The next morning in the forest.

It is early morning, and the last embers of the fire die down. Domic sits against a broad tree, while Cerni sleeps beside him. Corint sleeps by the fire, Corug squished between him and Uga, all wrapped in Cerni’s cloak, while she is wrapped in Domic’s. He had made do with his leather jerkin and the fire’s warmth. Cerni shifts.

“Are you awake?” Domic whispers and turns to her, gently touching her shoulder. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as they had gotten the fire going.

“Yes,” she whispers back, sitting up and facing him. Her big brown eyes are reddish from her tears.

“Are you alright?”

“I think so. I ache. Huhh," she breathes. "I take it you didn’t see that thing or any orcs during the night?”

“No, I didn’t,” he says. Corint was kind enough to take first watch for a few hours, but Domic was still tired.

“Domic. What the fuck was that? It has some fucked up claw, says nothing, but I understand what it means, says my Norword is shit and asks me a dumb question?”

“It was a spirit,” he says.

“Spirits aren’t like that - I saw enough of them in town when I was small.”

“The ones in town aren’t like the ones in the forest, or in the rest of the world.”

“No, not as fucked up? Then what are they like?”

“Well, I uh, only know what my father taught me and what I’ve heard from others, or seen myself,” he says. “A shaman or scholar would probably know more about them. They’re weird, Cerni, they follow their own laws, their own ways. They um, appear rarely, usually because you’ve taken or used something they consider theirs. When they do, you gift them something for them to absorb, or whatever, like a cut of an animal. 'For respect and goodwill,' my father said - so they don't eviscerate you."

"You could've told me that earlier," she hisses.

"I'm sorry, Cerni, I didn't think we'd run into one, like I said, they're rare. Anyways, he taught me to gift a bit anyways, even if it seemed there were no spirits around. And um, a bit of blood, so they know you, uh know you respect them. They talk with you somehow, through speaking, or visions, or other weirder ways.

"Like just making you understand what they want?"

"Yes, weird huh? And most of them seem to understand Norword to varying degrees, which is why it’s important to be fluent in it. Um, let's see, what else? Oh, their uh, bodies vary wildly too, but they all have an arrangement of colored circles.

"You mean they all aren't twenty-foot high abominations?"

"Yes, yes, the first one I saw was with my father when I was young. It was a fox yes, but it had a winter coat in summer, with blue circles where its eyes should be. The final thing I know is that 'question for a question' is usually the last part - you answer each other's questions to the best of your ability. Then you thank them, say peace to them, and that’s that – they turn back into the forest or vanish back to wherever they come from. And um, that’s it, that’s what I know about them – enough to get away from them alive.”

“Gee, thank you, Domic, for telling me…after one tried to eat me,” she says, an annoyed expression on her face. “Are there any other things I need to worry about eating me?”

“Umm, yes, too many. But I’ll have to tell you later, alright? We should wake the others and get moving again,” he says sheepishly.

“Hrmph, I suppose. But you better tell me, sooner rather than later,” she says, jabbing a finger into his ribs and standing up.

“I will, I will,” he says, standing up as well. “And Cerni?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m really glad you’re safe, truly,” he says, from his heart.

Her frown softens a bit: "Huf, I know."

…

Domic and Cerni walk in the hallway towards Captain Halle’s solar. It was a little after noon, after they had deposited Corint, Uga, and Corug into the commandery hall, to be fed and examined by one of the town’s doctors - hopefully not the old man. The three of them had told Domic and Cerni what they had seen and heard – unfortunately not much, due to their being blindfolded most of the time, and understandable ignorance of the orcish tongue. Nevertheless, Halle would want to talk to them while a messenger was sent to notify their kin in town – Herut the apothecary, Corint’s cousin and Izabel’s boss.

They come to Halle’s closed door. Domic knocks twice and enters upon hearing a gruff “Enter.”

“Ah, Domic, it’s good to see you, please sit down,” Halle says from his seat behind his paper covered desk. Domic takes the uncomfortable chair. “And, uh, Cerni? Will you be joining us?”

“Hello Father,” she says, sauntering in and beaming. She sits on the bench in the corner.

“Yes, it wasn’t that hard to guess where you were sneaking off to the other morning.”

“Who told you? One of the servants? Didn’t I bribe them enough?”

“No, you did not,” he smiles.

“Next time.”

“Hrmhmhm,” Halle chuckles. “Well then, what did you two find?” Domic and Cerni relay their adventure – their journey to the caverns, encounters with the orcs and Corint’s family, and return - to Halle, who listens intently and nods along gravely. “And you saw at least two dozen orcs there?” he asks, as they finish.

“Yes, at least that many,” Domic says.

“Hmm, indeed. Well, Torjo and I believe that this group is a scouting party of a larger group or clan. This group in the cavern must have a map to the larger group’s location, somewhere in there. And they should be destroyed regardless, before they create any more trouble. So, I’m going to have Torjo prepare a group of men, and then first thing tomorrow, I want you two to guide them to the caverns to flush out the orcs and see what you can find from a thorough search inside.”

“Of course, sir,” Domic and Cerni say in unison.

“Good. Domic, you are dismissed and free to return home. We’ll be mustering in the courtyard here at seven tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Captain,” he says as he turns to leave. Cerni mouths ‘Goodbye’ to him, as he enters into the hallway, feeling Halle’s eyes boring into his back.

