They almost die! And honestly, that's the most exciting thing about this chapter. Everything else beforehand is just... means to an end.

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The blizzard had driven most of Neara's household into madness. Theo thumped his feet on the walls until Orson threatened to rip them off. The shortbirds had been thrown into a hastily-dug hole by the fireplace, a thick cover of hides and wood protecting them from the bitter blasts while the fireplace warmed the earth around them. Winston took it upon himself to visit them every day with fresh food and to collect the eggs. It was a dirty affair and he would leave the eggs outside the door while he threw himself around in the snow to clean himself. He brought back snow for Neara to bathe with, filling the stone pot with crystals clinging to his fur and tail. Orson, after learning the hard way, shielded the fire every time he opened the door.

Winston went hunting twice during the storm, bringing back enough kill for himself and Neara. The herbivores refused to eat, saving their grasses and nuts for the young lambs, who had absolutely no sense of the danger they were surrounded in and complained loudly of the cramped quarters.

Orson lovingly brushed his children every night, the stiff fibers combing through their scratchy coats and making them look like puffy brown clouds. "It's important to keep them fluffy so they stay warm. I don't know why, but my mother always did this to me and my brothers. I remember her warm hands." He smiled to himself. "I think you would have liked her."

"Was she the one who taught you to be sarcastic?"

"I'm only sarcastic because you don't know anything about this area. All you know is warm sands and the ocean." He carefully rubbed the nose of the larger one with his thumb. "If you weren't so stupid, I wouldn't have to be sarcastic."

"If you weren't so sarcastic, I wouldn't have to be so condescending." Neara stuck her tongue out at him. "You're not the one who figured out how to make rice flour."

"I also didn't almost get my head crushed in by routine ice fall, now did I?"

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up."

"Super comeback, Sarcasm King."

"I think Neara is right!"

"Shut up, Theo. Following her lead like a duckling won't make her like you."

"I'm going to hunt."

"Winston, we're sorry, come back."

Unfortunately for the quiet-loving Winston, the oppressive storm failed to dampen the fighting spirits of Neara and Orson, who were at each other's throats daily. If they weren't arguing about the children, it was about food or the fireplace, or firewood, or Theo, who frequently inserted himself into their spats.

"Look, all I'm saying is Neara has a point. You shouldn't expect her to go vegetarian just because you are."

"Nobody is talking about that, Theo, get off your high tree." Orson rolled his eyes and pointed a finger at him. "And anyway, nobody cares that she eats meat. All I said was that it's disgusting that she does it in front of me."

"Well, we're married, so you're going to have to get used to it."

"Would you eat our child?" He snagged one of the passing lambs and held it up, its legs thrashing wildly.

"Of course not, you idiot. I have to eat meat to survive, and you and I both know wild animals aren't the same as beastmen."

"What if you couldn't tell the difference?"

"Well, what if your vegetables could talk? Would you feel bad eating them?"

"Yeah, well..."

"That's what I thought."

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up."

"Great comeback."

Obviously, it was a relief when the storm died down and Winston all but ripped the boards off the windows to get at the sunshine. Icy air pierced the muggy man-smell and bright light drove daggers into the adjusted eyes of everyone in the house.

"Winston, what the hell, warn us next time." Orson grumbled and shielded his eyes.

The next morning brought another odd howl that Neara recognized as a summons to the Ape King's palace. "What, is it time for the nectar again?"

"Shuu mentioned seeds." Winston said.

"Oh, that's right. Could you go get them for me, please? I don't want to leave the lambs." They'd been needier than usual lately; Orson promised to take them to his village in the spring and they'd gotten more nervous as a result.

He shook his head. "Only females can get the seeds. I'll escort you though."

"I'll go too! I need to see the Rabbit King." Theo piped up. "Although we technically call him Captain."

Neara cocked her head. "Captain?"

"That's what he asked us to call him." He shrugged, "But I don't know why."

The trio walked in silence after Orson grumpily agreed to take care of the twins. "Do you think Shay will be there?" Neara finally said into the silence.

"If Ryan doesn't understand the summons, Parker will." Winston said, his eyes on the castle walls rising in the distance.

