"What am I supposed to do with all this?" Lada asked, looking down at the pile of canvas, ropes, and wooden stakes on the ground in front of her.

"You've never camped before?" Angus asked, crouching to sort out the contents of the pile. "This is your tent."

"I've never been well enough to camp before," Lada whimpered. "Why don't I just go sleep in a tree?"

"You're not a leopard," Fred laughed. "Come on, we'll help you figure it out. By the time we get to Neverwinter, you'll be able to do this with your eyes closed."

"It's easier to do everything that way!" Lada complained. "Well, almost."

"And, of course, some things are better done with your eyes closed," Fred teased, leering cheerfully at Lada. "Like, say, reading braille?"

"People who sight-read braille are annoying idiots!" Lada humphed. "Interpoint drives them nuts, and it's ridiculous."

"Where's the fun in only looking?" Fred laughed. "Fingers are best for that job. Speaking of which, I'd better trim my nails."

"Huh?" Angus asked, looking from Fred to Lada and back again, a confused expression on his face.

"Do I need to remind you to be nice?" Aribeth laughed, swatting Fred between the shoulder blades.

"I was trying to be!" Fred protested, an innocent look on his face.

"Uh-huh," Aribeth snorted. She smiled at Angus and added, "Don't mind him. He's just trying to get Lada to relax. So while he makes the fire, why don't we show her how to put up her tent?"

"Uh...yeah," Angus said. "Good idea."

Fred laughed and gave Aribeth a quick kiss, then gave another one to Lada, before wandering off to start the camp fire. Angus blushed as red as his hair, while Aribeth chuckled and crouched to arrange the tent on the ground, so that it only needed to be raised into position.

"How can you maintain so much self-control?" Aribeth asked, looking up from where she was working. "If he kissed me like that, I'd be dragging him into the nearest tent."

"Huh?" Lada asked, confused. "I'm not known for self-control. Goodness knows I don't have any since I got here. Or, it feels like I don't have any since I got here."

"Yet you've only slept with him...twice? Three times?" Aribeth asked. "With as many invitations as he's thrown your way, I can't believe you haven't responded."

"Why don't I go see if Ulf needs any help getting dinner in?" Angus stammered, shifting into cougar form and retreating into the woods.

"And what about poor Angus?" Aribeth asked. "It's obvious he's madly in love with you."

"I do need to get brave and ask you and Fred permission for that," Lada sighed. "But...if...if you think Angus would want me to...."

"Lada, sweetheart," Aribeth said gently, reaching up to gently pull Lada down beside her, "you have three people who would very much like to love you, yet you act as if you're not allowed. Why?"

Lada looked at Aribeth, confusion obvious in her expression.

Aribeth sighed and gently tugged Lada closer, wrapped her arms around her, and kissed her, putting every bit of passion she could muster into the kiss, while her hands roamed over Lada's back, kneading and caressing as far as her clothing would allow. Lada stiffened for an instant, then relaxed into the embrace, her own hands exploring Aribeth while she returned the kiss with quickly-increasing passion.

Once the fire was burning, Fred started toward Lada's tent, intending to check on her progress in setting it up. Half-way there, he stopped and listened, smiled, and nodded, then returned to the fire. Sitting by the fire, he took out his sword and began polishing it. Freki bounded up to Fred, flopped down on the ground beside him, and thumped his tail on the ground, while gnawing on a stick that hadn't been fed into the flames yet.

"We need to let Mom and Cat-Mom have some time, sillywoof," Fred said softly. "They'll come back to the fire when they're ready."

Freki looked up from his stick and slurped Fred's hand. "Mom and Cat-Mom smell happy."

"That's because they are," Fred chuckled. "I'm happy, too. Maybe Cat-Mom will feel happier in general, now."

Freki thumped his tail on the ground and returned to gnawing on his stick.

Fred had just finished touching up the polish on one side of his blade, and was starting on the other, when Ulf dropped a deer on the ground beside the fire.

"So there you are," Ulf rumbled, laughing. "From the way Angus was stammering, I'd expected you'd be in your tent with Aribeth and Lada by now."

"Na," Fred said, shrugging and smiling as he held his blade up to check the polish in the fire light. "I figure they need to work things out between them without my interference, first. Besides, if I were off with them, who'd cut that up for cooking?" He waved a hand at the deer.

