The Gig, Sunday

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Wolves in general adored children, and so Firekeeper was really quite fond of these weekends. She got to the Gig and set things up, explaining the island's latest mischief to the horses as she and Blind Seer went about their chores.

Perhaps some of the island's temporary residents would appreciate a horseback ride?

Comments

[notdirtylily.livejournal.com]

Perhaps one of them would appreciate that even if she didn't consider herself a child anymore and also got to ride horses reasonably often anyway between living in Santa Fe and visiting Camelot?

Then again, perhaps one of them would be too busy grinning and yelling "Wolves!" while making a beeline for the nearest huggable one of same to worry much about horses right now.

She didn't get to see them nearly as often as she did Merlin and Arthur.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"Hello!" No, she had no idea who this might be, but that wasn't stopping Firekeeper from hugging back.

[notdirtylily.livejournal.com]

"I wondered if you'd still be here! 'Cause I checked at the dorms and my moms and uncle Merlinandarthur aren't anymore, and I couldn't remember how much younger you were."

Yes, Merlinandarthur was one word, in this case; it was Lily's way of getting around any shushing she might get for calling the King of the Britons uncle in the wrong company. Not that this was the wrong company, but force of habit.

"But you're here! And Fuuuuuzzball!"

Uh. She loves you, Blind Seer. Like, lots. Fear and respect on the other hand...

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

We'll just... leave aside the logic of how he'd still be around that many years from now, yes.

Give Firekeeper a moment to parse that sentence. "...Lily?" that had been her name, right? Even though she was fairly certain she'd been much smaller last time.

Blind Seer was just going to level her with a glare. Because Fuzzball? Really? Had she no respect?

[notdirtylily.livejournal.com]

Nope! She had hugs. Did that count? And neck-ruff scritches.

"Uh-huh. Oh, wow, I was like... an amoeba when I was here last time, huh? I got taller." Happens when your genetic mom is five foot ten and your are-we-still-pretending-I-don't-know-he's-my-dad's at least two inches taller.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Tsk, Lily. Don't be using words like that around Firekeeper.

"...Amoeba?"

[notdirtylily.livejournal.com]

Lily laughed and held up her fingers about .... a thousand amoeba-width's apart, but still close together on a human scale. "Little tiny bug thing?"

Which yes, pretty much described her at five years old.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"I would not say you was a bug thing," it was Firekeeper's turn to laugh now. "Little and tiny, yes."

[notdirtylily.livejournal.com]

"That was yeeeears ago." Lily looked at the two wolves and made some not so difficult guesses. "Not so long for you, huh?"

[ate-tyrs-hand.livejournal.com]

There was the possibility that certain wolves didn't care too much for children. Certain wolves that were the size of horses.

...hint: It was Fenrir.

So, that would be why a certain wolf was lurking on the edge of the Gig.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

The horses had become accustomed to wolves in general over the years, but there was something about this lurking lurker that was making them... nervous.

Show yourself! Firekeeper demanded.

[ate-tyrs-hand.livejournal.com]

Fenrir huffed in the annoyance that could only come from a creature in those teenage years. Dog years? Wolf years? Whatever.

Just go with it.

"Mother."

Yes, this wolf could talk.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"What."

Apparently the shock of a wolf a) using human speech and b) referring to her as mother was enough to make her lapse back in to Pellish without even thinking about it.

[ate-tyrs-hand.livejournal.com]

Well, it could have been worse. He could have been the size of a house.

Deal with it, logic.

He sat down, ears forward as he waited patiently for her brain to stop breaking. There might have been a break in that perfect pose to gnaw at his paw, but that wasn't his fault.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

It wasn't the fact that he was large (the Royal Wolves in general weren't that much smaller than Fenrir her, so perhaps he was just an exceptional example of his kind), or that he called her 'mother' (she was the One of her own pack, back home. That she may have adopted pups at some point was not unthinkable.). It was the speaking thing. Wolf tongues weren't made for that.

"How are you speaking human words?" she demanded.

[ate-tyrs-hand.livejournal.com]

"I'm no simple beast," he replied haughtily.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Child or no, Firekeeper was just going to laugh at that. Because really, anyone who knew her at all would know that insinuating Beasts were less than human was a foolish decision.

You're an insolent little pup, despite your size. Blind Seer offered.

[ate-tyrs-hand.livejournal.com]

Fenrir responded to that with a snarl. Because he was badass, people. Destined to end the world and all. "I'm no pup!"

Yeah, they totally believed that.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes you were, Fenrir. Which was why Firekeeper was zeroing in on that spot between Fenrir's ears that only human fingers were any good at scritching properly.

[ate-tyrs-hand.livejournal.com]

The snarl turned into a whine as he lowered his head to facilitate such treatment.

He would destroy them all for this. Omnomnom, the moon.