I appreciate the favorites and follows, guys! But, uh... Some reviews would be nice? Yeah, I like it when my stories get more and more follows, but how can I tell what anybody actually thinks of the story without any reviews? Not trying to sound like a jerk here, just telling you that I kinda live off of reviews... Good reviews, bad reviews, short reviews, long reviews, etc.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

...

It turns out that Velouria was not in the castle walls, instead Selkie and Dwyer found her resting against a tree in the forest. She couldn't see them, instead she was focused on something in her hand. Dwyer squinted his eyes to make out what it was, but no such luck.

He glanced around, feeling a bit uneasy about the dark aura the entire forest gave off. Hardly any sunlight poked through the thick treeline, and the trees themselves were twisted and gnarled. He had difficulty lifting his feet up, the mud below was thick and heavy. Selkie seemed to share his discomfort, and she shifted closer to him. She shivered as well, and Dwyer noticed that it was because of her bare legs being exposed.

Sighing, the butler reluctantly decided to make a sacrifice. Shrugging off his own jacket, he gave it to the kitsune, much to her confusion. "Dwyer?"

"Tie it around your waist," Dwyer instructed. "It should keep some warmth in your legs."

Selkie nodded and did as she was told. "I didn't think you'd notice..." she admitted.

The sleepy butler shrugged. "I tend to notice a lot of things." he said simply.

They turned back to observe Velouria, who stood up and stretched. Her hood was down now, letting the two see her smile as she pocketed whatever it was she held in her hand. Her tail now wagging, she began trekking through the forest, her eyes never leaving the ground. Selkie once again took hold of Dwyer's hand and began dragging him through the woods, being able to navigate them better than he ever could. Dwyer felt a breeze pass by, and he shivered as it went through his thin shirt.

If Selkie noticed, she paid no mind. Instead she ducked down again, her companion quickly doing the same.

They poked their heads over the log they were hiding behind, and Dwyer nearly threw up when he saw what the wolfskin was holding in her hand. "I-Is that a skull?" he gasped, eyes wide.

Selkie slowly nodded, a rare frown spreading across her features. "Daddy told me about this too," she said. "Wolfskins have a habit of collecting creepy things like dead animals and human remains."

"Why?"

Selkie shrugged, not answering.

The wind picked up again from behind them, once more blowing right through Dwyer's thin clothing. He willed himself not to shiver again, but Selkie picked up again this time. She tilted her head. "Dwyer, you're cold?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"It's nothing," the butler assured, turning to face her.

Selkie was still for a moment, before she began to untie the jacket around her waist. She held it up for Dwyer, but he shook his head. "I gave that to you, Selkie," he protested. "I'll be fine, really."

Selkie pouted. "Dwyer, you put this on right now or so help me!" She inched it closer to him, but Dwyer backed away.

"I told you, Selkie, it's nothing!"

"If you get a cold I'm eating you myself!" Selkie threatened, baring her teeth.

Dwyer blinked. "...do kitsune even eat people?"

"I don't know!" Selkie growled. "Wanna be the first to find out? Take the stupid jacket, Dwyer!"

"No."

Selkie sighed in frustration. "Why not?" she asked.

Dwyer allowed a ghost of a smile to appear. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a pretty lady be exposed to the cold?"

Another blush appeared on the fox-girl's face. She glanced away, then back at him. "Dwyer..." she breathed.

Dwyer let his smile grow bigger. "Yes, Selkie?"

SMACK!

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" she shouted as she finished smacking his head. "What kind of pretty lady would I be if I let a gentleman freeze his not-furry butt off?!"

"What are you two doing here?" a new voice hissed, startling the arguing duo. Glancing up, they saw Velouria standing over them, her hands on her hips. When they didn't answer, she raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Briefly, Dwyer took note of the single streak of hair that was a different color than the rest, just like Selkie's. He cleared his throat before speaking. "We were looking for you," he explained simply.

Velouria scoffed. "Why?"

"We were just curious about you," Selkie said, further explaining. "We were hoping you would wanna play with us?"

'Your words, not mine,' Dwyer thought.

Velouria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have a reputation of playing too rough, Selkie," she reminded her fellow shape-shift. Then she turned her gaze back to Dwyer. "And you. You're the new guy from earlier."

