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"There i was! My arm around the great beastie's neck, and my knife in my hand. I reach across and slice his throat and he falls dead. Then I sling 'em on my back and haul 'em back to Salvo."
Fuse finishes his story with a florish.
"And that's when I got this." He says pointing proudly to the tattoo on his left shoulder, that resembles an alien creature's skull.
Bloodhound laughs softly to themself.
"I very much enjoy your historier sel hjem, mitt Walter."
Fuse grins and bows dramatically.
"Always a pleasure mate." He says. " But what about you? Surely you've got some tall tails of your own? " He asks, taking a seat beside them in th woof next to their campfire.
"Well...." They think for a moment. They didn't have many stories from home, and even less happy ones. But.....
"I do have one." They say.
Fuse smiles broadly. "Well alright! Let's hear it houndy." He says excitedly.
They smile fondly at their enthusiastic partner.
"It is one of the historier out ancestors would tell to the children of our clan. A tale of Solace..... Paradise, you would call it."
Artur swoops by them and lands on a narrow tree branch above their campsite, and ruffles his feathers, settling in to listen.
Fuse grabs his brown fleece lined leather jacket and slips it on. Pulling it up close to his face, trying to fight the winter chill.
Bloodhound smiles.
"Come mitt Walter." They say, moving to sit in the ground with their back against the log.
Fuse follows and sits beside them.
"How can you stand this bloody cold?" He complains.
" my home world was always cold. So I have grown accustomed to it. But I often enjoy it.
Bloodhound wraps their arm around his waist, beckoning him closer. He obliges, scooting closer, laying the back of his head against their shoulder and pulling his knees up.
"Better?" They ask.
" Ay, much better. "
As they huddle for warmth, Bloodhound looks up at the stars, feeling the cold air on their face and the comforting company of their friend.
"There once was a man." They began. " A young hunter, with no family of his own.
He was hunting in the woods one day when a black raven landed on a boulder close to him. The hunter noticed the bird that seemed to watch him and looked up.
"My name is Sunin." The raven told him. " I have come with a task for you. "
The man was shocked, afraid even for animals did not talk.
"What is it you need of me?" He asked.
The raven explained that he wanted the man to take a special seed and plant it. Then all he had to do was care for it.
"When you have completed your task I will return. Then I will lead you to Solace."
"Paradise....." Fuse says quietly.
"Yes." Bloodhound agrees.
" So. " they continue. "The raven dropped the seed into the man's hand and left. As promised, the hunter till the seed home and planted it. Each day he would go out and care for the tiny seed, and over time the seed began to grow. Day by day, year by year. The man stayed true to his word and took good care of the seed. Until finally he was an old man, watching his grandchildren play as he poured water into the roots of a giant tree.
It was then that the raven returned. The old hunter smiled and held out his arm for the raven.
" you have done well. " the raven told him kindly. "And now as promised I will lead you to Solace." The man thanked the raven and followed him to his new home. "
"Wow....." Fuse says in awe. "But what does it all mean? Why plant the seed?"
Bloodhound smiles. These were the same questions they had asked as a child.
"The story was a way to explain that we all have a task to complete while we are here. And that When we have, we will then find Solace, Pardise, Heaven, Valhalla....."
" Oh.... Well how do we know what our tasks are? We don't exactly have talking birds around here now do we? "
They sigh. "Sadly like myself, most do not know. And so, can not seek it out. So we must hope that we are doing what we must......"
Fuse looks up at the sky in thought.
"And the tree?" He asks.
" The world tree. To teach us that our tasks, our actions, will shape the world in the future. "
Fuse huddles closer and takes their hand in his own. Entwineing their fingers.
"Well mate. I don't know why I'm here either, but I'm sure we found each other for a reason. So no matter what the future holds, as long as we have each other then we'll be alright love."
They smile and sigh peacefully.
"I am glad to have met you Walter Fitzroy. To have you mitt venn, mitt elsker."
" Ay. Back at cha mate. "