Page 32 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
Edge stuck to practical matters.He needs a better den.
And a better friend. Eloquence sank to his knees and gently shook his classmate’s shoulder. “Tenma. Wake up, Tenma.”
The boy rolled away from Flay’s warmth and stared muzzily through off-kilter lenses. “Quen?” he mumbled. “Umm … hi?”
“Why are you bedded down with my Kith?”
“Umm.” Tenma snatched back the hand tangled in Flay’s red-brown fur. “Yours?”
Eloquence sat beside him. “Edge and Flay are part of the Starmark clan. They’re my packmates.”
“Sorry.” Color was creeping into the boy’s face. “I didn’t think anyone would mind.”
Plucking straw from Tenma’s hair, Quen promised, “They don’t. They like you. In fact, you have their protection.”
“Aren’t they here to guard the school? They protect everyone.”
He was fully awake now, but his guard was still down. Or maybe Quen’s was. “They’ve decided you’re special.”
“I’m not.” He seemed to shrink. “Not me.”
Flay growled. Edge whined. And Eloquence was ashamed of himself. Choosing words that would leave them each a little pride, he asked, “Will you hear me out?”
Tenma nodded.
“I’m having trouble balancing the responsibilities I have at school with those of the den. Perhaps you could help me?” Quen brought his hands together, as if to capture an elusive midivar. “Bringing the two together might give me some peace.”
“If I can help, I will.” Tenma tentatively reinforced his words by cupping his hands under Quen’s. “How?”
“Come home with me. Meet my brother.”
SIXTEEN
Compound
Tenma stumbled to a stop.
Quen turned. “Are you all right?”
“Tripped on something under the snow.” He waved his hands, fending off his classmate’s concern. “I’m fine.”
Backtracking, Quen came to stand directly in front of him. “Can you see at all?”
“Not really,” he mumbled. With nightfall, the world had been reduced to white and dark. It was enough to avoid walking into the trees in the forest behind the school, but he seemed to be stumbling over every clump and clod in between.
“Wait a moment. Help is on the way.” Quen’s soft grumble was disapproval. “Where are your gloves?”
“Not sure.” Tenma started but quickly relaxed when large hands closed around his, warm and comforting. He definitely felt safer with Quen than any of the other Rivven he’d met. It wasn’t that the others were frightening or anything, not since he’d begun carrying the sigil everywhere. But he’d looked up stuff about the dog clans. Promises of protection were serious. And now he’d been invited to Quen’s den. Jittery and anxious not to botch things up, he mumbled, “Sorry.”
A muffled gallop came from beyond them, deeper in the woods. At a lowwuff, Quen turned to greet a dog as big as a horse, though stockier and shaggier. Tenma couldn’t see much else in the dark.
“This is Rise. He’ll give us a ride back.”
Tenma hesitated. “Is that okay? Ms. Reeves said it was offensive to ask for rides.”
“Asking Rise to carry us isn’t a problem. Askingme… well, that’s another matter.”
“You’re a dog.”