"Oh yeah, he used to live here." Neara kept forgetting he was the son of the Leopard King.

When the party got inside, they noticed a large wooden stage had been constructed near the front of the courtyard with a throne on top of it. The Ape King sat on the throne, the lone person on the dais. "If everyone has arrived, we will start issuing seeds. Form a line in front of the tables."

Neara looked around, but couldn't see Shay or any of her mates. "She loves gardening though..."

Winston straightened and looked around. "They're over by the back line. She only brought Joseph and Harvey."

"Joseph and Harvey? That's weird that Ryan or at least Parker didn't come." Neara frowned and twirled her hair around her index finger. "Does that mean Curtis woke up? It's not technically spring yet, but maybe he and Ryan are fighting?"

Theo shrugged. "I can't see Captain anywhere. I'll go ask Joseph. Don't worry Neara, I'll be back for you." He wriggled through the crowd and disappeared.

Neara and Winston slowly marched forward in line, a bubble opening around them as other beastmen noticed the four dark lines on WInston's chest. He didn't exude that same threatening aura, but they gave him space nonetheless.

"Why is everyone afraid of you?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Because I am ugly and powerful."

"I... I don't think you're ugly though. You just have a scar, and that doesn't make you ugly."

A slight blush appeared on his cheeks and she continued.

"It just means you fought something and won; what's so ugly about that?"

"Thank you," he whispered, "thank you for your kindness."

Neara almost didn't hear him over the ape beastman at the front of the line yelling for her to come forward. He had a rough leather bag and poured the rice seeds into it. His eyes widened in surprise and he looked at her waist. "You... gave birth this last year?"

She nodded slowly, warily. "Yes?"

"Then you may have two bowls." He dumped another bowl of rice seeds into her bag. "As well as these." He brought up the bowl again and Neara's mouth dropped open.

At the same time, Winston said, "Wild seeds. Just give them to me." He held out his hands and gathered the wheat kernels. "I'm sorry, Neara, these are useless."

"Useless? They look like wh... something I used to eat in my Clan." She examined a grain closely and nodded. Definitely wheat. "What makes you say they're useless?"

"You can't eat them like rice. They're only good for attracting birds." Nonetheless, he carried the seeds more carefully after seeing her interest.

They moved out of the line. "Well, you don't cook them like rice. You grind them into powder and make stuff with it."

His ears perked up. "Like those rice noodles you made?"

"Exactly. I'm more used to cooking with wheat flour anyway." She couldn't keep the smile from her face. Finally, something familiar.

"You may take as many as you like." A thin voice behind her said.

Neara whirled to see the Ape King smiling tightly at her.

"In fact, anyone who wants to plant wild grains may have as many as they like," he said a little louder for the beastmen surrounding him, none of whom looked interested in his proposition.

"Thanks." Neara returned his smile with one of her own. "And we'll return this same measure to you when we're done harvesting."

"I look forward to seeing you at that time." His eyes flashed dangerously and Neara took an involuntary step back. "Now, would you care to stay for the rice planting class?"

Winston nodded. "We will be in attendance."

"Good! I'd hate for your seeds to go bad." He smiled, a false one that never left his lips though his eyes crinkled at the corners. "I hope you learn what you need." He walked back to the throne, flanked by wolf beastmen.

Neara tightened her mouth. "I don't trust him, Winston."

"You are wise not to." He looked after the retreating King, his mouth curled inward. "The Ape King thinks too much about himself."

They seated themselves on the ground and listened intently. An Ape beastman, not the Ape King, stood in front of them with a handful of rice seeds. "It is important, when planting rice, to test the soil first. Dry soil will not yield a good crop. Also, remember the bugs..."

Winston inclined his head to Neara. "You may go, if you wish."

"What?" she whispered back.

"I can learn about the rice planting myself. You can go back to your children."

Neara smiled widely at him. "Thanks Winston! I do need to nurse..." She unconsciously palpated her chest, already tight, and stood up. "I owe you."

She instantly got turned around and ended up wandering on one of the walls. "Wow. My sense of direction is shit." She looked at a large tree next to the castle and frowned. "This looks... familiar..."

"Neara!"

"Shuu!" She took a step back as he stood too close, a large smile nearly closing his eyes.

