After securing herself up with a bunch of furs, Lilian turned to look at Anna.

“How are your boots?” She asked.

“……Fine……” She replied in a subdued voice.

Lilian couldn’t suppress a sigh that forced it’s way out of her.

“Then let us just get going. We have a bit of a walk.”

“….Okay…..”

Lilian rolled the door to the side, a cold blast of air came crashing through the cave, chilling them both.

“Jesus!” Anna cried out as the cold hit her. Waking her slightly from her sullen mood. “Why is it that I can’t have some furs on me as well?!” She asked Lilian desperately.

“Because: The ones inside my storage are for trading. Not for using as materials. That is why why we are both going out. I am going out to secure you some of your own furs for winter, then I am going to leave you near a dead sapling grove to chop us wood to burn.” Lilian explained.

“But I don’t understand, if you are going out to get me some? Why not j-just make me some now with what you have, then just go get more to replace-“

“Because! Those furs! Are for trade! Not for using as gack’tug winter wear!” Lilian groused.

“But why does it matter?-“

“Because I can only hunt so much of that type of animal’s in a years time. The predators, are a plenty at the moment. What I am trading with the Dracogusse clan is furs and leathers of the deer and elks here. I can only hunt so many of them. Before it throws things out of balance. As such, the Dracogusse clan asks for only a certain amount because of this. If I come to them with less, then they will think something is wrong with the herds, or that the predators are out of control.” Lilian explained with a huff.

“….And you want me?” Anna pointed at herself. “To take this?” Pointing at the hatchet in her hand. “And go chop down limbs and branches for firewood?”

“Yes.” Lilian confirmed.

“With only my boots that you just gave me. And my pajamas.”

“Yes.”

“But it’s fucking freezing out there!” Anna complained.

“UGH!” Lilian turned to stock towards Anna.

“No wait! I am sorry for complaining!-“ Anna shut her eyes tight, while she scrambled out an apology, hoping that Lilian didn’t hurt her to badly.

*FWAP*

Anna stood there for a second not realizing what was happening. She slowly opened her eyes as she felt something touch her shoulders.

Lilian was drapping her fur cloak over her shoulders.

“There… it is a little big on you. But it should keep you warm enough out there for the time being. Thank the gods it isn’t snowing and the wind has died down.”

Anna held the hatchet to chest tightly as Lilian preened the cloak around her shoulders into place.

You don’t play fair…

“There we go. Feeling warmer already?” Lilian ask her, noticing Anna’s red face.

“Yup! All toasty…” Anna hated the effect that just her wispy accidental touches, with the kind and thoughtful self-sacrificing actions, caused Anna to melt into a puddle for Lilian.

I hate myself.

She stared up at Lilian’s beautiful androgynous face that leaned slightly toward the feminine.

More than slightly, she was down right gorgeous! But that is my bias talking.

But Anna could tell that her beautiful face, was hidden by years of hard work and labor, with even more years of working her muscles, making her somewhat feminine face, lean slightly towards the masculine.

Mostly feminine, slight masculine… all sexy!… Anna nodded in satisfied agreement of her conclusion.

“Great! Then we’re all set.”

Crap! I missed something!

But heedless to Anna’s plight, Lilian turned to march out the door. Anna quickly followed her outside.

After stepping outside for the first time in at least a day. Anna could see where they were at.

Her cave is in the literal side of a mountain. The door in-front of her cave entrance, a large slab of wood planks that were riveted together with a metal plate along the edge of it.

Wait?- Anna stopped her thoughts as she took a better look at it.

“Is that a giant shield?!” She shouted her question in surprise.

“SSSSHHHHH!” Lilian shushed her with a hiss.

“While they might not be around, do you want to attract ogres to us?!” Lilian suggested what Anna’s actions could do.

This caused her to clamp her mouth shut with free hand.

Oh god no!

She looked around in a panic, wondering when or where one might show up.

So distracted, she didn’t even noticed that Lilian snuck up behind her.

“BOO!”

“EEEP!”

“Hahahaha!”

Anna glared at the laughing Lilian as she laughed her head off.

“That’s not funny Lilian!” She said upset.

Lilian was laughing to hard to even notice Anna’s slip.

“I am sorry! I do apologize but that was to perfect! Hahaha.”

“*HMPH* I hope you’re happy with yourself gratal!”

“Oh! I am.” Lilian told her with a crooked grin. “I never thought I would get someone else with that.”

“Someone got you with that?”

“Yes my father did when I…” Lilian shook her head. Sobering up almost instantly. “Never mind. We should get going.” Lilian switched topics so quickly, Anna feared she would get whiplash.

She decided not to push her just yet.

To soon. This is only day one of five month of forced cohabitation. Better pace my probing questions… for now at least.

Anna followed after Lilian through the hard frozen layers of snow.

After just walking just about a hundred yards, Anna was already out of breath.

Jesus! Walking through ankle shin deep snow is no joke. These boots are awesome though!

After another three dozen or more yards. They made it to a small speckling of saplings that dotted the frozen snow which were just shooting through it.

