19. Startled Frogs
He awoke feeling as weak as a newborn pup and twice as ravenous. For a moment, he just lay quietly, watching the tip of a tail in front of his nose as it lazily twitched up and down. A moment later and it flipped to gently rest on his muzzle. He sighed heavily.
*Damned cat.* He grumbled.
*Stupid dog.* Came the amused, yet affectionate reply. A rough tongue began grooming his ears and face. He let out a half-hearted growl of protest, but submitted to the ritual. He could hear faint purring and closed his eyes, enjoying the sound. *Breakfast is being brought. The younglings were up quite early to pester the adults.*
*It is what puppies do. They are walking stomachs until a certain age.*
*Our cubs were pestering the adults to feed us first. Donnie pestered the one who sang for Lulu to take him hunting or fishing so we’d have enough. It was amusing.*
*I fail to see why.*
*The mother came out to see what all the fussing was about. Donnie immediately started pestering her. The rest of the cubs followed him. The mother looked rather like a startled frog. Have you ever seen a startled frog?*
*I do not like where this is going.*
*If you scare a frog, it jumps without looking. Its eyes try to jump out of its head one way while its body jumps the other.*
*Sylvie.*
*The mother’s eyes jumped one way and her body jumped the other.*
*Sylvie!*
*Yes, Khan?*
*Please tell me the pups did not offend our hosts?*
*No. They only made the mother act like a startled frog.*
Khan made a sound of disgust and heaved himself to unsteady feet. He carefully made his way outside and stared in consternation at the collapsed tent across the clearing. He turned his head to see the somewhat sheepish looking Tammy and Brian eating something out of bowls while an expressionless Donnie fed Kennedy. He looked at Lady, who immediately rolled over to expose her belly and sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he sank back on his haunches.
*Why me?* He asked no one in particular.
“I ask that question all the time.” Kat’s voice was husky as she sat down on a rock beside him. “I’ve never gotten an answer. Why are you up?”
*Sylvie said the cubs . . . *
“Were most insistent on being allowed to hunt for you this morning. I’m afraid I’m not a morning person. They took me by surprise. The Morgan was less than thrilled to have me land on her head. She was quite startled herself.”
*I am deeply sorry . . . *
“No, don’t be. It was kind of funny, after the fact. She sent out the magical equivalent of an air raid siren that woke every last one of the Faye and had them scrambling out as if they were to answer the call of battle. Larl and Bridget were quite the pair, rolling around on the forest floor, laughing their asses off. It took us a minute or two to realize what was going on, then we all had a pretty good laugh about it. I’m not sure the kids understood it all or why they were suddenly being hugged and cuddled by crazy people half dressed in armor, or why Torin is suddenly insisting that Talon’s Quads be appointed their official bond mounts. Talon seems to agree, which has sent the unicorns into collective apoplexy. Bridget said that if they don’t agree, she’ll bond with Donnie and her clutch mates will fight tooth and claw to bond with the other kids.”
Khan blinked up at her in confusion. She smiled at him gently and began stroking his fur gently.
“Yeah, TMI, kid.” She soothed. “But the point is, there’s nothing to be sorry about. That the kids seem to act just like Angel and aren’t even related to her by blood just makes you all the more ‘ours’. Now, I believe Angel dosed you with enough potions to keep you still for at least another day. Why are you up?”
*I must see to my pack.* Khan stated stiffly. *They are my responsibility.*
“Yep, you and Angel will get along just fine. Look, you can’t go wandering about in your condition. You were hurt more seriously than you realize.”
*I will be well after I have eaten.*
“No, you won’t. Khan, you howled a howl you weren’t supposed to.”
*I howled truce and dire!*
“Yes, you did. You also howled a howl called the howl of sacrifice at the same time.”
*I do not understand.*
“What do you remember about your howl?”
*I don’t know. Sadness. Loss. Grief. Hope. Love. That I was willing to die if it meant I could get my pack to safety.*
“Exactly. Sacrifice. You didn’t know what you were doing. The one who taught you the howl for truce and dire didn’t know you were a weaver until it was too late. You wove your heart and soul into everyone in your pack and into all the ones who answered your howl. Without anyone or anything to ground you. When Lulu was killed, it hurt you worse than you know. It literally ripped a piece of your heart and soul out of your body. It would have killed you, if Angel hadn’t bonded with you. Even though she did, you’re still weakened and you have to rest.”
*I have a responsibility to my pack!*
“You have a responsibility to your Queen as well. When she bonded with you, she immediately took on your responsibilities as her own. She took on each of your pack members as hers and adopted all of you as family. Which means we’ll take care of you and make sure you all have everything you need, and more, to survive well in Dragon’s Keep.”
*I . . . I must think.*
“Well, do it lying down. Angel is coming with your breakfast, and breakfast for Wiley and Daffy. Sylvester, Butch and the others have already eaten. Larl’s got Lady and her pups with the wolves for training classes and once the kids are done eating, they’ll join them while Torin starts Donnie out in Unicorn training. Our pack is safe and well cared for. So, back in the tent with you.”
Khan made a grumping sound of surprise as she stood and scooped him up gently into her arms. He grunted in embarrassment at being carried like a small puppy back into the tent where he was deposited with tender care on his pallet next to Sylvester. The large cat immediately went back to her interrupted grooming of his face while Kat rolled her eyes and retreated. He didn’t protest, merely lay his head down against Sylvester’s leg, submitting meekly to her tongue. She paused for the barest instant, then started to purr soothingly and continued. A few minutes later, despite his hunger, he was dozing. He barely noticed when P&P came to curl up against his side, their purring joining Sylvester’s. He was on the edge of even deeper sleep when it seemed as if several more warm bodies joined around him and the purring increased tenfold. He registered a solidness against his back along with the scent of spicy musk, then the purring seemed to send him tumbling over the abyss into deep, healing sleep.
