Chapter 212: You are supposed to be the adult!
Eira stared.
Swanly stared back.
"No."
Eira stared harder.
Swanly pointed at her.
"That works on your brothers. Not me."
Eira looked toward Kairo.
Kairo immediately reached for the butter.
Swanly slapped his hand.
"No!"
"I was getting it for her!"
"I know!"
Soren’s mouth twitched.
Then Miko made the mistake.
He scooped a tiny smear of butter.
And put it on Kairo’s nose.
Silence.
Kairo crossed his eyes trying to see it.
Miko exploded laughing.
Nilo covered his mouth.
Swanly pointed.
"Miko."
"It slipped."
"It climbed onto your finger and attacked your brother?"
"Exactly."
Kairo wiped the butter off.
Then calmly smeared it across Miko’s cheek.
Miko gasped.
War.
Nilo backed away immediately.
"No."
Too late.
Miko lunged.
Kairo dodged.
A tiny smear landed on Nilo’s forehead.
Nilo froze.
Both brothers froze.
Nilo slowly wiped it off.
He looked at his fingers.
Then at them.
"Oh."
Swanly whispered:
"No."
Nilo attacked.
Three black panther cubs erupted around the churn.
Rena grabbed the butter bowl and fled.
Swanly shouted:
"STOP WASTING FOOD!"
A tiny cold finger touched her cheek.
Swanly stopped.
Soren stood beside her.
Expression calm.
One finger held a tiny smear of butter.
Swanly stared.
He had put it on her face.
"Soren."
He looked innocent.
"You had something there."
"I DID NOT."
Kairo stopped.
Miko stopped.
Nilo stopped.
Their eyes widened.
Snake Papa had joined.
Miko whispered:
"Get him."
Soren’s eyes narrowed.
"No."
Three cubs charged.
Soren stepped aside.
Miko missed.
Kairo nearly caught his tail.
Nilo tried to flank him.
Soren used his tail to gently sweep all three onto the grass.
Swanly’s mouth fell open.
The boys screamed with laughter.
Sira clapped.
Eira actually smiled.
A tiny smile.
Swanly pointed at Soren.
"You are supposed to be the adult!"
Soren looked at her.
"I am."
He reached out.
Another tiny butter mark appeared on Swanly’s nose.
Everyone went silent.
Swanly’s fox ears slowly flattened.
Soren’s eyes widened by one fraction.
She grabbed butter.
He backed away.
"Do not."
"Oh, now you understand rules?"
"Swanly."
She lunged.
Soren actually laughed.
The children screamed.
Kael arrived at exactly the wrong moment.
He stopped.
Swanly had butter on her cheek and nose.
Soren had butter in his white hair.
Kairo was on the ground.
Miko was attempting to climb Soren’s back.
Nilo had somehow obtained the wooden paddle.
The twins were both chanting:
"Buh! Buh! Buh!"
Kael stared.
"What happened?"
Swanly pointed at Soren.
"He started it."
Five children immediately shouted:
"YES!"
Soren looked betrayed.
"I did not."
Kael’s mouth curved.
Then Nerin appeared.
He had a basket.
Of course.
He saw Swanly.
Stopped.
His green eyes went to the butter on her cheek.
Then her nose.
Then the piece in her hair.
His ears twitched.
Swanly immediately pointed at everyone.
"Don’t."
Nerin bit his lip.
"I’m not laughing."
"You are."
He put his basket down.
Then stepped closer.
"Stay still."
Swanly blinked.
Nerin lifted a clean cloth.
Very gently, he wiped the butter from her cheek.
His fingers barely touched her skin.
His ears were already turning pink.
Then he wiped the tip of her nose.
Swanly stared up at him.
Nerin’s hand paused.
Their eyes met.
He swallowed.
"You had..."
"I know."
"...butter."
"I know."
Behind them, Kael’s tail flicked.
Soren stopped fighting Miko long enough to look over.
Nerin noticed both males.
His hand dropped instantly.
"Sorry."
Swanly nodded gently at him.
"Thank you."
His expression softened so completely that Swanly’s chest warmed.
"You’re welcome."
Then Sira slapped a butter-covered hand against Soren’s jaw.
Everyone went silent.
Soren looked down.
Sira smiled sweetly.
"Buh."
Kael laughed so hard he had to sit down.
...
By the time the twins could waddle properly, everyone in Ironwood knew them.
Everyone adored them.
Everyone feared them.
Eira rarely smiled.
She had discovered that silence worked better.
She would waddle into a space.
Stare.
People moved.
Sira smiled at everybody.
That was more dangerous.
People began learning a rule.
If Sira smiled too sweetly, protect your fingers.
They still loved their father.
They simply enjoyed tormenting him.
