Archive of Our Own

Suja was a breath of fresh air, in both the literal as well as the metaphorical. The village cradled in the lush palm of a mountain, untouched by the raging snowstorms at its outskirts, was a welcome reprieve for both units. Especially for both of their hunters.

Shale felt like a walking bruise, each step her seikret took set off a spike of pain through her entire body. Her armor was tacky with blood, whether it was all her own or belonging to the massive ice leviathan they'd fought she couldn't tell.

Not only that but the Allhearken's words weighed heavily on her mind as well as the other tumultuous events of the day. The Dragontorch, the man-made weather events created by its near boundless source of energy, sat wrongly in her mind.

She assumed Olivia had fared similarly, though she couldn't bear to look at her at the moment. Especially not after making a fool of herself and subsequently arguing in front of everyone. Nata especially, the poor boy had been through enough as it is.

Olivia and Athos had split off from the rest of the group without a word after they all spoke with the Allhearken, slipping away while Shale had her back turned as she was focused on setting up the camping equipment for Avis unit.

She scoffed quietly to herself, ears flicking back. You've got to be joking, she thought bitterly. Astrum unit's ace hunter acting like a child, and for what? A meaningless spat all because I insisted on professionalism?

Surely she knows the risks?

Duke raised an eyebrow at her as she hammered the tents pegs into the ground with a bit too much ferocity than would be considered socially acceptable. She simply shook her head at the felyne, who leveled her with one of his ‘we’ll talk about this later’ stares.

It was after the tent had been pitched and the sun dipped below the haunting skeleton of Wyveria on the horizon that ‘later’ came. Shale was meticulously sharpening her sword, her shield strewn haphazardly on the floor next to her, when Duke padded into the tent and sat himself down next to her on the hammock.

“Okay, what the hell is going on between you two. It didn’t sound like the first time you’ve had an argument like that.”

“Is this really relevant?” Shale said, exasperated. “Surely we have more pressing matters to worry about instead of this nonsense.”

The felyne simply squinted at her, an ear flicking in annoyance. “Are you sure? I don’t think kissing Astrum unit’s hunter in front of everyone and then promptly getting into a spat about it, also in front of everyone, is nonsense.”

Shale let out a groan, briskly putting her sword back in its sheath and tossing it to the side in the vague direction of her shield. “Listen, Duke. It’s not your business, alright? So just drop it.”

“Not my business?!” He scoffed, ears swivelling back. “If we’re working with Astrum unit again and I need to drag you all the way back to the nearest camp for the billionth time because your eyes weren't on the monster, it very much is my business.”

“Besides,” He paused for a moment, his ears were still pointing back but they drooped ever so slightly.

“This is the first time since…that happened, that you've ever hunted alongside someone else before.” He stared at his fidgeting paws for a few moments, before looking up at her.

“I was worried about you for years. You'd refused to work alongside any other hunters ever since, I’d started to believe that part of you died on that beach. That you'd always be stuck as this spectre of yourself. I’m always terrified your insistence on hunting solo would end up killing you someday,”

Shale sighed, letting the anger that had flared up at the questioning fade into something quieter as melancholy took its place. She tried to keep what happened at the tainted sea as far from her mind as possible, or else she’d fall right back into that pit again. Her scars itched.

“It’s nothing, alright? It was a close hunt, my head was just full of adrenaline, I acted on impulse, and we had a disagreement. That’s all. I’ll apologise to her in the morning and things will be back to normal.”

Shale couldn’t lie to herself that a lot of the adrenaline came from the thrill of hunting alongside another veteran hunter like Olivia. Her level of skill in the field equaled her own. Even though it had been well over a decade since she’d hunted alongside another hunter, they had slipped seamlessly into sync with each other like the steps of a dance. Fighting like they were one single organism.

She couldn’t help but steal a glance whenever she could, something in her chest fluttering with admiration each time she caught a monster off guard and landed a particularly impressive blow. She had been caught off guard herself when she’d realised that her admiration had become something so much more.

Repelling Jin Dahaad had been her greatest challenge in the east so far. Even with Olivia at her side, the leviathan had fought with a ferocity the likes of which Shale had only seen in elder dragons.

It had felt like hours had passed before they had managed to wear it down, the spines along its back broken and their own bodies littered with a plethora of new cuts and scratches. Shale had felt a particularly nasty bruise blooming across her side from where the monster had sent her flying with a strike of its tail. A rib or two were definitely broken. Now both hunters and their target stood facing each other, bodies trembling in exhaustion.

The monster had leveled a frigid stare at them, its breath coming out in tired wheezes as it began to stalk towards them despite the lethargy that seized its gait. Olivia drew her attention to an overhang of broken city ruins jutting out precariously above the leviathan. The slightest brush would send it careening down, Shale gave her a nod and both of them readied their slingers.

The ruins crumbled, raining down upon Jin Dahaad and burying its torso under an onslaught of stone and metal. Then the ground let out the most awful rumble and began to give way, the creature thrashed and clawed at the stone, trying to drag itself away before it was swallowed by the abyss as more and more of the ground broke away and fell.

Shale could hear the call of Alma as she and the others approached behind them, could hear the footfalls of their seikrets drawing near, but the moment she managed to tear her eyes away from the widening pit, the ground fell out from under her.

Oh. She thought numbly. This is it, then.

She expected a violent rush of wind, the terror of freefall and the dread of not knowing when the ground would meet her.

What she didn’t expect was a hand grabbing her by the back of her collar. She looked up and was met with Olivia leaning halfway over the ledge, brows furrowed and eyes wide with fear, her seikret holding on tightly to her belt with its beak.

“I’ve got you.” She’d said to her through gritted teeth, a reassurance to them both, before her seikret pulled back and they were hauled back onto solid ground.

Before her mind had caught up with her, she'd grabbed Olivia by the pauldron and kissed her. It hadn't been their first, and a quiet part of Shale hoped it wouldn't be their last. She might've accidentally nicked her with her beak, the blood was what made her come to her senses. She should probably apologise about that as well.

