Work Text:
Keith eased the sword out of the scabbard at her side. She was close to where the monster was reported: a crossroads surrounded by olive trees grown wild. The visibility when not on the main road was only a few feet and someone skilled in stealth would be able to hide easily.
The sun, thankfully blocked by the thick foliage, was nearly right above Keith as she neared the crossroads. There was a sign on one of the corners, with one arm broken off and the rest unreadable. Part of her tried to remember that, so she could file a report to get it fixed, but she quickly put it out of the forefront of her mind.
There had been a murder here, and that's what she was to investigate. Travelers were found robbed and mauled to death. An animal could describe the mauling, but no animal would steal valuables. This had to be some sort of monster.
Keith peered into the middle of the junction. There was a splash of something dark brown on the rocks that made her stomach turn. Just as she was ready to try and slink out of the trees and get a closer look, something heavy crashed into her back and knocked her to the ground.
"Hey!" She was tossed into the air to land on the road with a thud. It was easy enough to roll to her feet, drawing her sword – only to freeze when she saw what had picked her up so easily. "Sphinx!"
In front of Keith sauntered the monster in question. She was enormous, with the body of a black lion and huge black wings tucked up against her back. Her expression was the definition of haughtiness, framed in long black hair with a streak of white standing out like a beacon.
"Correct." The sphinx's voice was rich and deep. Keith might have found it attractive if she weren't so acutely aware of the situation at hand. She slowly sheathed her sword. There was no way she could take on a sphinx on her own.
"Now," the monster said, walking slowly around Keith in a circle and forcing her to turn to face her. "Why don't you tell me why you're here?"
Keith took a sharp breath and thought carefully. Sphinxes bartered in information, and they could tell when someone was lying. Trying to evade the question would get her nowhere at best, and dead in a ditch at worst.
"There were some travelers murdered here. I've been sent to investigate." It was the barest account of the truth she could give.
The sphinx suddenly laughed, sitting down on her haunches. "Travelers! Oh, that's a good one." She kept her eyes on Keith even as an easy smile softened the arrogant look on her face. "They were highway bandits. They had stolen goods from some actual travelers, who had answered my question and been on their way. So I simply paid them back in kind, that's all."
"Do you have any proof of that?" Keith found herself relaxing in her stance, not quite so ready to make a move for her sword anymore.
"Hmm… I suppose you could try to make your way to the next town and find the real travelers. That's all I offer for you unless your superiors will take me at my word." She smiled sweetly. On any other face, Keith would believe it.
Keith sighed and put her hands on her hips. "I guess I don't have a choice but to just… report what I can and go from there. I suppose they'll send a sentry to go try to find them. Thank you for your assistance, er…" She paused, realizing she never got the creature's name.
"You may call me Shiro," she purred. "You had better hurry back. It's not safe around here with highway bandits roaming the countryside."
Something about that made Keith's face heat up, though she had no idea why. She simply nodded and turned back down the road.
*
A day later, Keith was on her favorite horse, Red, and making her way quickly towards the crossroads. She was already looking around for the sphinx with her left hand resting on the hilt of her sword – just in case. There wasn't much of a wait. A shadow blocked out the light before it flashed back a moment later.
Shiro swooped out of the sky and landed on the road, skidding to a halt in front of Keith and nearly causing the horse to bolt. She flapped her wings once more before folding them neatly along her back.
"Well, aren't you back soon. What happened to sending a sentry to go find those travelers?" she asked, face framed with her windblown hair.
"I am the sentry."
"So you are." Shiro flopped down, causing a cloud of dust to puff up. It was quickly whisked away with a gust of cool wind that blew a cloud over the bright sun.
Keith urged her horse forward but stopped when Shiro flexed her front paws. Razor-sharp claws scraped through the dirt.
"Now, now. Aren't you moving a little too quickly?"
"I answered your question, didn't I?" Keith said, irritated.
"A new day, a new payment." Shiro didn't sheathe her claws until Keith had her horse take a few steps back.