"Why you humans insist on ruining perfectly good meat by subjecting it to a fire," Ulf grumbled, good-naturedly, "I will never understand."

"We humans get fewer worms that way," Fred shot back, with a grin. "We like it that way."

"Stomach cramps and diarrhea test your...," Ulf trailed off and snorted. "You know, you may have a point, there. If burning your meat means you don't spend days at a time feeling like your guts are on fire, it may be worth putting up with the strange taste."

"See?" Fred said, grinning, "we'll turn you into a gourmet yet."

"One step at a time, Little Brother," Ulf growled playfully. "That sounds way too much like you're planning to try to teach me how to burn my own meat."

"Not burn it, silly," Fred laughed. "Just heat it enough that the worms die."

"As if there's a difference?"

"You'll see." Fred chuckled and stood, set aside his sword to continue with later, then drew his dagger as he approached the deer. "Oh, good. You already took care of the entrails."

"I was hungry," Ulf said, shrugging. "And I know how squeamish you humans are about them."

"Some humans, anyway," Fred said. "I should make you a haggis sometime. It is truly the ultimate sausage."

"I have to admit, sausage is good," Ulf said. "You need help with that?"

"Na," Fred said, as he began the process of skinning and jointing the deer. "You go ahead and get that blood out of your fur."

"Exactly," Ulf rumbled, as he turned to head for a nearby stream. "It's already clumping up."

Fred had the deer mostly taken apart when Angus slunk into camp and sank down by the fire. He let out a heavy sigh and rested his head on his paws, looking up at Fred with big, sad eyes.

"She is so confusing," Angus sighed. "How do you understand her?"

"Lada?" Fred asked, while separating out the shanks and neck. "What's to understand?"

"She complains about not having any self-control," Angus said, "yet she's practically a nun. And she's a Claw of Sharess? It doesn't make any sense."

"The Claw of Sharess, actually," Fred said, absently. "The problem is, she's still dealing with brainwashing from her previous life."

"Brainwashing?" Angus asked. "What do you mean?"

"She was programmed to believe that she was bad, a failure, and a burden on everyone around her," Fred said. "And, on top of that, the people who pushed that into her mind also pushed her to believe that she could only redeem herself by being absolutely in control of every aspect of herself, from what she felt to how she talked to people."

"That's insane," Angus growled. "What kind of maniacs did that to her?"

"Her parents, her teachers, even some of her ex-lovers." Fred sighed, put down his dagger, and deposited the meat in a pot, then covered it with water set it aside to deal with later.

"So that's why she's so hesitant?"

"About pretty much everything, yeah," Fred said. "If you want her to accept that her feelings aren't evil, bad, and wrong, you're going to have to be assertive and make the choices for her. As long as you know she wants it and is only not doing it because of the brainwashing."

"So why haven't you done that?" Angus asked.

"Uh...can I get back to you on that? I think I need a 'Bang Head Here' spot now."

"A ... 'Bang Head Here' spot?" Angus tilted his head and looked at Fred curiously.

"Yeah. Something soft, so when I bang my head on it because I've been an idiot, I don't hurt myself." Fred laughed. "And I really have been an idiot, haven't I?"

"I wouldn't know," Angus said, choosing diplomacy over truth. "Still...if you think being assertive is a good idea...."

"Angus, I've seen the way she looks at you," Fred said. "If you don't pounce her, you're both going to miss out on it, and you'll both continue to be unhappy."

"But she's your wife," Angus said. "Why are you encouraging me?"

"Aribeth's my wife, too," Fred said. "It's not as if we're exclusive. My only concern is that she not be hurt. I know you won't hurt her. And I know she wants you. So, as long as she's not getting hurt, I'm not going to interfere."

"Have I told you how confusing you are?" Angus muttered.

"Not in the last couple hours, no." Fred laughed. He returned to the deer, setting aside one of the hind quarters for Ulf and cutting the rest of it up to preserve for the road. "What do you think? Sausage, or jerky?"

"Umm...jerky is easier and faster to prepare," Angus said, blinking at the sudden change of topic. "And we can eat it while traveling."

"Jerky it is, then." Fred began cutting the meat into strips. "We'll just have to remember to keep the fire going tonight. It should be dry by morning, if we do it right."

