BRACKEN'S SURPRISE
Kendra Sorensen nearly jumped out of her skin at the frantic knocking on the back door. She had been watching a somewhat intense television show and was more absorbed in it than she had realized. At least she wasn't the only one. Her brother, Seth, was next to her and had tipped their shared bowl of popcorn over, spilling the puffed kernels all over the rug. It had been a rather dull afternoon at Fablehaven, so they had opted to watch television. Neither of them had had much time for it, since the happenings with he Sphinx trying to open Zzyzx. After that had settled, Fablehaven needed to be rebuilt. It involved more than any of them had expected. Kendra had been surprised at how many of her previous favorite shows were no longer airing, and how many new shows had emerged. She'd never even heard of most of them. They had finally settled on a decent fantasy show until this interruption.
She peered suspiciously out the window, between the blind slats. Hardly anyone ever knocked. Her family, and their friends who lived on the property, could let themselves in. She wondered if it could be Newel and Doren, a pair of Satyrs they had befriended, and who now frequently came to collect Seth for adventures on the preserve. Still, even they normally shouted into open windows, much to everyone's annoyance. Now expecting to see the satyrs, Kendra was surprised to find Bracken.
It was now summer, and Kendra was going to be in her senior year of high school. She was on the verge of being eighteen. Bracken was stubbornly sticking to a vow he had made to her parents, not to officially call himself her boyfriend until then. He was so ridiculously older than she was that she didn't think it mattered; though, she had to admit that she could see how it might make a slight difference when she was considered an adult. Still, it hadn't stopped them from casually dating and stealing quick smooches. Bracken had yet to kiss her on the lips, and she secretly hoped that would be her birthday present.
"What are you knocking for?" She grinned, as she opened the door. "You know you can come in!"
"Judging by how you jumped, you might have fainted if I had just barged in," Bracken smiled back.
"You saw that?" Kendra blushed.
"And he doesn't even offer to help clean up the popcorn!" Seth gripped, his head peeking over the arm of the couch.
"I apologize for startling you, I'm a bit over-excited," Bracken said. He raised his hand, and all of the spilled snack lifted into the air. He then lowered it, and the popcorn drifted down into the bowl. "Kendra, I wondered if you would come with me into the fairy realm. Something truly amazing has just happened!"
"Hey! What am I, chopped liver?" Seth pouted.
"Sorry, Seth, I do wish you could come as well. I doubt if you could get in, even if I invited you."
"Yeah, I know, it's the whole Shadow Charmer thing."
"To be honest, I don't think you'll find it nearly as fascinating as Kendra will. I can tell you what it is, if you like," Bracken offered.
Seth eagerly agreed and Bracken stepped over to whisper it in his ear.
"Is that it?" Seth asked, disappointed.
Bracken laughed. "Is that it? There hasn't been one in centuries! Yes, that's it. I told you that you wouldn't be interested."
"You're right, I pass. You two have fun, I'll gladly stay here, away from all that mushy stuff!"
Bracken escorted Kendra out and shut the door, then took her hand and began leading her toward the Fairy Queen's new shrine.
"Don't I get to know what's going on?" Kendra asked.
"Of course not, that's the entire point of a surprise!"
She moped dramatically, but they were soon trading jokes as they arrived at the lake surrounding the new shrine. Everything around the naiads' pond looked as it always had. It was perfectly manicured, with the surrounding gazebos in different decorations. All of the flowers were in bloom and the air was perfumed by many exotic scents. A few fairies drifted around. The second they spied Bracken, they giggled and went to duck behind leaves or petals to watch him from a distance.
Bracken went to open the boathouse. He helped Kendra into the larger boat, then sat down across from her with two paddles. The whispers from the naiads had already started, before the boat was even out. Kendra and Bracken rolled their eyes at each other and laughed. The women in the water could be pettier than the fairies, and they never ran out of insults. Bracken was even wittier, and usually had Kendra in stitches by the time they reached the island. The naiads never seemed to put up much of a fight when Bracken manned the boat, and Kendra knew I was no coincidence. Drowning the Fairy Queen's son wouldn't look very good on their resume.
"Look," said one voice. "It's beautiful one! Ohhh, and it's still with the ugly human."
"Come now, that isn't a very nice thing to say about me! I thought I looked rather nice today," Bracken replied, winking at Kendra.
