Ch213: Skinning the Boar

A thin veil of fog lingers in the air, cool and damp. The greenery, rivers, and ‘lakes’ of the grotto can barely be seen, little more than a dim glow leaking in through the dozens of skylights high above... alongside drizzling streams of water that bleed into mist long before they reach the ground.

Krvavy can’t help but scowl at that sight.

But she isn’t too annoyed, those negative feelings banished by the squeeze of some small fingers clinging onto her much bigger black-scaled ones.

“Guess this is what we get for living underground...” The Drakling softly sighs, keeping her pace steady and slow as she descends down the switchback path, as to not leave the shortest of her girls behind. “We can’t see the sky, so we don’t know what kind of weather to expect.”

“D-d-did it l-look like r-r-r-ra-rain l-last night...?” Adeline nervously asks, her stutter made worse as she shivers and shudders, little goosebumps appearing all across her bare body.

“Uh... Not really...?” Krvavy absentmindedly replies, focusing less on that question and more on drawing energy from deep within her ethereal core, coaxing heat through her channels. Vapour rises from her glistening skin, the tiniest droplets of mist all but evaporating away. Only then does she give a proper answer. Or, well, she tries to. “It was pretty windy though... So I guess it came blowing in overnight...?”

Adeline’s round and rosy cheek rubs right up against the Drakling’s outer thigh, her arms wrapped tight around that leg as she indulges in the warmth emanating from within. Which makes walking a rather more awkward task for the both of them.

“Eeep!” That bottom-heavy bunny-mouse squeaks in surprise as she is suddenly, and without even the slightest warning, scooped up into the barbarian’s arms.

“Come on,” Krvavy holds that brightly blushing blonde close to her chest, just one of her pale-skinned tits pressing into Adeline’s absolutely tiny pair, the other resting atop that girl’s soft belly. “Lets hurry up so that we can find somewhere a bit dryer.”

The Halfling’s big hazel-brown eyes are wide and unblinking, her face flushing further and further with each frantic beat of her little heart. “Eeiip!” She squeaks again, catching herself staring at the giant so effortlessly carrying her. Without wasting another second, she grabs at those wonderfully soft and floppy ears of hers, hastily hiding her embarrassment behind them.

As nice as it is to walk alongside Adeline... the Drakling’s significantly longer stride makes their journey down into the grotto a much faster affair.

Soon enough, the carcass of a giant ‘boar’ comes into view, that hollowed and gutted beast resting not too far from a decently sized bush... exactly where Krvavy and Khalia left it last night. And it is about as dry as something surrounded by thick fog could hope to be... But at least the bodies of the few smaller ‘pigs’ that died in that panicked stampede seem to have been retrieved, which does save Krvavy a bit of work...

“Tsk.” With a great deal of reluctance, the barbarian lowers her bunny-mouse girl back down to the ground. “I don’t think I’d be able to carry you and this thing at the same time.” Her narrowed eyes turn to glare at that huge pig. “It’s just too big...”

Adeline shivers but doesn’t protest. She simply stands by Krvavy’s side, awkwardly shifting her weight back and forth between her bunny paw feet, unable to do much more than watch as that dead boar is lifted off the sturdy stone hooks it had been hanging from.

“Nghf...” Krvavy grunts as the considerable weight that carcass presses down into both of her shoulders at once. Even after being completely emptied of all its organs... This giant beast of a pig is still so heavy... “There.” Her scaled fingers tighten their grip on the legs of this soon-to-be butchered boar, holding it firmly in place. “Lead the way.”

The Halfling quietly gasps, quickly blinking her big hazel-brown eyes as she is snapped from her distracted daze. The blush filling her face burns just a bit brighter as she swiftly spins around on the spot, floppy bunny ears and her fur-tipped tail swinging through the air, before hastily hurrying back the way they came.

Krvavy quite easily keeps pace with that shivering, scurrying mouse. Even with the cumbersome carcass strewn over her shoulders. Even with the path ahead being entirely uphill. Even with the ground slick from the mist.

Her legs are longer than that girl is tall, after all.

Both barbarian and bunny-mouse girl soon leave the fog behind. But that doesn’t mean the air around them gets any warmer. It actually gets a bit colder as they head deeper into the cave, straying further from the reach of the sun, further from the greenery of the grotto. Yet not far enough for any of the hot springs to be near.

“Mngh...” They pass between the two stone columns that mark the top of the switchback path, turning left towards Inanna’s workshop. “Here, this looks like a good spot.” Krvavy grunts, stopping before the steadily flowing river.

As expected, Adeline is completely fine with Krvavy’s choice. All they needed was a wide open space that isn’t blanketed with fog. And this is just that.

