A/N: Canon name = nickname:
Velouria = Vella. Keaton = Keaty. Hinoka = Hina. Setsuna = Seta. Corrin = Lupus. Sakura = Saku.

Consort: You got it there, though that applies more for people Corrin/Lupus is unfamiliar with, since those close to her, like Keaty and Vella, could sneak up on her, surprise her, and come out just fine.

That would sound like the most likely scenario if she ends up detecting Saizo, Kagero, or even Kaze. But... let's not forget the description of the class that attacked Vella's scouting group. Things would go downhill quickly if they end up in her line of sight.

Zalde: I so read your name as Zelda at first glance... whoops.

I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter.

Corrin, Saku, Seta, Hina, and Hana are traveling the length of the castle to get to Takumi, Corrin's younger brother. Hina told her that he's a skilled archer, and might be a bit brash. Corrin would have disregarded the brash bit, had he also not been an archer. Corrin is fine with Seta being an archer, but only because she is so easy to be around.

"What happened?" Corrin peaked her head over Vella, who has some blood on her hands. "Sister?" She asked, growing increasingly worried.

"Brother's been shot." She growled, "He was hunting with the alpha and got hit by an arrow." She suddenly rises, an anger consumed her.

"Wh-what?! Where is he?" Corrin jumped up, "Is he going to be okay? Does he need help? Does…"

"He'll be fine, pup." The alpha walked in. "He'll recover, so sit." With him looking so composed, Corrin immediately believed that Keaty would be fine…

It didn't do much to calm her nerves, though. "When can I see him?" She looked up at the tall Wolfskin.

"A day or two." He simply replied, "I already have a few of the pack to get some herbs. He'll be fine. So, breathe, relax." The alpha sounded uncomfortable saying that, but Corrin wouldn't actually do that on her own. She's human, so he's trying to accommodate for her other needs.

"Keaty will be fine." She nodded, then took a breath, "Keaty will be fine."

"And you." The alpha turned his gaze to Vella, "Wash before the blood dries." With that, he left.

"I'll be back soon, sister." Vella gave her a gentle smile. For a while, Corrin was left to her own devices. In order to keep her from falling back into a pit of worry, she decided to do… something. Like what? It clicked in her mind a moment later. She would get Keaty a present!

Corrin had to hold back a growl as she digested the fact her little brother is an archer, the kind that could have severely hurted Keaty. But, she reasoned, Seta is also an archer, and she is too nice to be like that one archer. Her brother? If he is as brash as Hina claims, she's going to remain wary.

Humans are greedy, vile. But, Mozu, Hina, Saku, and Seta have all went against that fact. Maybe there were more 'good' humans than she thought? Would her little brother also be a part of the good humans?

Out of all the people she has met so far, she dislikes Hana the most. She wouldn't ever ask to learn swords from her. Oh sure, Hana is nice to the others, but the moment Corrin is the focus? Glaring. Yet, she tries to hide it, Corrin doesn't. "I don't like you." Corrin finally says, causing the whole group to halt.

"Sister?" Hina asks, unsure of the sudden declaration.

"Her." Corrin doesn't even bother pointing, just simply staring Hana down. Unlike Hana, however, Corrin's gaze has a rather large bite to it, and even the Samurai found herself feeling smaller under it. "I don't like her."

"What did I do?!" Hana asks, feigning ignorance.

"You're…" a human, is how Corrin was going to finish it, but she managed to stop herself, "rude."

"I'm not the one going around declaring 'I don't like' people!" She shot back.

"Lupus?" Seta asks.

"Yes, Seta?" Lupus smiles.

"It's not a good idea to tell people you don't like them. Besides, give her a chance, she's nice." The archer lazily smiles. Lupus takes her request into consideration… maybe later.

"Pl-please stop." Saku quietly asks, while tapping on her staff.

"Of course, Lady Sakura." Hana instantly backs off.

How does a woman have that much control? Do humans have some sort of… female alpha? Seta is the same way around Hina. Did Seta and Hana submit themselves to Corrin's sisters? Corrin racked her mind as she tried to process the idea of 'retainers'. It sounded more like voluntary slavery than anything, do… does being a 'retainer' include mating? Corrin mentally kicked herself, of course not! Women can't get women pregnant.

But, that's how much difficulty Corrin had trying to understand the idea of a 'retainer'.

"So, humans don't have… an alpha?" Corrin asked the alpha at one point.

"They don't." As always his responses are short and curt.

"How can they run if they don't have one?"

"Heh, a mystery that isn't worth the effort to figure out. Just know that the highest rule is their King." The alpha scoffed.

"Have you seen a King, before?"

The alpha taps the old scar across his chest, "That came from the King of Nohr himself, an axe as large as I am wide."

Corrin gaped as she tried to picture that, "He's strong?"

