18-Jan-2005
Title: Of Cats and Wolves II - Summer's End
Author: Sol 1056
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+Meiran.
Rated: PG or PG-13 at most
Warnings: Minor OOC due to AU situations; shonen-ai; fantastical animal/people mixes; gratuitous use of improper Gaelic; crazy adaptations of Siberian and Native American traditions.
Archiving: please ask first, since this is a somewhat combined effort
Disclaimer: We don't own, and we'll give 'em back happy.
And, many thanks to Gail and Infini T, for their donation of $165 to MSF and UNICEF for the tsunami/earthquake relief funds.
When Heero woke up, the first thing he wanted to do was sneeze.
It took a paw against his nose, pressing hard, to keep from giving into the impulse. He lowered his hand... and hit hair. That was when he realized he had almost a mouthful of chestnut-red hair, as well as several strands tickling his face. Heero wrinkled his nose, and shifted, a little amused to hear a soft yipping as a warm body shifted next to him.
Duo was splayed half-across him, one leg and arm draped over him, and Heero craned his neck to see Solo curled up, back-to-back, with Duo. On Heero's other side, Leo's feet were against Heero's shoulder, and Sano's head was across Leo's calves. There were more bodies piled in a warm bundle, and Heero realized that somehow he'd ended up in the middle.
Probably a minor benefit -- or drawback -- of being the first one to fall asleep, he decided. It seemed to make sense, on a Coyote-logic kind of level, that the first person asleep was inadvertently designating the sleeping quarters for the night. There was only one problem, he realized at the same instant that he looked down to see Duo's sleepy blue eyes studying him. If he was going to say anything, he was surrounded by Creatures who'd be awake instantly, which meant now wasn't the time. Heero let his head fall back with a groan.
"Hey, are you okay?" Duo sat up a bit, wriggling his way up Heero's body to lean down, nose-to-nose with Heero. Duo's red bushy tail wagged a few times, and Duo looked worried, but amused. "Warm enough?"
Heero swallowed hard; his stomach did that same flip-flop that it'd done at the festival, when he'd woken up to find Duo sprawled against him. And this time he was almost positive it had nothing to do with drinking Bobcat wine.
He freed one hand from where it was trapped under Leo, and tentatively ran it along Duo's ribs, down to his hip. The fox made a squeaking sound, and wriggled again, in a manner that suddenly made it hard for Heero to breathe, but he wasn't sure why. It wasn't like Duo was laying on him as much as before... no, now the half-Fox had shifted to perch on Heero's stomach, his paws on the ground on either side of Heero's head. Duo grinned, showing a bit too much teeth; his sharp vulpines flashed in the dawn's rosy light.
"Come'on, Heero, your eyes are open, so I know you're awake," Duo whispered, starting to look puzzled.
"Ah... uh... " Heero wasn't sure what to say. His hands had found their way to Duo's hips, and he realized his thumbs were drawing little circles. How'd that happen? And Duo's tail was brushing back and forth across Heero's legs. The sensation was pleasant, but somewhat unsettling. Heero tried again. "Ah... "
Duo opened his mouth, but a second later there was no Duo on top of Heero. Instead, Duo was now sprawled across Leo and Sano, while Solo leaned over Heero, looking smug from catching Duo so off-guard as to shove him several feet. Sano woke with a yelp, and pulled Duo's tail. The fox shrieked, and Leo sat up with a bark, then tackled the Fox. Heero tried to ignore the noise, vaguely identifying the unexpected feeling of jealousy while the two Coyotes tormented Duo for waking them up.
"Amazing, Duo can make someone speechless and he didn't even have to rattle on," Solo observed. "All right, let's get some breakfast and then we've got to move out. Long way to go, today!"
He grabbed a hold of Heero's now-empty hands, and hoisted the young half-Wolf to his feet in a smooth move. Solo clapped a hand on the half-Wolf's shoulder, apparently oblivious to Heero's scowl.
