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Norton awoke with a start, sitting up. He found himself back in his bedding, positioned right next to the fire. The previous night had been a blur for the most part, aside from-- Norton glanced around him, finding no trace of his illicit lover. Ava, however, was poking and the ashen remains of the fire with a stick. "Good morning," she said plainly. "Had a good sleep?"

"Where's Lydia?" Norton asked warily.

"She went off to find a pond to wash off in."

"I see." Norton averted his gaze and stood up. He began folding up his bedding.

"I tried, you know? I was really trying," Ava said suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Norton replied.

"You know what I mean." Ava tossed the stick into the firepit. "You reek of it. You and your clothes." She stood up. "Why did you do it?"

There was no point in lying. "She asked," Norton said simply. There might have been more to it than that. "I don't know."

"So? Would you have done it if I asked?" Ava said. Her gash became more apparent as she spoke and a frown formed on her face.

Norton turned away. "You've never asked, Ava." It hurt to say that somehow, yet it was true, wasn't it?

Ava stepped up to him and grabbed him by the chin, forcing their eyes to lock. "Didn't it fucking matter when we made that promise?!"

Norton pulled free. "What promise, Ava? You kissed me! That's it! May I remind you what happened afterward when you two nearly killed one another? Is that improvement?!" Norton huffed. All the hot air had blown out of him. He felt as though he were only a hollow shell now.

Ava stepped back, her frown only hardening into a scowl. "That drunk bitch tried to take you. What was I supposed to do? Let you go?" Her scowl wavered. "Let her take that kiss without a word?" A tear trailed down her face as she stepped back up to Norton again. "I wasn't going to do that!" Her hand formed into a fist and she weakly beat on his shoulder. "It's not fair," she whimpered. "It's not fair."

The pain flared in Norton again. "How am I supposed to trust you, Ava?"

"This isn't about trust, is it?" She hooked a finger into the scar that ripped across her mouth, pulling it back to reveal more of the gored flesh. "It's this, isn't it? You would rather be with a golem than this slaughtered meat, right?"

"Ava. This is only about trust." He placed a hand on her shoulder, but was quickly slapped away. "Do you truly think I'd be scared away by your damned wound?"

"Don't you dare speak my name after what you've done. Don't you--" She broke into more tears, falling to her knees. "Don't you-- Damnit! Damnit, Norton! " Norton frowned. You've chosen terribly. He quickly sat down next to her.

"Ava, I'm sorry. I..." What was he supposed to say? The mere sight of Ava's displeasure tore at his heart, but what was he sorry for? Sorry for choosing someone else? Sorry for denying her aggressive advances? Sorry. "I'm sorry." He embraced her. "I'm sorry I didn't think of you." He tightened his grip. "I should have given you some chance, but I was a fool and--"

"You let that cat soil you." Ava grabbed at him, forcing him into a kiss. Her tongue forced its way into his mouth, before pulling back in an instant. "Sorry," she whispered into his ear. "I can't just let go of you. Let me try, please." Her snout pushed into his ear.

Norton pulled his head away from her, but didn't stop his embrace. "Ava, I don't know if--"

"It's not too late."

"Ava."

"Lydia doesn't have to know! Just give me a chance."

Norton frowned. "You know why I can't do that."

"Did you actually give me a chance?"

"No. No I didn't." Of course he didn't, and how could he? Yet, in some way he felt that he should. Why? Perhaps he was a pathetic soul, wanting to ease her pain. Perhaps the scar in her face made him pity her. Or yet perhaps, he truly had some misaligned feelings for her that he couldn't yet express. The first woman he mingled with in a while, joining her beastly heart to his. "Then you'll calm the feud? For our the sake of our lives?" Ava nodded. "I will try, for your sake." And only her sake.

Thoughts of Lydia hit back. Norton stood up, helping Ava right up alongside him. Were you committed to the cat now? Have you made your choice? "Believe me. I will be better," Ava said, grabbing at his hand. "Believe me." Norton could only give an uncertain nod back. "The cat approaches." She broke her hand and sniffled, wiping away whatever moisture fell on her fur. And like that, everything was snapped back to normality, leaving Norton in the wake of uncertainty. He sat back down and awaited Lydia's fiery response, but it didn't come. Instead she calmly took her spot on her bedding and quietly groomed her unkempt fur into place.

