“He could barely look me in the eyes when we said goodbye! So adorable,” Sillti said happily.

  Angie groaned as she reached over to grab one of the toasted breads she and I had made for breakfast.

  “Why leave in the morning at all?” I asked as I too reached out for a piece of bread.

  Angie sat next to Sillti, who sat across from me at the table in the mansio's front room. Cat was still upstairs, snoring the morning away. It seemed the young woman had become rather lazy since meeting me, or maybe she was still recuperating from her journey south and eventual meeting of Vim during those fires. Vim had not only hurt her he had supposedly carried her without much rest, and knowing Vim it had been harsher than Cat had explained it to be.

  “Jeez Renn. You don’t linger, it’s improper,” Sillti said with a smile at me.

  Linger…?

  I glanced at the young bison she sat next to, and noted the twitching eyes as Angie chewed on her bread.

  She was growing annoyed over Sillti’s love-talk, and it showed.

  To be fair it was time she could talk about something else. Sillti’s been rambling on about Link and their new romance for most the morning. I honestly was very happy for her. I was of course not sure yet if their relationship was serious or not, since it was so hard to tell with our people sometimes, but at the very least at the moment both Sillti and Link seemed absolutely in love and were enjoying every moment of it.

  How could I not be happy over such a thing? Even if I was tired of hearing how adorable Link was when he acted timid.

  “He’s a very nice man. I’m glad you all convinced me to come here and not leave the Society, I’d not have met him otherwise,” Sillti said with a smile to me.

  “I’m glad too,” I said.

  Angie shook her head as Sillti happily giggled, acting like a young girl in love for the first time.

  I mean… I understood it. I did.

  Link although a monster of a man was as timid as the tiniest mouse. And it seemed Sillti found such a thing to be insanely attractive and lovely. Where I would have been bothered by such tepidness, like him not being able to look me in the eye over merely saying goodbye after a night of romance, she latched onto it as if it was a treasure without compare.

  The reason was very obvious.

  Link had the size, the strength, and the age to act snobbish and rough. His appearance alone was intimidating. If he had been a human, or maybe even any other non-human male, he likely would have been very braggadocios and proud. Yet he was everything but. He was a complete pushover, gentle beyond the word’s meaning, and seemed to be quite a romantic to boot.

  The man was likely everything Rollo wasn’t, or hadn’t been, and thus Sillti’s happy fascination with him.

  Yet it just seemed… so quick. So instantaneous.

  It bothered me for some reason. They had just met, and she was already talking as if they would soon be wed and living together and all the other stuff that came with it. It was one thing if it was just them having a little fun… but that was not at all what she saw their budding relationship as.

  Maybe I was the weird one. No one else seemed to be bothered by the sudden relationship that had sprouted without warning, other than Angie of course. But she didn’t count; she seemed to be disgusted by anything remotely romantic. Even the hint of flirting made her gag.

  “I’m going to go have lunch with him later. Would you like to join us Angie?” Sillti asked, not hesitating to invite her.

  “No,” Angie said without hesitation.

  Sillti’s smile softened but only a tad. If anything she seemed a little happy over the young bison’s quick denial. “He worries for you. He even offered to let you live with him if you’d like, or near him. I guess there are a few rooms in his hallway that are available. I plan to pick one too, so we could all be together if you’d like,” Sillti told the girl.

  “I’d rather live in the sewers,” Angie said.

  Sillti laughed, and I recognized she hadn’t realized Angie had been completely serious in her statement.

  Though… maybe it hadn’t been the whole truth.

  Link had been Angie’s family’s friend. He had been close with her father.

  It made me wonder and worry for the young girl.

  What should Angie do…? What would she do? Where would she go?

  Randle, upon noticing that Angie was one of us and not a human child, had stopped any effort in taking her to one of the orphanages. Angie had oddly taken an interest in them, but I wasn’t sure yet if she had gone to look at them or not.

  I personally hoped she didn’t choose the human orphanages, no matter how nice they were. But it’s not like I’d stop her if she did. She did look like a child, and was one, even if she didn’t act it.

  “So you plan to stay here Sillti? At least for now?” I asked.

  Sillti glanced at me and nodded quickly. “Oh yes. Definitely.”

  Good. I wasn’t sure what to think of her quick latching onto Link, or his seemingly acceptance of it too, but it was better than the alternatives I guess.

  “Why not just move in with him then? Share his bed? Is it even big enough for the two of you?” Angie asked as she side-glanced Sillti.

