppable.