Shadow Walker (Complete)

Chapter one

I stared at the manor house of the cruel noble intently. I had been watching it every night for the last week. Soon it would be midnight and I had decided to move by then. Silently I moved to the edge of the roof and swung over to carefully make my way down the side of the building.

Keeping to the shadows I crossed to the outer wall of the manor where I paused to listen. Silently I climbed the wall and pulled my body up to lay flat on top. It was only a moment later that the sentry walked around the corner and slowly made his way past me.

As soon as he rounded the far corner I slid off the top of the wall and quietly climbed down to crouch behind a large bush. Staying in the shadows, I crossed to the manor itself. Moving along the building to the grate I knew I would find, I knelt and pried it open. Dropping flat onto the ground I crawled into the empty space, feet first.

Once I was in, I reached up and pulled the grate closed. Moving backwards I came to the open space I was expecting. Slowly I stood and turned in the tight space until I faced the back wall. Reaching up just over my head I found the lip of the air shaft and pulled myself up and in.

Crawling forward until I came to a tee junction I paused. I knew the left turn went to the back of the fireplace in the hall of the manor, but that was not my goal. Turning right, I crawled until I came to a wall. I rolled onto my back and sat up. I looked up into the inky blackness and turned sideways.

Placing my back against the wall, I squatted and slid my feet to the far wall. Keeping the pressure, I slowly made my way up the shaft. At the next opening I paused to get my breath and then moved into the crawl space. From here I had to be more careful. Slowly, I inched the five feet to the grate I was expecting.

Staying back from the opening, I watched the hallway beyond and waited. I timed the guard as he made his rounds of the hall beyond. When I had the timing down, I waited for the guard to round the far corner of the hall. Moving to the grate, I used a small flask to oil the hinge pin and then opened it and slid out. Quietly I closed it and turned to the first room on the left.

It only took a moment to pick the simple lock and silently open the door. Slipping into the room I paused, it was dark, but some of the light leaked into the room from the hall. The only thing in the room was a few crates and a pile of rags. Quietly I closed the door until only a crack remained. It was a few minutes before the guard again made his rounds. As he rounded the far corner, I opened the door and made my way down the hall to the door I had been looking for.

It had a large lock on a hasp and it was as simple for me to open as the door had been. A few seconds later I was opening the door and stepping into the room. Looking around I made a quick survey of the contents. There were several stands of armor along the back wall and half dozen medium sized chests to my right.

Moving to the chests I opened them to see the contents of each. This varied from copper pennies to half pennies, the last two chests held silver and gold. The last chest was the smallest which made sense, because the gold coins were the most valuable.

Picking it up, I looked around and moved back to the door. In the hall I set the chest down, closed the door and relocked it. Picking up the chest I moved back into the first room and set the chest down again. Listening at the door again I waited for the guard to return.

When the guard returned this time, there was another guard with him and they moved slower. When they turned the corner, I opened the door and moved back to the treasure room. Opening the lock quickly, I crossed to the stands of armor, (all were plate armor except one and that was the one I choose). Removing it from the stand, I rolled it up and put it in my knapsack.

Looking back at the stand I saw two swords there. One was a long sword and the other was a short sword. I shrugged and grabbed both and put them under my belt sash before moving back to the chest. Setting the knapsack down, I started scooping the silver coins into it on top of the chain mail.

When it was almost full I stopped, (there was not that much left in the chest). Closing the knapsack, I slung the heavy bag over my shoulder and left the room. Turning, I locked the door before retreating back to the storage room. As I was closing the door I heard the guard returning. Listening, I waited for the guard to leave.

I set the knapsack down and stuffed rags into the top. Putting the knapsack back on, I picked the small chest of gold coins up and left the room. Closing the door behind me, I crossed to the grate and opened it. I slid into the opening feet first, pulling the chest and knapsack in behind me. Once I was all the way in, I made sure the grate was closed.

My way out was a lot slower. At the grate into the yard I waited for the guard and then slipped out, closing the grate behind me. Staying in the shadows, I crossed to the wall. Setting the chest down, I unwrapped the cord from around my waist. After securing the chest, I climbed the wall and pulled the chest up to the top of the wall.

I lowered the chest down the outside of the wall and released the cord. Quickly I climbed down the wall and untied the cord before wrapping it back around my waist. Silently I slipped back into the city, just another shadow in the night. I made my way towards the southern quarter.

I reached an old inn that had burned down and slipped into the courtyard. I quietly made my way up through the rubble strewn steps that had once led to a second floor. At the top I put my back to the wall and inched my way along a narrow ledge. When I reached the large hole, I carefully stepped back and into the room. The wall looked solid, but when I lifted what looked like a solid beam there was a click. Pushing on the center of the wall, it easily moved back several feet before stopping.

Home; the room was large. It had once been part of the inn. There was a large bed, (left over from the days when the inn still stood) a table with two chairs and two cedar chests. There was another doorway that I made my way to. Opening it, I stepped in and set the small chest down; it had grown heavier with every step of the way.

With this score I knew I would not have to work for a long while. I swung the knapsack off and moved to another chest. Taking the rags out; I poured the silver coins into the small chest. I took the chain mail out and shook a few loose coins into the chest. I moved across the room and placed the mail on a stand.

Looking around there were two other sets there as well as several swords of different types. I placed the two new swords to the side. There was a pike and some staffs as well as several bows on the wall. I stretched and left the room, it had been a long night.

I pushed the wall closed and pulled down on the locking latch. I moved to one of the chests and stripped out of the dark clothing. Folding them up, I placed them in the chest and took out soft, grey colored clothing. After dressing again, I lay back on the bed and rested; falling asleep even before I expected.

I woke to the sounds of a busy street and lay staring up at the ceiling. It was time for me to move on again. This time I was thinking the coast would be nice, maybe south to White cliff or even Dune Harbor.

I rolled out of bed, first I had a debt to pay and a scroll to collect and maybe a treasure. I walked into the other room and opened the chest of gold and started counting. When I was done, I put the pile of coins in a bag and grabbed an Ironwood staff just in case. I wrapped an old shirt around the bag and left. On the street I waited in the shadows until I was sure no one was watching.

I stepped out and walked back towards the center of the city. I slipped into the shadows of an alley behind a large stone building. I tapped on a door twice and waited. A minute later I tapped once and it swung open. I scanned the room and tensed, three men stood in the room, only one I knew. He sat back down as I stepped in and closed the door. He looked at me, “Well?”

I looked at the others and back at him, “The scroll?”

He picked something up and waved it at me. I watched as the two men tensed, “Open it and show me.”

He cleared his throat, “Show me the gold.”

I looked at him and then dropped the bag. They could all hear the coins as the bag hit. “Open the scroll.”

The man by the door laughed as he pulled a long dagger, “This was just too easy.”

I smiled, watching the man with the scroll, “You really do not want to do this.”

He shrugged, “Live and learn kid.”

As the man with the dagger stepped closer my staff struck out slamming into the side of his head. He flew back against the wall and slid down it dead, his skull crushed. “I already have. Now give me the scroll or I will kill you.”

The other man leapt at me, a long piece of wood swinging from his hand. I sidestepped and blocked. Bringing the other end of the staff down in another sickening crunch and he dropped to the floor. I looked at the thieves merchant, “The scroll.”

He licked his lips and tossed the scroll, “We still have a deal, right?”

I opened the scroll and scanned it before putting it away in my shirt. I looked at the merchant and picked up the bag of gold, “You should have kept to our bargain.”

I opened the door and left, the door swinging loosely behind me. I walked into the marketplace and crossed to a small corral with three horses. I looked at the merchant, “Feed or scrub.”

He blinked and stood up, “Scrub.”

I opened the bag and took out a dozen coins. I set them on the corral post one at a time. When I finished, he looked up from the coins. I took out four more and held my hand out, “You can not remember me and need to go back to your cottage.”

I dropped the coins into his hand. He grinned, “What horses?”

I smiled as I led the horses out and across to another merchant. An hour later I was tying them up in the inn’s courtyard, thirty minutes after that I was leading them out the South gate. I stopped an hour before dark. I unsaddled the horses and tethered them. Starting a small fire, I sat back while dinner cooked.

I pulled the scroll out and opened it. I followed the marked trails on the map until I found the symbol I was looking for. A Carvanesse over a week’s travel from here, the Carvanesse were a kind of way station for merchants hundreds of years ago. The one I had been looking for had been reported as having caved in more than a thousand years ago. I knew something others did not though. All Carvanesses were enspelled to resist things like cave ins, but this one had been enspelled by a dwarven archmage.

I put the scroll away and finished dinner. In the morning, I again saddled the horses and started walking. It took me nine days to reach the area I sought and another two days to find the rockslide that hid the entrance. I set up a hidden camp not far from the entrance and put the horses on long picket lines.

I spent the afternoon setting snares and relaxing. Early in the morning I was up and working on the slide, moving rocks to the side. It was back breaking work that lasted four days. The hard part was having the patients to wait after the entrance was uncovered and opening it further so that I could just walk in.

The morning of the fifth day I slept until the sun was up. I picked up the small, dark lantern and walked to the entrance. Inside the opening, I stopped to glance around, there were skeletons littering the floor. That was the first thing I needed to check. Moving into the Carvanesse, I started checking bodies for weapons and money or jewelry.

When I was finally done, I moved to the enclosed animal park. I stopped at the entrance and looked at the scattered remains. There were no packs or anything that could be salvaged. I shook my head and moved to the next one, it should have been for special animals like Battle trained horses.

I stopped before going through the dark doorway. I could feel something not right ahead of me and opened the lantern wider. Not two feet in front of me a dark haze appeared that seemed to stretch across the entrance to the private stalls. I followed it from wall to wall without touching it.

I knew it was some type of spell. I did not know what would happen if I tried to pass through, so I decided to leave it for now. I turned and looked across the cavern and decided to try the common areas for the merchants and their guards. In the doorway to the common area, I stood and looked around, the dark lantern opened as wide as it would go.

Bodies and debris were scattered thick across the floor as if a great battle had been fought here. My search of the bodies and debris was rewarded when I found five bodies. As soon as I saw them I knew I had been right about the cave in. The bodies were Kittling. In ancient times they were hired at very high prices to guard or protect.

Their scale armor was in perfect shape as if time did not effect it. Each set of armor was a solid black with an engraved crest across the scales. When I picked up and checked the weapons scattered across the floor, I found most worthless except the ones for the five Kittlings. Each of those weapons had a crest below the hilts to match the armor.

I sat back on my heels to think. I could sell these for a small fortune but it did not feel right. Kittlings valued and passed their armor and weapons on from generation to generation. The small Kittling Empire was over a month away and on top of that it was supposed to be closed to outsiders. I sighed whispering to myself and maybe to the five dead Kittlings, “I will take them home.”

There seemed to be a lightening of the darkness around me with those words. I moved forward and carefully removed the armor and a set at a time took it out to my camp. When I returned after the last set, I started checking the private quarters. The first couple of dozen, I was rewarded with personal jewelry and stashes of gold coins.

When I finished and moved to the private quarters of the merchants themselves, I was surprised. Inside the first room, I found a young man sitting cross legged with a mage staff standing next to him. It did not look like he was dead but he was not moving either. I moved closer and sat looking at him. The more I looked, the more I saw. First the man’s body was faintly opaque. Second, there was a sense of waiting about him. Third, even though he looked it, he was not just a man.

I sighed and turned my attention to the staff. My eyes would lose focus if I looked at the head of it. It also felt as if it were glowing but in a color I could not see. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what my father had taught me. Finally I cleared my thoughts and only pictured the man in front of me, “Mage!”

There was a stirring and the image in my mind seemed to open its eyes. He smiled slowly, “So, it is finally time.”

The image vanished and I heard a stir in front of me. I opened my eyes to see the mage looking back at me. He smiled, “It has been a long time and finally my wait is over. The treasure you seek is here youngling, but so is another fate. Once your family stood above all, but they turned their backs on friends when they had need. I offer you the chance to regain that honor.”

I smiled, “I am a thief. What do I know of honor?”

He looked into my eyes, “Than why return the armor to those lost?”

I looked away, “The dead deserve peace.”

When he still did not say anything I sighed and nodded. The mage stood, “Come youngling, I have someone for you to meet.”

I stood and followed him, surprised to find the Carvanesse full of light. I stopped to look at the bright mage lights along the walls. The mage stopped and looked at me amused, “You can take those with you when you leave.”

I looked at him and I stepped closer to look at one, “We no longer have these. They were just in stories told about ancient times.”

The Mage stepped next to me and lifted the small lantern from the wall and handed it to me. “To turn it on or off, touch the small silver engraving. Set it in the sun to charge.”

He turned and started to the next opening. After only a moment I followed and stopped next to him as he stood looking into the doorway. The doorway had another of those dark hazes across it. He looked at me, “She is beautiful isn’t she.”

I looked at the haze and back at him, “Who?”

He laughed as he turned back to the door, “My apologizes, I forgot you could not see through the veil.”

I heard him murmuring and felt something tingling in my bones. The mage glanced at me, “A resonances? Interesting.”

I was not listening to him though, the haze was gone and a young Kittling woman stood in the room. I could not take my eyes off her. She had grey fur with black stripes on her head. I had a feeling I knew her and yet I did not. I could feel my heartbeat quicken and a pulling in the center of my chest. Finally I tore my eyes away, but the pulling was still with me. I looked at the mage, “What did you do to me?”

The mage blinked and looked at me and then glanced back into the room. The Kittling woman had not moved. He looked back at me, “I have not done anything. What does it feel like?”

It was a struggle to keep my eyes from looking back at the Kittling. “I… like something is pulling at my chest. My heart is racing and I am having to fight to keep from looking back into the room at the Kittling.”

The mage looked at me closer, his eyes narrowing. Finally he straightened and smiled gently, “I am sorry youngling. I did not know you had Kittling blood. I was going to ask you to… return Talia, but it appears fate has something else in mind for her and you. What you feel is the first part of Kittling bonding.”

I looked back into the face of the Kittling, “But I am…”

The mage laid his hand on my shoulder, “You have Kittling blood. Mages created Kittlings, but we have never been able to control or fully understand their bonding.”

He removed his hand and walked into the room and stopped next to the Kittling. I heard and felt his murmur and then the Kittling blinked and started to turn her head to the mage but stopped. She was looking right at me, “Who?”

The mage put his hand on her shoulder, “I did not know Talia. It has been a long long time. He has Kittling blood, so he is descended from your kind.”

I watched as she sighed, still looking at me, “At least father is no longer here to tell me that it is what I deserve.”

The mage grinned and looked back at me, “Your name youngling?”

I stirred and slowly walked towards them, “Edward Shadow Walker.”

The mage smiled, but the Kittling gasped and tore her eyes away. She looked at the mage, “Shadow Walker!”

The mage nodded, “So it would seem.”

The Kittling looked back at me as I stopped in front of her. Slowly she moved as if forcing each step. As she circled me, I could smell her light scent. Finally she was back in front of me. She sighed and nodded as if to herself. “I am Talia Quick Strike of the clan Osia. Heir to my father’s throne or I was.”

I wanted to reach out and touch her but I held myself still. “I do not know much about your people. They are far away and have closed their borders to all outsiders. What is this I feel, this bond the mage said I have?”

I watched as her green slit eyes narrowed and she turned slowly to the mage. He shrugged and she turned back to me. She raised her hand to cup the side of my face. The shock that went through my body was like nothing I had ever felt. I knew my body temperature had gone up as if I had a fever.

My vision seemed to change slightly and sharpen. I knew my hearing had also changed and then there was the smell, the sweet musky woman smell. Mostly, I had become excited as if I were with a woman and… I shook my head and stepped back. My legs were weak and I slowly sank to the floor.

I watched as she slowly knelt in front of me, “Edward? You are going into bond shock. Soon you will not be able to control your body’s actions. For you, this is a very deep bonding. You may go into a male rut. Focus on my face and concentrate as hard as you can. I need you to wait until I am ready.”

She stood and looked at the mage as she was stripping off clothing and armor, “Leave mage. You can not be here. Thank you for saving me.”

It felt like my body was vibrating as I smelled the light scented musk coming from Talia. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the mage bow and leave. The fur on Talia’s body was as stripped as her pretty head with a long black tail that swung softy back and forth at her ankles.

As she turned and started pulling bedding out of a pack I had not even seen, I heard myself growl. Talia glanced at me and then tried to go faster. When she had finally rolled the bedding onto the pallet at the side of the room, she looked back at me. “Edward, come here.”

Before I knew it I was moving. Talia’s eyes widened almost in fright, “Edward, stop!”

I stopped moving, fighting my own body. This was not like me, I wanted Talia bad. I had never been with a woman and would never have even thought of… Talia sighed deeply and moved back on to the bed, “Edward, I have not been with a male. I doubt if you can even talk right now, but please try to…”

I moved before she finished talking. My arms went around her as I held her against me. It took several tries before I was able to growl, “Talia, take my clothes off and when I lay down, tie me to the bed. Do not let me do this.”

Slowly, fighting myself, I released her and got off the bed. Talia looked at me only a moment and then moved. Quickly my clothes fell to the floor as she almost ripped them from me. When she was done, I moved jerkily onto the bed and laid back. Talia had disappeared and was back in seconds with a light rope. I watched as she first tied my wrists and then a little slower, my ankles.

When she was done, she climbed onto my shaking body and looked into my face. “Edward, we have to do this. If you do not get this release it will get worse. It will break your mind and then kill you.”

I swallowed and nodded as my vision faded.

Chapter two

I woke to darkness and the pleasant weight on my chest of a woman. My sense of smell was sharper and I could smell the pleasant reek of our bodies. I cleared my mind; the pulling in my chest was gone. In its place was something else though, some how I knew it was a connection to Talia, “Talia?”

She stirred on my chest and a moment later a mage lantern beside us flared to life. Her tired, sleepy face came into my vision, “Edward, how do you feel?”

I smiled as I breathed in the beauty of her face, “Tired, sore, hungry.”

She laughed and lightly shook me, “You scared the hell out of me. I did not think anyone could keep control that long. When it finally took you, you passed out. I had to… finish for you, but your body kept demanding more. I was afraid the madness had taken you.”

I smiled back at her, “How long?”

She seemed to think about it, “A day and night.”

My wrists strained against the rope, “Am I safe.”

She nodded and moved off me. A moment later I was free and sat up. I looked at Talia as she stood in front of me with her head down. I held out my hand and she took it. I pulled her to the bed and she sat down beside me, “Now that I am sane, tell me what this bond is and what happened to me.”

She laughed, “It is a little late but… What the bond is, is a connection between us, between our souls. You feel the bond much stronger than I do. Sometimes if the male has a strong enough sense of smell and the female is… in season, he will go into shock as his body changes. Sometimes that change is enough of a shock to push him into what is called a male rut, like an animal. It usually only lasts a couple of hours though.”

I looked at her, “but I was out for a day and night.”

She leaned against me laughing, “I guess you really wanted to get me pregnant.”

I put my arm around her and lightly caressed her, “Than this bond means we are mates?”

She looked up into my face and laughed, “No, for that you have to beat me in a mating challenge.”

I continued caressing her, somehow I knew she was enjoying it, “And what is a mating challenge?”

She smiled, “plotting already? A mating challenge is a duel. With one such as I, it means with swords.”

I leaned against her and kissed her before leaning back, “One such as you?”

Her eyes glittered, “a Battle Maid.”

I laughed and gently pushed her to her feet, “Put your armor back on, you will need it.”

She laughed as she stepped away from me, “I may be young, but I have already had seven challenges.”

I grinned at her as I started dressing, “boasting before a fight is not good luck.”

She only laughed as we both dressed. I helped her carry her packs out of the Carvanesse and to my camp. I checked the horses and found that they had been moved. When I turned back to the camp the mage was in front of me, “I will be leaving; I wanted to make sure you survived. I removed the mage shield and the holding spells on the horses in the Carvanesse. The treasure you sought is in the first merchant goods room. (He glanced at the camp) Use your bond for the challenge.”

With that he just seemed to fade away. I walked back to the camp and to my packs. After opening a pack, I pulled two short swords out and looked at Talia. “Well my future mate, are you ready?”

Talia laughed as she pulled the slim crescent blade from over her shoulder. “Of course my bond slave.”

I laughed as I backed out into the clearing. I watched as she followed moving easily. I felt the bond between us and smiled, the mage was right. I shifted so that Talia would have me on her off side and waited.

I felt the bond twitch before she even moved and stepped to the side, the sword in my right hand moving to block even as I suddenly shifted even more. Her sword met mine and my left sword flash as it circled my hand and then come down on top of her sword and I turned and stepped. My right hand sword spun as she jerked to step back.

My right sword stopped against her throat. Talia froze in shock, I lowered my sword and stepped close, “Talia my Battle Maid, I claim you as my mate.”

She looked into my face as I slowly leaned close and kissed her. When I pulled back, I smiled and turned away. I walked back to my packs and put the swords away. Talia stopped behind me as I continued to dig through my packs. Finally I stood holding soap and a towel. I looked at her worried face. “I stink; you can join me if you behave.”

Talia cleared her throat, “I am Battle trained and you…”

I smiled and stepped next to her and put my mouth close to her ear, “I am a trained Armsmaster.”

She jerked her head back to look at me and then suddenly she laughed as she started throwing clothing and armor away from herself. She stepped close to me again, “My father is rolling around in his grave laughing right now. He always said I would get what I deserve.”

I grinned and turned to the small game trail that led to the spring fed pool I had found. When we got there, I undressed, watching Talia as she walked calmly into the cold water. Walking into the water I shivered and held out the soap to Talia who smiled at me and took it. While she was washing my back, I could hear her purring and looked back at her contented expression.

When we got out, she turned to me and embraced me. She looked into my face, “Bond Mate, you must decide if I take the Simpa root. I have put it off, but I can not wait much longer.”

I looked back at her. Simpa root has been used since forever to prevent a girl from getting pregnant. “How old are you Talia?”

She lightly scratched my chest with her claws, before looking back into my face, “I am sixteen. I have been a Battle Maid for a year.”

She looked a little younger; girls were normally married years before they reached her age. They would probably have had two or even three children by then too. I turned and picked the towel up and started drying her. When I finished, I gathered my clothing and led her back to camp and sat her at the dead fire.

I got the fire going and slipped back into pants and another shirt before setting things out. Finally I knew I could not wait any longer and looked into her face, “Talia, you are a Battle Maid. To me, that means you know how to look at a situation and make a judgment. I am missing information. The mage said I have Kittling blood, but I know nothing about it. I do not know… I do not know what our children would be like. I do not know how the children will affect you or being a Battle Maid.”

