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Oat cakes and dried fruit made up my breakfast since I still didn't want to start a fire. Syreen was resting on the ridge when I made the short walk up. Her head turned to regard me, a brief smile on her muzzle, and then her eyes returned to the sky.

"Any sightings?"

Syreen nodded towards one of the more distant hills. "He was skimming the treeline not long ago. Hunting or patrolling, I can't tell."

I crouched next to her and checked my armor and gunlance. "Well, there's two choices. Either we wait for him to come to us, or we lure him in."

"What do you recommend?"

"As much as I love waiting, it risks him attacking when we're not prepared. Luring him isn't a guarantee, but, we'd have more control over the time and place. I can put down a couple traps in the clearing, then get some smoke going."

"Not a flare?"

"Not unless he's coming this way," I said. "It'll only stay up for less than a minute, so if he's not looking we'd just waste it."

Syreen nodded. "You know these tools better than I do. As for... never mind, I'll ask afterwards."

"I can talk and work," I said, moving over to open the chest of supplies I'd brought before. "I did think about the, ah, you and I."

"Oh?"

"I'm interested, though I'm not sure how, you know, physically compatible we are. Size being the main concern."

"True, you are a very strong wolf," she purred, smirking. Or smiling, it was hard to tell seeing only one side of her face. "For me it's perhaps... the idea, as much or more than the actual sensations. If you're as adaptable without clothes as you are at battle, I think we can find ways to enjoy each other."

My tail wagged, and I forced myself to calm it to a gentle swish. The armor atop it didn't allow for quite as much freedom of movement. "I think I can put my imagination to work."

Syreen chuckled and lifted her tail just enough to tease. "Were you imagining what was under here, by chance?"

I couldn't help but glance. Nothing visible, of course. "Not right now, I shouldn't."

"Sorry." She lowered it. "I didn't mean to tease when we should be on guard."

I gave a friendly smile. "More, uh. More that I don't want my armor getting uncomfortable."

It was Syreen's turn to glance down, and she purred. "Later, then."

"Later," I agreed, heart thudding in my chest. I hadn't made any decisions the previous night, yet it seemed my body was fine with adding weight to the scales.Heh, scales. I rolled my eyes at myself and set about planning the traps and my supplies before we made our way down to the clearing.

A pitfall trap went up not far from where the target still lay in pieces, and I made sure Syreen knew not to get near it before the Astalos tripped it. Better still if we could lure him there and batter him while he was down. I had flash bombs, two smoke bombs in case we needed to cover an escape, cleansers, Nulberries for Thunderblight, healing potions, and Lifepowder in case Syreen took a hard hit.

All that was left was to whittle some sawdust off the wooden target pieces to kindle some green wood and get a smoke fire going.

Syreen rose up until her head was more than twice as high as I was tall. "No sign of him, though I can't see as far from here. Do you want to light the fire now, or wait until later?"

I considered the makeshift arena and shrugged. "This is a good a time as any. We're both rested, fed, and alert."

She came back down and touched her nose to my arm. "I follow your lead, Genbi."

I took in a breath and let it out. Inhaled again. "Here goes." I bent down and clicked my firestarter until some sparks lingered on the sawdust. Gentle puffs of air got a flame going, dry leaves caught, and soon the wood came alight--or half of it did, while the other half sputtered and smoked.

"Alright, let's go across the clearing. If the fire pops loudly, watch your eyes, a stick exploding can send shards of wood everywhere."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll happen to him," she murmured, following me to a spot we'd picked out where I could watch the approaches without exposing myself. Syreen had to wait behind the treeline, as she was more easily spotted from the air. No sense giving ourselves away before we had him close.

Then came the worst form of waiting.

It didn't take more than a quarter hour until I heard a change in the wind. At first, I thought it was an odd gust or something from the fire. My gut said otherwise. The rhythmic_whump-whump-whump_was the wingbeats of a flying wyvern.

The sound stopped, and I tightened my grip on my gunlance. It was gliding in--and there he was, circling in on the trail of smoke. There weren't many wyverns that didn't look dangerous in one way or another, but this one? Astalos was a dark, angular, menacing presence. I was a little surprised he wasn't already crackling with lightning and anger.

I stayed stock still as he came to a hover above the clearing, head turning as he cast about for any intruders. Not finding us, he turned to the fire and came in for a landing. I crept forward even when the rush of air from his wings kicked up dust and pebbles and set my ears to aching from the pressure. A growl filled the air in its wake as he walked towards the little fire and kicked at the pieces of wood around and in it. Funnily enough, the sharp plating on his body was more dark green than the black I'd been expecting.