"It's been too long. I've missed you..."

"Shuu, look, I've been nice, but I'm not interested." She held up her hands. "You need to find someone else to flirt with because I have the males I want."

Shuu frowned. "Winston doesn't like me, does he? Relations between the Tiger and Wolf Clans have never been easy... but Neara, I only care for you! I can't give my heart to another female."

"I don't... I don't feel that way about you. I don't like you like that, Shuu." She tried to step back again.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her close. "Why don't you like me, Neara? You can reject me forever, but I will still like you. You own my heart and your face is the only one I want to see every day. I bring you your favorites to make you smile, how can you not like me?"

"Shuu, stop!" She pulled away with a gasp and fell backwards.

"Neara!" He grabbed her around her waist and picked her up.

She kicked frantically in his grasp. "Let me go!"

"Put her down, Shuu!" Shay came running up and grabbed her friend's hand.

Shuu gently set her down and Shay pulled her friend away from him. "I didn't mean..."

"She's not into you, ok? So freaking back off already!" Shay said almost hysterically. "You can't force someone to like you, no matter how much you like them!" She screamed the last part and it was Shuu's turn to take a step back, his eyes wide.

"I didn't... I'm sorry." He turned and ran off.

"You ok?" Neara asked, her voice filled with concern. "I got the feeling we weren't talking about me anymore..."

"It's... I'm... it's fine." She looked at his retreating form. "I feel kind of bad for him though. I know males here get attached easily. It's kind of your fault, you know."

"What? How is it my fault?"

"You're too nice to him."

"And we're ignoring you 'studying' under Harvey because..."

Shay blushed fiercely, the dark red instantly staining her face. "I don't know what you're talking about. Ok, I do, but I'm not thinking about that right now."

"We don't have to talk about it... I already know." Neara smiled in what she hoped was a gentle manner and not condescending. "And it's ok."

"Let's switch the topic to something less embarrassing than me being a whore. How about when you're going to make some cute little bun babies for me?"

Now it was Neara's turn to blush. "He's underage!"

"Maybe in our world. But, hey, if that's your hang up..."

"You've got a bun of your own, speaking of babies..." Neara raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing there. I'm just generally not interested." She pointed to the corner. "That's way too big to be Shuu, right?"

Neara noticed the tiger beastman too. "Yeah... and it's not Winston..."

The beastman passed them slowly, his eyes filled with disdain, then stopped. He whipped around and grabbed Shay around the waist and mouth, pulling her upwards in a swift motion.

Neara lashed out and her fists connected with his solid chest.

Which suddenly wasn't so solid after her hands burst through it. The beastman puffed his last breath and collapsed to his knees. Shay barely had time to escape his grasp when he fell to his face in a puddle of his own blood. Neara looked at her hands with an open mouth

"Neara, what the fwoop..."

"I..." she struggled to talk about the lump in her throat. "I..." Her shoulder burned, the ram's head searing to her bones.

"You just..."

"Stop them!" Voices called in front of them. They lifted their heads to find two other beastmen running after them.

"Don't let them get away!" A leopard and bear beastmen came from behind them and another bear beastman opened a door to join them.

Neara froze in place, the blood congealing on her hands in the stiff winter breeze. Shay squared her shoulders as though for a fight, but stepped back nonetheless. "Uh, Neara?"

"I'll--I'll punch!"

"So this anime is a stone age One Punch Man?" A high pitched giggle escaped Shay. "That's different." She looked around, then grabbed her friend. "I have an idea."

"What the..." Shay jumped off the wall, pulling her friend with her.

"SHIIIII" Neara screamed as they fell through the air. They landed on the ground and Shay looked surprised, but please.

"Wow. I guess I have super powers too. Ryan wasn't joking about those beastmarks."

"You didn't freaking..." Both girls collapsed, their short burst of energy leaving them in a moment. "I guess this is how we die?"

A large, no, absolutely enormous size-of-a-horse wolf ran up to them and threw them on its back. Beastmen fell from the walls and trickled through the doors in the wall.

"Don't let them get away!"

"Stop Shuu!"

"Shuu?" Neara murmured drowsily.

