"Don't say it," said Render. "Really. I can't take it."
There was a long, drawn out moment of silence that was broken only by the slow, mournful creaking of a cricket playing out its song in the middle of the starless night. Render was staring at the ground. Fierce Warrior was staring at Render. He opened his mouth.
"Back - "
"Don't say it."
" - again so soon?"
Render shot the other buck a look. Fierce was smiling innocently back at him, as if the honey sweet, dry tone to his voice was completely normal and they hadn't just met three weeks ago because Render had decided to pay Thunder another visit, and one thing had led to another, and now, with a litter of fauns prancing at his heels, he'd met a pretty and engaging buck, and -
"For the love of the Motherfather," Render muttered; and then, louder, directed (mostly) at the sky and less at the legendary standing nearby, "Yes, all right, I know. I know. I swear I didn't intend for this to happen. It just - well, I met him while Thunder had the children for a little while, and I was out by myself, and he was resting beneath a willow tree, and we started to talk - and Thunder, she's - " A little scary sometimes. " - really feisty and we have a lot of fun together, but Parade, he was a bit sweeter, and we just had a really nice time talking, and - "
"Please," said Fierce Warrior, "spare me the details. Please. I promise you that I don't need to know that much about your life."
Render scowled. Then he said, gently redirecting Alone so that her spindly legs took her away from the edge of the riverbank and back towards her brothers, "I don't suppose you've ever had the same thing happen to you, have you?"
Fierce had the decency to blush a little. Render knew perfectly well about the amount of Fierce's children - and grandchildren - that populated the swamp these days. There were rumors that the older stag had settled down now, but until he saw it with his own two eyes, Render had yet to believe it.
Not that he could talk, Render thought with a sense of dry amusement, as he glanced at his newest four children bouncing around in the tall grass. He flicked his gaze back to Fierce Warrior and saw the other buck staring out towards the swampy marshland, his gaze distant and unfocused; a pair of wolves stood on either side of him, their smaller bodies pressed against his legs as they eyed their surroundings. The rest of Fierce's wild menagerie of familiars seemed to have been left behind wherever Fierce made his home for the nights.
"Fierce?"
The stag shook himself back to the moment, giving Render a smile that looked, to Render's untrained eye, tired. "My apologies. I give you and yours blessings of warmth, of happiness, of intelligence and fire. The latter is obviously because your children have two - shall we say - intense parents, and they will need a bit of spice and spitfire of their own just to keep up."
Render opened his mouth, a question hovering at the edge of his tongue. Then he shut again and nodded, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Thanks."
There was a short pause. Then Render said, carefully, "I don't suppose you'd want to watch the children while I - "
"Not on your life."
There was a long, drawn out moment of silence that was broken only by the slow, mournful creaking of a cricket playing out its song in the middle of the starless night. Render was staring at the ground. Fierce Warrior was staring at Render. He opened his mouth.
"Back - "
"Don't say it."
" - again so soon?"
Render shot the other buck a look. Fierce was smiling innocently back at him, as if the honey sweet, dry tone to his voice was completely normal and they hadn't just met three weeks ago because Render had decided to pay Thunder another visit, and one thing had led to another, and now, with a litter of fauns prancing at his heels, he'd met a pretty and engaging buck, and -
"For the love of the Motherfather," Render muttered; and then, louder, directed (mostly) at the sky and less at the legendary standing nearby, "Yes, all right, I know. I know. I swear I didn't intend for this to happen. It just - well, I met him while Thunder had the children for a little while, and I was out by myself, and he was resting beneath a willow tree, and we started to talk - and Thunder, she's - " A little scary sometimes. " - really feisty and we have a lot of fun together, but Parade, he was a bit sweeter, and we just had a really nice time talking, and - "
"Please," said Fierce Warrior, "spare me the details. Please. I promise you that I don't need to know that much about your life."
Render scowled. Then he said, gently redirecting Alone so that her spindly legs took her away from the edge of the riverbank and back towards her brothers, "I don't suppose you've ever had the same thing happen to you, have you?"
Fierce had the decency to blush a little. Render knew perfectly well about the amount of Fierce's children - and grandchildren - that populated the swamp these days. There were rumors that the older stag had settled down now, but until he saw it with his own two eyes, Render had yet to believe it.
Not that he could talk, Render thought with a sense of dry amusement, as he glanced at his newest four children bouncing around in the tall grass. He flicked his gaze back to Fierce Warrior and saw the other buck staring out towards the swampy marshland, his gaze distant and unfocused; a pair of wolves stood on either side of him, their smaller bodies pressed against his legs as they eyed their surroundings. The rest of Fierce's wild menagerie of familiars seemed to have been left behind wherever Fierce made his home for the nights.
"Fierce?"
The stag shook himself back to the moment, giving Render a smile that looked, to Render's untrained eye, tired. "My apologies. I give you and yours blessings of warmth, of happiness, of intelligence and fire. The latter is obviously because your children have two - shall we say - intense parents, and they will need a bit of spice and spitfire of their own just to keep up."
Render opened his mouth, a question hovering at the edge of his tongue. Then he shut again and nodded, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Thanks."
There was a short pause. Then Render said, carefully, "I don't suppose you'd want to watch the children while I - "
"Not on your life."