_

The group had quietly moved back onto the road without so much as a word. Norton walked in-between the wolf and cat as before, but rather than feeling like an uneasy boundary between them, he instead felt like a prize to be pawed after, to be played with. His allies felt less like companions and more like hunters chasing a prey they couldn't have. That made three pursuers, and an untold amount of minions scattered through the mix. The pressure of the world was on him, and it was all because he felt he could be of some help for a simple task. Simple money. He should've known work is never simple. What was even the point of his presence? He was a dangling deadweight at this point.

"We have not seen Miriam in quite some time. Keep on guard for anything," Lydia said.

"I pray she's gotten sick of the land and crawled back to the ocean," Ava replied.

Every word they spoke made Norton worry they would only break into a fight to the death, thus he kept his mouth firmly shut. Focusing on the road ahead was difficult, as he only felt he was marching toward the enemy. As if Miriam would turn around the corner and break their bodies in one swift motion. Though for however long they walked, the pain never came. Indeed, the few people to cross paths with them seemed less than fit to break anything in their bodies, bearing wounds themselves. Several wagons of them rolled on by without so much as a word. Only curious glances.

Worry eventually got the better of Norton. "Are we certain we're going the right way?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"What do you expect when treading on war?" Ava replied. Norton's eyes widened. "I forgot you come from a smaller world. Don't worry about it. I doubt it would affect you anyways."

"It's affecting me now with all these dying people," Norton said.

"Warriors," Lydia said sternly. "They were aware of what they were fighting. Do not worry for their sake."

It wasn't long before the group came to the source of the trail of people. A small camp had been established in the area, and it was clear it was dedicated to treating the wounded and the fleeing. "I would say it's time for a break, wouldn't you agree?" Norton asked. Lydia and Ava stared at him, but eventually nodded.

"Do not expect any goodwill from the people here," Lydia said. She and Ava stood at the edge of the camp, watching the busywork as it rolled by. They stood on either side of the entrance, like beastly guardians. Norton himself took to treading inward. He had little to offer in comparison to the field doctors here, but he felt as though he had to assist in some way. Moreover it gave him some escape from the grasp of his partners. A terrible idea to leave them in each other's gaze, and yet at the moment all he cared about was himself. For once, he figured he could afford that.

Norton navigated to a more central tent, where inside he could see rows of beds, some not even framed, holding the battered forms of different people. Some human and some beast-folk. Amidst the wounded there were a few healers going about their business, watching over all of the injured. In the center sat a male feline at a desk, going over several pages of something. Death counts, possibly. Norton approached them. Without lifting their head, they growled something in what he could only assume was feline language. "Pardon me," Norton replied.

"A feline not knowing their own tongue. Truly dark times indeed," he said.

"I'm not--"

The feline glanced up. "Oh." He tilted his head. "I assumed by your sc-- Never mind." He ran his eyes across Norton in clear confusion. "You don't appear injured. Head for Hull if you have no business here." He waved him off.

"I was hoping I could assist in some way," Norton said, pulling off his pack.

"Why?" the feline shot back. "There's no profit to be made here, if that's what your intention is. Though I doubt I would accept the help of an apothecary in such dishevelment."

"Believe me when I say that I have no interest in profit. I just find my experience has not been put to use and I have supplies to assist."

"And believe me when I say I find it hard to believe someone such as yourself would be so willing to help. I should trust you to tend to the wounded out of a friendly desire?"

"That is correct," Norton said. While it made sense to be so suspicious, Norton was becoming increasingly aggravated. "I have the salves and tinctures for smaller wounds."

The feline's tail whipped out from behind him. "So be it. I suppose you can't cause much harm to the lesser injured." He growled something, and another one of the feline nurses came to his side. He nodded to Norton. The nurse presented the way, and Norton followed.

"Thank you," Norton said as he departed.

Back outside, there were more of what appeared to be refugees and some sparse soldiers. More guards stood on the sidelines, talking between one another and occasionally glancing out into the group. It was little wonder that he was entrusted with the help here. "Start wherever you'd like," the nurse said.

"Certainly," Norton said. He went about looking for the more grievous wounds, but none seemed to be in any real danger. Out of the soldiers, he had to wonder how many had taken on wounds to get out of duty. Not wanting to delay any longer, he started on one patient with abrasions. Salve here, rub there, done. Don't touch it. Onto the next. He continued this process until the nurse watching over him began dialogue.

