Marsh wasn't interested in counting the spoils of war. He just hurried home to face the wrath of his pregnant wife.

  "You guys can sell the stuff then give me the money ter. Well, minus the knife. Leo can keep it."

  He said that before hefting up his axe and left, leaving Leo and Sera to deal with the loot.

  "Come on," Leo said. "We should clean up before getting back to the vilge."

  "There's a spring a ways down the ridge. Less likely to run into anyone there," Sera nodded.

  It was a longer walk than the one from the dungeon entrance to the vilge proper, a quiet detour along a deer path Sera knew from childhood.

  Eventually, the path widened, and the sound of trickling water met their ears. There, nestled in a hollow between a cluster of moss-covered boulders, was the spring. It was no bigger than their cottage's main room. The water that fed it spilled over one side in a small, constant waterfall that disappeared into a bed of ferns.

  Sera stopped at the edge. She then knelt, setting her spear and the satchel with their precious Moonpetals on a dry patch of moss. Without hesitation, she cupped her hands in the icy water and spshed her face. It ran down her neck, cutting clean tracks through the grime.

  "Gods, that's better," she breathed, shaking the droplets from her hair.

  Leo knelt opposite her. He set down the crossbow and the salvaged dagger, before mirroring Sera and spshing his own face. He then reached for the hem of his tunic, pulling the grimy fabric over his head and tossing it aside.

  He spshed water on his chest, rubbing at a stubborn smear of beetle ichor.

  Sera paused, her washcloth halfway to her arm. She watched him for a beat, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks before she looked down quickly, concentrating on her own task. She dunked the cloth in the spring, wrung it out, and began scrubbing at her arms. Her sleeves were already rolled up past her elbows, revealing the pale skin there.

  Leo realized, for the first time, that having a normal young, healthy body could come with...complications.

  Every time Sera lifted her arm to clean her neck, the hem of her worn tunic rode up, revealing the soft skin of her stomach and the curve of her hip. When she bent forward to spsh her face again, her damp hair clinging to the nape of her neck, Leo felt his throat go dry.

  He didn't bother to hide his stare, not after what they'd already done the other night. His blood, still buzzing with the adrenaline of the dungeon and the triumph of their survival, was heading south.

  His trousers suddenly felt uncomfortably tight.

  Sera gnced up, intending to ask him something, but the words died in her throat.

  Her gaze snagged on the front of his trousers.

  The worn fabric did little to hide his arousal. Her eyes widened. A flush that had nothing to do with the crisp mountain air crept up her neck, coloring her cheeks a deep, uncomfortable red.

  "Leo! What is the matter with you?" She hissed, but her gre almost had no heat. "We're outside, in the open! What if..."

  "What if what?" A mischievous smile spread across Leo's face. "There's no one else here. And I didn't do anything."

  Yet...

  She crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive posture that did little to hide the rapid rise and fall of her breathing.

  "That's not the point."

  "The point," he said, rising smoothly to his feet and walking toward her, "...is that I'm finding my wife to be very sexy."

  "Leo!"

  He sat down beside her on the mossy bank.

  "You're still a mess," he said, gesturing to the smear of dried mud on her shoulder, the streak of green ichor along her colrbone. "Let me."

  "I can clean myself," Sera snapped, though she made no move to pick up her cloth.

  "I know," his voice dropped to a low murmur. "But I want to help. Please?"

  His green eyes were locked onto hers.

  "Fine," she finally huffed, turning her face away. "Just cleaning. Nothing...else."

  "Cleaning," he agreed, reaching for her discarded washcloth.

  He wrung it out before getting to work. He took her arm, his grip firm but gentle, and began to wipe away the grime of the dungeon.

  He was thorough, cleaning every inch of her forearm, the delicate skin of her inner elbow, her wrist. He brushed over the wound on her arm, which was no longer bleeding, but Leo still felt a mixture of anger and sadness looking at it.

  He shifted closer, the heat of his bare chest now pressing against the thin fabric of her back.

  "This...this isn't..." Sera stammered, her breath hitching as he moved the cloth up to her shoulder.

  "Hold still," he whispered against her ear.

  He washed her shoulder, then the line of her colrbone. He pushed aside the damp colr of her tunic to reach a stubborn smudge. His knuckles brushed against the swell of her breast.