The heavy, hollowed carcass thumps onto the ground.

With a faint flash, Krvavy’s Soulbound weapon manifests in her hand... startling the timid Halfling standing quite close to her side. “Sorry.” The barbarian apologizes, carefully placing her axe down beside that dead boar. The Synthetic Heartstone that is its crystalline spearhead begins to glow, using the mana stored within itself to illuminate their immediate surroundings. “Not quite as good as the lantern... Can you see alright?”

“Y-yes.” Adeline quickly nods, her face flushing even further as she sidles right up to the barbarian, basking in the warmth still emanating from the body of that giant dickgirl. Her little fingers nervously fiddle with the rounded tips of her velvety ears.

“Alright...” Krvavy loosens the belt strapped around her waist, pulling it and the various tools free. “You have more experience with this kind of thing than I do, isn’t that right~?”

Adeline audibly gulps, staring wide-eyed at the gigantic carcass resting just beyond her reach. “N-not with an-anyth-thing so b-b-b-bi-big...!” She shakily stutters, dropping her floppy bunny ears and instead grabbing onto the Drakling’s leg, wrapping her arms around her significantly taller lover’s knee... hiding from this already dead animal.

A warm smile finds its way onto Krvavy’s face. Her black-scaled fingers brush across soft strands of dark-blonde hair, careful not to mess with Adeline’s loosely done bun as she gives that anxious girl a reassuring pat on the head. “Neither have I. So this’ll be a bit of a learning experience for the both of us.”

Adeline takes a long and deep breath, slowly exhaling as she reluctantly lets go of her lifeline.

With her leg now unhindered, the Drakling delicately lowers herself down to the ground. But even like this, kneeling as she is, Krvavy is still taller than this timid blonde of hers. Though only by about a head. Her head. Which is closer to two of this Halfling’s heads...

“Ahem...” Krvavy clears her throat and pushes that idle thought aside. “Have you ever seen this kind of boar before?” She curiously wonders, grabbing up a short knife with a stubby curved blade.

The bunny-mouse girl trails her gaze across this carcass, glancing over towards the large, bristly quills that cover its back. “No...”

“Yeah, I suppose this isn’t something you could keep on a farm...” Especially not a Halfling farm. This things charred head is just about the size of Adeline in her entirety. An animal this big would quite difficult for such a small folk to keep under control, to put it lightly.

A light tp tp tp can just about be heard as that tiny blonde taps her fingers together in an adorably anxious display. “I-I have hel-helped butcher s-some p-p-pigs though...!”

Krvavy sinks her knife into the meaty edge of this dead beast’s emptied belly. “That’s good.” She warmly replies, taking a moment to shoot her Halfling a soft smile. “As weird as this thing is, I’m pretty sure that it is still kinda sorta a pig. Or at least close enough to not be too different from one.”

Adeline’s thin tail twists around her wondrously wide hips, the tuft of fur at its tip instinctively covering up her otherwise exposed slit, as well as the little strip of a bush that stands above her pussy. This Halfling may be getting more and more used to being utterly naked all the time, but she isn’t yet at the point where such as state of undress is completely casual for her. As such... It takes a conscious effort for Adeline to not press her hands down atop her tiny little tits, instead fiddling with the silvery bracelet resting around her wrist. Her thumb brushes across the smooth black gem encircling that metallic band.

“So...” Slowly but steadily, the Drakling skins this massive carcass. A task made both harder and easier by the way that Khalia had mangled its side. Those torn, ripped, sliced, and slashed gouges may have given her many more places to start cutting from... but at the cost of burdening her with quite a few thick ‘ribbons’ of flesh that need to be dealt with. “Beryl’s been keeping you busy the past few days, huh~?”

The bunny-mouse girl jumps and stifles a gasp, her back straightening up as she freezes in place. “Y-y-y-y-ye-yes...!” She stutters and stammers after a few uncomfortably long seconds, sounding more than a little panicked despite the Drakling’s playful tone.

Krvavy stops what she is doing, carefully placing her skinning knife down before glancing at the girl standing by her side, a single eyebrow rather cautiously raised.

Adeline immediately turns her gaze away.

The barbarian lightly bites her bottom lip. “She... hasn’t been making you do anything... weird... has she?” A tinge of concern underlines that question, even if that fact makes Krvavy feel a little guilty. She shouldn’t doubt her sweet berry, but... Beryl usually does her best to make Adeline feel quite comfortable, even getting dressed when she is around the timid girl. So this kind of reaction and response is... worrying.

