Amanda looked around.  “I don’t want to leave these two alone.  We’ve had a lot of canids sniffing around lately.  They already took the bodies from last night.  The ones outside, I mean.  We dumped the two you killed in here over the wall.”  She looked down at Fuzzy, who was smiling up at her despite holding the goblin in his mouth.  “Your cub did a real number on that guy’s face.”

“Oh!  You two haven’t met!” Allistor made a flourishing motion with his hand. “Fuzzy bear, meet Amanda.  Amanda… Fuzzy.”  Amanda extended a hand for the cub to sniff, much like one would do with a new dog.  As Fuzzy checked her out, she whispered, “Is that a frog in his mouth?”

“Nope!  Goblin!” He waited for the expected wide eyes, then said, “It’s a stuffed Fibble doll he found at the ranger station.  He’s… adopted it.”  Just then Fuzzy set down the doll and licked Amanda’s hand, giving her a friendly chuff, then lowering his head and bringing it up underneath her hand to demand a scratch.

Laughing, she scratched his ears, earning a pleased rumbling in the bear cub’s chest.  “I guess we’re going to be good friends, Fuzzy bear.” She squatted down to hug him, and he licked her face.  “Ew!  What have you been feeding him?”

“That guy’s face.” Allistor grinned.

She quickly stood back up, patting Fuzzy’s head.  “Oh, right.” The look on her face was priceless as she used a sleeve to wipe the slobber from it.

Allistor shrugged, saying, “He killed our people.  As far as I’m concerned, he didn’t die slowly enough.  I told Fuzzy to eat his face but my kind, sensitive bear cub killed him first.  He watched as Fuzzy nodded, then lifted Fibble and ambled off toward the woods to take care of bear business.  “Fuzzy’s nose says there are no monsters close by.  It’s safe for you to come meet the group.”

He waved to his friends to approach, and he brought Amanda to meet them halfway.   “Amanda, this is badass ranger Helen, Chancellor Dean, and Lady Commander Andrea.  Guys, this is Amanda, our resident doctor.

They all shook hands and made small talk for a few minutes until Sam and the others emerged en masse.  Allistor left the rest of the introductions for after the service.  They lifted the bodies and placed them atop the pyre, then Allistor lit the fire.  They watched in silence as the bodies burned down to ash, then returned to the Stronghold, shutting the gates behind them.