Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Dinner and Consequences

Scolding goes down easier on a full stomach. This is something not everyone realizes. Although Demos, Gussie, Lightning, Lobo, and I are excused from responsibility for this scheme, we feel the scolding. How can we not? What affects our tamers affects us and vice versa. Einswine even looks a bit subdued, maybe realizing how dire the situation at home became while he and Lord Lammermoor stayed away.

Right now, it’s hard to untangle the threads of conversation happening at the main table, where Lord Lammermoor, Hans, Niall, and the Riddlehoevens, as well as the Lammermoor staff, Tomas, and Ser Maartenwitz are all talking and eating.

Vedette is fielding most of the questions on behalf of Kaline. As the older sister, she feels responsible. But Kaline isn’t having any of it. She chimes in, proud and defiant, despite Vedette obviously kicking her under the table to stop her.

“I’m not a baby anymore,” she declares.

“You’re not an adult or even a young adult, either,” Lamant shoots back.

“But I’m old enough to know what the rules are,” she argues.

Score one for Kaline. She’s not one to play the victim card.

“That’s right, you do know.” Minette is trying to be balanced. “However, you’re young, and you got caught up in the excitement.” She looks at Hans when she says that.

Hans straightens up. “She wanted to protect her beast, and other beasts.”

“But we adults were handling it,” Lamant argues. “We had the entire beast taming community on our side, freezing out Lady Rosabel.”

“EX-Lady,” Lord Elandior Lammermoor corrects. “I have stripped her of her title, effective immediately. But do not underestimate her, my friends. She…she has been successful at deceiving everyone before, and winning them to her side.”

[He means he was deceived.] Einswine sounds outraged. [He allowed her to pass Hans off as his son. You show me a boar that will raise another boar’s piglet as his own. You cannot.]

Demos agrees. [That is the difference between beasts and humans or elves.]

Lightning joins their side. [I would not expect any tiger that I chose in the future to welcome another tiger’s cub.]

Lobo growls slyly. [What say you to that, Blaze?]

Oh, I see what he did there. [I say that I, like any beast, wouldn’t do what people do, so it’s hardly an issue.]

Lightning beams. [Well said, Blaze. That’s why I appreciate you.]

Minette is talking now. “So, even if we ostracized the former Lady Rosabel, she would still find a way to carry on doing disreputable things?”

“Now you’ve caught on,” Lord Elandior says, with a sympathetic glance at Hans.

For his part, Hans has barely said anything since he and his father investigated the Shed. Distracted, he picks at his food. That’s all the proof I need that not going into that shed was a smart move. Elves are supposed to be almost godlike and tough. Like Vulcans. They live long, so they’re supposed to be immortal and not let sorrow and pain affect them. Or so I always thought.

I guess I was wrong.

The only silver lining is that Hans is not human. Otherwise, he would be puking his guts out and likely need therapy. Adults can’t stand animal cruelty, so I wouldn’t expect a young person to just shrug it off.

[Lightning?]

[Hmmm?]

I choose my words with care. [Is Hans going to be alright?]

A long pause. [I’ll make sure that he is.]

Looking into her eyes, I see the pain from Hans. What affects the tamer affects the beast too, whether or not the beast experiences it directly.

[Will he tell you what he discovered?]

She looks away. [I don’t know. I doubt it. He protects me. SHE was supposed to protect Lobo. Speaking of which, don’t pay so much attention to me.]

[I wasn’t!]

Was I?

Lightning growls. [I know you two didn’t get off to the best start…]

[That was not his fault. Or mine.]

Lightning purrs softly. [No. But just think of how he feels right now.]

I can’t even imagine. And I feel sick about it, because our scheme hurt Lobo by revealing the existence of the Shed, and more, showing him how little he meant to Rosabel, aka Mrs. Stinkor. The two of them deserve each other. And they didn’t do right by Lobo at all. They treated him like an object. A THING.

[Hey, Lobo.] I move my food closer to him, and try to engage him in conversation. [I wanted to say thanks.]

