Cloud remains blissfully out of sorts as I carry her to the watering hole. The spotted doglike monsters that seem abundant in this part of the Sanctuary have isolated the end of the large watering hole close to our shelter. They snarl as I approach but I ignore their bared fangs. One lunges for my leg once I’m in range. It quickly lets go, whining in confusion. Didn’t leave a mark. Poor thing hurt itself trying.

For that, I only lightly kick its belly as I pass, tossing it aside. The monster scrambles back to its paws and slinks off, watching me with wary eyes. I have to kick two more before the others learn, giving me space.

The water is a bit cooler than I expect but not uncomfortable. I settle in the shallowest area and hold Cloud against my shoulder as I wash her with my hands.

“Heed the wise, admire the strong, love the gentle,” she says with a deep sigh.

“You never told me why you speak like that,” I mutter, more focused on my task. I massage her as I clean her from head to toe. If she was limp before, she’s practically boneless now, leaning against me with no strength. I swear she purrs as she affectionately licks the parts of me she can reach.

“Our ancestors, the first to walk amongst our brethren, were those who became beasts to fight beasts. Knights are meant to march on open plains. The Temple moved through the wildest parts of the kingdom, following the footsteps of manabeasts. However, when the fighting was done, the faithful were denounced, demeaned as men stricken by madness. The old kings promised them they would have their own land and their teachers, ancient manabeasts as wise as men, would be given due respect. They lied.”

I sigh. A similar story to my own family. The Great War brought humanity together but later, once the continent was settled, the contributions of smaller groups were brushed aside as the royal family consolidated their power. I wonder how many other families are out there, living the life of peasants without knowing their ancestors were heroes.

“Afterwards, the faithful shunned the ways of men. The most devout would slice into their tongue, making it impossible to form words properly. It was a physical vow to never speak the language of the kings, for their words were only meant to deceive.”

“Extreme.” I am all for holding a grudge but I would never mangle myself to make a point.

She chuckles. “Their descendants came to the same conclusion. However, tradition is strong. Expressing an idea in as few words as possible is a sign of sincerity. Yet, in efforts to develop their own way of speaking, our speech became a bit…poetic.”

Poetic is a nice way of putting it and I’m inclined to be nice to her, so I simply hum in agreement. I finish washing her and lounge in the water, idly tracing the fur along her spine. “Exactly how far do you want to take this?” I ask, poking her lower back.

“To its inevitable conclusion.”

“…does that mean you’re going to be a mon—er, look like your…” I sigh, lamenting the ridiculous words I’m about to utter. “Look like your brethren?”

She chuckles. “No, honored sister. If the Temple sought to become beasts, we would not be speaking now. We emulate our brethren, seeking wisdom in their instincts. We are the bridge between, the blend of human reason and nature’s strength. However, that is not your concern, is it?”

She raises her head with a lazy smirk. “You are hoping I remain attractive to you.”

My hand brushes her cheek before rubbing the tip of her furry ear. “Didn’t you enjoy what we did?”

She rumbles contentedly, closing her eyes and nuzzling my hand. “Mm.” One eye opens. “Letting you mount me does not mean you own me, honored sister.”

I flinch at the words. “I don’t want to own you.”

“No? Yet you seek to give your commentary on my evolution.” She huffs at my confusion. “It would be like me asking you to change your eyes to brown because I find it more attractive.”

The suggestion makes me squirm. Is that what I did? Was I going to do so? In my mind, a simple suggestion that she doesn’t need to become a furry behemoth to become strong doesn’t sound like I’m trying to control her decision. I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with me saying so. Yes, I feel our relationship should be closer after I fucked her in front of an audience, but isn’t that normal?

Saints, I’d make that suggestion even if we’d just met. Wasting a pretty face is always a shame.

I don’t realize I’m trying to move my hand away until she grabs my wrist. “Do not curse the wolves. It is their nature to stalk sheep.”

“Are you saying I’m a predator?”

“I am saying, do not fault a creature for doing what is in their nature.” She kisses the palm of my hand before nuzzling it. “Some mate for life. Some mate for a day. And some hoard females. Many wars end and begin with a clear boundary.”

“So…you’re telling me not to get ahead of myself.” Am I being rejected? It feels like it.

She huffs. “I would expect less rigid thinking from you of all people.” She sits up, throwing her arms around my neck as she looks into my eyes. “I have my own path to follow. When our paths cross, I am happy to be your puppy.” Her kiss stops me from commenting. “One day, our paths may join…that time is not now.”

She is telling me not to get ahead of myself. I am being rejected but maybe only temporarily? It’s…not terribly upsetting. I like Cloud. She’s a bit strange but we’re two of a kind. However, she is more of a friend than a lover. I wouldn’t have rejected her if she wanted to try becoming more but I won’t fault her if she doesn’t.

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” I say with a cheeky smile, demonstratively bucking my hips.

She moans, fingers digging into my shoulders but failing to pierce my tough skin. “Oh, I do know. Our paths will cross many times.” Her smile flashes those dangerous-looking teeth.

A great idea comes to mind. “Do you like snow?”

Cloud shivers dramatically. “No.”

“Do you like fighting monsters in snow?”

She looks a little interested. “You are speaking of the campaign into the Bleak Peaks.”

“Oh, so you know about that.”

“The Sanctuary will be sourcing mounts for the expedition. The guilds have also requested tamers to join along with their companions. The natives of the mountains are adept at camouflage.”

“Did you sign up for it?”

She scoffs. “The Temple will have nothing to do with it. The lords have lived on that land for centuries and have done men no wrong. These useless assaults have no purpose besides that of ego. Let the fools drown in the snow.”

I wince. “Does that include me?”

“…I see. You are going to your death.”