"Yes." The wolfskin nodded. "Very strong." He suddenly licked his lips, a desire running through his eyes, "I'd like to fight him again."

"What does fighting feel like?" She, Keaty, and Vella were still part of the youth. While yes, they had little play fights, none of them have yet to fight to kill.

"Our little human is interested in shedding blood?" He chuckles, before lowering his massive form to meet her at eye level, "There are few things more enjoyable, pup."

"When will we start fighting, then?" Corrin's eyes light up.

"A few more years, pup… a few more years."

…

It has been 'a few more years', and Corrin only ever got to fight that one man. She isn't strong enough to fight with the others. "Yep, what did I tell you? In the training yard." Hina openly smiles as they finally arrive in another open area, this one lacking the trees and flowers of the garden. In their place, there were an assortment of weapons and… Straw humans? Did humans hate other humans so much that they have to make replicas of them to hit?

"Bulls-eye." A man says as he fires off a glowing arrow that splits the head of one of the straw humans open. And he seemed… satisfied? Does he hate humans, too? How was he raised? Corrin has the distinct feeling he isn't one of the good humans.

"Hey, if it isn't Takumi!" Hina walks up, unbothered by what he just did. Maybe… her 'family' isn't as peaceful as she thought.

"Big sister." He regards her flatly, only adding to the fact that her family is probably as bad as Corrin thought he was. "You're back early. Did you find that thief?"

Hina tenses, "About that."

"She got away…" Takumi sighs.

"No, she's here, it's just that…" Takumi wasn't expecting that reply, and so an arrow is sent far off its mark, "Well, I wasn't hoping to introduce her like that, but… Takumi, here's your other big sister, Corrin!"

Takumi takes one look at Corrin, "My big sister is a thieving scoundrel?"

"Takumi!" Hina chided him.

"I don't like you, either." Corrin was quick to bite back.

"Are you sure you didn't pick up some stray beast, sister…"

...beast? Beast!? One moment, Corrin was standing there, annoyed but composed, the next? "A beast?" She hissed as she managed to keep her cool just enough to walk over.

"Takumi… please, sister, he didn't mean that, right?"

"...right." He hesitantly responds.

"Liar." Corrin spat.

"Are you sure that thing is our sister?" Takumi continued, unperturbed.

"Takumi, cut it out!" Hina scolded.

Takumi, like when Hina grabbed Corrin by the arm, found himself on the ground within a moment's notice, "Listen here, human." Corrin growled as she pinned him to the ground, a fury dancing in her eyes. It was now that he seemed to realize that he made a terrible mistake, as he started struggling, "Listen here…" Corrin would have continued, if Hina didn't grab her, "I'm not done with him!" She spits back, "Let go!"

"We aren't supposed to fight each other, we're family!" She counters.

"I'm a sister to some human who splits straw humans' heads?!" Corrin growls and tugs again, but ends up surprised as Hina resisted that pull. "Let… go!"

"Corrin, please listen." Hina continues. "Losing you has been hard on all of us, but you're back. I get that you aren't used to all of us, but just give us some time. We can be a family again!" Takumi has since backed up, held his bow once more, and stands several feet from her. "Sister, please!"

Corrin took a breath, and relaxed herself, to which Hina lets go. "Don't do that again." Corrin turns her gaze on Hina.

"Lord Takumi!" A different man yelled, whose hair is in a similar form as Takumi's, comes dashing in, some woman behind him… with hair like Takumi's. He also has a sword in hand.

"You! Back off of Lord Takumi!" The woman growls, an expression that almost matches Corrin's when that danger lurks behind her eyes. A spear-like weapon is in her hands.

"Hey! Wait!" Hina is next, trying to smooth things out, "This…"

"She hurt Lord Takumi!" The woman stubbornly states.

"Who is she?!" The other demanded, "And where are the guards!"

"Quiet!" Takumi finally found his voice, "Hinata, Oboro, enough." Corrin's little brother gets up, "Her name is Corrin." A pause, "And that's all you need to know." He picks up his strange bow and returns to face the straw dummies, "Absolutely nothing else."

"Nothing else." Corrin echoes. "I won't be grouped with him."

"Little brother…" Hina disapprovingly chides, "Corrin is…"

"Are we leaving now?" Corrin interrupts.

"Hinaaaa?" Seta drawls out, "I have an ideaaa."

"Not now, Setsuna."

"Let's give Lupus some breathing room. Some rest." A pause follows.

"Lupus?" Takumi, Hinata, and Oboro all ask merely a second from each other.

"Setsuna, there's still…"

"With all due respect, Hina. She needs it." The Archer continues, "Can't you tell? Lupus has been getting stiffer as we kept moving, how she continues to fidget, jumpy even. Tensed, angry, she's getting more and more wound up. Apply anymore force and she'll fight back."

