FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

-1stMoon: Waning Gibbous-

As the mouse padded along the beaten path, the glow of the ocean in the morning sun shone against him. This halfway point between the shore and the treeline, leading to who-knows-where, was where he'dchosen to take his morning walk.

"Old habits, eh? Even if they were only formed to serve that vague search in the first place."

Still, he took in the new scenery before him. The waves splashing against the shore, the treeline flanked with palm trees and more of those blue-ish flowers from yesterday, and a winding path that he was told led to a cove far from the village. All with a promise to keep to the tiny bundle of joy at his side.

He'd promised Iris they'd look for her mothers today. With everything that needed doing for their continued survival, though, morning was all the time he could spare. His charge let out a yawn as she hugged her otter doll. Despite the fatigue, she clung tight to Avi's side, pressed up against him as he held her free hand. She'd made it a point to stay on the side of the path with the treeline; sometimes she glimpsed out to sea, with an accompanying clench to the mouse's hand.

When she gave yet another clench and slowed her pace, he looked down to the young otter with a knitted brow. "Iris? Can I ask you something?"

She glanced up to him, then nodded.

"Is there something you don't like about the ocean?" The walk stopped short, and he released her hand.

Iris shiveredas she clutched her doll tight. When that didn't help, she wrapped her arms around Avi's leg, getting as close as she could. "...don't like it. It's big. And empty. Could swallow anything if it tried. Doesn't feel right."

He reached down to run a hand through her hair. "Ah. Not one for swimming, then?"

"Oh, I like it at the waterfall! No secrets there. The mountain makes it, and it leaves in a river. It feels nice and cool, too, Mama would take me to practice there!" Her grip loosened, and she nuzzled into his leg, giggling all the while. "She would... I wanna do that again. With Mama. She wasn't there, Avi?"

"I'm afraid not. Ferrah and I didn't find anyone until Tai came along. We'll find her if we keep at it though, okay? No matter what it takes." He crouched down, looking into her eyes as he made his promise. The glimmer in themat her mentions of swimming was a welcome replacement for the tension from earlier. Whatever her differences were from a river otter, their affinity for the water was something they must haveshared. He patted her head, and her smile grew brighter.

"O-Okay! Thank you, Avi!"

"You're welcome, dear. Did you want to keep going?"

She glanced further down the path, then averted her eyes. "No. No more. I stop here when Mama goes out there. The cove, that path's all water. The sea. I don't like it there. Mama loves swimming out there, though. I wait for her here."

He narrowed his eyes and raised a brow at that revelation, but shook it off as he stood up. "Alright, then. Back home it is. Ready to go?"

She nodded rapidly, then took off runningback the way they came.Avismirked, then ran after her, trying to stay at her speed and encouraging her to keep up. She could probably make it all the way back like this, but he was right there if she couldn't. Thanks to their impromptu game, returning to the campfire took far less time than it took to reach the halfway point to the cove. Iris was pantingand stumbling, but she smiled all the same. The others were busy preparing what was left of last night's gathered fruitfor the morning meal. Hana was the first to notice the pair's arrival, waving them over. There was a spare stick at her side with a pair of fruits skewered and ready to cook. As they got closer, she called out to them.

"Oh, Iris! Avi! Right over here, I've got your share ready to start!"

The moment the food was mentioned, Iris darted over with the same agility she showed near the start of the run. A fine motivation for a second wind. Avi followed close behind, then took a seat with the girls and began to prepare what they'd been rationed out.

Hana laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. "So, Iris, how did your search go? Anything yet?"

"Nuh-uh. Didn't see anything. It was fun, though! And Avi says we'll find 'em! Just need to do it some more."

"Oh, really?" She looked at him with what he could only describe as warmth, then refocused on Iris. "Well, I'm inclined to believe him. We'll find them, okay, Iris? We'll find everyone."

"Mmhm, yeah!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Avi caught a glimpse of Tai looking straight at them with a raised eyebrow. They made eye contact for a moment, then the panther looked away and picked at his food.

" __Glad you know better than to open your mouth_ , Tai. I'll admit, the odds that the adults are out there to be found are slim, at best. There's nothing for it but to try, until we can confirm it one way or_ another."

He blinked, turning to the panther. "Oh, Tai, I'd meant to ask you and the others, what's the plan for today? I'm afraid I'm a bit out of the loop."

The boy shrugged with a smirk. "That's whatcha get for taking off before we so much as blink the sleep out of our eyes! But anyways..." He gestured to the tigress sitting beside him. "Ferrah was gonna inspect a few of the buildings, see what's easiest to repair and how to go about it. Get our priorities in order, maybe gather some materials. It'll take a while, but it's as good a start as any."

"Damn right, kid." Ferrah crossed her arms as she looked the mouse over. "And I know you're not gonna be any use there, Avi, so you're off with Hana on gathering duty. Don't worry about overdoing it, we need as much as you can get if we're starting from zero." She stood, turning to look back over the village. "I'll try to throw together something temporary on the granary foundations for now. I'm curious to see why it got torn apart compared to the other buildings, anyway."

Avi's ears perked. "Ah, then I'm--"

"With me, yes!" Hana leaned towards him. "You said you were a medic, yes? You'll do just fine with the legwork, then. Most of what we harvest isn't that bad for beginners. There's plenty of ground to cover, though, so it'll take a while."

The mouse nodded, glancing over the four of them once more. In a moment, though, his whiskers twitched, and he found himself looking to Cress and Milo, still chatting and separating the fruits' flesh from the seeds as if nothing was happening. His attention was further caught by the tiny otter at his side, eagerly awaiting her own portion to be cooked, and he brought a hand to his chin as he stared into the fire. "What about the little ones? We'll all be busy, so..."

Hana waved her hand. "Oh, it's mostly sunset you have to worry about, Avi. Iris tends to wander, regardless of how many of us there are at home or working in the village grounds. She usually comes back, though, it's only really a problem if she's out late, like last night." She ran her fingers through her young sister's hair, then glanced at the boys. "Those two can look after themselves during the day, too. We'll be back before sunset for all of them, and if we're lucky, the work will catch Iris's interest."

"Lucky, huh?" Ferrah asked, scowling. "Sure, lucky for you..."

Avi shook his head and smiled sheepishly. There wasn't any arguing with her. As far as they knew, they were the only adults nearby. If they were going to survive, this is what their daily lives would have to become.

Returning his attention to the fire, Avi realized their food was ready. He pulled the stick from the fire, then slid a banana off for Iris. As she took it in her hands, she tried to get it peeled, but the scrunching of her expression made it clear her little digits weren't cooperating today. Setting his own portion down, Avi reached over to hers, then dug his thumb into the little nub at the base of the fruit, splitting it open. A bit of flesh pulled away with the skin as Iris's meal was finally revealed.