"We can eat on the way," Solo continued, hoisting Leo to his feet next. "We've got a lot of ground to cover before nightfall!"
Wufei brought his hand down, and squinted past the sun's reflection off the creek that ran just outside the village. "There she is. Sunbathing!" He sniffed at the sight of his wife, relaxing on her stomach, half-asleep on a large rock. "She's completely exposed."
In more ways than one, Trowa noted, but refrained from saying so. Then he noticed the object stuck into the creek shore, by the rock. "She's got her sword."
"Seeing for a good distance around is not necessarily a bad position," Quatre observed, coming alongside them.
"Still. She shouldn't be just... lying there." Wufei frowned and trotted off down the path towards the creek.
"Trowa," Quatre whispered, and Trowa nodded, stretching his legs to catch up.
"Say, Wufei," Trowa said, in an undertone. "Remember what Salli said?"
Wufei stiffened, and nearly tripped. His black ears went back, flat on his head, and his tail lashed around his ankles. "What about it," he asked, tonelessly, and a bit reluctantly.
"Maybe now is a good time to put that into practice," Trowa suggested.
Wufei sniffed again, but slowed his pace. At their footsteps, Meiran sat up a little, turning to see who it was. At the sight of Wufei she brightened, then scowled and rolled over on her side, her back to them.
"Meiran!" Wufei blinked at Trowa's narrowed eyes, and cleared his throat, trying again. "Meiran, we have guests."
"I see that. Entertain them." She didn't move, except for the merest tip of her tail, which flicked against the rock in an agitated gesture.
"Meiran," Wufei said, in a shocked tone. Trowa elbowed, and Wufei side-stepped, rubbing his ribs with a sulky glare. Then he took a deep breath, and trotted forward, his tone a bit more concerned. "Are you not feeling well?"
"I feel fine," she snapped. The tail-twitching became stronger. "I just wanted some time to myself."
"But you spent the morning--"
"I spent it with that harpy!" Meiran sat up, flipping around on the rock. Trowa made a show of averting his eyes while she grabbed for her top, jerking it on and tying the knots with shaking fingers. "She's driving me crazy, husband!"
Wufei, to his credit, didn't mutter something like 'short trip,' Trowa noted. He approved, and made a note to mention the self-restraint, later. Quatre, appearing behind them, made a point of standing facing the creek, as though admiring some view other than Wufei's wife.
"She's just trying to help," Wufei replied. "I thought she's your friend's grandmother."
"She is." Meiran hopped down from the rock, and swayed for a heartbeat. Wufei caught her by the arm, and for a moment, she seemed to let him, before she moved away to yank her sword out of the sand and belt it around her hips. "But she's still... always complaining! Nothing is right! She's got absolutely nothing nice to say about--"
Trowa waited; Wufei waited. Quatre did everything but whistle nonchalantly, as though he barely noticed the argument. Meiran's eyes were large, her mouth in a round 'o'. Wufei finally raised his eyebrows expectantly, but she just clapped her mouth shut and stormed off into the woods, taking the path back to the village.
"That was strange." Wufei frowned, and waited a bit before following his wife. Trowa and Quatre fell in beside him. "See what I mean? She's not acting normal."
"Seemed relatively normal to me."
"No." Wufei looked preoccupied. "The only thing that ever gets my wife riled up like that is... well... me."
"I doubt she's having an affair with her friend's grandmother," Trowa replied.
Wufei nearly fell over a rock in the path, too busy staring at Trowa in shock. Quatre, meanwhile, paused to stare at wildflowers, and Trowa sighed, catching them both by the elbows.
"Come on," he ordered. "We'll need to see more of her behavior before I'll agree the pregnancy is affecting her."
"And less of your wife," Quatre added, in an undertone.
"What?" Wufei clenched his hands into fists. "Are you saying my wife is ugly! My wife is the--"
"She's what?" Meiran appeared from behind a bush, hands on her hips. "What? Well? What?"