  Sillti laughed at the bison, reached over and patted her shoulder. “It’s huge! You have to crawl out of it!” Sillti said.

  Angie’s face scrunched up in disgust. “I shouldn’t have asked…” she mumbled.

  Smiling at her discomfort, I realized that was a funny thought though. Link was a massive man… his bed must be mighty indeed.

  Maybe that was what Vim needed. He sometimes seemed to not relax and lay as leisurely as he’d wish, because he worried over the bed breaking from his strange weight.

  Rather than a massive bed… maybe he needed one made of his steel…?

  I should suggest it. He had brought up not too long ago us making a home somewhere, for us and us alone. I bet he’d like that, or at least find the idea amusing.

  “I’m glad the Society seems so vibrant. You and Vim. Henrietta and her family. Hands even has found someone he’s trying to court! Just recently! It’s so much better than the Summit, I can’t believe I ever thought it was stupid to leave,” Sillti said happily as she reached out for a piece of bread herself.

  “How’s it different? Weren’t there plenty of families there too?” I asked. There had been plenty of kids running around; many had even watched Rollo’s execution.

  “We don’t pick our families there,” Sillti said.

  Angie paused, mid-chew and glanced at the guinea pig next to her. “Huh?” Angie said for me.

  Sillti nodded as she took a big bite of her bread. “We’re paired up by our births and placements. Second sons for second daughters, and such,” Sillti said with a mouthful.

  Angie groaned as she shook her head and likely not just because Sillti was displaying bad table manners.

  “You’re kidding me. I thought you said you chose Rollo in hopes of teaching him to be different?” I asked. Surely she had said that, right?

  “Well… I had hoped to? But I wouldn’t have chosen him otherwise?” Sillti said with a shrug, as if it was obvious.

  I groaned as I lowered my head and rested it on my hand. Suddenly my head hurt.

  “It’s not that bad Renn. Sometimes we choose for love too. Ash and Thrain had done that. Most though don’t, for one reason or another,” Sillti said as she finished her mouthful.

  Not that bad…? She basically just said she, and many at the Summit, hadn’t any say in their lives. Their husbands and wives were picked for them. By someone else.

  Feeling a little sick, I wondered what to even say. If it was like that, and had been all this time, then that meant Vim and the rest knew about it and were okay with it. I mean… it made sense, from Vim’s perspective. If the whole village accepted it, and found nothing wrong with it, then he’d never interfere or do anything about it… but…

  Well…

  Wasn’t that a form of stealing one’s free will? To force someone into a relationship with another?

  “She looks very troubled,” Sillti mumbled to the bison next to her.

  “I am too. But it explains a lot,” Angie said with a dull tone.

  “Explains what?” Sillti asked, and I heard her grin.

  Looking up at her, I sighed at her happy smile. Either she knew full well, and found it funny that Angie and I found it disagreeable… or she was just that happy about her recent find with Link as a potential partner, and was overlooking it completely. Either way, I decided to not make a big deal out of it.

  I couldn’t change it, and I wasn’t even sure how you would do so even if I wanted to, or had the right to. Not to mention it was likely more common than I thought, even if I didn’t want to admit it. Arranged marriages existed amongst the humans too, though I wasn’t sure how common they really were.

  The Queen’s Lament, that story written by one of our members, had similar tropes and cultural ideas within it. I had talked to Vim about them a little, while we had stayed at the Summit, but hadn’t realized just how close I had been to genuine articles at the time.

  “Oh well… as long as you’re happy, Sillti,” I said, deciding to just let it be. For now.

  “I am!” Sillti happily said.

  Angie sighed as she reached for another piece of bread. There weren’t many left, I should have made more.

  I always underestimate how much our kind ate. Even Sillti and Angie, one a scrawny dainty woman and the other a genuine little girl, ate far more than normal. They had eaten two whole loaves already. Not including the single piece I’d taken so far.

  It made me further appreciate Lumen and all it accomplished. Food costs alone for our Society was likely a massive burden. A single member could out-eat a full human family every day, so it was likely expensive just to feed us. Let alone all the other costs we incurred.

  “If you stay here Sillti, what do you plan to do? For work?” I asked.

  “Hm… Link invited me to help him out. But I’m not sure how much I’d like talking politics all day or dealing with humans. I’ll figure it out though,” Sillti said without much worry.

  I nodded. Good. At least she had thought about it already.

  “I wish to see the orphanage,” Angie said between bites.

