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Gentle Moons

Chapter 2

"Here?" Nyia asked, looking around.

"My den," Gannen said, ducking under a root and then into a decently-sized hole in the ground.

Though this hole looked like all the others from the outside, even a few feet in it became apparent that this was not just a natural space between the roots. Feline ears twisted, searching for any sound of something. She could picture in her ming the maze of roots being more like a small barracks for guards.

The fox took a left, following the twisting passage down and ignoring numerous forks. The tunnel made a water catch dip before leveling out, and then some more intersections with evidence of the ground being tread on.

The first evidence of something being not entirely natural was on the right suddenly. Though the tunnel was pleasantly cool, the room there was shimmering with heat and steam. Water was falling in a constant flow of drops from the ceiling down to the stone floor where it pooled. The steam collected on the ceiling, but also fresh water was flowing in, and all of it was heated substantially as it fell.

"Never try to enter a room like that," he cautioned her. "The magical heat would kill you in a few seconds."

Further on and past more intersections, he started descending again. Now it was deep enough that there was solid ground above them instead of just twisted roots and glowing mushrooms provided occasional light. It was a touch warmer, but a comfortable warm rather than the poisonous air of the swamp above. He began passing actual doors, though they fit in with the tunnel well and would be easy to miss. Most of the doors had soft breathing behind them, and occasional snerks or snores. He worked very hard to be extra quiet and said nothing as he passed the doors.

Finally to a longer tunnel that didn't branch and it terminated in a huge cave room with massive metal tubs set into the ground. There was a huge one that could hold perhaps a few dozen people, as well as smaller ones that would handle four or five, and they were all empty. The ground around them was covered in thick moss, though there were depressions in the moss that spoke of a structure beneath it connecting to the pools.

"I didn't want to wake anybody. Bath first," he told her softly.

The sight of the tubs made her squee inside. She got off him quickly and beelined to one of the smaller tubs, desperately wanting to get the filth out of her fur. She also anticipated something to replace the bandage cloth that she was currently wearing as a waist wrap.

Gannen walked over to the basin she'd chosen and took off his pack, setting it aside. He went to one side where the marked moss was and grabbed the metal edge, lifting an entire two-foot section of the side of the tub. There was a rush of water through the opening, the inlet very even and perfectly level throughout the room. The tub was nearly instantly full of warm water to two feet.

A covered box set into the ground nearby contained scrubby brushes made to work on fur in the water and he also retrieved a small flask. He returned to find her out of the cloth wrap and in the water the moment he'd turned his back. She ducked into the water and relaxed in the warm, purring happily.

"Almost too much water for me," she said softly, "but not quite." She perked at the brushes and had no idea what the flask was for.

He put the brushes and the flask on a moss-lined nook on the side of the tub and climbed in. He was torn between her happiness and his own exhausting and desire to get clean. The link left him no choice but to be happy himself, which was an odd combination with the exhaustion. He sank on his rump until he was fully underwater, only his nose sticking out.

The two of them enjoyed the warm water for a while before the khajiit grabbed one of the brushes and started brushing her fur under the water to get the clumps of goop and mud and dirt out.

Gannen had to surface so the swamp dirt starting to cloud the water would not get in his eyes. Before grabbing the other brush for himself, he went to the far side of the basin and pushed down on it, allowing the water to spill over into the drain area. This started a constant flow of warm, clean water in the inlet as the cloudy, murky water flowed out the other side. Then he nabbed the white khajiit and tugged her into the clean flow coming in, using his own brush on her.

She purred and they ended up brushing each other, getting the clinging gunk free of their fur and into the flowing water, though they had enough swamp and lizard bits on them that the slow flow couldn't keep up.

"Out of the water for a moment," he said, climbing out himself.

"Clean water time?" she asked, pulling herself out to sit on the edge. It was warm enough water that she was not at all chilled and she made a happy little trill.

He closed the fill gate and opened the drain gate fully, letting the basin drain in a few seconds. Then he opened the fill gate and the water flowed through to clean the inside of the tub for the short time before he returned to the other side and pulled the drain gate up. "Clean water!" he decreed, her happiness extra-contagious to him. Since she loved warm, tame water, and loved being clean, she was extra happy.

"What is the flask?" she asked.

"Cleanroot sap," he said, grabbing it and settling down into the tub again, sitting on the metal edge. "Um, it's cleaning stuff. Like soap." He handed it to her. "All yours first."

