“It was your home. It’s okay to miss it.”
“I lived there,” she said quietly. “I don’t think I’d call it home, though.”
Kizros was silent as the atteapir brushed against their legs and sat closer than was probably necessary when the demon was still holding her up.
“She’s adorable, Kiz,” Aofe reassured him. “And, I’m not mad. I’m grateful for her company and assistance, because those stairs are really starting to mock me.”
He stiffened in her hold. “Aofe, if?—”
“I’m kidding, Kizros,” she teased, though not entirely, leaning her head back to see his cheeks darken under a furrowed brow. Her typical dark humor wasn’t going to work on either of them today, so she changed the topic. “Does the atteapir have a name?”
“Not yet. Her name is up to you.”
Aofe hummed, glancing down at the beast. It looked rightback, each of its eyes blinking one after the other. “How about Attie?”
The six-eyed giant fox chirruped, then butted its forehead into her hip. Aofe beamed, then turned her smile up to Kizros. “I think she likes it.”
He chuckled, holding Aofe a little closer. “I think so, too. Hopefully she knows she can call this place home.”
14
FRIENDSHIP
Aofe
Aofe set the quill down, stretching her fingers before the cramp took hold. She let out a long sigh, digging her opposite thumb into her palm to massage the stiffness.
From where her head rested in Aofe’s lap, Attie let out a soft whine and blinked two of her eyes.
“I know,” Aofe whispered, letting her fingers nestle into the fur between Attie’s ears. “I’m taking breaks.”
She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes against the sunshine. As much as she’d hoped Attie being near and the hours in the greenhouse over the last three days would help, the aches were not going away.
The atteapir snorted, nudging Aofe’s legs.
“Sweetie, you are not going to fit in my lap.” Gesturingto the pile of papers in front of her, she said, “This is important. At least, I want it to be. I don’t know if the other girls have access to this information, so if I can help?—”
“She’s in the greenhouse. Can’t miss it down the path,” came Kizros’s voice from a distance. “Right. Can’t miss it because of the… yeah, sunshine through the open door. Just, uh, shout if you need us.”
Aofe frowned. She knew he didn’t let any of his customers wander freely outside, let alone into the greenhouse, so who would he be encouraging to go and find her?
It took another minute before a small body crept into the open doorway.
Well, small was relative. Aofe was by no means tall, especially not leaning heavily on crutches, but the human hesitant to enter was making an effort to crunch her taller frame into something unnoticeable.
Aofe immediately empathized.
“Kat, right?” Aofe waved. “Hi. We, uh, didn’t get a chance to meet before.”
The woman gave a tentative smile but only lingered in the doorway, eyes squinting in the sunshine but taking in the greenhouse.
“I’d offer a tour, but”—she gestured to her crutches—“I’m not sure I’d make it very far today.”
Kat stiffened, visible eye going wide behind a curtain of tawny hair, and it took Aofe a moment to realize that she wasn’t staring at the crutches.
“Her name is Attie,” Aofe offered, petting the creature who hadn’t left her side. “She’s an atteapir.”
“A what?” Kat whispered.
