Necun woke to her body lambasting her for being a fool. Every piece of her was sore, but her inner thighs were the worst. Beside her Nickolas twitched, drooling onto her arm as he slept. Deciding to let her bond sleep, Necun listened to the sounds of the Green echo around her. The animal life had fallen silent in the morning light, but the rustling of leaves was ever present alongside the creak of branches filled the air.
When dealing with the constant flood of information on a hunt she tended to push away all the beauty of the Green. The campsites were a wonderful treat in that regard, allowing her to bask in the wild parts of her home without fear.
A single small beam of sunlight was shining just a few inches away from where she rested, and Necun started to edge her way towards it. Halfway there Nickolas started to jostle on her arm while murmuring. Necun stopped with a sigh, and returned her gaze to her lover.
The man was sleeping as peacefully as he had on their first night, dreaming deep dreams. Her finger flicked a lock of hair away from his mouth. The golden waterfall that framed her lover's face still fascinated her. Her memory of their first meeting, if watching Nickolas from across a crowded feast room could be called a meeting, played in her head. While her bond's features were delicate and lovely, to her eyes it was his golden hair that captivated her attention from the beginning. It was a rare color among the orcs. Necun had only met one of her kin who had blonde hair, and even then it bore a far more reddish hue than Nickolas or his mother. The way the locks shimmered in the light delighted Necun to no end, and she found herself watching as tiny pins of light fell from the canopy onto her bond's head.
Eventually the peaceful moment was broken. A stray beam struck Nickolas in the eyes, causing his face to scrunch up. Moments later he sat up, rubbing his face.
"Hm? Do we have any food?" he yawned out.
"Good morning to you too." Necun chuckled back. "We will soon. I just need to catch something for us."
"Is a fire still too risky?" Nickolas asked, glancing over at her.
"Campsite is safe." Necun said. "Just keep it small, and don't burn anything still attached to a Giant."
Nickolas grumbled slightly, but stood to dress in his worn robe. Necun blushed, turning away from the scene. Rolling to her feet she searched for her armor, which had been cast aside in the excitement of the previous night. She winced slightly at the state of the gear, but she still had no way of properly repairing or cleaning the leather. Making a promise to give it all a proper clean when they met up with the caravan she slipped it on, doing up the straps and buckles to secure it to her body.
Checking her armament, she winced again at the empty sheath at her side. Losing an axe wasn't dire, but it often spelled ill for a hunt. Going back was out of the question. A snare beast's lair was best avoided even with a full pod.
That memory at least brought a smile to her face, despite the loss. Seeing Nickolas's lightning shatter the beast's confidence had been amusing at first. The amusement had turned to awe when he casually struck a dozen grasping limbs at once.
My little Mage holds some secrets. Necun mused. I've heard of War Mages doing impressive things, but that was a bit too quick compared to the stories. With that ability I shouldn't have even been able to climb the tower, aura or not. Then again, perhaps he was being gentle.
Nickolas busied himself getting the fire prepped. With a brief flick, and a shining rune, a small blaze started on the pile of sticks he had gathered. Taking that as her cue, Necun fitted her hook glove, and bound into the dense Green in search of a meal.
Once she leapt into the lower branches she strained her ears listening for signs of prey. Her aura coiled around her happily, in it's element.
Finding a critter wasn't terribly difficult. It was a strange six legged thing that made slightly too much noise as it ambled through the undergrowth. Necun fell upon it with her axe, and it died without a sound. Just as quietly she returned to her perch, and began a search for berries, or nuts to compete the breakfast.
By the time she leapt back into the campsite her bond was lounging by the fire, poking it idly with a stick. His hair was well brushed, and his robes cleaned. To Necun it felt like she had just stepped into a romantic painting, leaving her in stunned appreciation for a few moments.
"Well that looks...edible." Nickolas commented when he spotted her. "Are we roasting it or do you have a better method?"
With the spell broken Necun dropped the carcass to the side.
"I have some berries too." she said. "We'll roast it up. Some meat will fill our bellies properly at least."
"So long as you can do the cleaning." Nickolas said, nose wrinkling. "I hate the gutting. Always gets messy."
"Yes my Prince." Necun mocked in the best intimidation of a royal voice she could manage. "Will there be anything his exuberance wishes while he waits?"
"Just get me the meat." the Mage grumbled. "And hand me the berries. And your waterskin, I'll fill it."
Necun chuckled to herself as she produced her skinning knife and got to work.
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As the meat slowly roasted over the fire Nickolas popped another berry into his mouth and chewed slowly. After a proper night's sleep, a chance to clean his robe, and the smell of the mouth watering meal in front of him he finally felt human again.
With his morale improved other matters returned to the forefront of his mind.
"So where's the caravan?" He asked, swallowing the sweet fruit. "Since we're alone does that make this the sixth camp?"
"Not sure." Necun admitted. "If they show up tomorrow night we'll know. We need to rest anyway."
"How do you not know?" Nickolas asked, furrowing his brow. "Aren't they marked?"
"No, it's not that precise." Necun responded. "It wouldn't matter anyway. The camps move every couple seasons."
"What?" Nickolas gaped, looking around at the massive circle of clean stone. "How? Why?"