She brightened and scooted to behind him, opening up the flask and sniffing the contents. It smelled pleasantly planty and almost tasty, but she avoided the urge to drink it. She tilted it cautiously and found a thick liquid inside that she poured a bit of onto her hand and tried rubbing onto his back. Sure enough, it sudsed up hugely, not just slippery like soap but also enjoyably bubbly. She started to purr as she enjoyed the texture of his thicker fur. It was coarser than hers by a bit, so the new sensation was interesting to her.

With both of them feeding off each others' happiness, they were doing quite well. The fox relaxed and became blissy as she washed him, moving with the light nudges she gave him to direct his position. She managed to get him all soaped up, cleaning what she wanted, but leaving his groin alone with silent disappointment.

The happiness was still contagious, but the negative of her disappointment was eating at him too, and finally his ear twitched as it drew him from his bliss. "Something is wrong?" he asked, gazing at her worriedly, only really able to tell that there was a negative feeling involved.

"No, nothing wrong. Just remembering that in the past, my curiosity has gotten me into more trouble than a kitten with a loom."

He tilted his head. "I can feel that something is not-happy in you though," he pointed out softly. She could feel his concern as well now. He patted her shoulder gently. "You should tell me, so we can consider it or do something about it. We shouldn't have a sad."

Her gaze dropped for a moment and she blinked up at him. "Sad... no... disappointed. It is not... I shouldn't... well..." She sighed.

Vulpine ears wilted at the sigh. "The only thing we shouldn't do is something that is bad for us. Especially since we're linked. Bad for you is bad for me, and bad for me is bad for you."

Her ears reddened under the fur and laid to the side as she felt naughtily guilty. "I am just curious what your ... part... looks like. The altmer keep such things private and they say it's not something a woman asks, even with this magical link."

Merriment bubbled up inside him and he smiled warmly. "It is something that lilmothiit ask, and do, so it's not something that would upset me. Then it just depends on whether it's something you would ask. You're you. Not 'all altmer'. Not 'all khajiit'. You're Nyia." He patted her shoulder encouragingly.

Her ears perked up and she went back to cleaning his leg with happy trills and anticipation that she couldn't hide. "Will you show me?"

Two more ears perked and he nodded, his mood brightened by her cheering up. "Are you sure you want me to show you? Or would you be happier if you were allowed to explore instead?" He grinned slyly and glanced down at his sheath where there was a distinct lack of soap. "Plus you'd get to clean all of me."

Nyia trilled delightedly and decided to save that for last, so she went after his tail, tugging it into the water to re-soak it so she could soap it up properly. He drew his legs out of the water, knowing they would need to be washed too, while she took extra-good care of his tail. She was the proud owner of her very own tail and knew how important it was for one to be well-groomed.

"Our tails have thick fur," he said softly, a low, happy noise signalling his approval of the care. "They're tougher to wash."

She trilled and bounced. "You mean 'more fun', right?"

"Okay, maybe for you. I should let you wash it more often, then. We get big bowls to hold water and soak our tails in the soap so we can work the soapy water through the fur." He smiled and leaned back on his elbows.

"When I was young, my sister brushed my tail. But she stopped doing that when she grew up."

"A pity. Brushing is important."

"It's not a proper altmer thing to do. It's alright though. I can take care of myself just fine." She was enjoying herself, making sure his tail was super-perfect.

"You missed a lot of stuff, growing up with mer. It's hard to brush your own back."

"I tied a brush to a stick. I grew up with people who gave me a place to live, even though I'm a cat. They are very good cooks and crafters. Some of the prettiest clothing in Tamriel is altmer."

His ear flicked and he grinned. His people didn't wear much in the way of clothing as often, so it was not a thing to him. "A stick is not as good. Maybe the cooking made up for it?"

"They do a lot of great things with food on the island. Fish and crab and sweet meats wrapped in flat bread. They Lots of fish stuff. Mmmmm... fish." She purred with a happy memory, but realized she was still hungry after not eating much and traveling again after. "If you come with me, maybe you can try it."

"We don't have many fish in the swamp that won't try to kill you if you look at them funny. I wonder if fishes can be made into good nombars," he mused. He wiggled his tailtip in her hands. "Wash me, then I can wash you, then we can eat."