When she stepped back, there was a glimmer of fondness, or perhaps hope, in Olivia’s eyes. She looked like she was about to say something, but Shale quickly brushed it off with a change of subject and began to walk towards the rest of their group who looked on with shocked expressions.

Olivia had pulled her back by the shoulder, turning her to face her, commanding her to stop, to tell her why she keeps running from this even after their previous conversation about it. That if she truly wished to avoid any affection between them out of ‘professionalism’, why does she keep going back on her word again and again. She was not the kind of person to do things by half measures, she’d made that clear to Shale.

The arguing had started from there, escalating into shouting until Alma had to intervene by dragging Shale away, demanding that they both stop because they were scaring Nata and the two had fallen into an uncomfortable silence. Duke and Athos exchanged apologetic glances as their hunters mounted their seikrets and split to the opposite ends of the group.

Sitting here now with Duke, Shale's mind went back to that previous conversation she and Olivia had. It was the night after she'd slain Nu Udra and they'd both sought some quiet after the festivities of the firespring, Olivia’s head had quietly come to rest on her shoulder as she promised that next time it would be real, next time she wouldn't run.

Shit. She thought. No wonder she looked so hopeful.

Duke hopped down from where he was sitting next to her in the hammock, moving to stand in front of her with his arms crossed.

“Oh it most certainly is not nothing, Shale. Jeeze, no wonder she's so mad with you.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You're in love with her, that's pretty far from nothing.”

His bluntness took her completely off guard, she could only sit there dumbfounded.

“You're…observant.”

“Oh, please! I've known you for decades. Besides,” He smirked. “Even a khezu could see it, you're not exactly subtle.”

“So,” He leaned an elbow on her knee, resting his chin on his paw, “What is it that's stopping you? She clearly enjoys your company, why all this arguing and dancing around everything.”

Shale let out a sigh and leaned back in the hammock, “You know why. It’s far too dangerous. There's a reason we don't hunt with more than four hunters and it's the same reason as why you don't hunt with the people you care about. Connection is too much of a risk in our line of work. We've already learned that lesson the hard way, Duke.”

“Okay that's just stupid and you know it. Hunting solo, like what you've been doing the past two decades, is what gets you killed. I've seen you get more injuries in the past few years than you've gotten in the entire time you've hunted in a group. You know I’m not a big enough target to keep a monster's focus off of you when you need it.”

She rolled her eyes at him, looking away like a petulant child, ears flattened in irritation.

“Connection,” He continued, jabbing her in the sternum with a paw, “Working in tandem as a unit with the people we care about is what made us strong. Did Lotus and Flint really mean so little to you to forget about all the good you did together?”

“For fucks sake, you know that's not what I mean!” She growled, “They were everything to me, and I couldn't fucking save them. You were there too, Duke, you saw how easily they were torn away from us, how hard it was for us to keep on fighting with them just lying there like that. I don't want that to happen again.”

Duke's eyebrows furrowed, ears drooping. “Shale…I know how hard it's been on you, but I've seen you close yourself off for far too long. I thought you'd always keep pushing others away for as long as I get to know you. But you look so alive again when you hunt alongside Olivia. I haven't seen you this…well, you in years.”

Shale sighed, all of the fight leaving her. “I know. I've noticed as well, I get so overjoyed that it scares the shit out of me. What if something happens again? What if I lose her too? I wish it were possible to just let go of that fear but that simply isn’t possible with the kind of life we lead.”

“That didn’t stop you before, though.” He said quietly, “I know you and Lotus weren’t together for long when everything went sideways. Back then you didn’t give a damn how dangerous it was.”

“Because I didn’t grasp the scope of it,” She bit out. “I was too arrogant back then. I used to think we were indestructible, but it took Dire Miralis to prove to me just how fragile life actually is.”

Shale and Lotus had only been together for a few mere hours before they faced the molten black dragon. They had prepared for the quest like they had for any other powerful monster they’d faced in the past, by throwing a party at the tavern before they set out. She had been dancing with Lotus for a few songs when the seafolk had asked if she’d like to get dinner after, if they survived. Back then Shale had simply let out a laugh, a delighted grin across her face, “Why wait?!” she’d said. “Let’s go now, I’m famished!”

It was only after Lotus lay still and broken like a crumpled flower, her vibrant pink scales and fins marred by burns after the elder dragon had called down an onslaught of meteors, that Shale understood why she’d wanted to wait.

They had faced another elder dragon of its calibre before, an Alatreon, with everyone pushing through relatively unscathed. Shale had gained a branching scar over her eye from a blast of its dragon energy and wore it proudly like a commendation. She was naive enough to believe Dire Miralis would prove to be a similar fight.

How wrong she was.

“There’s so many monsters here that are completely unknown to us, our handlers and the guild as a whole. We’d be fools to let our guard down, especially in this regard. This isn’t the place for distractions.”

“And if it still happens anyways?” Duke raised an eyebrow, looking at her incredulously. “Let’s say this worse case scenario you've made up still happens. What do you get out of this way of ‘protecting’ yourself then, hm? A closed off heart stuffed full of regrets? You need to learn how to live. I’ve been trying to tell you for over a decade now!”

“Besides, it’s just sad watching you hold yourself back from being happy. I’ve seen you just sit there for hours between hunts all pitifully, watching Olivia go about her day from the other end of base camp like you’re a lost palamute, it's gross.” He said, wrinkling his nose in faux disgust.

“Shit. I hate that you’re right.” Shale let out a soft chuckle despite her palico’s words weighing heavy in her mind.

“Of course I’m right, I’m always right!” He said, puffing out his chest. “Now, what are you going to do about it, hunter?”

She hated to admit it, but she truly was a shell as Duke had said. She had felt very much like the guardians the past few years, an empty husk who exists solely as a living weapon, going through the motions of her orders. Then she’d hunted Uth Duna alongside Olivia, and everything felt like it had some meaning to it again. Like that part of her who died, the hero of Port Tanzia, had begun to stir and wake up.