"I know a spell that should remove most of the water before you put it on the fire," Angus said. "That should help."

"Yes, it will," Fred said. "Thanks." He paused a moment, then asked, "So, why did you decide to ask for a dehydration spell today? Did you get information I don't have?"

"No special reason," Angus said. "We'll be traveling through some swamps the next few days, and besides making that easier, a dehydration spell is pretty effective at weakening an enemy so you can finish it off more easily."

"Good point." Fred smiled. "Thanks for offering to use it for this, then."

"Preserving food is just as important as weakening enemies," Angus said, smiling in return. "You're going to need a pretty big pot if you plan to cure all that before we dry it."

"Cauldron should do," Fred said, shrugging. "We'll have to make it a hot cure, anyway, if we want any of it to get into the meat before we preserve it."

"True." Angus looked up as he spoke, and stammered, "L-Lada. Umm....hi."

"Hi," Lada said, smiling and blushing.

Aribeth laughed and gently pushed Lada toward Angus. "Look at all that fur, just begging for petting, love."

Angus covered his face with his paws and let out a faint mew of distress.

Fred laughed and gestured toward Angus with his dagger. "Better do something about that before the poor boy implodes, sweetheart."

"Thank you," Lada whispered, as she sat down beside Angus, leaned against him, and stroked along the back of his neck.

Aribeth perched primly on a log and watched Lada and Angus for a moment, then commented, "Venison for dinner, again? Should I start some vegetables roasting, then?"

"I was thinking of a tagine, actually," Fred said. "What do you think?"

"We haven't had that since we left the Anauroch," Aribeth said. "That's a wonderful idea! I'll get the couscous and vegetables."

"While you're at it," Fred asked, as Aribeth walked toward the wagon, "would you get my spice box and a couple bottles of date wine? I need to mix up a cure for the meat we don't stew tonight."

"You need it for the stew, too, silly," Aribeth laughed. "Of course."

"Did we remember to stock up on dates before we left?" Fred mused. "I know we have date wine, but I can't remember if we bought any fruit."

"I'm checking," Aribeth called back, still laughing. "You do realize I can hear you, right?"

"Pbbbbt!" Fred replied, as he returned to slicing the meat for drying.

"I'll hold you to that later," Aribeth called back, a musical lilt to her voice.

"I can't believe they've been married for six years," Angus muttered softly. "They act like they're still on their honeymoon."

Lada's hands stopped moving and she rested her head against Angus, as she said softly, "Some relationships never seem to lose that honeymoon feel, but I think this may be the first chance they've had to be like this."

"The first chance?" Angus turned his head to look at Lada. "You mean, they never had a honeymoon? That's sad."

"Demonesque things and bounty hunters tend to mess up honeymoons," Lada said, looking at Aribeth and Fred wistfully.

Ulf returned from the stream, his fur still wet, and settled by the fire, opposite Lada and Angus. "That's better. Dried blood is really hard on your fur."

Aribeth returned from the wagon, carrying a sack. She sank onto the log beside Fred and opened it, then began pulling out cooking supplies, starting with a large earthenware tagine. "I did find a bag of dates, and a few bunches of figs. We're a little low on olives, though. We should try to find an Aurora's the next time we're in a big city."

"We should get the map out and see where that is, then," Fred said. "From what Storm said, Tilverton is the next city we'll see, and it's not exactly large. Not sure what's up after that."

"Arabel, most likely," Angus said. "I don't know if it's large enough for an Aurora's, but it's the next city on the road after Tilverton."

"That's in Cormyr, right?" Ulf asked. He sighed heavily. "I guess I'll be spending a lot if time inside the wagon, then."

"Unless you know any shapechanging magic, I'm afraid you're right," Angus said. "The Purple Dragons aren't exactly known for their friendliness to the more unusual races. And we'd better keep that charter Storm gave us handy. They're supposed to be very stuffy about things like that."

Aribeth held up her hand and said, smiling playfully at Fred, "Some of us remember things like that," as she showed off a brass ring, engraved with a purple dragon. "Just remember, when we get stopped, I'm the one they're supposed to talk to."

"Does that mean we'll have to use a gag spell on Fred?" Ulf asked, grinning.

"Probably," Aribeth said, leaning over to kiss Fred's cheek. "You know how he gets."

"You're so mean to me!" Fred complained, reaching out toward Aribeth, only to have her gently bat his hands away.