“N-no-n-n-no!” The Halfling hastily shakes her head, those floppy ears of hers flying back and forth.

Something about that response doesn’t quite sit right with Krvavy... “Look, its okay, if she’s making you do something that you’re uncomfortable with, I’ll talk –”

“N-no!” Pure and utter panic fills the tiny blonde’s stuttered tone. Her little hands shoot forward, tightly grasping onto the barbarian’s buff arm. “It! I-i-it! It-its! S-s-s-se-sec-cret! Su-up-s-s-surp-prise!”

Krvavy can’t help but frown a little.

Which is enough to make Adeline recoil as if she had been slapped.

“Is it... at least a good surprise...?” The barbarian hesitantly asks. A part of her knows that she really shouldn’t keep pressing this poor Halfling for an answer, but she just can’t help but worry about whatever ‘secret’ that her Elf is hiding. Beryl doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to surprises. Krvavy is still a little bitter about being bound and restrained by those vines...

Tears well up in the corners of Adeline’s wide and watery eyes, collecting on her thick eyelashes and threatening to stream down her cheeks. “Eeeeeeee...” She shudders and shakes, shrinking into herself as she struggles to not break the promise she no doubt made with their tomboy of an Elf.

A slow sigh escapes past Krvavy’s pale lips, her shoulders slumping as her head hangs down. “Sorry...” She wraps an arm around that tiny, trembling blonde... tentatively pulling Adeline into a tight hug. “I... I know that you wouldn’t do anything bad. So... I’ll stop prying.”

The bunny-mouse girl nearly goes limp in her barbaric lover’s embrace, weak legs wobbling far too much to be trusted to hold her up on their own.

Krvavy’s comparatively giant hand presses flat in the middle of Adeline’s back, between her shoulderblades. Each quick beat of that blonde bunny’s little heart echoes through her palm. The Drakling leans in, nuzzling her nose into the top of Adeline’s head, planting apologetic kisses on a bed of dark-blonde hair.

“P-p-pl-ple-please...” Quiet sniffling sounds interrupt that shakily whispered word. “D-d-don’t t-tell M-m-mi-mis-ss Ber-Beryl...!”

“Shhhh... Shh...” Krvavy simply holds onto her Halfling, letting the anxious girl cry into her chest. “Its okay... I won’t say a word. I won’t bring this up again. I promise. We can just... pretend that this didn’t happen. Alright?”

That promise goes a long way in calming Adeline down. But it still takes the girl a few minutes to fully recover. “Th... thank y-you...” She weakly squeaks, reluctantly pulling away from the Drakling’s warm hug, wiping the tears from her round cheeks.

Krvavy’s carnivorous teeth catch onto the inside of her cheek. Her jaw rolls just a bit, a slightly metallic taste filling her mouth. Part of her wants to ask if the Halfling is feeling better now, but... but she doesn’t want to linger on what just happened, in case that would upset Adeline. So it is probably best to just... move on.

With a subtle nod, more to herself than the bunny-mouse awkwardly standing beside her, Krvavy picks up her stubby little knife and turns her attention back towards the giant carcass in need of butchering.

After only a few minutes... Adeline steps forward, ready to do what she can to help. Her little hands grab fistfuls of coarse and bristly fur, pulling at the pelt of this boar as Krvavy cuts it away from the tough meat hidden beneath.

But even with the Halfling’s help, the sheer size of that dead boar makes this a rather difficult job. Krvavy, with her fairly long arms, has to lean onto this car-sized carcass just to reach across it. And Adeline, short as she is, has to awkwardly walk all the way around that giant thing to keep peeling its pelt away.

Eventually though, the two are able to successfully skin an entire side of this oversized pig, that expanse of raw flesh now exposed to the cool cave air.

Which means that the easy part is now over.

The large quills that line the boars back extend through its thick skin and into the muscly meat around its spine. And each one is just a little too tough for this sharp knife to cut. Not without using a fair bit of force, at least. But that is easier said than done, what with their awkward position... Being on the other side of this boar wouldn’t even help. The quills themselves are just as inconvenient an obstacle as the rest of this carcass...

“Okay... Here, let’s just...” Krvavy takes the heavy edge of that pelt from the hands of her adorable helper, draping it back over this meaty corpse. “Looks like we’ll have to pull each and every one of those things out of its back...” She sighs, rising to her feet.

Adeline awkwardly steps aside, letting the Drakling walk around this half skinned pig.

Krvavy kneels down near the mass of quills, carefully grabbing onto one of them. “Mnnn...” It takes a bit of effort, but the long bristly needle can be plucked free from the carcass. Or, well, torn free is probably a more apt way to describe it...

