Page 14 of Barbarian's Treat

MADDIE

It's a pretty good celebration,I have to admit. I watch as Masan races around with the other boys in his costume. He's changed his mind four times before settling on being a mummy, just because he liked the idea of running around in nothing but bandages. He jumps onto Wrek's back, and the two go tumbling to the ground. "Mummy beats skyclaw!"

"Does not!" Wrek shrieks, flapping his feathered arms. "Skyclaw always wins!"

Calmly, Warrek walks towards the boys, pries them apart, and sets them on their feet. He tousles Masan's hair, pats his son on the head, and points them back toward the main celebration, where Stacy is setting up her cake walk.

"I have no idea how someone as quiet as Warrek made a child as loud as Wrek," I comment to Hassen for probably the millionth time. "Seriously. Every time I see him, I'm amazed."

"It is Suh-mer," my mate says easily, coming up behind me and slinging his arm over my shoulders to pull me close. "Her mouth is always moving."

Well, he's not wrong about that, either. Even so, I've got a soft spot for the shy ones. Summer reminds me of Lila sometimes and I catch myself defending her. "Summer just likes to talk and she gets nervous sometimes. It happens."

"Mmm. Is our son gone to the festivities? Can we have our own celebration now?" My mate presses kisses to the side of my head. "I think I would like to see you in no costume at all. No costume, no tunic, just bare, juicy teats."

His tail is curling around my thigh, and normally I'd be the first one to jump in bed now that we've got a reprieve, but it's the holiday. "I kinda want to see what Stacy's setting up for the cake walk. And what the prizes are."

Hassen nips at my ear. "If I win you a prize, will you reward me?"

I roll my eyes at him, amused, and pat his arm. "Babe, the prizes are for the kids."

"Bah. What do the adults do?"

"Enjoy the fun their kids are having? And isn't there a game later tonight? Football?"

"After the midday meal, yes. Which means we can hide in the furs together until then." His tongue teases at the shell of my ear.

My body tingles and I have to admit he's making a convincing argument. "Well...maybe just for a bit."

"I do not need long to make you quiver," he tells me with excitement, sliding a hand behind my knees and hauling me into the air, bridal-carry style.

By the time Hassen's made me come twice and we've cleaned ourselves up, drumming can be heard drifting through the village. My mate braids my hair off my face for me and wehead out to the main lodge, where everyone is gathering. As we approach, I can see both kits and adults walking on the winding, circular path marked in chalk on the stone floors. It drifts around the edges of the steaming pool, circling it. One spot has been marked especially with lots of color and paint, and is in front of Drayan and Vadren, who sit with their drums and make a beat for us to enjoy. People walk along the path and the drumming speeds up, even as people linger on the marked spot. When the drumming abruptly stops, it's Nora's daughter Elsa on the special spot. She squeals with delight—her pale mane pulled into multiple tufts that stick out of her head like a crude Statue of Liberty—and races over to Kemli and Farli, who are manning the prize table.

"Isn't that sweet?" Megan says, coming up to us as she bounces her daughter Jewel on her hip. The little one is dressed as a puffball of some kind, the fur dyed a baby pink, and she's got two more tufts of pink on the ends of her horns. "Kemli and Farli wanted to help with the celebration, so they've been cooking little pies for everyone. There's enough for the entire village but you have to play the game, of course." She eyes Jewel, who's still a small, slobbery toddler with her fist in her mouth. "You ready to go play, baby?"

Jewel shakes her head and buries her face against her mother's neck.

"Maybe not yet," Megan chuckles, smiling at us.

"Pie, you say?" Hassen rubs his hands together. "I could eat something. What is this pie?"

"Oh man. Pie. I'd kill for apple pie right about now," I add, wishing there were more sweets on this planet.

"There's two kinds of pie," Megan tells us. "Sweet and savory. Both made with not-potato and lard crust, so they're a little crumbly but so tasty. One is a spicy meat pie, and the other ismade with bits of dried fruit and some seeds and I swear it tastes a lot like fig."

Now my mouth waters. "I would absolutely murder some fig pie."

"Shall we go dance on the path, then?" Hassen asks me, gesturing at the cake walk. "The music is starting up again."

"All right, but if you win one of the sweet pies, I'm eating yours," I tell him. I wave to Megan and then join the crowd on the path. Masan is across the way from us and waves his hand so excitedly that he loses a few mummy bandages. My heart squeezes at the sight of my son having so much fun. He even let Millicent stay home and nest on his blankets, since carrying a big fat bird didn't “match” his scary costume.

"Maybe we'll tell the kids creepy stories later," I say to Hassen as we start walking when the drumming begins again. "I know one about a guy that has a hook for a hand."

My mate glances back at me. "Why is that scary?"

"Because he has a hook! For a hand!"

"Where did his hand go?"