The sun rose above the trees as another morning woke the camp, a clear blue sky was above them, as Thyra slowly woke up.

She sat up and checked on Dusty. He was still out of it. It had been three days since they found him, but he hadn't woken yet. She sighed and looked at the Night Furies, who were play-fighting each other in long grass.

"Alright, you two, wanna take it elsewhere and go hunting? Whoever brings the most food back wins!" Thyra told them, and they took off excitedly, growling challenges to each other.

Thyra looked over at the creek that ran on the edge of camp, which was probably the most secured they had, and watched as fish jumped over the rocks and small logs.

She slowly wandered over and sat down at the edge, slipping into the cold water silently. She ducked under the cold water before emerging again, figuring she may as well bathe herself for the fifteenth time. She's been bored these last few days, hoping Dusty would hurry up and wake already so she can scold him.

Back at the camp, Thyra's hope was becoming reality, as Dusty  slowly rolled over in the bed, and fell off. He hit the ground with a Thud.

"Oh, damn it, what the hell?" He said as he rubbed his side, still on the ground.

Thyra looked up as she heard the thud, tensing. But when she heard the familiar cursing, her head snapped over to the campsite, and she practically scrambled out of the water.

Dusty managed to sit up, and pull himself back in the bed, and he looked up at the top of the tent covering him, and only one question crossed his mind, where was he?

As soon as she found her footing, Thyra ran towards the tent eagerly. Surely she hadn't been hearing things. She ripped the fabric and burst in, breathless and dripping water everywhere.

Dusty looked up from his sitting position on the bed, and standing in front of him was the love of his life, "...Thyra?"

"Who else?" She counted with a grin. "It's...man, did you really have to wake up the one time I was away?! Three days, you could have woken up any other time." She jokes.

Dusty, though he was still weak, stood up and took her hand in his, "Including stop dreaming about you...everyday that I woke they would torture me, they wanted to know where you were...the dragons...but I never told them."

Her smile drops. "I thought you were dead, Dusty! Two weeks of emptiness. I didn't know what to do. All I could do was hunt down every pathetic soul, hoping it would heal the hole. I knew it never would. I just... I keep loosing you!"

Dusty dropped his head, "I thought I would never see you again, the torture, humiliation...I didn't think you should have a weak runt."

"Dusty, I don't care if you're a 'runt'!" She shook her head. "The point is, that you are my 'runt'. All that torture, all that suffering, and here I was sitting in random taverns and moping to myself as I track down every last soldier."

Dusty looked up at her, she could see and feel the pain in his eyes, pain like nothing he's ever felt before.

"Dusty I wasn't there to help you. Not until it was almost too late. I don't know how you endured it." Thyra sighed.

Dusty stared at her for a second, before pulling her into a kiss.

She was shocked for a moment, before kissing back.

"I never went a second without thinking about you." Dusty told her as they broke apart

She smiled slightly. "Same here. But I have a new rule, no more getting yourself killed! I'm sick of it."

"No promises." Dusty said

"Exactly, no promises!" She retorted. "Your promises suck. But I mean it, Dusty. No more dying. Dark and I can't stand it."

"Speaking of which, where are they? And the horses?"

"Dragons are hunting competitively, the horses are grazing. Blackwater missed you too, by the way."

"Typical of them." Dusty says, "But we need to get back on the road

"Once you're strong enough, yes." Thyra said, handing him a water flask.

"I can ride Blackwater Thy." He says before taking a sip.

"I don't care, I won't have you falling off." She replied stubbornly.

Dusty rolled his eyes, knowing she won this one, "Fine."

Roaring sounded nearby. "They're back." Thyra noted, hearing the dragons land close by, growling playfully at each other as they raced each other to the tent.

Thyra walked out to see them, while Dusty stumbled to the entrance flap, and peered out.

Thyra laughed at the dragon's catch. "Right, fish again! Good job guys, but Dark brought that salmon back, sorry Pulse!" She exclaims, declaring the winner. "I have good news!" Thyra added.

They both perked their heads up.

Thyra stepped aside, revealing the tent behind her. She was nearly knocked over by Dark, who ran by excitedly.

Dusty was about to open the flap of the tent, when something burst inside of it, he was knocked to the ground, and then was attacked by a barrage of licks that went up and down him.

"Dark! Dark! Stop! Stop!" He yelled.

Dark stopped licking hisnfrend, and just nuzzled him, glad to have him back.

Thyra speared a few fish and put them over the fire to cook, before walking over to the tent to see how the reunion was going.

Dusty hugged Darks head as she walked in, "I missed you too bud."

