The gray haze of morning began to burn off, the sun finally breaking through the cold. Anax had remained reticent for most of the previous day after breakfast, not that Patience minded. She had harvested some onions, garlic, and spinach that were sown last fall in the greenhouse. Quietly going about mundane tasks made her feel almost normal again. Yet by the end of the day, Patience had a sneaking suspicion Anax was almost pouting. Anax still chose to be silent this morning. No matter, Patience wanted to push all thoughts of him to the side for now. Out in the garden, she inspected the rows of soil and fencing for any signs of tampering from the chickens.

“Oh right! I should check if the hens need their wings clipped.”

She made her way to the chicken coop in the shadow of the house, pulling her coat closer. The hens had barely begun their day, not that Patience blamed them in this brisk weather. The girl pulled up the lid on the side to see they were all still in their nesting boxes. At each compartment, she lifted up the bird, extended their wings to examine their feathers, and placed them back in before taking any present eggs. Come the last box, Patience heard the distinct sound of peeping.

“Ahh! It seems you were due today, Rosamund! Let’s have a look at the little ones!” She gingerly picked up the hen, finding five tiny calicoed chicks huddled in a fluffy wad. The girl could not help but feel her heart flutter. They were most endearing. “Congratulations!”

Patience returned the mother to her charges and closed the nesting box lid. “Great! In several weeks I can trade in any males at Mr. Wells’.”

“Mmm, young animals taste the best,” smacked the skull.

“Lamb, I’ll give you that. What, do your young taste any good?” Patience darkly joked.

“I’m sure they taste just fine to wolves and bears.”

“Oh … I’m sorry … I didn’t know anything actually hunted your kind.”

“Only the young and the weak. But they’re usually sufficiently protected. It is just life’s way. We hold no grudges. We can always breed more.”

“That’s … harsh,” Patience said flatly.

“Realistic,” Anax corrected.

“So you feel like talking again?” the girl teased.

He did not respond.

Barring that last exchange, the remainder of the day went smoothly. Patience directed her focus on laundry and spent her energy beating the rugs. Once dinner was had and every dish cleaned and stowed, Patience was able to take in the peaceful evening. The fireplace in the parlor flickered at her stoking, flames stretching against a sooty brick backdrop. Bending over the hearth, the girl sighed contentedly. It was almost as if everything was just as they were a couple of weeks ago. However, the weight of Anax’s skull was not to be ignored. His silence went on long enough for Patience’s taste.

“Hey, is-is anything the matter? You’ve been so talkative, but now …”

“This bucolic life! It’s so banal!” Anax erupted, “We should go into town again! That was fun!”

“I don’t need to go back for a while.”

“Please! I’m used to roaming, hunting, sparring—It’s hard for me to stay in one place!”

“You’re free to find another host!” Patience growled.

“Free to lie inert and simply wait on chance? You just need a push. Here, I’ll take us into town!” At once Anax formed his body, suspending Patience in his core. She shrieked in alarm.

“No you will not! People will see and then a whole lot of trouble will come our way!” she yelled.

Anax dissolved into a misty cape once more, dropping Patience to the ground. The landing sent a shock through her shins, causing her knees to buckle. A displeased snarl ripped across the base of Patience’s skull.

“Look, I’m sorry I’m not some adventurer going to the ends of the Earth hunting for treasure to entertain you!” she snapped, growing annoyed. “But I’m all that’s available to you, so you will have to accept that!”

The sofa squeaked a couple of inches backwards as Patience sat down in a huff, her displeasure punctuated by the harried crossing of her legs. Reaching over to the side table, the girl picked up the book she had begun reading during the winter. Pages flipped open and Patience searched for where she had last read. A disapproving hiss raked her ears. The girl ignored it, focusing harder on the text partially hidden by the skull. She lifted the book straight in front of her eyes for optimal viewing. Concentrated on the pale leaves, Patience failed to notice the tendrils forming just shy of touching her skin.

“I was looking forward to so much in my first life. If I can’t explore the outside world, I’ll just have to explore you!” Anax darkly purred. His mist crept around the girl’s neck and to her collarbone. The effervescent edge lifted the fabric of her blouse. She felt the lightest draft flow across her bosom.

“Must you? Right now?” Patience grumbled.

Her words fell on deaf ears as Anax began to rub and search with his tendrils. As his fog met her skin, Patience could not help but give into his soft touch. It was a stark contrast to the confining cold pressure she had felt encased in his body just moments ago. Perhaps some animal part of the girl’s brain was yearning for comfort after that shock, but every stroke, twirl, pat, and any other motion he made felt pleasurable. She was losing herself in his caress. Guilt welled within her. She should not be enjoying the advances of this monster.

[Anax gets a little forceful in the next Mature update]