Liora snored when she slept.

Not too strongly… but to me, it was loud. Loud enough that sometimes I ended up putting my pillow over my head, as to try and block it out a bit.

Right now though I had no plan to bury my ears in soft feathers and cloth… Instead I slowly snuck out of my tent, and out into the calm dark.

Our encampment was dead quiet. A few tents had snoring, the worst coming from Oplar’s tent at the moment. I glanced around, to check and make sure all the tents really were dark and found they were.

No one was awake, it seemed. No candles or fires were lit. Or if someone was awake, they were awake while lying in bed and staying dead quiet.

Looking up to the sky, I smiled at the bright moon. It was right overhead, and was full and really lit up. It made the world around me rather bright, so bright I doubted even old Klass needed a lamp to see around right now.

I enjoyed such a sky. I couldn’t count how many thousands of time’s I’d lay on the ground staring up at such a moon and stars, or walking under it. From back before I’d joined the Society. But such things weren’t why I was sneaking away right now…

Quietly making my way out of the encampment, I made sure to secure the entrance tent as well as I could after leaving it. Usually it was tied from the other side, as to try and keep people from just walking in, but I couldn’t seal it in such a way from outside. Not like one could a normal door, at least. But I didn’t plan to be gone too long, nor did I plan to go too far…

Looking around, I spent a moment to stare at the distant town. It was dark around the edges, such as the noble’s district and nicer home areas, but in the center and near the river it was lit up. There were torches and lamps aplenty, and even from here I could hear the sounds of people. Odds are most of the sounds and lights I was seeing were from the morning shift of the mine. They were getting ready to work, like usual they were up very early… about this time of night, a few hours before sunrise. They’d work to about noon and then another crew would take over, who would then swap with this crew again tomorrow night.

I myself didn’t want to imagine such a life. The work was hard and not safe at all… not only did I personally know those who have suffered from accidents related to mines, in Nebl and his family, but I’d also seen and heard of others here in town who had also been hurt in the mine. They’ve not had any large collapses or anything, but there has been plenty of accidents and a few deaths it seemed.

Honestly I kind of wanted to go see what the hubbub was about. It was lit up enough, and noisy enough, that there was likely a busy restaurant or something right now… and although not really hungry, I’d have likely enjoyed going to see it… maybe even partake in it.

But that glowing town and all its interesting things was not my focus.

Turning away from the town, and our encampment of tents, I headed for the nearby construction area. The one that Vim, Oplar, and even Randle had been busy at throughout most of the day.

From here, a few feet from the encampment, I could see the beginnings of a building. There were now a few walls and support beams up, where before had been nothing but open field. I could also see the stacks of lumber, tables and other things that Vim and the rest have been using and building to help aid them in the construction of the church… and still working away, in the dead of night, was my husband.

Right now he was digging. A fair bit away from the construction area, over near one of the biggest hills on our property. He looked a little silly at this angle, since he was about half buried and as such I could only see his top half… and the shovel that occasionally flung upward, sending dirt into the air as it did.

Picking up my pace, I smiled happily as I wondered if I should offer to help or not. I planned to, of course, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to safely dig in the dark. The moon was bright and overhead, and as such I could see clearly… but he wasn’t just digging he was doing so in a hole. A hole that was likely dark…

It didn’t take me long to walk up to Vim’s… hole. It wasn’t really a hole, but rather a ditch. Now that I was up close I could see it ran all the way towards the church, or rather where the church would be.

“Making tunnels, Vim?” I asked with a grin as I heard his shovel dig into the dirt… but not move from it. He paused in his digging as he glanced up from his hole at me, and for the tiniest of moments… I debated jumping in with him.

“Feels like it, to be honest,” Vim said as he sighed and stood up straight. As he did he left the shovel he’d been using in dug into the ground, and he brushed his hands off as he smiled up at me. As he did, I found myself really studying him. And not only because it wasn’t often that I got a chance to look down upon him as I was now.

He didn’t have a shirt on. I knew it was not because he was sweaty, or would get sweaty, but instead so he’d not get anything too dirty and ruined… But even without a layer of sweat I still found myself rather impressed… at least I was, until I saw something weird.

“Vim… what’s that?” I asked upon seeing the strange discoloration on his chest.

“Hm?” He frowned at me and glanced downward, but not at himself. He instead looked around his tunnel-hole thing, as if expecting a creature or object to have suddenly appeared or something.