Those insults usually hurt the worst. Kendra knew she wasn't ugly, but she also knew she'd never been abnormally attractive either. She knew how she must look right next to inhumanly gorgeous Bracken. He took every chance to tell her otherwise, and it always turned her insides into pure mush, yet she felt that little insecurity would always linger.
"Lean over, lovely man," another voice cooed. "I want to see your face more closely!"
Kendra pulled a horrible face, leaned over the side and shouted, "BOO!"
The startled naiad shrieked as Kendra and Bracken laughed.
"Keep your aging face away from our home, mortal! Those crease lines give us nightmares!"
"You are not so young yourself, miss," Bracken retorted. "The only thing new about any of you are your brains, and that is only because you never use them much."
There were several hisses, and something gave a strong kick to the bottom of the boat.
"Sorry," Kendra called. "We didn't mean to get smart with you." Then she muttered to Bracken, "Not that they would know."
There were no further interruptions for several minutes, until Kendra commented on the beauty of the new shrine.
"Surprising that she still enjoys nature, despite what it has done to her," a voice under the water tittered. It was followed by bubbling laughter.
"What is even more surprising is how people who spend so much time in the water can be so disgustingly slimy! I will remind myself to bring bars of soap along next time," Bracken replied.
This was answered by several cries of outrage. One brave naiad surface several feet away, clearly furious. "That is rich talk, coming from a hornless unicorn! You carry your second around with false pride, but you are merely a donkey with a swizzle stick!"
"OH! Now that was naughty!" He gave the naiad a sharp bonk on top of her head with an oar.
Kendra could see the rest of them swimming away quickly. They clearly didn't want to be on the receiving end of his anger. Kendra felt a surge of sorrow and a bit of anger herself. That had been a low blow. When they finally docked the boat and Bracken had tied it off, Kendra hugged him once they set foot on land.
"What's this for?" Bracken asked kindly, hugging her back.
"I'm so sorry... I just feel bad. That was a terrible thing they said to you! I didn't think they could actually be so cruel."
"Hey, it's alright," he soothed. Bracken looked down at her and smiled, then kissed her forehead. "And don't your dare cry for me! It's really okay! Water off a duck's back. I've been called a lot worse, believe me. If that's the worst they can do, they need to think harder... and that will not come easy."
Kendra sniffed and wiped at her watery eyes. She smiled back at him, chuckling at his joke. He took her hand again and led her to the shrine.
Bracken lifted the tiny bowl and placed water inside, along with one of his hairs. When he chanted the right words, the tiny fairy statue began to grow. It swelled to over ten times its normal size. A small knob appeared in the folds of the Queen's dress. Bracken pressed it and the stone opened, revealing a door just tall enough for him to fit through. He motioned for Kendra to go through first and followed her, the door softly closing behind him.
The Fairy Queen's realm was no longer a complete shock, but it still filled Kendra with great wonder. It was truly another world. She and Bracken had been busy investigating, for as a new kingdom, it was constantly expanding. There were new places every time she visited. Her favorite so far was the jungle. It was like being able to explore the Amazon without having to worry about dangerous or poisonous creatures, and there were no disturbing bugs. She had also been to a separate forest by a mountainous region, a large, floral meadow, a tropical sea, rolling hills of the kind she had seen in Scotland, and one area of darkness for those who were nocturnal.
Kendra had also seen beings that she had never glimpsed before, even a the other preserves. A phoenix had flown over on her first visit. She had been to visit two of Bracken's cousins, a pair of Pegasus, who had shared a few jokes, asked her about human flying contraptions and given her a feather before she departed. She had seen gnomes, elves, an entire array of new fairies, a herd of white stags, a bird that Bracken called The Crow of Many Hues, and a crystal clear lake that was teaming with merfolk. All of them greeted Kendra with an air of curiosity, and some seemed in awe, as though a mortal girl was as mythical to them as fairies had once been to her.
She wondered what could possibly be more fantastic than anything she had already seen. It also had to be something Seth didn't think was cool. "Is it some sort of flower? Or plant," she guessed.
"No, although you night enjoy one of the new gardens the fairies are working on. I hear they have a flower that eats watermelons whole," Bracken replied.
"Is Raxtus here? Has he changed form?" Kendra wondered eagerly.
"It isn't Raxtus, as much as I would enjoy seeing him again."
Bracken began leading her through the jungle and into a cave.
"Bats? Cave slime? A stalagmite that looks exactly like you?"
