FSE

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Equal Shares pt. 2

By: MoarSausNou

I wake before the sunrise still in my cross-legged meditation position. The sky is gray and lifeless as the darkness of the night begins to lose its grasp on the world in preparation for the sun to rise. I gaze outside the fountain and soak in the muted landscape. The world is calm and I feel refreshed after my sleep. Today will be a good day.

I look around for my companions and see Huskar propping himself up with a spear as he leans against a wall in the fountain. I notice that his eyes are open, but I can tell he sleeps still from his empty and glossed over eyes and slow even breathing. I am not surprised by his behavior. I have met, and killed, more than a few veterans who slept like this. I have also learned that those who sleep like this are more dangerous, as they are able to attack at the slightest provocation. I note to wake him from afar when the time comes.

A few meters away, I see Ulfsaar and Raigor sleeping together. Raigor's hand is sprawled across the ursa's frame, almost protectively, as the gold-furred creature spoons the bear. I suddenly view the picture as though a monstrously strong creature were hugging a giant stuffed ursa in order to drive away the terrors of the night, an act commonly seen by very young children as they sleep. The sight is both comical and adorable. I begin to wonder what exactly happened in the forest. They claimed as they left that they were going to do a "test of strength" in order to determine the strongest of the two. Clearly, that wasn't the whole story. Regardless, they look peaceful and at ease as they sleep. They look so... right together. I sigh inwardly, and feel a pang of jealousy. I don't think I've ever been able to sleep as peacefully as the two before me now.

I suddenly feel a pang of hunger and remember with a shock that I haven't eaten since early yesterday. I also realize at the same time that I haven't seen the rest of my companions eat anything at all while we were here. They'd probably be hungry when they wake. That thought resonated in me for a few moments until a horrible realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Oh shit...

There's an ursa here.

I have to hunt something NOW!

I scramble up as I rush to gather my gear as that one thought consumes me. From what I know about the ursine race is that you do not want them hungry.

On one occasion, I had come across an ursine tribe who was suffering from a drought and were finding it difficult to find any food, and it wasn't the right season for fish to be swimming upstream to spawn. While I was there, I noticed that they were all extremely aggressive towards each other and as I spoke to their elder when I first arrived, I noticed that many of them were staring at me in hunger and salivate as though they wished to eat me. I ended up hunting animals for them over the following months, and they ended up being far more amiable. However, that memory of being viewed as food scarred me. Somehow, I didn't want a companion looking at me like that. It doesn't help that Ulfsaar is probably the largest ursa I've ever seen.

As I leave the base, I conjure a shroud of shadows to cloak me as I run into the forest to hunt. A minor precaution against any ambush and it allows me to hunt more effectively. Fortunately, the forest is bountiful and I quickly stumble upon a small family of four deer, still sleeping before the sun rises, around two hundred feet in. I creep up on them silently and slit their necks before they realize that they are in danger. I sigh in relief and survey my bounty. There's a stag, a doe, and two younglings. I nod in appreciation. This should be enough to slate the hunger of our group, particularly a certain ursa. I drag the family into a nearby fragrant bush and cover them in leaves in an attempt to mask their scent. I grab the stag first as I won't be able to hide the horns and begin to drag him back to the base.

The sun rises in the sky as I see the outer walls of the Radiant base through the trees. I notice something I hadn't noticed as I left in my haste. There were several green carapaced snake things rooted to the upper ridge of the wall. I say rooted because there were actual green roots at the base of each snake. As I clear the forest, I check to see if any enemies were nearby before dropping my cloak.

"Like my wards?" I hear as I drag my catch past the outer walls. So that's what they were. I glance over to the Venomancer and see him curled up by the inside of the wall. He stares at me with his black beady eyes in anticipation for a response.

"Sure." I reply. I don't really see much value in the wards.

Lesale huff in irritation and with a touch of disappointment, "I put a lot of work in these particular wards. My usual wards just spit out globs of simple acid and die very easily, but these wards I had their skin more heavily armored and they spit out orbs of poison over a large distance. Not quite as powerful as my own poison, but still." He boasts, and then adds with a grimace, "They really hurt coming out." I blush as I realize that my earlier response wasn't nearly as sufficient as it should have been. Lesale must have been up all night setting these up.