“On your chest… Vim is that a bruise?” I asked. I couldn’t believe it! It had to be a bruise, since that was what it looked like… but it was terrible! It took up nearly half his chest, from his right side to the middle of his left chest and was such a deep and dark color I knew it was likely blue and purple if not entirely black! I’d never seen such a bad bruise on him before. Even after the events in Lumen, or when he had dealt with Landi’s monarch or that god Stance he hadn’t had such bad bruising! Or at least, not ones that had lasted days after the fact!

Had a tree fallen on him or something…?

“Ah… yes. It is,” Vim stopped looking around and looked back up at me with a frown as he nodded, as if he was disappointed that something more interesting hadn’t happened.

“And… just where or how did you get that? Did you get that fighting the monarch?” I asked. He hadn’t even commented on the monarch he’d fought, to save the ship, so I had thought it had gone perfectly fine! Obviously not if half his upper body was black and blue! There was no doubt with such bruising that he had been hurt rather badly inside… who knows how many bones or organs had been hurt for him to get so discolored!

“Hm… in a way, yes…” Vim answered a little oddly, even though I had expected him to not answer directly. I debated kicking some dirt and grass at him, since our different positions with me up above him would have made it easy to do so… but instead I just knelt down near the edge of his tunnel-hole. Not too close, since I didn’t want to fall in and ruin my clothes, but close enough to look him in the eye.

“Vim…” I groaned at him… which made him give me a soft smile as he stepped forward towards me. There must have been a pile of dirt or something near the edge, for Vim ended up getting a bit taller and raising upward as he did so, to the point he was nearly eye-level with me once he was standing up against the side of the hole.

“Before you get me to break and spill all my secrets, is everything okay? I figured you’d be asleep by now,” he asked.

I glared at him for a moment, since he had sounded so utterly sincere and worried for me that it almost made me forget about the bruise entirely. Especially since now that he was closer, I could smell him all of a sudden. It was his typical, barely noticeable, scent… one that didn’t have a hint of stink or sweat, let alone anything else, but it was still his… and it was the first time I’d genuinely noticed it in some time. Plus here and now during this moment…

Gosh…! “I can smell you now, why is it I can’t smell you sweat?” I asked.

He blinked and glanced down at himself. He brushed a hand along his chest, running it down his side as he did and pulled it away and shook his head. “No sweat to smell…?” he said after confirming he had none.

“I’ve felt you sweat before, so I know it’s possible… why is it sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t?” I asked.

“Actually, that’s a good question… considering until I met you I had thought I had lost the ability to sweat at all,” he said.

I blinked at that. “Huh…?”

“Before that Renn, at least comment on if everything is okay or not… I of course know it is, but…” Vim said with a gentle nod past me, likely meaning to imply the tents I’d just left and the people sleeping within them.

“Ah, yes… all is well, Vim. Everyone’s sleeping, at least I think they are,” I said. He never changes does he…? At least, not in certain ways. He was always worried and on guard for our people, even when he knew deep down all was well.

“Thank you. And what I meant by that is my body works in a way where it, usually, shouldn’t sweat. Because if I’m sweating it means I’m strained… and in that scenario my body should be adjusting itself, as to make it not so,” he said.

Absorbing his words, I hummed for a moment as I reached out and touched his forehead. He allowed me, of course, and I found the feeling of cool and clean skin… in fact I didn’t even feel any dirty or anything, which was odd since he’s been digging for hours. Maybe in his hair?

As I went to ruffle his hair, to feel for any clumps of dirt, I found myself really enjoying the moment. “You mean sweating under strain as in physical exhaustion, right…? But what about… you know, other stuff? What about being scared or something? Emotions?” I asked.

“Well… that’s my real meaning. Yes, when I sweat it’s typically not because of something physical but something deeper. Emotional, as you call it. That’s what I mean… until I met you I thought myself beyond such things,” he said, speaking calmly as I messed with his hair. I liked how smooth and cool it felt. Although Vim himself had been working hard, he and his body weren’t too hot. His hair felt the kind of cold that a blanket had when left alone for a few nights, the kind of cool that was great when you wrapped yourself around it.

“Do I make you nervous Vim…?” I asked, teasing him a little. I knew I did on occasion, but not in the usual way. Usually when I made him uneasy it was because my flirting was more effective than he expected, or more often when my questioning went in directions he feared more than anyone could comprehend.

“Should I be nervous now?” he asked back.

My hand went still, while still tangled in his hair, and I groaned as I glared down at him. “Remember my list…?” I warned.