She smiled as she absently started moving things around to cook above the fire. “Children for a Battle Maid, means she must wait for weaning before she can even go back to training. As for our children, they could be either kittling or… human.”

I glanced at her occasionally as we cooked. As we ate, I looked at her, “The children will not be… deformed?”

Talia smiled, “Mages made sure they would not.”

I cleaned up after the meal and sat beside her, “Do you want children Talia? I mean ever.”

She caressed my face and stood to walk to her pack. She pulled a long shirt out and slipped it on and then she bent to pick up a small pouch. When she sat back beside me, she put her hand in mine, “Yes, I want children.”

I looked at the pouch, “Simpa root?”

She nodded and squeezed my hand, “I must know now Bond Mate.”

I sighed and looked into my lap for a moment. I looked back at Talia and shifted to see her better, “Talia, I am twenty years old. I have no property. I have some gold and was looking for treasure when I found you. I do not know if your people will even accept me. I am an Armsmaster trained since I was a baby, but I have nothing. I would love for you to have my children, but I am afraid that doing so would ruin you.”

Talia laughed and squeezed my hand, “Even if I no long stand behind the throne, I am a Battle Maid. You would be accepted for that alone, but you are also an Armsmaster who won his mating challenge. On top of all that, there is one person that would be accepted above all others in my empire. You named yourself Shadow Walker, there is a Kittling prophesy that tells of your coming.”

Talia looked at the fire and tossed the pouch on top. When she looked back at me, I could see humor in her eyes, “Tonight we will mate again, this time you have to stay awake.”

I laughed and pulled her against me. I stood, “The mage said there were still horses in the Carvanesse. I need to bring them out into the light and give them air.”

Talia jumped up, “My Battle Steed!”

I caught her before she rushed back into the Carvanesse. “Clothing? At least some shoes.”

She looked down at herself and then grinned, “I forgot.”

I watched as she pulled a pair of light slippers out and reached for my hand. She grabbed the mage lantern and we walked back into the Carvanesse. As we got closer to the stabling area, we heard the horses moving around. Inside the large paddock Talia handed me the lantern and slowly walked forward. Of the dozen horses here, I saw six that I recognized as Battle trained, five mares and a stallion.

The largest, a steel grey stallion broke away from the others and walked towards Talia. I tensed when I saw him, but Talia laughed and held out her hand, “Did you miss me?”

The horse stopped with his head over her shoulders and let her stroke his neck and scratch behind his ears. Talia turned to me and gestured, “Biscuit, Peace! This is my Bond Mate Edward.”

I stopped next to her as the horse looked at me uncertainly. I glanced at Talia, “Biscuit? You named a Battle horse Biscuit?”

Talia laughed again, “I had to rename him. He would not listen to his trainer.”

I looked back at the horse as he snorted and gently nibbled at Talia’s ear. I looked at the other horses, “Do you think he can bring the other Battle horses out with him. I will catch the others and bring them.”

Talia shook her head, “They will not leave unless their gear is back on them.”

I looked around and held the lantern up. Surprisingly, like in Talia’s room everything seemed intact as it rested on tack stands. It took longer then I thought but finally we had everything back on all the horses. We got them outside and back to the camp where Talia and I removed the tack and armor for the Battle horses. We led them to the small hidden glen where I had picketed my three horses. I added the other horses to the long picket line and left the Battle Steeds alone.

When we returned to the came Talia moved things around and the next thing I knew there was one larger bed. She kept glancing to the side of the camp though and I finally realized what she was looking at. I held out my hand, “Talia?”

She looked at me and smiled as she moved closer. I took her hand and gave it a small squeeze, “I am taking their armor and weapons back to their families.”

She looked at me and back at the armor and weapons, “I will miss them.”