"Uh-uh, mister," Aribeth said firmly. "Not while you're covered with blood."

"It's Rei and Usagi," Lada muttered, burying her face in Angus's fur.

"Who?" Angus asked.

"Oh god, how do I explain this?" Lada groaned softly. "Umm...one of Fred's favorite...umm...plays... featured Usagi – or Sailor Moon – and the defenders of the other planets, one of whom was Rei, or Sailor Mars. Rei and Usagi regularly had tongue wars that started with 'you're so mean to me.' It was one of the most dysfunctional forms of flirting ever."

"What's a tongue war?" Angus asked.

"Oh dear," Lada sighed, then called out, "Fred? Wasn't the response you were looking for, 'Pbbbbbt!'?"

"Oh!" Fred said. "You mean, something like this?" He turned to Aribeth and stuck his tongue out at her, with a hearty, "Pbbbbbt!"

Aribeth looked at Fred, confused, for a moment, then grinned wickedly and replied in kind, leaning forward until her forehead rested against Fred's as she stuck her tongue out.

"Yes," Lada said. "Something like that." As Aribeth shifted position and kissed Fred hungrily, Lada sighed and muttered, "Although that's taking it just a bit farther than Rei and Usagi ever did. Hence, the dysfunctionality."

Angus shifted back to his human form and looked down at Lada, turning red to the roots of his hair as he said, "I'm afraid I'm still having a little trouble with the concept. Could you...umm...help me understand it better?"

Lada sat up and looked up at Angus, her own face turning as red as his, and stuck her tongue out at him.

Angus leaned down, rested his forehead against hers, and asked, "Am I doing this right?" just before kissing her firmly.

Lada let out a short gasp, then wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a full and complete – though wordless – response.

Aribeth opened her eyes and turned her head, smiled when she saw Fred sleeping beside her, and quietly slipped out from under the blankets. She crept to the tapestries that separated the sleeping area from the main room, crossed to where her travel chest was stored, and pulled out a robe. She glanced toward the sleeping area, saw no movement of the tapestries, and slipped out the entrance. Seeing Angus at the fire, she smiled and held a finger to her lips, then walked over to join him.

"Good morning, Angus," Aribeth said softly. "I'm headed to the stream to wash up. Do you need me to fetch some water?"

"Would you?" Angus asked. "I can get breakfast started when you return, if you would."

"Of course," Aribeth said, smiled, and took the party's water skins from where they hung on the corner of the wagon. The trail to the stream was clear and easy to follow, given how much they'd used it the night before, and she was undressed and in the water within just a couple minutes of leaving camp.

"Stay away," Aribeth heard, a low growl, from the brush across the stream. She looked, and saw a wolf, a little younger than Freki, hiding in the bushes while licking fresh wounds.

"It's OK," Aribeth said gently. "I won't come over there. If you come here, I can make it stop hurting."

"Two-leg," the wolf growled, raising its head to look at her. "You understand me. How?"

"I am a friend of animals," Aribeth said, sitting in the stream, suppressing her shivering at the cold while she tried to appear non-threatening. "My mate travels with a wolf."

"Your mate?" the wolf asked, its ears pricked with interest. "Is your mate's packmate male?"

"He sure is," Aribeth chuckled. "Are you looking for a male?"

"Silverpaw cast me out," the wolf growled. "I am old enough to want a mate."

"Silverpaw was your alpha?" Aribeth asked. "She thought you were trying to take her mate?"

"She did," the wolf said. She sighed and rested her head on her paws. "Now I have no pack, and no mate."

"If you travel with me," Aribeth said, "You'll have both pack and mate."

"I will?" the wolf asked, her head shooting up as she stared at Aribeth.

"I just need to do one thing," Aribeth said. "Just stay right there a minute, while I do this. I won't come any closer."

"I will stay here," the wolf said, watching Aribeth suspiciously.

Aribeth uttered a short prayer, then studied the wolf for a few moments, before breathing a sigh of relief. "All right. All done. I am called Aribeth. What are you called?"

"I am called Sharp-Eye," the wolf said. She rose to her feet, then stumbled and sank down again. "I am not going anywhere now."

"I can solve that," Aribeth said. She held out her hands and said, "If you let me come close, I can fix the hurts."