“I guess I gotta start learning how to live a little then, eh?”

Shale got to her feet, giving Duke a pet on the head as she passed by.

“I’ll see you in a few hours, or minutes if I muck it up, we’ll see. Just don’t get your hopes up, I just plan on apologising.” She paused, looking over her shoulder. “Thank you though, truly. I know I can be a bit abrasive, but I have no idea where I’d be without you.”

“Hah! Probably in pieces somewhere, that’s for sure. Go get ‘er! Go! Away with you!” He laughed, batting at her with his paws until she chuckled and stepped out of the tent.

Alma was just outside, making some tea for Nata who was sitting quietly over in his usual spot. The poor boy likely troubled by the Allhearken not knowing what would become of Arkveld.

She quietly stepped over to Alma, giving her handler a gentle nudge and nodding over towards Nata. “How is he?”

She sighed, steeping another cup for herself. “He says he’s managing, but I can tell he’s anxious. There’s so many things happening for him all at once, the guardians, Wyveria, the Allhearken’s words, it’s a lot, especially for someone so young. Tea?”

“No thank you, I’ll be heading out in a bit. Man…the poor kid. He’s been through enough to fill even a wyverian’s lifetime already. I can’t help but worry for him.” She cast a glance behind her to where Nata was sitting, running a thumb over his pendant with a contemplative expression. His brow held a crease he was far too young to carry. “About earlier, emotions can get a little... tense after a hunt and things got a bit out of hand, I’m sorry it escalated like that. I didn’t mean to frighten him.”

“I know you didn’t. Just promise me that you’ll get whatever is going on between you sorted out before we head back to Sild, I don’t want anyone to end up injured because you were too focused on quarrelling and not keeping everyone safe.”

“Duke gave me an earful about it a few moments ago. I’ll get it sorted, don’t you worry.”

“If you say so,” Alma gave her a sceptical look before picking up the tea for Nata and bringing it over to him.

As a quiet conversation began to brew between them, Shale took it as an opportunity to slip away and begin looking around for any sign of Olivia. However, two laps up and down the slope of the village and she had yet to see neither her nor Athos.

Surely they hadn’t left already?

Dejected, she’d found her way to one of the cliffsides that the Allhearken had shown the group, which overlooked the ruins below, and sat with her back against a tree. The stars were out in full force now, she couldn’t help but pause to watch the fabric dance in the wind overhead, using the moment to calm herself. They felt like home, in a way. Like the banners that hung over Port Tanzia’s docks, leading towards the lighthouse that watched over the city.

She’d probably been there for several minutes, sitting with her own thoughts with her knees drawn up to her chest, chin resting on her crossed arms. She had faced monsters that could raze the face of the world if they wanted to and won, so why did the idea of a simple conversation make her feel so small?

A voice startled her out of her thoughts, she practically toppled over in her effort to scramble back, hand instinctively reaching towards where her sword was usually kept but grasping nothing.

“Nice night tonight, hm?” Olivia’s expression was guarded, though one of her eyebrows was raised in bemusement.

“Damn it Olivia, you scared the shit out of me! Listen, I know you’re probably pissed at me right now but please, don’t sneak up on me like that!” Shale sat herself back upright, dusting herself off slightly.

She made to stand up, pausing as a hand came into view, before hesitantly taking the offered hand and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet, wincing as her tired muscles ached in protest.

“Thanks, I appreciate it, I feel like I’ve been trampled by a-“ Then Olivia’s arm twisted in her grip, her hands coming up faster than Shale could blink and seizing her collar, pushing her back and pinning her to the tree.

“Enough. I think there’s something more pressing you should be speaking about.” She relaxed her hold slightly with a sigh, still keeping a grip on Shale’s tunic, to stop her from making a break for it again she assumed. “We need to get this figured out or at least reach some sort of agreement. If we can’t work as a team, we’d be putting lives at risk.”

Shale blinked once or twice, giving her faltering brain the chance to catch up before clearing her throat. “Yeah, of course, you're right. Very right.”

Her gaze dropped to the ground, ears angling back nervously.

“You probably have a lot of questions, I think it’s only fair that you get to ask them. I’ll answer you truthfully this time, I swear.”

“Alright,” Shale could see the hint of scepticism in her eyes, she didn’t blame her frankly. It was a fair assumption to have, given everything. “What is it that’s holding you back from us? What is it that you’re so insistent on running from?”

Shale let out a low whistle “Wow, cutting right to the chase, I’d expect nothing less from an ace hunter. You're really starting with the tricky one then, aren’t you? I think this one calls for a bit of an explanation. It might be better if we sit for this.”

“By all means,” Olivia said, releasing her grip on Shale’s tunic, allowing her to slide to the ground before sitting herself down across from her.

“A lot of what I’m about to tell you is classified information. I’d really appreciate it if you could keep all of this to yourself, if word got around I’d probably end up in hot water with the guild which wouldn't be ideal. I do enjoy my job and would like to keep it.”

Olivia’s expression sobered at that, her eyes widening. Any ace hunter worth their zenny knew what it meant for information within the guild to be redacted or classified, Shale could see it in her eyes that she understood the true gravity of what was about to be divulged.

“I won't tell a soul, you have my word.”

“Thank you,” Shale sighed in relief, bowing her head. “Duke is the only other person who knows this, but I wasn't always a solo hunter, or solitary bird as you put it. I still hunt alongside Duke today, but back in my prime it was him, my brother, my… partner, and I. We operated like a well oiled machine. My brother would face the monster head on, Duke would keep its attention, Lotus would attack from a distance, and believe it or not I was the one handling the support.”

“That doesn't surprise me, in all honesty. I've seen how you are with Nata, you have a gentler heart than you try to let on.” Shale felt a warmth spread through her chest at that, though she could see the sympathy in Olivia’s eyes, like she knew where this tale was headed.