I'd gotten halfway there when he stopped and turned his head. His red eyes narrowed; I didn't see a pupil, but I knew he'd spotted me.

"Now!" I shouted, clicking my shield into place alongside my gunlance, ready for him to make a charge or take a swing. Or, he could rear up, either to spit lightning at me or to--

My ears flattened and I flinched at the sheer volume of his discordant screech. Iridescent wings framed by spikes spread in a threat display, and wicked talons dug into the ground. A bladed tail whipped behind him, a crestlike horn crackled atop his head, and a fanged muzzle barely closed after voicing its outrage at me.

And then it charged.

The ground shook with each step as he got closer. I braced my shield, counting the steps, waiting--and sidestepped before the hit, angling my gunlance to score a slice along his side. Not a particularly strong blow, but he snarled all the same, immediately turning to swing that tail at me. I ducked, angled my shield, deflected it. I brought my gunlance forward as I took two steps, eyes on its chest to see where the body would move next. A wing lashed out and shoved me back, with only my solid stance keeping me from losing my footing. Next he would turn, try to claw or bite me--

Past him, I saw a flash of bright color. His attention turned from the small wolf to the rather larger Mizutsune staring him down.

He reared and cried his challenge, that nearly alien clamor just this side of deafening even though it wasn't aimed at me. Syreen matched him with an elegant and powerful roar, just as near-painfully loud but far more welcome to hear. This was her territory, not the interloper's, and she was not going to back down.

Nor was I.

I scored a hit on the Astalos's tail as it lunged, only for Syreen to immediately and effortlessly glide in a half-circle around it. I'd never seen her move that fast in our training. This was for real. She spat bubbles at the Astalos as it pivoted and charged again, quicker than a few monsters I'd fought at half its size. Syreen dodged again, the bubblefoam letting her move faster still.

The advantage wouldn't last. I advanced as the Astalos flapped once, twice, rising into the air--

A beam of water slammed into its wing, twisting it enough that the wicked beast couldn't recover. It slammed to the ground, limbs flailing, clearly a little dazed.

It was a perfect time to jab it in the back with my gunlance. The blade sparked off one of the plates, and I sidestepped towards its neck and head. I leveled the gunlance and squeezed the trigger. The fiery retort of the shell echoed around the clearing as the Astalos cried its frustration, finally finding its feet as I shot three more shells into it. Scorch marks marred the faint shine of the plating. Its head turned towards me, eyes hateful, a snarl on its beak-like muzzle as it started to turn my way.

Syreen slammed her shoulder into the beast, nearly knocking it off balance again. She pivoted and slapped it with her tail, and that snarl became audible.

To my shock, it lashed out, catching Syreen on the side of her head with a wing. I let go of my gunlance long enough to reach into my belt pouch and grab a warm little sphere.

"Flash out, flash out!" I shouted, throwing it past the two of them. Syreen cried out as it tried to bite her neck. My heart sank, I had no choice but to close my eyes and Syreen would have to do the same, it could be closing those fangs around her throat--

Bright light flared through my eyelids, and I opened my eyes to watch the Astalos recoil from the flash bomb. Perfect timing. I pushed forward, jabbing and cutting, while Syreen clawed at its side and wing. I had one more shell loaded and aimed it at that wing as Syreen backed off--and then a tail whipped my shield. It wasn't enough to knock me down, but the gunlance shot skimmed off its leg.

It wheeled on me, that odd crest seeming to move--no, to vibrate against itself. The red eyes glowed green, and a jolt passed between two of the segments.

"Bring it, asshole," I growled, ejecting the spent shells. I brought my shield up--and then hunkered as it brought a wing down, hard, a blow that shook through to my arm underneath. Another swipe followed, and a bite, the damn beast nearly bowling me over from the ferocity of its assault. My arm ached as it tried to bite again, my footing starting to slip--

Syreen slid into my periphery and jumped, head and neck curling down until her entire body spun in a flip, the scaled top of that thick tail slamming into it with what felt like bone-cracking force. The Astalos certainly didn't take it well, stumbling back and hissing with fury, while Syreen spat more bubbles towards its feet. I edged closer as I slapped a new round of shells into my weapon. The beast slipped when it tried to take a step, and immediately spread its wings, flapping as if to take to the air.

