steadily at his brother.
“Hi.” Jherik swallowed and looked at Viana, who nodded, encouragingly. “Listen, Mar, I’m sorry. I really appreciate you doing all that for me with the position in Caril and all. I want to go, but I don’t know if I can. There’s some stuff here...”
“He’s in love,” Viana put in, and both Jherik and Marhik shot her amazed looks.
“That’s great, little brother! Who’s the lucky guy?”
“I...uh...” Jherik couldn’t understand why his tongue felt suddenly like a corkscrew. He didn’t know how Viana knew, but he wanted to tell her, and Marhik too, now that it was out there. “Benton.”
“My valet? Former valet, I mean. Well, that’s great! He’s a really sweet fox.” Marhik was beaming. “You know, you’re allowed to take someone with you. I’m sure he’d go. He’s been training, hasn’t he? Master Winson mentioned him, I think. There’s room in the regiment if he wants to fight.”
“I don’t know if he’d want to go,” Jherik said. “He said he didn’t want to leave when you went.”
“Well, just ask him.”
Jherik looked down, holding the end of his tail and rubbing it in his paws. “I don’t know. I’ve been an idiot. Anyway. I just wanted to thank you. For thinking of me, I mean.”
“Aw, little brother, I think about you a lot.” Marhik smiled.
“I know. I think I think about myself too much.” Jherik took a breath. Another thing Benton had taught him. “I really appreciate it, Marhik. I’ll let you know as soon as I can. And I wish you two the best. I hope you find love.”
Viana took his paws and kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said softly.
He found, as he left, that the bitterness wasn’t completely gone, but it wasn’t taking over him, either. If he hadn’t been feeling so down about Benton, he would have been surprised at the civility of the exchange he’d just had with his brother.
Drifting through the day now, he wandered down to the barracks to find out that he’d arrived halfway through the class he was supposed to be assisting with. Master Winson said something about him leaving for Caril soon, and Jherik didn’t contradict him. He helped out and observed the rest of the training, but afterwards, Master Winson didn’t ask him to stay and talk as he normally did. “You obviously have a lot on your mind,” he said, patting Jherik on the rump. “Go on back to the manor and take care of business.”
Jherik took one more walk around the barracks in the hope that he’d see the fox somewhere. He checked the woodworking shop again, but Master Stephan still hadn’t seen Benton. “I’ll tell him you’re looking for him if I see him,” he said.
He knows , Jherik thought, but said thank you anyway.
He dressed slowly for dinner, and as a result it had already started when he was descending the stairs from his room. At the bottom, he turned right to get to the dining hall and nearly ran right into Mishel. The coyote laughed and hugged him. “Well, hello, lover. I’ve been waiting here a while for you.”
Jherik looked back at him and returned the hug briefly. “I’m late for dinner.”
“I know. I just wanted to tell you I’ll miss you tonight. We’re taking the soldiers who returned out on the town. And I wanted to congratulate you on your appointment to the city guard. It’s quite exciting. If you wanted to have someone to keep you company on the journey, of course, I would love to see Caril, and I would be happy to serve under you when we get there, m’lord.”
Jherik folded his arms. “I haven’t decided whether or not I’m taking it. But I don’t think I’ll need your company. Thanks anyway.” He pushed past the coyote.
“What did I do?” Mishel said as he passed, but the emotion in his voice was a fake echo of Benton’s.
“Nothing,” Jherik said without turning. “It’s just...there’s someone else I’ll be taking if I go.”
Mishel snorted. “Who? You won’t
“Hi.” Jherik swallowed and looked at Viana, who nodded, encouragingly. “Listen, Mar, I’m sorry. I really appreciate you doing all that for me with the position in Caril and all. I want to go, but I don’t know if I can. There’s some stuff here...”
“He’s in love,” Viana put in, and both Jherik and Marhik shot her amazed looks.
“That’s great, little brother! Who’s the lucky guy?”
“I...uh...” Jherik couldn’t understand why his tongue felt suddenly like a corkscrew. He didn’t know how Viana knew, but he wanted to tell her, and Marhik too, now that it was out there. “Benton.”
“My valet? Former valet, I mean. Well, that’s great! He’s a really sweet fox.” Marhik was beaming. “You know, you’re allowed to take someone with you. I’m sure he’d go. He’s been training, hasn’t he? Master Winson mentioned him, I think. There’s room in the regiment if he wants to fight.”
“I don’t know if he’d want to go,” Jherik said. “He said he didn’t want to leave when you went.”
“Well, just ask him.”
Jherik looked down, holding the end of his tail and rubbing it in his paws. “I don’t know. I’ve been an idiot. Anyway. I just wanted to thank you. For thinking of me, I mean.”
“Aw, little brother, I think about you a lot.” Marhik smiled.
“I know. I think I think about myself too much.” Jherik took a breath. Another thing Benton had taught him. “I really appreciate it, Marhik. I’ll let you know as soon as I can. And I wish you two the best. I hope you find love.”
Viana took his paws and kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said softly.
He found, as he left, that the bitterness wasn’t completely gone, but it wasn’t taking over him, either. If he hadn’t been feeling so down about Benton, he would have been surprised at the civility of the exchange he’d just had with his brother.
Drifting through the day now, he wandered down to the barracks to find out that he’d arrived halfway through the class he was supposed to be assisting with. Master Winson said something about him leaving for Caril soon, and Jherik didn’t contradict him. He helped out and observed the rest of the training, but afterwards, Master Winson didn’t ask him to stay and talk as he normally did. “You obviously have a lot on your mind,” he said, patting Jherik on the rump. “Go on back to the manor and take care of business.”
Jherik took one more walk around the barracks in the hope that he’d see the fox somewhere. He checked the woodworking shop again, but Master Stephan still hadn’t seen Benton. “I’ll tell him you’re looking for him if I see him,” he said.
He knows , Jherik thought, but said thank you anyway.
He dressed slowly for dinner, and as a result it had already started when he was descending the stairs from his room. At the bottom, he turned right to get to the dining hall and nearly ran right into Mishel. The coyote laughed and hugged him. “Well, hello, lover. I’ve been waiting here a while for you.”
Jherik looked back at him and returned the hug briefly. “I’m late for dinner.”
“I know. I just wanted to tell you I’ll miss you tonight. We’re taking the soldiers who returned out on the town. And I wanted to congratulate you on your appointment to the city guard. It’s quite exciting. If you wanted to have someone to keep you company on the journey, of course, I would love to see Caril, and I would be happy to serve under you when we get there, m’lord.”
Jherik folded his arms. “I haven’t decided whether or not I’m taking it. But I don’t think I’ll need your company. Thanks anyway.” He pushed past the coyote.
“What did I do?” Mishel said as he passed, but the emotion in his voice was a fake echo of Benton’s.
“Nothing,” Jherik said without turning. “It’s just...there’s someone else I’ll be taking if I go.”
Mishel snorted. “Who? You won’t
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