"I will let you," Sharp-Eye said. She watched intently as Aribeth rose to her feet, walked across the stream, then knelt in front of her.

Aribeth reached out and let Sharp-Eye sniff her hands, while chanting a prayer of healing. When the prayer was finished, she placed her hands on the wolf's injured side, and the wounds closed.

Sharp-Eye slowly thumped her tail on the ground as the pain vanished, looked up at Aribeth, and yipped, "I can be part of your pack?"

"If that's what you want," Aribeth said, "you can be part of my pack."

"I want," Sharp-Eye said.

Aribeth smiled and nodded, then said, "Just follow me, then." She rose to her feet and crossed the stream, back to her robe. Sharp-Eye splashed through the water behind her, then stood on the bank and shook the water out of her fur – and all over Aribeth and her robe. Aribeth laughed, then began chanting, the Call that had brought Midnight to her years before, but that now was focused on Sharp-Eye, to bond them properly.

Fred opened his eyes, noticed that Aribeth was gone, and slipped out of bed. After grabbing a robe from his travel chest, he headed outside, to see if Angus needed help with breakfast. Over the fire, Angus was stirring up something in the small cauldron, while Freki bounced around him excitedly. Fred glanced toward the east, saw the sun wasn't quite up yet, and wandered over to join Freki and Angus at the fire.

"So, what's in the pot?" Fred asked.

"Baconbaconbaconbaconbacon!" Freki yipped.

"Not quite bacon," Angus laughed, "but there is some meat in here. There's also oatmeal and nuts and fruit. Think of it as a solid porridge."

"A porridge with meat?" Fred asked, while leaning over and sniffing at the steam coming up from the cauldron.

"That's right," Angus said. "I used some of that dried mutton you had stashed."

"Hmmm...," Fred said. "This should be interesting. I'll be back in a few. Need me to bring anything?"

"Just your appetite," Angus said, smiling.

"I can promise you that," Fred laughed, as he started back toward the big tent. He paused by Lada's tent and called through the door, still laughing, "Lada!, The sun's just about up."

"Thank you," Lada mumbled, while groaning like a cranky cat who'd just been rudely awakened.

"Angus is cooking breakfast," Fred added, his laughter down to chuckles. "See you after prayers."

Lada growled under her breath, while Fred headed back to the big tent to begin his morning prayers.

As Lada stumbled out of her tent, still adjusting her robes and blinking sleepily, Aribeth walked into camp with Sharp-Eye. Freki's ears went up and he bounded excitedly toward Sharp-Eye.

"Baconbaconbaconbaconbacon!" Freki yapped excitedly. "Tree-Dad made bacon!"

"Bacon?" Sharp-Eye looked up at Aribeth, confused.

"Food," Aribeth said. "Freki uses bacon for anything you can eat."

"Huh." Sharp-Eye looked at Freki, stalked over toward him, stiff-legged, and sniffed him – or, at least, tried to sniff, while Freki continued bouncing excitedly. She looked back at Aribeth. "He looks like a wolf. But he acts like a dog. And he smells like he's been sleeping with some weird kind of puma."

"Cat-Mom's not weird!" Freki protested, finally ending his bouncing as he looked at Sharp-Eye. "Cat-Mom is Cat-Mom!"

"Cat-Mom...Tree-Dad...what have I stumbled into?" Sharp-Eye groaned, then leaned against Aribeth and announced, "I am not going to be his foster mother. He's old enough to not need one. I think."

Over at the fire, Angus sat down abruptly, while snorting and turning a faint purple as he tried to contain his laughter. "Old enough...she...thinks...."

Sharp-Eye turned her attention on Angus, stalked toward him, and shoved her nose into his face as she sniffed at him. "Tree-Dad?"

"That's what Freki calls me," Angus said, while wiping his eyes and snickering. "I'm a druid."

"Druid." Sharp-Eye tilted her head as she studied Angus a moment, then slowly began wagging her tail. "Druids keep bad things away."

A loud string of angry chittering came from Lada's tent, and a badger charged toward Angus and Sharp-Eye, angrily chattering, "My druid!"

Sharp-Eye turned her head and stared at the badger for a moment, her ruff standing stiffly on end, then slowly said, "You have a badger infestation. Shall I terminate?"