Syreen's muzzle pointed right at it, chest expanding with a deep inhale. Something told me--

"Watch out!" I cried, too late. Instead of trying to fly it brought its head down and shot a green pillar of lightning right into Syreen's face. She cried out, flinching back. The Astalos didn't waste time, pushing forward and sinking its fangs into my friend's neck.

Big mistake.

I charged forward, finding a gap in the sharp plates on its back to shove the blade of my gunlance, and fired a shot for good measure. It released Syreen's neck with a roar and whipped its tail to try and get rid of me. I ducked, braced, as Syreen got her feet back and grabbed a mouthful of wing.

The Astalos turned to punish Syreen for that, leaving its other side very much exposed to my raised gunlance. I flicked a safety on the grip and squeezed the trigger all the way back. A short hiss was our only warning before the remaining five shells went off at once. The blast barked out the barrel and right into its less-armored side and belly, a gout of fire and force that left it shrieking and reeling back from both of us.

"You good?" I called to my friend as I loaded a fresh set of shells, including one with a red stripe this time.

"He split a couple of my scales," Syreen growled, red tinging the edges of her fins. "Time to show him how much that_hurts._"

I wasn't about to argue with that. "Set him up towards green. Slide or slam." I jogged around opposite from the marker in question as Syreen glided a half-circle towards it, spitting more than half a dozen bubbles towards the wyvern. It tried to swipe at two of them, only succeeding in getting its wing coated. Another volley of bubbles seemed to miss, landing to the side, and the Astalos charged forward, going for Syreen's neck yet again, its horn crackling and tail lashing behind it.

I took two running steps and went to my knees through the first bubble, sliding right through the little patch Syreen had left for me and bracing my gunlance. This time, Syreen wasn't having it, slipping out of the wyvern's attempted grapple and raking her claws at it. The monster snarled and the glow on its horn intensified, a crackle in the air coming strong enough to tickle my fur.

Especially as I got close enough to aim right at the thing and pull the_other_trigger.

"Surprise, asshole!" I shouted, grinning under my helmet as it turned its head right into my line of fire. The gunlance shivered in my grip as heat and pressure built from that marked shell, the Wyvern's Fire charging over three heartbeats until the entire weapon bucked, the largest blast yet spewing forth and slamming right into that crown-like horn. The after-image of the buildup flare burned in my vision for a few moments until I could see that the green glow was gone, along with a good chunk of its structure.

"Spit lightning now, why don't you?"

It roared, and I barely managed to get my shield up before its tail smashed into me. Unfortunately, it too was wreathed in a crackling field of energy, and there was plenty enough metal in my shield and armor to send a shock through my whole body. I bit back a yelp as I pulled away, though thankfully it seemed too dazed to pursue. Which was good, I wasn't sure how long I could have kept my shield up with my muscles cramping from the unexpected jolt.

I tried to get back into position, only to have to sideswipe an overhead blow from the tail that nearly grazed my shield. The pincer-like claws embedded into the ground from the force of it. If I weren't still smarting from the last hit, I might have laughed as the big, mean monster tried to wiggle its tail free.

Syreen shoulder-checked it just as it succeeded. I stowed my gunlance long enough to down a potion--and a swipe from a wing nearly caught me by surprise as the Astalos pivoted out of the body slam. Its eyes narrowed on me.

"Flash out," I called, flipping another bomblet sphere into the air. I drew my weapon and shield, ready to attack once I opened my eyes after the flare--

The roar came at such an odd angle that I instinctually tightened my grip on my shield. It saved me as the wing slammed it dead-on and drove me back a few feet. Either from recognition or luck, it had turned its head away from the flash bomb. Syreen was on its flank, and I saw her eyes open; she had missed seeing it, well, miss.

"Watch out--" I shouted as Syreen charged forward, heedless of the raised wing. Instead of a blind, wild swipe, the Astalos brought the spiked edge right down onto Syreen's neck. Her pained cry echoed through the clearing as she flinched back. I charged, only to be buffeted by a powerful flap from those wings--and the iridescent membranes started to glow.

Syreen's head came up, her mouth opened to ground it with a beam of water.

Instead, she got a ball of lightning to the face.

"Syreen!" I shouted, hoping she was okay. Not that I had much time to worry. With another ear-aching flap, the Astalos pivoted to face me.

I braced my shield and angled my gunlance upward. "Bring it."