"Fine. What do you want to know?" She couldn't keep an impatient huff out of her voice. It was partly a bluff; it wasn't uncommon for monsters like her to attack smaller Roman army outposts. She wouldn't demand information about her camp, would she?
"What's your name?"
"Huh?" Keith blinked a few times. That's all she wanted? "Uh… Keith. My name is Keith."
"Very well, Keith." Shiro lay her head on her paws and spread her wings loosely. "Travel safely. I'm going to enjoy this sunshine while it lasts." She closed her eyes, seemingly done with Keith already.
Keith watched for a few moments before slowly guiding Red around Shiro. Even though her eyes were closed, Keith had a distinct impression that the sphinx still watched her.
The rest of the journey went smoothly. Keith passed no one going in either direction, though the fields on both sides of the road slowly became more and more populated. It was late afternoon when she rode through a large gate and into the city proper. Time to do some good old-fashioned investigating.
She stabled Red and tossed a coin to the groom who led her off. The inns would be her target, asking for travelers who had a run-in with bandits. Something like that would be fairly interesting gossip among the innkeeper and other people staying there.
However, by the time the sun was setting behind purple and green storm clouds looming over the city, Keith had found nothing. The humid air was still and hot as she stood on the other side of the town. There was one more inn to investigate and if she couldn't find answers there she was out of luck.
Keith took a breath and opened the door to a scene of pure chaos.
"We have to leave now, Coran!" A young woman, loaded with saddlebags and a bedroll, was trying to walk past an older man blocking her way. "You remember what happened last time we traveled later than this, and we can't afford another night in an inn."
"But if we leave now –"
Keith looked around at the staff and other patrons peeking out of doors, watching the two argue and take steps forward and back into and out of the room. Finally, she took a step forward and cleared her throat.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
Both of them froze, the man with his hands in the air holding a very full pack over the head of the young woman. She took the opportunity to elbow him in the side and snatch the pack out of his hands as he groaned in pain.
"Yes," she said calmly, ignoring him, "perhaps you can, Miss…?"
"Aquilifer Kogane," Keith said, standing up straighter as she announced her rank. "Why don't we step inside your room so we can talk without disturbing the other patrons?" She thought she heard a sigh that was a combination of relief from some, from not having their stay at the inn interrupted, and disappointment, from those getting a free night of entertainment from the two travelers.
The pair looked at each other briefly before nodding and leading Keith into the room. They put down all of their bags, though Keith noticed one last modest pack that had been left in the center of the room. Had they been meaning to leave it behind?
"Why don't you tell me what's going on?" Keith asked, crossing her arms and settling in for a tale.
The man, spouting a rather magnificent mustache, was still rubbing his side and grumbling, so the woman took the chance to speak.
"My name is Allura, and this is my guardian, Coran. My father runs a large shipping business. We are heading to Rome for Neptunalia – to pay tribute for safe travels for the ships and sailors we employ." Keith nodded. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. "A few days ago, on our way here, we were stopped by a sphinx. She was cordial enough, and let us pass."
"That's when the bandits accosted us!" Coran broke in. "Took nearly everything we had but the clothes off our backs. It was only the sphinx flying overhead that kept them from finishing us off for good!" His words were punctuated with grandiose gestures and in any other circumstance, Keith might have been laughing. Instead, she did her best to keep her composure as he continued, thanking her patron deity that she found exactly who she was looking for.
"We thought that might be it for us. To limp back home completely empty-handed. But then she returned! With all of our things and more besides." Keith didn't miss the way he glanced over at the pack on the bed. "I was trying to convince Allura that we could bargain for one more night at this inn, to keep bandits from finding us at night once again."
"But we don't have time," Allura insisted, before Keith spoke up.
"It's going to rain tonight. It would be best if you didn't get caught in it, traveling as you are." She reached into a bag hooked to her belt and fished out two silver denarius coins. "Stay the night, and use any extra for traveling expenses to get you to Rome. If you can manage to get on the road early and stay out as late as you can safely, you'll get there in time." She handed the coins to Coran before anyone could object.
