Umbrum's letter to Urainia expressed his desire to see her again, and soon, something he didn't tell Manx due to fears of him calling him soft.

Dear Urainia,

I haven't told Manx this, but I really miss you. I hope I don't sound pathetic or needy, I just want to see you again. It's been so long since we last spoke it seems, and Ravenfell is beautiful and its people have been kind to me. I finally feel as if I have a place on Earth.

You could help to rebuild it with me, maybe even stay with me for a while. The temple should be built soon enough, and it's good to stay in for one night.

Urainia thanked the messenger crow with a pet. Astera asked her about it.

"Glad to see he's having fun, are you going?"

"Of course, he seems to miss me a lot, and Ravenfell sounds like a wonderful place. Can you run things here for a bit in my absence."

Astera nodded. "Yes, but only for one day. Remember, you have a meeting here at sundown."

Urainia called for Felagi and Folki, hooked them up to her chariot, and soon found the way to Ravenfell at the speed of light.

Dag commented that Ravenfell is slowly becoming a weirdness magnet.

"First it was a guy with a pair of massive centipedes, and now this foreign woman?"

Manx was intrigued at the "foreign woman". "What are you talking about, she's from the same place as Umbrum."

"Outer space? I'd think that others of his kind would look...you know, white skin, horns, all that."

Urainia strolled over to greet him without making a sound.

"Well, you're assuming a lot there."

Dag flinched, startled.

Urainia looked to Manx.

"I assume you're here for your husband."

"What? Manx, we're not married!"

Dag scratched the back of his neck. "I made him wear a longer tunic so that people would ask less questions. Can we at least say that you're friends or something? If you're not gonna wear a veil, people will assume the worst."

Urainia blinked. "That his original wife died?

He might be fine lying about his marital status, but I'm not."

Urainia walked away in search of Umbrum. Dag was puzzled.

"Is...is she always like this?"

Manx shrugged. "Umbrum made sure that we don't interact since I've threatened her life a couple of times..."

Dag backed away from Manx slowly before running away.

Umbrum was in the middle of repairing a roof on one of the houses. The house was made of turf and stone. When he saw Urainia, he fell off the roof.

It was a one-story house. If Umbrum's nervous system worked, he'd have gotten some substantial back pain. But he just got up and ran to hug her.

"Umbrum, my ribs!"

"Sorry." Umbrum released her from his latest bear hug.

Urainia "Seems that you've gotten stronger!"

"Really? Must be because I've been helping to build new houses."

"Oh, I've seen. I also saw you take an awful fall. Are you alright?"

Urainia rubbed his back, making Umbrum flinch.

"I'm fine, I've taken a lot of damage here."

"You got hurt, and you didn't tell me!"

"I didn't want you to worry!"

"Well, I'm worrying now!"

Their conversation was interrupted by one of the shadow centipedes motioning that Umbrum had to get back to work.

"It was nice to see you again, but I have to go-"

"I can help!"

And Urainia did help. She used her gravity manipulation to transport objects and keep things still for longer, as well as providing moral support.

While on a break, Urainia ended up talking to Umbrum again. None of the villagers of Ravenfell had asked about Umbrum's and Urainia's marital status out of politeness, the both of them too focused on work to see the looks they gave the two of them.

"Are you sure you're OK?"

"Would I have been making the stone wall if I wasn't feeling good?"

"Can you take off your tunic so that I can make sure?"

All the eyes, including Manx's and both of the centipede's fell on them.

"N...no, please."

There was a long pause.

"Oh, OK." Urainia rubbed his shoulder.

The temple would be good to stay in if you were using it to sit in, and not sleep overnight.

Urainia looked to Umbrum. "Are you sure, because I need to be back in Leda at sundown. I can take you."

"I mean, if you want..."

Urainia wanted to.

Umbrum and Portia did some catching up while Urainia was in her meeting. When Urainia came back when Umbrum was busy taking a bath in another room. He did not ask for help with it.

"So you didn't see if he had any scars or bruises. He had a bad fall today."

Portia shook her head. "He told me that you're overreacting. And he seems fine enough, Raina."

"He can't feel pain, is he really the best judge?"

"Please, Raina, relax."

Urainia couldn't, and hugged him once he was finished.

"What are you doing, Raina?"

"Just checking to see if you're OK."

"How many times do I have to tell you 'I'm fine' before you believe me?"

Umbrum shoved Urainia away and got lost trying to find the bedroom.

"Why are there so many halls in this place?!"

Urainia answered from behind him. "It's where all my priests, priestess, and spirits live. My room is upstairs."

"To be closer to the stars?"

"Of course. Would you like to come with me."

Umbrum blinked. "So we're sharing a bed again?"

"Is there a problem, Umbrum?"

"There's no problem. It will help me to act as if I'm married."

Urainia had no words to say in response to that, so she just changed to flirting.

"Why should we act? We can do it whenever we want."

"I'd prefer that we'd marry when our cults have greater influence. You sure do, but I don't."

Urainia placed her arms around his shoulders. "I think a marriage can help you with that-"

"I don't want to be known as 'Urainia's husband', first and foremost. I have to work on my own cult first, and on my own."

Urainia understood. "If you want to do it on your own, go ahead."

"It's not fair. I didn't help you make your cult, I just stayed in the shadows and waited to find my place in Leda."

"I guess not...

Let's go inside."

Umbrum closed the door behind him.

"Well, now that we have some privacy, can you remove your tunic?"

Umbrum stiffened at her words. "I'm telling you, I'm fine."

"I'm nosy, OK? And I worry a lot? Do you want me to worry more tonight?"

Umbrum was still hesitant.

"If you take off your tunic, I'll take off my gown."

Umbrum gave in, and Urainia saw the ugly scars that the vampire left on his chest.

"What-what is that?"

Umbrum looked down and remembered the vampire who tore him up a few nights before.

"...I got in a fight with a vampire when I first got to Ravenfell-"

"Why do you have to hide these things from me! Am I not important enough for that?!"

Umbrum rushed to her side. "No, no you are, I just don't want you to worry-"

"A lot of good that did!"

Umbrum took a few steps back, and went to get his tunic off the floor.

"Wait, Umbra..." Umbrum paused at his little-used nickname. "Can-can you keep it off so that I see your other scars?"

"If you want to see all of them, I'll have to undress totally."

Urainia would've liked that, but could tell that Umbrum was already uncomfortable.

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

Umbrum sighed, and stood still while Urainia got to examining him. Most of them had faded with time or healed with magic, the only prominent ones were the scar from the vampire and the bruise from the fall he took that day.

Slowly, it devolved into Urainia tracing Umbrum's musculature and complementing it.

"I get, you think my muscles are attractive, Raina."

"You seem so grumpy about it. I don't see your shirtless enough."

Umbrum paused. He had trouble explaining his thoughts.

"Umbrum? You've gone quiet, what happened."

He picked up his clothes from the floor. "I should go back to Ravenfell."

"You don't want to stay with me?"

"I'm not feeling comfortable here, and I want to leave."

"Can I make you more comfortable? How about you lie down there."

He hesitated, and flopped on the bed. "Just don't touch me like that, please."

"I will, but can I ask how'd you like to be touched?"

"Just hug me."

Urainia nuzzled into Umbrum. "I only do this because I love you, Umbra."

"I understand..."

The night was quiet from then on.