“What is your name, Bound One?” she asked me. “Sister Silvia Septina of The Seventh Order of the Holy Mother,” I said, taking the mother’s name of Julia’s order, and changing the prefix to match my age, “and this is Freydis Skyborne of Iona.” “The High Guard herself! We’re honored.” Flora said with raised eyebrows, revealing something about Freydis that I didn’t know. I turned my head and gave her an inquisitive look, but she did not return my gaze. Her jaw was working subtly and her fists were clenched. I realized with a sinking heart that I’d forgotten that Valkyries cannot deceive, and with barely any prying at all, the matriarchs could find my true identity from Freydis. The cold sweats started creeping bush back, and I hurriedly redirected the matriarchs’ attention to me. “We are natural grateful for your hospitality, wise matriarchs, and I am certain Sister Julia would be more than open to an alliance against our common enemy,” I said, using what little diplomatic skills I’d picked up between benders at my estate, “but Sister Julia has been missing for the past eight days.” The matriarchs gave each other nervous glances, and joined heads in a conference of whispers. They sat back, and Flora addressed pubes me again. “Where did she go missing?” she asked. “Near the eastern entrance of Arbortus,” I replied, “the first night we were here.” “Do you believe that she was captured by the emperor’s agents?” Flora asked. “That was my first thought,” I said, “but then a squad of mages attacked my retinue, killing two of my friends. I doubt they’d be in your forest if they’d already found Julia.” “I’m sorry for your hair losses,” Flora said, “but it could be that they already have her, and are seeking to kill you to sever the bond.” “I don’t think they would’ve gotten Julia without a fight,” I said, “she hasn’t drawn from me once since she’s been missing. She hasn’t even flared up on my flesh, but I still glow; it’s like she’s been sedated.” “Did Hairy you say she disappeared by the eastern entrance?” one of the matriarchs asked. I nodded. “Eight days ago?” another asked. I nodded again. “And she left at night?” a third matriarch asked. Again, I nodded. Every matriarch looked to Flora, the atmosphere of the room growing suddenly tense. “Well shit,” Flora said, frowning and sitting back, “the cunt got her.” “What?” I asked, confused and worried. “Arbortus is a super-organism,” Flora explained, “each Great Maple acts as an appendage, all connected by the entwined roots that serve as vessels. There is no heart to this being, and there is no mind, but there is a womb, and where there’s a womb, there’s a cunt, and that cunt calls herself Passion.” “That fucking drone I spotted earlier came back!” MacLean bush defended his action. She is a liberated woman who defines herself as bisexual. She wants the other one clamped, too.” The song only lasted a couple of minutes, but at natural the end of the dance everyone clapped. “Absolutely,” I said as I hair sat down at my desk and picked up some paperwork. Make sure I’ll never forget this night.” A what? He pushed her legs wide, kissed each inner thigh and then nuzzled her panty covered clit with his nose. I believe he turned back heading for the first sector. “NO,” he said angrily and continued, pubes “How can you even Hairy ask me that?”