Wufei shuffled back a step, then stepped forward again. "Stubborn! You're sunning yourself, and the midwife clearly said you should--" He caught himself, mouth shutting instantly.
"Just say it! I'm fat!" Meiran stomped her foot and spun, running off down the path. She yelled over her shoulder, "but I can still beat you back to the village!"
"No, you can't!" Wufei shouted, and took off after her.
Trowa watched them go, and sighed deeply before turning to Quatre. "What do you think?"
"I think... " Quatre stood up from where he'd knelt by the wildflowers. "I think if I can press these and take them home, my nieces would like that."
Trowa growled, but lightly.
"Ah, about them?" The Desert Lynx tucked the bundle of flowers into his pack, and brushed off his paws. "I think if we could lock them in a room together and leave them, they'd figure it out."
"I think being locked in a room and left is part of what got them into this situation," Trowa replied.
Quatre just laughed. "Come on. We've been traveling all this time, and I'd really like a half-hour for a long tongue bath."
"We could go swimming." Trowa wagged his tail.
"No." Quatre made a face. "You Canines."
"Feline."
"And don't you forget it."
"So... " Solo leaned back, and looked at the sky. "We should be there by mid-day tomorrow, I think."
Heero resisted the urge to strangle the Coyote. He had an entire litany of reasons. First, he'd had no time to talk to Duo before the Coyotes had packed up the camp, said their goodbyes - a great deal faster than he'd expected, to be truthful - and started out.
Second, because it had quickly become obvious that everyone had different paces. Wolves could lope for hours, covering miles of territory without breaking a sweat. Foxes were at the other end of the spectrum; they were unbeatable for top-speeds at quick distances, agile at moving across unfamiliar terrain... but they couldn't keep it up all day. And even if Duo had, it would've worn Heero out to try to move that fast. Meanwhile, the Coyotes had a run-walk pace somewhere between the half-Fox's easy stride and the half-Wolf's longer lope.
It made it almost impossible to move at the speed Heero had wanted. It made it completely impossible to stay at Duo's side while doing it. All too soon, Solo had graciously suggested playing catch-up, with the group strung out over a distance. Heero led the way, while the three Coyotes strung out in a line, with the half-Fox at the very end. Every so often, Duo would put on a burst of speed, passing them in a blur of red tail and laughter. Ten or so minutes along the path, they'd come upon Duo resting by the path, curled up with his tail over his nose. He'd come awake as they passed, and fall into line behind them.
It worked well enough, especially since Heero had been worried about how pale and tired Duo got the first day, when all of them had tried to keep up with Heero's punishing pace. And Heero, despite wanting to be home immediately for Wufei, had offered to stop so Duo could rest - an offer met with a great deal of protest from the half-Fox.
And then there was the third reason.
The few times he'd tried to slow down to be at Duo's side... so had Leo. And if Leo wasn't there, grinning widely at Heero and chatting happily with Duo, it was Solo. Heero curled his paws into fists and concentrated on remembering that this would be Duo's family that he was slaughtering. Even when it'd been time for bed, they'd ended up in a pile.
Ahead, Solo and Sano were looking for a good place to camp along the path. Heero growled at the idea that in an hour he'd be sleeping with Duo... surrounded by Coyotes. He caught himself and gave Duo a crooked smile when the half-Fox shot him a confused look.
Of course, it was rather nice to have a Fox spread out across him every night, although he wasn't sure he could take a third morning of waking up to find Duo perched on his chest, grinning at him. Heero was starting to form a plan to get rid of that grin, mostly due to the fact that his hands kept going to some interesting places... like Duo's flanks, where the red fur was just so much softer than he'd expected. And Duo's hips, where the red fur faded into tanned skin that shifted and twitched under his claws in the most delightful fashion...
"A little farther!" Solo yelled, from up ahead. Sano said something, and Solo cuffed him before continuing along the mountain path.