"No! No!" Angus said quickly. "He's my badger. We love my badger." He looked at Aribeth and added, "Don't we?"

"Yes," Aribeth laughed. "Reepo's a sweetie."

"It's...," Sharp-Eye looked down, surprise – and maybe a little disgust – in her tone, "peeing on my foot."

"Reepo?" Angus asked, surprised at Sharp-Eye's announcement. "Why did you pee on the wolf?"

"My wolf!" Reepo announced. "Now it can come near you."

"You are all insane," Sharp-Eye announced. "And I must be insane for coming here. So I guess I belong."

"Oh gods," Angus groaned. "Did you pee on Lada, too?"

"My Cat-Mom!" Reepo announced.

Angus groaned and smacked himself in the forehead, while Aribeth began giggling. The giggles turned into laughter, and she sat down, hard, as the laughter overwhelmed her sense of balance.

"What does a person need to do to get a little sleep around here?" Ulf grumbled as he crawled out of the wagon.

Sharp-Eye's head snapped up and around to stare at him, her hackles rose, her muzzle wrinkled, and she growled softly. "Freki! Help me protect!"

"Huh?" Freki asked, confused. "Protect from what?"

"Minotaur!" Sharp-Eye snarled, surprised that Freki didn't see the danger.

"Bull-Dad?" Freki asked, confused. He bounded up to Ulf and yapped excitedly at him, "Tree-Dad made bacon!" while his tail wagged, fast enough to make his butt sway with it.

Sharp-Eye's ears lay back, her tail sank between her legs, and she whimpered in confusion.

"Come here, Sharp-Eye," Aribeth called gently, as she held out a hand in invitation. "I know it's confusing, but it'll be OK. I promise."

Sharp-Eye slunk to Aribeth and curled up at her feet, still whimpering in confusion. Aribeth rested her hand on Sharp-Eye's head and hummed a gentle, soothing tune.

Fred exited the big tent, dressed for the day, and started toward the fire. Sharp-Eye raised her head and looked at him, then looked up at Aribeth and whimpered questioningly.

"That's my mate," Aribeth said. "And he's Freki's packmate."

Sharp-Eye rose to her feet and slunk toward Fred. He stopped and crouched, holding out a hand for her to sniff. After sniffing his hand, then walking around him and sniffing him from all sides, Sharp-Eye stopped in front of him and asked, "Why do you let Freki act like a dog?"

"It's not so much let," Fred said. "I rescued him when his eyes hadn't opened yet, after kobolds killed everyone in his pack, including his littermates. I nursed him, I healed him, and...I guess I kind of taught him how to behave."

"I am not a dog!" Freki complained, as he ran to Fred and poked him with his nose, demanding scritches. "I do not wear a collar!"

"You nursed Freki," Sharp-Eye said, disbelieving.

"With a bottle," Fred said. "I still have his bottle, somewhere. I could show you."

"Whatever a bottle is," Sharp-Eye said. She snorted at Freki, then turned back toward Aribeth, scratching the ground with her hind feet as she walked away.

"Oy," Fred said as he scritched Freki. "You really made an impression on her, kiddo."

"That's good, right?" Freki asked, excitedly.

"Mmm....," Fred said, shook his head, and finished, "Not in this case. I think you're going to have to work on your presentation."

"Not?" Freki asked, his ears and tail drooping. "Cat-Mom could brush me?"

"I think it might take more than that," Fred said. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out. Somehow." He watched Sharp-Eye for a few moments, then looked down at Freki with a smile. "I think I have an idea. Girls like presents. Why not go get her a rabbit? I bet she'll love that."

"Give her a rabbit!" Freki yapped excitedly, and bounded off into the woods.

Lada walked back into the other side of camp, looked around, and asked, "My furry bodyguards aren't following me. What's going on?"

"You two kept me awake all night!" Reepo complained. Angus squeaked and blushed, brilliant shades of red.

Fred snorted, then broke into loud and hearty laughter. "Reepo, you have even less subtlety than Freki."

"Your point?" Reepo growled.

Fred continued laughing, as he walked over to examine the porridge while Angus recovered from his fit of blushing and squeaking.

"Is this one of those times I'm glad I only understand felines?" Lada asked, while looking around the fire. "I'll go work on taking down my tent."

"No rush," Fred laughed. "But if you want some help, I can go with you."

