Part 27 (2/2)

”No fair!” She cried while squirming to get away from me. I leaned down over her, with my legs straddling her body and kissed her softly. She stopped moving at all.

When I lifted my face from her, her mouth fell open and she started sputtering some words out. ”W-what was that for?”

I smiled at the corners of my mouth and bit down on my lower lip in thought. ”A lot: for being my savior, my medic, my friend, for living and putting up with me, for laughing with me, fighting by my side, and also for being my pillow when I probably needed it most.”

She laid below me in silence, staring up at me with her mouth only partly open before finally asking, ”One kiss means all that?”

”No,” I shook my head and my smile seemed to just seep up to my eyes. ”Every kiss I give you means all that, and a lot more I'm probably not thinking of right now.”

She shot her upper body up and her hands pulled at my face somewhere between my neck and my cheek as her lips were suddenly against mine with so much pa.s.sion buzzing from her. I breathed into her kiss and then gave myself to it just as she had done.

We were both breathing heavy by the time we broke apart, and I could feel Ashe's heart thumping against my chest as she lifted a hand up to brush my hair out of my face while I just looked at her and my smile slowly grew. I finally said, ”You definitely would have woke me with that one.”

Her face grew crimson before she pushed me playfully away from her. I rolled off of her and to the edge of the bed sticking my tongue out at her as she crushed her lips together again and smiled back at me, clearly embarra.s.sed.

”Come on,” I sighed, not wanting to leave the bed even though my foot stepped off it. ”We should probably get going. I shouldn't have slept so much.”

I touched the bandage at my head as I stood up completely from the bed. The wound wasn't hurting and the bandages were clean, which meant Ashe must have changed them a few times. My eyes fell back to her as I saw her slip from the bed on the other side.

”Um...” I began, somewhat unsure of what it was I entirely wanted to say. Her cocoa powder hair tossed around as she looked toward me with such an innocent face despite only being in her undergarments. ”Do...” I chickened out and finished, ”... do you still have her hand?”

She blinked then her eyes s.h.i.+mmered with brilliance before she darted past me and out the room.

I heard Goldie yell. ”Oh come on! You could at least put clothes on after doing it.”

My cheeks flushed, I could have only imagined how Ashe felt in that moment. I would have followed her out if it hadn't been for the shorts I had already started pulling on.

Ashe returned a few minutes later when I was fully clothed and pulling my hair up into a ponytail like I always did. She was holding the shriveled hand with a cloth before setting it down on the bed.

Her eyes fell to me inquisitively as I stepped closer to her and leaned in to give her a peck on the lips while smiling. ”You could have at least gotten dressed first. But thanks. It'll be useful for tracking the exact location we need.”

She blushed and looked down at herself, before das.h.i.+ng over to her bag and digging through it. She pulled out two outfits and glanced to me as I s.n.a.t.c.hed up the hand on the bed. ”Dress or overalls and s.h.i.+rt?”

”Overalls. Your dress has no pockets for me to fit.”

”Fit?” She squeaked.

”Yes, it's time we met the other Gnidori, and I'm not going to let Goldie carry me around when I'm a fox. Be good to me okay?” I grinned as I touched the doorway leading out of the room.

”I'm always good to you!” She fumed while I led myself out of the room with a soft laugh.

”I know...” I whispered to myself as I walked down the hall to be able to set up the spell that would track Nera by her shriveled hand, It was maybe an hour before we were all set and heading along the spiny trail being led by a dead hand pointing the way, and a few guffawing gnomes appearing and disappearing around us.

Ashe and Goldie talked mostly on the way to the tower, sometimes I caught small bits of what they were saying like when Goldie yelled, ”How would I know what to do?”

It frightened me to think of what they were talking about, but I just let it be. I had enough of eavesdropping and just stayed ahead of them till we reached the tower.

We only stood in the brush near the tower while I figured out which direction we needed to take to get to the cras.h.i.+ng s.h.i.+p. Both Ashe and Goldie mentioned how uninspiring and ugly the place looked when they had been expecting it to be creepy, and I realized that their original reactions I saw first, were actually their second time seeing this place.

My roommate finally fell along side of me as we headed to the s.h.i.+p's destination through the annoying brush I so easily remembered from before.

”So you'll be a fox.” She stated simply. I think I knew where this was going.

”Yes.”

”Will I be able to communicate with you?”

”Of course, I can still hear you.”

”No, I mean like my way?”

”I'm not really sure,” I sighed and shrugged. ”I don't know everything, but it might work if it works with Reynard.”

”Good.” She nodded. ”So I could have a private conversation with you, in theory?”

I leaned in to Ashe with a smile and teased, ”You're having a private conversation with me now.”

She pushed me away from her gently and I stumbled as we reached the open area near the sand bar. ”You know what I mean.”

I raised my eyebrows, ”We're here. So let's find out.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, drawing in the images I had of Reynard. Luckily I didn't need to be exact since all the patches of creme and custard would have destroyed my psyche without having a physical image to work from.

I looked down then opened my eyes to watch the hand signs I made and make sure I got them right. When satisfied I focused on Reynard's image again and let the magic run through my body.

I didn't open my eyes again until the pain from the change had pa.s.sed. My eyes took in the light around me and saw the large-looking Ashe scoop me up while I heard her giggle loudly. I could even catch the subtle scent of me on her which made me feel strangely safer with being held by Ashe.

This is weird. I had thought only to have Ashe hold me to her cheek and nuzzle my fur which made me s.h.i.+ver excitedly.

Don't do that! I tried yelling but only a tiny yip that didn't sound at all like me had come out.

Oh sorry... I heard Ashe's voice in my head, as she pulled away and instead cuddled me against her chest. I guess she thought that was better?

I was going to die before this was over.

You can hear me? I tried thinking and immediately I could feel Ashe was smiling. I couldn't explain it, I just knew what I asked had made her happy.

Of course, can I keep you like this all the time? She continued in my mind while starting to stroke my fur which made me s.h.i.+ver again and want it even more. Yet for some reason my mind told me this was really messed up.

No! You have a fox you'll get to play with like this. Just put me in the pocket. I explained and she pouted before pulling her chest pocket out and dumping me in it. She could have at least been a little nicer about it.

I quickly realized why all the fox had done was sleep when I had him. It was dark and comfy in the pocket so there wasn't much else to do. I stood up and poked my head out, feeling my ears twitch as I pulled them back.

Ashe giggled. You're adorable.

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