  Sera bit her lip, a whimpering sound escaping her.

  He could feel the tremor running through her, and the way she leaned back into him, just slightly.

  Leo's hands came to rest on her shoulders, and he lowered his head, pressing a soft kiss to the nape of her neck, right where her hair curled away from her skin.

  "Leo...!"

  He didn't stop. His hands slid down her arms, then moved around her waist, pulling her back against him. His lips trailed a line of kisses down the side of her neck, to the sensitive hollow of her shoulder.

  "Leo!" Her breath hitched. "Stop!"

  The protest was weak, half a plea.

  "Are you sure?" He murmured.

  His hands moved from her waist, inching upward toward the simple toggle at the neck of her tunic.

  Sera's own hand cmped down on his wrist. She twisted, turning to gre at him over her shoulder, though the effect was rather ruined by the flush high on her cheeks.

  "Leo, no! Stop it! We are outside! It's broad daylight! I'll...I'll be angry if you keep going!"

  "I'm not saying you take it all the way off," Leo’s voice was a low and persuasive. "We just need to unbutton a bit, and undo the binding. You need to clean there as well."

  He let the tip of one finger trace the edge of her colr. His erection was now pressed insistently against her backside through the yers of their clothing.

  Sera froze. A shudder ran through her. Then, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She turned her head away, burying her face in her free hand.

  "You're... impossible."

  Her fingers, which had been gripping his wrist, now went sck.

  That was all the invitation he needed.

  Leo's fingers worked the simple toggle of her tunic with ease. The garment fell open, revealing the tight linen bindings that constrained her generous breasts.

  He began to unwind the cloth.

  As the st wrap came loose, the weight of her breasts was finally freed from their tight prison. They settled heavily against her chest. Her cute nipples were already hardened in the cool mountain air.

  "Gods," he breathed. The awe in his voice was real. "Sera..."

  She whimpered again, her hands flying up to cover herself.

  "No," he gently pulled her hands away. "Don't cover them."

  He retrieved the damp washcloth. The water was cold, and Sera gasped as he pressed it to the warm swell of her breast.

  He moved the cloth in slow circles, and his other hand followed. His thumb brushed her sensitive skin. His fingers traced the heavy curve underneath.

  The cloth moved higher, circling closer to her peak. And then he dropped it altogether.

  His warm fingers closed around her nipple. He squeezed gently, feeling it tighten into a hard point against his palm.

  "Ah...!" Sera’s back arched. Her arms flew up, wrapping themselves around Leo's neck.

  His other hand came up to her neglected breast. He squeezed again, thumb and forefinger finding her other nipple, pinching it lightly. Rolling the stiff peak between his fingers until she was squirming against him, her breath coming in short, desperate pants.

  "Leo...this is...ah...not cleaning..."

  "If you think this is just cleaning," Leo murmured against her ear, "you haven't been paying attention."

  His hands closed more firmly over her breasts, weighing them. His thumbs brushed against her straining nipples in a teasing rhythm that made her breath hitch. She leaned back against him, her head resting on his shoulder, giving herself over to the sensation.

  "Turn around," he said.

  It took Sera a moment to process. Her breasts, heavy and full, swayed with the motion as she turned to face him. Her eyes, wide and dark with a mixture of trepidation and desire, met his.

  Leo leaned in, capturing her mouth. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, and she opened for him with a soft, desperate sound.

  His hands never left her breasts. He kneaded the soft flesh, rolling her nipples between his fingers, feeling her arch against him, hearing the moans she made into his mouth.

  Sera's hands, which had been gripping his shoulders for support, slid down his naked chest. Her touch was hesitant at first, but then it grew bolder. Her fingers traced the line of hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his trousers.

  She broke their kiss for just a second, gasping for air. Then she was kissing him again, as her fumbling fingers struggled with the drawstring of his pants. The knot was tight, slick with water, and her hands were shaking.

  Leo noticed her struggle.

  Without breaking their kiss, without even pausing in his exploration of her breasts, he reached down with one hand. He found the knot and tugged. The fabric went sck.

  With a soft sigh of relief against his lips, Sera plunged her hand inside.

