Chương 45: Observing Squirt

Squirt took back everything she'd ever thought about how overbearing anyone else had been. Cirn was worse than them all. The moment Squirt left his lordship's office the next day, she'd stuck to Squirt's side like glue, radiating murderous intent at anyone who so much as gave Squirt a cursory glance.

Even once they got to the forest in the gray of early dawn to set up the ritual stones, she didn't do as the other hunters did when they acted as her protection detail and give her space, instead sticking right to Squirt's side. At least she was hiding her aura and being somewhat sneaky, but she never let Squirt go more than ten feet from her. By the time the last stone was in place for the waiting Lord Everwinter and Lord Prince Ranin to engage, Squirt was just about ready to shank the woman.

Instead, like the coward she was, she stuck to Lord Everwinter's side as the only time the woman gave her any distance and glared at her, frustrated to find the woman as immune as Tobias to her glares. Life was so unfair. At least she had a book. After they had finished all of the enchanting work yesterday, Lord Everwinter had handed her a pack and told her to put as many of the books as she wanted in it.

The pack was small, sliding over one shoulder like her quiver, but the enchantment on it was at least ten times the size of her little pouch. Her job done until the Guard came in, she curled up, pulled out a book, and blatantly ignored the woman. The rest of the hunters trickled in as they finished their morning rounds, and Squirt mostly gave them brief nods of greeting before returning to her book. Until Ala'ole, that is.

The water fata practically threw herself down in the deepest kneel she possibly could as she intoned, "I beg of you—take me with you, Huntress." There was the distinctive sharp noise of a sword being drawn as Cirn stepped between her and the woman, and Squirt paled as she scrambled to her feet. Lord Prince Ranin's voice said in an almost bored tone, "Stand down, Cirn." She lowered her sword but did not put it away.

Ala'ole kept her eyes down as she continued quickly, "I have offered you my Family, and separated I cannot protect you unless you accept—" Lord Everwinter cut in.

"She will not accept your crest. Stand down, Ala'ole." The woman pressed her forehead into the dirt, and to Squirt's utter mortification, she could hear the Guard as they got close, crashing through the bramble loudly as they were. She hissed out, "Get the fuck up, Ala'ole, now." The woman obeyed, her expression that of a kicked puppy. Squirt glanced towards the direction of the crashing, gritting her teeth before hissing out, "Don't make a damn scene—" Her yellow eyes flashed.

"They need to know that you have been offered—""So they can know that I haven't accepted? Gods damn it all, you're going to get me killed —" She faltered.

"But… it's an honor to be offered…" Squirt carefully returned the book to her pouch as she angrily hissed out, "Gods damn titled fey—if I accept, I'm a trumped up chit for doing so, if I don't I'm a trumped up chit for thinking I'm too good for it. Just… look, I've got a lot going on and you're the best hunter left at component collection. I need you here." Her eyes flickered to crashing noises, noting the glinting of silver armor from the Knights before she returned to glare at the now shrinking water fata.

"Stay and back up Tobias for me." She teetered but then dropped her eyes and nodded.

"… very well. When you return, I ask that you meet with the head of Valof for consideration of the offer." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Squirt wanted to argue, but the Guard were too close, so she hissed out, "Fine!" as she readjusted the pack on her back.

"Just… no more of that." Genuine relief passed over Ala'ole's face as she bowed formally, making Squirt blanch.

"Thank you, huntress."

"Company, halt!" Squirt took a few steps forward, noting Cirn keeping pace close enough to be uncomfortable. She glared at the woman, hissing out, "Back off." Cirn's visible eyes narrowed and Squirt almost dropped herself out of habit. Then glared at the ground, furious she almost had, turned, and began directing the action. Lord Prince Ranin called Cirn over, and she wordlessly moved to stand at his side, thank the gods.

The instructors started explaining the situation and procedure, a couple of the veteran teams already making their way into the treebed and bringing out the first feybeasts. From the gobsmacked looks on some of the recruits' faces, they had never seen one before.

