“Like ask Tarnk, Tarnk wants hit Candy with Tarnk arrow, say they even with the Stevens,” Tarnk rumbled out quietly.
Mina looked freaked out as she nodded. “It’s just… it’s getting out of control. What’s next? What if someone agrees to any of the madness she’s offering up?”
I was a bit worried and horrified myself to hear this. Dace never said a word about offering herself up to an arrow from Tarnk to make amends.
“She’s not my ex.Heshot Tarnk.Hepicked up that gun and fired. Not Candy,” Mina muttered, her brow furrowed, mouth pulled into a grimace.
“If she hasn’t told me about this, I can’t exactly go to her and talk to her about it without giving away that Tarnk told you what happened and then told me. Unless you told others?” I ventured hopefully.
“We haven’t, but there have been others who were offered a chance at something similar from her. She offered herself up to Berkr’s wrath first. He told Kirch so we’d be prepared if and when it happened,” Mina admitted. Running a hand through her long, reddish brown hair, she mumbled, “This shit is actually keeping me up at night.” A small, incredulous laugh escaped her. “I mean, is that why she hacked off all her hair? I know why she said she did it but… I can’t help but wonder.”
“She won’t talk about it. As far as she’s told me, she did it for a book,” I said simply. Mina wasn’t a bad sort. She just did a shit thing and she sees it. I can see that. Despite her extreme dislike of Dace, Mina truly seemed worried about Dace’s attempts to make amends for the crazy that happened in the past among the villagers affected by it.
“Just… please, if you can get through to her, try and find some way to talk her down from that ledge, huh?” Mina turned her worried, green eyes on me.
“If I can, I plan to,” I said simply.
“Thanks.” Mina nodded.
It was right about that time that the first caterwaul rent the air. Then, another one, followed by a third, a fourth, slowly devolving into child-like growls.
“That us,” Veck grumbled in way of excusing himself to take care of whatever madness was brewing.
“We should go help. They can get a little rowdy when they get going,” Mina murmured. Lifting a hand, she motioned over her shoulder.
“We go,” Tarnk rumbled out in what I took as a good-bye.
Turning as she started off with Tarnk, Mina tossed me a small smile. “I’m happy for you, for the both of you.” To Kehl, she teased, “I always wondered about you. This,” she mimed his horns, then the extended length chin hair and the thickened shoulder fur, “it suits you, Grumpy Mc Fabric Wizard.”
Kehl rolled his eyes at Mina, an action that made her laugh, grin, and point. “See! Kirch said you could do it! I knew he wasn’t funning me!”
Kehl rolled them again, making her crack up.
“Loving this new side of you, Kehlor! Celuk was right! Your Pru brings out the best in you!” she called out as she hurried off.
“Celuk say Kehl’ Purred-roo bring out beast in Kehl,” Tarnk mumbling corrected.
Mina laughed like Tarnk had just said the funniest thing. “Same thing, beast boy!”
“Meanie likes the eye rolleds. Gives them for Kirch,” Kehl told me. “Kehl watch, learn, do to Kirch too, ‘nnoy Kirch.”
“He’s very Rek-like, isn’t he?” I murmured.
Kehl nodded and let out a rumble that saidand how.
Laughing, I turned to my mate. “Should we finish up here and head out?”
Kehl scooped me up, curled me close, and let out a roar loud enough to encompass the beings loosely gathered.
It was like a giant,Thanks for coming, bye now!
The responding roars were as good as anOkay, bye then! See ya later!
“What the hell was that all about?” a feminine voice called out softly.
“They say the byed-byes. Go now, be mates,” Boog answered.
“Hurry,” I purringly whispered, putting every bit of want riding me into that one little word. My lips found Kehl’s ear and I bit down lightly.