I stutter out a thanks and make sure he knows that I appreciate his efforts. He really seems to want to make a good impression. While I still don't fully trust him yet, I'm willing to accept his help. Any ounce of assistance goes a long way to help our survival. I can easily see these wards help keep us safe while we sleep.

I remember with a jolt my initial task and resume my efforts to drag the stag back to the fountain with renewed haste. As I approach the fountain, I begin to hear a ragged panting noise combined with small grunts. It's worse that I thought. I was hoping that I'd arrive before Ulfsaar awoke, but he must have already risen. His hunger must be stronger than I had thought. Shit. I redouble my efforts and heave the stag past the entrance of the fountain. I scan the fountain quickly and see Ulfsaar standing on all fours in the center of the enclosed space glancing about in a predatory manner. His eyes are completely black with hunger. I glance over to Huskar and find he hasn't moved from his earlier position. He is starring at the starved ursa cautiously. I notice his body is tensed up and prepared for any form of action in case Ulfsaar attacks anyone. Raigor has propped himself up by the fountain's pool and is looking at Ulfsaar and appears at first glance to be relaxed with a slight look of bemusement on his face, though I can sense the tension in his muscles.

I whistle for the ursa's attention and his head whips over towards me. His eyes immediately lock onto the stag lying at my feet and I see his mouth begin to drip with saliva. The smell of the deer's blood then wafts over to the ursa and all of his remaining shreds of self-restraint evaporates. He lunges at the deer and I jump backwards to avoid being knocked aside. Ulfsaar immediately tears open the male deer's stomach and begins to feast upon the raw flesh.

I sigh in relief as I flop down. I made it.

I avert my gaze from the gore-fest only a few feet in front of me and glance back over to Huskar. He seems to have relaxed somewhat and gives me a nod in thanks while maintaining his focus on Ulfsaar. I nod back and turn my attention over to Raigor. His position hasn't changed much, but his smile has changed into a grimace and he looks ill as he watches Ulfsaar feast. He notices my gaze and smiles weakly towards me, showing his appreciation.

I glance over to see how Ulfsaar is faring and instantly regret it. His face is caked in blood and he seems to have just consumed the entirety of the deer's intestines and is fishing out the meat hiding within the poor creature's ribcage. His eyes haven't changed from their blackened state and I begin to wonder if that one stag is enough for the ursa. I turn my attention back to the other two people in the fountain, suddenly very conscious of the noises occurring next to me, feeling very ill.

"There are more deer in the forest. Want to help me retrieve them?" Ulfsaar crunches a bone in half with his teeth to punctuate my request and begins to suck out the marrow. Raigor and Huskar immediately rise in unison with a pleading gaze. It's clear that they want to leave the ursa alone while he feasts for now. As we leave the fountain's walls, we meet Lesale's curious gaze.

"Don't ask." I state as we continue walking towards the woods. The Venomancer must have noticed how ill we appeared and the haste at which we were leaving and takes one look inside the fountain. We hear him cackle slightly at what he sees and I glance back to see him retreat from the fountain shaking his head slightly.

I guide the two heroes with me to the spot where I had left the remainder of the deer. As I reveal the three deer to Huskar and Raigor, I notice that they're looking at me strangely. I sigh and turn towards them.

"What?" I say in exasperation.

They both tense slightly. "You arrived very conveniently. How did you know Ulfsaar would have behaved like that when he woke?" Huskar replies. It wasn't an accusation. He was just curious. He must not be familiar with the ursine folk.

"I've encountered starved ursines before. They can typically ignore it for a while, but at some point their hunger turns them feral and they begin to view anything that's not important or ursine as food," I explain, "I didn't know Ulfsaar would have turned so soon. He must not have eaten for several days for him to behave like that," I add.

I can see their earlier tension leave their faces. "I had known that ursines were not people you want hungry, but I had not experienced any one ursa that was like that." Raigor shakes his head and sighs, "It was though he were completely different."

"Indeed, let's agree to prevent this from happening again. I know I do not want to deal with a starved ursa again anytime soon." Huskar comments drily. We all nod in agreement.