"You really think I would bring you all this way to show you slime?" He laughed. "Seth, perhaps, but common cave muck is nothing to show my fair maiden."
Kendra blushed, laughing. "Come on, tell me! If I were a cat, I'd be dead by now."
"Hold your horses, we're almost there."
Kendra grabbed on to his arm. "Okay, I'm holding!"
When her joke dawned on him, he stuck his tongue out. "Well, I never!" He tickled her sides. Kendra shrieked and began to run, and Bracken gave chase. "You get back here, you ninny!"
They ran a short distance before he caught up with her and grabbed her up from behind. He spun her around and blew a raspberry on her neck, making Kendra snort slightly as she laughed. Bracken was laughing just as hard before he set her down.
"Oh, you! You really light my life up, you know that?" Bracken grinned, then turned a deep shade of pink at his sudden burst of honesty. He sat down on a fat stalagmite. "We're almost to the opening at the back of this cave. It opens to a decent sized grove. It is our nesting grounds, where on a very rare instance, a pregnant mother will go to give birth. Now I will tell you about what we're going to see!
"For centuries now, I have been one of the youngest unicorns. In fact, the youngest among us is just barely three hundred. We are solitary creatures, after all. Many of us breed once, if at all, because commitment is far more difficult for us in that form. We enjoy our solitude a bit too much. Even if we don't stay with that mate, we still have the young to care for, and it's nearly a century before they leave our side! I tell you this, just so you can appreciate slightly more the rarity of this event, and our excitement. Kendra, you're the first mortal I know of to ever behold a newborn unicorn."
Kendra felt her mouth drop open. "A... a baby unicorn?" She gasped. "Really?!"
"This has been everyone's reaction! Yes, really," Bracken laughed.
Kendra's mind raced with excitement. She realized now why Seth couldn't come, and why he wouldn't be overly thrilled. Babies were not exactly his thing. He liked them well enough, but he was far from wanting one of his own, or even taking serious interest in them.
"Who had her?" She finally asked. "Your mother...?"
Bracken grinned, the chuckled. "Goodness, no! She is forever youthful, but that would be equivalent to your grandmother having a child. No, sadly the little one no longer has a mother.
"Unicorns have always had carried a high bounty on their heads. Almost every creature you come across has a price, and some more than others. Did Maddox ever tell you about traders?"
"Not in much detail, no. He just said that there are some people he absolutely won't deal with because of how they acquire items."
Bracken nodded. "For some of them, yes, it is how they find their stock. For others, it is who they sell to. The worst traders are a combination of the two; the ones who not only gain items through terrible means, but then sell them to the highest bidder with no questions asked. Maddox does no harm, though I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with him selling to fairy collectors. Those mortals are not harmful either, and they do take good care of them, but the fairies become pathetically bored. Mortal collectors are just the teeny-tiny tip of a dark and ugly iceberg.
"Unicorns are among the most sentient beings. They have more than a one track mind. Trolls, for instance, live either to hoard or to cause mischief. Satyrs live for fun and adventure. Naiads exist for themselves. Fairies focus on beauty. No matter how intelligent a conversation any of these creatures hold with you, they have but one real calling in life. Then imagine a creature much like yourself, but with inhuman powers. One that could turn dust to gold, or smite an enemy from afar. They can make you whatever you care to be, take you where ever you wished to go. On top of it all, this powerfully magic creature can appear human, and accompany you everywhere."
"Like you? Or like Raxtus?"
"Exactly," Bracken replied. "Now, imagine that this creature has no perfected kill or education at all. No firm will of their own, and no idea of how the world operates. They have no set morals or values. They are helpless and know nothing. They are an infant and you can raise this immensely powerful being to become whatever you want it to be.
"In the hands of a person like you, it would be a powerful force of goodness to be reckoned with. It would be fair and kind, and a fierce protector. Even to be with Seth, it may be slightly destructive, or overly curious, but a formidable adversary to any who wished his loved ones harm. Most people would use it for neither good nor bad. Simply greed, to achieve their means. But think of this; what might happen if it fell into the hands of someone truly evil? It is not a pleasant prospect. A unicorn is highly prized at an age, but an infant... some would give everything and than some to own it.
"That's exactly what befell this baby's mother. Every female is vulnerable during labor. She began early, and she was unable to make it here. Still, she should have been very well protected, but we figure she was being watched. Her defense was weak, her magic practically nil at that point. The poacher attacked without warning. She... she was butchered." Bracken's voice caught and he paused.
