The little bird landed on the branch, an insect in its mouth. Cautiously, it looked around. There appeared to be no apparent danger. It continued to wait for a moment longer, paying close attention to the sky for the appearance of any predator, or other small bird that might attempt to steal its succulent prize.

The skies were clear.

It dipped its head sharply and smacked the carapace of the insect repeatedly against the branch. The tough chitin made an unusual sound against the branch and the little bird paused unsure. Something wasn't right. It looked around furtively once more. Still nothing. Tentatively it tried again. The sound still wasn't right and it was about to stop when the carapace cracked. That was another unusual occurrence. Normally it took longer for the shell to crack.

It looked around again. Still clear. It bent down and placed the insect down on the branch. The insect still moved, but not enough to knock it from the branch. The little bird jammed its beak into the crack, making it wider and increasing access to the soft and tasty flesh beyond. It feasted hungrily, enjoying every beak full.

As it ate its way in, it broke off chunks of protective chitin, dropping the bits over the side of the branch. It paused for another cautious look, still safe. It tucked in, little tongue darting in to remove the merest morsel.

Eventually it consumed all edible matter and knocked the husk off the branch onto the ground below. It licked its beak then wiped it against the branch. Its beak slid against the branch easily, not doing a very good job of cleaning. Normally branches were rougher, the cleaning more effective. However it was sated and did not concern itself overly much.

Letting its meal settle, it preened, removing some old feathers and fluffing up it's down. It checked the surroundings and sky again. Still nothing. It readied itself for flight, stretching its wings and voiding its bowels. As the last of its bodily waste was ejected, it took a final look around before launching itself into the air in search of its mate.

Its excrement slowly slid down the side of the branch, pooling underneath before dripping onto the ground. The air was silent; a small creature ran over to the excrement and took several speculative sniffs before moving on. A few birds lazily flew into sight. All was peaceful and calm.

'That was a beautiful little bird.' The whispered voice seemed disembodied, appearing out of nowhere.

There was another moment of silence. In the distance a bird sang its song of courtship.

'Well, you didn't have, quite literally, a birds eye view up its arse.' The second voice was also quiet and disembodied.

The first voice giggled quietly, revealing a feminine nature.

Lial surveyed the target through the long-las's scope, moving neither his head nor the rifle. Still no sign of the mark. He ignored the little birds leaving present as it slowly slid off the side of the long camouflaged barrel. 'Status?' He whispered.

Lials partner Frena, looked through the spotting scope, minutely adjusting the dials controlling the spotting scopes aperture. Her field of view widened to its maximum, the numbers on the azimuth adjusting accordingly. The remote anemometer she had hidden earlier, continued to feed a constant status of wind speed to the top right of the scopes HUD.

She checked the time.

'Change-over.' Frena liked this bit. She moved back from the spotting scope slightly, and then shuffled close to Lial, her movements slow and measured.

Lial relaxed his grip on the long-las. The butt had its own small support so that when devoid of human bracing, the muzzle did not move unduly. Like Frena, he moved slightly back from the rifle, his movements slow and steady. No sharp movements that might catch a meandering eye.

Still prone, Frena slowly lifted her body away from the ground using her feet and hands. Lial slowly wriggled under Frena's raised body, still on his front. When he was under, he stopped moving. Frena lowered herself onto his back, enjoying the feeling of her breasts pushing against him. She deliberately took longer than was strictly necessary, savouring every moment. She lowered her head close to his neck, deliberately exhaling into his nape. She felt a tremor run through his body and unseen by Lial, she smiled in pleasure.

Under the pretext of adjusting the position of her arms and legs, she moved her face to the side of his head, running her delicate nose along the outer edge of his ear. She couldn't resist herself and blew softly over the sensitive ridges of flesh and into the darkness of his eardrum. Lial cleared his throat quietly, as his face turned from its usual pale complexion to a fiery red.

No less fired up, Frena moved an arm and leg over his body, enjoying how the rasp of material teased her hard nipples and stirred the warmth between her legs. Regretfully, she lifted herself up again and Lial, with injudicious haste, scooted over to the spotting sight.

Moving slowly, like the consummately skilled professional she was, Frena moved up to the rifle and slowly moved into position. She took a light hold then tested and adjusted her position into a firmer grip as she rested a finely boned cheek against the stock. She settled her gaze into the rifles sight picture. Her breathing, calm and steady, was at odds to the harsh and laboured breaths coming from Lial.

She smiled to herself and thought of all the things she would do to him, of all the things he could do to her.

'The winds picked up' Whispered Lial.

'Like, duh! I've only spent the last two hours staring at the wind speed'

'Sorry.'

'You will be.' Frena glanced at the graticules and aimed slightly off a fraction, to compensate for wind.

Lial detected the slight change in the muzzles elevation. 'Don't overdo it.' He cautioned.

'Me? Overdo anything?'

'Yes. Sigmar 14, remember?'