With that settled, Huskar picked up the two calves, one in each arm, while Raigor draped the doe over his shoulders placing it right above his totem. I protest, stating that I want to help carry some of the deer back, but Huskar shakes his head, "You've hunted the deer and carried the largest back to the fountain in time to satiate Ulfsaar before he lost control. It's only fair that we carry the remaining burden." Raigor nods his head in agreement.

I reluctantly accept their decision and follow them in their wake as they proceed back to the fountain. I notice with no small degree of shame the ease in which the two were carrying the deer. While I had struggled to drag one deer earlier, they hefted their load as though each deer weighed no more than a loaf of bread or a pillow. We arrived back at the base in minutes with what would have taken me hours to carry back alone.

As we arrive, we notice that Lesale was waiting for our return.

"His appetite is almost disturbing, he finished that stag a few minutes ago and is still looking for more. He at least seems to have calmed down slightly." He states and then sighs," but I suppose it's to be expected. His body had gone through a lot yesterday, though something significant must have happened before I arrived in order to make him like that as Akasha's poison shouldn't have done that much damage so early. It must have been whatever made him so exhausted before you were abushed. I don't suppose you three know what had happened?"

Huskar and I look over at Raigor as we both knew that they did something exhausting in the forest. I had a guess at what they were doing, but I couldn't be sure. Raigor balks at our silent accusation and continues onwards towards the fountain leaving us with a simple "Preposterous." I squint my eyes as I mull his response over in my head. I thought so. I roll my eyes with the revelation. That explains a lot.

Huskar seems absolutely bewildered by Raigor's response and steps forward to intercept the golf-furred creature in order to demand a proper explanation. I stop him before he calls out and shake my head at him once. I'll explain the situation to him later. He huffs at my interruption, but decides to ask me about Raigor and Ulfsaar later.

We jog to catch up to Raigor and manage to rejoin him as he reveals himself to Ulfsaar. As we turn the corner, I first see a pile of broken and chewed bones, clean of any remaining meat and devoid of marrow. I then see a blood-soaked mess of an ursa sitting on his hindquarters staring meekly at the bonepile. All the fight and aggression that was consuming him earlier had completely dissipated. He was still chewing on a bone when he noticed us. He saw Raigor first and immediately brightened up. Ulfsaar looked as though was about to jump up and run towards Raigor, but as he was getting up, he noticed the condition of his fur and controlled himself. "I had feared that I had scared you off with my display," he admits shamefully.

"It's going to take more than that to scare us," I reply, "Here, we brought more food."

Raigor and Huskar drop their loads onto the ground and Ulfsaar stares at it, hunger still apparent, but manages to hold himself.

"Your concern is gratifying, but you haven't had anything to eat yourselves," he notes, trying to show that he can control himself again.

Raigor huffs with impatience, "We can't eat all this by ourselves, come, you must be hungry," he says while nudging the doe towards the ursa. Raigor then walks up to Ulfsaar and whispers something so softly that I barely caught what was said, "Maybe I can get you something to drink afterwards, and it won't be from the fountain." I decide to carve into one of the calves. I didn't really want to hear that.

Ulfsaar's gags and manages to stutter out, "Well... I... I suppose I can have a little more," As he grabs the doe and cuts into the belly of the creature with one of his claws and digs in with more care than he had displayed earlier.

I discard the innards of the calf I was gutting and leave them by Ulfsaar. He mumbles out a thanks from inside the doe and resumes eating. Meanwhile, Huskar had finished building a fire and is fashioning a spit where we could cook the veal more easily. I ask Huskar how much he needs. He simply

-p;/shrugs at me and says that he'll have whatever I don't have from the calf. I'm pretty hungry, but I don't think that I could have any more than a leg, so I tell Huskar that's what I'd have. He seems somewhat relieved that I'm not a heavy eater. That's when I notice Raigor.

He seemed torn with indecision. He notices my gaze and shuffles over to me. I've never seen Raigor act so strangely before. "I've never had deer before," he whispers to me.

"It's a really good meat. You'd like it." I whisper back, and then a thought occurs to me, "What do you normally eat if you don't mind me asking?"

"I normally eat small rodents. Creatures I can fit in my mouth." He replies, and then adds, "I typically just swallow them."