"Alright, you know to take this slow, right?" Avi asked.

"Mmhm! Hurts if you bite a seed. 'Specially the big ones." She began nibbling at it, trying to work her way around seeds of various sizes and shapes. As he ate his own fruit, Avi glanced over to Hana. She was staring right at him and Iris, all with a radiant glow to her smile. He glanced down to the hungry little otter, who was happily finishing her share.

" __If what Hana said about the other villagers is true... well then, I'm more than happy to watch over Iris_ , even after we find her mothers_. She deserves so much more than to be isolated in her own village."

Moments after Iris finished the last nibbles of her fruit, she let out a high-pitched yawn and reclined against Avi, letting her eyes drift partway shut. He chuckled and ran a hand through her hair as she leanedagainst him.

"Would you like to rest in the hut, dear?" he asked.

She let out a drawn-outsqueak in protest, but her eyelids continued to fall."Mm... I-I can, still..." With that, every part of her relaxed. Her breathing slowed, and her whiskers twitched against him.

Avi smiled,leaned down, then lifted her from her place on the log. As he adjusted her position, he made sureto keep her doll from falling; there was no telling what would be unleashed were that to go missing. He began the walk back to the communal hut with Hana following close behind. Ferrah, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at the sight.

At the village's edge, they passed by the first three damaged living huts, a sight slowly becoming familiar to the mouse. Beyond those, there were a few work buildings, some with their tools and stands scattered across the floor, while one was blasted apart entirely. With that end of the village left behind them, they arrived at the communal hut, in the center of the village.

Passing through its curtained entrance, he made his way over to the women's side, kept separate with a makeshift divider. Avi padded over to the smallest of the three pallets laid out, then set Irisdown, letting her tiny body sink into the bedding as she clutched thedoll to her chest."Farewell, little Iris, until later this evening. We'll be back, I promise you."

Avi turned toward Hana,who watched on from the entrance, hereyes gleaming and her hands clasped together. As the pair left Iris to rest, she held nary a thought back anymore.

"You really have a way with her, you know that?"

"You think so? I figured she had more of a way with me, considering how easily she got exactly what she wanted. The walk, her food, her comforts..." He ran a hand through his hair, then smiled and shook his head. "Goodness, I have to wonder if she knows what she's doing!"

"Oh, hardly! She just treats you like..." Her pace slowed as she trailed off. She looked down and brought a hand to her heart. Soon, her eyelids drifted partway shut as she found the words. "...like our mothers and I. Like family. It's a precious thing."

The mouse's ears perked, and his tail flicked about. "Well then, I'll just have to keep living up to that, now won't I?"

"Hmm. I think you will. You've been amazing thus far." Hana sauntered up to him, then raised a single finger in front of him. That finger turned out to have a single job: booping the nose of her companion for the day. With that done, she turned away, resuming the walk towards one of the storage buildings. "I'd love to more properly express how much I appreciate it, but I suppose teaching you everything I know will have to do for now! You're ready for all this, yes?"

"I'll have to be! It's up to us to keep everyone well-fed, save for Tai's spearfishing. Can't remember the last time my options were limited to either meat or starving, and I don't intend to let it get to that point. Same goes for you and Cress."

"Fair enough. But first, can you give me a hand here?"

Within the storage building, the pair retrieved a couple of large baskets, thenwalked towards the edge of the village. The living hut from yesterday caught his eye. The hutIris was holed up in.

"Hana? One question, if you don't mind."

"Oh please, you'll need to ask plenty today! What's one more?"

As he stared at the torn-open wall, his head tilted slightly, and his whiskers twitched. "I couldn't help noticing, but... this is your hut, right? Your family's living space."

"Oh. Oh, yes." She let out a sigh as she looked it over. "It didn't take the storm very well. Not even compared to the others. Bad luck, I suppose."

"That's what I mean. Well, sort of. The rest of the living huts are all on the other side of the village. Why is yours over here?"

She shrugged, the large basket weighing her arms down. "I never really asked. Best I can do is give you two possible reasons. The first is that Kanna's our doctor, and always has been, even before she was of age. Maybe they wanted her hut closer to the clinic when she settled down. As for the second, erm..." A short fit of giggles escaped the girl as she turned away, her cheeks gaining a tint of blush. "Mother and Kanna are, um... affectionate. Almost constantly. They keep it restrained around the younger children, of course, but perhaps this was Goban's way of giving them a bit of privacy."

"O-Oh. Well then. They certainly sound very... active? I suppose?"

The giggles grew into a fit of laughter before she glanced his way. "That's one way to say it, sure! Now then, I believe we were in the process of making sure we don't go hungry tonight?"

Avi's ears perked, then he jogged to her side, the two resuming their journey away from the village. The sun beat down upon the shoreline, each step sending heat coursing through their paws. Though Hana had no reaction to it, Avi stuttered his steps on occasion, trying to give one paw a break while the other took the brunt of the hot sands.

The shore itself was akin to the view he'd shared with Iris that morning, though much more open than the confined path to the cove. A deep breath through his nose was all it took to convince Avi that were they not here for a much more important reason, it would be a perfect place for some peace and quiet. Hana walked to a small cluster of the trees, then dropped her basket and put her hands on her hips. "Alright, Avi, first on the list isthe shoreline! Coconuts have as many uses as there are days in the lunar year, so let's get a fair few of them. Don't go overboard, though. We've one more important place to be after this, and they're not exactly light!"

He allowed his eyes to wander to the treetops. Some of the trees had green, smooth fruits he didn't recognize. Other trees had a more familiar sort, though: fuzzy brown orbs, their prize concealed within. "I think I remember these, actually. Great for the oil, not to mention the meat. Never seen a tree 'til now, though. It was trading or none at all when it came to these."

"Hm? They don't grow where you're from?"

He answered her question with a shrug. "Not a single one. We could never get a steady enough supply to rely on them for food, but we always kept a healthy stock of oil around, at least. If you've got guesses as to what kept them from growing, go ahead."

"Hm. Well..." Her gaze travelled down the treeline. "They're all close to the shore. You said your village was up in the mountain, right? Maybe they like the coast. I haven't really considered it, honestly. Can't say I've seen the island beyond our little piece of paradise."

Avi stood up straight at that. He looked to Hana, then back at the treeline as he ran through the reality of her situation.

" __Never? Not even once? I mean, they're just_ children, but still. If she hasn't left, then has Tai? Do they have any reason to, even?"_

"You aren't curious about it at all, Hana?"

