It was well past midnight when the hunting party finally returned to the Gathering. They rode in a single file line, horses laden with packs. Most of the Tatzelwurm harvest had gone straight into Dem's storage ring, leaving the mounts sagging but manageable.
Bone tired, Dem unloaded the packs outside Sark's tent in the Frostridge quarter, gave the old man a quiet nod, then headed home. He smiled faintly at the Swiftwind guard as he passed and slipped inside the family tent without a sound.
The familiar scents of smoke, lavender, and roasted meat wrapped around him instantly, easing the tightness in his shoulders.
Dem slid under his blankets. Ai sat up immediately, dark eyes half-open and alert.
"How was the hunt, dasai?"
"Successful," Dem murmured through a yawn. "No injuries. Oh—almost forgot."
He reached into his storage ring and withdrew the Tatzelwurm egg, placing it gently onto the warm furs near the heated stones in the center of the tent.
Ai narrowed her eyes at the silhouette. "Is… that an egg? Why is it so big?"
"Tatzelwurm egg." Dem nudged it with his foot until it rested between his ankles.
Yada sat up next, squinting into the darkness. "Tatzelwurm? Surely you're not planning to hatch it."
"I am," Dem replied simply. "Is everyone awake?"
"No," Yada whispered.
"Yes," Gram snorted, rolling over. "Give it here. I want a proper look."
Dem frowned but sat up and passed it over carefully.
"We'll need to moisten the shell and keep it warm." Gram held the egg to her ear—and broke into a grin. "It's purring."
"What?" Ai scrambled over the blankets, pressing her ear to the shell. Her eyes went wide and bright. "Oh. That's… adorable." She glanced at Dem. "What did the adult look like?"
"A few dozen feet of serpent," Dem answered, settling back as Gram and Yada took turns inspecting the egg. "Black scales, pale upper body shaped like a huge desert lioness."
They finally returned it to him. Dem uncorked his dark bottle, poured a little into his palm, and rubbed the moisture across the shell.
"Just a little?" he asked.
Gram sniffed the air. "Should really use water. Is that highberry?"
Dem smiled innocently and didn't answer. He tucked the warm, purring egg under his chin, curled around it, and the vibration lulled him faster than exhaustion ever could.
He was asleep in moments.
**
The trio rode in silence, the night air cool against their faces. Their brush with the Tatzelwurm had leeched the bravado from them, leaving their thoughts heavy and their nerves still raw.
Captain Rubai had recovered first, though the look in his eye said he'd been replaying the wrong moments—everything after their escape, not the creature that nearly killed them.
"You ever seen forms like that, Matrea?" he finally asked.
Matrea jolted from her thoughts, mouth still dry from the den's stench. "No. Those weren't basic stances. They looked like… forgotten Sybasi steps."
Rubai nodded slowly. "A form tailored for fighting animals. Who in the hells teaches that?"
"I only know," Matrea said, voice quieter, "that if I had been in his place, I'd have died the moment Ciara tossed the egg."
Ciara winced. "It slipped. I didn't throw it badly on purpose."
Rubai snorted. "Doesn't matter. He caught it anyway. And he's the same one who killed Sully. Now I'm thinking he was holding back then."
Matrea's expression tightened. The memory was not a pleasant one. They had taken trail rights at the Gathering, and instead of awe, they'd been met with a pot of boiling stew, a girl with a bow, and a shaman declaring a blood feud she didn't even remember earning.
She had been humbled. Badly.
"They killed the Tatzelwurm easily enough," she muttered. "Even without him fighting at the end. Those tribals understand formations. Advanced ones."
Rubai cursed into the night. "We should have run with the egg when we had it."
Ciara hugged her reins tighter. She knew better. Running with the egg would have meant a brutal, instant death. "I'm still going to thank him," she said quietly.
Rubai shot her a look. "Thank him for taking our egg?"
Ciara shook her head. "For saving me. I was… terrified. And he helped."
Rubai scoffed. "Helped himself, you mean. To the egg."
Ciara shrugged, eyes on the road ahead.
"I still have a debt."
**
Dem left the Tatzelwurm egg with Gram and slipped back into his familiar morning rhythm — Sybasi instruction with a handful of eager youths, followed by another grueling spear session under Huntmaster Dern. By the time he returned to the Swiftwind camp, the smell hit him before the sight did.