Stories that have been scrubbed from the guild's records never have a happy ending.

“Well, I don’t know about that, I’ve always thought myself a bit abrasive. But I’ll take your word for it.” She said with a sad smile. “We were based mostly in Port Tanzia, a bit out of the way of some of the major guild cities, but it felt like home. The banners here remind me of it actually. We had a reputation for taking on a lot of the tougher monsters, if an elder dragon ever popped up, we were the first sent to deal with it.”

“I’m not surprised by that either, I could tell by the way you carry yourself in a fight that you’ve seen your fair share of elders. That kind of skill is hard to come by.”

“‘Course it is, not many hunters fight one and manage to live to tell the tale. An endangered species really.” She’d meant to keep her tone cool and lighthearted, but her words fell apart like a handful of ash in the wind. “What about you, have you faced down any elders yet, ace hunter?”

“I’ve spent a lot of time in Dundorma, I think you can work it out from there.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Shale could see a similar weight hidden behind her expression to the one she had seen in the mirror many times. One of guilt, of grief.

“It’s a tough life we lead, isn’t it?” She went to lift her hand, to reach out and take Olivia's in reassurance, but thought better of it, hiding the gesture by crossing her arms.

“I found that out the hard way, I think most of us who make it as far as we have had to face that lesson at one point or another. We were a damn good team, we managed to slay an Alatreon with barely a scratch except for my eye. So when an elder dragon who could boil an ocean showed up right next to Port Tanzia and set ships ablaze, we thought we could handle it. My name was made anonymous afterwards, but I take it from your expression that you’ve probably heard of this incident?”

Olivia’s eyes were wide in shock, brows knitted together. “You don’t mean…the Dire Miralis incident? The hero of Port Tanzia, that was you?! I don’t know the details, but there were whispers among the guild about Port Tanzia coming under threat of it, and it being slain by a single hunter. I never realised it was true. Don’t tell me you tried to take it on solo?!”

The laugh that left Shale’s throat was a broken, pathetic thing. “No. No, it was much worse I'm afraid. We all took it on together.”

“It was going well at first, Lotus was handling things underwater, driving it onto land so that Flint and I could get into the fray. Everything felt routine, and then it just fell apart.” She curled in on herself, ears flitting back. “Fire rained down from its wings, the monster kept growing more and more aggressive. We didn't expect the meteors falling from the sky. We lost Lotus first. Her only saving grace is that she went quickly, though it was far too quick for me to react.”

The memory of trying to feed a potion to her limp form came unbidden into her mind, the scent of sulfur and burned flesh heavy on the back of her tongue, the eyes that had once held the ocean within them now vacant and glassy as the green liquid simply trickled back out of the corner of her mouth, as useless as Shale had felt.

She shivered, taking a shaky breath, “Then Flint. I just stood there like an idiot while he kept on fighting. I remember his stance being all off, he looked terrified. I think the monster must've been able to tell. It took his greatsword in its jaws and tore it away from him, then-”

Jaws snapping shut. Blood. Ash. Her hands stained redder than the boiling sea as she tried desperately to stop her brother’s blood from flowing and flowing and flowing, a potion was all but useless in the face of such a deluge. It was anything but quick. An end that was anything but gentle, for this gentle soul.

Her throat closed up, only a sob being allowed to break its way free. Oh. She hadn’t realised that she had been crying. She couldn’t remember the last time she had. She crumbled forwards before a pair of strong arms caught her and held her close, drawing her into an embrace.

“Shh, it’s alright. You don’t have to keep going, I think I understand where this is going, more than you know. Just try to breathe.”

“I- I let them down, Olivia. I was supposed to keep them up, keep them going, but I couldn’t do anything. They’re dead and it’s my fault, and I-“ Her breath hitched on another sob, clutching Olivia like she was the only thing keeping her tethered to this world, the words she’s kept inside for so long tumbling out of her mouth like a waterfall. Like a mouthful of blood.

“I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you too.”

Olivia brought her hands up to her shoulders, gently pushing her away. Shale was expecting a reprimand, a rejection. Instead, those same hands came up to cup her cheeks with a gentleness one wouldn’t expect from a hunter, thumbs wiping away the tears from her scales.

“I’m scared too.” Her eyes never left Shale’s as she spoke, voice steady and sure.

“You-” Shale could only stare dumbfounded. “What.”

“I’m scared too, Shale.” She repeated. “When I saw you fall, I was so terrified that I wouldn’t be able to get you in time. That you’d be gone just like that. We probably wouldn’t have been able to retrieve your body, not without risking more lives. I thought I’d lost you.”

She exhaled shakily as her arms fell to loosely drape around Shale’s shoulders, eyes leaving hers for a moment.

“I’m scared that one day, you’re going to go out on a hunt and come back wrapped in a tarp. You can’t keep doing everything alone. Our work is dangerous and unpredictable, no two monsters act the same, even with the most well coordinated group something can go wrong. The life of a hunter was never one meant to be walked alone.”

Shale flinched, ears flicking backwards. She averted her gaze but Olivia curled a finger under the curve of her beak, gently turning her face back to her.

“You’re not to blame for what happened because it was out of your control, no matter what you try to tell yourself. But you can’t keep putting yourself at risk like this. I can rationalize why you want to go it alone, why you want to run from everything, but it’s going to get you killed someday. It’s not a possibility, it’s a certainty. You will die.” Her voice cracked on those last few words, as if her heart shattered at the thought. “And like it or not, you have people here who care about you who don’t want that to happen, myself included.”

Olivia sat back, brushing a hand through her hair, and let out an exhausted sigh. She rested her elbows on her crossed knees and leaned forward, looking at Shale with an intensity that she didn’t know if she was frightened or intrigued by.

“I’m going to be incredibly blunt, alright? Being a hunter means looking out for each other, and I want to be able to watch your back because I know you'll watch mine. I need you to stop putting yourself at risk trying to take care of everything by yourself, whether it’s hunting or whatever it is between us. I need you to live because I’ve fallen in love with you.”