"You're a traveler?" they asked. It was somewhat difficult to make out their sex through their clothing, but based on their voice, Norton assumed they were female. Black and orange splotches of fur made up their face.

"What makes you say that?" Norton said.

"You're a mess of scents. Odd scents. Familiar scents."

"I suppose you could say that I am. Not that I wish to be anymore."

"You've mated with a feline too," they said flatly. They sounded curious, as painful as that was.

Norton turned his head and silently cursed their sense of smell. "I suppose I have. What of it?"

"I've just never heard of such a thing. It's dripping off you at that." Norton saw a few eyes come his way, so he continued through the injured at a hurried pace.

"Yes, well, I'd rather not speak about it right now. We have work to do, don't we?"

"Apologies, it's such a bizarre feeling to notice a mark like that coming from a human." The nurse shut their maw for the next patient, but quickly started up their barrage of questions after that. "What higher class was it?"

"Pardon?" Norton asked, halfway through wrapping a cut. "Sorry," he said to the patient. They moved onto the next one.

"The higher felid. It must have been an honor." An honor? That couldn't be more far from the truth. In fact, it felt as though he might die if it was brought up in the wrong company.

"Let us just focus on the task at hand, if you would." He paused for a moment. "Actually, might I ask you a question?"

"I believe that's fair."

"Do the... felids mate for life?"

"That depends on their hierarchy. Which is why it must be an honor to be chosen like that." They smiled.

Oh no. "Naturally." Norton and the nosy nurse continued through the patients until they were all treated. It hardly put a dent in what Norton was carrying, but it felt good to be of some use for once, or treat something that didn't risk death. Norton glanced aside, feeling eyes-- or rather an eye glaring at him. Ava leaned up against a set of boxes, tearing into meat. She gave him a small wave. "I believe this is where we part ways. Thank you for your service."

The cat looked to him and nodded. "Thank you as well. Do give my best impressions to the higher one!" In a flash they smeared their hand against Norton's sleeve, no doubt imbuing it with some terrible scent. He had just about enough of those.

"Right," Norton replied. He shook his arm and headed off to Ava's side.

"Care for a taste?" Ava asked, presenting the thing to him.

"Not at the moment, thank you." Norton wanted to ask where Lydia might've gotten to. He decided not to after realizing how Ava might react. "Settled in comfortably to the camp?"

Ava looked up at him from her meal then tore out another chunk. "No. I already want to leave. Far too similar to home." She gulped down the last of the treat. "I don't suppose you'll be mating with that cat as well?"

"No." Norton frowned.

"Forgive me. I still feel the blade in my back. It's hard to not joke about it."

"There was no betrayal, we were hardly in a relationship, Ava. The sooner you admit that, the easier it'll be."

"We shared that promising kiss, didn't we?"

Norton huffed. "I suppose we did, but does that and an apology make up for what's happening? Or what has happened?"

"And? What should I do, pray tell?" She shook her head and sighed. "I can't believe this, I'm arguing with a man to make him love me. It's hit me like a runaway horse how pathetic I've become." Ava chuckled.

"Remember that dinner we had? Before Lydia, that is."

"I do."

"That was nice."

Ava's expression dropped and she nodded. "I get it." She turned, letting her back rest on the boxes. "I was angry, you know. Really angry, but the more I thought, the more it made sense. I suppose self-control is part of being a knight. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been had she not done that training." She tittered softly, but then frowned. "Tell me, Norton."

"Yes?"

"My wound. My eye. Does it matter to you? They weren't what made you do that, was it?"

Norton shook his head. "No, Ava, they weren't." He tentatively reached up and traced a finger along the wound's edge. That empty eye stared back. "To tell you the truth, that's part of your charm. I... I don't think I'd be able to keep up such a cheery demeanor like that. You have strength far beyond what I could muster." Norton lowered his hand and looked away in slight embarrassment.

Ava leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." As much as it pained him, that simple act was enough to fill him with warmth. "Desperation is obvious but I've really come to like you. Honestly." Her hand reached up toward his head tentatively, then pulled back. "I feel like such a fool speaking like this. How about we enjoy a fine drop of swill instead?" Norton opened his mouth to dissuade the suggestion but was stopped by an uproar nearby. "The feline is back to ruining our fun," Ava grumbled.