"Oh, I've had an idle thought here or there about it, but Mother..." The girl crossed her arms as her brow furrowed. "She's adamantly against leaving the general area near the village. What few others I asked shared her stance, and none of them would share their reasons. I'd hazard a guess you'd have to drag them kicking and screaming to get them any farther than our gathering spots or the waterfall pool."

"Then perhaps they'll be more open to divulging their reasons to a newcomer than to the children they're trying to protect, hm? We'll have a lot to catch up on when we find them."

A smile worked its way across Hana's muzzle. "Yes... yes, we will. Now, then..." The capybara set her sights on one of the trees and performed a series of stretches. When she finished, she took a deep breath, marched to the tree, and began climbing.

Avi stared in awe. With how controlled her movements were, how balanced her grip was, and how fast her progress went, it was clear that she'd done this her whole life. It wasn't long before she reached the fruits at the top and began twisting them until a snapping sound reached his ears. Each snap was soon followed by a coconut dropping to the ground. After four coconuts had fallen, she shimmied down in a similar way to how she ascended, resembling a worm or a snake. She took two of the fallen fruits in hand, and Avi darted forward to retrieve the other two. Each put their haul in their respective baskets.

"And there we are! Now, these ripe ones are good for the meat, but the unripe green ones? Those have their own uses. Care to give it a try, Avi?"

"I, er... me? You're sure?"

The girl chuckled, then shrugged. "Who else? You're gonna have to learn if we're to keep up with supplies, but don't you worry! I'm right here for you." She waved him over, walking up to the side of a tree that bore unripe fruits.

Avi stepped tentatively toward the tree. As he stood at the base, he couldn't help but stare up at the fruits dangling at the top. _Very_far off the ground. With no ladder or ropes. His trance was broken, though, by a hand patting his shoulder.

"Take it slow, okay? It'll be fine."

He locked his eyes to the trunk before him and took a deep breath. It should be simple, right? If she made it look easy, maybe it was. All he had to do was take a position similar to hers, then pull his feet up, set them in place, and--

"A-Ah?!" After a single shimmy up the tree, Avi's paws slipped off. He tumbled backward, eliciting a gasp and a chuckle from his young mentor.

She strode to his side and offered a hand. "Yeah, that's about what I expected. Mother had to spend a while getting me used to climbing, but I think you should be able to get up there just fine."

As he got back to his feet, he let out a huff and shook his head. "Seriously? That felt impossible. You make it look like nothing! I can only imagine what your mother can do!"

A wagging finger silenced him, and she gestured back to the trunk. "It's all in the technique! You'd be surprised how much a change of strategy can help, so here..." She curled her hand around his, then walked toward the tree. "Let me guide you."

Once Avi was back in position, Hana readied herself close behind him, guiding his arms into place. Though there was some haste in their movements, they were precise and controlled. Gentle, even. Her presence calmed Avi, even through the fear of falling again.

"Alright, there! Keep yourself centered. Your paws, too. This'll only get harder if you're off-balance. I'll be right here, okay?"

He gave a nod, though his insides threatened to twist into a knot again. Regardless, he took his first pull upwards. The improvement in stability helped, but it wasn't enough, and he began falling once again.

That is, until someone pressed into his back, keeping him close to the tree.

"H-Hana?"

"My bad, my bad! One last thing: lean into the tree. Let your arms and legs lift you, without putting so much strain on them by leaning back. It's not too hard if you keep it in mind."

He nodded, pulling himself closer to the trunk. Once she eased away, he tried reaching upward again. Arms up. Then legs. The pressure on his paws remained intense, but his grip on the tree held firm. One more shift upward. Then another. He was getting the hang of it, but the muscles in his legs were beginning to voice their complaints with this process. His arms also began to lose strength, but not before he got within arm's reach of the fruits. All he had to do was reach... re-e-each... no, one more shimmy, no matter how much his paws screamed.

"Ah! T-There!"

At last, a hand against his prize. Now what? Hana twisted at the ones from before, yes? He gripped at the bottom, rotating the coconut at its stem. He twisted it several more times than Hana ever did, yet it remained attached.

"You're sure this is right?!"

"An unripe one won't be as easy to snap the stem of, you know! You're doing just fine, I mean it!"

He gave an exasperated sigh and resumed twisting, yet it continued to resist. Perhaps a hard, sudden twist would--

The snap sounded out at the same time as his balance left him. Running on pure instinct, he clung to the tree as tightly as he could. That kept him stable, but his paws burned as they strained to keep him there. "I'm n-not sure I can get back up there!"

"Never mind that, you did great, okay?! Just head back down, I'll take care of the rest!"

Easier said than done, surely. Legs down, arms down. Legs down, arms down... over and again. The only thing keeping him going was the promise of solid ground. As he neared the bottom, his breathing picked up again. Almost there.

When he hit the ground, he immediately collapsed. He fell backwards into the dirt, his body splayed out like a starfish. The tension and exhaustion in his limbs began fading away, though his paws continued to burn. Each breath came and went as his body demanded them, rather than by his own volition.

All this for a single coconut.

The pair were only gathering for seven-- three if they let the others subsist on meat and fish for a time. Before the adults vanished, they were gathering for at least twice that. Hana and her mother did even more than this on a usual day? Where did they find the energy to gather it all, let alone carry it home?

The capybara crouched beside him with a warm smile. "See? You were amazing! This'll be child's play to you in no time, I guarantee it!"

"But all I got was--was a single one. I'm completely spent! How's that supposed to help?"

Hana raised one hand to her lips, stifling a giggle, and dropped the other to his shoulder, massaging out the aches with every squeeze. "Silly... you know how many I got on my first day? On my first_week?_ Zero. Not a single one."

"H-Huh?"

"I got further up the tree, but actually reaching the coconuts? That took a lot of time, and a lot of practice with Mother." Her free hand began to work at his other shoulder, her smile growing wider by the second. "Do you get it yet? What you've accomplished just now?"

Avi stared up at the tree. As her words worked their way through his head, a new feeling overtook him. One that allowed him to laugh at himself as he brought his hands to rest on his chest. He then let out a deep sigh. "Well then. That takes the edge off of being a limp mess, yeah. Thank you, Hana."

"You're very welcome, Avi!" Hana glanced up at the tree, then back at him. She brought a hand to her chin, narrowed her eyes, and chuckled before she continued. "Rest now, okay? Right here. I'll be back with the others." She took up position at the tree once more, then began her climb.

Avi laid back, then began watching. Even a small improvement in technique would help for next time, and Hana gave him plenty to study. Every movement, every flex of her arms, every way her legs gripped close to the--

"Wait..." As she ascended, his vantage point left less and less of her to the imagination. If he watched any longer, then...

