Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Then one afternoon Swanly returned from washing and stopped.

Kael sat beneath the shade.

Eira slept on his chest.

Actually slept.

Her pale tail had curled around his forearm.

Sira sat between his legs, holding one of his fingers with both hands.

Kael looked up.

Swanly smiled.

"Well."

His golden eyes softened.

"They came to me."

"Did they?"

"Yes."

Sira looked up.

"Ka."

Kael froze.

Swanly’s smile widened.

"What was that?"

Kael stared at Sira.

"Say it again."

Sira smiled.

"Ka."

His entire face changed.

Swanly laughed.

"Oh, you are finished."

"I am not."

"You look like you might cry."

Kael glared at her.

Sira tugged his finger.

"Ka."

Kael immediately looked back down.

Swanly walked over and kissed the side of his head.

"You are absolutely finished."

His arm slid around her waist before she could move away.

He pulled her carefully onto his thigh without disturbing Eira.

Swanly squeaked.

"Kael!"

"You laughed at me."

"So?"

His nose pressed into the side of her neck.

His voice dropped.

"So stay."

Swanly’s ears warmed.

She tried to look irritated.

Failed.

Sira stared at them.

Then crawled into Swanly’s lap too.

Apparently everyone stayed.

...

Nerin was worse.

Not with the babies.

With Swanly.

The man was helpless.

Completely.

Painfully.

Hopelessly helpless.

Swanly could not sit anywhere for long without something appearing beside her.

Water.

Fruit.

A clean cloth.

A warmer hide.

A cooler hide.

A flower she had once said smelled nice.

One morning she found a smooth little wooden comb beside her sleeping place.

She walked outside.

Nerin was repairing a basket twenty steps away.

He saw the comb in her hand.

Immediately looked down.

"Nerin."

His ears turned pink.

"Yes?"

"Did you make this?"

"No."

Swanly stared.

His ears turned redder.

She walked closer.

"You carved my fox tail on the handle."

Nerin looked at the comb.

Then at her.

Then at the ground.

"...Maybe."

Swanly laughed.

He looked mortified.

"I thought your old one pulled your hair."

Her laughter stopped.

He had noticed that?

Nerin rushed to explain.

"You don’t have to use it."

"I like it."

He froze.

Swanly ran the little comb through the end of her silver-white hair.

Nerin watched.

His whole face softened.

"Really?"

"Really."

His tiny deer tail moved.

Once.

Swanly saw it.

She smiled.

Nerin immediately tried to hide behind the basket.

There was not enough basket.

It was adorable.

...

Then Ironwood discovered butter.

This happened because Swanly was tired of watching rich cream get wasted.

A few of the horned grazing animals Ironwood had begun keeping produced far more milk than the young needed.

The females used it fresh.

Sometimes warmed.

Sometimes mixed into grain mash.

But no one knew what Swanly saw floating thickly on top after the milk sat overnight in a cool cave.

Cream.

Beautiful, glorious cream.

A gray wolf beastwoman named Rena was the first person Swanly dragged into the experiment.

Rena stared into the wooden bowl.

"This part is bad?"

"No."

Swanly skimmed the thick layer from the top using a shallow bone spoon.

"This is the best part."

Rena sniffed it.

"It smells like milk."

"It is milk."

Rena stared.

Swanly sighed.

"Just trust me."

They collected the cream over two days, keeping it cool in a stone-lined storage hole near the spring.

Then Swanly poured it into a narrow wooden jar.

Not too full.

It needed space to move.

She fitted a carved lid over it and wrapped the seam with clean cloth.

Rena watched carefully.

"What now?"

"Now we make everyone regret helping us."

Rena frowned.

Swanly began shaking the jar.

Five minutes later, Swanly regretted everything.

Her arms hurt.

Rena took over.

Then Kairo.

Then Nilo.

Then Miko volunteered.

"No," Swanly said.

Miko’s face fell.

"Why?"

"Because I know you."

"I can shake a jar."

"You can also throw a jar."

"I wouldn’t."

Swanly stared.

Miko stared back.

"...On purpose."

"No."

Eventually they changed methods.

Swanly found a smooth wooden rod and showed Rena how to churn instead.

Up.

Down.

Turn.

Up.

Down.

Turn.

The cream first became thick and foamy.

Then thicker.

Then suddenly the sound changed.

Slosh.

Slosh.

Clump.

Swanly’s eyes lit up.

"There."

Rena stopped.

Inside the jar, pale yellow lumps had formed.

Fat.

Butter.

The remaining thin liquid was buttermilk.

Rena’s eyes widened.

"You broke milk."

Swanly stared.

"I made butter."

"You broke it into two things."

"That is technically..."

She stopped.

"Fine. I broke milk."

They drained the buttermilk into another bowl.

Then Swanly dropped the butter into cold spring water.

She pressed it gently with a clean wooden paddle, squeezing out the last milky liquid.

Rinse.

Press.

Change the water.

Press again.

That mattered.

If too much milk remained trapped inside, it would spoil faster.

Finally she kneaded in a little salt.

Rena tasted the smallest bit.

Her eyes widened.

Swanly smiled proudly.

"Well?"

Rena looked at her.

Then at the butter.

Then back at Swanly.

"We need more animals."

Swanly burst out laughing.

Unfortunately, the children found them.

Miko arrived first.

Obviously.

"What is that?"

"Butter."

"What is butter?"

"This."

"That explained nothing."

Kairo came behind him.

Nilo followed.

Then Soren appeared carrying both twins.

Eira was in one arm.

Sira in the other.

Swanly looked at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your daughters heard their brothers."

"Our daughters."

"At the moment, yours."

Sira was trying to climb out of his arm.

"Buh-buh."

Swanly froze.

"What?"

Sira pointed at the butter.

"Buh-buh!"

Eira stared.

Then pointed too.

"Buh."

Rena made a sound so high Swanly almost laughed.

Soren looked at his daughters.

"You do not even know what it is."

Sira reached harder.

"Buh-buh."

"No."

Her smile vanished.

Eira stared at him.

Soren sighed.

"This is how dictators begin."

Miko dipped one finger toward the bowl.

Swanly slapped his hand.

"No."

"I only wanted to taste."

"Use the spoon."

Miko grabbed a small wooden spoon.

Swanly gave him the tiniest bit.

His eyes widened.

"Oh."

Kairo immediately leaned closer.

"Good?"

Miko nodded solemnly.

"Very."

Nilo waited.

Because Nilo had manners.

Swanly gave him some.

Then Kairo.

All three boys went silent.

Soren looked suspicious.

"It is only fat."

Swanly stared.

"Leave."

"I am stating a fact."

"Leave my butter."

Sira reached.

"Buh!"

Swanly gave her the smallest smear.

Sira tasted it.

Her eyes became enormous.

Eira saw.

Immediately:

"Buh."

Swanly gave her some too.

Eira tasted.

Paused.

Then calmly held out her hand again.

"Buh."

Swanly laughed.

"No, greedy thing."

Eira stared.

Swanly stared back.

"No."

...

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