The pair navigated around some tents to find Lydia being accosted by some other felines. From the expression on the unfamiliar cats' faces, the situation must've been quite amusing. "Rejoice, friends," the feline at the front started, "for the deserter has found its way home from human lands." Norton began to move to Lydia's side but was promptly yanked back into place by Ava.

"This is not your confrontation, don't involve yourself," the wolfess said.

"We are part of the same group, aren't we?" Norton replied.

Ava released her grasp on the man. "Sometimes I wonder."

Norton walked over to Lydia's side. Before he could even greet her, the other feline spoke up again. "I knew I smelled something amiss here." Norton sighed. Everyone really knew. "Brought yourself a trophy as well, have you?" Their brown fur clashed horribly with their red garments that made them appear as some sort of official within whatever military force they were in. A few soldiers stood behind them at attention, though not particularly interested in whatever was occurring.

"I do not know who you are and I do not care. Please leave," Lydia replied.

"Oh no. I get to see where the pride of the Kaur bloodline has run off to. Father's money has gone dry?"

"Thank you for coming, Norton," Lydia said, nodding to the man. Norton looked to her and returned the gesture. "If you would," Lydia said, returning to the official, "I have no interest in your petty struggles of superiority."

"Is that so?" The masculine feline stepped forward, his soldiers in tow. "What do you have interest in?" His whiskers twitched. "The boy, perhaps?" The feline's hand reached out for his shoulder but was caught by a grey hand.

"Do not touch my trophy, thank you," Ava said, stepping forward between the human and cat. Lydia only glared.

The soldier yanked his hand away and dusted it off. "I should have you gutted for that."

"Yeah?" Ava snickered. "Likewise." She patted Norton's shoulder.

"So one Kaur, one wolf, and one human. This is Byron's spawn at its finest." His nose twitched. "And soon to be, spawn of spawn." Ava huffed at that. Lydia's blank stare hadn't changed.

"Have you finished your pointless prattle?" Lydia asked. "We have matters to attend to."

"Oh you bet we do," Ava replied.

Norton shook his head and said, "Look, I'm sorry whatever trouble we've caused you, Mister ah-- Sir, but we must get going."

"Hold on now," the soldier replied. "I have something to ask of you, now that the opportunity presents itself."

"You heard the man. Get lost. We're not doing anything for you," Ava said. She waved him away.

"You had best listen unless you want to lose your other eye," the official feline replied.

Ava played her hand along one of her many knives. "Mhmm?"

"Ava, let's not push ourselves back into trouble so soon," Norton whispered to her.

"Anything for you." She pulled her hand away.

"And what is it you want?" Lydia asked. She crossed her arms.

The soldier smiled. "I'm sure you're aware of the bounty on the fish." Ugh, Miriam. Norton hoped he had heard the last of her.

"We don't need money, thanks," Ava said. Her words almost surprised Norton.

"Oh, money isn't the point." He shook his head. "A bit of greasing on the wheels of promotion is all I ask. So the task is simple. Kill the fish and I will take that little bit of notoriety."

Ava crossed her arms and said, "Yeah? How about we just leave and we won't have to tell anyone about your stupid little scheme? Hm?"

"What? And let everyone know how Byron manipulated a few things?" He placed his hands behind his back. "I don't think you'd like that."

"Feh, what do I care?"

"Ava," Norton started, "we should care. We don't need to continue our rat race forever."

"Maybe Lydia can't. I can." Ava looked to Norton.

"Like it or not, Lydia is our friend."

The wolfess tossed up a hand. "That was ruined quite some time ago! Keep up, Norton!"

Norton frowned. "Ava."

"Fine."

"And that is all?" Lydia asked.

"That is all," the official replied. "Though with your little misfits, I wonder how that will turn out."

"So be it."

"Look. Without another thought to you, she accepts," Ava whispered to Norton.

"I would have accepted the same," Norton replied.

The soldier waved his hand. "Now leave. We don't need ex-convicts scaring the populace." Norton sighed. Just when he thought he could experience more rest. Already he was worried about having to go up against the lamprey. Not because of her overpowering strength, but the fact that he had to do it with Ava and Lydia. He placed a hand over one of his pockets and held it tightly.