"Are you sure?" Allura asked. Keith didn't even get the chance to answer before she picked up the 'forgotten' bag and handed it over. "The sphinx gave this to us along with our things. I'm not sure if it was a mistake, or goods the bandits had taken from others… it's not right for us to keep it, in any case." The bag clinked with muffled metallic sounds as she shoved it into Keith's arms. "Do you think you could make sure this finds its way back to her?"
Keith bit back a sigh. That meant another interaction with Shiro. Something she couldn't decide if she was dreading or looking forward to. "I'll do what I can."
"Thank you!" Allura looked relieved and finally ready to settle back down for the night. "Be safe on your way, Aquilifer."
Keith nodded and hitched the bag over her shoulder. "The same to you."
Thunder crashed directly overhead as Keith stepped out of the inn. The rain would pour any minute, she was sure of it, and she had given her entire travel stipend to them. It seemed like there was no way to get back without making her way through the storm. With only a brief stop to get Red back from the stable and pull on an oiled cloak from her saddlebags, Keith was leaving the city gate right as the first raindrops spattered down.
By the time Keith made it back to the familiar intersection, she was soaked through and Red was slogging through puddles up to her fetlocks. She shoved her wet hair back out of her eyes and was shocked when the rain suddenly stopped. The drops had stopped hitting her but by the sound around her, it was still pouring.
"Convenient, isn't it?" Shiro's voice startled Keith out of her confusion. Keith fumbled for her sword before she realized what was happening – the large sphinx had extended a wing over her to block the rain like a noblewoman's umbrella blocked the sun.
"Thank you," Keith said gratefully. She pushed the hood of her cloak back to wring out her hair. "I don't suppose you know anywhere I can camp for the night, do you?"
"I might." Shiro looked up with a smirk. Her face was at the level of Red's withers, emphasizing her massive size.
"Let me guess. You want me to answer another question?"
"But of course! You know me so well already, Keith." Keith was glad for the rainy darkness, hoping that it concealed the blush that heated her face. "But I can be a gracious host. Follow me." She abruptly pulled her wing back and trotted in front of Keith, leaving her once again in the pouring rain. Keith followed the white tip of Shiro's tail as she led her off the road and into the thick woods.
Keith had thought the woods looked nearly impenetrable in her previous trips past the crossroads, but Shiro picked a path between trees that Red could follow easily. Soon enough the rain was hardly anything other than the sound of drops hitting the leaves above them.
"Ah, here we are. My humble abode."
"Uh?" Keith looked around. Even in the midnight darkness, she couldn't see much.
Shiro laughed from somewhere unseen; almost a girlish giggle. There was a rough sound of metal striking rock and sparks flew to land on a pile of dry wood. When the sparks kindled into a fire, the true extent of Shiro's home was finally seen.
Keith was only on the edge of a small clearing surrounded by stone pines. They had been carefully trimmed and cultivated to keep the circle shaded and mostly free of rain. A large rock erupted out of the ground at a sharp angle, and it was underneath there that a fire had been started with Shiro's claws scraping across it.
Desperate to warm up and dry off, Keith hopped off Red and led her closer to the simple shelter. Curiously, Shiro was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't until after Keith had detacked her horse and set a feedbag in place that she noticed a low, wide cave the base of the rock.
Shiro's face popped up. "Are you going to join me or not?"
Keith just nodded and made her way over. Once at the entrance to the cave, she could make out a set of carefully carved steps. She only had to barely duck to make her way in, leaving wet and dripping footprints as she descended. Small torches and lamps lit the stairway – when did Shiro get the chance to light them? Keith thought to herself – and the large room at the bottom. Her eyes went wide at the sight.
Gold and bronze reflected and amplified what light was there, washing the chamber in a warm glow. Everything was carefully organized on shelves or in neat stacks, taking up all the spare room that Keith could see. In the very center was a large pit lined with soft blankets and furs where Shiro was lounging.
"Put your clothes over the weapons rack. They'll dry faster that way." Shiro flicked her tail towards an elegantly carved wooden rack where several Carthaginian shields were displayed.
"Undress?" Keith suddenly felt out of her depth, swimming in waters deeper than she could reach.
