Thanus 81

That was a chunk of my life gone that I would never get back. The last thing I had ever wanted was a lady swan explaining that of all things to me. But then again, I wouldn’t have to ask Lerrin or Kahera the awkward details about their life. So at some point, I had bundled Mesin in my lap and covered his little ears. The way he looked up at me with those spiteful little eyes came off as almost apologetic, and I bet he wanted to cover my poor ears, too.

Ranna always had been the more upstanding and strict of the two of them. I’d had my hide tanned by her more times than I could count as a child and learned so many things. This was just one more thing—arsenal of things—that I had to learn. As I blushed with shame, I scolded myself. The right doesn’t blush!

The noises going off on the other side of the camp hadn’t abated, and I looked off into the distance.

“Someone give them a ball yet?” Ranna asked. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

“Anyway, go get that baby back to Letti before he learns to say please and thank you. I’d hate for Mesin to be polite.” She shooed me away.

I wasn’t necessarily interested in finding Kiromir just yet to share my new treasure trove of delightful information. So instead, I prioritized finding Letti to finish feeding Mesin before he started crying or she leaked on someone in the brawl. Knowing Letti, she’d make it their problem, not hers.

I made my way past tents and towards the brawl. Feathers littered the ground, and a few of the stragglers limped away.

“Letti!” I shouted out.

“It’s no use; she’s having fun,” I heard a voice from the side say with a bedraggled sigh.

“She’s our only healer; she can’t just b—” I started.

“You forget we’re with the songbirds?” Dimal held out his hands for Mesin, and I tilted the baby off into his arms. I grinned. Seeing Dimal there with a kid seemed so wrong.

“Yeah.” I almost didn’t want to give Mesin up. It felt nice to have something so warm and small in my arms, seeking comfort.

Speaking of warm and small-ish …. Kiromir is somewhere around here.

It took me a few minutes of searching before I found Kiromir. I saw him before I approached, Touk braiding his hair with feathers in the way I liked. I’d have fun messing it up tonight, making him blush…

As I squinted over and saw the red over his entire face, I knew he got the same talk. His lips pursed into a thin line, and Touk just patted his head a few times. Then, he leaned forward and covered his face with his hands. I don’t think if I had a million years, I could make him blush that hard. I think we’d received the same talk, both sides of it… if one could call it sides—leanings? She told me about a few things that sounded quite interesting, things that my mind fixated on, the things in my weirdest dreams.

“Mir,” I called out quietly, drawing his attention.

Feathers, he is so damn cute like this.

I approached and held my hand out. Touk patted his shoulder, giving him permission to leave with a little shooing gesture.

We migrated to one another, like magnets, swimming closer. My head dipped as Mir pushed up against me for the softest of kisses. It filled me with all the promises that our lives made for us all these years. I put my hand on his hip, laced my fingers into his belt loop, and tugged, the same gentle thing that made him sway on his feet.

“Tan?” he asked me.

“Yeah?” My lips whispered over his, and I felt heat rising over my cheeks.

“CREATOR’S FEATHERS, YOU TWO JUST GO BACK TO YOUR TENT AND FRICK ALREADY, SHEESH!” Letti shouted from across the field, and Mir wilted against me. Both of us raised our hands at the same time, middle finger high in the air.

Feathers… I love this damn man.