Heero lowered his head and glowered at the ground; it was getting dark under the trees. Much farther and the Coyotes wouldn't be able to see; the half-Fox would be mostly blind from sunset to moonrise. Foxes were diurnal, but could be nocturnal with a little moonlight. Unfortunately, the moon was barely a sliver... on the other hand, Heero considered, this meant an entire night of a warm body right next to him. He cheered up.
And then he thought of having three very protective, watchful Coyotes all around them... and scowled again.
"Eh, Heero," Duo whispered, moving a little closer. Leo was absorbed in adjusting the strap on his bag, and Duo chewed his lower lip before dropping his voice even further. "Are you... mad about us coming?"
"Mad?" Heero was startled. "What? No... I wa--"
"He's just cranky because he doesn't want us saving the day instead of him," Leo said. The Coyote put one arm around Duo, swinging the Fox around and suddenly the Coyote was between the two half-Creatures, an arm over each one's shoulder. Leo grinned at Heero, and hugged him close. "I'm wise to you, kid!"
Heero could only drop his head, quite certain that Leo's jest had several different meanings. On Leo's other side, Duo crossed his arms, an uncharacteristic pout crossing his face. Leo raised his eyebrows, noting the mirroring expressions, and quickly dropped his arms.
"Here's a good spot," Sano called. "Plus, the rocks around here make me suspect a natural saltpeter outcropping in the area."
"Excellent," Solo said, turning to walk backwards, his thick sandy-brown tail swishing around his ankles. "And elms. If we burn it down over the night, we can dowse it and take it for charcoal in the morning."
"Blue," Leo said, and laughed. "Beats same old gold, any day! And if we add some pine... "
He and Solo launched into a discussion on the different properties of tree sap, in creating explosions. Unfortunately, Leo saw no reason to move away as they set up camp, but stayed where he was. Right between Duo and Heero.
Heero scowled.
"Is she sleeping late again?" The old Jaguar looked up from the stove, fixing Wufei with a stern glare. "That wife of yours is the laziest Creature! Slug-a-bed until after dawn."
"She's pregnant with her first litter," Wufei retorted. "Is breakfast ready yet?"
"She's barely into her second month," Grandmother Bao replied. She stabbed at the meat with a fork, testing it. "I had four litters and worked my way through all of them. Had the second one while I was hunting. Popped them out right there and kept right on going, I did!"
Wufei couldn't help but wince at the image, but kept his face as impassive as he could manage it. "Breakfast, Grandmother."
"It's not going to cook faster because your wife is demanding!" Bao huffed and took down a plate.
"She's not," Wufei snapped. "I just wanted to... " He scuffed his toes against the kitchen's stone floor, realized what he was doing, and pulled himself upright. "To take her breakfast."
"Such a sharp tongue in that head, too!" Bao didn't even seem to be listening to him, and he glared, but she had proven herself impervious. Especially since her back was to him, anyway. "Not a pleasant word or smile for anyone. And always going on about how she's the strongest." Bao sniffed.
"She is," Wufei said. "She's the strongest female in the village. And she can be very nice." When she wants something, he added, but he wasn't going to give Grandmother Bao any more reason to fuss.
"Oh, I doubt it," Bao replied. She scooped out the breakfast rice, pouring it into a bowl. "There. She can have that."
"She needs meat." He shoved the bowl back at her.
"She's not getting any." She shoved it right back.
"I say she gets meat."
"Ha." Bao looked unimpressed. "You keep feeding her meat while she's pregnant, and she'll lose what little looks she has left."
"Stop saying that," Wufei replied, quickly losing his temper - but managing to keep his voice down. Meiran was asleep, after all, and he'd had a crazy notion - admittedly suggested by Quatre, but that was just a technicality - to surprise her with breakfast in bed. "She's not losing her looks. She's still the most beautiful Jaguar in the village."
Bao was silent for a moment, then carefully picked up the smallest piece of meat and put it on the bowl of rice. "There."
"No, more." Wufei pointed to the meat-pot. "She's eating for an entire litter."
"She's rude and spoiled. You're just making it worse."