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah, I am," he said. He held out his hand. "My name's Dwyer."

The wolfskin didn't shake it. "Velouria," she introduced. She turned around and began walking away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to work."

"Work?" Selkie echoed, pouting again. "But work is sooo boring!"

Velouria turned back around and glared at the kitsune, earning a yelp from the girl. "My work is not boring!" she denied. "I am hunting for treasure, alright?"

This caught Dwyer's attention. "Treasure?" he repeated, earning a nod from Velouria.

Selkie's bright attitude immediately returned. "You're going on a treasure hunt?!" she asked, enthusiastically bouncing up and down. "Can we come? Can we come? Can we come?"

Velouria seemed surprised. She began shifting uncomfortably. "You...you wanna help me find treasure?" she questioned, rubbing her arm.

"If you'll let us," Dwyer replied.

Velouria seemed to think about it for a moment, before she took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well," she said. "If you want to help me, that's fine." She dug a hand through one of her pockets and pulled something out. "Take this as a token of appreciation."

Dwyer stared at it for a moment, frowning. "It...It's a lizard skeleton." he noted. 'Is this some kind of joke?' he thought. 'Is this some sort of prank they do on the new kid?'

"Yes it is," Velouria stated proudly. She began pointing at it. "Just look at how preserved it is, have you ever seen anything so intact?" She blushed, leaned down and inhaled the scent deeply. "I found this just before I saw you two, I thought it was beautiful. And now, it's yours."

"Um..." Dwyer struggled to say something. He glanced at Selkie for help, but the poor girl seemed just as lost as he was. Sighing, he turned back to Velouria and attempted to give a convincing smile. "Thanks, but I can't accept this," he declined. "You found it, you should keep it. I, uh... I'll find my own. Yeah..."

Velouria tilted her head, before nodding slowly. "If that's what you wish," she said, pocketing the lizard's skeleton. She then turned around and began walking away. She paused after a couple of steps, and turned around to face the other two. "Well, aren't you coming?" she asked. "There's a whole world of treasure out there, just waiting to be discovered."

"Dwyer, I'm not sure about this," Selkie whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "Her treasures aren't exactly...treasure-y."

Dwyer nodded, but whispered back, "Hey, if we go along with this she might open up more." He smiled a bit. "Besides, who knows whn you'll get another chance to play with her?"

At the mention of the word 'play', all doubt Selkie had vanished in an instant. She leaped into action, grabbing the butler's hand and dragging him after the wolfskin. Velouria waited for the two to catch up, before continuing her treasure hunt.

Despite what the treasures actually were, Dwyer couldn't help but admit that the search for these things was...kind of fun. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Selkie eagerly holding up a dirty old rag, waving it in front of her fellow shape-shift's face. Velouria closed her eyes and inhaled the scent, nodding in approval as she did so. Selkie cheered and immediately sprinted away to find more 'treasure.'

Dwyer chuckled to himself and bent down, gingerly picking up a rat skull with his thumb and index finger. He inspected it for a moment, before he called Velouria over to look at it. The wolfskin was at his side in an instant, plucking the skull from his hand and stuffing it in her pocket. However, she soon bit her lip and pulled the skull back out, handing it to Dwyer.

"You found it," she said. "You should have it."

Dwyer shook his head. "We're not here for our own treasures, Velouria," he told her. "We just want to help you find some more items for your collection."

Velouria's ear twitched snd she glanced away. "But why?" she asked him.

Dwyer blinked. "Why what?"

Velouria sighed and sat against one of the many gnarled trees. She patted the spot next to her, and Dwyer slowly took his seat. Velouria looked down, her hood covering most of her face. "I know you humans are often not fond of the things I'm fond of," she murmured. "I don't really understand why, but that's not the point." she glanced back up at him. "Why help me find my treasures when you humans are so disgusted by them...?"

There was a hint of sadness in her voice, one that told Dwyer a lot about what the girl felt. He could almost view her life story right now. A girl eagerly showing something she would enjoy, like snake skin or a moldy boot, to all the other children, only to be heartbroken when those children turned their heads away in disgust. Dwyer frowned, now realizing that he and Selkie were more than likely the first kids to try to understand her hobby.

"Why?" he echoed. "That's a simple question with a simple answer..." He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's because Selkie and I just want to be your friends, Velouria. And so does everyone else."