'That was an anomaly due to the unnaturally high levels of static ionic electricity that night. Besides, what's your excuse for McFreg 306?'

Lial stayed silent.

'Uh-huh. Thought so. You still owe me for that one.'

'I paid!'

'Like when?'

'Errr, ' Struggled Lial.

Frena tilted her head slightly and stared at him. 'Come on then, when?'

'Ummm'

'Are you trying to blag me?'

'Never dream of it Frena!' Lial was starting to sweat a little.

'Your ass is ssssoooo gonna be mine. No matter how big, ' Frena deliberately moved her gaze down his body 'you think you are.'

Lial rallied and tried a sortie. 'Dream on, you couldn't handle me.'

'"Handling" you, was not what I had in mind'

'Is that right? What had you in mind big mouth?'

'Don't diss the mouth, you're not THAT big, that these lips can't swallow you whole.' She stared directly into his eyes, challenging him.

'You think so?'

'I know so.'

'Target.'

Frena moved her gaze back to the sight. Nothing stirred. She focused on the point of aim, a smile tweaking the corners of her mouth, knowing she had won, again. 'Pussy.' She whispered.

'Crap shot.' Came the equally whispered reply.

'Servitors spanner.'

'SOB wannabe.'

'Space Marine failure.'

'Ork lover.'

Frena looked around again, an eyebrow raised. 'Ork lover?'

Lial shrugged.

She turned back to the sight. 'Squig.'

'Nurgling.'

'Eeurggh!' She let out a quiet laugh and he replied in kind.

Frena had worked with many partners over the years, had even killed a few of them, but none of them appealed to her in the ways that Lial did. She never mixed business with pleasure, but this assignment was making her re-evaluate that decision.

Her assassinorium training had given her a flexibility and strength not to be found in most members of the female race. Indeed, she had even used those muscles, flexibility and training to terminate several targets- of both sexes- between the sheets. Their bodies trapped between or within hers, as she had broken backs and snapped necks. She rarely found a partner able to satisfy her base needs fully, but sensed in Lial, a kindred spirit.

She had been bio sculpted to appear pleasing to the eye for both sexes, as had Lial. Even though she knew this, she still found her body responding at the curve of muscle, squarness of jaw and bulge between the legs. Definitely the bulge.

She thought of that ministorium training being used on her, felt the blood rush to the flesh around her majora and minora, her clit moving under its protective hood in readiness.

She envisioned his lithe and muscled frame moving confidently over her own svelte body, imagined the rough texture of his hands cupping the soft pliable tissue of her breasts, touching, kneading, pushing and pulling, his fingertips tweaking her sensitive nipples, stroking them in a gentle up and down motion before being replaced by the soft dexterity of his tongue. The warmth of his lips enclosing her breast, sucking her into his mouth, his teeth leaving red lines in mark of their passage as he moved from one breast to the other and back again, loving both equally in turn.

In her dream, Lial kissed his way from her breasts down over the flat taught expanse of her stomach, pausing to explore her belly button with his tongue as his hands travelled freely across her torso.

His mouth left her belly button, continuing its travels downwards over her midriff, his hands stroking the contours of her hips. Her sex, devoid of all hair lay exposed to both his touch and gaze. Lial took a deep breath and slowly let it out again, deliberately blowing softly over the raised lips of her sex. Her body twitched and shuddered in response to the whisper of air. She tried to drag his lips onto her, but he braced and easily fought against her pull.

As if in retaliation, he stopped blowing against her sex and turned his attention to the surrounding skin, kissing the flesh of her inner thighs and area directly around her pubis.

If he wouldn't come to her, Frena decided to go to him. She raised her hips to his face. Sensing what was about to happen, Lial raised his head to match her hips, neatly avoiding touching her.

The dream Frena groaned in frustration and almost groaned in reality at the same time.

'Please!' Frena was almost begging.

Lial looked up at her and grinned, all the more determined to drag the moment out.

'Don't do this to me!' Frena pleaded.

Lial felt guilty and lowered his head. Opening his mouth, he extended his tongue and licked the length of her mons in one long slow sweep.

'FUCK!' She clamped her thighs tight against his head as all the muscles in her hips and stomach contracted at the beautiful sensation.

He repeated the slow and sensuous lick, but instead of removing his tongue at the end, kept it on her clitoral hood and gently circled the little nub of nerve endings.

Another wave of warm pleasure coursed through her body, and just breathing was turning out to be a chore. It was too much too soon. She wrapped her hands in his short hair and used all her remaining strength to push his head away.

'No more Lial!'

Lial finally relented and pulled her hands from his hair, trapping them beside her body with his own hands and weight

His muscled thighs easily parted hers as he slipped between her legs, the rough hairs on his legs, tickling her own smooth and sensitive skin. A coarse hand released hers and slipped behind her knee, lifting her leg. She knew what he wanted, and lifted her other leg, placing her heels loosely on the backs of his legs.