Thyra walked through the flap and smiled at the sight before her. "Glad to see you guys back together. Wanna join Pulse and I by the fire for breakfast?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, give me a sec." Dusty says, as he uses Darks head for support.

"Take all the time you need, I'll be by the fire, trying to stop Pulse from eating all the fish." Thyra nodded and gave a smile of encouragement, before walking out to keep an eye on her hungry dragon.

Dusty was out there in a few minutes, though now he had a tunic on, and some clean pants, he sat next to Thyra as the food cooked, "So what happened while I was gone?"

"Well, if the two weeks is what you mean, then it was long. We killed a bunch of people, blew up three taverns, and worked our way through the Dannian scattered army." Thyra shrugged. "But these past three days have been boring. We've just been hanging around, waiting for you to wake."

"Anything else?" Dusty asked

Thyra flashed back to the last tavern and winced. "Well, there was one guy...he's dead now, trust me there's no chance of him surviving." She muttered, skipping around the subject the best she could.

Dusty stares at her. "What do you mean?" He asks.

She sighed. "Well, he tried to...you know. He didn't end up getting to it, but he did do...other things." She looks away in shame, she had never felt so weak in her life in that moment, in that tavern. She couldn't help but think there were other things she could have done.

"What the hell did he do to you?" Dusty said, as his eyes slit.

She didn't look at him. "He...well, violated me...with his hands." Her head lowered. She still felt dirty.

"Why do I feel like that's not the whole Truth, Thyra, you can tell me."

"He didn't get to do it. But he was about to." She muttered. "Another second, and..."

Dusty pulled her into his embrace, "It was against your will, I'm not upset."

"But I am! I've NEVER been that weak, that easily overpowered! I should have been able to throw him off me the moment he touched me! But I couldn't!"

Dusty didn't know what to say about that, "You're Thyra the Merciless, my Thyra, if anyone does anything like that to you, they will never see the light of day again."

She nodded, leaning into him. "It won't happen again. I know we both won't let it happen. My guard was down, my mind elsewhere. I shouldn't have been distracted, and I won't be again."

Dusty pulled a fish off the fire, "I don't blame you for being distracted, you thought you lost me."

Thyra grabbed one as well. "Yeah, but I haven't, and that's what matters now."

Dusty gives her a smile, before biting into the fish.

-------

As noon approached, they had eaten their fill, and Dusty was slowly getting his strength back. He had gone and visited Blackwater, who was glad to see her rider alright, and was now with Thyra trying to figure out where their next stop was.

"If we leave, we'll be there by tomorrow night." Dusty told Thyra.

She nodded. "We can afford an extra stop though, arrive there early in the morning."

"There's an Inn about halfway, we can stop there tonight, though it'll be late" Dusty added.

She nodded in understanding. "That works. We don't wanna overdue it, since you only woke up today."

"Want me to get the equipment, you get the tents?" Dusty asked

"Sure." Thyra replied, heading towards the tents she had set up.

Dusty was packing when something finally hit him, he had lost his armor, sword, and shield in the battle, all he had was his daggur and wrist-blades, which he had already put on.

They finished packing, and we're out on the road as the sun passed its highest point.

-------

"So that's my plan, find a damn blacksmith or forge so I can have something to right with." Dusty told Thyra, after she had pestered him about it for hours.

"Good." She nods, shooting him a smile. "The last thing we need is you going into battle without armour."

"Are you ever gonna get hurt? It seems like I'm the only one who's gotten injured since we've met." Dusty pointed out.

'For your information, I do get cuts and bruises! I had a number done on my side when I thought you died, but that's healed long ago."

"Couple of cuts and bruises, that's nothing to brag about...but at the same time, people covered in scars, they don't know how to block." Dusty said as he turned the tables on himself.

She laughed, shoving him playfully. "You'll need to work on that."

Dusty rolled his eyes, "Well, I didn't get this one in the middle of a fight, it was from some damn torture." He said pointing at the three lines on his face.

"Maybe stop getting tortured then." Thyra told him.

"I'll remember this if you're captured and tortured." Dusty informed her.

"Trust me, Dusty, if I was somehow captured, I would be slowly driving them insane. I'd be released after the first night!" She laughed. "Besides, I am way too quick and cunning to be caught."

The horses slowly looked side to side, as if they didn't like something, but Dusty and Thyra were focused on winning the war of words they were having.

"Famous last words, merciless, and if you don't shut up like they say to do sometimes, they'll probably just rip your tounge out." Dusty informed her.

"They won't be getting close to me. I'd just bite them the moment they get in range. Or headbutt."

"Well thanks for telling us your plans you two, so why don't you put your hands up and we won't shoot you." a man said as he stepped out in front of them, forcing Dusty and Thyra to stop.