"Naturally," Lydia said. "Come, Norton, we have work to attend to. You as well, wolf." Another huff from Ava. Norton nodded, glad that Ava didn't have a fit. The official didn't say another word. The trio moved on, passing by the tents and back onto the road. "Miriam is likely still in pursuit. I suggest we make a circular turn backward and come down upon her."

"Good idea, cat. Maybe we should just tell her band of lackeys to simply leave too?" Ava responded. As much as Norton didn't want them to have another spat, Ava was right. What were they going to do about the large band following her?

"And you think they'll be an issue?"

"Lydia, you hardly managed to repel her last time," Norton replied. He was going to add "Ava" to that grievance, but decided not to bring up the pain of her wound.

"I would have crushed her had I not been stopped by the guards." She shook her head. "Regardless, we have to deal with Miriam swiftly."

"No, we don't. We can keep moving forward and forget about this stupid battle." Ava moved closer to Norton. "Where we can live without issue."

"The Western Militarized forces have already spread north, wolf. Any perceived life you could have would end swiftly, especially knowing that my-- Lord Byron, has taken care of our problem."

Ava growled. "Cats. Everywhere. Norton, let's take a ship east. Find an island."

"Ava, I can't do that," Norton said. "Even if you want a life with me... I can't do it on the run like that. We aren't cut from the same cloth. Do you know what it's been like, worrying about that fish?"

"Norton, Norton, Norton." Ava pulled him into a firm embrace. "You don't need to worry about a thing when you're with me." Her voice was soft and comforting. For a moment, he did feel safe, wrapped in slender and fluffy arms. Her breath was hot on his neck. She pulled back, the safety pulling away with it. "How about it?"

"Thank you, Ava, truly, but I wouldn't be able to bear seeing you hurt trying to fend for me." He turned to look at the feline. "Neither you, Lydia. You're both my friends." Ava's eyes narrowed but she made no protest. Her hands slipped away from him.

"Well, thank you."

"Thank you, Norton," Lydia said. A slight smile broke her hardened visage. Norton quickly remembered that without Miriam driving them away, they would turn inward. On each other. On him. This would have to go on forever regardless. "So what shall we do?" She stepped forward, coming up to Ava's side.

"You're asking me?" Norton replied. Ava glared at Lydia. "I understand." He looked to the ground and rubbed his forehead. "You two have to realize we can't go on like this. Not when we have to run, do you understand?" The two didn't say a word. "Do you understand?" They eventually nodded. Norton glanced back at the camp, wondering just how easy it would be to slip away from all of this. Run off into the hills and escape. He couldn't, not now. "What are we going to do about Miriam?"

"Kill her," Ava replied.

"We have to be more intelligent about it, don't you think?"

Lydia nodded and said, "She's most likely traveling with at least twenty men by my last measure."

"She could have taken on more," Ava replied. "Assuming some saps were willing."

"She would have had to have avoided Hull, right?" Norton asked.

"Miriam hasn't been allowed in for quite some time. It would mean death," said Lydia. "I would say no more than ten more men harvested from the spatters of towns around."

"Thirty men," Norton mumbled. How were they to deal with thirty whole men, plus one odd fish? Ava and Lydia were capable, but they were not taking down an army. "We only need to take care of Miriam. Is there some way we can lure her out?"

"Gold?" Ava said. All of which had been stored away in Norton's pack for safe keeping.

"We would need to send a message to her," Lydia replied. "Something that would draw her away from the horde. Enticing."

"Mehni. She could do that, right?" Norton said. She still somewhat owed them in a way, and she did work with Miriam before. The thought of tossing her into the flame like that didn't sit right with Norton, but he had best do it for his own sake.

"Must we?" the wolf said with a sigh.

"We must," the cat replied.

"And, dear Norton, pray tell how we find that little gremlin? Shall we sniff her out?" She tapped her nose.

"Not as though that would be impossible, would it?" Norton asked. As amusing as the thought was, they were still beastly. Admittedly, however, he wasn't sure how far that extended, nor was he going to ask lest they see it as an insult. "I doubt she's far behind us. Having helped with her situation, she may still be following us." And having been tossed right back into the situation they had crawled out of, she couldn't bargain for much else. "We have more than enough gold to spare for her services."

"What? I receive the largest payment of my life and you want to fritter it away so soon?"

Norton looked to Ava. "We will have no life if you don't. Certainly no island getaways either."

