Just Another Day

"Did you enjoy yourself then?" Katari asked as he, Hilael, and Eru finished their supper.

"Yep!" Shanku chirped as she sat down with them. "Went pickin' mushrooms and flowers with Onami."

"Since you've earned your keep for the day, have some stew," Eru chuckled and passed her a hot bowl.

"Much obliged," Shanku said with a broad grin as her stomach audibly growled. "Very much obliged."

"How long will you three be staying with us?" Eru asked.

"Not sure," Shanku replied between mouthfuls. "We'll definitely head out before the snows start."

"Preferrably after the current rains have finished as well," Katari grumbled and shook his head as the rain began to come down again.

"That could be a week or more then," Eru chuckled as he raised an arm before him defensively against the small spray sent flying from Katari. "Take care should the winds pick up too."

"Aye, no flyin' in windstorms," Shanku nodded. "Bane of my life at sea. Made me think we were gonna capsize too many times for comfort."

"Most of the Coyote clan was lost last spring," Eru said solemnly. "A squall line came through with three days of storms and thundershowers, and lots of whirlwinds. It cut right through them during the night."

Katari gave a low whistle and the others said nothing. Shanku finished her stew.

"Well, that was delicious, Eru. You're a good cook," Shanku said cheerily. "So, um, what happened to the rest of the Coyote clan?"

"They're still together," Eru replied. "They may be able to rebuild their numbers, but they'll have to take quite a few new mates to do so. Only about a couple of them are able to bear cubs."

"That must have been from the same storm that hit us," Katari mused. "We got a nasty one that lasted for a while and took down some weaker trees. The Peridae really took a hit off it too, they got the worst of it."

"I hope Port Tephras is alright then. They would have been right in the way of it blowing in," Shanku added. "They almost always got hit after we did at sea, and then the Peridæ would confirm they got some of it around the same time too."

"How big can one bloody storm be?" Katari asked incredulously.

"Pretty damn big, apparently," Eru chuckled.

"So, how's your brother been?" Shanku asked.

"He's fine," Eru replied. "Kadin has grown up well, and should be by any moment. He always comes to see me right at sunset."

Indeed, as if on que, Kadin came striding up not long after, and sat down by his uncle. "You have friends tonight. Nice to meet you! I'm Kadin."

"Gracious, you've really sprouted up," Shanku exclaimed. "You were just a wee thing last I saw you." Kadin was now in his midteens, with a strong back, unkempt hair, and as broadwinged as his elders.

"Um, who are you?" Kadin asked slowly. "You're not that much older than I am."

"Shanku, that stray cub that stayed with me and Zihna in Wynfall, and used to write to us every winter," Eru explained.

"The brazen Black Death buccaneer, eh?" Kadin laughed.

"'Plague', and I'm trying to forget that nickname," Shanku said glumly as she drew her wings around her.

"Well, you obviously gave it up, so I'm not that concerned about it. I'm much more laid back than my uncles," Kadin bragged as he stretched. "Or especially my papa."

"Has he let you go to Wynfall yet?" Shanku asked with a sly grin.

"Of course not," Kadin shook his head with a huff. "I'll have to wait until I'm no longer under his rule before I can do that."

"You're not missing anything," Eru said flatly as he looked at his nephew from the corner of his eye. "It's very crowded, noisy, and smells weird."

"Ah, like cattle then!" Kadin beamed. "Won't be any different than helping Dai and Hinto wrestle urych. I shouldn't have the first trouble." Eru glared at Shanku in a "see what you have started" kind of way, to which Shanku grinned as sweetly as she could. Innugati trilled disprovingly.

"Well, hello there," Kadin said curiously when he noticed the fairy dragon. "You have an interesting companion."

"I found Innugati, or rather, she stole my breakfast, when I was up in the northern forests. When I came back to the Nyre, she took up with Hilael," Shanku explained.

"Not the first dragon she ever dragged home either," Katari added.

"Why don't you ever bring anything interesting home like that?" Kadin demanded. "You go off alone all the time, and so far all you've found is Tlvdatsi!"

"A cougar is interesting enough," Eru retorted. "She does very well keeping me company, and scares off any coyotes or other cougars that might want to make a meal of me while I'm out."

"But she's not a dragon," Kadin grumbled as he stroked Innugati's back. "I should be going. You know how grandma gets when it's close to bed." Kadin nodded to his uncle and friends before disappearing back into the camp.

"I take it he gets along well with Hinto then?" Shanku asked.

"Inseparable when Hinto comes back from Wynfall. They'll probably work the urych together, much to Anoki's displeasure," Eru replied.

"Anything particularly wrong with Wynfall?" Katari asked curiously.

"The guards killed mine and Anoki's parents, and his wife," Eru replied bitterly. "The are generally not very welcoming towards kurach. Zihna always has to assume the human form when she goes with Dai, as did I and Shanku the year we went with them."

"Oh," Katari replied. "I can't say I blame him for that then. I wouldn't want my cubs anywhere near there either. I suppose Hinto must change as well?"

"Nah," Eru shook his head. "He's always looked human. I'm not sure he even can become kurach, despite being half. His little sister Bena can though, but I think it's because she was hatched instead of was born. Good thing for all of us too, Zihna was a nightmare to be around when she was forced to carry Hinto like a human woman for three seasons. Three! She almost immediately went back to her kurach form right after she delivered him."

"Oh, wow, that long?" Shanku asked as she tilted her head to the side. "I never kept much company with the women when I was with humans. They generally didn't sail as much as the men did."

"That may be why. Trapped on a tiny boat for weeks on end with that cantankerous thing on deck with you and nowhere to hide from it? I'd jump overboard," Eru chuckled. "Ah, well, it's getting late. I'm sure Anoki's parents-in-law won't mind if you stay with us tonight, although you'll be staying with his mother, Shanku."

"Eh? Why?" Shanku asked curiously.

"'Cause you're a she and they and I are a he, and at our age, shes and hes are to be kept properly separated, especially at night," Eru said sternly as he gestured for them to follow him.

"Oh, flitter," Shanku rolled her eyes as she fell in line behind Eru. "I miss Mruha and swimming with everybody under moonlight."

"Them's the rules," Katari teased as he nudged her in the ribs. "We can swim during the day after summer gets here."

Anoki's mother-in-law, Maheke, was quick to separate Shanku from her brother and friends, and saw to it the young dam spent the night with her, while her husband, Vikeso, stayed with the others.