Elm and Cy returned with Sunny and Forest and a caravan of crap Forest was pulling along on a wooden cart. A female bunny person, a Lepyr, as Sunny called them, with sandy brown fur and white fur on her chest and cheeks, a tiny little pink button nose, and those familiar blue eyes, hopped off where she was sitting on the back of the cart and rushed up to me.
Kehl set me down just in time to be tackle-hugged by the woman. “Oh, Prudence! We were so worried about you!”Pulling back, she smiled happily, tears in her eyes. “Just look at you, hun! You’re all fuzzy wuzzy and ready for winter weather, looking cute as a button!”
“She have babies, Mama,” Birch chimed in oh so helpfully.
“OH! Forest! Forest, baby, did you hear that?! We’re going to be grandparents!!” she squealed out in delight.
“Not kill all Krampus yet, mama voice do it,” Cy muttered as he sidled up beside Kehl and wrapped an arm around me. “Cy first mate,” Cy told Kehl.
Kehl nodded, acknowledging their perceived pecking order.
“Elm first mate,” Elm grumbled.
“Elm chicken shits, first time our Pru. Elm run. Cy first mate. Cy no run. Cy claim. No care who after that,” Cy argued. Pointing at Kehl, he nominated him as second. “Him no run neither. ‘Tect our Pru.”
Elm glared at him but couldn’t argue his logic.
“Kehl no need be first, second,” my secret sweetheart of a male rumbled out.
Elm stared at him for a long moment before blurting, “Why?”
Kehl shrugged. “My Purr-roo- OUR Purr-roo no pick fav’rites. Love all her males. Kehl know how much she miss Cy and Elm. No want fight now all ‘gether.”
Elm nodded and dropped the race for mate order. “All same,” Elm said finally.
Cy snorted. “Cy first. Cy know Cy special favorite my Pru- Ow! Ma!”
“Mr Kehl just saved your life! And on top of that, he’s been taking excellent care of our sweet Pru, from the sounds of it. Show that male some respect!” she barked at her middle son in only the way an incensed mama could.
Cy frowned and grabbed at his tugged ear. Eyes narrowing on her, causing Forest to rumble at him warningly, Cy finally grumbled, “Fine, no need be first mate.” He waited a beat. I was expecting it. “Cy fine be secret favorite.”
Kehl snorted and bent to rumble in my ear, “My Purr-roo has a Rek-Kirch?”
A god awful guffaw escaped me.
Cy glanced between us sharply.
“What a Rek-Kirch?” Elm asked in an overdone stage whisper.
Patting his arm, I assured him, “I’ll show you later.”
“Birch not want know,” the youngest of their brood grumbled with a shudder.
“Cy not that thing. That Red Skirt thing Kehl say,” Cy grumbled.
Sliding an arm through Cy’s, I gave his arm a squeeze. “Of course not.”
Cy huffed and puffed and then finally rumbled, “Why Cy not ‘lieve my Pru?”
Kehl laughed his ass off at that. “My Purr-roo other mates going to keep Kehl ‘tained.”
“Boy, will they ever,” I muttered as Cy and Elm started to quietly bicker.
Kehl ended that real quick, stepping between the pair with a stern look each.
Huh. There was something really hot about watching him be all take charge like that. I’d have to show him just how much later.
As we headed for the village and Lo denaii who’d joined the fight started popping from the foliage, some with Krampus-y souvenirs, a la head trophies, I couldn’t help but wonder and worry about Dace.
