Page 75 of Untethering Dark

“How gracious,” she teased. “Now, settle down before my friends arrive. Johanna’s already on edge enough as it is.”

He tipped her chin back with the crook of a finger. “Suppose I should stop looking at you then.”

“Mmm. Suppose so,” she answered, running her fingers through the fur of his short tail. “So fluffy.”

“That’s not helping.”

Swatting his backside, Astrid withdrew to join her mother.

While the Hexen watched the oncoming procession, Gudariks took a moment to compose himself, aided by a little meanly placed snow. Shocking, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

Once settled, he rejoined the other two.

“Won’t be long now,” Perchta said, motioning a gnarled hand to the line of twinkling lights headed their way.

The sound of drums and jingling bells grew louder, but the increasing noise didn’t grate on Gudariks’s nerves. Tradition was tradition, and humans honored the things they loved with raucous merrymaking.

In groupings of twos and threes, costumed humans marched past, completely unaware that their festival’s namesake looked on. They poured an admirable amount of time and effort into crafting their masks. Different types of rams’ horns. Noses long and pointed, some beaked, with exaggerated chins to match. Some had gnashing, jagged teeth. Others fangs and lolling tongues.

Manes, beards, long draping hair accompanied each mask, as well as suits of fur. Some of the Perchten had strapped barrels to their backs and wrapped them in chains and bells. All manner of fearsome creatures thrashed bundles of birch branches about.

A faraway look made Perchta’s gaze shiny, and Gudariks recognized it for a moment of remembrance.

“Do you miss him?” Astrid asked softly, threading her arm through her mother’s.

The elder Winter Hexe shook her head, a sly smile forming as she patted her daughter’s hand. “He visits. Just not when you’re around.”

Astrid suppressed a giggle behind her hand.

Krampus.There was no bad blood between Gudariks and the other being, but they avoided each other as much as possible.Gudariks could count on one hand the number of times they crossed paths, and each occasion was marked by little more than a stiff head nod and a grunt. It was proof that two stubbornly dominative folkloric entities could coexist, while also making a pointed effort to forget that they did.

Two horned Perchten broke off from the main procession, doffing their hand-carved wooden masks.

Astrid went to greet them, Perchta trailing regally. “Suri, this is my mother, Perchta.” She didn’t introduce the second human, the taller one with olive skin and a reserved expression, so they must’ve already known each other.

Suri, the dark-skinned human, gestured behind them to the procession they’d left, practically vibrating with too much energy. “To say I’ve heard all about you would be an understatement.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my dear.” Perchta inclined her head, taking one of the human’s hands between her own. “Winter’s blessings to you.”

“And to you!” Suri beamed. “Jaan, she’s practically a goddess. I’m holding hands with a goddess, right now.” The exuberance was rather endearing, so he didn’t fault Perchta for preening under the attention.

“Schatzi, I know,” Johanna laughed, rolling her eyes. “Your fanby is showing.”

“Don’t care,” they quipped, extracting a woven lace shawl from the knapsack they had slung over their shoulder. “I made this for you. Happy Perchtentag.”

Eyes shining, Perchta took the delicate gift, turning it over carefully in her hands. “Your craft is most excellent. Thank you, sweet child.”

“Gudariks’s here, too,” Astrid reminded her friends gently. “Are you ready to meet him?”

That shuttered Johanna’s burst of good cheer. “Ach, suppose so,” she muttered gruffly, folding her arms. An admirably stoic display, but he scented the truth of her fear.

“Yes!” At least one of them was enthusiastic.

He took a tentative step forward into the dim light cast off by the passing processional.

The smaller one gasped, taking him all in, but not lingering on any one part. “Oh, my, he’s big.” Then, nodded appreciatively. “Well done, Astrid.”

Johanna was not so easily pleased, and from the smell of her, currently engaged in an internal battle of fight versus flight. He could crouch down, attempt to make himself smaller, but that wouldn’t make him appear less threatening in her eyes. Just poised and ready to lunge.

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