Swiftcurrent Creek I don't read the newspaper because they all have ugly print

Bemusement laced his lips as she humored him—his eyes gleaming as they cast upon her. “Arric is just going to have to step up and try to lure in the joiners now,” he shrugged, as if there could possibly be no other way around it. “Hopefully they can get past that smug smirk of his.”

Joking—and yet he secretly hoped Arric would hear about this, even though he wasn’t here to witness his best friend run him over with the proverbial bus.

“Porcupine quill. Just one—got a pretty lady to remove it and give it a kiss at the borders before she drilled me with some questions. She wasn’t nearly as gentle as you,” he batted his eyes at her with the last comment.

“But I wanted to make sure it won’t mess up my eye.” He paused, tilting his muzzle to her so she could better investigate it. "Figured I'd bring some porcupine quills to the gathering in a few weeks time. We should have things to gift and trade."