He slammed his eyes shut, and a searing heat flashed through him. From his face to his ears to his chest, everything began to light up like he'd stumbled too close to a campfire. He tried to move away, but his arms and legs rippled with aches and fatigue. Instead of whisking him away to safety, they just clenched up, his claws carving lines through the dirt.

Hana's shout from above cut through his thoughts. "Are you watching, Avi? You'll not find a better demonstration of this anywhere else!"

"Oh, y-yes, watching closely! Nothing's wrong, nothing at all!"

The reprieve from his panic ended before he could appreciate it. As his chest heaved, he searched for something, anything for his eyes to focus on. He settled on the nearby pebbles, taking in how some were loose above the dirt while others were partially buried. His breathing began to steady its pace, though it was still heavy.

A thud came from the base of the tree. He glanced over. A coconut had fallen. Two more, and this would be over. Just a little longer, just another distraction or two, and he could be calm again. Another coconut fell. He tried to concentrate on the way the sunlight hit the broad leaves of a nearby bush.

"T-This is... this is wrong. I'm wrong. It's all wrong! I can't be thinking about this! Why can't I just focus?! Why, why, why _--_"

One last coconut fell. The sounds of shifting alongside Hana's grunts made it clear she was descending, and the sight of her paws against the dirt proved it was finally safe.

The capybara walked up to him. "You're really so taken with a plain old bush?" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "And here I thought you'd want another example!"

Avi took his first deep breath in what felt like forever. "Right, r-right, I... I suppose I would have, yes. B-But the plants here, so many of them are new to me! They're quite the sight, really!" He gestured to the bush and put on the most genuine smile he could manage. " __Better than sights that should_ be left unseen,_ at any rate," he thought.

She raised an eyebrow. A moment later, she sighed as her arms fell to her sides. "Mm, ah well." She rolled her eyes, smiled, then began to gather the fallen coconuts.

The tension in his limbs melted away, and he let out a full, steady breath. It was over. He'd never have to think about this again. All that mattered now was the day's work.

"If that's all, we should get going," Hana said. "There's a couple more spots to visit yet."

"Ah, right. Lead the way, then." He forced himself to stand despite the aches, then walked over to his own basket and followed her lead. Instead of proceeding along the shore, Hana guided him further into the trees, weaving to and fro. Despite the overgrown foliage, she moved with no hesitation. Perhaps that was how he had looked to Ferrah when he led her to the cave.

A short while later, the trees began to change. What once was an area full of plain jungle trees gave way to a section of them bearing bananas of all sorts. His guide set her basket down near a group of the trees.

"This is the other place we'll be gathering for today. The rest of the ones we'll be visiting are just to get you familiar with what all we've got available to us, so let's make sure the baskets are good and full!"

Having a chore less taxing than climbing trees was a welcome change of pace. The worst it got was trying to figure out what was ripe among the various colours of bananas. With the work so relaxing, now was as good a time as any for a follow-up to something a certain diminutive otter mentioned that morning.

"Hana?"

"Hmm?"

"I was talking with Iris this morning, and she said something odd. Regarding the cove."

She shrugged, not looking back from her work. "What's there to say? Her mother takes her there often, I assume for a swim. Kanna always did like having spots to herself, so I'd imagine she wants Iris to be able to join her."

"That's just it, though, Iris... doesn't."

Her hand, in the middle of reaching for a small bunch of reddish bananas, went still. She turned to him with a furrowed brow. "She doesn't?"

"Not even once. Kanna takes Iris along, but she waits outside for her mother. The little one's frightened of the sea; she won't go along the path to the cove. Which begs the question, why take Iris there at all if she keeps deciding to stay behind?"

She looked away, eyes flitting about as she brought a hand to her chin. After a bit longer, she sighed. "I wish I could say, Avi. Whatever her reasons are, they've gone with her. I'd bet Iris told you all she knows. She doesn't have it in her to hide things. And here I am, knowing even less than her!" With her eyes half-lidded, she crossed her arms tight. "I never asked Kanna a single thing about that place. It was just her special swimming spot to me, even before Iris was born. Neither Mother nor I have been there. Kanna may be a social butterfly and a relentless flirt with Mother, but when she needs her alone time... she needs it badly."

"And that's all fine. It's just another of the many things we'll ask them eventually." He crouched down, then patted the side of his fruit basket. "No need to worry, especially with these almost full, eh?"

A smile began to replace the apprehensive look she wore. "True, true. Just a few more, then it's on to the grove, alright?"

After the two each got a plentiful bunch to top off their baskets, Hana gestured for him to follow, and the pair set off again. The more Avi looked around, the more he couldn't shake the sense that they were passing by the same trees and flowers, over and over. That wasn't possible, of course, but it spoke to how lost he'd be if he had come out here alone. He'd have to learn eventually, but for now? He took comfort in having a guide to lead him through the countless trees.

Gradually, the foliage gave way to a clearing. The sprawling field before him was home to a number of bushes, each with what he guessed were pineapples in various stages of growth.

Hana set her basket down, then spread her arms wide, presenting the grove in all its splendour. "This is it, where those beautiful, golden treats grow! What do you think, Avi?"

"To be honest? I've no idea what I thought they'd grow from, but these bushes weren't it. Fascinating."

With a spring in her step, Hana neared a bush with a fruit much smaller than what they'd partaken of last night and gestured for Avi to follow. As he approached, she leaned down to the plant, then began touching several parts of it, inspecting each in turn.

"They're strange little things, yes, but they're oh so worth it! The downside, though? It takes several years for a bush to make a full fruit." She nodded back towards the rest of the field. "There's quite a few out here, but nowhere near enough to make these anything more than a rare treat. They die after fruiting, too... sensitive, these ones."

He tilted his head. "Really? They just wither, after a single fruit?"

"It's too bad, yes, but look here." The girl lifted one of its leaves, revealing a stumpy stalk beneath. Or perhaps it was more like a trunk? She brushed her hand over several pale growths emerging from the sides of the plant. "These, right here. I'm not entirely sure why, but when the plant wears out, you can cut away the excess leaves, replant the core with these, and eventually... a new one is born. Why, sometimes you can get a second fruit out of these, with some precise care!"

Her exuberance faded a bit, replaced with a focused gaze as she examined the plant. Every touch grazed over its leaves and growths, never too firm. "I'd not learned that one from Old Man Enki yet, though. He knew best about these matters. Even better than Mother, at least when it came to how all the plants grow. Wise old bull, that one..."

"I'll say! Still, we should move on, right? Nothing looks ripe right now."

Hana nodded, but her gaze still rested on the plant's shoots. After she finally pulled her hand away from it, she glanced at him, then looked away again. "Avi? Since you asked about Iris and Kanna earlier, would you mind if I asked you something in return?"

