A bang startled Taiga from half-sleep, rattling him enough for his entire body to tense beneath the covers, sending prickled, spiking pain down his spine and through every joint. Thuds and cursing made him pull his head above the covers, though the chill in the room drove needles across every part of his exposed face.

  “Taiga!” Mouse’s voice was a little above its usual volume, but it boomed and grated his already existing migraine.

  “Yeah?” He slid back beneath the covers up to his nose, watching Mouse pause, scowl, and hurry beside him.

  “Those humans are all hypocrites! Every single one of them. They hate me and pretend I don’t exist, and then the moment they need something, they come running back.”

  Taiga tried to keep his thoughts from scrambling away. A sharp wind pounded against the window and he was thankful that, at least, it couldn’t reach him. He pushed down the desire to retreat fully beneath the blankets. “What happened?”

  Mouse paused before shifting to the end of the bed and sliding the heat stones in his hands back into place. Taiga’s feet warmed, and he shivered as the cold gripped him, fighting to hold on. Mouse pressed a few fingers to Taiga’s forehead, frowned, and picked up a bowl from the nightstand.

  “Eat while it’s still hot. I can talk while you eat.”

  Food was the last thing Taiga wanted, but in the face of Mouse’s stern eyes, he forced himself up. Mouse moved the pillows into a position Taiga could lean into, and handed him the bowl of soup. Taiga’s body creaked and snapped with every movement, sending pain wracking through him.

  He’d no appetite, but the warmth of it invited him to give it a try. He sipped from the edge of the bowl, ignoring the wooden spoon. His taste numbed any flavor of the liquid, but the heat of it poured through him. It warmed his core, which struggled to maintain warmth of his own.

  “Do you need another blanket?” Mouse’s voice grated on Taiga’s ears. He swallowed both the soup and his growing annoyance.

  “I thought you were going to talk while I ate?” He attempted to keep sharpness from his tone, but the end of it flickered enough for Mouse to catch.

  Mouse acted as though he didn’t notice, though they both knew he was far too wary of Taiga to miss it. “Those mercenaries asked me for a favor. As if I owed them one.”

  “Which mercenaries?” They’d met plenty of them already. And from Taiga’s recall, they owed favors to none.

  “Telly. And Field or whatever.”

  “Telania?”

  “Yeah, her.” Mouse shrugged at the name. He lifted the covers just enough to slide in, and the immediate shift from chill to welcomed warmth trembled Taiga.

  He leaned into Mouse, who’s body ran warmer than humans’. Taiga thought he’d given Field and Telania warning enough. Apparently not, if they were approaching Mouse. “What’d they want?”

  “Help.”

  Taiga waited for him to continue, but Mouse didn’t. Instead, he huffed, sipping from his own bowl. “... with?”

  “Ah,” Mouse started, like he’d forgotten a moment. “Remember when we found those demons out by the lake?”

  Taiga groaned as he pushed into the pillow and his joints ground with every movement. “And two were eaten by the kikaua? We met Jule and Ellio there. Hard to forget.”

  Mouse wrapped an arm around Taiga’s shoulder, pulling him closer. Taiga let him, drawn to the heat he didn’t have. It sank into him, easing his bones and joints, relaxing Taiga. “Yeah, that. There’s been an investigation going on the whole time, I guess. Field and them have been working on it.”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  This was news. Perhaps the guildmaster had faith or trust in those mercenaries. They’d supposedly stayed in Winolin for years. For the guildmaster to go to them instead of Taiga and Mouse, who found the demons initially meant Field had quite the trust from her. Well, that or Taiga and Mouse were incredibly untrusted.

  “Anyways, they found what looks like a den. You know, like a bear or wolf den? But for demons.”

  Taiga paused. “Demons need corrupted land to live on. They can’t just make a den.”

  Mouse shrugged. “They’ve found several demons since, apparently. Appearing here and there.”