"Hmm..." I ponder while I rub the edge of my bandana. I decide to cut out a chunk of meat from the flank of the deer and hand it to Raigor. "Try this. If you like it, you can share with Ulfsaar." Ulfsaar's ears perk up at the mention of his name and stops chewing as his eyes dart up to Raigor to watch him as he popped the morsel into his mouth.

Raigor's eyes close as he chews the raw meat and groans in pleasure. He swallows and exclaims, "That's good meat." Ulfsaar returns his gaze onto his meal and resumes eating.

"Told you," I say as I return to preparing the calf for the spit. Raigor turns to the now shell of a doe that Ulfsaar is now busying himself to finish. Raigor saunters over and nuzzles the ursa as he tears off a leg of the doe. He settles down next to Ulfsaar and tears into his deer leg.

A few minutes later, the spit is ready and the calf finds its skinned carcass impaled and rotating slowly over a fire. With the combined efforts of Raigor and Ulfsaar, the doe seemed to disappear. Now they sit content and basking in the afterglow of their feast. Every once in a while, Raigor leans over to the ursa and whispers something into Ulfsaar's ear. Each whisper sends a shiver down the spine of the great ursine. I start to wonder what's being said, but I have a feeling that those words were meant for one person only.

Huskar and I exchange small talk while we wait for the meat to cook. All the while, we started noticing a gradual change in Ulfsaar. The ursa's breath is becoming labored and his eyes are now hooded. Raigor's gaze is becoming more predatory as well, he is now flowing a constant stream of words into the poor ursine's ear and it's as though each breath is making the ursa even worse.

I start to lose it. Really? This is happening right next to us? I'm ready to tell them to take their sweet nothings elsewhere so Huskar and I can cook in peace, but as I open my mouth to tell them off, they get up suddenly and start to move to the rear of the fountain. Ulfsaar mumbles something about exercises. I shake my head at them. They aren't fooling anyone. Huskar doesn't even react. He seems to be focused on spinning the meat.

I hear a sliding noise coming from the entrance of the fountain and I look over to see Lesale. I realize with a jolt that I had completely forgotten about him. I start to apologize to him, but he waves me off with a flick of his arm.

"Don't worry about it, I was feeding my wards. Besides, I think I'm glad I missed Ulfsaar's sloppy seconds." He replies with humor. I stare at him and wonder if he meant the double meaning in his words. It's not as though the couple was hiding anything very well. Huskar chuckles a bit at the Venomancer's words.

"He's not exactly a clean eater," He laughs, "You know, I'm actually curious at what kind of exercises they're doing. Last night, Ulfsaar looked as though he had lost all feeling in his body." Huskar then looks over at me with a gaze that shows that he is imagining something. I get the feeling that I am in his imaginings. I shifted uncomfortable under his gaze, and Huskar laughs at my reaction. His gaze hasn't changed. Lesale is looking at the two of us with a bemused expression in his eyes. I don't like how this is going and scramble for another topic as a distraction. Suddenly I remember something that the Venomancer had mentioned earlier.

"Wait, you mentioned you were feeding your wards?" I ask, desperate to move away from the awkward situation I'm in. I notice Huskar's gaze shift to Lesale and I sigh inwardly.

"Yes, I did. They're very hungry and I have to produce a lot of nectar for them in order to keep them strong." He notices my curious expression as then adds, "Want to try some?"

I hesitate. "Is it venomous?"

The Venomancer scoffs in mock injury, "I'm hurt, not everything I make is poison." He then instructs me to hold out and cup my hands. I do so and Lesale promptly vomits all over my hands. Somehow Huskar finds this the funniest thing in the world and bursts out in laughter and starts crying from the hilarity. I'm still staring at the clear fluid cupped in my hands, my mind not quite able to comprehend what just happened.

"What the fuck?" I manage to say. Huskar falls into a deeper fit of convulsions, tears streaming from his face.

"Is there a problem?" Lesale asks innocently.

"I hate you." I respond simply. I then direct my gaze to Huskar's convulsing body and ask Lesale, "Can you please vomit down his throat?"