"How else will you warm up? Now hurry. I'm tired and wish to sleep before it gets much later." Shiro lay her head on her front paws, eyes never leaving Keith.
Keith swallowed and nodded. There wasn't much of a choice in the matter… right? She took off the oiled cloak and hung it by the hood before unbuckling her sword belt. Then the pteruges skirt and breastplate were set to the side. In any other circumstance, she would take the time to wipe them down. Her soaking wet tunic was draped over a shield, a puddle already forming below it. Finally, her sandals were unlaced and put to the side. That just left her in her underclothes, which were just as cold and wet.
A glance towards Shiro showed her still watching through half-closed eyes.
"Oh!" Keith knelt to pick up the bag that the travelers had given her. "I was told to return this to you. The travelers you helped think it might have been given to them on accident."
Shiro sat up on her haunches as a frown appeared on her face. "That was supposed to have been a gift… Something to aid them on their trip." The frown deepened as another thought came to her. "Is that why you were riding in the rain and soaked to the bone?"
Keith felt another blush rise to her cheeks. "I… perhaps helped them stay in the city one more night. It was all the money I had on me."
The sphinx sighed. "I should have expected that from you. You seem much kinder than any of your counterparts."
"I just did what was right," Keith said, shaking her head. Unfortunately, the rest of her body followed suit as shivers started to wrack her limbs.
"Hurry and finish undressing. You'll never warm up like that."
And so the blush returned. Keith took the time to wring her hair out before taking off her final layer of clothing. She wasn't sure exactly what to do then, feeling exposed in a way that no one, even lovers, had made her feel like before.
"Are you uncomfortable?" Shiro's voice was quiet, but still laced with magic.
Keith simply nodded, still shivering.
The lights in the luxurious cavern slowly dimmed until just the bed was barely illuminated. "I will keep you warm and nothing more. I stake my honor on it."
Something about that rang true and Keith felt herself relax just the smallest amount. She approached the bed and with paws that now seemed just as dexterous as hands, Shiro held up a thick blanket for her to crawl under.
"Thank you," Keith murmured.
"But of course." With that, the last of the lights went out.
Keith curled up, struggling to find a way to gather warmth in the darkness. A heavy paw draped over her shoulders and made her flinch and stiffen up until Shiro pulled her closer. Keith found herself nestled up against the sphinx. Shortly after, the soft rustle of feathers signaled that one of Shiro's massive wings had been cupped over her as well.
Warmth started to slowly build up after that and Keith soon found herself drifting off. She thought she might have heard the deep rumble of a purr before sleep finally took her.
Keith nuzzled comfortably into the blankets and furs she woke up in. They were soft and perfectly warm against her skin. She settled in to try and fall back asleep until she realized that the warmest fur was moving steadily with slow deep breaths.
Shiro was sleeping deeply. One paw still lay over Keith's shoulders, though her wing had retracted until only a few arm-length feathers were protecting her. Something about the situation emboldened Keith. While the sphinx slept, she reached out and carefully ran her fingers through Shiro's thick mane. It was coarse but untangled, though when Keith reached over to touch the streak of white, the hair was much finer in comparison.
At the last touch, Shiro sighed and nestled further into the blankets under them. It left her face just a hair's breadth away from Keith's. She withdrew her hand carefully. From so close, it was clear that Shiro really was… well, beautiful. Her features were mostly human, though Keith could see the barest ivory tip of a fang peeking out from between her full lips. A scar ran across the bridge of her nose. It was faded with time; Keith never would have seen it from their usual interactions.
Keith felt much more comfortable compared to the night before. Nudity was common among the centuries stationed with her and she wondered what about Shiro's gaze had bothered her so much.
Physically comfortable, but mentally and emotionally confused, Keith wiggled until she was tucked underneath Shiro's chin and closed her eyes. Nothing to do but try to corral her thoughts and get a little more sleep.
When Keith woke once again, she was alone. Sunlight streamed through the opening to the lair and managed to hit her directly in the face. Her dry clothes and armor were laid out next to her so she could dress without going too far.