Velouria's face turned beet red. "I-Is that true?" she stuttered, still expressing her doubt.

"Why else would we be out here?" Dwyer responded, gesturing to the surrounding forest. "A dark, spooky forest without any clue where we are."

Velouria chuckled and nodded slowly. She gave the young butler a genuine smile, before lightly punching his shoulder. "You're a nice guy, Dwyer," she complimented. "I wish there were more guys like you out there."

Dwyer scoffed. "That's a horrible idea," he deadpanned.

Velouria shrugged. The two then sat there in a comfortable silence, neither having anything else to say. Dwyer leaned his head back and thought about all that has happened so far since his very short time here in the castle. He met a bunch of wonderful new people (except maybe Mitama), got a crappy new room, and was now stuck in a forest with two shape-shifts hunting for animal skulls and dirty, abandoned clothing.

He was kind of glad to have left that sleepy village. Dwyer then frowned, his mind drifting back to memories of the invisible soldiers killing his caretakers. Yeah, he was mad that the surviving caretakers ditched him, but something about those attackers through him for a loop. What the hell were they? No one had given him an explanation yet, hell, he had no idea what this war he was suddenly in was even about!

"Hey, Velouria?"

The wolfskin turned to the sleepy butler. "Yeah, Dwyer?"

"Why are we in this war?" he asked. "No one ever gave me a reason."

Velouria was silent for a few moments before she sighed heavily. "It's really hard to explain..." She paused, thinking over her next words. "Our enemy...isn't from this world, Dwyer."

The invisible soldiers..."Are they ghosts or something?" he asked, settling into a surprisingly comfortable spot between the tree's roots.

Velouria shrugged. "Not exactly," she said. "It's like...they're not who they used to be." She shook her head. "It's hard to explain, Dwyer... You're better off asking someone of the royal family. The only other way to explain it is that this whatever it is, it's the real reason behind Hoshido and Nohr's tension."

...what the heck was she talking about?

Dwyer just pretended to understand, nodding along with what she was saying. He sighed and stared ahead, noticing that something about the scenery seemed...off. He squinted his eyes, scanning over the forest in front of him for whatever it was that was bugging him.

Then it hit him like a sack of bricks.

"Velouria," he called. "Where's Selkie?"

Velouria froze, and she quickly scanned the area. "Uh..." she struggled. "That's...a good question."

"Selkie?" Dwyer called out, rising to his feet. "Selkie, where are you?"

"Selkie!" Velouria joined in, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Selkie, you around?"

Silence.

Dwyer gritted his teeth. 'Where could she be?' he wondered. 'I hope she isn't too far away...'

Thankfully, Selkie didn't stay lost for very long.

However, Dwyer was now face first in the mud, Selkie sitting on top of him. Her tail was wagging, and she pumped her fists in the air and shouted, "I win again!"

The kitsune had apparently been hiding in the trees, and had tackled Dwyer to the ground. Velouria stood behind the two, giggling into her hand. She shook her head and told Selkie to get off of the poor butler. Selkie jumped off of her downed friend, yanking him up by the shoulders and brushing some mud off of him. She frowned and looked the boy up and down.

"Sorry, Dwyer," she apologized. "I guess I got you kinda dirty."

'Kinda?' Dwyer looked at his clothes, noticing that they were now drenched in mud. He sighed, shaking his head. "It's fine..." he muttered. "Guess I should be heading back now, though."

"We'll take you back," Velouria volunteered. "It's the least I can do, since you decided to treasure hunt with me, after all..."

Dwyer nodded, and the trio began making the trip back to the castle. Selkie offered the butler his jacket once again, and despite his shivering due to the cold mud, Dwyer declined once more. Selkie frowned, but didn't push it like last time.

The trip lasted a total of about half an hour, and the sun was already beginning to set by the time they arrived at the castle gate. Selkie waved up to her father, who was in charge of the gate this time. He waved back before turning the crank, allowing the gate to open. The trio stepped inside, and immediately began leading their new comrade to the bathhouses.

However, the three were blocked. Velouria and Selkie seemed confused, but the look on Dwyer's face was one of worry. Jakob looked his son up and down, sneering at his son's ruined clothing.