“Dirt and hole, sure… but it’s not technically a well?” he suggested with a grin.

I flicked him on the forehead and pulled my hand away from him. He was dangerous to touch right now, it seemed. “As much as I love your seeming willingness, it falls flat when I know you know I’ll say no… and when I know this is just your way to make me forget about the obvious,” I said as I pointed down at his chest.

Vim huffed at me. “Wasn’t my intention Renn. I told you, I plan to tell you… a lot, while I’m here. It’s just… hard,” he said as he stepped forward.

I leaned back as Vim suddenly climbed up out of the trench-hole. He did so right in front of where I’d been kneeling, and as such nearly bumped into me as he did. If I had not paused and knelt down a bit away from the edge he’d likely have pushed me over. And because of that, for a brief moment, my heart began to thump like crazy… until he stepped aside and stood up next to me.

For a few heartbeats, as I calmed myself, I remained kneeled down… and then I finally stood up next to him. I didn’t try to hide my sudden shock from him, since I knew he likely could hear my heartbeat… since it was the dead of night and so quiet, but I did try to keep my flushed face from being seen as I glanced around on purpose.

I’d just expected him to push me down and kiss me or something, just now. After all, up here would have been fine. Especially since the smell of dirt hadn’t lingered on him at all.

“You okay…?” Vim asked gently, obviously because of my still hard thumping heart.

“Mhm… So? Why are you digging such a weird trench thing?” I asked, using his own tactic to my benefit.

Vim chuckled at me and pointed the other way, towards the river which I could hear distantly. “I plan to make an underground sewage system. It’ll pour out into the river,” he said.

“Oh… That deep?” I asked. It was deep enough that if I got into the hole I’d likely not be able to see over the edges of it.

“Deeper actually. This is just the first layer.”

Huh… it was too bad I was so fixated and busy on everyone else… I’d have loved to do this all with Vim and learn it…

Maybe I should spend a day or two with him instead of everyone else… I mean everyone here except Sap and Oplar would be here living with me for the foreseeable future so… maybe it’d be fine…

“And the church…? How’s that going?” I asked.

Vim reached over and patted me on the lower back, directing me to join him in walking. I did so and glanced at the way he put himself between me and the trench as he did. “We’ll be done with at least the basics in a week or so. I’ll be focusing most of my attention on the foundation for now, stuff like this drainage system and a basement and freezer too,” Vim said as he basically ignored the fact he had just put himself between me and my accidentally falling into the hole.

Always so observant over the littlest of things… even during such moments as this.

“I thought I heard Oplar say you were only a couple days from finishing it,” I said. I’d overheard her happily say so during dinner. She was glad that the church would be done before she left.

“It will be, in the sense you can start using it and whatnot. I meant the additions as well, I’ll be building a kitchen and some extra rooms to it too,” he said.

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Ah… so he meant the church itself would be done, but not the whole building which would be all those other additions.

“Did the trees we cut down work fine?” I asked.

“Yes they are and will. Though I plan to build a storehouse as to put some fresh timber in it to dry and cure. For the real buildings later,” he said.

Right… Oplar had mentioned that too. “So I’ll not get to enjoy the tent much longer then,” I said.

Vim chuckled at me as we neared the foundation of the church. It smelled like wood here, freshly cut and sawdust. “Actually I’ve been meaning to ask, and I guess this is a good time to do so… what’s the plan, Renn?” he asked.

“For?”

“Your home…?”

Oh… “You’re asking if I want it built here, or elsewhere,” I said as I understood. Merit had already brought it up too.

He nodded.

I sighed softly as I glanced at the nearest piece of church. Vim and I came to a stop, stepping a few dozen feet from his trench, and I crossed my arms. “I didn’t want to be too far from everyone… but if I don’t require it, it’ll cause problems, won’t it?” I said.

“Yes… particularly if you want certain people to be able to move here and or visit you, such as those like Narli or Sap,” Vim said.

Another sigh filled my lungs and left as I shook my head. “What do I do then, Vim…? What do you suggest?” I asked.

“Personally…? I think you should make two homes,” he said.

“Two…?” Did he mean to say he wanted me to go back to his idea of making multiple locations where we could stay at? I glanced at him as he stepped away and over to a table. One that didn’t just have tools, such as hammers and saws, but also had cups and a jug of what I assumed was water on it. He went to pouring some of the water into one of the cups, but he didn’t drink it. He instead stepped over and offered it to me.