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  “Oh…?” I perked up at that as Sillti tilted her head.

  “The human one?” Sillti asked.

  Angie nodded.

  “Randle didn’t take you to see it already?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “We got sidetracked. I went to go see Link instead… which I regret now,” Angie mumbled.

  “What! Why? I’d not have ever met him otherwise!” Sillti complained.

  “Exactly,” Angie said.

  Sillti sighed and shook her head at the girl. “Whatever you are must be weird. Some kind of cow, right, Renn?” Sillti asked me.

  “Says the pig,” Angie said as she reached for the very last piece of bread.

  Before the young bison could grab it, Sillti reached out to grab it first. She lout out a happy “Ha!” as she stood from her seat and hurried off towards the front door.

  Sillti opened the door, hurried outside, and ran off.

  “Does falling in love make you stupid?” Angie asked me as we both stared at the woman who had just acted a little out of character.

  “Maybe. Sometimes. Yes?” I wondered.

  “Hm… She’ll not be able to open the gate,” Angie said.

  “I know. I’m waiting to see if she comes back, or not,” I said.

  Angie frowned as she nodded. “Makes sense.”

  Smiling at the young bison, I was a little glad she hadn’t grown upset over Sillti’s odd outburst. She looked annoyed, but more so out of exhaustion than anything else.

  A noisy creak drew my attention to the front door, which Sillti had tried to close in her exit but had failed to do so. It was cracked open just enough that I was able to hear the sound of voices as the gate was opened… and then closed once more.

  “Someone let her out,” I said, recognizing the metal grate sound.

  “Oh?” Angie turned, and a few moments later as we waited the door slowly slid open as Vim stepped into the house.

  “Did you two tease her or something? Her face was as red as could be,” Vim said as he entered the house and shut the door behind him.

  “No?” Angie said, sounding a little upset he’d think so.

  “She had tried to tease Angie, I think it backfired a little though,” I told him.

  Vim nodded with a frown, as if that made perfect sense as he stepped over to the table.

  Smiling up at him, I liked the new set of clothes upon him. I had picked them out yesterday. After handling Trek’s body, Vim had kindly spent the day with me. We had gone shopping, and then spent some time in the church with Angie and Jelti.

  His new clothes were a darker gray, with black seams. The material was some kind of cotton, and was light enough that I knew he’d wear them to bed. It was why I had picked them; I liked the feel of them and the look and colors. I wasn’t bothered by him wearing them, and I’d not be bothered laying against them either.

  “Angie of the Fields,” Vim then said to the young girl.

  She sat up straighter and turned to look at him, and did so with a serious look.

  Sitting up myself, I apprehensively waited for what Vim was about to say. He had a small smile, but had his more serious expression mixed with it.

  And fields…? Hadn’t she lived on a mountain?

  “Renn and I are to leave soon. We head back north, to settle tasks. Oplar left the other day, and many of the other travelers are on similar tasks and business,” Vim told her.

  Angie frowned at him. “Meaning if I don’t want to stay here, I need to go with you,” she said, understanding with her wisdom beyond her years per usual.

  He nodded. “Oplar and others should be returning before I do. Likely within a few months. And the Chronicler has other people showing up too, who will then be heading to Lumen. So there are options. But if you are unsettled or unwilling to linger here for many months I suggest joining us north,” Vim explained.

  “Who is up north?” Angie asked.

  “Several larger communities, and many more smaller ones. They range from mixed communities, some like here that exist within human settlements, and others that are distant and hidden from human eyes. There are fish, ducks, foxes, sheep and many other more even natured people of all types and shapes. Religious and not. Loud and rowdy to those meek and quiet. Places with just women, and places full of families. There are a few women and families to the east that are looking for children too, if you’d like to have that kind of living environment. We could ask Link for any insight to any families or locations with other friends of your family as well, if you’d prefer to go somewhere and be with those your parents had known and trusted,” Vim said.

  I smiled at Vim’s gentle, yet honest and very mature, method of asking Angie what she wanted to do.

  He spoke to her with his typical gentleness… but not outright as if she was a child to be coddled. He was genuinely giving her the option to pick.

  I really liked that part of him.

  “I can pick a place to be useful, can’t I?” Angie asked him.

  “Of course. If you wish to have a task to fulfill, big or small, you simply need ask for it or claim it yourself. Is there something you’d like to do?” Vim asked without hesitation.

  Angie nodded and looked down, to the table. To the empty plate between us, that had crumbs of the breadstuff we had just eaten. “I’d like to work with children. I hear there are orphanages,” Angie said.