What?

Shale’s eyes widened, ears perking upright. She had known Olivia was attracted to her, and that she’d brought up the idea of a relationship between them, that much was obvious. She just hadn’t conceived it would be a possibility that she could be in love with her. Judging from her withdrawn, almost shy, expression, the way her gaze broke away to stare somewhere towards the ground, Olivia was surprised by it herself.

“Olivia,” She breathed. “I love you too. So much that it terrifies me if I’m being honest.”

Olivia simply chuckled, “Oh I could tell, you weren’t exactly subtle about it.”

The corner of her mouth curled up in a smile, it was then that Shale's eyes caught sight of the thin but unmistakably beak-shaped cut there and her ears flitted back in embarrassment.

“Shit, Liv, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you back there.” She reached out, pausing for a moment until Olivia gave her a nod, before running a gentle thumb over it. Her heart fluttered in her chest as Olivia leaned into her palm, smiling softly.

“Mm, I could get used to it. Anything else you needed to apologise for?” She raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry for being such an asshole, I shouldn’t have gotten defensive earlier, especially after I promised you next time it would be real.” Her eyes dropped to the ground, guilt gripping her chest.

Then Olivia leaned forwards, resting her forehead against Shale’s. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice as she asked “Do you want it to be?”

“So badly, more than anything,” She wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “I just worry. I know we’ve been dancing around the edges a bit, but relationships aren’t exactly safe in our line up work, a lot more is at stake. Especially in my experience.”

“Nothing is safe in the lives we lead, Shale. There's no guarantee of what will happen, nothing's set in stone.” Her voice was soft, careful. “But that's true of all of us, whether you're a hunter, a handler or a smithy. Life is a fragile thing, and that's why we should live it to the fullest.”

“Hm, you make a compelling argument.” She angled her head slightly, making sure her chin horn was at a safe distance from Olivia. “If I'm honest, I'm tired of running.”

She paused, eyes dropping briefly to Olivia’s lips before meeting her eyes. “Are you sure this is something you want? I know you work closely with the guild, I know how tedious they can get with their rules.”

Olivia simply laughed, “I'm the one who asked you in the first place. Besides, I can't say I'm not envious of your freedom, dear bird. Let me bend the rules a little.”

She placed a hand on Shale’s jaw, quirking an eyebrow up in question. Shale responded with a smile, happy to let her take the lead so she could carefully navigate around her sharp beak unscathed.

It was different from the last times, when Olivia’s lips met hers. Unlike the fleeting stolen kisses whenever they’d found a spare moment alone at base camp, or those fueled by lingering adrenaline at the end of a particularly challenging hunt, it felt like she could let her guard, all her walls slip away. Like she could finally let herself melt into the embrace and just be, no longer bound by only having brief slivers of time between them or her own doubts.

She sighed into it, leaning back against the tree. Her hands fell to Olivia’s waist, basking in the warmth with the glee of a tracktail lizard in the sunlight of the plenty, peace wrapping around her heart like a blanket.

“I think I needed that,” she exhaled, resting her chin on Olivia’s shoulder. “No more running. You have my word.”

“No more running.” Olivia echoed, pressing a kiss to her silver-scaled cheek. “Stars, I needed that too, especially after today. That was one heck of a monster. I’m sure Erik will be thrilled to hear about it.”

Her eyes suddenly widened in concern and she pulled back, a soft frown on her face as her hand gingerly traced Shale's side where the monster's heavy tail had struck.

“Not too badly hurt, I hope?”

“A bruise the size of a Jhen Mhoran and probably a couple broken ribs, but it’s nothing I haven't shouldered before.”

Olivia playfully rolled her eyes. “Alright then, hunter. And let me guess, you haven't seen to them yet?”

Shale had felt very much like a palamute who’s been caught having chewed up a prized vambrace. “I was going to? Eventually?”

“Wow, you're a bad liar, I’m almost impressed.” She said with a fond chuckle before getting to her feet and extending her hand. “Let me wrap it for you, I don’t want you breaking another rib while you try to tie it yourself.”

“My my. How very forward of you, captain.” Shale clasped her hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. “I don’t think it’s that dangerous of a task, I can manage.”

“If you're going to accept my love, you're going to have to accept my tendency to worry.” She smirked, shifting her hand to intertwine their fingers. “Let me take care of you.”

“As you wish, my dear,” She said with a playful bow, which she immediately regretted when her side complained loudly about it. Wincing, she brought their entwined hands up to her snout, pressing an apologetic kiss to the back of Olivia’s hand. “As long as I can return the favour the next time you get chewed on by a monster, of course.”

“Hah! Tough chance of that happening, I haven’t been a cadet for almost two decades.” There was a lightness to her tone, the Olivia she was seeing wasn’t Olivia the ace hunter, or Olivia the captain, but Olivia, beneath the armor and expectations she sets for herself. Shale basked in it like the warmth of a campfire after a trek through the Iceshard Cliffs.

“Hmm, are you sure about that? You look a little chewed on to me.” She mused in jest as they began walking back towards the village, running the back of her knuckle over the somewhat obvious beak-point shaped cut at the corner of her mouth.

Olivia batted her hand away with a laugh, and gods Shale could listen to that laugh for centuries and never get tired of it, bumping her shoulder into hers. “Alright, alright. You're lucky I don't mind being a bit chewed on if it's you, at least”

“Occupational hazard, I’m afraid. I know it's not the standard for humans, given this ole thing.” She tapped her beak twice with a claw.

“Well, be glad I don't have a point of reference for what the standard should be then.”

Shale almost tripped over her own claws. “So you've never-?”

“Never really saw the point of it,” She gave a half shrug. “I had a lot of work to do, and never really felt the need to. Nobody really caught my eye, well, until a hunter leapt from a sand ship onto the back of a seikret and ran straight into a pack of Balahara to save a life, that is.”

“Shoot, so when you kissed me after we fought the Ajarakan, that was your first? I’m surprised.”