Now she just needs to do that... a few hundred times more...

There isn’t much for the Halfling to do but stand around and wait for Krvavy to finish pulling out quill after quill after quill after quill... And that lack of purpose clearly gives her mind the chance to wander. “Uhn... K-kr-va-Krvav-vy...?”

“Huh?” The barbarian glances at that rather nervous bunny-mouse girl. “Yeah?”

“C-c-can...” Adeline flinches at the sound of her own voice. “Ca-can-an... I-I-I...!” Her nearly flat chest rapidly rises and falls, her every breath shallower and more rapid than the last. “A-ask...! A-a-a-ab-b-abou...!” She seems to give up trying to speak, slumping over and collapsing in on herself, gasping quite heavily. “Eeeeeeeiieee...”

Krvavy blinks as her Halfling curls into a ball, right there on the cold cave floor. “Uhh...” The barbarian’s brow furrows with concern. And confusion. “How about... How about we try using these things?” She taps the Far-Speaking ring clinging tightly to her lower right horn. “That might make this a bit... easier... for you.”

Adeline’s big hazel-brown eyes seem to stare straight into the Drakling’s soul... before darting down to the bracelet on her wrist. “Ok-k-ka-ay...” She nervously nods, timidly touching that piece of jewellery. ⟨H-hello...?⟩

⟨Hey,⟩ Krvavy accompanies her mentally projected greeting with a warm smile, trying to ease the tiny blonde’s nerves. Even if that may well be a hopeless task. ⟨What was it that you wanted to ask me?⟩

The Halfling tries to take a deep breath, making a slight squeak of a sound in the process. ⟨Y-your past...⟩

Krvavy’s smile drops from her face in an instant. Though, luckily, Adeline doesn’t see that, having already hidden behind those floppy bunny ears of hers. ⟨What... what about my past?⟩ The barbarian struggles to keep her ‘tone’ even and free of hostility. ⟨You should already know the gist of it.⟩ She doesn’t do the best job at that.

“Eeeeeeeeeeiieeee...” The Halfling gently rocks back and forth. ⟨Y-y-your f-f-fa-aml-ly...!⟩ Adeline’s mentally projected voice cracks and wavers, her nervous squeak warbling as a result.

Krvavy slowly sighs.

And though that sound is quiet, Adeline still hears it. ⟨If you d-do-don’t –!⟩

⟨No,⟩ the barbarian interjects. Choosing to have this conversation through these magical pieces of jewellery was a good ides. It’ll make this easier for the both of them. ⟨It’s... alright. What do you want to know?⟩

Adeline shakily lifts her head, peeking past her velvety ears. She skittishly stares at the Drakling with those big and watery eyes of hers. ⟨An-anyth-th-thing y-you want t-to tal-ta-talk about...⟩

Krvavy grabs onto another quill and tears it from the boars back. With perhaps a bit too much force, judging by the way her little bunny jumps. ⟨I had a mother and a sister. That’s all.⟩

⟨N-no dad?⟩ The Halfling sharply inhales, wincing at her own question.

⟨No. Not one that I ever knew.⟩ The barbarian bitterly replies, biting her tongue. Not that that does much but send a spike of pain through her brain. ⟨He left, or died – I don’t even know – before I could walk. Before I could crawl. For all I know, I might not even have the same one as my sister.⟩

Adeline remains utterly silent for over a minute, hardly even breathing during that time. But the connection between Far-Speaking ring and bracelet hasn’t been cut. That fact lingers in both their minds.

One by one the quills are torn free, giving Krvavy an outlet for her unpleasant emotions.

⟨And...⟩ The tiny, timid girl takes a long and deep... and quite shaky... breath. ⟨What about her? Y-your sister?⟩ She quickly clarifies, curling up just a bit more in the process.

The Drakling’s jaw clenches. ⟨Dead.⟩ Hardly any emotion is sent along with that single word. Just an empty feeling, cold and hollow.

⟨H–?⟩ Adeline stops herself, exhaling very slowly. ⟨What was she like...?⟩

⟨I... hardly remember.⟩ Krvavy’s fingers grip onto a bristly quill, though she can’t quite work up the strength to pull it out. ⟨Kind. Gentle. Caring. Everything our mom wasn’t.⟩

⟨And...⟩ The bunny-mouse girl hesitates. Slowly, she pushes herself back up, sitting on the rocky ground. Those big hazel-brown eyes stare at the back of this barbarian’s head. ⟨Her? Is she... dead too?⟩

“Hah!” A single, rueful laugh rings through the air. ⟨I wish.⟩

A pair of thin, dark-blonde eyebrows shoot up in surprise. ⟨W-why...?⟩ That mentally transmitted word is sent as hardly more than a whisper, so weak that is barely able to be heard.