Haha, thanks for the vote of confidence. I want to confidently declare that I will come back victorious but the Bleak Peaks have a gruesome reputation. Truthfully, no one has any idea what we’re trying to conquer. To my knowledge, there are no written accounts of the Lords of Winter, the powerful manabeasts who drove away the old kings. There is one thing I can say confidently.

“I’ll make it back alive.”

“Mm. Perhaps you will but I should have my fill of you while I can.” Her hand moves between my legs. “It is a good thing you are not shy.”

I follow her gaze and look over my shoulder to see someone approaching. I drop a ‘film’ over my eyes and Orphelia comes into view. Right now, when she thinks I am too far away to see her, I see her true face. A blank mask with carefully crafted smiles flittering over it. Each time, a little part is adjusted, from the curvature of her lips to how many teeth she flashes. The expressions are aimed at a small oval of water that moves with her, a mirror I suppose.

Saints, this is disturbing to watch. She’s not emotionless. I could hear her surprise earlier in her heartbeat. The scorn in her voice yesterday when she whispered to Mr. Talented could match mine. She genuinely enjoyed Geneva’s cooking.

It's that control again. She filters her emotions, only allowing what she wants to show. It goes beyond the realm of etiquette and enters the realm of a performer but she is playing a part every second of her life.

A wave of sympathy for her comes over me. What the hell happened to her that she has to live this way? I’m exhausted just watching.

Doesn’t mean I like her. She still makes me uncomfortable.

As she reaches a distance where a normal person with decent vision can almost see her, she drops the oval of water to the ground and slaps her cheeks loud enough I can hear the clap. Then she picks up her pace.

I turn away so it’s not obvious I was watching her the entire time. Cloud is watching me with rapt interest. “That was different from the one you showed me before,” she says, a finger tracing my brow. “What does it do?”

“It allows me to see further away and in greater detail.”

“Then why not use it all the time?”

“There’s a reason we see as much as we do. Too much detail can get distracting. Besides, all my films are obvious.”

She hums. “The purple of your eye became more…” She trails off with another hum. “It is distinctive.” She looks past me when Orphelia’s footsteps become audible. “A serpent can swallow a bear in a day, but their poison can kill one in moments.”

“Haha, did you just call her a snake?” I think that is the first time I’ve heard her insult someone. Ah, no. Knowing her, that wasn’t meant as an insult but simply a frank evaluation of Orphelia’s character. Also, I’m immune to all known poisons in this realm. “Act natural, she’s almost here.”

Once she’s close enough a normal person could hear her, I look over my shoulder. The blank face is gone as she hurries over. She smiles shyly, the picture of a blushing maiden. Saints, is that why she hit herself?! That is admirable dedication to her mask.

“Um, I hope you don’t mind. I also needed to bathe.”

A water caster walked ten minutes to clean up? Who are you kidding? “Plenty of room,” I say, gesturing to the whole of the waterhole. I expect her to settle in the corner I claimed for myself. Orphelia proves she possesses no shame at all as she drops her robe and climbs into the water right beside me. Then she takes it a step further by linking our arms together.

“Bathing is a little complicated with one hand,” I say drily without looking over.

“Ah.” Her smile turns into a pout. It’s so well-crafted, I can see it fooling anyone who doesn’t know her true nature. I’m almost fooled despite watching her practice the expression minutes earlier. “Would you think me a wicked woman if I told you I had an ulterior motive for coming here?”

I already think that of you. “Depends on the motive.”

She leans up, ignoring Cloud who is still straddling my waist and whispers against my ear, “I can’t stop thinking about you.” She sits back, looking up at me through her long lashes. Her hazel eyes are beautiful but there is no emotion behind them. “It would be too much of a shame if we only know each other through this test.”

I sigh. Who would have thought the day would come when I would be pushing women away? “Lady Yemen—”

“Please, call me Orphelia.”

“Then, Orphelia. To be perfectly clear, what you’re asking for is impossible.” I have many things to do once the qualifiers are finished and they don’t include whatever game she’s playing.

“Are you sure? You haven’t even seen what I can do…” Her hand tries to touch me but finds resistance in the form of Cloud. Ripples go through the water as the intruding hand is smacked away. She smiles when Orphelia looks toward her but says nothing.

“Quite sure.”

“Then what was this morning? Don’t tell me you do that to all the woman you’re not interested in?”

“You gave me an invitation. I accepted. This time, I am rejecting it.”

“…I see.” She moves away from me, hanging her head. “I didn’t expect you to be so callous with a woman’s heart, Lady Tome.” Her quiet voice is full of hurt and grievances.

“How generous of you to contribute to the watering hole, though the tiny drops will hardly be noticed.” Cloud firmly grinds the false grief under her heel. “If you want a mate to treasure your heart, you should stop grabbing bulls by their horn.”

“Pfft—” I slap a hand over my mouth but it’s too late to stop a bit of the laugh from slipping out.

Orphelia jumps out of the water with big fanfare, splashing us as she hurriedly grabs her robe and walks off. Again, when she thinks she’s too far away to be observed, the frantic energy melts away.

“Strange. I would have taken her for a bit more of a romantic,” she mutters to herself. “Lourianne Tome. What a puzzle.”

“That woman disturbs me.”

“It means you are not ignoring the obvious, honored sister. She plays the game of kings but that means nothing to the faithful.”

That I understood. Orphelia is good at playing her role but all the acting in the world can’t disguise the eerie calmness of her heartbeat or the lack of bodily responses. People’s smell can reflect their mood, from joy to anger and, the most distinctive, fear. For those who alter themselves to have a beast’s senses, it’ll take far more to fool us.

“Now that the distraction is gone…” The hand loitering between my legs finds my slit and two fingers easily push inside. My head lolls backward and she runs her tongue along my exposed jugular. “Shall we continue?”