"She's not rude, she's blunt and honest." Wufei wanted to roar at the top of his lungs. "She's not spoiled. She just believe in knowing what she wants, and giving it everything she's got."
"You've been bamboozled," Grandmother Bao informed him. But she took the second-smallest piece of meat and put it on the bowl. "She doesn't know a thing about being a good mother, and doesn't even seem to care."
"Does too! More meat!" Wufei lost his temper and stepped past Bao, pulling out his knife and stabbing it into the largest hunk of meat. He slapped it on top of the rice, ignoring the fact that it was nearly twice the size of the rice bowl. "And what she doesn't know is okay, because we'll figure it out together!"
With that, he stomped from the kitchen, his mood completely spoiled. In the main room of the house, he paused, taking deep breaths through his nose to calm down. The whole point of surprising Meiran and doing nice things - mostly so Trowa and Quatre would approve, and Salli would stop threatening to beat him at staves - would be quite ruined if he stormed into their bedchamber with his ears flat back. Wufei stared down at the meat balanced on the rice bowl, and sighed.
After a moment, he pushed the front door open, and leaned down to pluck a few of the wildflowers that grew outside their door. Meiran's favorite, they were golden fine-petaled flowers with a cinnamon scent; he couldn't help but smile even if he hoped no one saw him being so ridiculous. Meiran was beautiful, and definitely the most beautiful woman in the village; she was also strong, and honest, and forthright, and she was going to be the mother of his kits. She should have flowers with breakfast.
Thus convinced that his actions were purely out of a warrior's recognition and respect, and the duty of a good husband, Wufei paused at the front room's mantle before picking a pottery cup that looked like it might be the right size for the flowers. Dropping the flowers into the cup, he carried breakfast and the flowers up to the bedchamber, making a wish that none of the furor in the kitchen had awakened his wife.
"I was right. Someone's coming," Trowa said, hopping down off the rock outcropping. He nearly stumbled as he hit the ground, and was surprised to find Quatre was there immediately. Trowa bumped into the shorter Lynx, who promptly put his arms around Trowa, with an innocent expression.
"Don't want you to fall," Quatre said, stepping back.
"Thanks," Trowa said, the picture of seriousness. His tail wagged a few times, and behind him, Wufei snorted.
"Idiots," Wufei muttered, and he made a face when Meiran giggled quietly. She recovered quickly upon seeing Trowa's sudden blush.
"So do you recognize them? Let me up on the rock, and I'll--"
"Stay right there," Wufei snapped. "You are not getting up there and wearing yourself out--"
"Oh, get over it, husband," Meiran retorted, a hand on her belly. It felt like it curved out more each day, to her consternation, and good for nothing but making Wufei act stranger with every passing day. "What are you going to do, put wrap me in felt and pack me in a box the whole time I'm pregnant?"
Wufei looked thoughtful. One paw stole to his sword, and he stroked the hilt with an absent-minded gesture.
"Don't you dare!" Meiran poked him in the chest. "Fine. I'll get up on my--"
"No need," Trowa replied, stepping in front of the rock, and effectively blocking Meiran's leap. He sniffed the breeze, and grinned. "It's definitely Heero. I think that's Duo with them, and three Coyotes. Solo, I recognize... I'm not sure of the other two. Leo and Sano, maybe."
"At least they didn't bring the entire Coyote clan," Quatre said. "I'm not sure I'm up to that."
"It only takes one Coyote to blow things up," Meiran said, frowning. She sighed, clearly willing to set aside her argument with Wufei for the time being, and began packing up the dinner they'd shared in the mountain field. "Stomp out the fire, quick, then. It'll be one less temptation, at least."
"They'll find enough, certainly," Wufei replied.
He bent to help her pack up the last of the baskets that had held their dinner, piling it all into the blanket and throwing it over his shoulder. Meiran started to protest, and gave his offered hand a slightly askance look before accepting his help.