He blinks, yellow wolf eyes shining. [For what?]

[For trying to fight Stinkor when he grabbed me. You did not have to do that.]

He woofs. [Stinkor?]

[A nickname I made up for a stinky villain.]

He woofs again. [It sounds more like a skunk.]

He’s clever. [Good thought. It is. Or it was, But somehow it fits that man.]

Lobo woofs a third time. [Stinkor. I like it. He’s not even a skunk. Skunks only spray when they feel threatened. It’s purely for defense. He stinks all the time.]

[I guess he never heard of soap.]

Lobo howls with laughter. [He never heard of a lot of things. It’s impossible to believe that he is married to that woman still. But then, she likes to be the one in control, and he is controllable. Ambitious and blinded by his own greed and willing to listen to whoever promises him the greatest reward. He also loves that female. And people say that beasts are unintelligent.]

Of course Lobo would know about Rossa being alive. As a matter of fact, he would know all their secrets. That’s partly why we freed him, so I could fulfill the quest to learn his secrets and crack the beast smuggling ring wide open. But it was also the right thing to do.

[Lobo, changing topics, how would you like to be bonded with Minette Riddlehoeven? And before you ask, Demos and Gussie and Lightning approve, I bet even Einswine approves.]

Einswine oinks. [There really is not anyone for you here. In an emergency, of course, Lord Lammermoor or the Young Master could temporarily assume the bond, but tamers are only supposed to have one beast at a time.]

System, is that right?

[Generally, yes. Beast tamers usually bond with one beast at a time until either of them dies. There are rare exceptions, but they are exceptions indeed.]

Good to know. I remember that fact from the game, but I didn’t remember a lot of the other information. Maybe because I didn’t think it was important. You can only pay attention to so much. But that’s as a human living a human life. Now, I am a beast, and this information matters.

[So, you and Lightning are pleased for me.] Lobo sounds shy and eager to please. [And I will be living with Blaze, Demos, and Gussie now.]

[Oh. Entirely pleased. You have earned it.] Einswine lifts his head, looking loftier than a wild pig has any right to. [Minette Riddlehoeven is a fine human.]

Lobo woofs, sounding humbled, for him. [I won’t ruin my chance. I won’t bite any more tails unless i have to.]

I laugh. [Much appreciated. Just make sure it’s not my tail you have to bite.]

Another woof. [Not without provocation, anyway.]

We share a bowling, roaring, oinking, and screeching laugh. Our tamers join in, relieved that we seem to be enjoying ourselves and enjoying each other’s company.

[I can’t wait to bond with Mistress.] Lobo is hopeful and excited, brimming with enthusiasm, He no longer seems like the prickly, aggressive creature who harassed me. [It honestly was as if I was on a leash. And my thoughts felt like hers, not my own. I am not excusing my own behavior…]

[She somehow controlled your mind and your thoughts.] Demos attacks his fish dinner as if it personally offended him. [She is not supposed to do that.]

Lightning lowers her head. [And I am supposed to notice this. I did see it, but I excused it. And when I noticed it, I could not work out how to tackle it. Lobo–]

He nuzzles her in a friendly way. [You helped free me. We are even.]

Lobo is being incredibly generous and understanding. But honestly, what else should he say? What was Lightning, a tiger cub, supposed to do on her own? She did, after all, help free him, like he said.

[We weren’t entirely unselfish.] Lightning is direct. [At least, I wasn’t. I did not want blaze to get stolen again.]

[Oh. Well. I suppose that would be natural.]

The way Lobo says that is cute and irritating at the same time. He, like everyone else, is trying to matchmake, in his way.

I take it from here, because he just gave me an idea. [She wanted me to be safe. You understand. We are very close.]

Gussie hyperventilates. [I knew it.]

I take a risk. All in the service of the quest.

[Lobo…were Rosabel and Viscount Rossa, or rather Stinkor, partners in poaching Memo, Judo, other beasts, and me?]

Lobo prepares to answer…

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