Sleepy Fox Hollow Sun setting on the brink

At first Anselm was angry to be called a dolt — but as scarlet flushed his features, he realized this was a soft term for so severe a blunder. For once, he’d been wrong and he’d misunderstood.

Just this once.

Stowing aside the residual embarrassment he felt, Anselm was silent for a long time as he worked through the information Fiona had just imparted. And it made him realize two things — he, who had always been abandoned, was now doing the leaving. He couldn’t reconcile this.

He also realized that somehow — oddly — he didn’t want to leave her to herself either. He thought of big men like Glaukos — and while the man had done nothing to deserve this mental image, Anselm thought of how easy it would be for that great hulking creature to have his way with Fiona. His throat tightened.

Fine. I vill take the herbs. But it vill not make me — He gestured to her with a wave meant to pantomime effeminacy.

Fiona. Anselm suddenly placed his paw down, expression stern but as close to caring as he’d ever come. I do not vish to leave you here alone. Vhat of the men that come here? Vhy don’t you come vith me, and every other day, ve come back here to drink? It is not so long a trip, and it vill take many days to bring all of Etienne’s things to Rivenvood. He wanted to make a joke how they could both use the exercise — but he noticed with some guilt and alarm that Fiona looked much skinnier than he remembered.