I took it, though did so not because I was thirsty. It’s been a while since Vim fed me, or… what? Refreshed me…?

Pondering the word for a moment, I decided to ask him about it. “You just gave me water, Vim,” I said.

“Yeah…?”

“So… would I say you just fed me? Watered me? Refreshed me?” I asked as I went ahead and took a sip.

Vim chuckled at me. “Well in proper usage watered wouldn’t work, because you’d have to be unconscious or something. In this case I’d say I slaked your thirst,” he answered.

Slaked…? So like quenched or satisfied, I guess… “But is that really the same? I mean, you fed me… but you didn’t nourish me, at least not in that way,” I pointed out.

Vim nodded. “True… but that’s just the way it is, I guess.”

I hummed as I took another drink, and realized on the second gulp that the water was actually pretty cool and fresh. Probably thanks to the cold night. “So…? What do you mean by two homes?” I asked, going back to topic.

“I mean what it sounds like. Let’s build you a home here, a real one or maybe one like the mansio or other buildings throughout the Society. Then let’s also build you a more permanent and proper one elsewhere, once this place is set up and safe enough for you and I to leave it be. Personally I think we should build it somewhere… private. So that those like Sap and Narli can visit you without worry, if not even live with you even,” he suggested.

“Thus kind of defeating the whole point of me being here in the first place…” I said with a sigh.

“Not really, Renn. It will take a year or two at least to properly set this place up in full. That will give you plenty of time to settle down a bit and enjoy your friends and family. Plus as I said I’m not outright saying to not still build a home here. You easily could. Just wanted to know what your plans are,” he said.

“I want to make a home, even if just a place I only visit once every so often,” I said as I stared down at the cup in my hands. It was half empty now, maybe I had been thirsty and just hadn’t noticed it.

Vim slowly nodded at that. “I understand perfectly. Or well… to be honest I don’t. Not really. But I understand it will make you happy,” he said.

“You… don’t understand? How so?”

“I’ve not had a home, not a real one, since my parents died Renn. I don’t have that desire as you do.”

For a small moment I thought of his supposed homes. Such as that cavern, the one with crystals, that he had made… I was going to accuse him of lying, if only in part, but realized the truth of it.

He’s forgotten those places. Without a care. Because to him they weren’t homes, they were just… places to store stuff. To rest at, if needed.

Places of purpose, not homes.

“I hope I change that one day, Vim,” I said softly.

He smiled at me. “So do I. And not to ruin this lovely moment… I’d like to say a few things. I think I’m ready,” he said with a nod.

“Oh…? Okay…?” I nodded too and stood up a bit straighter. I wonder what he wanted to say…? I figured it was about this place, the people here, or maybe the ship and those he saved… but…

Vim pointed at his chest, and for a tiny moment I forgot why he was doing so… and then saw his bruises again. “A man named Havoc gave me these. As I pulled him into the depths and took his life,” he said.

I gulped a suddenly dry mouth. “A man…” I whispered. Not a monarch.

Vim slowly nodded. “A god. Or at least, a god as you’d likely know one as. Like Stance,” he said.

My grip on the cup tightened, but thankfully I didn’t spill or break it. “So… not a monarch…?” I asked.

“There had been a monarch, yes. But it became irrelevant once I dealt with Havoc… and… well…” Shifting ever so slightly, I wished I had not hidden my tail. It was squirming like mad beneath my pants. Still, I patiently waited for Vim to find his words… and after a few moments he nodded and found it. “He had come to speak to me. To… make me an offer,” he said.

My eyes narrowed, and Vim became a bit darker… though I wasn’t sure if it was because my mind was in a haze as it tried to understand all he was saying or if clouds had suddenly moved overhead. I didn’t care to check, as I nodded slowly. “An offer…? Of…?” I asked, and didn’t like how my voice sounded distant. As if it hadn’t even been me who had spoken.

“Your life, Renn.”

I blinked, and after spending a few moments to study his serious expression… I slowly shook my head. “I don’t understand.”

Vim took in a deep breath, which made his bruised chest stick out a bit more as he nodded. “Havoc threatened your life. You. As to get me to agree to something… something I… well…” he went quiet, and my heart nearly thumped up out of my throat as I held myself back from throwing the cup at him.

“Vim…!” I groaned, don’t shut up now!

He flinched and nodded again. “He revealed there are a lot more of them alive than I thought. Gods, I mean… and they figured something out. They figured out how to do something they’ve been trying to do since before I was even born. And well… he threatened your life, in exchange for my help. In a way. And… well…”

I dropped the cup as I groaned and reached up to both grab my hat and pull it off and to cover my eyes.

