"It's going to save them someday." Kintz sighed happily, and rubbed his nose on Delp's shoulder.
"Ew. Also, that's very sweet. You balls-high mutt."
"Sweet?" Kintz said confusedly. "Why would them being out be sweet?"
"What?" Delp gave up, and continued shouldering his friend home.
***
Kintz was lying on his back, pretending to take a nap. He really wasn't tired, but everyone seemed to think he should be, so he lay down. Everyone, in this case, was his grandmother, who kept the hut during the day, and Delp, and the village shaman.
"He kicked one of those exploding ones, and inhaled." Delp was lying smoothly as Kintz watched the blue rivers running through the wood beams of the hut ceiling. "It was a big one, and he got a good lungful. I'm sure he'll be fine once he sleeps it off."
"What were you doing, near the infested patches, is what I want to know!" Oniss huffed. It wasn't a question. "Between you and the twins, Kintz isn't going to make it to Hunter's Trial! You could have told him!"
Delp started to open his mouth, and defend himself, but Nyk, the shaman, stepped in, "Calm down, Oniss. I'm sure the boys didn't see it either. Anyone could have kicked it. Did you find a new infested patch?" Nyk directed the last part at Delp.
"Yes, sir. It's a little east of the fork. We thought we were safe on that side of the water." Delp was sweating internally, trying to remember the vague spreading pattern of the fungus that had shown up a few years ago. There was *probably* a small patch there, by now. It'd been all over the west side of the fork last summer, and the wind....ran the other direction. Sandy balls. Maybe he'd get lucky.
"Hmm." Nyk looked concerned, and mostly credulous. "Come with me, and look at some of the specimen samples, and see if it's a strain we've identified, would you?" Delp nodded, not at all relieved, and bid good evening to Oniss.
Outside the hut, Nyk stood patiently in the sun. As they turned towards the shaman's abode, he remarked calmly, "You know, if Kintz keeps doing everything every village idiot suggests, he really isn't going to make it to Hunter's Trials."
"Sandy balls. How did you know?" Delp flushed.
"Ugari and Edani would not be hunting in this heat unless penance was involved. And as they are not malicious,
"Ew. Also, that's very sweet. You balls-high mutt."
"Sweet?" Kintz said confusedly. "Why would them being out be sweet?"
"What?" Delp gave up, and continued shouldering his friend home.
***
Kintz was lying on his back, pretending to take a nap. He really wasn't tired, but everyone seemed to think he should be, so he lay down. Everyone, in this case, was his grandmother, who kept the hut during the day, and Delp, and the village shaman.
"He kicked one of those exploding ones, and inhaled." Delp was lying smoothly as Kintz watched the blue rivers running through the wood beams of the hut ceiling. "It was a big one, and he got a good lungful. I'm sure he'll be fine once he sleeps it off."
"What were you doing, near the infested patches, is what I want to know!" Oniss huffed. It wasn't a question. "Between you and the twins, Kintz isn't going to make it to Hunter's Trial! You could have told him!"
Delp started to open his mouth, and defend himself, but Nyk, the shaman, stepped in, "Calm down, Oniss. I'm sure the boys didn't see it either. Anyone could have kicked it. Did you find a new infested patch?" Nyk directed the last part at Delp.
"Yes, sir. It's a little east of the fork. We thought we were safe on that side of the water." Delp was sweating internally, trying to remember the vague spreading pattern of the fungus that had shown up a few years ago. There was *probably* a small patch there, by now. It'd been all over the west side of the fork last summer, and the wind....ran the other direction. Sandy balls. Maybe he'd get lucky.
"Hmm." Nyk looked concerned, and mostly credulous. "Come with me, and look at some of the specimen samples, and see if it's a strain we've identified, would you?" Delp nodded, not at all relieved, and bid good evening to Oniss.
Outside the hut, Nyk stood patiently in the sun. As they turned towards the shaman's abode, he remarked calmly, "You know, if Kintz keeps doing everything every village idiot suggests, he really isn't going to make it to Hunter's Trials."
"Sandy balls. How did you know?" Delp flushed.
"Ugari and Edani would not be hunting in this heat unless penance was involved. And as they are not malicious,