"Sure, but what's there to know? There's not much I haven't said already."

"I was just curious, since I realized, well, I-I hadn't asked. You are Ferrah, are you...?" Her eyes met his as she trailed off. She spread the fingers of both her hands, then interlocked them with each other, again and again.

Avi's whiskers flicked. Once, then twice, as he looked at her hands. "I don't follow."

She sighed. "I'm not Tai, Avi. I was trying to _avoid_being so blunt about it. What I mean is, are you two... mated?"

He took a step back. Mated? Him and Ferrah? As he thought the question over more, all he could do was chuckle as he covered his mouth.

"Goodness, did we ever clarify that? How many of them just assumed that was the case?"

"Oh, not at all, not at all!" He put a hand on his heart. "Ferrah's an amazing friend, but I've seen enough of her... shall we say, preferences, to know that I'm not on that list. Not sure I care to be, either. She's kept watch over me since I was little, but neither of us are what the other's looking for, if that makes sense."

"Hm... yes, I think it does. Interesting, interesting indeed." She raised a hand to her cheek, and a smile crept onto her muzzle.

Avi's own smile grew at a similar pace. "Yes, well, she may be a bit abrasive for now, but once that passes? I'm sure she'll fit right in. Maybe even as a good friend to you and Tai."

"Mm, maybe. We'll see how that turns out. Now, then--"

"Our last spot for today?"

"Exactly." She retrieved her basket once more. "An important one, too, but thankfully it's on the way back. Let's get going."

As they headed out, Avi's thoughts turned to Ferrah. She'd been tense about all this, there was no doubt about that. Could he do anything to help, though? Keeping all the little ones distracted from her at once would be a tall order, and they were some of her only company out here regardless. They'd be a slow mental drain, either way. Perhaps finding some joy in her work wouldn't be the worst solution. Maybe in the stories of Tai's father, as well.

His rumination was cut short by a new sound reaching his ears. Amidst the swaying leaves, something like running water cut through the ambience. As it got louder, the pair reached another clearing, though not as large as the grove. The open land by the river provided plenty of space for what appeared to be a farm, much more organized and purposeful than the wild grove.

Thankfully, a fair portion of it survived the storm. Among the rows of cassava, cowpeas, and unknown mounds, one section stood out to him: many rows of rice, all by the river. They were of an ambitious scale for such a small village, too. Shards of splintered wood littered the ground throughout the rice garden.

"Oh... oh, no." Hana's basket hit the ground, the top few bunches of bananas tumbling out. She dashed toward the rice stalks and knelt down next to them. Her hands flitted about, grabbing and dropping piece after piece of the wood as she frantically looked around. "No, no, no--!"

"Hana? What exactly are you--"

She dropped the pieces from her hands, and they began shaking as she stared at the shards of wood, eyes growing wide. "The whole system, Avi, it's--it's broken. Shattered into pieces! I just... how are we supposed to keep up without those pipes?!"

He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. "Could you, er, back up a bit? Because I've no idea what you mean."

One deep breath later, she began to explain. "Okay... okay. The pipes were part of an irrigation system Old Man Enki set up. The rice isn't fond of drying out, and we can't be out here all the time to water it that often. Everything else is pretty much set with a daily watering. The rice might be fine while the wet season lasts, but by the end of the Fifth Moon..."

"...we're not going to be able to keep up with the watering. And one less source of food means the dry season could be tight."

"Yes, exactly, a-and I... I don't know how he made it. I can guess at it, but imagine the flooding if we get it wrong and drown the rice. It can handle a consistent puddle, and it can handle a quick dry spell, but the extremes on either end are nothing but a swift death."

He looked to the rest of the crops, all faring better than the rice. "Well, there's the cowpeas, not to mention the tubers. You'd have to try pretty hard to kill those, so what if we--"

Hana threw up her hands. "I know, I know, we could try to focus on the rest of the crops, but..." The panic gave way to a vacant gaze at the soil. "I don't want more risks like this. Not when there's no one we can turn to anymore..."

Avi crouched next to her. At least they wouldn't have to worry about watering the rice for now; the soil was still moist, days after the storm.

He looked at the scattered shards of pipe. Simple things at first glance, just angular slats for the water to travel down, but he didn't know the first thing about making them. On top of that, all that remained of the pipes' former path was a vague outline, almost washed away in the tempest. All of this would be standing in the way of consistent rice production once the dry season arrived. Perhaps Ferrah could help?

He clenched his fist. "No. Those worries aren't for today. __The wet season will stall for time to fix this._ Whatever happens here, that research is a distant problem. None of us should have to fret over this for now, least of all Hana."_

Avi leaned closer to her, laying his hands on her back and shoulder. Each touch seemed to break her from the scattered trance she'd fallen into amidst the pipes' remains. He applied a gentle grip to the shoulder, then began massaging it, giving special attention to where the tension was greatest. Another advantage of his time in the clinic, if an unexpected one.

She looked over, first at the hand on her shoulder, then into the mouse's eyes. As a smile returned to her weary visage, she brought a hand to meet his on her shoulder, interlocking their fingers with a gentle squeeze.

"That's it, dear. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here, to watch over every single one of you. I swear."

*

---

*

Milo padded along the shore, his ears catching every sound they could. Waves washing up against the sand. Bushes and leaves rustling in a calm breeze. Birds and bugs all crying out amidst the midday heat. Yet the sounds he was looking for the most were still missing, as they had been for days.

He wouldn't hear his father calling out to him after returning from gathering with Hana, Hana's mother, and Old Man Enki. He wouldn't hear his mother scolding Cress for getting his shorts ripped for the third time that moon, even if she'd mend them in a blink. He wouldn't hear every little thing his mother insisted on doing for him at bedtime. Goodnights, kisses, and stories, all while his father tried to get her to settle down. All with smiles on both of their faces.

That was always a bit much, yes. But it was what he'd grown used to. What felt right to him.

Where did all those sounds go?

And speaking of things that were a bit much...

"Hey, come on, Milo, this way!"

"O-Okay!" The maned wolf stumbled as he did his best to keep up with Cress. Same as always. Always ready to drag him into whatever he'd come up with next. But even through the fatigue and the frustration, a sense of comfort tickled at the back of Milo's mind. Routine. Something they'd always do. Something that wouldn't change.

That wouldn't change...

He shook off the thought. As he finally caught up with the bat, he caught his breath, then looked down where Cress, who was sifting through a pile of small rocks, was crouching. "What are we looking for this time?"

Cress held up a smooth, flat stone with a chip in it. "Skipping stones, duh. It's been a while since we tried it, right?"