She couldn't even tell. The pair of Ajarakan had put up a fight but were no match for two veteran hunters. They'd sat down afterwards to catch their breaths, sending their palicos back to Azuz to give the people there the all clear. It was then that Shale noticed Olivia’s eyes locked onto her, as if she were trying to decipher a puzzle.

Shale had cocked an eyebrow at her, as if to say What? Something on my face? and then Olivia's hand had come up, gingerly tracing the branching scar that ran through her silver scales.

She couldn't help but shudder, eyes slipping closed as she let herself lean into the touch. When was the last time someone had touched her with such care? The answer came to mind but she forced herself not to dwell on it. Olivia had asked something but Shale didn't catch it, mind fuzzy from the gesture of affection.

She opened her mouth, about to give a nonchalant explanation of where the scar came from, assuming that's what she wanted to ask. But then Olivia's hand was under her jaw, tilting her face towards her by the horn on her chin, and-

Olivia’s response cut her out of her musings. “What, surprised I've never-”

“No, I'm surprised you're in a similar boat as me so to speak. I've had similar tendencies, I've rarely ever felt the need for,” Shale gestured between them. “These sorts of things and even rarer did I actually act on it. Honestly, if you hadn't kissed me back then I mightn't have ever done anything about it. I admire your initiative.”

“Really? I'd have expected your impulsively to get the better of you. Good thing you're not the only impulsive one here, hm?”

“Thank the stars for that then, eh?” She grinned, swinging their joined hands playfully. The Avis unit banner came into view, fluttering in the mountain breeze, Shale could hear the quiet chatter between Alma, Duke, Gemma and Nata from within the tent and stopped in her tracks.

“Everything alright?” Olivia raised an eyebrow at her as Shale groaned.

“Yeah, I’m just dreading the paperwork. And knowing half my unit is going to be insufferable about this, but mostly the paperwork.” She huffed, ear flicking. “I hate how the guild has to know everything, this is why I prefer being on the move and out in the sticks.”

“We can keep things to ourselves for now and leave notifying the guild for another day. And what are friends for if not for being insufferable?” She said with a laugh. “I’ve no doubt Erik will piece things together the second we regroup, though he’ll probably end up thinking you tried to maul me or something.”

“Hah! He wouldn't be too far off to be fair, it wasn’t my proudest moment.”

“Oh hush, I didn’t say that I didn’t like it.” Olivia said with a smug tilt to her mouth, resting her shoulder against Shale’s as they walked. “I thought it was charming.”

“Ah,” She said quietly, a warmth rising to her cheeks. “Well, I’ll endeavour to keep charming you then.”

“Atta girl,” She chuckled, pecking the side of her beak before gesturing to the tent. “Shall we?”

Shale simply nodded, feeling very much like she had just been stunned by the flash of a Gypceros's crest, about to open her mouth before another voice cut her off. “Hey, lovebirds! Are you two gonna keep standing there or what?”

Gemma was peeking around the awning, hands cupped around her mouth as she called out to them, getting a few quizzical glances from some of the villagers.

“That’s our cue.” Shale gave an apologetic smile to Olivia before striding over to the tent with her, hands still intertwined.

It was cosy, with everyone gathered together under the awning like this. Gemma sitting herself back down next to Nata, Alma glancing up from her notebook at her and Olivia as they approached, Athos and Duke conversing. Shale had truly come to care about these people, to such an extent that caught her off guard. They were the closest thing to a family a hunter could ask for. Well, Gemma and Duke’s shit-eating grins aside.

“I presume you two have gotten everything sorted out?” Alma asked, a smile breaking across her face as her eyes landed on her joined hands.

“Well, I suppose you could say that.” Shale replied with a nod, leaning into Olivia slightly. “My partner and I have things under control now.”

Alma got up from where she was sitting and pulled the two hunters into a hug. “Thank goodness. I’m delighted for the both of you, you've both deserved some happiness.”

“Thank you Alma.” Olivia muttered. “I apologise about earlier, I shouldn’t have let my temper get to me like that.”

“No, no. Don’t apologize, I’m the one who screwed up, remember?” Shale interjected. “But thank you Alma, truly. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course!” Alma stepped away, giving their shoulders a squeeze as she did. “The Allhearken’s invited us for dinner tonight by the way, I think half an hour from now.”

Olivia gave her a nod. “That sounds wonderful. I need to borrow your hunter for a bit longer if you don’t mind, she busted a rib during today’s hunt and I’d like to see to it.”

“Of course, there’s no rush.” She gestured towards the tent. “Work away!”

“You go on ahead, Liv. I need to talk with Nata for a moment. Bandages should be in one of the satchels in the corner.”

“Take your time.” Olivia pressed a kiss to her temple as she passed, before she disappeared inside the tent.

Shale sat down at Nata’s side after Gemma had moved to gossip with Athos and Duke. He was silently wringing his hands, looking down at the ground.

“Listen, Nata, I’m really sorry about what happened earlier.” She began. “I wasn’t being considerate of those around me and I ended up frightening you. You already have enough on your plate as it is. You shouldn't be witness to my own problems on top of that.”

“It’s alright.” He said meekly. “I know you were probably scared too, that monster was…frightening. You almost fell.”

“Oh Nata,” She looped an arm around his shoulder in a loose side hug. “Of course I was scared, I’m scared every time I face a monster. But that doesn’t make it alright for me to frighten you as well. Us adults, we’re supposed to be the ones who are looking out for you, not scaring you.”

“I know.” He nodded, tugging at his sleeve. “You’re still doing a good job though, I think.”

Shale couldn’t help the small smile at that, in the short few weeks she’s known him, she’d come to care immensely for this boy. She’d started to understand what Alma meant when she said she’d been the one chosen to help him come out of his shell because she too knew what it was like to lose someone she cared about.