Dwyer sighed. "Father, I-"

"Where have you been?" Jakob seethed, sending shivers down the spines of the children. "You were supposed to introduce yourself to the army and begin your chores, and yet I find you missing. And when you come back, your clothing is beyond ruined!" His raged eyes somehow became more intense. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Dwyer was silent for a few moments, before he slowly answered his father. "I was helping a friend," he said, turning back to look at Velouria. The wolfskin's ears perked up, and another light blush flushed across her pale features. Dwyer turned back to his father. "We were in the forest, and I slipped and fell into some mud."

Jakob scoffed and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering something along the lines of, "Worthless oaf..." Jakob then took a deep breath, then pointed at the bathhouse. "Go clean yourself up, boy," he ordered. "Dinner will be served in two hours, and feeding an army is a lot of work." He leaned in close and jabbed a finger into his son's chest. "You better be there ready to cook food for everyone, son. If I find out you've been slouching, I'll send you back to that sleepy village for as long as I see fit!"

He walked away without giving his son a chance to answer. "Honestly, it's only been a day..." they heard him muttering. "Ugh...he's not ready..."

An awkward silence blanketed over the three, until Velouria finally broke the ice. "So..." she began. "That was your father?"

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah."

Selkie bit her lip and shuffled her feet. "He didn't seem very nice," she admitted.

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah."

Velouria sighed and shook her head. "I don't know if I could live with a guy like that..."

Selkie hummed in agreement. "I've heard rumors about Jakob," she said. "About how rude and mean he is, but I didn't know they were true." She turned to Dwyer. "Are...you okay?"

Dwyer nodded. "I'm fine," he answered. "You get used to it after awhile." He sighed and began walking away. "Anyway, I should probably get to taking a bath. I'll see you both at dinner."

"Okay..." Selkie agreed, before scampering away.

Velouria hung back a bit longer, and after a moment of hesitation she pulled the butler into a hug, not caring about the mud between them.

Dwyer's eyes widened. "V-Velouria?"

Velouria smiled and held the boy a bit longer. "Thanks," she whispered. "I had a nice time today..."

Dwyer smiled and patted the girl's back. "Glad to hear it..."

The two pulled away, and Velouria waved goodbye before she hurried after Selkie. Dwyer stared after the two shape-shifters before sighing. Shaking his head, he made his way to the bathhouse. 'Dwyer, you're too dang nice,' he told himself.

His thoughts shifted towards his father, causing the young butler to frown. He never could quite pinpoint why his father had such a low opinion of him, it seemed like he had always been that way. Dwyer liked to think that his father was kind and caring once, but perhaps the competition of who was the better butler got to his head, turning him into this spiteful person.

Everything was a competition between the two, it seemed. And JAkob was the kind of man who would do anything to win, such as putting down his own son's dignity. For as long as he could remember, Dwyer had been receiving the blunt end of Jakob's words, and he struggled everyday to prove himself to his father. Eventually, Dwyer realized that nothing he did worked, so he just accepted it all. He became lazy sometime around then, which did nothing to improve his relationship with his father. Dwyer had told himself that it didn't matter. He knew he was the better butler, he knew he was the better human being, and he sure as hell knew he made better coffee than his father.

Dwyer wanted to believe he could hate his father, but he knew that despite everything, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He was just too damn nice for his own good.

"Maybe I should speak with Mother about this," he muttered under his breath as he sank into the water. He loved his mother dearly, because unlike his father, she fully supported him. Honestly, Dwyer couldn't ask for a better shoulder to lean on than her.

He frowned as he began washing himself, realizing that all of this had occurred on the first day of his arrival.

'Welcome to the army,' he cheered sarcastically.

...

So in case you haven't noticed, there's sort of a pattern going on right now. See, I don't want this to be a story where Dwyer is a complete stud and all the girls want to f*ck him, I want it to be a real story with actual reasons for each girl's attraction. So basically, the next few chapters are all pretty much gonna focus on one girl's first "meeting" with Dwyer, to build some level of familiarity and friendship between them before diving into the really juicy part of the plot. So far three have been done: Ophelia, Selkie, and Velouria. So who is next? Wait until the next chapter!

Also updating may slow down a bit :( Winter has come, and the snow really screws with the internet here.

ALSO DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! (and stay wykkyd.)