"Can you move your tail a lot or is it fox like?" she asked, finishing sudsing up his tail and starting on his legs with the same care and happiness. She didn't rush, even though he offered food.

He curled his tail somewhat, but it only made an arc. "I have a lot of motion at the base but the rest doesn't do a lot. Just this way and that way. Bit more curl if I bend it by hand." He stretched his legs out and let his tail flop into the water to rinse, the suds floating away in the gentle current.

"Your people have your magic," she pointed out, turning her attention back to his tail to make sure it was soap-free. "Altmer have their prettiness. And food." She could tell he was thankful for the assist in rinsing. Thick fur held soap more readily than her fine fur did.

"Maybe I should make some nombars out of altmer food," he speculated. "Pretty is different to different people though. You're pretty to me."

She smiled and trilled. "Of course I am! I was raised by altmer," she said, as if she'd been trained that the only reason she had worth was because of her family. "I miss their nice clothing though. They gave me some that was nice for important occasions too." She went back to washing his legs once his tail was perfect.

"Altmer have pretty clothing and I think khajiit have loose and decorative clothing. Lilmothiit don't wear much clothing except what's practical for the swamp." He stretched his leg out for better washing. "You'd be pretty even if you weren't raised by mer."

Her ear flicked. "People don't like my red eyes. They look like some dunmer eyes."

The fox peered into her eyes for a moment. "I guess people are weird."

"Your people are so colorful and pretty," the said, washing his feet. "I saw your gray and red and tan and spottled friends. You don't need fancy clothing. I'm just alllllll white."

"Khajiit have fancy fur too," he pointed out. "You're not colorful, but you're striking."

She was a simmering happy, but still protested. "I get dirty so easily. Then I just look horrid."

"Dust and dirt can usually be brushed out. That's why brushing's important. I'll be thrilled to brush you and wash you often and help you look more beautiful."

She was quiet and pensive for a short time. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You do not even know that you will be allowed to go with me."

His ears wilted at the thought and he considered, then flicked one of the ears, sending a drop of suds flying. "I can't see any reason for them to say no. I'm not a sire. Since we're linked, we need to stay together. I know they won't want to keep you here too long either. We can hide ourselves, but we can't hide you, and keeping you trapped in the swamp would be mean. And it's important your family knows you're okay." He brightened. "So we'll be fine."

"You have already been so nice. Thank you," she said with a trill as she moved to be in front of him. She looked him in the eyes as she finally started soaping up his sheath.

He'd nearly forgotten about that with all the recent attention on his toes, so it caught him by surprise. He quickly remembered though and became substantially happier and more relaxed. "Even if we weren't stuck together, I like to make the best of things," he said with a deep rumble of pleasure. Just washing the fur of his sheath was giving it harder contents.

"Not like being stuck with you is the worst thing that could happen. You're nice, and fun, and sudsy." She was taking her time, making sure all of his fur was free of swamp muck. Plus she got to experience his enjoyment through the link as well.

"I agree. We could've ended up in a much worse situation. This is... mmm... not bad at all I think."

She pulled him into the water to rinse him and get all the soap off his fur, so he scooted to lift the outlet further so the clean water would flow through faster. Then he ducked underwater and gave a strong shake, agitating his fur and sending a cloud of soapy water away from himself.

Soon enough he surfaced and took a deep, happy breath. "Successfully-washed foxen!" he decreed.

Reaching down, she fondled him again with a happy trill purr. "Get back onto the edge. I want to see now," she said, warm with curiosity. "Do you want to be a sire?" she asked quietly as she waited for him to get out of the water.

"I thought about that before," he murmured, scooting back to the edge and lifting himself out of the water and up onto it. He sat back enough to pull his legs up so his shanks were flat on the moss and his thighs were spread. "I don't think I would. Sure, they get extra protection and are treated well, but there are also a bunch of rules and things they can't do. I can find as many partners as I want who are not in season, but sires have to mate with the vixens who are in season and only a certain number of times. And they can't go exploring, or gathering, or crafting, or anything. They're too important."

"How long are they dedicated to that?" she asked.

He drew in a breath as her hand found his sheath and rubbed through it to coax his flesh out. "Two decades," he told her, almost trying to have a sad at the thought but not able to with the happy distractions.

"How long do your kin live? And how old are you?"