"I'm so sorry," Kendra whispered. She squeezed his hand. "Did you know her?"
"Not well, no," he admitted, wiping a tear off his cheek. "I'd seen her twice. She was rather young herself. To a mortal, she would've been considered in her late twenties. " Then Bracken chuckled. "The last time we met, she would have been like a teenager, and I was still a boy. We were at a gathering for our kind – a sort of party, if you will. She flirted with me, and told me she would find me when I was older and be my mate. She nibbled my ear, and I was scared out of my mind! I hid behind my mother, wrapping my ears in her tail so they could not be got at. They just laughed and laughed, and I decided then that I'd better be careful around women. They obviously have it in for us males!"
Kendra laughed as well. "What about the baby's father?"
"Sadly, many of us don't stick around. I don't expect that he even knows what has happened. If we knew who he was, he would most certainly raise it, but there's no way to tell."
"So, what happens to her?" Kendra wondered. "Is your mom going to raise her?"
Bracken grinned. "She would love nothing more, but unfortunately, she's got quite a lot on her shoulders already, what with rebuilding her kingdom and reconnecting with my father. She will be the grandmother and that idea has absolutely thrilled her. My eldest sister wants to raise the baby. I can't recall ever seeing her so excited either!
"Well, now you know all there is to tell. I figured it would be easier to try to answer everything before you met. She's the sweetest little thing, but she's also very timid, so we've got be quiet."
Bracken stood and offered his hand to Kendra, pulling her up. They went left, and he led her down a short limestone passage, then they turned right, where a large archway had been carved into the stone. Golden sunlight poured through. Kendra could make out a thick ring of trees just beyond it. As they stepped through, Kendra got a better view of the glade.
The grass was thick and lush, and still smelled of fresh dew. Ferns and clover had spread across the ground like a blanket made of assorted green patches. Wildflowers of all colors were scattered across the entire meadow, giving it the impression of a splatter-painted green canvas. The trees were varied, the barks different shades of of browns, with several that were black and a few that were white. Moss grew on nearly all of them. Small boulders were strewn about, each collecting their own colored mosses. A gentle stream flowed through, starting at a waterfall from the far north end, and disappearing under a wall of the cave. The ground itself rolled in short, mellow hills. It was the most beautiful and perfect place Kendra had ever seen.
Bracken let her take it in for a few minutes, before placing a hand on the small of her back and gentle leading her forward. They headed to the left. They picked their way through a few bushes, until they came to a place where the clover was so thick, Kendra felt she could bounce on it like a trampoline. Under the large, over-grown tree roots, Kendra saw Bracken's sister resting. Kendra was in awe. She had never seen any creature so completely white before. Any part of the mare that moved briefly shone silver, as did the areas that were in the shade. Her mane was long, wavy, curling and flowing all down her neck. It was unkempt, but strikingly so. Her tail was the same, though it appeared thicker. Her hooves seemed as though they were made of platinum. The mare's muzzle was darker in color than the rest of her, a deep shade of silver. A long, slender horn spiraled elegantly out of her forehead like a glistening mother-of-pearl seashell. Her large, black eyes were gentle, kind and full of happiness. She smiled at Kendra and Bracken.
"Back so soon, brother?" She asked. The voice was rich and silky, somehow reminding Kendra of an autumn breeze.
"I told you she did not live far," Bracken grinned back. "Kendra, this is my eldest sister, Gwyn. Gwyn, this is my future lady-friend, Kendra Sorensen."
"A pleasure to meet you," Gwyn said, dipping her head. "Excuse me for not rising to shake a hoof, but someone seems to be snoozing on my back leg."
"It's alright," Kendra said hastily. She suddenly felt very awkward. The sheer majesty of Gwyn's form and grace made all of Kendra's movements look like she was controlled by a horribly unskilled puppeteer.
As if sensing how she felt, Gwyn patted the ground with a hoof. "Please, do not be shy. I realize how I must appear to you, but I promise that I am not even half as divine as I might seem. Come and sit down. Bracken speaks so highly of you, as does my mother. I have been in solitude for so long. I am excited to get to know a modern human."
"What am I, chopped goblin?" Bracken asked, mocking offense.
"I hardly consider you to be modern! Although, I admit I would also like to hear more about this... this Yahtzee you speak of."