The wolf shot through the streets, two tigers in hot pursuit. The endurance of the wolf hadn't gotten them far enough before the pouncing power of the tigers brought them close enough to scratch at his flanks. The wolf whined, but continued running. Shay weakly lifted her head and saw flecks of blood flying through the air.

A loud shriek overhead made them lift their heads and a huge bird descended, lifting both girls in one claw and the wolf in the other. Neara continued swearing a blue streak in the air, grabbing tightly to the scaly leg of their kidnapper/rescuer, Shay hadn't decided which yet.

She squinted against the sunny sky and saw a white figure below who she thought resembled Winston. He was soon joined by a black shape that looked like Ryan. The eagle descended. Ryan leaped into the air and dragged Shay into his arms.

"Shay! I felt you use my strength... are you alright?" He hugged her tightly to his chest.

"Neara." WInston's voice sounded strained. He helped her stand and she collapsed sideways into his arms. "You're hurt."

"Just... tired." She looked at her hands. "This isn't mine."

"Then whose..."

A loud coughing alerted them to Shuu, transformed back into his naked human form. He trembled violently on the ground and spat up foam.

"Shuu." Neara pushed herself away from Winston and crawled towards him.

Shay pointed to the two tigers who came up behind them. "Those two tigers, and a bunch of other beastmen, tried to kill us."

Ryan's eyes flashed dangerously and his oppressive aura settled over the group. The two tigers froze in place, unable to move in fear. "Did they?" He carefully handed Shay to Winston. "Watch her for me, please." He stalked slowly towards the tigers, who weakly tried to run away.

"You're hurt..." Neara reached out a hand to Shuu's leg where long scratches filled with black blood.

"Don't touch... it's poison..." He coughed and blood pooled at the corner of his mouth. "I... I don't think I'm going to make it."

"If it's poison, there might be an antidote." Shay swung from Winston's weak grasp. "What snake bit you? If we can find a scale from their tail..."

"It's a white flower." Muir said, having flashed from his eagle form into a human. "The Ape King knows where it is."

"Flower, huh? Well, can you go get the Ape King then?" Shay said.

"Yes, I can." Muir took to the skies, feathers erupting over his body as he bolted towards the castle.

"Shuu, you're going to be ok. You're going to find a nice girl and make babies and..." Neara sputtered and tripped over her words, not daring to believe everything that had happened.

"What a strong female." Shuu said softly as he touched her blood knuckles and chuckled as she winced. "I'm so lucky...to have you cry over me."

"I'm not crying, you're going to live, damn it." Neara sniffed and swiped at her eyes with her wrist, only succeeding in smearing blood all over her face. "You're not going to die because of me."

Muir landed with a flurry of feathers, a group of white flowers clenched in his claws. "This is the medicine?"

Ryan, suspiciously devoid of blood, walked up behind them and nodded. "That is the antidote to the silencing tree poison."

"Why didn't you say anything if you knew what it was?" Shay snatched the flowers from Muir and mashed them between her hands. She spread the sticky paste over Shuu's leg. It quickly darkened with blood.

"It was Rosa." Shuu coughed. "Rosa wants you dead... both of you."

"Why does she want us dead?" Shay asked.

"Winston, protect your mate. Never leave her, never ever..."

"What's going on here?" The Ape King and Wolf King walked up, their height difference even more glaring surrounded by snow.

"Those tiger beastmen tried to kill my female." Ryan said darkly.

The Ape King's mouth opened slightly and he shook his head. "Then they deserved to die. I can't believe they would do such a thing..."

"Can't you... do something?" Neara gestured to Shuu's coughing body.

"It's not that I don't want to... it's just that he's dying. He must have ran the whole way here, which would have spread the poison more quickly."

As if fulfilling prophecy, Shuu crunched in on himself and coughed up an enormous quantity of blood. Foam bubbled out of his mouth and nose and pooled on the ground in front of him. His eyes rolled back in his head and every muscle strained against an unseen force before he went limp and flashed into the corpse of a wolf.

"Shuu..." Neara's lower lip trembled.

"He loved you, so his corpse is yours to bury." The Wolf King said, hanging his head as he turned to follow the Ape King.

"I can't..." Neara looked at his body. "I don't know how..."

Winston