A massive pot of stew simmered over the coals, filling the air with a mouth-watering, savory aroma.
Ai sat cross-legged beside Gram, periodically lifting the egg and pressing it to her ear. "I wonder if it's male or female."
"Female," Dem answered instantly, shoveling stew into his mouth with very little chewing.
Ai's face lit up. "You can sense that?"
Dem swallowed. "Not really. If it were male, it probably wouldn't be making this much noise."
Gram snorted. Ai processed the statement, blinked, narrowed her eyes…
"Dasai…" She raised the egg to eye level like she was scolding a small child. "Just for that, I'm naming it."
Dem shrugged. "Do your best, dosu."
"Really?" Ai tapped her chin with exaggerated thoughtfulness. "I'll have to see it first."
"Good choice," Dem said, scraping the bowl clean. Then, without turning, he added, "Telo's here."
Ai stood to gather bowls, but Yada put a gentle hand on her arm.
"It's the Gathering," she said warmly. "Leave this to us. Go enjoy yourself."
"Morning, Swiftwinds!" Telo called cheerfully as he strode into camp, swinging his spear and using the butt to pace his steps.
"Dosu!" Dem popped up, scooping the egg into his yurka and securing it against his chest. It vibrated happily at the warmth.
Yada and Gram greeted the Redfox clansman with fond smiles.
"The Travelers are holding a festival this afternoon," Telo announced. "Palm readers, fortune tellers — the whole show. They're leaving at dawn tomorrow."
"Really?" Dem leaned forward, excitement cutting through his fatigue. He hugged Gram and Yada quickly before following Telo, Ai falling into step beside him.
Telo nodded. "Fortunes, divination, dancing—maybe even some charms."
Dem tried not to roll his eyes. He'd seen street cons in Thaigmaal who could read a person so well it looked like sorcery.
"Let's pick up Tam and walk a bit," Ai suggested.
A short while later, the trio collected Tam and joined the walking path that circled the entire Gathering. Dozens of clansfolk were already out — laughing, gossiping, showing off trinkets from the Travelers — and the four of them blended right into the comfortable flow.
Tam peered into the quiver Dem handed back. "So many used?"
Dem nodded. "They were extremely effective. Key to bringing the Tatzelwurm down without anyone getting hurt."
As they walked, he recounted the fight in full — every detail, every exchange, every moment of chaos. The three tribals hung on his words like they were listening to a legend being born.
"I think I know her," Tam said when he finished. "Stonefall clan, right?"
"Tori," Dem confirmed.
Tam let out a low whistle. "She won the archery competition six years straight before aging out. And she got that many shots in?"
"Not a single miss. I recovered all the enchanted arrowheads too. Sark promised to re-shaft them." Dem's gaze drifted toward the Frostridge encampment. "He's the one who used to be their Huntmaster."
"Man's a legend," Telo said.
"Too bad he's a Frostridge," Ai muttered.
"He's joining the Sentry force as Sub-Chief of the scout odun," Dem announced casually.
Telo nearly choked. "You recruited him?"
"No," Dem said, "he volunteered."
Telo shook his head in disbelief. "What's the makeup of the Sentry force now?"
"Five oduns," Dem replied. "Three spear, one archery, and the scouts. I've picked three sub-chiefs."
"That's perfect," Telo said, sharing a knowing look with Dem — neither of them mentioning Reyka Frostridge in Ai's presence. "Who's the third?"
"Rodric Bearclaw. Teya's older brother."
Telo exhaled a laugh. "The giant? You should see the size of his horse. Looks more like an ox."
Dem grinned and shoved the whole pile of responsibility onto him. "I'm leaving the rest of the recruitment to you, Sentry Chief."
Telo winked. "Leave it to me. Hey… this Tori — does she have mismatched eyes?"
"One blue, one brown," Dem said.
"I saw her walking with some of the other seconds earlier. She is so…"
He paused, suddenly aware Ai and Tam were both looking right at him.
"Interesting," he finished, without missing a beat.
"Think so?" Dem asked. "Hard to tell from behind that nose of hers."
Ai and Tam promptly tried (and failed) to hide their laughter.
Telo's jaw dropped. "Dasai… did you suddenly go blind?"