"Hey, guys," Quatre warned. "I think we just got--"
"Wufei!" Heero's shout echoed across the field, and the silver wolf became a streak through the tall grasses. Wufei had the presence of mind to drop the blanket and leap away from Meiran, and the next minute he was flat on his back, Heero perched above him with an anxious look.
"--Spotted," Quatre finished.
"Wufei!" Heero's hands were on Wufei's shoulders, pinning him to the ground. They rubbed noses, but Heero seemed far more frantic than usual, and Meiran couldn't help but wonder what had Heero so upset. "Wufei, are you okay?"
"I can't breathe. So, no, I'm not." Wufei grunted, but Heero didn't move. "Brother, you're heavy."
"First, are you okay? Not... " Heero seemed at a loss, suddenly, and he made a vague little motion with one paw. "Y'know."
"No, Heero... " Wufei repeated the motion, and gave Heero a look that said he was convinced Heero had been clonked on the head while training, one too many times. "I do not... y'know."
"Oh." Heero sat back, ears drooping, and at another grunt from Wufei, finally got up, giving his little brother a hand up. Then Heero noticed Meiran, and his eyes went wide. "Sister-in-law... "
Meiran wasn't sure whether to hide behind Trowa - Heero's ears were forward, tail wagging hard, and she certainly didn't want to be pounced like Wufei had - but she was just as tempted to preen.
She settled for the latter.
"A month and a half," she announced, hands under her rounded belly. "The midwives say it might be three kits. Maybe four," and she stepped forward, close enough for Heero to reach out and stroke her tummy. It tickled a little, and she giggled, only stopping at Wufei's jealous scowl. "Husband," she chided. "He can touch. He's not going to break me."
"He'd better not." Wufei picked up the blanket again, throwing it over his shoulder. Heero ignored them both and continued to pet her belly, apparently fascinated.
"Wufei! Meiran!"
Duo appeared, tossing off his greetings as he barreled into the group, slamming into Quatre with a greeting remarkably similar to the one Heero had given Wufei. Several nose-rubs later, and the Coyotes had joined them just as Duo and Quatre came to their feet.
Solo stalked right through the group, coming to stand in front of Wufei. Meiran's first thought was that it had to be a good thing that Wufei had both hands around the blanket, because Solo moved a bit too fast for any warrior's comfort level. Then she could only stare, bewildered, at Solo's actions. He took Wufei's chin in a paw, turning Wufei's head one way, then the other. Then he opened Wufei's mouth, hummed, closed Wufei's mouth, and stared into his eyes. Finally, he let go of and patted the black Jaguar on the head, oblivious to Wufei's thunderous expression.
"I think he'll be okay," Solo said to Heero.
"Hunh." Heero kept petting, and Meiran giggled, twitching away from him. "Look. I'm going to be an uncle."
"Heero," Duo said, trying to distract him. "Solo's saying everything's going to be alright. Wufei's fine."
"Okay." Heero leaned forward, and pressed his ear to Meiran's tummy, closing his eyes. "I'm gonna be an uncle, Duo."
"I caught that part," Duo said, grinning at Meiran over Heero's head. "I think he's kinda... "
"Yeah," Meiran said, and backed up.
Heero nearly fell forward at the loss of his support, but Duo caught him just in time. Then suddenly Leo was there, intercepting the catch and helping Heero upright while Duo pouted behind him.
Ah-hah, Meiran couldn't help but think. So that's how it is... she sighed and stifled the urge to pop Heero across his ears. Males could be so stupid sometimes. Then again... she caressed her stomach, and knew just the encouragement Heero needed to work up his nerve.
Behind them, Sano and Trowa were catching up on the news of the world, while Quatre and Solo hustled Wufei towards the path. Leo caught Duo by the elbow, dragging him to catch up with the rest, leaving Heero and Meiran to follow.
"An uncle," Heero whispered, eyes still slightly glazed. He trotted off after the rest of the group, and Meiran sidled up alongside him just as they crested the path that would wind down into the village.
"So," she whispered, her gaze on Duo, who was chatting with Quatre. "Given it to him?"