"Have you ever been human?" Kendra asked.
"Yes, but not for many, many years. I was sorely uncoordinated on two legs, and I could never quite get my hands to work together properly either. My last time as a mortal was in the early twentieth century. Some man came along and pinched my rump! I still haven't forgiven him, and I went right off the idea of trying to be mortal then." They all laughed, before she continued. "Now then, I know it is not me you came to see. We will have more time to be acquainted in the future. What you really wish to see is the baby!"
Gwyn adjusted her back leg, and craned her neck down. She began to gently nibble at something Kendra couldn't see, as it was being obscured by the unicorn's thick mane.
"Yes, come on now, little one. Wake up. We have visitors! A lovely girl has traveled worlds just to see you. Your brother is back, too! Won't you get up to see Bracken?"
Gwyn put her muzzle down farther, under the little unicorn's belly and helped her to sit. The baby yawned wide, tiny pink tongue curling out, and revealing fleshy gums. Kendra resisted a strong urge to squeal. The foal wasn't nearly as big as Kendra had expected. She was hardly larger than a lapdog. Even standing, she couldn't be up to Kendra's knee. Her hooves didn't look hard yet, and there was a great deal of long fuzz around them. Her mane was short and frizzy, and her tail only a few inches long. A tiny stub of a silver horn stuck out on her forehead. Kendra was even more surprised by the unicorn's coat color. She was a pastel shade of pink.
What shocked Kendra most of all were the baby's eyes. They were far too large for her face, but it made her that much more adorable. Instead of being plain black, they were several shades of deep colors - navy blue, dark purple, and black all swirled together. They were flecked with silver and white pinpoint dots, some larger and some smaller. Looking at them closely, Kendra was reminded of laying on top of a mountain, gazing up at the sky on the clearest of nights. The baby unicorn seemed to have the entire cosmos of another world in her eyes.
"Is she OK?" Kendra whispered. "Her eyes, I mean."
"Yes, she seems to have perfect vision... for a baby, anyway," Bracken said. "It stunned us, as well. Some of us do have different shades in our eyes, but we've never seen anything quite like hers before. That's what gave her her name – Starling."
At the sound of her name, Starling's tiny ears perked up and she turned her head towards Bracken. Her mouth opened in a large, gummy smile. Her little tail began to wag. She made a happy sound in her throat, somewhere between a high whinny and a tweet. Starling stood on shaky legs and waddled the few steps toward her new brother, as he and Kendra sat down. She fell into his lap, then rolled over. Bracken laughed.
"Hello, little girl! Hello, my sweet little niece. How are you? Were you having a nice nap? I'm sorry I woke you. I just had to see you again!" He tickled Starling's pudgy belly and she kicked her hooves in the air, chirping happily. "Silly baby! Yes, you are such a silly little one. Come here, you."
Bracken carefully lifted her up. His hands took up most of her tiny body. She tossed her mane and chirping "pppweee!". Bracken held her in a close hug then and she nuzzled into him, muzzle rubbing his neck. He held her for awhile, talking to Gwyn and running his fingers through Starling's hair and letting her investigate his person. She especially enjoyed poking her nose into the pockets of his cargo shorts, snooping for sweets. She finally got lucky in one close to his knee. She made an excited noise and came out with several sugar cubes on her tongue.
"Here, one at a time, you greedy little nipper!" Bracken laughed. He wrestled three away from her, but she reeled her tongue in before he could reclaim the other two. Then he gave one to Kendra. "I apologize for the drool. Put this on your lap and she'll come to you."
"How old is she?" Kendra wondered.
"Eight days," Gwyn answered. "Not entirely a newborn anymore, I suppose, but new enough to us. She is learning fast. Mostly things like that Uncle Bracken 'forgets' things in his pockets. Also that we do try to eat fairies."
They laughed. Starling began another search for more sugar cubes. She circled around and around Bracken, sniffing and occasionally sticking her long pink tongue into places that her nose couldn't reach. Finally deciding she'd found it all, she put her front hooves on Bracken's lap and looked up pleadingly at him, begging for more.
"Stop that, it isn't fair," he laughed, picking her up in a big hug. He gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "Why don't you have a look over here? I think this nice, young lady has something for you!"
Bracken set her down between himself and Kendra. Starling huddled down at first, seeming not to have realized that Kendra was there at all. She looked at her mother, who smiled and nodded encouragingly, then at Bracken, who gently patted her back flank.