By his parents! What was he saying…!

“I know…! I know! I’m trying my best here, Renn!”

“Why’s your best tip-toeing around such dire things, Vim…! What do you mean!” I groaned at him as I shook my hat a bit in the air, as if to shake away his stupidity.

Vim gestured lightly around us and… I threw my hat at him as he shrugged. He caught it, and I went to pick up and then throw the cup at him too. Before I could though I noticed his look.

Standing in front of me, not far from the table of tools… was a man who looked lost.

The sight of him being so… unsure of himself made me hesitate. Because it told me how serious he was being.

Vim didn’t get lost. Even when actually lost, he was calm. Stoic. Even-headed… yet…

“I know, Renn… I know… I um… well…” Vim began to stumble with his words as he gently grabbed my hat with both of his hands, kneading it between them as if for comfort. “Well…”

“So…? What happened? Am I going to die?” I asked as I found myself strangely calming down. But I wasn’t calm. In fact I was rather upset.

He should not have waited this long to tell me this…! This is one of those things he should have said right away!

“What…? Why are you going to die?” he asked, sounding worried now. Which was funny, since I had thought him worried before… now I realized he hadn’t been worried just stressed and anxious.

“You didn’t agree, right? So am I going to die now?” I asked, raising my voice.

For a few longer seconds than was likely necessary… Vim only stared at me, and then he smiled. “What…? You just automatically assume I’d never agree to anything a god said or offered?” he asked.

“Well… duh? You hate them. So much so it’s confusing. Or… are you saying you did…?” I asked, suddenly very concerned. What if he had agreed? What then…? Then… why would he have a huge bruise from an attack from a god…?

Vim took in a deep breath and sighed it out as he shook his head. “No… I killed him. But…!” he didn’t get to finish as I bent down and finally picked up the cup, only to finally throw it at him. It missed, went wide and hit the table and bounced off and into the grass. At least it hadn’t broken.

“Vim!”

“I know! Just… Let me say it…!” he said as he raised a hand as I stepped forward. I felt like hitting him.

I stopped a step or so away from him, close enough I could whack him but no closer… and waited.

He nodded down at me and sighed. He obviously was not afraid of my, likely inevitable assault, but I didn’t care. Even if I broke bones I was going to make him realize how stupid he was being!

“Havoc threatened your life… basically he said he and another god noticed you during my fight with Stance. And as such threatened you to get me to do something for them, for him, which I didn’t agree to… that I’d never agree to. I chose to kill him instead for…”

“What was it?” I asked, interrupting him.

Vim flinched. “Renn…”

“Vim, if my life is on the line don’t I deserve to know…? Where’s your so called ethos at? Your pride? Plus I’m your wife! It’s not even like I’m just some random person or something!” I said, squeezing my hands into fists as I drew closer. As I stepped closer my tail found its way out of my pants. I ignored the feeling of my pants actually slipping down a bit off my waist, since my tail had squirmed out of them in such a way that dislodged them. The feeling of my tail now free to twitch and squirm wildly without being bothered actually made me calm down a bit.

“Yes… of course, you’re right. I just…” Vim took in a deep breath, shifted my hat in his hands again… and nodded. “If I tell you, I have to tell you more. So much more…” he whispered after a moment.

“Maybe you should, Vim,” I said.

His eyes narrowed… and he slowly nodded. “I know.”

“So?”

He coughed, but not because he had to clear his throat. “Their method of seeing you… of realizing who you are, and who and what you are to me, is something all gods can do. Within reason,” he said.

My ears fluttered as my shoulders slowly slouched and I leaned back. “Okay…?” I gave him permission to continue.

He nodded. Stiffly. “Which means whether I want to admit it or not, no matter what, the other gods will eventually know who you are. Either way, inevitably, if they don’t already,” he said quickly.

“So…? They already knew about me, you said so yourself,” I said.

“Ah. Woops. I uh… no. They hadn’t. Part of his deal was he was going to help hide you from them, basically. His threat was to keep your existence a secret, in essence keeping you alive by not alerting the other gods who are you to me.”

I frowned at him. “You’re saying if any god at all learns that I’m… what, your wife, then I am going to die?” I asked.

Vim only nodded.

“Why…?” I whispered.

“Isn’t it obvious, Renn…?”

I blinked at him, but didn’t answer… because I knew why.

