“Sorry – I just... I wanted to know what they felt like.” She smiled apologetically.
“Do you just go around touching strangers without their permission?” the commander asked, bristling.
Lori ignored his ire. “Can you feel through them?”
“Sort of.” Lephas sighed, snatching the snow spikes off the floor and startingover. “There aren't many nerve endings in them, thankfully, but they do bleed like a bitch if you snap them.”
“You can snap those things?!” Lori winced. “They look pretty solid.”
“They are. Very useful for ramming into people in a fight,” Lephas repliedabsently, concentrating. “Our horns are very tough, but I've seen men accidentally hit them into things that have been tougher. It's not pretty.”
“Do girl demons have horns too?”
“Some of them – not all. Are we finished with question time?” Lephas pulled the second set of snow spikes tight and tied the leather in a knot.
“I guess, sorry,” she mumbled.
Lephas sighed. “It's fine. I suppose I'm just not used to faeries actually being interested in these things.”
“Lemonade out of lemons.” Lori shrugged.
“Wrists,” Lephas instructed, and the girl obediently held out her arms.
“I thought you said I was keeping these on?”
“You are,” he replied. Lephas unclasped the faerie's left wrist and quickly attached the cuff to his own, making sure to keep his sword arm free.
“Oh. I'm attached to you all day?” Lori's eyes sparkled with interest.
“For now. Can't risk you getting away from us, and I pulled the short straw.”
“Hey, I'll have you know I'm a delight to be chained to.” The girl winked at him and hopped off the stool as Lephas stood.
Lephas grabbed his pack and strode towards the kitchen table. His wrist met with resistance immediately and Lori stumbled.
“Whoa! A bit of warning?”
“I'm going to need you to try your best to keep up with me today, alright?” Lephas picked up a dark brown piece of fur and passed it to her.
“Oh, thanks.” Lori took the fur, clearly delighting in how soft it was. It was sewn together into a loop. She slid it over her head and gathered the material around her neck.
“The fur goes on the inside. Have you never actually been outside in the snow before?” Lephas sighed, fighting a smile.
“On the inside? But then no one would see the fur?”Lori frowned.
“That's kind of the point.” Lephas gently pulled the snood back over the faerie's head. He turned the material inside-out, so the dark tanned leather was on the outside with the soft fur on the inside.
He handed it back to Lori, who dutifully pulled the material into place. She tucked her braid inside and adjusted the material so it was comfortable.
“The fur is on the inside to keep you warm, not on the outside to look good.” Lephas grinned.
Lori sighed. “What a waste. This thing smells great, by the way – whose is it?” She pulled the fur up over her nose and mouth. Her stunning blue eyes shone even brighter when the rest of her pretty face was hidden.
“Uh, it's mine.”
“Oh.” Lori laughed awkwardly. “Well, you smell great.”
How did she brazen that out so well? Lephas picked up his pack again.Even the tips of his ears felt hot.