"No!" Huskar exclaims. He struggles to compose himself to avoid the punishment. "I'm okay. I'll stop now."

"Good," I say to him and I begin staring at the slime in my hands again.

Huskar, still chuckling a bit, notices the veal on the spit and notices it had finished cooking during the hilarity. He shifts the fire so that there are only embers to keep the food warm. Huskar then turns to me with a wicked smile on his lips and says simply, "You know, you're going to have to finish that before you can eat," pointing to the goo in my hands.

I glare back at him, but then an evil thought crossed through me. I wipe one of my hands on the ground to clean it, while keeping the other hand filled with the viscous fluid. Huskar notices my change in demeanor and his expression changes from humor to fear. I summon the shadows to hide me and lunge at Huskar. His eyes widen as I disappear from his view and scrambles backwards, but he's too late. I knock him over with my shoulder and quickly pin him to the ground when I reveal myself. I use my legs to keep his arms in check as I sit on his chest while I use my clean hand to grab his face. I squeeze my thumb and middle finger into an area by the collecting area for his jaw in order to force his mouth open. Huskar, realizing my intent, struggles wildly, but I had positioned myself in such a way that with even Huskar's strength, he wouldn't be able to buck me off. With his mouth now pried open, I smile sweetly as I squeeze the clear fluid from my hand into Huskar's mouth. Huskar stiffens at the invading fluid and then relaxes. I get up releasing Huskar, my job done.

Then I realize releasing Huskar was a mistake as Huskar lunges on top of me and pins me to the ground. Now it's my turn to feel helpless as I struggle against Huskar's strength, but I had relinquished any advantage I may have had over Huska by getting off of him. Huskar smiles mischievously, takes off my bandana, and presses his lips against mine. My eyes pop open and I gasp at the sudden action. With my mouth now open, I feel a thick fluid being pressed into my mouth and I gag at the intrusion. Then I realize how sweet the fluid is. I cease struggling and Huskar releases me and sits next to me.

I continue to lay there as I move the fluid around in my mouth, tasting it. I look over to Huskar and notice that he is doing the same.

"Good, right?" I hear Lesale chuckle. He obviously enjoyed the show. "My wards enjoy it as well. They always perk up whenever I tell them it's time for a meal. They also seem more energetic a few minutes later, so you might feel more energy momentarily."

As I hear Lesale mention this, I notice that my heartbeat is stronger that I'm used to. I also hear Huskar's breathing pick up. I become very conscious of the feeling of grass on my fur. It feels so good. I feel the grass with my hand and relish the sensations running through me. My hand accidently brushes against my thigh and my mouth opens with a silent cry at how good it felt. I notice Huskar running his hand against his thigh with hooded eyes.

"I'm actually feeling a bit hungry, you don't mind if I take the uncooked calf right?" Lesale asks, oblivious of my and Huskar's new behavior. I look over at him and shake my head letting him know that he can have it. I see the Venomancer grab the calf by the neck with his teeth and drags it out of the fountain so he can eat by his wards.

A breeze arrives and rustles my fur. I shiver at how good it felt and rub my hand across my chest, noticing how hot it is. I want more! I turn my attention towards Huskar and put my hand against his smooth green skin. It's so soft and smooth yet firm, like marble. It's so warm. Huskar gasps and groans loudly at my contact. He looks over at me and I see how dilated his eyes are and I hear how heavy his breathing is. He then positions himself atop of me and begins unfastening my armor with a strong sense of urgency. I moan at his rough motions over my body and I suddenly feel that Huskar shouldn't be wearing anything as well. I want to feel him. All of him.

My breath has become labored as I deftly unfasten Huskar's armor as he pulls me out of mine. In no time, we are both naked and running our hands across our skin. Everything feels so good that I start to lose vision. All I know is what my body is feeling. I can tell Huskar is faring no better. I then know what I need to do. I lift my head and press my lips against Huskar's. The world seems to explode in color and everything felt right. Huskar's eyes roll back and he closes his eyes at the kiss. He then presses back with a kiss of his own and I close my eyes as I lose myself inside his mouth. Our tongues begin dancing together and rubbing against one another, showing the other their taste along with the taste of the nectar still in our mouths. Huskar tastes so good. He is so hot. I feel as though his heat is burning me and it feels as though I'm melting at his touch. I feel so aroused right now. I start to feel sensitive flesh begin to emerge from its sheath at my groin and my attention begins to focus on that one limb emerging from me.