Behind was a beautiful birch forest.

Wow! They are so huge! How are birch trees so big?!

She had never seen such healthy and large birch trees.

“Wow! Amazing!”

She noticed that Lilian was smirking at her.

“What?”

Lilian shrugged.

“Nothing. Just happy to see that you are the kinda human that can appreciate nature like this.”

“*SCOFF* You would have to have a dead soul to not be able to appreciate this splendor! Look at how beautiful all this is!”

I wonder if the trees are so big because their planet, Rayala, is healthy. Anna pondered this while looking back at the trees.

Lilian was giving her a dubious expression.

“You would be surprised at how many humans would not care.”

“Fuck’em. This is nature gift to us! If they can’t appreciate it for what it is, they don’t deserve it.”

Lilian felt her heart do a little flip. As if she was scared by what Anna had just said.

But? It didn’t feel bad? It actually… makes me happy. She smiled to herself as she pulled up her scarf to hide her smile. Weird…

Lilian was pulled from her musing by a noise echoing from the forest.

*AAAAAAAHHHHHHHWWWWWOOOOOOOOoooooo*

“Umm?!” Anna stuttered with a trembling voice. “W-What the h-hell w-wa-was that?!”

Lilian smiled for an entirely different reason now.

“My prey!” She announced with a sneer.

“Your what?!”

*BOOM*

“What?!” Anna sputtered from the kicked up dust of white snow from around her.

“Cut wood around here! Don’t come into the forest!” Lilian yelled back to her as she took off into the birch forest depth. Already about fifty yards and counting ahead of where she started.

“H-HEY! WAIT! Don’t just leave me!” Anna yelled after her.

Her voice fell on deaf ears however. As she soon lost sight of the strange woman running into the forest, brandishing a blade the same size as her.

How was she able to move that fast?! And was she bouncing from tree to tree just then?! Is she a ninja?!

Anna let out a sigh of both disappointment and worry.

“Great! Out in the wilds in the mountains, alone with only a hatchet as my only defense. With possible ogres roaming about… what could possibly go wrong!” Anna yelled the last part into the forest’s depths, receiving no answer.

Wonderful.

So she turned to the task at hand. She moved to the dead saplings to start chopping them down.

It was about two hours later when she started to get really sweaty, tired, hungry,  that she noticed that she had quite a load of wood.

“I guess I know my way back… but how am I suppose to move that giant’s shield?!” Anna let out a sigh at her predicament. “I guess I will just go back and wait at the front do-“

*AAAAAAAUUUUUHHHHHOOOOOO*

Anna froze in place at the howling.

Umm… that sounds a lot closer.

She looked around saw nothing at first.

I should just-

Then, just as she thought about leaving, three wolfs came out from behind a tree, their gazes fixated on her.

Oh goddamn it! I should have started running sooner! Or at the least, left sooner.

She didn’t take her eyes off the wolves as they approached her.

Slowly padding their way through the deep snow.

They started to separate, taking her from three angles.

What do I do?! I will never be able to out run them… I… I don’t think I could kill more than one before they got to me… am I dead?

“LILIAN! HELP!” Was Anna’s only desperate play to make. With no where to run, and no possibility to escape.

A wolf lunged at her from her right as soon as she was done yelling. Time seemed to slow down at that point, which gave her just enough time to react, she leaned back into its lunge. She brought the hatchet down with both of her hands.

*SLICK* *THUNK*

*AAUUUOOOrreeee-*

The wolf cried as the hatchet buried itself into the skull of the wolf.

I did it! She cheered mentally.

But then her eyes went wide as she saw another wolf lunge towards her. This wolf was already basically on top of her, and with her weapon embedded into the skull of another, there was nothing she could do.

The wolf pushed her down into the snow, as it latched on, biting onto her shoulder.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!”

*GGRRRRRR GRRRRR* It shook its head as it bit down onto her shoulder over the thick cloak.

*YYYYEIIIIEEEEEPPPP*

Anna suddenly felt the weight of the wolf give way as if it was being lifted off of her.

She turned around just in time to have a splatter of blood hit her cheek from the impaled wolf. It was whimpering and kicking its legs desperately trying to escape the blade that was stuck to while its body was lifted into the air.

“Bad dog.” Lilian told it angrily.

She quickly swung her blade, which sent wolf launching from the blade towards a tree,

*SPLACK*

where it smack into it with a splattering sound while also being bent in half. Dying instantly.

Lilian glared at the final wolf.

Which just whimpered at the sight of her and gave a very pathetic bark of fear.

She grunted at it. Which made the wolf turn and run with its tail between its legs, running back into the woods.

Lilian put her sword back on to back before going down to check on Anna.

“Gack’tug?! Are you alright?!”

“No! I was just mauled by a wolf! *HISS* how do you think I feel?!” Anna groaned in pain.

Lilian rolled her eyes.

If she can grouse as such, then she is just in pain.

“Let me check your wound.”

She gently as she could, flipped Anna over to take off the cloak. She then unbuttoned her pajama shirt.