"No one knows." Necun said with a shrug. "For a while we tried studying them, but there are no runes, no tool marks, nothing. We can't even make them stay in one place. We tried. They move regardless. We can't even figure out how. This patch will be open ground, and roots again soon after."
"That sounds shockingly unsafe." the human said, turning the meat. "What happens if it moves while we're inside?"
"They never hurt anyone." the Hunter reassured. "One moment they're under foot, the next they're gone, and you drop into the dirt. There are always signs before that though, and they usually move in rot season."
"And beasts and critters can't get in?" Nickolas asked carefully.
"You felt that pressure when we came in?" Necun replied. "It keeps anything out but us. Magical obviously. We think some wandering clan makes them."
"So how do you know if this is the fourth, or sixth?" the human asked, reaching forward to pull up a finished skewer of meat.
"Aura markers." Necun said casually, reaching for her own skewer. "We dropped them on our way to your lands. If you can feel at least two you can...I forget the word, but you can figure out a path that will take you to the nearest campsite. The fifth is in a strange area so I knew it wasn't that one, and I aimed ahead of the caravan like I said the night before."
"Huh." Nickolas mumbled around a mouthful of meat. "That's impressive."
"It's what allows us to live." Necun admitted. "Other clans need to wander, always at risk of leaving a group behind. Never camping in the same site twice. If they're lucky enough to find one each night. It can get nasty if they camp in the open too often."
"I didn't realize there were that many orc clans around." Nickolas admitted. "Just your group, and maybe a few loose bands wandering up north. We're the only fortress that has regular contact I think."
Necun blinked at him while she chewed.
"Nickolas....what do your people know of the Green?" she asked slowly.
"It's a forest?" he half asked, feeling silly. "Except everything gets bigger the deeper you go? After about twelve days travel it gets too dangerous for an explorer, and they turn back. If they're lucky. Most turn back on the first day, and still lose half their party."
Nickolas paused for a moment and chewed slowly.
"We're not sure how you managed to live out here, even with the stories that trickle back." he said after swallowing. "I always assumed you found a shallow spot, or had a safe area like we do. A fortress to stay safe from the dangers. But we keep going deeper, and you seem far too comfortable for that. I'm starting to think you live in the Deep Green, and just...make it work somehow."
Necun took a long drink from her waterskin while listening.
"I can't believe how soft your people are." she stated, then winced at her own words. "Sorry. That sounded harsher than I meant it. I mean I can't imagine living in such a safe little spot. Nothing serious comes up that barren rock. Nothing your walls can't handle anyway. There's nothing good to eat, and the open sky feels unnatural. Yet I still can't believe how much your people just...forgot. About living in the Green I mean."
"I know we used to." Nickolas admitted. "Before we found our home. It's all...in the past. Even further back than the time of heroes. They just found the Heartlands, and cleared them out, then built the first castles. Aside from that? It's all about the dark times. Huddling around in the Deep, and hoping we weren't eaten. Not like your people. We weren't meant for this Necun."
"And yet you followed me into the Green." she responded with a twitching eyebrow.
"I was confident you would take care of me." he said with a smile, picking off another piece of meat. "You don't fight like a Knight. You don't think like a Knight. That's half the reason I came."
"Hmm." Necun savored the next bite before continuing. "To get back to my point. Your knowledge is shallow at best. The Green isn't so simple as 'it gets deeper'. There are peaks, and valleys. Tall old growth Giants. Places where Giants have fallen and new ones reach for the sky. It's shifting, always shifting."
"And there's magic here." she continued, patting the stone of the campsite. "Magic we can't quite grasp. Wonderful, and terrible, and everything in between. Beasts too. Always different, always changing. Each season brings a new challenge."
"And I don't know if you're ready for all that." the Hunter finally admitted.
"Oh." Nickolas said as he swallowed again. "Of course not."
Necun blinked at her bond in surprise.
"I'm a soft spoiled brat who knows a few tricks." the Mage continued easily. "Of course I'm not ready for the most dangerous place a human can go. I'm no fool."
"Well." he amended with a sharp smile. "I am, but not that sort. I'm not ready to be outside whatever safety you keep the other men in. Not yet."
"Give me two cycles." Nickolas said, stretching his back. "Two cycles to learn. Two cycles to prepare. Two cycles to craft. I'll be ready then. Your people have known washermen and farmer's sons Necun. Not a War Mage of the border fortresses. Not me."
Nickolas finished off his skewer. Necun blinked at him once again.
"You're serious about the hunts?" she asked carefully. "Becoming a full Hunter?"
"If you'll have me." the Mage responded, shrugging. "Worst case I start with the home guard, or whatever it's called. I'll prove myself."
Nickolas watched Necun's face carefully. His wife's dark eyes were thoughtful, which gave him hope. The fire red hair she usually kept bound was let out, framing her handsome face, and giving her a fierce appearance.
She made an oath. Nickolas reminded himself. And you'll have two cycles to change her mind if she forbids you.
"Nickolas." the Hunter eventually said. "My lovely bond. Please don't go out without me for your first few hunts."
A few moments passed as Necun stared into Nickolas's eyes while confusion bloomed in his chest.
"All right?" Nickolas half asked. "Is that all?"
"Yes?" Necun said, sounding as confused as he was.
Without a word Nickolas shuffled over to her side of the fire.
"Kiss me." he demanded.
After a confused blink his wife complied.