“Vurhg has food, Purr-roo hungry,” he rumbled out quietly.
“Good. Where is it? Where’s your hut?” My gaze darted around curiously.
Eyeing me, he hesitated, then lifted his hand and pointed.
“Over there? Good. Let’s go.” Lifting the potato, I stifled a laugh when his first reaction was a flinch like he thought I meant to beat him with it, then motioned for him to lead the way.
“Vurhg give Purr-roo food, Vurhg can keep tayed turds?” he asked.
“No. Those taters are mine. You owe me for stealing from me, kidnapping me, and bashing my head in.” I almost smashed into his back, he stopped so fast.
Beasts striding past glanced our way but otherwise minded their own business. Good. This was absolutely none of their business.
“Vurhg needs tayed turds,” the beast insisted.
When he turned around, I grabbed him by his mashed in, horribly crooked nose.
Suzy’s yowl drew a few onlookers but the glare I shot their way sent them scurrying along. “I don’t think you understand. I’m about this close to losing my shit, and the only cure for that is those magical lumps covered in dirt you call tayed turds. If I don’t get them, I won’t be responsible for what I do to you. Do you understand me, fuzzy lumpkins? I’m this close to losing my shit!”
Sadly, I meant it, every god be damned word.
“Vurhg hut there,” Vurhg garbled out as his hands waved around on either side of us and I played a very painful game of gotcha nose.
“Is it locked?” My head tilted and I put just enough pressure on his nose he growled and winced.
“No locked,” he confirmed.
“Good. Are all of my things in there?” I bit out.
“All there but one. Vurhg try. Think smell funny. No know why want. Taste bad. Vurhg no like those tayed turds.”
Jerking his nose hard until I heard that telltale pop, I released his nose, studied my work, and gave him a very patronizing pat to the shoulder as he howled, dropped to his knees, and clutched his face.
“You’re welcome!” I called out as I rushed past him.
We’d gathered a crowd. I didn’t care.
Rushing inside his hut, I spied that pillowcase and my T Day supplies stowed away inside. Nabbing it all up, I left his house Grinch-style, hauling all of it away with a wicked grin.
I could not get back to Bia’s borrowed hut fast enough and get something going in that pot I could set over the fire.
Soon enough I had potatoes, freshly melted snow, celery, and a couple bullion cubes bubbling away in the pot. For a quick meal, I’d opted to wrap a potato in the tin foil Vurhg had pilfered from some other poor sap’s house, and baked one of my golden potatoes in the fire.
It was the most basic baked potato I’d ever eaten but I was so hungry it didn’t matter. Scooping out a little broth from the pot to pour over it helped but I was almost done with my meal before I’d thought to try it.
Full, I sprawled out across the bed and stared at the ceiling. With just myself and this piddly existence to ponder over, my thoughts quickly turned blue.
Grabbing up my things, I made my way out the door. Unsure where I was heading, on a subconscious level I knew.
Before I knew it I was right back in that exact spot I’d woken up in. The portal thing couldn’t be far? Could it? I knew better than to venture far out, so I kept to the perimeter.
I must have been looking for a lot longer than it felt like as daylight slowly dimmed.
“Hey.”
Spinning around, tense, I stared at Dace for a long moment. “I didn’t hear you come up,” I admitted.
“You were muttering to yourself.” Dace offered me a small smile. “I didn’t want to startle you but it’s getting pretty dark.”