A blur of dark greens and spikes filled my vision as it sprang forward, and then--I blinked. I was on the ground.

Probably shouldn't be there.

Right, we're fighting. Being on the ground was bad.

Get up.

I rolled to my feet, starting to feel aches from... right, the Astalos had sheer bulk on his side, and had bowled me over in spite of bracing. I shook my head and gripped my shield while I looked around. Just in time: it was turning, having landed, and its discordant voice rattled in a snarl. I growled back, making a run off at an angle. It confused the beast long enough for me to slip under that wing and slash my gunlance at its side, hitting an injury one or both of us had already laid on it. The thing shrieked, flinched back, and a sweep of its tail sent some crackles towards me. I dodged back, leaving us in a standoff.

It was limping now, though looking at its harsh face it would be hard to guess it was anywhere near done. Another tail slam and the green glow around those pincers faded, though not before sending lightning at Syreen, who had to jump out of the way--and further from me.

I was able to see it charge me this time, for all the good it did.

The first swipe of its wings and the bite deflected off my shield, at the cost of a sore shoulder. For any other monster I'd fought, taking some big hits like it had would have it become cautious, retreating or lashing out in borderline desperation. This one was just_mad._Everything I'd read had been true.

A wing came down on my shield, and again, and I barely turned in time to block its headbutt. The wings rubbed together, crackling with electricity. My one retaliatory stab brought them back down on me in a flurry of blows I wouldn't have imagined such a large creature could make. My shield felt like it was under a blacksmith's hammer.

More than the ache of the impacts came the punishing electricity. My shield arm throbbed and then went numb, and then a blow clipped my other shoulder, sending cramping shocks through most of my upper body. Blood in my mouth from a bitten tongue._Don't let go of your shield. Don't let go of your weapon._I couldn't feel either hand, and the weight of something in them was tugging me down.

Both wings crashed into my sides. The world exploded into stars and throbbing pain. Through the dancing lights I could see sky, more sky... on my back. The Astalos had knocked me down, hit me with enough electricity to briefly paralyze me.

Move, Genbi. Move, damn you.

If I still had limbs, they were leaden.

A dark shape loomed as the Astalos stepped over me, and I almost giggled. Now would be a great time for me to be able to stab it. Was I moving? Didn't seem like it. I really needed to upgrade my armor.

Flashes of color, reds and whites mixed with the black. Was I passing out?No. That's Syreen. She charged into the Astalos, roaring something too loud to make out--my name?--and swiped her claws at its face, gouging... was that its eye? Ouch.

Get up, hunter. Move!

I was still breathing, even as the melee moved out of my vision with the Astalos screeching and Syreen's head darting towards its neck.

Move!

Given neither of them had come to munch on or rescue me, I hadn't blacked out for long, if at all. My vision seemed narrow until I took deeper breaths. Feeling returned to my fingers first, though the cramping was as much my death-grip on my weapon and shield as the electricity. Pins and needles all under my fur, all at once. I took in a deep breath.

Syreen needs your help. Move!

I succeeded in lifting my shield. After several attempts, the edge caught on the ground--first try. I pulled, forcing life back into my arms, willing my legs to fold until they would support me. They were somewhat more responsive than my other two limbs--shit, I hope I hadn't broken my tail or anything, landing the way I had.

The clearing had gone quiet. If my heart wasn't already under enough stress, it would have pounded in worry for my partner, my_friend._

Footsteps, nearby, and heavy. I gritted my teeth and rolled to my knees. It'd be hard to recover when I could still barely move, but I needed to get back in the fight.

"Genbi?"

I blinked at the familiar voice.

"Genbi, it's over."

I turned my head to look. Syreen was there, resplendent in the shining sun. Behind her, a crumpled form. Not a good idea to turn your back on a...

Wait.

"I'm alright, or will be," I said, with a minimum of gasping. I'd have bruises for sure, and I could see scuffs on Syreen's scales too. "Is it... what happened?"

Syreen's muzzle came close and touched my armored chest. "He went after you pretty hard. I thought he'd... I thought you'd been knocked out. So I attacked him. At first, I was just planning to get him off you, to distract him... but he wasn't going to stop."

"I know," I said, starting to walk past her to make my way to the downed Astalos. "He was never going to stop. I'll take care of it."

"You won't have to."

The words stopped me, and I could see now the way the Astalos lay, twisted and so very still... I turned back to my partner. "Syreen?"