Talia pulled the slippers and shirt off and slipped under a light blanket. I sat next to her and we watched the sky turn a golden color as the sun set. I undressed and Talia gently pulled me under the blanket with her. I woke in the predawn light and turned my head to see Talia watching me.

She smiled, “It was much better with you awake and helping.”

I laughed and turned to face her, “Do you know the way home from here?”

She nodded and I looked at the opening into the Carvanesse. I looked at her, “I will bring the horses back. If you will pack the camp I will take the pack horses back in and bring out your treasure.”

Talia hesitated before running light claws across my chest, “I want you to show me, my companions.”

I nodded, “After we pack up.”

An hour later I was bringing the six pack horses out of the Carvanesse with their packs full. I tethered them next to mine and walked to Talia as she struggled to put armor on one of the Battle mares. I helped her and a few minutes later we finished the last one. She looked at her horse, “Biscuit, Guard.”

I held out my hand looking back at her horse, “There were legends about Kittling Battle horses.”

Talia looked at me as we started walking. I smiled, “They were said to be as smart as people and some were even said to be more deadly than their riders.”

Talia laughed as we entered the Carvanesse, “Perhaps not as smart as people but close, and yes, they are very deadly.”

I slowed as we came close to her dead companions. Talia was silent as we stood over their bodies and quietly removed five twisted rings of grass from her shirt. She placed one on each body and turned to me, “Take me home Bond Mate.”

Two weeks into the journey we knew Talia was pregnant. She woke smiling as I gently teased her and then suddenly went white and scrambled up and ran to the side of our camp to be violently sick. I was beside her a moment later and held her as her body shook. When she was done, she looked into my worried face and laughed. “Nothing to worry about Edward.”

I looked at her skeptically and she laughed and hugged me tight, “I am pregnant!”

I was stunned; I knew she could be, I even expected it, but to actually have it happen was something else. I hugged her back and then something struck me, “um, Talia? How long is a normal Kittling pregnancy?”

Talia laughed and stood, pulling me up with her, “Not as long as a human one. Only seven months.”

She kept glancing at me on the way back into the camp. As she knelt next to the fire she laughed, “You have not asked the most important question.”

I turned from getting dressed, “Which one is that oh lovely Kittling.”

She laughed as she finished gathering the stuff we had left and turned to step close, “How many kits I will litter.”

I froze, “Litter?”

Talia laughed delightedly, “Litter my luckless Bond Mate.”

I smiled at I pulled her against me, “Luckless?”

She kissed me and grinned, “After a Battle Maid weans her young. Her mate takes over the job of raising the kits.”

I looked at her carefully, “Talia my sweet? How many kits do Kittlings normally have?”

Talia laughed and pushed away from me and started walking towards the packs and clean clothes. She paused and looked back, “Normally? Four to six but my family is not normal. We tend to birth six to eight.”

My head spun and then I grinned and ran to catch Talia. I pulled her laughing back towards the bed. “In that case I am going to keep you pregnant.”

Talia laughed and pulled me into an embrace. I kissed her and looked into her eyes, “Seriously? Six or eight?”

Talia nodded and put her head against my chest. I held her tight and then suddenly was pushed from behind. We both stumbled away and Talia started laughing again as Biscuit stood there snorting and shaking his head. I came out of my defensive stand and glared at him, “She is my mate you four legged escapee from the glue shop.”

I looked at Talia, “That is four times now.”

She tried to hide her grin and then laughed again as she stepped close and kissed me. She looked at Biscuit and held out her hand. When he came close, it was to put his head down onto her shoulder. I shook my head and reached out to his ear. He let me pull his head closer, “Biscuit, she carries my young. You kept her safe and away from danger.”

Biscuit pulled his head back to look into mine. Slowly his head came down and both Talia and I knew he was smelling her. When his head came up it was to look into her eyes. When he put his head against hers there were tears in her eyes, “It is true Biscuit, I carry young.”

The next two weeks were humorous.