Sometimes looking at him was like looking in a pool of water and seeing her own reflection. His sudden anger when he felt like things were out of his control, like he was powerless to do anything. The days where he’d go quiet for hours and she would sit in the silence with him while Alma brewed him some tea. His horror at learning just how cruel the world could be. It was all far too familiar for Shale, like she was walking through her own memories again.

She knew she’d never replace his late parents, but she hoped she provided a similar level of care and support to him. She would do anything in her power to keep him safe, to help him thrive, because if he can, then maybe there is hope for her as well.

“I’m glad you think so. How about we head up to Kunafa during the next couple of days, I can trade for that cheese that you like and you could play with the baby seikrets with Nona?”

A smile like the sun peeking through from parting clouds spread across his face. “I’d like that, thank you.”

“It’s settled then,” Shale grinned, tousling his hair and drawing a laugh out of him. “And hey, don’t hesitate to tell us if there’s anything troubling you. Alma, Gemma, Duke, Olivia and myself, we’ve all got your back. Don't keep the things that are getting to you to yourself, alright?”

He nodded, seeming more settled than he’d been earlier. Thank goodness, she’d been worried about him. She stood to leave but Nata’s hand caught her sleeve.

“Do you…” His voice was low, unsure if this was something he was allowed to talk about. “Do you and Captain Olivia love each other?”

Shale nodded. “We do. Why do you ask? I'm just curious.”

“Earlier when you were shouting, I thought you were both really mad at each other.”

“We were, in the moment. Olivia had good reason to be mad at me, I was being a dummy and trying to do everything on my own and she was worried about me and I ended up being stupid about it. I apologised to her so we're all good now.”

“That's good.” He smiled. “She's really cool, she and Erik taught me a lot about monsters and the ecosystem while we were trying to find Arkveld.”

“I'm glad to hear it! And who knows, you might even make a great hunter someday, you're learning from the best of the best!”

“You really think so?” His eyes looked hopeful, realisation seeming to spark within them.

“I know so.” She patted him on the shoulder. “I'd better head inside before Olivia thinks I've been carried off by a wyvern. I'll see you for dinner though, make sure Duke doesn't steal anything from my plate before I get there, eh?”

“I will, promise!” Nata gave her a dutiful nod, putting an arm to his chest in a playful salute. Shale returned the gesture, exaggerating it and scrunching her brows together in her best imitation of Fabius to make the boy laugh before she turned and pushed through the canvas opening of the tent, tying it closed behind her.

Olivia was already sitting on the hammock, chin resting in her hand with a soft expression like she'd been listening to the conversation, a spool of bandages in her other hand. “He’s a good kid. You're good with him, y'know. I didn't think a solitary bird like you had it in you. What made you take him in if you don't mind me asking? Raising a child is far less safe of a prospect in our line of work than a relationship.”

“Alma put me forward as a recommendation, she wanted someone who understood what it was like to lose something important.” She said, moving to sit in the hammock as Olivia stood and motioned for her to sit. “I was skeptical at first, but I saw myself in him. He was so scared of so many things. I wanted to make sure he didn't end up as messed up as I did, y'know? I'd hate to see him close himself off like that. I just don't know if I'm doing a good job.”

“You are. I've seen him come so far already in these few weeks.” She ducked under the hammock to step behind her. “He looks up to you a whole lot, he told me so himself actually. Can you lift your arms?”

“I couldn't fathom why, if I'm being honest. By all accounts I should be terrifying to him.” She raised her arm, wincing as the bruise along her left side made its presence known.

“I don't think the ‘why’ really matters with these things. What matters is that he trusts you to guide him. You'd be a good mentor if he decides to become an apprentice hunter.” She took the hem of Shale's tunic in hand, waiting for her nod of approval before lifting it over her head, careful to not let it snag on her horns. “Damn, you weren't joking, huh? I'm surprised you're still able to keep yourself upright.”

Olivia trailed a hand over the large patch of purples, greens and blacks marring her silver scales, causing Shale to shiver slightly. Her hand paused when it reached the margins of one of the swathes of keltoid tissue from where flame and magma had once wreathed her when she’d been face to face with the molten black dragon. Shale braced instinctively, ears flicking back in anticipation of discomfort, but thankfully Olivia picked up on her unease and didn’t press.

She cupped a hand under her tricep for a moment, a quiet request for her to keep her arms held above her, before unwinding the bandage enough to start wrapping it around her abdomen.

“I know, right? Thank goodness I've got a thicker hide or you'd have probably had to drag me all the way up the mountain. I'll take it easy for a few days.” Shale paused for a moment, taking comfort in Olivia’s warmth behind her to soothe her tumultuous mind. “In all honesty, I don't know if it's a good idea for Nata to become a hunter. I know he's been toying around with the idea of possibly of it, and I don't want to trample over that, it's just…”

“You're worried about him facing even more loss.” Olivia finished, pausing her bandaging to place a hand on the rough scales of her nape to give it a reassuring squeeze. “Hunter or not, he's going to face more losses. It's just one of those cruel facts of life. I know you're going to live longer than any of us should all go well, but you can't protect him forever.”

Shale hung her head slightly. “I know. It's just that being a hunter is a big commitment, you're in this for life and you need to give it your all. I want to allow him his freedom but I also don't want him to get hurt.”

“That's why I know for certain you'd be the perfect mentor for him.” Olivia tied off the bandage before snaking her arms around Shale’s waist as she lowered her arms, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck before resting her forehead against it. “You're focused, driven, smarter than you give yourself credit for. I know you're going to do everything in your power to watch over him and keep him safe. What else do you carry a shield for, if not protecting lives? You won't have to do it alone either, I'd be more than happy to help. Always.”

Shale sighed, leaning back into her partner's embrace, hammock swaying slightly. She said nothing for a few minutes and Olivia didn't press her. It was the comfortable kind of silence, of the warmth of two hearts beating in tandem, of two bodies holding each other in spite of everything, that she'd missed.