"Our elders have been around forever, some even since the plague, but most of the time we succumb to the swamp much sooner. We don't keep track of days or months, so it's tough to be precise on years.Even from when we are young, our age is a size of our body, then whether we are fertile, then to mature, and aged, and eventually perhaps elder. Elders tell sires the years when they are working. I think I might be about 23? Or 26? I really don't know."

"You don't count? How do you know when your bones will start getting weak? And when you're fertile?" She shook her head and looked down to see what she was enticing out of his sheath.

"Females know fertility by the scent, and males by the juices," he pointed out. He huffed, panting softly. She had half his length out, the flesh warm and slick. The knot at the base of his shaft was still within his sheath, making a bulge. Wet fur clung to his skin and allowed her to see the shape and heft of his balls, which were normally hidden in fluff.

Nyia tugged his sheath down to expose his knot, just so she could see it. "No barbs," she observed as he huffed happily at the touch.

"Barbs?" he asked curiously.

"My family told me khajiit have barbs, like pufferfish," she said, pulling herself up to sit beside him, kicking the water idly.

"I didn't know that. Do you like having barbs?" he asked, not understanding.

"Only males have them, and on their bits," she said, cuddling against him and enjoying his company.

"Pufferfish bits? Weird." He thought about that. "What's a pufferfish?"

She giggled. "Never mind. Wash me now?"

He smiled and pushed off the ledge to stand in the water as he grabbed the soap container. "Wash you, then eat, then get rest in a proper bed," he decreed. He started lathering her at her shoulders. "The suds make me turn lighter, but you're already white fur, so you turn whiter." The pink skin that showed through her wet fur was hidden by the suds. First he soaped her arms, then reached around to soap down her back, his own damp front pressed against her warmly.

"But you can't seeeeeee," she teased softly, purring at his closeness.

"Then I'll just have to rub it more to make sure it's all clean," he said, massaging and rubbing the soap down to her skin.

She was melty-happy in his arms as he held her close and washed her back with his arms around her. "Is this how your people normally wash?" she asked quietly.

"Only with somebody we like," he said, licking the damp fur between her ears.

Her happiness was flowing through the link to him and as he moved closer so he could reach further down her back, she discovered that he was still quite firm from her prior attention as well. She felt a thrill at the hard flesh pressed against her belly. "You have a nice shape," she whispered, as if it were a special secret.

"I'm not sure if you mean all of me or just part of me," he murmured, giving a rock of his hips to indicate the part he meant. She just purrrred deeply at that as he rubbed little circles on her back. It was very interesting soap. It didn't make skin dry. It wasn't stinky. It didn't itch if it sat a while or sting if it got in the eyes or other sensitive places. It was just slippery and pleasant.

Soon her back was well soaped all the way down to the base of her tail and they were both very much enjoying the companionship. He tugged her into the water to rinse the soap from the fine fur of her back, then sat on the side and scooted back, making enough room for her to sit between his legs. With his stiffness against her lower back teasing her senses and his own, he reached around to soap her front.

Her small body was already lithe and almost skinny. Like the lilmothiit she had seen, she had nearly no breasts to speak of. When she had kittens, they might develop, but not otherwise. But that didn't make her chest any less sensitive, and when his fingers brushed past her nipples, it sent a thrill through her and also through the link to him. She was getting nicely worked up, aroused by the closeness, the touches, and his arousal as well.

Finally he soaped down to her waist and around her hips and thighs. He tugged on her flexible legs, pulling them up to be washed as well. Down one leg to the toes, then down the other. He let both legs fall back down into the warm water and rested one hand on each inner thigh, washing up toward their apex.

The little khajiit's eyes rolled back before she closed them, leaning back on him and kneading his legs in bliss. One of his hands went to her lower tummy while the other stayed on her thigh and both inching toward each other until each hand found its own side of her split between her legs, soaping up the fur there.

The slow, teasing motions were intoxicating and she purred deeply. When his fingers found the space between her legs, her hands clung to his thighs and she moaned in delight. She could tell through the link that this was more of a causal happy, sharing pleasant rubs between friends. But his hard shaft against her back and her building arousal were both contagious through the link.

When the fur out her outer skin was well sudsed, he used the edge of one hand to wash carefully between her folds, though not too deeply. The soap was fine there, but he wasn't specifically trying to excite her with his gentle touch. But her mind was slipping to nicer things.