"You're very welcome, and no, I don't think we will." Thyra sassed, pulling out her staff and shield. The horses shifted on the spot, anxious.

Dusty instinctively reached for his bow, but quickly remembered that he had nothing, so he just waited for the right moment.

Thyra nudged Misty forward a few steps. "So are we gonna fight, or are you going to let us go so we don't have to kill you?" She asked the man.

"You might as well surrender, nobody survives The Black Deaths." the man said.

Thyra glanced at Dusty, smirking slyly.

It remains silent for a few seconds, before Thyra and Dusty can't hold it in anymore. They burst out laughing, nearly falling out of their saddles in amusement.

"Listen guy, just step out of the way, and we won't kill you." Dusty said once he could breathe again.

"Why should I?" The guy put on a tough persona, but he had grown nervous from their laughter.

"Ok then, answer this question for me, what type of horses did you steal from a small village on the coast?" Dusty asked.

The man shifted. "Uh..."

"How did you raze Dannia to the ground?" Dusty asked, as he got off Blackwater.

The man looked at him. "W-why would I tell you that? So you can use our techniques? No way!"

"Thyra, can I add another body to my kill count?" Dusty asked.

"Be my guest, Dusty." She smirked.

Dusty dodged a sword swing by the man, extended his wrist blades, and caught the sword between them, he twisted it out of the man's hands, before spinning around and slicing the mans throws open, blood gushing out like a fountain. He gripped at his throat as he went down to his knees, and then collapsed on the ground.

"Well that was just pathetic." Dusty says

Thyra nodded. "Never thought we'd ever meet an impersonator!"

"Well, it happened, now let's get going." Dusty retracted the blades and mounted Blackwater.

Thyra waited until he was seated before nudging Misty into a canter.

Blackwater matched her twins speed as the sun began to set, and the lights of the Inn appeared in the distance.

"Bout time." Dusty said out loud.

"Yeah, Let's hope we don't get any trouble here. All I wanna do is relax on a bed."

"I'm hungry." Dusty says.

"A nice meal would be nice." Thyra agrees.

They reigned the horses in, and tied the reins down, before heading inside the packed Inn.

They sit at a small table at the far end of the main room, and waited for someone to come get their order.

A guy finally came over, "What can I get you two to drink tonight?"

"Just water for me, I want a clear mind." Thyra replied.

"Same for me." Dusty said.

The man nodded. "I'll be back with your drinks, then I'll take your food order." He walked off.

"How much you gonna bet someone's gonna offer a bed for the night?" Dusty asked Thyra.

"It's basically guaranteed."

"Here comes trouble." Dusty says as a guy walks over to them.

Thyra groaned, feeling like slamming her head—or better yet, the imposter's—hard onto the table.

"Hey babe, wanna have some fun tonight?" The man asks as he leans next to Thyra.

"Nope. Go ask someone else." She replies.

"Well you're the hottest babe around here, and I want you."

"Sorry, I don't want you. You'll have to settle for the second hottest."

The man grabbed Thyra's hair, and yanked her up.

She fought back against him furiously.

Dusty stood up and extended his wrist-blades and stabbed the man in the shoulder, "You let go of her right now." Dusty hissed into his ear.

The man grunted in pain and anger, swiftly letting go to throw a punch at Dusty, but still hung on to Thyra with his other hand.

The punch missed, and Dusty stabbed again, this time the man let go, and ran away, clutching his shoulder.

"We can't even have a meal anymore!" Thyra exclaimed, slumping down into her chair. "Thanks, Dusty." She muttered, head in her hands.

Dusty retracted his blades, before sitting next to her, "You ok?"

She nodded. "I'm fine, thanks for helping." She shot him a smile. "I'm getting sick of this happening though."

"It won't happen while I'm around, that I swear." He whispered to her, as he nibbled on her ear.

She smiled and pulled him into a kiss. "Thanks." She whispered after they pulled back.

The guy from earlier brought their water, "what do y'all want to eat?"

"I'll take mutton stew." Thyra shrugged.

"I'll take the same." Dusty says.

The guy nods and walks off.

"So we staying in a room for the night?" Dusty asked Thyra.

She shrugged. "Yeah, but sleeping with one eye open." She replied.

Dusty laughed, "I'd like to see you try that."

Thyra was cut off as the guy came over and put the food on the table, "you two staying in a room for the night?"

Dusty nodded and handed the guy a piece of gold, to pay for everything, and he walked off.

"I'm starving." Dusty says as he starts eating.

Thyra chuckled before digging in herself.

They finished eating and headed upstairs to the room, which was pretty large, large enough to hold a bed, desk, dresser, and washtub.

