Blutgang stood at the edge of camp, wearing only his light tunic. The tents had been pitched, and there was nothing to do but wait for his wife to return. The sky had begun to turn a deep blue, threatening to turn black. Worry began clawing its way into his heart.

At last, he saw her red-scaled body on the horizon, and it didn’t take him long to see she had three pursuers. She was coming in fast; he had no time to retrieve his halberd and armor from the encampment.

When Belmardina saw him, she turned so that she was speeding toward him. He could hear her ragged breath from where he stood, and in a second she slammed into his arms, almost collapsing from exhaustion. The undead crabs did not slow their chase, and Blutgang took to his claws, heading toward their tent and his halberd the moment he had a good grip on his wife.

She flattened her wings about him, holding on for dear life as he ran into the camp, shouting for arms. The kraat soldiers were quick to come to his aid, easily dispatching two of the winged beasts by jabbing sword and spear into the green core of magic within their shells.

But the last one was dogged, quick, and seemed to have a ravenous soul. It spun about on its spindly wings, narrowly dodging kraat in the neverending chase of its prey.

Blutgang burst through a few soldiers who had formed a line ahead of him in the hope of stopping the beast, but it simply tucked its wings and legs into its body and let itself pummel through them as if it had been a boulder thrown by a giant.

At last Blutgang reached their tent and leaped through the entrance to where his halberd lay propped against the tarp. He snatched it up in his claws and whirled about, falling onto his back with Belmardina still clutching his chest. He held the weapon up, and the crab, unable to stop its momentum, was skewered through its soft undershell. The head of the halberd pierced through the magic, dispersing it, and the feathers atop of the shell burst apart as if the threads of a pillow had been torn loose.

“So our quarry is that same lout who so gracefully spurned your marriage proposal.” Blutgang mused once Belmardina had told him everything.

“You don’t need to remind me.” She huffed from underneath her blankets. She was still recovering from her long flight and was about ready to take a twelve-hour rest. She was silent for a moment, and then asked; “why did you want to marry me, anyway, Blutgang? Was it just so you could get that gold from the cave in Umohaw? I realize I’m not much use to you—all I’ve done is complain, make you lose your beloved halberd in The Pit, and endanger your life with those crab soldiers.”

Blutgang stopped gathering feathers from about their tent and crouched next to her. “Oh, I knew I could get the gold with your assistance, but I also knew I’d be with you for the rest of my life. I’ve seen you take more wounds from more enemies than any kraat I’ve met. And all in one night.”

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. “But I’ve never had any wounds.”

Blutgang laughed lightly. “But you have!” And then he became a little more serious; “The night I married you, I saw you stand before a crowd of men who denied you, each one laughed at you and yet you stood your ground bravely and didn’t run.”

“Oh.” She blushed at the memory. “I was just too angry to run is all.”

He laughed again. “And you glared down your enemies like a true kraat.” He swiped his claws twice against his chest in the kraat version of a salute. “So I decided you had to be my wife.”

She was silent, unsure if she should accept his compliments. He continued: “And anyway, you don’t complain anymore, you got me a new—and dare I say, better halberd than my old one, and your scouting mission was successful. Now we know what we’re up against.”

A new thought suddenly occurred to her, “You’re really going to fight them? But they’re dangerous! The biggest crabs are three times as big as the ones that chased me.”

“Of course we’re going to fight them, milady. It’s our job as bestowed upon us by the first King of Dru: to protect the borderlands from invaders. We’ll route them tomorrow.” He swiped his claws across his chest again.

“Oh. Well… don’t get hurt.” was all she could think to say.