Once clothed, Keith made her way out to the small clearing. Shiro lounged near the edge in a pool of early-morning shade while Red watched her nervously.
"Good morning, Keith. Sleep well?" Shiro asked. She wore an easy smile and looked more awake than Keith felt.
"I did. Thank you for letting me shelter here for the night." Keith knew her response felt too formal, but she had no other idea of how to express her gratitude.
Shiro nodded. Her silver eyes seemed to bore directly into Keith's confused thoughts. "Travel safely on the way back to your legion."
"I'll do my best." Keith took that as a dismissal and quietly tacked up Red while the sphinx watched her silently. She mounted her horse and made her way to the path that led back to the main road.
"I do hope we meet again soon."
Keith pulled Red to a stop. "What was that?" She turned in her saddle to look back at Shiro.
Shiro just waved her off with a paw. "Get going. You don't want to be late, do you?"
With that, Keith was on her way. Of all the thoughts that swirled in her head, the one that stood out the most was simply… perhaps she made Shiro just as confused as she was.
Over the next few weeks, as summer reached its climax and the solstice came and went, Keith found herself visiting Shiro more and more. At first, it was a follow-up on the investigation; that yes, the sphinx was dropped as a suspect, and she was free to reign over her small patch of road unhindered. Then Keith was back with a wagon of supplies to repair the signpost that directed travelers. That took a few days to finish up and, of course, Shiro was happy to invite her back to the luxurious cave to rest at night.
Keith found herself looking forward to the few quiet evenings either sitting out by the fire or relaxing inside Shiro's home. The sphinx had a surprisingly large collection of books in Latin and Greek, as well as a few scrolls in Hebrew and even Egyptian hieroglyphs. When Keith asked about them, carefully brushing her fingers over the well-loved cases and covers, Shiro simply replied that she liked to keep memories of her old homes. Even as stoic as Shiro usually was, Keith could hear the sadness in her voice.
When the signpost was repaired, Keith got ready to go, already missing the time she would get to spend daily with Shiro. The last of her repair supplies were loaded into the wagon when she was stopped by the sound of her name.
"Do you think you might return sometime soon?" Shiro asked. She pawed at the ground while her tail swished behind her, showing a nervousness that Keith had never seen from her before.
"There's not much to do now in camp," Keith said slowly. "I suppose… if you enjoyed my company that much… I could request to come out and make measurements for the stretch of road here to be repaved." A smile came to her lips as she realized that Shiro truly enjoyed her company.
Shiro surprised her once again when she leaped up and wrapped her paws around Keith's shoulders, nearly knocking her to the ground. "Don't keep me waiting," she said, voice rough with a purr.
Keith laughed and hugged back. "I'll do my best."
Warm summer transitioned to rainy winter, with Keith making as many visits to Shiro as she could manage. Each time she found it harder and harder to find the resolve to return on time. Shiro's company was so different from her fellow soldiers that it was nearly incomparable. The fact that each visit brought such genuine fanged smiles to the sphinx's strangely beautiful face didn't help either.
"When did you enlist?" Shiro watched from under a tree, mostly dry, while Keith measured the width of the road from under her trusty oiled cloak.
"As soon as I was eligible." She almost had to shout to be heard through the rainfall. Only the fact that a warm bed and warmer sphinx to cuddle with kept her going in the inclement weather. "No family to stay with, and it's hard enough to earn a living in the bigger cities without someone to take you in as an apprentice." She notched her ruler with a small knife to mark the measurements and straightened up in a stretch. "It's been ten years since then. Only fifteen more and maybe I can retire and live out here with you," Keith said with a wry grin.
Shiro sat up, and her rounded lion ears practically quivered at attention. "Would you, though? Really?"
Keith sloshed through the rain until she was under the protection of the tree with Shiro before pushing down the hood of her cloak. "Why don't you make me tell the truth?" she said, grin still lingering on her face. That only brought a blush to Shiro's cheeks – it was the first time Keith could remember ever having seen that.
