The moon had passed its zenith.
After enduring a full day of grueling training and practicing on her own until well past midnight, Clawdia returned to the house beneath the fading moon and starlight.
The moment she entered, she caught that familiar scent. Isis is back, meow!
Clawdia, who had been trudging wearily, immediately perked up.
Altaïr's scent and another that seemed to belong to some wild animal hardly mattered, especially the latter. It was probably just prey or something equally unimportant.
She scampered to the room she shared with Isis and gently slid open the shoji door.
Isis was fast asleep on a thick futon spread across the floor.
Afraid of waking her, Clawdia even softened her breathing. She crept to the bedside and, as usual, lifted a corner of the blanket, ready to crawl inside with pure delight.
Suddenly, a furry head poked out through the gap and stared at her with equal parts confusion and wariness.
Clawdia froze.
She had suffered nightmares like this before, but in those dreams, the head beneath the blanket had always been... Altaïr's.
Over the years, she had more or less come to accept that outcome. Not entirely, not completely, but to some extent.
But what in the world is this pointy-snouted thing, meow?!
"Hah–!"
In an instant, every hair on Clawdia's body stood on end. Her claws sprang from her paw pads, and undisguised killing intent filled her low growl.
The Stinkmink darted back beneath the covers and frantically clawed at Isis's arms and stomach, trying to wake her.
It had clearly mistaken Clawdia for some dangerous creature creeping closer with ill intent, much as it had reacted when the Hunters approached the sleeping Espinas.
From Clawdia's perspective, however, the little white pest was like... a homewrecker hiding in her partner's arms?
The comparison was strange, but the feeling was roughly the same.
She gave an enraged howl and pounced, but the nimble Stinkmink ducked behind Isis, causing Clawdia to miss.
"Meow–!"
On all fours with her back arched, Clawdia roared again and gave chase.
The small, nimble Stinkmink darted this way and that as it fled in terror.
"Huh?"
Isis had actually awakened at Clawdia's first angry cry, but her mind was still foggy after being startled from a deep sleep. She sat on the futon and watched in a daze as a Felyne and a Stinkmink raced frantically around her.
Several seconds passed before she finally came to her senses. Reaching out with both hands, she grabbed Clawdia in one and the Stinkmink in the other, then held them up in front of her.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Why are you two fighting?"
Consumed by fury, Clawdia wanted only to scratch the little white pest and did not hear Isis's question at all.
The Stinkmink could not speak and simply kept trying to burrow into Isis's arms for protection, further fueling Clawdia's rage.
Isis felt as though she could barely restrain her anymore.
The commotion also woke Altaïr in the next room. He walked over, yawning.
As an observer, he understood the situation more clearly than Isis did. He did not need to ask what had made Clawdia so angry.
At this rate, no one would get any sleep. Fortunately, breaking the deadlock was simple.
He walked over to Isis, grabbed the Stinkmink's soft, bushy tail, and slung it across his shoulder like a towel.
"We'll discuss this after sunrise. Don't wake our hosts. Good night." With that, he carried the Stinkmink, now too frightened to move, out of Isis's room and remembered to slide the door shut behind him.
The room finally fell quiet.
"Meow~"
"Rrrowr!"
—--
The following morning, Nymera emerged from her room while tying her headband and came upon a strange sight.
The Stinkmink was stuck to Clawdia... though that was not quite accurate. More precisely, it had wrapped itself tightly around her, resting its chin atop Clawdia's head with an air of great affection.
The affection was entirely one-sided. Clawdia clearly disliked the creature. Her fur had puffed up into a ball, and her entire face was scrunched in displeasure.
For reasons of her own, however, she seemed to have resigned herself to peaceful coexistence.
"So... what's going on here?" Nymera asked curiously. She looked toward Altaïr, who sat on the porch with various tools, carefully cleaning and maintaining his weapon.
"Those two were fighting in the middle of the night, weren't they? How did they suddenly become so close?"
Altaïr glanced over. "Isis explained the situation to Clawdia. As Isis's beloved big sister and best partner, 'a mature and reasonable Felyne,' she couldn't do anything to the little pest anyway.
"As for the Stinkmink, we have Master Iori to thank. I don't know how he managed to communicate with it, but it eventually understood that Clawdia wasn't an enemy. She was a companion.
"If something unexpected happens during a fight and Isis doesn't have time to protect it, Clawdia will.
"That's how they ended up in this position. According to Master Iori, the Stinkmink may be trying to leave some kind of semipermanent scent mark on Clawdia.
"Rather than let it mark Isis, Clawdia chose to endure it herself."
"Ah-choo!"
Whether the Stinkmink's fur had tickled her or some odor had irritated her nose, Clawdia let out a tremendous sneeze.
Amused, Nymera looked away from the two little creatures tangled together. She sat near Altaïr and turned her gaze toward Isis, who was energetically swinging her Gunlance in the yard as part of her daily training.
"So you're planning to keep that Stinkmink?"
"Mm." Altaïr nodded. "Its ability to forcibly draw a Monster's attention has a wide range of applications. It's much more reliable than trying to provoke one with shouts or Paintballs and can be incorporated into many tactics.
"We asked Master Iori about it. He said Stinkminks are omnivores. They eat meat, insects, fruit, and just about anything else, so they're easy to feed.
"They're also highly adaptable. They can be found everywhere from volcanic regions to frozen shores, so taking it back to the Old World shouldn't be a problem.
"The only concern is introducing an invasive species, but since we're bringing only one, it shouldn't pose much risk."
"I see." Nymera regarded the Stinkmink curiously. "Have you given it a name? You can't keep calling it 'little thing' or 'little pest' forever."
"It has one. Isis named it. Take a guess."
"Hmm. First of all, it's probably food?" Nymera thought of the Estrellian hatchling named Bacon.
"Of course."
"It should be something we have at home, right? She probably wouldn't think of anything too obscure."
"Right."
"Something from home... Bunny Dango, rice balls, rice cakes, or mochi? Mochi is already taken, so that's out. Isis doesn't seem especially fond of Bunny Dango, which leaves rice balls or rice cakes. Judging by its appearance, I'd say Rice Cake?"
Altaïr grinned. "It's Rice Cake. Easy to guess, wasn't it?"
"It really was..."
After a brief silence, Altaïr spoke again. "Kamura Village's Smithy is impressive. Senior Maki put in a good word for us. She said our new armor and weapons could be finished within a week.
"After that, we'll return to the Old World."
Nymera propped herself up on her hands and leaned back to gaze at the sky. "Ahh, our vacation is ending already. It feels so good to be home. I don't want to leave."
Altaïr looked up at her. "The second wave of the Tidal Island advance team should arrive in another month or two. Once they do, our contracts will be complete.
"Do you have any plans after that?"
Conflict and uncertainty flickered in Nymera's eyes, and she fell into a long silence.
Just then, Yomogi called from inside the house, "Nymera! You slept this late, and now you're lazing around? Get in here and help!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)