Badger

the hunter, the lover

once a famed shade hunter, he lost his sense of smell in a great battle. he went to the clan's doctors to restore his scent, and they agreed, but it would take time. so he stayed with the clan, prowling its borders for any sign of the shade.

one day, he noticed atticus - his ancestral enemy - talking to a blob of shadow. he decided that this monstrosity must be destroyed. he planned his attack carefully, watching him for days on end, and pounced.

atticus' demon held him down as its host and the doctors explained the situation. that banescales and gaolers were no longer at war, that the demon was no shade, that atticus was in fact helping the doctors restore his senses.

so the doctors forced him to help atticus, to gather ingredients for him, to carry heavy boxes and keep him safe when he ventured into the woods at night. he did so, begrudgingly, helping the being he regarded with cautious disdain.

until something changed. he began to laugh at the banescale's jokes, to smile at his furrowed brow, to look forward to seeing him. he did not understand these feelings, and so he lashed out. his heart broke, seeing atticus' dismayed face, but he still did not understand.

the doctors understood. they pulled him aside and scolded him, 'he likes you, can't you see, and you like him.' he snarled, he roared, he whined, he sighed. 'yes,' he finally admitted, 'i do.' 'then tell him, or you'll never smell again!'

so he did. and so did atticus. and the demon laughed, and the doctors smiled.
and he could smell the flowers on their wedding day.