"New recruits! You will join the hunters for this first hour to learn about the beasts and try your hands at collection. That should give you an appreciation for the work they are doing." Squirt caught at least two of the recruits rolling their eyes. The first beasts were brought out, and Tobias pulled out a skinning knife with a smile at the recruits.

"Gather 'round, gather 'round. Now, who knows what kind of beast this is?" He gave an impromptu lecture on the chameleon leopard, explaining the incisions that would be made before he demonstrated. One of the recruits called out patronizingly, "I thought the greenling would be teaching us." She didn't imagine the way Qzi palmed a blade, did she? Tobias's smile turned ruthless.

"Excellent. A volunteer." Squirt rolled her eyes and left the trainees to Tobias. This was part of the master plan—have Tobias take over the teaching for now, make the new recruits attempt and fail for an hour or two, then have Squirt take over. All according to his lordship's orders. She had wanted to spend the intervening time studying the treebed while the soldiers worked, but Lord Everwinter had politely asked her not to, citing that the soldiers were still on edge.

Over what, she blatantly did not acknowledge in any way, shape, or form. Nope. Not going there. It irritated her far too much. At least that is what Squirt continued to stubbornly tell herself instead of admitting the truth—that it was strangely heartwarming in a way she didn't know what to do with. Squirt scowled and stood in Lord Everwinter's shadow, watching as the recruits were then paired with all the available hunters and butchered every feybeast they were allowed to try.

Lord Prince Ranin said, "Those furs you sent as Everwinter's tithe are incredible, by the way. I have an entire battalion equipping them. Just last week, a group of them managed to sneak right up to a bandit camp in the mountains. The Generals are singing your praises."

"You mean Athereon's praises."

"Hm." Lord Prince Ranin glanced over his shoulder down at the scowling pixie.

"About that… what should I call you, huntress?" Off-put by the odd question and suspicious, she muttered, "Normally I go by Squirt." The lord's eyes flickered contemplatively to Lord Everwinter before his lips pursed.

"And your actual name?" Squirt shifted a little closer to Lord Everwinter as she muttered under her breath, "None of your damn business," too quietly for anyone other than the two lords to hear.

"Hm." Shrinking in on herself, she muttered, "Just use Athereon if Squirt bothers you."

"Ah, yeah, about that…" he turned to Lord Everwinter.

"It'd be best if we didn't call her Athereon outside of your territory. It's caused a bit of a scandal." Lord Everwinter stiffened as Squirt's voice turned dangerous." What has caused a scandal?"

"The patents, of course." Squirt slowly lifted her eyes to the confused but curious teal of Lord Prince Ranin, then to the tense shoulders of Lord Everwinter. Without another word, she turned on her heel, stalking off to start stabbing the creatures she was allowed to stab.

Once she was out of earshot, Lord Everwinter muttered, "That was… one of my mistakes. It was how the lady scholar found her, and…" Lord Prince Ranin returned his eyes to surveying the troops.

"Let me guess, you never told her you secured the patents."

"I… had planned on telling her in a while, just not yet."

"Mistake after mistake, hm?" Lord Everwinter sighed.

"Yes." Ranin suppressed his smirk, filing away this as yet another tidbit his mate would eat up with glee. After another moment, Bartos said under his breath, "Normally I'd expect so many slips of the tongue from Brock." Ranin gave him a sidelong glance.

"Normally I'd expect you to tell me what is to be kept from whom." He grunted.

"It's… been busy."

"More traitors?"

"And more positions to fill."

"Hm. At least with the tithe you've paid in furs, you will be well set financially."

"Coin will not fill a stomach."

"No, but it will buy what will."

"Not if there is not enough."

"Let me worry about that." His eyes widened as he watched the tiny pixie skinning a massive chameleon leopard all by herself.

"Impressive."

"Hm."

"Well, this explains the redcap."

"Hm."

"… just let me know if you want any advice. I can always ask Annabelle, too." Bartos gave his friend an odd look, then inclined his head in appreciation even if his brows were furrowed in mild confusion.

"Noted." Their attentions drifted in vastly different directions as the conversation died, Bartos considering the future needs of his people, and Ranin internally gleefully planning his outfit to Bartos's future mating ceremony. Thus, when things went wrong, both men were caught off guard.