She wiggled in his grasp, arching her back and pressing against the warm flesh that was nestled in her fur. Her breath drew in and then out in a quiet moan. And though he'd really, truly originally meant to just wash, his touch was turning her on and her rocking was doing the same to him. With the distraction through the link and of her back moving against his body, both of them were quickly moving away from just washing.

Khajiit hands kneaded the fox's legs as she rocked her hips more, teasing the firm flesh with her back and enticing him to shift his own position. His fingers curled and he finally gave in, turning his palm toward her folds and slipping his fingers between them. She gasped quietly as he was no longer just washing, rocking and rubbing himself against the soft fur of her back as his fingers treated her below. His other hand slid up her belly to find a nipple to toy with, and soon she was writhing and grasping at his legs, her claws barely touching his skin.

The link made the sensations feed back to both of them and they were both quite excited. His fingers slipped down between her legs further, perchance to wash the last place that was unsoaped. In reality, it was an excuse to tease the hole beneath her tail, eliciting a moan from her and a happy twitch of her tail. Her hands played along his legs and one slipped to his inner thigh, kneading happily.

His strong muscled tensed beneath her touch and finally he took in a shaky breath and pulled with his legs on the edge. The hand on her below and the one on her chest held her against him as he scooted off the edge and into the warm water. He held her close, ducking until she was just up to her throat, and with that he was easily able to rub her nicely, clearing all the soap away. He didn't really need to rub the fur, but they were both enjoying it immensely, more so when his hand dipped between her legs again. No pretense now. There was no soap. This was just for fun and enjoyment.

Her breath was ragged and moaned, gasping and purring as his hand found her sensitive lips beneath the water. She enjoyed his touch and was comfortable with him wanting her. Her hand slipped behind her back and she ran a teasing finger along his flesh, finding him delightfully hard and getting his hips to rock in response.

With his front against her back in the water, he slowly pulled her smaller form further against his body, letting his shaft slip lower. The knot slid past the base of her tail and she traced her fingers along it, tilting her hips back with a moan as his fingers curled into her between her folds.

The feeling of the soft skin and rock hard smoothness beneath was perfect against her sensitive spots. She wanted him, hungry for him, hoping that soon he'd slide in one spot or another. He lifted her higher and his hips rocked slowly, the length of his flesh sliding past her sensitive tailhole. Her anticipation grew and his rocking teased moans from her throat as his fingers delved between her folds and his shaft came closer to having its tip in the right spot.

A quick squeeze of her body back against his and a rock of his hips and the side of his shaft finally freed itself from beside her tail to nestle into the centerline below it. The next push forward found his tip pressing beneath her tail, guided by the backstop the its base provided. His fingertips curled into her folds more deeply and his hand on her front held her close to his warmth. Then the inexorable pressure urged the tight ring there to part enough for an inch of his hot flesh to slip in.

It was all she could do to avoid crying out in pleasure as his warm tip pushed past her sensitive ring and slipped in. His fingers curled into her front below brought further for his shaft as she squirmed happily. Her body was very needy now, her hot juices mixing with the warm water by his finger as she bit back a moan, not wanting to wake the sleepers that she'd heard on the way in

The fox bit back his own delighted yelp. Though they'd come quite a distance to the bathing room from the doors that held sleeping foxen, he was still trying to be quiet. The tight feel of her body around his shaft gave him pause before rocking back again. Then he didn't rock back anymore, just giving little pushes and pressing in, a little more with each press. The link gave him a unique and precise insight into what she was feeling since he felt it too, and he was able to adjust perfectly to her limits. He just really wanted to be inside her, so he pressed in, one tiny bit at a time.

Pure, hot pleasure coursed through her as he slowly pressed his inches in. She made an interesting mix of feline happy sounds, though none were loud enough to reach snoozing ears. She was in bliss for every inch of progress, because not only could she feel her own filling situation, but she could feel the tightness and deepening warmth he was experiencing from her. She clung to the hand that held her chest, encountering the male side of the feeling for the first time and awash in waves of pleasure as he slid in.

When half his length was settled within her, just getting more in was not enough. He rocked his hips back until only his tip remained hugged by her tight ring, then pushed forward firmly, gaining more ground than he had before. A moan escaped his muzzle but he quickly muffled it against the back of her neck, repeating the motion below with great enthusiasm. Another inch deeper, and now meeting the top of his know. The knot made it tighter and more of a push to gain depth at the end of each thrust, but he was slowly working it in further.