Heero's ears went back flat, and his tail drooped.
Meiran elbowed him. "You're a moron," she hissed. Her tail twitched around her legs. "You've had, what, a week?"
"Three days," Heero muttered.
"What are you waiting for?" Meiran rolled her eyes. "A written invitation?"
"Written?" Heero gave her a baffled glance. "Do I look human?"
"It's an expression," she said, snorting. "Well?"
"There's always... " He stared pointedly at the three Coyotes, ahead of them, bushy golden-brown tails wagging excitedly. "Never the right time," he added, downcast.
"I see." Meiran crossed her arms, found that wasn't as easy a position as before, and dropped them. "You give him the... " She checked to make sure they'd fallen behind enough. "You give it to the Fox," she hissed, "or else you won't get to touch."
Heero looked stunned, and dropped his eyes to stare at her belly. "But... "
"You heard me." She felt immensely powerful, suddenly, seeing a warrior reduced to a helpless look. "By nightfall tomorrow. Or else... " She pointed to her stomach. "You're cut off."
"Oh." Heero's tail drooped, then he took a deep breath, and nodded. "Understood. I'll do it."
"Good," she said, and patted him on the shoulder, beaming.
A muscle flickered in Heero's jaw, and he straightened up, striding up to the group ahead of them. Meiran watched his determined movements, nudging his way between Leo and Duo to pace right alongside the half-Fox, who grinned and threw his arm over Heero's shoulder, chattering about how marvelous it must be to be a new Uncle.
She caught up with the group just in time to hear Quatre's soft comment to Trowa.
"That's a truly dangerous woman," Quatre was muttering, but he sounded amused. "She can threaten a man into behaving and she doesn't even have to be married to him."
And so it was that at nightfall, nine Creatures - two Jaguars, three Coyotes, a Lynx, a Jackal, a Fox, and a Wolf - strode into the Mountain Jaguar settlement. Salli stepped out of her home on the main path to greet them and was immediately accosted by Solo, whose tail wagged furiously while she swatted at him and told her to stop.
The trip up the mountain path had been noisy and joyous, but even noisier in complaints when the Coyotes discovered that dinner had been eaten and finished without their inclusion, and there were no leftovers in the baskets. Heero, however, had been grateful when Duo remained by his side, with Quatre and Trowa mysteriously flanking them. Leo had looked a bit irritated to find his place between Duo and Heero was no longer possible, but had given up with a shrug and gone to walk alongside Meiran.
At the Chieftain's home, Grandmother Bao was waiting in the doorway, a lamp in her hand. When she saw them, she let out a huge breath and put her hand on her chest, as if greatly relieved. Meiran and Wufei approached her cautiously, and the rest of the group picked up on it, hanging back.
"Where have you been?" She shook her head at Meiran. "I expected you back before nightfall!" Bao rounded on Wufei. "It's dangerous out there. Wild animals! Wandering Creatures! Things like... " She looked past the couple, and her eyes widened dramatically. "Coyotes... "
"Solo's U.D.P., at your service," Sano said, with a deep bow. "Except we are a partial pack, so really that would be Solo's N.Q.U.D.P., currently."
"Worse," Bao breathed, her eyes wide, her spotted ears flat back on her head in terror. "Insane Coyotes."
"No, Grandmother, they're like this all the time," Salli said, stepping around to gently guide the elderly Jaguar back into the house. "I don't have the room, Wufei, so--"
"Of course," Wufei replied. "We'll set everyone up down here. We'll just need to push the furniture out of the way."
"Wait, they're staying here, too?" Bao's hand shook, making the lamp oil splatter on the flagstones. "Wufei... Meiran! Have you lost your minds?"
Both Meiran and Wufei looked oddly guilty, Solo noted. The parts fell into place, and he stifled a barking laugh. Instead, he pulled Salli close, and just watched, smug, while the old Jaguar fled.
End Part 2
Full word count: 5200
Actual new words: 3600
(:./sol/catsII2)
