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“He broke this while he was cutting it. Tried to make the other one match, then stopped. He thought I’d complain if it had no ears left.”

You can still see where the knife skipped, but when I run my thumb over its back, it’s worn smooth from being held.

“Did you?”

He straightens. “I told him it looked more like a fox than his bear looked like a bear.”

“And he took that well.”

“He took it back. I had to ask for it again.”

One of Rauk’s ears tips toward me when I laugh, and I stand the little fox up on my palm.

“How long did he make you wait?”

“Until I’d asked properly.” He’s watching me hold it.

“Oh, I’d have liked him.”

“He’d have liked you.”

Hm. Rauk’s looking at the fox, so I look down too. It fits inside my hand with room to spare.

“Keer’s children would’ve stolen this immediately. Colm would’ve tried to eat the tail, and Birdie would’ve bitten him for taking it.”

“The small ones at the field.”

“Three. Two boys and a girl. Eskan, Colm, and Birdie. Mel’s their mother.”

He looks from me to the fox. “Your healer.”

“Yes. She had all three at once. She calls it her litter and says it makes her a wolf in spirit.”

The pale fur over one eye lifts. “Is she?”

I snort before I can stop it. “She’s a chipmunk in spirit. I’ve told her.”

I turn the fox to show him its feet.

“Eskan would’ve claimed it first, then dropped it to see what else you had. He’s going to be a nuisance.”

“Going to be?”

“He is one. I’m giving him time to grow out of it.”

Rauk draws a finger along the box beside the lamp. I brush a speck off the fox’s ear, and it probably came off my own thumb.

“They’d just had their birthday when I left. Birdie caught my back leg that morning, so I rolled over for her. Eskan climbed onto my ribs, and Colm came to sniff my ear. He’d waited until I was down.”

“Sensible.” His finger stops on the box.

“You’d encourage him.”

“It worked.”

I nod, rubbing the little tail with my thumb. They won’t remember any of it.

Birdie had her hand hooked in Keer’s collar at the field. She’s bigger. I could see that much even from the brush.