“Because I love you,” he said though, as if not realizing I had understood.

I gulped, and suddenly wished I hadn’t thrown the cup at him. “So… I’m doomed…? Is that what you’re saying?” I asked.

“No. Of course not. You’re still alive, aren’t you?” he said.

“Until these gods learn of me, you mean,” I said.

He shook his head. “No. I’ll not let that happen.”

For a long moment I just stared at the man who didn’t seem to realize what he was saying… or realize how wildly crazy he was sounding even if he did.

I mean really… he was basically saying there were a bunch of gods, and that if they found out about my existence then I was going to die. All… because he loved me. As if it was everything they desired, just to harm and kill something he cherished. Yet those same gods, or at least one or two of them, had been willing to work a deal over my life for… what? He hadn’t said what yet, had he…?

And I thought I had been about to go crazy over all the prophecies…! He was acting even crazier!

But he wasn’t crazy, was he?

“Celine and the others foresaw me. Years before I showed up. I was supposed to be with you hundreds of years ago,” I said.

Vim blinked… and then blinked again as he suddenly frowned. “Gosh… really?”

I studied his frown and felt… strangely relieved to see how genuine and shocked it was.

That was not the frown of him hiding something behind it. He hadn’t lied just now to me. He hadn’t known. And now he was glaring at me with a slightly upset look, having realized I had just brought up a very important prophecy.

“Sorry… for saying it like that,” I said, apologizing. I had done it because I took advantage of the moment. He was in slight duress, obviously, so I figured if I said it now I’d be able to get a genuine reaction out of him. And I had.

“Um… if I accept, will you accept mine too…?” he asked.

“No… Maybe,” I back stepped from my first decision, since it had instantly made him flinch and close his eyes in pain.

Vim opened his eyes, and for a long moment we went to staring at each other again. He now looked tired… and…

Smiling softly I reached out and sure enough as I placed my hand on his chest… I felt sweat.

“Imagine that,” I teased as I felt his sweat. I planned to sniff it in a moment, to see if I could smell anything different or not. Even from only half an arm’s length away I couldn’t, so I doubted it but I wanted to test anyway.

Really wasn’t fair that he didn’t stink even when he was supposed to. Why wasn’t I like that yet?

With my hand on his chest, Vim deeply sighed at me… and was about to say something, but he was interrupted. This time not by me.

“I’m going back to bed.”

I jumped, nearly, and pulled my hand away from Vim as I turned to watch Angie step away. Merit was standing where the young bison had just been, and was shaking her head at me with a weird look. “I warned her that you two would start flirting, or worse,” she said to me.

“Merit…! Angie…?” I groaned as I realized now why Vim had stopped going into detail mid-way through our conversation. That hadn’t been him failing to find his courage to tell me, but rather the opposite. He had been fully ready to have the conversation, in full. It was just… we suddenly had company and he hadn’t wanted to say certain things in front of them…

Merit giggled at me as she turned to watch Angie leave. The young bison yawned as she headed back to camp, alone. Luckily, if it was lucky at all, it seemed only they were here or had been here… I didn’t see or hear anyone else nearby.

“Well, we had been noisy Renn…” Vim said gently as he reached over and gently patted my back.

I snarled at him and slapped his chest and side, right on the darkest spot of his bruise. He of course didn’t even flinch, but it had made a nice loud sound that echoed in the night so it made me feel better. Huffing at him, and myself, I stormed away from him and towards Merit.

She had a huge grin on her face as I approached. “Sorry, I was curious and Angie tried stopping me then we both ended up coming here and…” Merit began to ramble off a half-hearted apology and excuse, but I knew better than to actually grow upset with her. Odds are half the camp, if not practically all of it, was up and about now… and had likely heard half our conversation in full. I especially had been loud near the end.

Not that it mattered. Merit and Angie might not tell everyone all they’d heard but they’d still tease me over it. They’d tell everyone how I’d teased Vim over his sweat and stuff and who knows what else… I mean, I had to even pull up my pants since they started to slide down thanks to my tail slipping free! I could only imagine how it had looked!

“I’m going to go bury my head into my pillow now,” I said, leaving Vim behind as Merit hurried to keep up… and I lifted my hands to sniff at them as I did.

Of course to make my embarrassment worse I found Vim didn’t stink at all. Nothing more than his usual smell at least.

It was one thing for gods to want me dead… but to go through all that and not even get something to tease him about…?

Not fair.

Not at all.

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