"Well, yeah, but... I dunno." Milo's hands came together, his thumbs twiddling as he gazed down at them. His tail followed suit, drooping between his legs. He didn't have to look up to know Cress had noticed those things, too.

"Aww, come on! What're you all nervous for? You did fine last time!" He rested his hand on Milo's, and the maned wolf slowed his fidgeting. "Better than me, anyways. What's wrong?"

Milo's eyes flicked up to Cress's, then down at their hands, then off toward the shore. "I dunno. Dad and Uncle Panu can get them really far, but I'm not even close yet. Missing something."

"What, a grown-up's throwing arm? Yeah, I'm missing that, too!" Cress let out a hearty chuckle, and he raised a stone up to Milo's face. "So come on, we've got the rocks for it, and the shore's as calm as it'll get. A perfect day for it!"

"A-Alright, then..." Before he knew it, Milo had three stones dropped in his hand. He felt each of them in turn between his fingers, then settled on the one that had a chip in it. No point in wasting a good stone on a warmup throw.

"See, watch, I'll go first!" Cress backed up a bit, then ran toward the water before throwing it. It only bounced once or twice. "Heh, well, it ain't much, but eh."

" __Seems about right, Cress. Were you even thinking about your arm there?" Milo thought.

"I'm next, then?" With the chipped stone in hand, he visualized each step of the process. Left foot forward. Stone in the opposite hand, between the thumb and lower fingers. Step forward, lower the upper body, twist, and let go--!

A series of plinks against the water met his ears.

"Whoa! Nice start! What was that, four? Five? Long ones, too!"

Milo let out a sigh. "Four. It wasn't that special."

"Speak for yourself, you've seen my throws. Yours have always been better, from day one. It's impressive!"

Cress locked eyes with Milo as he reassured him. Under that gaze, Milo's ears perked, his breath quickened for a moment, and he couldn't help but look away. Why make such a big deal out of it? It wasn't that good, and Cress could probably get just as far if he really focused. The bat had watched Milo's father skip stones just as much, after all. Watched him put Uncle Panu's throws to shame, that is.

"...I wanna see that again."

"Awww! A sinker!"

The shout broke him from his mind. What had happened? He heard a splash just before Cress had shouted, and now there were large ripples on the water's surface.

Maybe an overhand shot? It'd be an odd mistake, but he could believe Cress would try something like that. The bat's unconventional ideas for throws knew no limits.

"Hey, Cress?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"You ever wonder where everyone went?"

Cress shrugged, his wings unfolding outward a bit. "Not really. Whatever it was, they'll be back when they're done, right? Mom and Dad had to leave our shelters a lot before we came here. I'll bet this isn't any different."

"Yeah, but my parents aren't like yours, Cress. They've been here a while. Any time I asked what was out there, they just said not to worry. To stay where we know it's safe." He looked back into the treeline. "I dunno what they'd leave for."

"Maybe mine talked the others into something? I could believe that. They're both scary when they wanna be. I'm not gonna say no to that! Like, you know when Mom got pissed with your uncle? Whew..."

"Yeah, I dunno what he was thinking. I guess he thought her folding fan looked neat? She knows how to fight with it, too, and he could barely fight at all. Dumb idea on his part. It's like Grandma's necklace. You don't take stuff like that without asking."

When he glanced back over to Cress, the bat's mouth hung open, and an eyebrow was raised.

"Dude, you remember that much? Weren't you like... two? Three, maybe? You barely even talked by then!"

Milo tilted his head. "Well, yeah. I remember a lot." He blinked twice. "Is that weird or something?"

"Duh. I just told ya everything I remember, and I mean _everything,_Milo. It's all fuzzy until we got here. What's your secret to it?"

Milo shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I remember Mom, mostly. How she held me really tight while your mom beat Uncle Panu with the fan." A shudder worked its way down his back. "You're not the only one scared of your mom when she's mad, I guess."

Milo lined up his second throw. Next-smoothest stone, at the ready. He paid more attention to the fingers this time; the rest would be muscle memory. Wind up the throw, press it up to the index and middle... and flick!

"Oooh, six?!" Cress whipped back to Milo. "And yeah, that's what I mean! If they thought they needed to go do something, Mom and Dad would make 'em listen! They'll be fine."

Cress readied his final throw as he spoke, as if it were an afterthought. The technique was a bit better this time, though. Perhaps he was learning. Or lucky. Milo never knew with him.

"Huh, three," Milo said. "Longer skips than the first one, too. You're getting it."

"Yeah, maybe. Now you, come on! Show yourself up!"

Milo's ear flicked. They weren't done talking, were they? Though, from Cress's reaction, they probably were. That was his answer: they'll be back.

"What was so important, though? Why couldn't we go with them? Why did they leave us behind? Mom... Dad..."

Milo blinked twice and looked back at Cress. That eager look was still fixed on him, waiting for the final shot. Fine, then. With the smoothest stone in hand, he pulled his arm back, putting everything he'd practised to use. Maybe some spin as well, with the stone as balanced as it was.

Lean forward, twist, flick. Let it fly...

" __One, two, three_ --_"

"Four, five--"

"Six...?"

A final splash rang out, soon followed by a shout from Cress. "Seven? That's gotta be seven! The bounces were way cooler, too, all curved and stuff! Best for today, easy, yeah?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

"You 'guess' so?! I know so! And I'll prove it!"

Before Milo could react, Cress had closed in and wrapped his wings around the maned wolf. The wings completely covered him, giving him the comfort of a warm, leathery blanket.

No twitches. No breaths. No need to move at all.

" __Wait, w-what? S_ urprise hugs suck a lot,_ I know that, Uncle Panu's proven that over and over! So why does this... feel nice? Have we done this before? I feel like I'd remember if we did this, right?"

That familiar chuckle met his ears up close. "See? Now you get it, I can tell! So come on, let's find something else to do!"

As Cress took off running, glancing back every so often, all Milo did was blink. A slight breeze at his sides caught his attention, so he looked down. His tail was wagging? He caught it in his hands, holding it still until it calmed down.

With that taken care of, he looked back down the shoreline where Cress had stopped, waving to him. Taking it all in, a smile teased the edges of Milo's muzzle.

"Then, I guess while we're waiting for them, I... I'm glad you're still here, Cress.

"Left behind, together."

*

---

*

With a firm tug, the final knot was tied. Ferrah paced around the structure once more, paying careful attention to the ties and top cover. She concluded her appraisal with a nod, then turned to her would-be pupil. "Alright, then. That should be good enough for now. Not bad, kid."

"Heh, see? Told ya I knew a thing or two!" Tai brushed his brown hair to the side in a flourish, a smirk adorning his expression.