  Taiga thought back to when they’d last been at the lake. There were no signs of corruption seeping into the land so deeply. Perhaps remnants from the attempted breach, but even then, it was a stretched line of thought.

  “Another rip? Within the wall?”

  Mouse turned towards him. “You think so?”

  Considering how the other rip appeared, it did invoke some similarities. But the land was far from dead. Nothing about it aside from the demon appearances could even be compared to that around the other two rips. The land was simply too healthy.

  “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t know for sure without seeing the den myself but,” Taiga sighed, enjoying the warmth slipping through the bowl and into his fingertips, “something else could be going on.”

  “Well, if it’s not a rip,” Mouse set his empty bowl down and crossed his arms over his chest, “I don’t need to help.”

  “Why do they want your help, anyways?” From their last interaction, those mercenaries seemed to want nothing to do with him ever again.

  Mouse said nothing a moment, before mumbling, “I think Field wanted to talk to you, actually. But I didn’t let him, so he compromised for me.” Then, he continued a little louder, “they said I’m strong, reliable. Think I’m good to have in case of a fight.”

  “So they’re scared.” Hypocrites, indeed.

  “They plan to ambush the den and clear it out. Then expand the search and eradicate any demons remaining, once and for all.”

  “Hmm.” An interesting tactic. And clear why they chose Mouse. What’s to be afraid of when they could use Mouse as a shield. “Did you agree?”

  Mouse shook his head. “Fuck them.”

  His blunt answer made Taiga chuckle, sending another wave of pain across his back. The shock curled him and Mouse pulled him closer. Then, he took Taiga’s half empty bowl and set it into his own on the nightstand. “They didn’t want anything to do with me. Not sure why they thought I’d suddenly agree. He’s lucky I didn’t punch him.”

  Taiga said nothing to that. He supposed maybe he should be proud that he didn’t. Despite Mouse’s complaints, Jule and Ellio’s presence seemed to calm his overall intolerance of humans. Well, either that or his recent escapades with the Ravenguild satiated his hatred for now.

  “I think you should go with them.”

  “What??” Mouse pulled away. But Taiga groaned as the cold sank its teeth back into him and Mouse returned. “Why?”

  “Because,” Taiga cuddled against Mouse, regaining the fleeting warmth, “they don’t stand a chance if there’s more than a few demons.”

  “But—”

  “And because if the demons really are able to stay within the walls of Winolin, that is a whole new problem they aren’t equipped to handle.”

  Mouse pouted, furrowing his eyebrows and leaning into the pillow so Taiga could leech more heat from him. “I guess.”

  Taiga slid further into the blankets, his eyes drawing close with a weight he couldn’t fight. And he didn’t have the will to try. The cold seeped strength from him first, then it slowed his thoughts and movements. It raptured him into its hold and lured him to sleep. Maybe he should’ve gone to Haasundra with the others.

  But no. He knew the trip would’ve taxed him. If he was foolish in his care or if the weather struck violently, he’d have been left frozen on the ground. His bark would’ve protected him first, striking out and cracking his human shell. But it wouldn’t be able to protect him from the cold, instead driving vulnerability through him.

  Oh, how he hated winter.

  Mouse moved his legs further into the bed, and they warmed Taiga’s legs that the heat stones’ warmth failed to reach. “You okay?”

  His voice shook Taiga from sleep’s grasp, if only for a moment. It bared down against him immediately, and he sunk further into the bed’s embrace. “Fine enough.”

  Mouse shifted, and he pulled Taiga off him. Taiga recoiled when the cold quickly took advantage of the space. He groaned as needles made their mark on his skin. Then Mouse pushed in further, wrapping the top layer of blankets over himself and over Taiga’s head. “Sleep.”

  “What about the favor?” Taiga snuggled beneath the blanket, resting his head into the crook of Mouse’s arm. His finger gripped the warm fabric of Mouse’s tunic, clinging to any heat he could.

  “Yeah, fine. I’ll do it.” He huffed, sighing in defeat and pulling Taiga closer. “So just stay here. And stay warm.”