"That is not to say the entirety of the gold will be wasted. There may yet be something to scrape by on," Lydia replied.

Ava snapped to the knight. "Don't you think for a second that you'll--"

"Ava!" Norton barked.

The wolf growled and crossed her arms. "Fine. We find the kobold. Get her to lure Miriam. Then what?"

"We kill her," Lydia said. That was essentially the plan, as crude as it felt to Norton. Miriam may have wanted him dead in turn--or perhaps he would be a mindless casualty on her hunt for the cat and wolf--but planning the death of another felt a step too far. Isn't this what you wanted? To leave the confines of the shining forest and enjoy the world? The world bit back. These were its circumstances.

"I agree with the cat." And its circumstances were wholly embraced by its denizens. "No help from the others. No guards. We get rid of her. Leave the body to rot."

"Let's get moving before someone else drags us into another circumstance," Norton said. "We'll take one of the off-beaten paths."

"Lead on, Norton."

Lydia nodded, but before turning to leave, she grabbed Norton by the arm and held it up to her face. Her whiskers tickled as they ran over his skin. "Do not indulge in another feline's play for status," she said before letting go.

_

Despite not being on the main path, there were still a flow of people back and forth. Refugees, guards, soldiers, and those looking to make quick coin. Then there was the three of them. Mercenaries now, or at least Norton was now. Not a fighter, merely a mass being dragged along by Ava and Lydia. Except now he had to lead because of a twisted affection. At this point he couldn't see himself with either of them. The more he thought back to their illicit encounter, the more Norton wondered if Lydia had truly cared for him or if it was just a petty way to get back at Ava for their bar spat. At the same time, she had marked him, leading to some horribly embarrassing moments. Though for all he knew, Ava did much of the same with how much she pawed at him.

Norton could hardly pull himself out of his thoughts about his inevitable doom. He hoped Mehni would come soon and end this long trek. Not that he was looking forward to being beaten to a pulp, but the sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could stop fretting about it. Not many figures matched the description of "short and scaly," or "small and hooded." It was possible she stuck to Hull after all and they were only wasting their time. "I smell something," Lydia said suddenly.

"Manure and sad lives, perhaps?" Ava replied.

"Kobold." Norton perked up and looked around, but could find no small lizard anywhere. As a wagon passed, Lydia lunged to the left and yanked something off.

"Augh! You damned brute!" yelled the small figure. "You have no sense of respect within your hollow skull!"

"I take back everything I said, Mehni." Ava smiled.

"Set her down, Lydia," Norton said. Lydia complied. Mehni dusted herself off and huffed.

"Make sure you put your forsaken knight on a leash," the kobold said.

"Mehni, we have a favor to ask of you," Norton said, lowering himself to her eyelevel. "We still have plenty of gold as compen--"

"As cute you are, smooth one, I don't want to have anything to do with your traveling troupe."

"Reconsider," Lydia said.

"Fall upon your blade and I just might, cat. You and your family are poison."

"I take back everything. Everything, everything," Ava said.

"You won't even hear what the request is?" Norton asked.

"Oh, I know what the request is. Something only the two ruffians won't do themselves." She was more than right.

"And something I cannot do. So I ask you myself."

"Something you can't do? You don't put enough faith in yourself, cute one." She tapped him on the nose.

"We need you to attract Miriam's attention," Norton said simply. Mehni's face scrunched, and she bared her fangs.

"What have they put you up to, poor pet?" She shook her head. "Those miserable goons."

"We're still standing here, Mehni," Ava said.

"And that is my way of saying you should be gone." Mehni sighed. "Now why would you want such a thing, precious pet?"

"We have to... deal with Miriam."

"So innocent. You want to kill her, then?" Mehni nodded.

"Yes, that's the word I'm looking for." As much as it stung his tongue. "I know you're the only one who she might still trust."

"So you see the poor, defenseless kobold as bait? Hm?"

"I've seen Kunka at work, you're not defenseless. You just need to move Miriam somewhere is all I ask. Please."

"Oh, such a charmer. Lovely Norton." She pulled her hood down to reveal those little horns, then glanced down the road. "Tell you what, Norton. I have a proposal of my own." He could hear Ava sigh behind him. "I'll do your job. One thousand pieces of gold." Norton reached back to retrieve the the payment. "And." He froze. "One kiss from you." Naturally, it wouldn't be so easy.