Nyia found it harder to hold back her sounds with each thrust sending an electric pleasure through her. The knot brought bright surges of sensation as it coaxed her body to stretch and give it room. She worked so hard to be silent, but everything was so overwhelmingly wonderful. The knot making its way deeper was delightful, sending trembles through her body as it pushed and nestled in further.

His strong legs straightened enough to bring them out of the water, but only so he could lean forward, pressing them both partially back into it. Bending over her and holding her lithe form firmly against himself provided more leverage. His next poush made him bury his nose against the back of her neck to muffle another delighted cry as his knot slid in, hilting him to his sheath beneath her tail.

She intentionally dipped her face into the water to silence a bubbly cry of ecstasy. The knot finally coaxing its way in, with the sensation from both their bodies, was a spark that ignited something deep within. Pulling her maw back out to breathe, her body quivered as she couldn't hold back her climax. Her body clenched on both his fingers and his shaft within her as a delighted moan escaped her mouth.

The fox's own muffled growf against her scruff ended with his breath caught in his throat at the squeeze. The orgasm that flooded through her also rushed through the link and gave him a dry echo, his flesh throbbing within her tight body. Her happy whimpers at this faux fox peak told of the pleasure. It was not his though, and he was not spent. He tugged, pulling back gently, and only when her squeezing faded a little was his knot able to slip out. But with the progress already made and proven, it was only a good push to re-bury his full length. She moaned low and long, trembling as he pulled, then a squeak of delight as the knot forced its way back in.

Being deep inside her was so utterly delightful to both of them, and his knot was starting to grow now. His hot breath on the back of her neck flowed in a huff as his jaws parted and he took her scruff in his maw. The pushes he rocked her body with required a firm hold as each one needed to be stronger to get the growing knot in again.

The grip on her scruff made everything so much more intense. This was not something any altmer would do with her. She was lost in the pleasure he was sending through the link to her as the knot fought harder against each entry. The soft fur in his mouth silenced his grunts and his fingers were still as he focused on other things. The hand between her legs still had two fingers curled into her depths, the pad of his palm pressed firmly against her clit. All in all it made her squirm and moan even more, especially with the knot testing her limits more and more with each thrust.

Then a push that almost stalled at the knot. He grunted and paused for only a fraction of a second before his belly flexed against her lower back, pulling his hips forward and burying the knot for the final time. She cried out as the knot sent shooting stars through her vision, nearly being kept out before forcing its way in. The knot grew swiftly then and the fox's whole body shuddered in delight as his own true peak flooded both through the link and into her depths.

She came hard again and tightened more around his flesh, its bucking so much more pronounced now. The feelings were intense for her, both her own and his, and the squeeze only made her feel the pleasure of his throbbing even more. She couldn't keep her delighted cries quiet now with the pleasure flooding through the link from him.

He straightened up with her and pressed his hips close, then sank back into the water, letting her sit onto him as he gathered her close. His cock throbbed in her depths and even the heat of his juices was noticeable as he gifted them to her. His teeth loosened from her scruff and he panted, coming down from the combined peak they'd shared.

Nyia moaned as the hot essence filed her and his flesh still twitched its appreciation. She clung to his hand as his knot stayed deep within, likely to he there for a while more. Her breath was ragged and they both got echoes of the waves of pleasure that had just crashed over them.

Gannen panted, settling back until his friend was neck deep in the water and he was sitting against the wall of the tub. Since she was not canid, they could probably withdraw his knot, but no good reason to with it feeling so good. Then his ears flicked at a sound in the hallway that she couldn't quite hear. He wrapped his arms around her, relaxing and trying to look innocent.

"Gannen?" a voice asked from the entry. "I thought it was you!"

The fox glanced over his shoulder. "I was captured by tribal argonians and we've only just escaped. Let us wash and relax before people wake up."

"Oh, wow, tribals. Okay. Sorry. You'll introduce your friend later? I'm gonna let people know you're back!"

"Let them finish sleeping. We need to recuperate too. And shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Yeeeah... Okay." The fox was male, but young, so it was hard to tell his gender by his voice. Gannen let out a small breath of relief as the youngster headed off and Nyia trilled.

"How old is he? What is lilmothiit childhood like?" she asked, moving to work herself free of the know with a few more bit-back moans.