She winced as she saw the damage.

Oohh… that is going to be annoying her for a bit. Lilian thought.

“Turn over onto your side a bit.” Lilian instructed. She then got a look at the back of her shoulder as well.

Worse back here. But not nearly as bad as I feared. These wolfs were loners of the pack, malnourished. Its bite didn’t even penetrate the cloak… but she will be feeling the bruises for days.

“Thankfully. You are fine.” Lilian told her with a breath of relief.

“Doesn’t feel fine!” Anna groused in pain of the wolf bite. “Am I *HIC* going to lose my arm?! *HIC*” Anna asked worried.

This only prompted a laugh from Lilian, which was received with a glare from Anna.

“Hahaha! No! You will be bruised and battered for a couple days. But everything is going to be fi-“

Without warning. Lilian scooped up Anna, who groaned in protest at the sudden rough treatment. Then pulled the two of them behind a bush.

“AAAAGGHHHH! Why did you?!- UHMHMMHM?!”

“Ssshhh!….” Lilian hushed her with a hand over Anna’s mouth, and a finger pressed to her own lips. “Be quiet….”

Anna was about to protest and say something until she heard it. Or more correctly. She felt it.

*THUD*

Anna’s eyes went wide.

*THUD*

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

*THUD*

All she wanted to do was scream. But couldn’t because of the hand covering her mouth.

“Unless you want to die. Keep quiet.” Lilian told her

*THUD*

A grossly obese fat person, looking like a large one eyed, bald headed person, came stomping into view.

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

“WALFIES!” It spoke loudly in jubilation.

*THUD*

*THUD*

Anna watched as it picked up the profusely bleed wolf that Lilian had killed with just its thumb and finger. It brought the carcass up towards it face, as it greedily licked its lips.

It tilted its head back opening its wide gaping mouth. Its stone colored like teeth which were jagged and misshapen, sporadically lined its mouth. The sight terrified Anna to the point of panic.

The large odious creature held the wolf up above its hung open face. Heedless of the blood and visceral the spilled from, which plopped and spilled all over its chest, neck, jaw and mouth.

“AAAAAHHHH!” The ogre moaned as it let go of the wolf, let it fall into its gob.

*CRUNCH*

*SPLATTER*

*CRUSH*

*CRACK*

*SQUISH*

Anna struggled to back up against Lilian chest as she watched in horror at the wolf body, that had just been mauling on her, be turning to and reduced to nothing but blood and fleshy paste.

I think I am going to be sick.

*HRK*

“If you want to die. Then by all means, vomit.” Lilian whispered angrily into her ear. “But if you want to live. You will hold still. And. Be. QUIET!” Lilian whispered with such forceful command that Anna had no choice but to obey.

She swallowed back her bile. Her was breathing still wild with fear, her body still trembling, but she wasn’t trying to escape out of Lilian grasp anymore.

It’s okay! Lilian is here… Lilian is safety… Lilian will protect me. Like she always does. She thought to herself to try and calm down.

“What a glorious day it is…” Lilian whispered to her from behind.

What?

She tried to turned around to look at her. But Lilian held her firmly in place.

“It is a good day to die…”

WHAT?!

“HUHOOOOHH! MORE WALFIES!” The ogre cheered with glee.

With him distracted by the wolf Anna killed. Lilian stood up, leaving Anna sitting on the ground behind a bush.

“Lili-“

“Shh.” Was all Lilian said.

She slowly reached back to unsheathe her long crescent-waning blade.

Lilian looked down at Anna.

“Watch, and you will learn, why I fear nothing on this mountain.”

Anna blinked at her. And in the span of that blink, Lilian was already off running towards the ogre.

She watched as Lilian moved across the snow with ease, making her way towards the thirty foot ogre. It had just picked up the wolf Anna had kill. Her Hatchet still lodged in its head.

Lilian was not ten yards away from the ogre.

“RRRRAAAAAGGGGHHHH!” Lilian roared as she swung her blade. It cutting clean through the large fatty leg of the ogre.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAGGHGGGGGHHH!” It screamed in pain.

The beast fell forward, slamming into the snow, scattering crushed and broken saplings everywhere.

The ogre look back behind itself, fear etched into its face.

“NOOO! PEAS! DEMON OF THE MOUNTAIN! P-PEAS! DON’T KEEL ME!”

The large ogre tried it best to plead and crawl away desperately from Lilian. Not even trying to bother to attack her.

“PEAS! NO KEEL ME! ME SWEAR! ME LEAVE! SO PEAS! DON’T KEE— AUGGH-KAK!”

With one swift swing of her blade from a jump off of the ogres back. Lilian easily decapitated the beasts head.

Lilian, covered in blood. Looked towards the sky with her arms curled like she was flexing barbells. She leaned back and gave a mighty shout.

*AAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU*

Her howl, sounded very much more bestial and primal than even the wolves that had attacked Anna earlier.

She watched at the young woman in-front of her, drenched in blood, gave her battle cry of victory, at a successful hunt.

Her blood curdling cry echoing for miles.