"Maybe I don't take back what I said," the wolfess muttered. Lydia made no objections, but Norton could almost feel her eyes digging into his back, straight through his baggage.

"Mehni," Norton said. "I really don't think we can do this right now." For several reasons. One of which might be her life.

"Nonsense." Her small hands gripped the sides of his head and pulled him in close. Her scaly snout mashed against his lips. A tongue quickly slithered into his mouth, filling him with a curious taste. Norton just let it happen, lest someone get hurt.

"Alright, you've had your fun!" Ava said. A forceful yank back ended the kiss. A bag of coin plopped on the ground next to the illicit couple. "Now count your coin and be done with it."

"Not the best kisser, but we can work on that, can't we?"

"You can not," Lydia replied.

"Whenever the brutes ditch you, I'll always be here." Mehni's eyes narrowed. "Always." She laughed and dug into the bag of coins. Another yank up from Lydia steadied Norton back on his feet. "I'm shocked. Not a single fake in here. Father's money really pays, hm?" Norton quickly put a hand on Lydia's now balled fist. The cat huffed in response, shaking her head. He tried not to think of the state either of them would be in had he not been there.

"It should be more than enough, Mehni."

"Of course it is, but how could I miss out on a show like this."

"Mehni, please."

The kobold slowed her riffling. "You know, you're going to have to take charge eventually, Norton. You can't trust these two as far as you can throw them. With your muscles, that's not very far." He supposed she was right. He had already fallen into the leader role out of necessity rather than interest. But trust? The only thing he trusted them not to do is kill one another.

"Then you have your money. Now listen."

"Ooh, so quick!"

"Get word to Miriam that there's some extra treasures for her, but you must speak to her privately."

"Where exactly?" She bit into a coin, testing it.

"I doubt she would go so far north, so into the woods east of Hull, near the coast." Norton looked to the animal women next to him. "Does that sound right?" Both of them nodded. "Good. Stress the point of privacy and treasures."

"Yes, yes, I get it." She hefted the bag over her shoulder, noticeably putting her off balance. "What makes you think she trusts me, though?"

"Nothing, but we have little choice."

"And it is a good way to burn tainted coin," Lydia said.

"Care to give more, then?" the kobold asked.

"No."

"Figures. Consider it done, Norton." Mehni patted his hand. "If you're still alive by the end, I'll be happy to see you again." Him? What about her? Actually, that made quite a bit of sense.

"Say, kobold, indulge me in a question, will you?" Ava said. Mehni sized her up and eventually nodded. "What were you doing out this way?"

"Avoiding the cat's family before they dragged me into another little job." She looked to Norton. "And maybe I wanted another glance at the pretty boy."

"Be on your way," Lydia said. She flicked a hand.

"Believe me, I am. Farewell!" Mehni scampered over to the other side of the road. As soon as another carriage came by, she disappeared. Off back to Hull, then. Dragged back into hell by a thread. If murder was an option, why didn't they simply kill that damned cat in the camp? Norton shook his head. Now he was wanting bloodshed.

"Something wrong, Norton?" Ava asked.

"I just think this is going to get far worse."

"Not while I'm by your side. Though we may have to ditch someone else."

"Let's not start fighting again, alright?" Norton replied, holding up a hand. Lydia stayed silent, but the man knew she was stewing. "We have to settle this."

"There's nothing to settle. We knew what happened. The one who started it should apologize, shouldn't they?"

"And you?" Lydia said. "Have you ever apologized for what you have done?"

Ava snapped to Lydia. "You know damned well I have. You're at fault here." Ava jabbed a finger into the feline's armor. "We were friends, and you had the damned gall to do that to me."

"Ava, I'm at fault too," Norton replied, stepping forward.

"I know!" Ava huffed. She put on a smile and turned to Norton. "I know. And we'll be working on that." She looked back to Lydia, smile gone in a flash. "What have you done to better yourself? You think you deserve anything?"

"And what do you deserve for all you have done?" Lydia said. "Something to soothe your woes in knowing that the only thing that could possibly love you is something you violated?"

Norton reached forward and grabbed both of their hands. "We're not doing this here. We're not doing this now. We have to get moving back to Hull, OK?"

"And when is the proper time?"

Norton paused and looked past them. "I don't know."