He sucked in a breath. Sure, she wasn't going to fully tie him, but that didn't make it easy to slip free. Around the distraction, he murmured, "Lots of sleep and lots of schooling. Magics and survival and all the swamp things we need to know. There is so much in all of the Black Marsh that can kill you if you don't know about it. Even here in the dryer forest. We have to learn a lot at that age to have a chance to survive. There are even some field trips during the day, so there is good light, but fewer of those as they get older."

He thought and hrrfed at the distracting tugs. "I think he's maybe six or seven."

She finally freed herself and rinsed. "I suppose in this place there is not a lot of room for play and childhood exploration. I guess the mer take childhood very seriously also, making sure they grow up prim and proper."

He nodded sagely. "Until we have more of us and don't live in such a dangerous place, it's tricky. Centuries ago we didn't come into breeding age as early either." His ears tilted. "I think I just heard three, so it'll be about two hours before people wake up."

"Heard three?"

"The hour? Three o'clock? We have a water clock system that tells time everywhere by the sound. It's just harder to hear in here."

"My ears are not as good as yours." She climbed out of the water and shook dry. "You said there's a bed? And maybe a long shirt?"

"We have big ears," he agreed. He climbed out and closed the water inlet, then opened the outlet and waited for all the water to drain before closing it again. He gave a brief shake, then turned to her. "My room. I don't have any long shirts, but there should be one somewhere. It's easier to find thin wraps, since those are more common."

"I can make a shirt and wrap if you have cloth long and wide enough," she said, fluffing her self to try to dry faster. She looked more like a cat as she shook her paws and tail.

"I don't have a lot of wide cloth. A thin wrap is..." He thought about how to describe it. "It wraps around a female's chest if she had cubs recently, and wraps around her waist and between her legs, but it's pretty narrow. Only certain protective clothing tends to be thicker or cover more. That and crafts." He held up his hands and his eyes flashed, then there was a cool burst of atomized water from his fur, leaving him dry and fluffy.

Her eyes widened and she stood absolutely frozen at this sight.

"Would you like me to dry you with the spell too?" he asked softly, eyeing her damp fur.

"Yes please," she said quietly, watching him, enthralled.

He nodded and his eyes flashed again. She had a sensation of a little bit of warmth, but not too much. The water remaining on her fur and skin atomized in a foomp of cool mist and left a lingering cloud that sank quickly to the floor. Her fur was delightfully fluffy now.

Surprised, she ran a hand through her longer mane and purred. "Nice and clean. Will we be allowed to sleep while everyone else is awake?"

He nodded and offered his arm. "We should be. Nobody but the cub knows I'm back yet." He stretched. "You are khajiit, so you probably want to sleep through the night?"

"I want to sleep until I wake up. I do not know how long it has been since I slept anywhere but on the ground."

"We'll have as long as we can. I don't know how long the cub can hold his tongue and I'm certain somebody will recognize my scent eventually. They'll notice yours too, since there are no khajiit around besides you."

"Lead the way to a sleeping place, then. Let's get what sleep we can."

Up the tunnels and then down two side branches to a door. Gannen opened it carefully and peeked inside, then stepped in. The room was sparse. If anybody randomly happened on it, they'd have a hard time determining that it was definitely occupied by anything intelligent. There was a bowl in the middle that had moss growing thickly in it, but the bowl and the mossy chest in the room both blended with the overall moss covering the majority of the bottom surfaces. There was even a hole in the ground with the soft sound of water in it, and upon investigation it was apparent it could be used as a toilet. The various roots that grew into the room had been subtly molded, creating places to sit and a table-like surface.

"Sleep first and clothing later?" he asked as Nyia curled up in the mossy bowl.

"The cloth will still be around, but your kin are likely to interrupt our sleep."

"To true. We sleep again around high moon though, so if they wake us we can sleep again then." He climbed onto the bowl and yawned, then curled up with his back against hers. Then he scooted away and rolled over, snuggling against her back instead.

Nyia sighed happily, shivering and pushing away the thoughts that she failed her estate and how much worse it could have been. She welcomed his closeness. Despite the link, he felt nice and acted nice, and that was something she was not as used to.

Before he relaxed, he groomed her ear gently, then tugged her comfortably against himself. They'd both spent who knew how long tormented by the lizards, and the sleeping pod in the trees was close but not the most comfortable even in the best situations.Here, this mossy bowl was cozy and his body against hers was warm and friendly. She didn't even mind his sheath being firm behind her. It made for pleasant dreams.

Now do this...

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