"Wow this place is huge." Dusty says as he shuts the door

Thyra sat on the bed. "It is!" She looked around, taking it all in.

Dusty put his daggur on the small table next to the bed, along with his wrist blades, he takes his boots off and lays down with just a pair of shorts and thin tunic on. "Uhhh, feels good to lay down in a proper bed for once."

Thyra placed almost all of her knives aside, keeping one on her just in case a creep would come during the night. She layed back. "I have to agree with ya there."

After a minute of thinking, Thyra turns to Dusty. "Ya know, when the guy...well, you know...he said some things about men. He said a man truly only loves a woman in the bed. I disagreed with him, but he would have none of it."

Dusty rolled over and looked at her, "I'll always love you, nothing can change that, but the man from earlier was right, you are beautiful, from your eyes to your hair, like a queen."

Thyra smiles shyly. "Well, you're not too bad yourself!"

(Mature content warning, scroll to the next bold line if you can't handle this)

Dusty kissed her passionately, "Want to have some fun?" he asked when they broke away.

She smirked. "I would like that very much!"

Dusty smiled and kissed her again, while he pulled off her tunic, revealing her muscular torso and chest, "My Valkyrie."

She smiled, helping him out of his own tunic. "My god!" She smirked, poking one of his muscles.

"Is there a problem?" Dusty asked, confused.

"No, everything is perfect." Thyra smiles warmly, kissing him.

Dusty smiled and returned the kiss, while working on untying Thyra's upper bindings.

She smiled into the kiss and gave him a hand so the bindings would be off without breaking them. She pulled back from the kiss and locked eyes with him.

Dusty put the bindings to the side, and started massaging her right breast with his hand.

She smiled shyly, adjusting slightly as she ran her hands over his chest, quietly moaning from pleasure.

Dusty pulled her into another passionate kiss, silencing her moans, as he stopped massaging her

She kissed back with equal passion and let her hands slip to his shorts, tugging slightly.

Dusty pulled away, and removed his shorts, and only his underwear were left, Thyra could see his bulge in them, as Dusty worked on undoing her shorts.

Thyra slipped her hands down into his underwear, and stroked his member lightly.

Dusty moaned as she did this, "oh...Thyra." He says as he gets her shorts off, all she had on now was her panties covering her clit. Dusty placed his hand over it.

She let out a pleasured moan, leaning towards him as she continued to caress his manhood.

Dusty moaned as he put pressure on two fingers, and started rubbing up and down, feeling her flit through the panties.

She moaned and pulled in for a quick passionate kiss. "Dusty." She whispered in pleasure as they pulled back.

"Yes?" Dusty asked, as he slowly pulled her panties down.

"I love you, so, so much." She replied, pulling his underwear down.

"I love you too" Dusty answers, as he inserted a finger into her clit.

She gripped his shoulders as she moaned, pushing up against him.

Dusty moaned as she continued to stroke his member, and he pulled his finger out, but then inserted two, while going in and out in a slow rhythm.

Her back arched in pleasure, and she started pumping his member slowly, smiling softly at the feeling she was getting from him.

Dusty got an idea, with his left hand he begun massaging Thyra's right brest, while he leaned in and sucked on the left one, while inserting a third finger into her clit.

She gripped him lightly as the feeling of pleasure hit her harder, moaning as she continued with what she was doing.

Dusty moaned into her breast as she picked up speed on his member, so he moved his fingers in and out of her faster and deeper.

She pressed up against him, one hand in his hair as she let out another moan.

Dusty felt his climax approaching, so he picked up speed with his hand, and it wasn't long before he felt Thyra's walls compress around his fingers as her orgasm approached.

She gripped him in anticipation, pumping a little harder as she groaned in pleasure.

Dusty groaned as his climax hit, and his seed shot out of his member, and all over Thyra's chest and face, as her walls compressed around his fingers and her orgasm hit

She let out a moan of pleasure as it hit, gripping him tighter as she groaned out his name, clinging to him like there was no tomorrow.

Her fluids flowed around Dusty's fingers and out of her clit, onto the bed, and they both fell over, exhausted, "Thyra..." Dusty moaned

She smiled, panting a bit. "That was...wow."

(You can read again)

Dusty pulled her tight against his chest, "I love you."

"I love you too, Dusty. More than anyone will ever know." She rested her head against him.

Dusty brushed the hair out of her face, before laying his head against her, "You are my Dark Valkyrie, nothing can change that."

"And you are my Dusty, MY Dusty, I won't let no one take you away from me."

"And no one will take you from me, my love." and he pulls her into a kiss.

She kisses him back, grinning into the kiss happily.

They broke apart, and wrapped themselves into each other's arms as they fell asleep.