“I don't know what I'd do without you.” She admitted. “I've felt so listless these past decades. So utterly lost. I didn't see the meaning behind hunting anymore, I'd just pick a quest without even looking at it and go through the motions of it. But then I was called on for this expedition, I met you, and it was like everything was in colour again.”

Olivia’s arms slipped away from her as she stepped back. For a frightful moment Shale thought she was going to leave, that she'd divulged too much and proved she was too much trouble than she was worth. But instead she'd simply stepped around the hammock to face her, taking her hands in hers.

“I'm just glad we were all able to show you that life is worth living again. I only wish we'd have met sooner.”

“Gods, me too.” Shale said with a broken chuckle. “Sorry for getting all down on you, I swear I'm not usually like this, it must be the day getting to me.”

“I know the feeling. I think this is something you've been shouldering alone for quite some time.” She sat down next to her, leaning into her. “I think it'd do you well to take the advice you've given Nata. You'd be surprised at how much your guildmates are willing to lend an ear. Community, lifting each other up, it's the heart of the guild.”

“I've been running solo for longer than some of the others have been hunters. I'm a little rusty, but I'll try.” Shale turned her head to face Olivia, claws coming to rest under her chin, turning her face towards her. “How long until dinner?”

“I think only around five minutes, I'm afraid.” She gave the hand she was still holding an apologetic squeeze.

“Everything always ends up being a race against time, hm?” She leaned in, mindful of her sharp beak, gently kissing her, reveling in Olivia’s content sigh before resting her forehead against hers.

“What's the plan for you after dinner? You and Athos would be more than welcome to stay the night, I know you don't have a tent with you. I’ve been told I'm a good cuddler despite my spikes, believe it or not.” Asked Shale, unable to hide her hopefulness.

“I'll be heading back to my unit tonight, I'm afraid. That Jin Dahaad will probably be steering clear of the area for a bit. I need to make sure Erik and Werner have fed themselves, you know how they can get.” Olivia gave her a rueful smile.

“Hah! That I do, I was like that myself once. Tell ‘em I say hi, won’t you?” Shale gently nudged Olivia’s elbow with her own. “I’ll see you in the plains camp tomorrow night? We can spar for a bit in the training area, maybe see what the ingredients center has for us to prep a dinner out of afterwards?”

“Sounds like my kind of evening,” She said with a grin. “We’ll call a date then?”

Shale nodded enthusiastically. “I’d be delighted to.”

“Good,” Olivia tossed her tunic to her. “I’ll let you get yourself ready for dinner then, I’ll go ahead and let the others know you’re on the way. I’ll see you then.”

She gave her a kiss on the tip of her beak before making her way out of the tent, Shale finding herself staring wistfully after her, chest aglow. She quickly scrambled to put her tunic back on, cursing as it got caught around her horns in her haste more times than she'd have liked to admit, before darting out of the tent, almost tripping over Duke.

“Shit, sorry pal. I thought you'd have gone to dinner with the others already.”

“Ehh, I figured I'd be able to cram a chat in beforehand,” He waved a paw dismissively, though his voice had a mischievous tone to it, the one Shale knew well as a precursor to his antics. “Should've expected you'd get all mushy and take longer than I'd expected. ‘Just apologising’, hm? Seems like it went much better than you'd expected, eh?”

“Oh don't you start.” She laughed and gave the tuft of fur on his head a lighthearted ruffle before striding towards the Allhearken’s abode. “C'mon, you don't want the food the Allhearken’s folks made us to get all cold, do you.”

“Alright, alright.” He gave a purr of a laugh, bounding up the incline after his hunter.

They walked in silence for a handful of minutes, before Duke lifted his head to her, looking at her with an expression Shale couldn’t place. “Could I ask you something?”

“Yeah, of course. Everything alright?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

He gave her a nod. “I suppose. I just wanted to know, are you happy?”

The question startled her, so much so that she stopped in her tracks. “That’s a big question, what brought this on?”

“I’ve just been thinking a lot about the past couple of decades, speaking with Athos a bit, you know how it is.” He rolled his shoulder in a shrug. “You’ve been, well, lost for quite a while. But these past weeks you’ve been smiling and talking more freely, I just need to know that it’s not some kind of mask you’re hiding behind.”

Her ears tilted back slightly. She supposed it was true, smiles had come easy to her recently. Real true smiles, not the false pleasantries she’d slipped into for years, worn for the purposes of convincing the guild she was okay enough to return to the hunt. When had that changed?

Some point during the expedition that she couldn’t pinpoint, surely. Had it really crept up on her just like that? But it truly had, she realised. The spectre of grief and guilt still loomed over her, perched on shoulders like a baunos ready to scavenge the corpse of who she was, was still present. However it felt more docile, a weight easier to bear now that she was a corpse no longer, now that there were others to share the load. Something small and alive was flickering within her, like a beast stirring after hibernation. Something she recognised as contentment, ease.

It had been a long time indeed.

She blinked, a bit taken aback by the revelation. Duke was staring up at her, mildly concerned by her silence.

“I think that I am, actually.” She muttered. “Huh, imagine that.”

Quicker than an arrow, Duke was hugging her, his arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

“Oh, thank goodness,” He breathed, grinning ear to ear. “You had me scared shitless, you know that? Thought I’d end up with a grey muzzle before you got your act together.”

She leaned down, gathering the felyne into her arms and picking him up. “Hey. Sorry I’ve been a shitty friend the past while, I haven’t been all there in the head.”

“Yeah, I could tell.” He chuckled, batting her on the snout with a paw. “I wouldn't call you shitty necessarily, mostly just a big idiot.”

“Alright, you feisty little Magnamalo, I’ll endeavour not to be a big idiot in future. Just keep me in check, alright?” She gave him a scratch under the chin.

“Hah! What do you think I hung up the sword and became your palico for if not to stop you from making stupid choices?” He flicked his tail at her. “Stupid choices like not getting a move-on, come on I’m starving!”

“Okay, okay I hear you.” She rolled her eyes fondly, carrying on towards the warm light and scent of food that spilled out from the Allhearken’s door.