…

Domic returns to an empty house, Izabel presumably still at her job. “Gods, I’m so tired…a bath would be nice,” he thinks. He drags the wooden tub across the small hall from Izabel’s to his room. They are blessed with a well behind their home, and so it only takes a few trips and minutes to fill the tub – with chilly water, but Domic is used to it. He adds a few salts that Izabel got from the apothecary, strips, and sinks into the water. He leans back, and closes his eyes.

Domic somehow finds himself in his solar at the guard commandery, sitting behind his desk. There is a knock at his door, and he turns to find Cerni smiling at him.

“You wanted to see me, Captain?” she says.

He nods and she enters, shutting the door behind her.

“Did you scout out the Sex Fiends?” he asks her.

“Yes, I did. I can’t tell you what I found, but I can show you,” she says, stripping off her tunic to reveal her naked body underneath. He is already rock hard as Cerni crawls on top of his desk, and locks her pale lips to his. “Oh Domic,” she whispers, breaking their kiss, “they fucked in so many ways – we need to try them all.”

“We shall, my love, we shall,” he whispers back, as she straddles him in his chair.

{if Izabel **** = 1}“Domic are you home?” Cerni asks in Izabel’s voice.

“Wut?” he mumbles.

“Domic! I’m so proud of you!”

“Whuh?”

“Domic I hav- oh! Domic!” His eyes snap open – Izabel is already turning away from the open doorway, her beautiful face blushing heavily. “I’m sorry, Domic, I didn’t know you were bathing,” she stammers.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” he says, reaching behind himself for a towel that is annoyingly just out of reach. Without really thinking, Domic stands up from the tub with his hard cock jutting proudly into the air. He awkwardly wraps the towel around himself before turning back to Izabel. She still stands in the doorway, hand covering her eyes, still blushing heavily.

“I’m decent,” he murmurs, and then she bounds over to him, smiling widely.

“Oh Domic! You’re a hero!” she squees, enveloping him in a tight hug. “You saved Corint and his family from those filthy orcs!”

“Oh? Oh uh yes, I did,” returning her hug. "Don't think about your cock pressed against her, don't think about it," he thinks frantically.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it,” she says, releasing him from the hug and placing a soft hand to the center of his chest. Some cozy, loving scent tingles his nose, as he stares into her shimmering eyes. His cock throbs against the towel. “Umm, once you’re done, I’m sorry,” she says again, moving away. “I’ll be in the kitchen, making you something speaaacial,” she trills, beaming at him as she quickly walks out of his room. He goes to close the door, watching her walk down their stairs and into the kitchen. Big feelings of pride, embarrassment, and exasperation bounce in his head, along with a tiny feeling which he wishes wouldn’t.

{else}There is a knock at his closed bedroom door. "Domic? Are you in there?" Izabel says.

"Muh? Yes, yes I am, I'm having a bath," he says, waking from his dream.

"Alright, come downstairs as soon as you're done! Herut told me you and Cerni saved her cousin Corint! I'll be making you something special in the kitchen to celebrate," she says.

"Sounds good - I'll be done in a bit," he says. {endif}

…

Domic, dry and dressed in a long woolen night robe, sits at the kitchen table with Izabel, finishing his cut of peppered salmon. The salmon is cheap, while the pepper - shipped from half the world away - is not. He has spent the last half an hour or so telling her all that had happened. “Thank you, Izabel,” he says appreciatively, “but you didn’t have to use so much pepper.”

“I knew you’d like it. And don’t worry, I’ve been keeping it for months for a special occasion, and I figured this was one,” she says, sipping wine, having already finished her slice.

“Well, Cerni did most of the work – you should have seen her, she cut through the orcs like they were nothing,” he says. "I can't tell her I didn't want to save Corint and his family," he thinks.

“Hmm, I’m sure, but that didn’t help her against the spirit, did it? You knew what to do there.”

“I suppose,” he sighs anxiously. “And will I know what to do tomorrow?” he thinks. He looks into his own wine cup, swirling the liquid around.

“Are you worried about tomorrow?” Izabel says, coming around the table to sit next to him. She wraps her arm around him{if Izabel **** = 1} and he disappears into the dark depths of her eyes{else}{endif}.

“I…I don’t know how to feel. In the caverns with Cerni, it was felt like I was uh, a canoe in rapids, and was being bounced against wild fear on one side and on the other, well, I felt focused, like I was just stalking another animal in the forest. I just feel dread for tomorrow, for what might happen, for what I might have to do again.”

“I know, I know how you feel,” she says, pulling him tight. “Try not to think about it, I know it’s hard. Remember when you first went into the forest with father or mother, how scared you were? I know I was. And now we do it all the time, for weeks at a time. You’re skilled and smart, you’ll be with other guards, you’ll uh, you’ll be safe,” her voice cracks a little. “And you need to do anything to stay safe,” she says, grasping his face. Her eyes have turned into maelstroms of love and fear and anger. “For me. And for yourself. Do you understand?” she gasps.

“Yes, I will, Izabel, I promise,” he says, hugging her tightly.

“I know – I love you so much, Domic.”

“I love you too, Izabel.” They release after a few moments, and he wipes the few tears from her cheeks.

“Well, um…let’s clean this up, and then I’ll tell you about my day in the living room, alright?”

“That sounds good to me,” he says.