  “Children…? The orphanage system is one for human children. There is no true orphanage system for our kind,” Vim said gently.

  I glanced at Vim as he spoke, and found that information interesting. I had assumed so… since it seemed anytime Vim happened upon a child of our kind, he simply took them to the closest suitable location. Like Lomi to Twin Hills, and Fly to the Bell Church.

  Though I had taken Fly, I guess.

  “I know. Randle told me. Can’t I help with that anyway?” Angie asked.

  Vim gave Angie a kind smile as he nodded. “Of course you can. Why not stay here then? Randle oversees the orphanage here, he can help you learn the ropes and acclimate to it. Maybe one day you could be entrusted to oversee one of the other ones elsewhere, down the road,” Vim suggested.

  I smiled and nodded, even though Angie wasn’t even looking at me. She was entirely focused on Vim.

  Yes. I liked very much how he had said that. Not only had he not hesitated to support her desires, he had also done it in a way that slightly emphasized her staying somewhere safe where she could have an eye kept on her and be taught as needed. Even if she was very mature for her age, she was still young. And even more so looked it.

  She wasn’t like Merit. She wasn’t even strong enough to open and close the gate. I’d not feel comfortable with her venturing out into the world on her own. Not yet.

  Plus… I liked how he had also given her a slight hint to something that could happen in the far future.

  To oversee an orphanage herself.

  It was such a simple little comment, but it both gave her something to look forward to… and also made her beam him a proud smile as she nodded quickly up at him.

  “Okay…! Yes. I’ll do that,” she agreed without hesitation.

  My eyes watered a tad, and I felt happy all of a sudden as I studied the young bison that now was happily smiling at the plan and future laid before her.

  How lovely.

  I wasn’t sure why she had such a fascination with children, or the orphanage, but it seemed to be something deeply engraved into her. I remembered her showing an interest in them back when Randle first met her, when he had realized she was a bison and not a human.

  From the moment she had heard of the orphanage she had wanted to learn more about it.

  Maybe some people were just… inclined to do such things.

  I myself feared such a place. Such a position and responsibility.

  The idea of being responsible for dozens if not hundreds of children, human or no, made me quiver and terrified.

  Not because it was likely hard work, and a loud and noisy, but because of the implications.

  I had barely survived losing two children. What would it be like to fall in love and raise dozens at once? Particularly ones that grew old and withered away in the blink of an eye?

  Vim stepped around the table, passing Angie as he grabbed the chair Sillti had just abandoned. He patted Angie on her head, which made her happy smile diminish a little but not go out as she groaned at him. “Looking for friends, or did you inherit your mother’s motherly nature?” Vim asked as he sat down.

  “Children aren’t gross,” Angie said with a huff as he stopped ruffling her hair.

  Vim frowned and tilted his head at her… and then glanced at me.

  “I think she’s only partly serious,” I told him.

  Angie huffed again and crossed her arms. “I am!”

  Vim’s smile softened, and I wondered if he understood what she meant or not. I wasn’t sure if I should inform him or not, so instead leaned against the table and nodded. “So we’re leaving, Vim?” I asked.

  “Yes. I’ve done what has needed to be done, and if Angie wishes to stay here as does Sillti then we can continue on our path,” Vim said.

  Ah. Right. “You’ve already talked to Sillti about it?” I asked. She had just told Angie and me not too long ago she planned to stay here with Link.

  “She and Link seem to have found a link,” Vim said.

  “Fwah,” Angie let out a weird snort as she grinned.

  I stared at her for a moment, wondering how she had made that sound that had just come from her, but she blushed a little and looked away instead of making the sound again for me.

  Oh…? Were such silly little jokes her weakness then? Or had that been so funny to her because of who had made the joke, and not the joke itself?

  “Is it normal Vim?” I asked, deciding not to tease the girl too much. Even though a few quick ideas of how to make her laugh came and went.

  “What’s that?”

  “Our members uh… linking together so quickly?” I asked, and almost flinched as Angie jolted and lowered her head, as to hide her face behind her thick hair.

  Woops. I had just decided not to tease her, hadn’t I!?

  “Yes and no. Some would find them growing so close so fast weird, but the rest would find it perfectly normal. You will either find they’ll become inseparable, thus having many children over the years, or we’ll return and find them not only no longer close with one another but in relationships with other people,” Vim said.

