Artist's commentary
Tovarisch Tenshi
Tenshi was born into a clan mostly comprising of Yuukarins, Tenshis and Raikos deep in the forests of R_____, Tenshi's clan was led by a hybrid YuukaShou who organized the clan of 40 yukkuris well enough that it seems pretty certain that the clan will grow even bigger if their luck holds.
Tenshi was taught at a young age not to go beyond the clan's boundaries but like all Tenshikkuri Tenshi is disobedient. Yuukakkuri do not have much use for Tenshikkuris except for procreation and keeping them around as bait as the Tenshikkuri's natural toughness is at the very top of the scale for yukkuri. While not actually immortal, tenshis tend to heal back body parts after awhile and can tolerate pain way beyond most creatures.
Tenshi is fairly young, only about a year old but the damage to her body is evident with all her scars. Tenshi's scars are because of her naturally arrogant and troublemaking nature that she would brave dangers even humans would avoid like bears and wolves. That and because she was often beaten to a pulp by her father Yuuka who is one of the clan's best farmers as discipline to the chagrin of Tenshi's more domesticated mother Tenshi.
Once again, as per schedule, every three days or so, Tenshi has been secretly meeting with Shion in a knoll way beyond her clan's boundaries. It has been so for 2 months now. Tenshi met Shion in one of her adventures way beyond the clan's border. Shion was starving by the stream and would have died if Tenshi did not wander and spotted her.
Tenshi found Shion to be particularly attractive and endeavored to meet up with Shion as often as she can sneak away from her farm duties. Of course, everytime Tenshi takes a risk travelling on her own she encounters many dangers like forest rats that would try to attack her, wolves who on occasion do try to attack her but for some reason do not actually end up killing her after taking a bite. In fact, just 3 weeks ago, Tenshi was maimed by a pack of wolves that caused her to lose an eye and wounded ehr so much that had she had been further away from the clan's border, another of the clan's adventurous tenshi would have not have found her. It was pure luck Tenshi survived that and after Tenshi had healed enough to not die, her father Yuuka gave Tenshi another thrashing. Tenshi does not resent her father's discipline though and in fact enjoy it so as soon as she had healed up enough to go back adventuring and meeting up with Shion, she did so again.
This time around there was no incident and Tenshi travelled towards their rendezvous hoping to meet up with Shion. Hoping that Shion has not left the knoll because Tenshi had not met with her for so long. Tenshi foraged on the plants growing in the clan's territory and even snagged bugs and worms along with the wild grapes and sweet grass.
As luck would have it, at the knoll, Shion was there, gaunt and subsisting on the plants around the area. When Shion saw Tenshi it was as if she was energized and flew to Tenshi and rubbed rubbed with her before stopping herself because of embarrassment for losing her composure.
Shion squealed with delight when Tenshi opened her leaf bag and showed Shion the smorgasborg she has collected for her. For the perpetually lethargic and depressed yukkuri like Shion who barely have the energy to forage effectively to survive, this feast was the stuff of dreams. After Tenshi indicated that Shion can have it all for herself, Shion gorged on the food and fruit juice and bug juice splashed all over her skin and on the ground to Tenshi's amusement.
Tenshi has been thinking about moving out for months now and her adventuring was actually her way of testing herself out and to look for a potential mate. Shion, who seems less than a capable yukkuri, appears to be a very suitable mate appearance wise and the ordeal of taking care of her appeals to Tenshi's masochistic nature.
After Shion has finished eating Tenshi proposed that they take it easy together. Shion could not believe what she was hearing and her happiness was overflowing.
Her happiness was overflowing not just because she had fallen in love with Tenshi but because being with Tenshi probably ensures her survival and her paste lineage to perpetuate some more.
Shion happily accepted and kissed Tenshi on the lips for the first time indicating their marriage as per that area's custom among yukkuris. They are both very happy with their decision as they stared into the clear blue sky together and dreamed of the future they will have together.
Tenshi smiled and cooed about their future happiness as she rubbed Shion's back with her forelock but at the back of Tenshi's mind she wonders that if ever striking out on her own would be too difficult would the clan chief welcome her back? Would her parents welcome her back? The uncertainty of her decision thrilled as well as chilled Tenshi.
Who knows what the future would bring? All she has to do is to get back to the clan and bring Shion along to tell her parents she is marrying Shion.