I begin to feel another limb brush against my thigh. It feels soft and my hand shifts over to it to feel the new object. It is so soft and I feel it give to the touch. I feel Huskar groan in my mouth and I feel the object in my hand pulse strongly and rhythmically as it becomes firmer in my hand. I break our kiss and look down at what I'm holding and I gasp at the sight. It is green like Huskar and as thick as my wrist. I felt fascinated by it. I have to investigate every part of this new object. I notice thick veins running up the sides of this appendage and trace one with a finger. Huskar freezes above me at the contact and his breath caught. I then see a dollop of clear fluid, like the nectar we drank earlier, dribble from the tip of the sausage. It had squeezed from the thick foreskin encasing the head and the sight made me grow hotter. I gather a drop on a finger and guide it to my mouth. I lick it off my finger sensually. It isn't as sweet at the nectar, but it is salty and addicting. It's enough to make me produce some nectar of my own. I glance up at Huskar and I see him staring hungrily at me. I was him in my mouth so badly.

I shove him over onto his back and bring myself over him. I look into his eyes and they're pleading for release. I'm more than willing to oblige. I shift myself so my head is directly over Huskar's member and I lay myself over the troll warrior. I run my tongue up the shaft and I see a few more drops emerge from the tip. My mouth waters at the sight and I immediately open my mouth and encapsulate the head of the penis, running my tongue over the tip. I hear Huskar inhale sharply with pleasure and I use my tongue to peel back the entrapping forekin. It tastes so salty. I feel Huskar's back arc and hear him groan at what I'm doing. I feel so good knowing that I'm doing this to him. I decide to make more of the sausage slide into my mouth. I need it all. I feel it hit the back of my throat and I back off. It's so thick. I'm not sure it'll all go down.

I then feel Huskar pick up my hips and I feel his tongue run across my member. I shiver at the contact and sigh in appreciation. I decide to try deepthroating again and grind the tip against the back of my throat. I suppress my gag reflex and try and force it down, but my throat is providing too much resistance.

I feel Huskar lower me over his mouth and I suddenly feel as though I had been dipped into molten wax. I melt inside him and I feel him finally pop into my throat. My eyes tear up at the pain, but I don't want to back out now. I'm feeling too good. Huskar's tongue runs around my member and I shudder at the feeling. I feel Huskar's dick slide even further down my throat. I almost have all of him in me now. I lift my head slightly and feel him sliding in me. I bring my head back down and manage to push myself further down his shaft. Huskar sighs in pleasure and takes all of me in my mouth. I feel really close. He's just so warm.

I bob up and down along his shaft and with each down-stroke, I move even closer to his base. Huskar is groaning around me and starts thrusting his hips up forcing even more of him in me. I grab his hips and pull him towards me. With one final thrust, my nose is buried into his nuts and I revel at my accomplishment. Huskar moans and the vibrations are driving me crazy. I squeeze his hips as I start to cum and Huskar hugs my hips and bottoms me out on his face. I feel his shaft start to pulse as well inside my throat and I ready myself for what's to come.

We come together and the pleasure I feel overtakes me.

***

I come to and I feel an overwhelming urge to breathe. I try and inhale, but once the air enters my lungs, I cough uncontrollably. My throat is ravaged and rubbed raw. Fresh tears water my eyes at the pain and I jerk up from where I was laying, still coughing. I blink away the tears and survey my surroundings. I see Huskar lying where I had pushed him over during our escapade. He appears to be asleep. I then notice the taste in my mouth. It tastes bitter, but with traces of saltiness and sweetness. I run my tongue across my teeth and notice strands of something coat them. The taste is coming from those strands.

What came over us?

I hear Huskar cough and rise from his sitting position. He looks around with confusion.

"What exactly happened?" He asks, to no one in particular.

"You two had sex."

Both Huskar and I quickly turn to see Raigor and Ulfsaar staring at us from the edge of the fountain pool. Both seemed close to laughter.

"How long have you...?" I start.