All he got in return was a bored glare. "Don't go getting all big-headed over what's basically a huge barrel, kid. Our work was_meant_ to be temporary, yeah, but this? It's pretty damn temporary."

"So, what? Just means we get to work on the actual thing tomorrow. That ought to be more interesting that stitching this thing together to burn daylight."

"I'm serious. These foundations used to have a proper building on them, not this slapped-together mess of reeds that's just good enough. If we want something that'll last through more than a storm or two, we'll need proper wood. A good chunk of it, too, since the granary ought to have lots of space. Space we don't have with _this_eyesore." She gave the makeshift granary a firm smack. Its surface gave slightly, but otherwise held fast.

"Eh. New, old, doesn't matter. I'll be right there, keeping up all the way!"

"Yeah, yeah. And I'm sure that bluster'll keep up when we're_actually_ trying to get a proper frame done for the full thing, right?"

"You'll have to do better than that to faze me, Ferrah." He pointed his thumb into his chest, the other hand resting on his hip. "Pops knew enough about building that he could teach pretty much anyone and have 'em at least passable, even Dad! Whatever you need, I've got this."

"Oh please, I'll believe it when I see--" She froze. She stared off into the distance as she knit her brow, then spun around to face Tai. "Wait, hold up. Are we still talking about the same person, or...?"

"What's there to explain?"

"You just mentioned your dad two separate times, by two separate terms, as if he were two separate people. You've gotta admit that's weird, right?"

The question managed to rouse him from his relaxed lean against the communal hut. His ears flicked once or twice, then his eyes went wide just before he snapped his fingers. "Oh, I getcha. That's 'cause they are." He gestured with his left hand. "Dad's the spearfisher and hunter"--then he mirrored the gesture with his right--"and Pops is the builder. Bondmates, like Hana and Iris's moms."

She raised an eyebrow. "Huh. 'Kay, then. I didn't even know about the girls' parents, so that's--hmm. That a pattern or something, with how small this place is?"

"Not sure what that's supposed to mean, but nah. Those are the only bondmates. Milo and Cress's parents are regular mates, and--"

Ferrah's thoughts careened right into a cliff face. She scratched at her head, sifting through the information. He'd mentioned the girls' mothers being bondmates, but was that two pairs of mothers, or just one? Their mothers being mated would explain Hana's panic from yesterday, but still, all of this at once... how had she missed it?

She clenched her eyes shut, holding up a hand towards him. "Okay, hold it, ho-o-old up, that's--gah, I don't know half this stuff and it just keeps adding more questions!" After a shake of her head, she met his eyes again. "Just limit it to this next one: who's your ma, anyway?"

"Don't know, don't care. Dad and Pops are my parents, simple as that. I heard Pomare took care of me a lot when I was little, but I'm not hers. She's just tight-knit with 'em. Ah, right, that's Milo's mom, by the way." He rolled his eyes. "Think you'd notice some odd colouration if a panther got with a maned wolf, too."

Ferrah let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temple. "Alright. I'll take it. And we're dropping this for now. I dunno if you noticed, but this whole family setup is a lot more complicated than you're giving it credit for."

He gave a shrug, then walked over to her, dusting off his hands. "Eh, I'm used to it. You might be too, after a while."

"Don't count on it. Really, don't." She looked away, scanning between the buildings.

No way she'd be here that long. There were better things for her to be doing than babysitting a bunch of kids. Not a single person in this village for her idea of fun, or even worth talking to. Avi would've been her best shot at the latter, but his head was in the clouds over all this.

" __The world's toughest battles, right here. Battles to hold onto my damned sanity," she thought. "Who knows what those lugs are doing back home, anyways, without their boss around? Prob_ ab ly still giving Terik a hard time. Heh, I'll take that much. Not like_ _I'm lacking chances to flex my expertise around here, either, so that's something."_

She finally settled on one of the living huts several rows down, then began heading over. "Besides, I've gotta look over the other foundations some more. Never gonna pass up the chance to check out an impressive build."

"What do you know, we agree there, at least! I know I haven't been passing up the chance, that's for sure."

"Oh please, last I checked you were all about the fishing, not the--"

Wait a damn moment.

She slowed her pace. Her head stayed completely still for the next few moments. Then, without warning, she whirled around to face the boy.

He was quick to remove his eyes from where they'd been staring, glancing off to the sides, even whistling. Not an ounce of damn subtlety. She made a firm mental note to make sure he was always in sight while inspecting the foundations.

The investigation began inside, where she took a good look at every wall and pole. Poles through the flooring, support beams up above. Nothing special. One of the walls had collapsed, but the poles stood their ground; even the one that snapped remained planted, like a sturdy handcrafted tree. How were they still standing, especially with a foundation of sand?

She took her investigation back outside, and Tai quickly followed. She knelt down to one of the corner poles, glancing up at the boy every so often in case he let his eyes wander again. Grains of warm sand flowed between her fingers as she began clearing a hole at its base. After a handful or two, her claws scraped against something coarse and hard.

"Wouldja look at that!"

Tai perked, walking closer. "Hm? At what?"

"At the tricksy way your pops kept these things rooted! Ha, fuckin' brilliant!"

The moment those words left her lips, a shrill giggle entered the air. Both of Ferrah's ears perked, the left one pivoting to the sound. Following its guidance, she caught sight of a lock of green hair and an iridescent eye peering around the corner of the hut. The freaky little otter was holding her doll around the corner too, as if he could see.

Ferrah called out to her. "What, you're finally awake, then?"

The girl bounded over to Ferrah and Tai, then skidded to a halt, kicking up a tiny wave of sand. Whatever she found so amusing, her grin couldn't be wider. "Oh, I've been up. Just watchin'. But you moved, so I moved." She brought a hand to her mouth, but it did little to muffle another giggle. "You better be careful, though!"

The tigress narrowed her eyes at the child. "And why's that, shrimp?"

She leaned in, putting up a hand to whisper. "'Cause that's the kinda word that'll getcha smacked by Nana!" The little otter then fell into a giggling fit, hugging her doll tight as she laughed.

Oh. Right. Ferrah was stuck with a bunch of kids. Including really young ones. She should probably keep her language cleaner than that.

" __Wait, Iris already knew that one? She's four! W_ hat dumbass blurted that out around her already?!"_

Ferrah sighed. "Eh, whatever. You just keep livin' it up, kid." She looked at Tai. "As for you, oh-so self-assured builder..."

"Yeah? What's up?"

"I never finished telling you. Get over here." She waved him over, and he closed in, crouching where she was. Those green eyes darted all over the base of the pole, but nothing seemed to clue him in. When he finally reached down to feel the area, however, his eyes lit up.