  Her fingers brushed against the rigid length of him, and he growled in his throat. She hesitated for a beat, then her delicate fingers wrapped around his shaft, pulling him free from the confines of his trousers. Then she began to move.

  Her rhythm was slightly jerky, but her grip was firm. She stroked him from base to tip, her thumb brushing the slick head on every upstroke. His hips jerked forward, seeking more, a silent plea she seemed to understand.

  While one hand continued its journey on Sera's breasts, Leo slid the other down her stomach, tracing the soft curve down to the waistband of her trousers. His fingers pressed ft against the coarse fabric, right over where he imagined her most sensitive pce would be.

  "Wait!"

  Sera broke their kiss with a sharp gasp. Her body went rigid. The hand on his cock stilled its motion.

  She pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze. Her lips were swollen and wet, her eyes were still dark with passion, but her expression was suddenly firm.

  "What?" He breathed, his thumb stroking over the tight peak of her nipple.

  "That..." She gnced down, to where his hand rested on the waistband of her trousers. "No...Not here."

  "But..."

  "Not here, Leo. I don't want to be...like that outside," her voice was a little shaky, but it was a command nonetheless. "Wait. We'll... ter. When we're home. In a proper bed. With a door."

  Leo looked into her hazel eyes. He hadn't known her for that long, and Sera had been pying along with his desire, but he knew enough to know when she was drawing the line.

  He nodded.

  Sera held her breath for a second, waiting for a protest that didn't come. Then, she let out a shaky sigh, a strange mix of disappointment and relief. Instead of releasing him, her hand started to move again, her grip tightening as she found her rhythm.

  Leo groaned, his head falling forward to rest on her shoulder. He kissed the heated skin there.

  "Okay," he whispered against her neck. "Later."

  Her grip became bolder, more confident. At the same time, Leo's hands roamed again, rediscovering the soft weight of her breasts, teasing her nipples until she was arching against him, her own breath hitching in tandem with the quickening of her strokes.

  His hips began to move, thrusting into her fist.

  "Sera... I'm..."

  "I know," she didn't speed up, just holding the steady pace that drove him wild. "Let go, Leo."

  He buried his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. The pressure built to an unbearable point. He felt himself spilling over the edge with a choked groan.

  "Sera..."

  He pulsed in her hand, his hips jerking erratically. Sera held on through it, her strokes slowing, milking him through the aftershocks until he was utterly spent, shuddering in her arms.

  For a long moment, they just stayed like that, with him slumping against her. Sera just held him with a fierce tenderness, her face pressed into his shoulder.

  Slowly, he pulled back.

  "Here," she retrieved the washcloth. She dipped it in the cool water of the spring, wrung it out, and gently cleaned him.

  "All done," she said quietly, her gaze flicking up to meet his. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she looked at him.

  "Thank you," he whispered.

  Instead of answering, she leaned in and gave him a light peck.

  "Alright, if you're satisfied, then we need to get dressed and return before it gets dark."

  The te afternoon sun shined on them as they walked the dirt path back into the vilge. The scent of woodsmoke and evening meals hung on the cool air. Occasionally, Leo could hear the voices of some mothers calling their children back home for dinner.

  "…a pervert."

  Sera's voice was a low mutter. She kept her gaze fixed ahead, refusing to look at him.

  "That's the second word you've used for me today," Leo replied, a smile on his face. "The first was 'impossible'."

  "They both fit," she shot back. "Doing…that…in the open. Anyone could have walked by."

  "There wasn't anyone. And if there were, they would've been treated to a show."

  That earned him a sharp jab from her elbow, which was less effective and more endearing than she probably intended.

  "A brute and a pervert. And this is my husband," she sniffed, but there was a distinct ck of heat behind the words.

  "You didn't seem to be compining at the time."

  "I didn't? Are you sure about that?" She asked, finally turning her head to fix him with a look that was pure prickly Sera.

  "Now that I think about it, there might have been just a little resistance," he chuckled, falling into step beside her. "Especially when you beg for..."

  "I didn't beg!"

  Leo had to dodge another elbow strike.

  The bell above Kerrin's door announced their arrival with a jingle. The shopkeeper, who was polishing a dented helm with an oiled rag, looked up. His weasel-like eyes scanned them.