"It's getting quite late. Maybe we should head back to rest for the night." Shiro looked away, shaking her mane out to hide the redness on her cheeks.
"I guess you're right. I wouldn't mind that." Keith reached up and brushed the white streak of hair away from Shiro's face. Her blush got even darker and Keith couldn't help but feel triumphant over being the one to guide the situation.
After pulling the hood of her cloak up once again, Keith walked with her back to the cave, a hand resting easily between the broad wings on Shiro's back. Keith changed into a dry tunic before settling down on the soft bed with a book in her lap. Strangely enough, Shiro didn't join her right away like she usually did.
"Shiro?" Keith looked around the softly lit cave to find the sphinx busying herself straightening a shelf full of golden figurines. "What are you doing?" she asked, unable to keep the smile totally out of her voice. Shiro was acting like Keith did before the first time she slept with a lover: pretending that was the exact opposite of what she was intending to do.
Shiro's tail lashed back and forth, betraying the relatively calm look on her face. "I haven't cleaned since the last time you came to visit. I thought I should straighten some things out."
Keith couldn't help but laugh. "Put that down and come sit by me. It'll be your fault if I get sick."
Grumbling the whole time, muttering and mumbling about dust and an earthquake that had shaken her expensive knickknacks, Shiro finally made her way to the bed and lied down with her chin on her paws. Keith shook her head and leaned against Shiro's side. The book was marked with a piece of gold-threaded purple silk that Shiro said was scrap until Keith had claimed it.
"Do you want me to read to you some more?" Keith turned to place the silk on Shiro's head, right between her ears. "You said last time my Greek pronunciation was horrible, but I'll only get better with practice."
"Do what you like," Shiro replied softly.
Keith hummed and carefully lay the open book on the blankets before moving to sit in front of Shiro. She refused to look Keith in the eyes.
"Sit up," Keith said quietly. She brushed the silk off of Shiro's head and let her hand trail gently trail down the side of her face. "Please?"
Shiro slowly lifted her head, eyes still looking anywhere but Keith's. The soldier took the chance to place her hands on either side of Shiro's face.
"You got awfully excited when I suggested living here with you."
"It has been a long time since I've had a – a companion like that," Shiro said slowly, stumbling over her words.
"Just a companion?" Keith grinned. Shiro said nothing, though there was that pink flush on her cheeks again. "You know… if you were willing to wait for me to finish my service… I can't think of anywhere else I would want to be, other than here."
"Fifteen years is nothing to me," she insisted. "And I could make sure it was nothing to you, as well."
"One thing at a time," Keith said softly. "I do know somewhere else we could start." With that, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips.
*
Fifteen years passed both more quickly than Keith could ever hope, but at the same time, more slowly than she could ever bear. After the calm and quiet winter spent with Shiro, she was deployed with her legion to regions farther than she could ever hope to return for a visit. The only way she was able to keep in touch were letters; usually sent from Keith to Shiro than the other way around.
Letters of victory and promotion, and personal defeats and injuries. Every one she was able to send may have been short but, she hoped, as full of love as she could manage. Expressing herself in words had never been Keith's strong suit.
At last, Keith found herself with her honesta missio, walking up the well-worn path to Shiro's home. She took the trail a little slower than she had the first time – an old wound in her knee liked to flare up when rain was on the way. But at last there it was. The same carefully tended clearing, jutting rock, and cave entrance that she had become so familiar with all those years before.
Keith let her pack fall from her shoulders to her feet. She knew she had changed with age. A bright scar across her cheek, gray streaks in the hair braided behind her, along with the new lines that creased her face.
Shiro, though… She was like a new creature emerging from the cave and into the sun. The white streak in her mane had taken over her entire body. The fur was nearly silver in the light, and the feathers of her wings were just the same. Wing, Keith realized, as the right one had been severed neatly at the base.
Time wasn't kind to either of them.
The sphinx walked slowly towards Keith, who placed her hands on both sides of her face.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Shiro's magic surrounded Keith like a comfortable blanket.
Keith leaned in and kissed Shiro, not pulling away until both of them were breathless.
"It has."