"Wait, is that... stone?"

Ferrah backhanded his arm as her smirk widened. "Darn right! Not the toughest kind, but that's far from the whole story! See what your pops did here?" She leaned in, running her fingers along the base of the pole. Or rather, what appeared to be its base.

He blinked twice, squinting where she was touching. "Wait, did he_bury_ the poles?!"

"Drilled 'em in there, even! Couldn't do that with much tougher stone, not without some serious tools and time. Even if it's relatively weak, they're probably far enough down that they'll stand firm, like tree roots. He's used the whole beach's surface to ground these!"

"Huh. Well, I'll be." He scratched at the back of his head, then looked up to where the campfire rested on the hill. "I guess that makes it somehow sturdier to build down here than up there. Why'd the granary get blown away, though?"

She let out a hiss through her teeth, then shrugged. "Eh. Can't be perfect. Those things've gotta have an elevated base, or pests'll get some funny ideas about snacking on our food. He probably did the same thing for the base's poles, but the granary on top? Well, that's a bit less rooted in place." She looked to the buried pole again, narrowing her eyes. "Might've made up for it some other way, but the storm was somethin' else. Not much gets through a mess like that without taking a beating."

"I'll take your word for it, then." He inched closer, placing a hand on her shoulder with a gentle grip. "You've really got an eye for this, you know? What were things like back home, with that kind of skill?"

She stared him down with her eyes half-lidded, never once breaking eye contact as she smacked his hand away. As the question sunk in, though, her eyes wandered, looking off at nothing in particular as a smile formed. "Pretty alright, actually. I had a whole crew at my beck and call 'cause I had the chops to back up my bluster. Planning, getting 'em organized. The actual construction was a snap, too." She looked to her arm, giving it a flex. A wry chuckle escaped her. "You shoulda seen me on the lift. I think a couple of the boys had their eyes pop outta their sockets when they saw how much I could bring up at once!"

The little otter gasped as she hid behind her doll. "W-Were they okay? Did their eyes go back in?!"

Iris's earnest question stunned Ferrah, but it drew a hearty laugh from her a moment later. "Oh, don't you worry, kid, they're doin' just fine!" She paused and blinked, her energy draining away as she processed what she'd said. "Just... just fine." That drained feeling spread through her, coursing through her arms and legs, up through her chest, then finally to her mind. As if it had a will of its own, her hand grabbed at the jewel of her necklace. She stared down into the tourmaline, motionless. Thoughtless.

"I-I, um..."

The panther tripping over his own words managed to get her attention. Something to look at besides the necklace, at least.

"I don't doubt they were impressed. I mean, look at you! No idea where you got muscles like that, but you could probably snap my spine over your knee if you really tried." His eyes flitted to the sides as he seemed to search for what to say next. "So no matter how they're doing, y-you're still doing good work, right? That's something. ...I'm serious about the muscles, by the way. Unreal sculpting on those things."

She sighed, the corner of her lip curling upward just a bit. "Flattery won't getcha far, kid. Keep up, though, and maybe you'll learn something after all."

Iris inched closer, looking straight at Ferrah. She fidgeted a bit, then raised her arm, reaching down into... something, and pulling some sort of green and gold thing out. "Would a shell help? It always makes me feel better."

The tigress recoiled, eyes squarely on the girl's underarm where she'd pulled the shell from. "Uh. Where were you keeping that?"

"Arm pouch." The girl raised her arm high, stretching the pouch even further out than before. It was easier to see now, but it didn't make it any less weird. How deep was that thing, anyway? "I thought these were normal 'til everyone looked at me funny. I keep my favourite things in here. Except Umi. He's too big." She held her doll next to the pouch as if to prove her point. "You don't have 'em either?"

"No-o-ope. Never seen those in my life, kid. You're just full of surprises, huh?"

"I guess." She held out the shell again.

Ferrah scratched the back of her neck. "Eh. Keep it, kid. I'll figure something out."

"Okie, then." After returning her charm to its proper resting place, she turned around and walked back into the village. She looked around for a moment, perhaps deciding where to go.

Suddenly, she shouted and sprinted off. "Ooh, ooh! Avi-i-i! Hana-a-a!"

Ferrah rose to her feet, mumbling. "Those two're back already? Well, at least the kid makes for a decent alarm."

She strode out from between the buildings and looked where Iris had run. The little girl had already made it to the granary, where Avi and Hana were bringing their baskets. Not a bad haul they had, not bad at all. Perhaps to be expected, Avi set down his basket, leaned down, and hugged Iris tight, then ruffled her hair. The girl giggled up a storm as her hair was tossed about. If there was one thing Ferrah had to admit, it was that Avi was taking to the little one like an older brother. Maybe even a father.

"Yeesh, what's with him? He knows there's no way we're sticking around for the long term, right? Not a chance I am, at least."

"Easy there, Iris!" said Avi. "We're back, dear, everything's alright. We should be set for a couple days, too. Things went well."

"Really? Even the farm?"

Hana winced. She glanced back to the baskets, then rubbed at her arm. "It's... it's fine, Iris. We'll need to figure something out for the rice, but everything else is fine. And with Avi here, we might just be able to. He's quite the fast learner!"

He waved a hand and shook his head, despite his widening smile. "Maybe for the coconuts, but the pipes?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, her grin growing wider with each moment. "Really? You're sure about that?" Her eyes locked with his. They stayed like that a while; sort of aura permeated the air, as if it were enforcing her stance on the matter.

Before long, Avi broke the stare first, choking out a laugh. "Alright, alright, you might have a point! I've got a few ideas of where to start, as soon as I go over something with Ferrah. We've got nothing to worry about just yet!"

The moment he'd finished his sentence, Hana closed the gap and hugged him tight. "Ooh, now that's what I like to hear!"

"_Getting a little close, don't you think, kid?"_Ferrah thought.

The mouse didn't look all that bothered. Surprised, maybe, but that was it. Even as the hug broke and Avi turned to speak with Iris some more, Hana's hand lingered on his shoulder. She was staring at him, too.

There was something eerily familiar about this.

Ferrah swung around, and sure enough, Tai looked away. As usual, a lack of damn subtlety, and Hana wasn't much better.

" __Does Avi get what's going on with her? I mean, he doesn't look like he's reciprocating much, if at all, but..."

A thought crept in, and its weight made her feel as though she'd swallowed a pile of rocks.

She and Avi were the only adults, as far as they knew. She glanced back and forth between the teenagers. Hana, inching ever closer to Avi when she could, and Tai, who was being, well, Tai. And then it hit her. She knew exactly what was going on.

"Ah, shit."