  A flicker of surprise crossed Kerrin's features before being smoothed away.

  "Back from your stroll, are we?" He said, setting the helm aside. His gaze was pointedly fixed on Sera's satchel. "Find anything interesting on your walk?"

  "We did," Sera stepped forward, her chin held high. She pced her satchel on the counter with a solid thud.

  They id their day's work out on the scarred wooden counter. Nine heavy Thorn Beetle carapaces. A length of supple, tough green hide stripped from the Creeping Strangler, the surface still faintly damp and covered in coarse fibres.

  And then, Sera carefully unwrapped the bundle containing their biggest prize. The Moonpetals pulsed with their soft glow, filling the dim shop with a gentle light.

  Even Kerrin, for all his world-weary cynicism, leaned forward.

  He picked up one of the Thorn Beetle carapaces, turning it over in his hands. He tapped a shell with the hard handle of a polishing brush, listening to the dull thud it made.

  "This is useful, but it's hard to find a buyer with only this many. I'll give you five copper for each of them."

  Leo gnced at the nine carapaces spread across the counter. Forty-five copper. It was a start.

  Next, Kerrin poked at the length of green vine skin with one grimy finger.

  "Creeping Strangler," he stretched a piece of the vine. "This isn't bad. Some leatherworkers might be interested, but...there's not a huge demand. Sixteen copper."

  Leo wasn't an expert on the dungeon economy, but since Sera didn't say anything, it should be fine.

  Finally, Kerrin leaned closer to the bundle of Moonpetals.

  "Ah, yes. I believe you know what this is, given how careful you treated it. I won't beat around the bush. Ten silver."

  Before Leo could even react to the number, Sera moved.

  "Ten?" Her voice was ced with a disbelief. She took a half-step forward, pnting both hands ft on the counter. "Are you joking?"

  "It's a premium ingredient," she continued. "Freshly picked, with the root system intact. Alchemists in the capital pay much more for this kind of quality, and you know it."

  Leo just stood back, a little taken aback but immensely impressed. This was a side of Sera he hadn't seen, but he liked it.

  "That's in the capital," Kerrin waved his hand, not at all intimidated by Sera. "This isn't the capital. This is a dirt-scrabble vilge on the ass-end of the Barony. I have to account for the risk and the cost of transport. I'm the one taking this to market, not you. There are taxes, bandits, guards who need bribing... Ten silver is more than fair."

  The back-and-forth started, and sted until Leo felt like his head was ringing.

  "Ten silver. That's more coin than any farmer will see in a season."

  "Thirteen," Sera said, her tone ft. "That's my final price, or I can risk it wilting and go to find a buyer in Rockhaven."

  For a moment, nobody spoke. The only sound was the low, steady thrum of a potion still simmering on the back burner.

  "A pox on all you delvers and your newfound greed," Kerrin grumbled, leaning heavily on his counter as if the ten-minute exchange had physically exhausted him. "Fine. Fine. But this is the st time I let a pair of greenhorns walk in here and rob me blind."

  He snatched a small leather pouch from under the counter, counted out the coins with a sour expression, and spped them down on the wood between them.

  "Forty-five coppers for the beetle carapaces, sixteen coppers for the hide, and thirteen silver for the petals," Sera took her sweet time counting before straightening up and securing the pouch at her belt.

  "You are a menace," Kerrin said as Sera tied the drawstring. "If you're done, take your money and get out of my sight."

  "Leo, let's go," Sera just shrugged and led the way out of the shop. Leo gnced at Kerrin, and got ignored, before turning his amazed gaze toward his wife.

  They walked out of the shop. It wasn't until they were halfway up the dirt path toward their cottage that either of them spoke.

  "Thirteen silver," Sera said, her breath fogging in the twilight. "Gods. I almost thought he wouldn't budge."

  "He's not a fool," Leo smiled. "I'm sure he still made a fortune from it."

  "For sure. And don't worry about him being angry. That bastard was just acting."

  Their conversation continued like that until they reached the door of their cottage. Inside, after dropping their stuff down, Leo settled himself onto a stool, watching his beautiful wife humming while trying to find a good spot to hide their newfound wealth.

  The look on her face was the happiest that he had ever seen.