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Ingram watched his travelling companion brush her hands together to rid them of dust as she came out from the human dwelling she’d led them to. Grime had streaked across her cheek, and a small clump of spider webbing had caught in her hair.

Ingram rubbed at his nose holes. The dust clinging to her made him want to sneeze.

“Okay, I’ve moved the nest to another room to make space in the middle of the house,” she answered as she bounded down the five steps.

When they’d first emerged here, she’d explained the Demonslayers knew of a few empty homes.

Most humans had gone to live behind the walls or died in the forest. Demonslayers used them onmissionsso they had a safe place to stay for a night or two, or Demons would inhabit them with semi-permanent nests.

By the evidence of the Demon carcass with an arrow sticking out from the back of its head, this one had been occupied. There was little blood from the medium-sized creature, and he doubted it would be enough to draw in more of its kind.

He considered eating it, not that it smelt appetising, but he didn’t know if that would make him hunger further and turn that craving upon her. It was best to just leave it, thankful it was towards the back of the house and where they mostly couldn’t see it.

They were both prepared for the creature, as Ingram had been able to hear it scuttling around inside from a distance. Emerie told him to let her take care of it. Less blood, she’d explained.

As for now, Emerie sat down against a log that appeared to have been purposefully cut and placed. She pulled out a package wrapped in cloth from her bag.

“We’ll stay here for the night.”

“Would it not be best to keep moving?”Ingram asked, sitting down across from her in the tiny, moss-covered clearing.

“Yeah, probably,” she answered as she nibbled on... food. He couldn’t even begin to decipher what humans consumed, but it looked dry, which made it hard to distinguish if it was meat or not. “However, I haven’t slept in nearly two days. I need rest, otherwise I’m going to make myself sick.”

She shivered in her uniform. It didn’t appear to be thick or warm since it clung to her so tightly.

When he tilted his head, she paused and furrowed her brows.

“Is... it okay if I eat in front of you?” She pushed the hand holding her package of food forward and gestured at it. “I don’t have a lot, but I can share if I need to.”

Ingram inched his head forward, not really closing much of the distance between them, to sniff at the air. He shook his head. What she had did not smell appetising.

“I do not consume things such as this.”

“Figures.” She let out a snort of laughter before retracting her hand. “You have a pretty good nose. If it wouldn’t trouble you, if you could sniff out things like berries and mushrooms on our travels, it’ll really help me. I could only bring so much between my tools, water, and food. I can ration for a few days, but I’ll eventually starve.” Once more, she let out a half-hearted laugh as she looked down at her food. “Guess it’s a good thing, in a way. I started getting pudgy lately with all my new tasks and studying, since they’d stopped sending me out on missions.”

Ingram understood about half of what she said, but his tail still shifted slightly behind him. He was happy that the little human was speaking with him – like it didn’t matter they were different or that he didn’t completely understand everything.

He asked her a lot of questions, mostly out of habit from when Aleron had been by his side. However, unlike his kindred, Emerie would have an answer. If she didn’t, she would try to explain it as best she could.

He pointed to where there was a disturbed pile of rocks and loose charcoal.“Are you not going to light a fire? I have seen many humans do this when they rest.”

He’d also like to see how one was made.

“It’s not smart to have a trail of smoke leading to us. It can attract all manner of creatures, as well as inform the guild of where we are.”

As a Duskwalker who had followed the scent of fire, he thought this was wise.

When silence and night fell upon them, and he only inspected the female before him because he had little else to do, he noticed her eyes drooping. They closed, and a few minutes later, she jerked up.

She rapidly blinked and then groaned as she rubbed at her face.

“I need to sleep,” she said, and yet didn’t get up. Now that she’d stopped to rest, she seemed incapable of moving again.

“Do you need me to carry you inside?”he asked, since she’d laid down asleeping bagthat had been hidden away in the shelter.

“What? No,” she quickly uttered, springing to her feet suddenly. “I’m okay. Thanks though, I guess.”

Why did she seem alarmed by that prospect? He must admit, she was awkward with him. Constantly, he sensed she was wary and unsure.