  Angie lifted her head, and I noticed her face quickly pale a little. It had been slightly red, she had been snickering. “Are you two like that?” she asked us.

  “Hm…? Having just a fling? No. If I tried to fling her away before even doing anything she’d likely bite my throat,” Vim said with a sigh.

  I smirked as Angie frowned at him, and then glowered and sighed. “Gross.”

  “Your parents had been married, right Angie?” I asked, doing my best to not smile too happily. I had enjoyed what he had said.

  “Yes. They had been gross too. I told you that,” she said.

  I nodded. She had. “Is it related to our bloodlines then, Vim? Do Link and Sillti not find it weird because of what they are? Or is it something deeper?” I asked.

  “A mix of both. Sillti’s odd, being where she’s from and her… circumstances. And Link is odder too. But his parents had been very devout to each other. So I’d expect him to be the same way. Randle actually commented earlier that he worries Sillti may uh… well…” Vim glanced at Angie, who was staring at Vim with as wide and interested eyes as I likely had, and then he sighed. “He worries she’ll hurt him,” Vim then finished saying, as he sighed and shook his head.

  “Why’d he shake his head at me?” Angie asked me.

  “I think it’s because you had been so interested in what he was saying. He probably just realized you’re more mature than you look,” I told her.

  Angie frowned and nodded, as if that made sense.

  “She reminds me of her mother,” Vim said.

  “Well duh?” Angie said.

  I smiled at the two and realized that Vim had likely known her parents rather well. Or at least, well enough.

  How sad. That meant they had been his friends, or something like it. Maybe people he liked, or thought well of. Maybe that was why he had rushed off so quickly to try and save them.

  That also meant Vim had met Angie before. Maybe? Was that why Angie had acted oddly when we spoke of Vim on our journey here? Had she been old enough when he had last visited their home for her to remember him…? I knew occasionally Vim took years to visit the same place twice, for one reason or another, so I wasn’t sure how long it’d been since he had last gone to their home. We’d not talked much about Angie and her family yet so I didn’t know how well Vim had known them.

  It was hard to judge Vim’s closeness to Angie and her family based off their interactions. Many in the Society treated Vim like some distant uncle, or a close family friend, even when they barely knew him… so their little quips and conversations even though beautiful were not a good basis to judge such a thing on.

  “What of Cat?” I asked, changing the topic a tiny bit.

  “I’ll tell you later. Angie, shall we go find Randle and check on the orphanage? Let’s go take a look to make sure you’ll feel comfortable with it, if you’d like,” Vim offered.

  “Oh…? Sure,” Angie nodded, and I noticed the way she tried to not let her eyebrows and general facial features rise and shift into happy and excited shapes.

  “Mhm…” I shifted a little. I wanted to go with them, and see these orphanages, but… Could I endure it? Would I be able to walk in and then walk out of that place, without joining Angie to a life of dedication to such a venture?

  “You, Renn, can meet us there later. You have a few stops you need to make before you can join us,” Vim then said, before I could decide if my heart would survive seeing a bunch of orphans or not.

  “I do…?” I asked as my left ear fluttered a little. Had Vim noticed my worry? He had that smirk on his face. The one he used when he was amused by my internal conflicts.

  “You do. You have a lunch date with the Chronicler, and you mentioned you wanted to do something at Oplar’s office. Between that and the gift Hands has for you, you’ll likely be meeting us not long after we’re done I’m sure,” Vim said with a sigh, as if he was talking about a bunch of stuff that he himself had to do and wasn’t looking forward to any of it.

  I though grinned happily. “I see. Sounds like I’ll be busy then,” I said.

  “Yea, yeah. Stop flirting, let’s go!” Angie said loudly as she hopped off her chair.

  Before Vim stood to join her, I reached out with my tail under the table. I brushed his knee with it as he stood, and he noticed. He said nothing as he gave me a gentle smile and nodded, as if understanding my meaning.

  Waving the two goodbye, I sighed at myself.

  We were back together, yet somehow I felt distant all the same. I knew it was just because he’s been busy, and we did just yesterday have a little date-like moment but…

  Sometimes I wished he was completely mine.

  Sharing was hard.

  “Hurry up!” Angie’s voice carried in from the outside as Vim shut the door behind him, hurrying to join the young girl now on a mission.

  “Yes… Very hard to share. Especially when they so desperately needed him. As much, if not more, than me,” I whispered.

  I heard the gate to the mansio open and shut, and I stood form the table too.

  Time to wake up the lazy Cat.

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