Her gaze was heavy, but didn't flinch away from the sight. "He wasn't going to stop. I tried to get him in a submission hold, to bite his neck until he gave up... but he didn't. And I knew he wouldn't. There was only one way he was going to stop."

Its chest wasn't moving. The neck was indeed marred by a bite pattern, one that very much matched my friend. I looked back and belatedly noticed the stains around her jaws.

"I'm sorry," I said, keeping my voice soft. "I should have--"

"You have nothing to be sorry for." She did wince, which worried me until I saw the way her tongue was moving. "I'll tell you in a moment."

"Okay." I watched her walk towards the water's edge to wash out her mouth, at least until I remembered the monster behind me. Cautiously, I approached. My arms worked well enough to keep my gunlance at the ready.

It wasn't needed. The green plated scales on its throat had been bent and cracked in such a way that I imagined Syreen had grabbed on and not let go until it stopped breathing. Furrows from its claws and wings around it bespoke the aggression of even its death throes. One eye had been clawed and started weeping blood, or something like it, and the other was dim, already glazing over.Dead.

And despite my promise, I hadn't been the one to do it.

A lingering spasm went through my shield arm. I shrugged it off.I need to see how she's doing.

Syreen was standing by the water's edge, her muzzle dripping water. I stowed my gunlance and shield, and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Am I more than a monster?"

"Yes," I said, without hesitation.

Syreen didn't react for a moment while she studied her reflection in the water. "I have wondered that my whole life. Until now, I don't think part of me knew for sure. Every now and then some human or other two-legger would accuse me of being one, and a little voice inside me wondered: am I?

"Now I know. Sure, a monster could prefer cooked food, make a home, fight for territory. Maybe even kill to protect someone. But, would a monster sit here and wonder: did I do the right thing?"

I nodded and stroked along her scales, avoiding the scuffed portions. "If a monster would, I guess that makes me one too."

Syreen smiled, and leaned her head against me. I hugged her back, though after a minute I needed to stretch out the lingering ache in my muscles.

"I'm still sorry I couldn't help more," I said, rubbing a tingle out of my shield arm. "You did good."

Syreen nosed me again. "I was so worried he'd hurt you, and I just... I knew it had to end. So I stopped holding back."

I blinked. "If the entire fight was you holding back, you're even stronger than I thought."

"No, I fought as hard as I could... but at the same time, I wasn't really." Syreen sighed. "That doesn't make sense."

"You didn't want to go for a killing blow," I supplied.

"Yes," she said, "exactly. But then he paralyzed you, and I knew it had to stop. To be stopped. And if I didn't want one or both of us to get hurt worse than we are, I had to take any opportunity I could. If I want to hold territory, I can't afford to hesitate."

"For what it's worth, you're the best fighting partner I've had. And the most gorgeous." I touched my hand to her muzzle, and she leaned into the contact. "If you need to, you know, talk about it more, I'm here. It's not an easy thing."

"I think I understand that a little better now," she said. "I will be alright. If that changes, I know who to talk to. For right now, though, how do we get it out of my clearing?"

I reached into my pack and unfolded a stand for a flare. "This will signal the Guild folks to come and salvage the, uh, remains. One moment." I set it up on a nearby rock, lit the fuse, and watched from the corner of my eye as it fired up into the air and blazed red; some curious contraption attached to the burner would keep it aloft for a couple minutes. "They should come within the hour."

Syreen nodded, and nodded towards the stream. "Shall we wash and check our injuries--upriver this time--before enjoying an after-battle meal? I have to admit my heart is still pounding."

"Mine, too," I said. "It'll pass in a few minutes--try not to fall asleep without stretching first."

Syreen winced. "I made that mistake once, sparring with someone. The cramps..."

"Worse than the electricity. I'll be right back."

It was a short jog up the hill to the stash of supplies, and I decided to doff most of my armor and gunlance. If something came by to scavenge, I could ward it off with my shield and hunting knife--or, worst case, call for Syreen. The rest of my medicine fit in my bag once I dropped what was no longer needed.

When I returned, Syreen was gulping down a fish, though she didn't seem keen on finding more. The banks were somewhat steeper at this spot. Then again, if anything leaked from the Astalos, I wouldn't really care to be downstream of it. Once I stripped down I stepped into the ankle-deep water and helped her check for any injuries worse than cracked scales and bruises. Lifepowder went on the worst of our contusions. The herb-infused substance was cool and comforting under my fur.