She's… noticed? "Seta's right." Lupus agrees, looking more towards the ground than the others. "Too much in too little time."

Hina looks away for a moment, then sighs, "I-It's only s-sound, big s-sister." Saku adds, tapping her staff, "Sh-She's been g-g-gone for s-s-so long th-that these in-interactions can be too m-much for her." A pause and in a lower voice, "I don't want to l-lose her."

"Alright, alright. I get it." Hina turns her gaze back on Lupus, "Let's take you to your bedroom, okay? I'll be sure you won't be too bothered."

Lupus's eyes scan over the group, "I… have a bedroom?" They land back on Hina. "What's a bedroom?"

Hina's mouth forms a thin line, Saku looks bothered, even Hana stares at her in disbelief. Takumi and his buddies have returned their attention to themselves…

And Seta looks at her in awe. "It's where someone sleeps, keeps their clothes," Hina supplies.

"Oh!" Lupus exclaims, "So, like a personal cave?" Her mouth snaps shut after that… Another slip up. Why is this so hard with them?

Hina, thankfully, doesn't press for information this time, and it seems Saku also respects her privacy, "No wonder she is so uncultured, she's been raised like a dog!"

All eyes, except Hinata's and Oboro's snap to the source, Takumi. "Little brother, seriously?!" Hina is the first to respond.

"That was a baaaad thing to do, Lord Takumiiii." Seta drawls out. "Tensed, ears perked, Lupus is angry."

Lupus took a single step forward, and those other two people near Takumi stand in guard. "Sister, ple…" Hina didn't get to finish…

Because Lupus gently grabbed Seta's hand, startling her, "We're leaving." Lupus announces, bringing Seta with her. "Don't follow." She spits back at the others.

It's not like anyone else understands her, anyway. "Hey, Lupus?" Seta asked as Lupus walked down the halls, with only one destination in mind. "I don't know where your room is."

"I'm not going there." Not that she knows where it is, anyway.

"Then where?" She tilts her head.

Lupus has been following her scent trail back more than anything, especially with the number of twists and turns in this building. Why is it built like this?! "Here. Good place." She led Seta back to the garden. "Feels like… home." She mutters that last word. "When could you start reading me?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean your mood?" Seta smiled that lazy smile, "I dunno. When I stopped staring into the sky, and started looking at you, I noticed you had a lot more body language than the others. And after that, understanding you became a lot easier."

"Ears up, tail wagging." Vella called out.

"Happy." Corrin responded.

"Ears up, tail still."

"Wary." The two sisters smiled at each other, with Vella's tail wagging furiously, "Wish I had a tail." Corrin looked behind her and shook her rear, disappointed at the lack of a similar furry tail.

"Well, you don't need a tail for expressing yourself. There are other ways, other body parts you can use."

"Oh…" Corrin nodded, "I'm going to make some up!" There was a sudden, huge smile on her face, "You're right, I don't need a tail…" Corrin walked over to Vella, "I have an idea..." Corrin starts rubbing Vella's fur, causing her sister to start shaking her leg.

"L-Lower… to the right." Vella let out a groan of satisfaction as Corrin started scratching a particularly itchy spot. "You are so good at that…" Vella lied her head down, and Corrin sat down, before repositioning herself so Vella could instead place her head on Corrin's lap. "Oh, we're doing this, now?"

Corrin giggled as she started stroking Vella's fur, "Oh, yes we are!"

"Hm, you know, I can easily ruin the mood right now." Vella giggled.

"Please don't." She replied as she continued to stroke her sister's fur.

"I'm going to need convincing… and the place for negotiations is on my back." Vella raised an eyebrow on Corrin, who easily gave in with a nod. Vella turned over, with her stomach now over Corrin's lap. "Th-there… l-left, a bit higher." Vella sighed as her sister continued to parade her back with much needed scratches. "Mmm.."

"And you told me to refrain from moaning." Corrin giggled as the treatment continued.

"Th-This is… different!" A jump in her tone came when Corrin found the spot to scratch. Vella practically turned into pudding as Corrin applied more pressure. "Oh…"

"Seta?" Lupus suddenly asked. "I'm curious about something."

"I'll try my best to answer, Lupus." She still has that lazy smile plastered on her face.

"Is it weird for people to... rub and scratch each other? Like if there's an itchy or sore spot?"

"So, like a massage."

"Massage?" Lupus echoes. "Is that what it's called?"

"The rubbing part, yeah. I dunno if there's a different word for just scratching an itch." A pause, "Anything else?"

"Could you give me one of those? A massage and a scratch?" Lupus's heart started beating faster, this is a rather... intimate question.

"I can try." With a now beaming face, Lupus scoots over and lies down right next to Seta. "I can't say I'll be great, but here I gooooo."