"Go on, you are fine!" When Starling still didn't move, he scooted himself behind Kendra, took her hand and offered it to Starling. "Here, Starry. There is nothing to be afraid of. This is Kendra. She's a friend. Yes! She came from far away just to meet you. What do you think? Can we be friends?"
Bracken placed a hand on the ground, and a small mound of dirt rose and leaves sprouted up. He grabbed hold of them and pulled out a small carrot. He cleaned the dirt off and set it on Kendra's knee. Starling's nose began to twitch eagerly. She stretched her neck out to get a better whiff. She licked her lips, and tried to grab it with her gums, but it was still too far to reach. She pouted for a moment, then scooted over to rest her head on Kendra's knee as she munched.
When Starling got to her list bite, Kendra began to scratch her behind the ears. They were softer than velvet. Starling swallowed and made a happy purr. She smiled. She pressed her head more firmly against Kendra's hand, trying to absorb a fuller massage. Kendra brought her other hand over to rub the other ear, and Starling went completely flat and floppy.
"I think she likes you," Bracken laughed.
"She's so soft! Can I hold her?"
"Of course," Gwyn replied.
Kendra put her hands under Starling's forelegs and gently lifted her up, cuddling her close. Starling snuggled her head onto Kendra's shoulder.
"She's heavier than she looks," Kendra commented. She rubbed Starling's neck and played with her mane. "I thought she would be white, or silver. Is it rare that she's pink?"
"Oh no, not for a baby," Gwyn said. "They're almost always an unusual color. The girls are yellow, purple, or pink, of course. Boys are blue, brown, or grey. Bracken was green. Mother always told us she ate too many kiwis."
Kendra giggled and nudged him. "I bet you were cute!"
"He was trouble! His favorite game was to hand on to my tail with his teeth and be pulled along on his stomach. It never mattered how fast I ran to get away from him, he held on tight."
"Yes, and if I recall correctly, you did everything you could to get rid of me," Bracken huffed. "She once jumped onto a hollow log, and I slid inside of it and was stuck. Then she nearly drowned me by running into a stream!"
"Oh, please! You could have stood up. The water wasn't any higher than your back. You were just being dramatic for extra attention."
"It was winter! I had just lost all my baby fur! I could have frozen to death!"
"Well then, I suppose we are lucky that you are not permanently blue." She and Kendra chuckled. "I did feel rather bad about that later, though not so much about the log. You were not hurt and it was quite amusing – especially when those gnomes trimmed your tail for building material! I suppose I got quite lucky that it grew back."
"Women!" Bracken huffed, as Gwyn and Kendra laughed together.
There was another sound then. A higher, squeaking noise, like are being let out of a balloon. Gwyn put her head up fully, her ears standing straight.
"Is my Starry laughing?" She asked, hopefully.
Kendra looked down at the little unicorn resting on her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and her tongue was poking out. "Actually, I think she's snoring. Do you want her back?"
"I think I had best," Gwyn replied. "She needs her sleep."
Kendra carefully placed Starling back on her nest of ferns. Starling yawned wide, snuggled against her mother, and was fast asleep again.
"Thank you so much," Kendra smiled. "I feel really special! She's amazing."
"It was my pleasure. Please come back to play any time. I am sure Starry will welcome it," Gwyn smiled.
Bracken stood, then offered his hand to Kendra and helped her up. They said their final good-byes, then went back through the cave to the shrine. When they arrived back at Fablehaven, the day had become overcast and I was starting to rain. They were given no trouble from the naiads as they crossed the lake to the boat house.
They emerged from the hedges, surrounding the lake. Bracken put his arm around Kendra.
"I'm so glad that you enjoyed yourself. They both really liked you, and my sister can be tough to please. I knew for the moment I saw you that you would fit in with us." He gave her a side hug as they walked.
"I always feel so nervous, but I'm really happy they like me." She sighed. "You know, I was also pretty glad to hear something else."
"Oh? What was that?"
"That your tail grew back!" Kendra gave him a swift swat, then took off running towards the house.
"Hey!" Bracken cried. "Get back here! I'll show you a hair trim!"
They laughed together as he chased her through the rain, and back into the warmth and safety of the house.
The End
((Author's note! I intended this to be a one-shot, but I also have ideas
for a second part, if anyone is interested. Please review and let me know!))