"When you two started kissing," Ulfsaar answers, "Funny, I didn't think you two were into each other."

I blush furiously. They were here the whole time! I suddenly notice my nudity. Huskar seems to have noticed that he is naked as well and tosses me my armor as he rushes to don his. His face seems to have become slightly redder than usual.

"Aww..." Raigor complains.

Huskar and I dress in silence and when we are finally fully dressed, we just sit there. I put my bandana back over my face in such a way as to hide my burning red face. Things are really awkward right now. Ulfsaar catches the tenseness in our silence and must have figured that Huskar and I needed to be left alone for a while.

"So I heard that Lesale had created wards," the ursa asks Raigor, "Can I see them?" Raigor thankfully catches on and guides Ulfsaar over to the outer walls of the base. Away from Huskar and me.

Alone at last, the tension seems to be lessened, but it is still stifling. I glance at Huskar and our eyes connect. Huskar jumps slightly and averts his gaze. I continue to look at Huskar for a few more seconds before looking down at the ground and I start to twiddle the fringe of my bandana. All I can think of is how awkward this situation is.

I hear Huskar swallow drily and I notice that my mouth feels as though it were made of cotton. I like my lips in order to wet them and swallow as well. I feel as though I haven't had anything to drink in far too long. I look over at Huskar and I see him staring fixedly at a patch of grass with a look of mild strain. I decide to break the ice.

"I'm... really thirsty," I say. I see him nod his head slowly, yet his gaze is still focused on that one patch of grass. "Should we... should we go to the fountain?"

Huskar looks up at me and says softly, "I would like that."

We get up together and make our way to edge of the fountain pool. We see a few cups resting on the edge of the pool and we each take one. As I dip my cup into the clear waters, I am hyperconscious of Huskar next to me as he does the same. I lift my cup to my lips making sure to shift my bandana in order for it to not get wet. As the fluid crosses my tongue, I sigh in relief. The water cooled and soothed my ravaged throat and I felt its magical chill slide all the way into my stomach. I close my eyes and relish the sensation. When I open my eyes again, I notice Huskar looking at me with such warmth that I felt something click inside of me. I wanted to be around him.

We continue staring into our eyes and finally Huskar lifts his cup to his lips and I see him take a single sip of the water. He closes his eyes and sighs in appreciation. We sit down next to each other by the fountain pool's edge and drink the soothing waters. With our thirsts at last quenched, I feel Huskar's hand embrace mine. His hand's warmth spreads through me and I feel the tension in me shatter. I melt. I look over into Huskar's eyes and see the question emblazoned in his gaze. Relief floods through me and I nod once. Huskar breaks out into a huge smile and embraces me in a hug. I chuckle a bit, not wanting to end this moment.

Eventually, I feel the crawling pains of hunger set in over me and break our silence, "We still haven't had any food yet." Huskar chokes out a laugh. We get up and head over to the deer, where we promptly notice that the underside is burned. The meat is going to be very tough and dry.

"I'll go get us some more water," I state trying to hide the humor I found in the situation. I walk over to the fountain and fill our cups to the brim and return to see Huskar scrape away the char and attempt to salvage the meat. I set down our cups and help him with his endeavor. Soon, we each grab a piece of meat from the carcass and start to eat. I lower my bandana from my face so it's now resting on my chest and take my first bite. As the veal touches my tongue, the hunger that I have been suppressing roars into full flame and I find myself unable to control myself as I take huge bites from the flank, barely stopping to chew. Before long, only the bone is left from my piece and I sigh in satisfaction. That really hit the spot. I bask in the glow of feeling full and I look ever to Huskar. He seems to have started his third leg and is still going strong. I lay back in the soft grass and close my eyes, content. The warm glow of the sun radiates over me and a soft breeze crosses over me. Everything seems perfect, but I can't help feeling as though I have forgotten something.

Just then, darkness falls over the land. My eyes shoot open. It couldn't be past noon. I start up and look over to Huskar. He knows what I must be thinking and must have come to the same conclusion. We scramble up and grab onto our weapons.

As we rush out of the fountain, we feel a massive explosion occur right outside of our outer walls and our suspicions are confirmed.

We're under attack.

***