All that was left was a bit of grooming. I'd take a bath later, I just needed to comb out the worst of the sweat and dirt from the fight. Syreen finished grooming herself first, and as I combed my fur back into place, I felt as much as saw those azure eyes on me.

"Should I be worried?" I said, feeling nothing of the sort even though the look was nothing short of predatory.

"Quite the opposite," Syreen purred, moving closer, finned head looming. "I think I need to thank my brave hunter for his hard work." Her snout touched mine rather like a kiss. I tried not to drop my brush in the water. Before I could try to reciprocate, the muzzle moved down, her breath warm on my neck as that long tongue brushed through my fur.

"Um, let me," I said, turning to toss the brush onto my pile of clothes. "Do you want--"

Syreen's low growl--or purr--rumbled from her muzzle to my chest. I found myself reaching out, one hand on her cheek and the other caressing one of the main fins atop her head. The whole of her was so very warm... so_primal._ That snout worked its way down my ribs to my belly, and I took in a breath, a very different kind of thrill moving through me. The last time we'd been in this position, we'd been interrupted, and I'd been swept away by the spur of the moment. Now, though...

I tensed as Syreen gently licked my sheath, skipping the teasing. So very warm, so very...large. Her head, especially with the fins, seemed as large as my entire torso. I caressed her, stiffening a little as the narrower tip of that tongue found my tip peeking out, or had decided to explore. Either way, I could feel the tension building, swelling, my cock about to slide out of its home and stiffen... right into her muzzle, it felt, as lips touched my fur.

My tail swayed behind me, which brought to mind that we weren't too far from the battle site. All it would take was a curious Felyne or other Guild worker investigating noise or checking the surrounds to stumble upon us. Not that I was ashamed to be with Syreen, but, the risk of getting caught wasn't something that thrilled me quite as much as it did to one of my past partners.

The heat of Syreen's breath on my loins and another slow, sensual lick_right on my flesh_ tested my sense of caution. I was slipping out of my sheath now, and from the hungry look she was giving it, my prediction about going in that muzzle was about to come true. Her tongue curled around my cock. I groaned. I knew I had to do... to say...

"Wait," I said, trying not to let my voice crack. "No, I don't want to stop, but... Why don't we move this somewhere more comfortable?"

Syreen hummed and tilted her head enough to glance past me, maybe thinking the same things I had. "A good plan, tempting as you are," she said.

"Plus, you can tell me if I--eep!" One more lick caught me off guard.

"Tell me what?" Syreen replied, her deep, rich voice taking on a surprisingly sweet tone.

"Tease," I accused, and got a rich chuckle in return. I kept an eye on her as I bent down to gather my belongings off my shield. "I was going to ask, now that the threat is gone," I said while I slipped into my clothes, my shirt more for hiding my erection than any need for covering, "about the bet."

Syreen didn't make any further moves besides eyeing me up as I tried to figure out the tent in my pants. "Hmm, I could_tell_you..."

"Or?"

A grin spread on that foxy muzzle. "Or you can do some exploring and find out." The expression softened, uncertainty creeping in. "If you want."

I shouldered my pack of supplies and turned in profile to her, my pants still tented. "This thing wouldn't be so damn stubborn if I didn't."

Syreen purred. I had to playfully fend off an attempt to nuzzle my crotch twice before we reached the clearing. To my slight surprise the balloon was already there, with a human and two Felynes marking attachment points for whatever crane, wagon, or other contraption they used to move the monster. The walk had helped me cool off a little.

I still made sure my bulge wasn't really visible.

"Ho there," the human called, waving. "Hunter Genbi and Syreen?"

"That's us," I shouted back, taking a couple reluctant steps towards them. I hoped they didn't ask for help--usually I was far from opposed to lending a hand, but given what--who--I could be doing...

"Just checking in! You're welcome to help if you want, but it'll be a couple hours before they can get anything out here."

"I would, but we need to rest and inventory supplies," I said,technically not lying. I pointed with the free hand I'd been using to stroke Syreen's head and neck. "My tent is that way if you need to leave a note."

"No problem, looks like this was a tough fight." They always said that. "Rest well!"

"Thanks," we replied, more or less in unison.

A minute later, her muzzle touched my ear as we crossed the clearing before the entrance to her abode. "Come inside when you're ready," she murmured, passing me by.

How could I turn that down?