If Soren sat beside Swanly, Eira climbed between them.
If he put a hand on Swanly’s thigh, Sira removed it.
If he kissed Swanly’s cheek, both twins stared at him like he had violated ancient law.
One evening Soren reached around Swanly’s waist.
Two tiny hands appeared.
One from each side.
His hand was pushed away.
Soren stared.
Eira looked at him.
"No."
Sira smiled.
"Mine."
Soren looked at Swanly.
"Do something."
Swanly laughed.
"They’re your daughters."
"They behave like you."
"Excuse me?"
Soren tried again.
Eira slapped his wrist.
Sira slapped it too.
Soren gave both girls one light tap on the forehead.
Tap.
Tap.
Silence.
Then:
"WAAAAA!"
"WAAAAAA!"
Swanly gasped.
"Soren!"
He folded his arms.
"No tears."
Swanly looked.
Nothing.
Not one tear.
Sira peeked through half-closed eyes.
Eira was making crying noises with a perfectly dry face.
Swanly stared with a blank face.
Both girls stopped when they realized, their mother wasn’t buying their act.
Eira immediately hugged Swanly.
Sira climbed into her lap.
Soren looked at them.
"Exactly."
Sira turned.
"Bad Pa."
Soren closed his eyes.
Kael walked past them.
"Sounds accurate."
Soren’s eyes opened.
Kael kept walking.
Wise decision.
...
Veyra stopped laughing at any of it.
She barely smiled anymore.
Azren’s interest in Swanly had not faded.
That would have been easier.
Instead, it had sharpened.
The more Swanly ignored him, the more interested he became.
The more she told him no, the more he seemed to respect her.
He still flirted shamelessly.
But Veyra had begun noticing the moments beneath the flirting.
Azren listening when Swanly spoke.
Azren watching her decisions.
Azren warning Ironwood before his own people.
Azren siding with Soren.
Azren pretending everything was a joke afterward.
She hated it.
So Veyra started asking questions.
Not openly.
She was not stupid.
One evening, Brea was escorted toward the western washing trench under guard.
Her wrists were bound loosely enough to work.
She looked terrible.
Thinner.
Quieter.
Selka’s death had taken something out of her.
The loud hyena female who once laughed beside Selka now barely raised her eyes.
She washed bloodied cloths beneath the watch of two Ironwood females.
Outside the territorial line, hidden partly behind the trees, Veyra appeared.
"Brea."
The hyena froze.
She did not look up.
Veyra waited.
"Brea."
"Go away."
Interesting.
Veyra stepped closer to the boundary.
"I only want to speak."
Brea laughed bitterly.
"That went well for Selka."
Veyra’s face hardened.
"I did not kill Selka."
"No. Your prince did."
The word prince came out poisonous.
Veyra’s wings shifted.
Brea scrubbed harder.
"I’m not helping another outsider."
"You helped the Veilkin."
Brea stopped.
One guard glanced toward her.
She resumed washing.
Quiet.
Veyra remained hidden but lowered her voice.
"I am not asking for guard routes."
Brea said nothing.
"Or females."
Nothing.
"I am asking about the boundary."
That got her.
Brea’s eyes lifted.
Only for a moment.
Then dropped.
"No."
Veyra watched.
"Can someone recognized by Ironwood invite another person inside?"
Brea continued scrubbing.
"I don’t know."
"Can a child born inside possess recognition?"
"I don’t know."
"Can the boundary be tricked?"
Brea stopped.
Slowly.
Veyra saw it.
"You know something."
Brea’s mouth tightened.
"I know I am still alive."
"And you would like to remain that way."
"Exactly."
"So would I."
Brea looked at her properly now.
Veyra lowered her voice further.
"I am not asking you to betray Ironwood."
Brea laughed.
"That is exactly what people say before asking someone to betray Ironwood."
Veyra almost smiled.
At least she was not completely stupid.
"I want to understand why your boundary recognizes some creatures and rejects others."
Brea hesitated.
Veyra added:
"If things outside grow worse, knowing how the boundary functions may save everyone here."
Brea stared at her.
"Everyone?"
Veyra did not answer quickly enough.
Brea’s eyes sharpened.
"Or your prince?"
Veyra’s face changed.
There.
Brea smiled for the first time in days.
Small.
Mean.
"You like him."
"Answer the question."
"You like him."
Veyra’s claws curled.
Brea looked almost pleased.
Then grief erased it.
"My friend died because she kept thinking she was smarter than everyone."
Her voice became quiet.
"I am not doing that again."
Veyra waited.
Finally Brea sighed.
"I don’t know who can open it."
Veyra went still.
"Soren can."
"Yes."
"Anyone else?"
"I don’t know."
"What about Swanly?"