"Yes," Lada said, sounding surprised. "Thank you."

Fred walked over to Lada and took her hand, smiled lovingly at her, and led her toward her tent.

Inside the tent, Fred sat and patted the bedroll in front of him. "I wanted a chance to talk with you away from the circus."

"Oh, OK," Lada said, sounding both surprised and worried. She sat where Fred indicated and began fidgeting as she waited for him to speak.

"I kind of surprised you last night, didn't I?" Fred asked. "I don't want you to think that I'm just dumping you on Angus. It's more like...before we left home, you were practically 'I can haz boy-toy?' whenever you were around him, but never did anything about it. I wanted you to know that you can haz boy-toy, and I will still be right here, loving you and wanting you." He paused, then added, "But I'm afraid cheeseburgers are still a little hard to come by."

"At least it's good the internet doesn't exist," Lada said. "Otherwise, I'd be dead, multiple times over."

"Oh?" Fred asked. "Who's been searching for porn?"

Lada laughed. Fred hugged her close and teasingly asked, "Do I need to search for a nice kitty collar the next time we visit a jeweler's?"

Lada looked up at Fred, a mixture of hope and confusion in her eyes. "You...mean it? You still want me?" Then she blushed and stammered, "It's...it's not that I think you don't want me....I just...I'll probably still break you."

Fred grinned, pulled Lada close, kissed her thoroughly, then growled, "I hereby declare that today is six months since last week, and you and I are going to give Reepo even more to complain about."

"I like how you have no sense of time," Lada laughed, then stammered, while curling into Fred's lap, "Wait...more to complain about?"

"Yup," Fred laughed, while petting Lada like he would a cat. "He complained about how you and Angus kept him up all night. I say you and I should make him complain about how he can't get any sleep this morning, either."

Lada laughed, while blushing deeply and burying her face in Fred's chest. Fred grinned and stroked her hair, then began slipping her robes off.

Around the campfire, Reepo growled, "What is it with twolegs? Haven't you ever heard of mating season?"

Angus turned a brilliant scarlet again, while Aribeth laughed and shot back, "We have. Every season is mating season."

"Great," Reepo grumbled. "It was so much easier when Dad didn't have a mate."

"Aww," Aribeth giggled, "Poor Reepo. Not getting as much attention as you used to?"

"Not getting as much sleep!" Reepo grumbled.

"Poor Reepo," Aribeth laughed. "One whole night, and you're cranky already."

"Twolegs," Reepo grumbled. "Humph."

"Why don't you try some of my porridge?" Angus laughed. He got a bowl, scooped a bowlful out of the cauldron, and set it on the ground.

Reepo stumped over to the bowl, sniffed at it, then looked up at Angus, and asked, excitedly, "For me?"

"For you, goofball," Angus said, chuckling. He looked at Aribeth and Ulf and said, "It's about the right consistency now. Are you two hungry?"

"I suppose so," Aribeth said slowly. She rose to her feet, giving Sharp-Eye a quick pat as she did. "Did you save any of the mutton out?"

"No, but there's plenty more in the wagon," Angus said. "I didn't realize you two had stocked up on so much."

"We like to be prepared, in case we can't hunt," Aribeth said. "I'm just surprised you didn't use any of the venison you and Fred were drying."

"This dish tastes better with mutton," Angus said. "So I stored the venison."

Aribeth opened one of the wagon's storage compartments and poked her head in. After a few moments of looking, she reached in and pulled out a rack of ribs. "Here we go. Food for Sharp-Eye."

Sharp-Eye raised her head and looked in Aribeth's direction at the mention of food. When Aribeth walked back from the wagon, carrying the ribs, her tail began thumping on the ground, and her whole body quivered with anticipation.

"Here you go," Aribeth said, as she put the ribs down in front of Sharp-Eye. She looked at Angus and said, "OK, now I can get some food."

"Not sure that qualifies as food," Ulf grumbled. "It looks more like lumpy plaster."

"Good," Angus said. "That means I've got it done just right."

Reepo licked his bowl clean, looked up at Angus, and belched. "More?"

"If I give you more, you're going to have to ride in the wagon," Angus said.

"I have to ride in the wagon anyway," Reepo pointed out.

"Good point. Guess I can't use that as an excuse, can I?" Angus laughed.

"Good," Reepo said. "Now, give me more."