“Adeline,” the Drakling turns to look at her Halfling. “My family was nothing like yours.”

“I-I kn-ow...” Adeline shakily exhales, resisting the near-overwhelming urge to hide behind her ears. Those little fingers of hers tremble, clenched tight together and held down near her waist, kept far and away from her face.

The echo of a sigh underlines Krvavy’s voice. “Which is why you’re asking these questions.” She blankly states, not blaming this bunny-mouse for bringing up this topic. It isn’t Adeline’s fault that it is... such a touchy one.

The Halfling nervously nods her head.

The Drakling’s gaze drops down to the ground. “Has anyone in your family died...?” She hesitantly asks. “That you remember?”

“Y-yes.” Adeline nods again, the darker ends of her blonde bunny ears slipping over her slim shoulders, hanging down across her chest. “A f-few. Most re-rece-ce-ent was... A-ab-bout f-four years ago. My g-grandpa.”

“Did he have a funeral?” The barbarian turns back towards the boar carcass, though she doesn’t do much more than stare blankly at that dead thing, still and unmoving as it is.

“Y-y-yes...” A tinge of sorrow can be heard in that stuttered word, memories of the dead brought back into her head.

Krvavy trails a single finger along the length of one random quill, feeling the faint little bumps that cover its otherwise smooth surface. “My sister didn’t get one. Her ashes were put in a metal can. My mom threw it out.”

Silence hangs in the air for just a second, broken by a sharp gasp. “What?!”

The Drakling flinches as that Halfling’s body collides with her back, trembling little arms wrapping tight around her, slipping beneath her shoulders and passing above her breasts.

“Why would she do that?!” Adeline all but demands to know, trembling and shaking with... rage...? “Why...?!” Her briefly steady voice wavers and cracks, her angered sock quickly fizzles away into despair.

“She didn’t want it in ‘her home’.” Krvavy simply shrugs. “I dug it out of the trash anyway. My mom never found it. If she did...” The barbarian weakly shakes her head. That doesn’t need to be said. “That can was hideous. Still... it was my sisters home for years. I was able to get her a better jar eventually. One nice enough that... that whoever scavenged my apartment probably dumped her out and resold it...”

“I... I’m s-s-sorry...” The timid blonde whimpers, burying her face into the Drakling’s shoulder. Wet tears trail down across black scales and pale skin. “I sh-shou-shouldn’t h-have...”

“No, it’s... not your fault.” A slow and oh so very tired sigh passes through Krvavy’s pale lips. “You just want to know more about me. And that’s... fair. It’s completely fair. Really, I should be the one apologizing. You’re trying so hard, and I’m... I’m the one making this conversation... difficult.”

Adeline simply squeaks at that. “Eeeeie...” Only to suddenly and abruptly step back, giving Krvavy a rather forceful poke – almost a punch – in the shoulder. “W-wo-woul–! Wouldyouliketorubmyears?!”

The barbarian rather blankly blinks, glancing back at this bunny-mouse girl of hers. It takes Krvavy a couple seconds to decode that hastily stuttered request.

An intense, red blush colours Adeline’s round cheeks as she anxiously stands there, shifting her weight back and forth between her bunny paw feet. Those big hazel-brown eyes of hers stare down and off to the side, unable to meet the Drakling’s gaze. Slowly and shakily, she lifts up the ends of her velvety ears... offering them to her barbaric lover.

Krvavy can’t help but smile, even if rather weakly. She knows exactly what this sweet girl is doing. “Sure...” She softly sighs, turning towards her Halfling. “Oh.” The barbarian’s brow furrows as she glances down at her slightly bloodied hands. “Maybe I should clean up a little first...”

Adeline’s blush grows even deeper as Krvavy gets up and heads towards the nearby river. She awkwardly squirms and shuffles to and fro, rubbing her thick thighs together as her wide hips sway from side to side, that little ‘dance’ partially caused by her nerves and partially meant to keep herself warm. Her fur-tipped tail sways around behind her body, swishing across the solid stone ground like a tiny broom.

“There.” Steam rises from Krvavy’s now clean hands, the pleasant heat returning with her. “It would have been a shame if I got those beautiful ears of yours dirty~...” An attempt is made to be a little flirty and teasing, but the barbarian doesn’t quite have it in her right now.

But still, the bunny-mouse girl audibly gulps, quivering as she quite clearly resists the urge to hide her face. “Hhhhh...!” She rather relieved gasp escapes past her little lips as the Drakling kneels down and finally takes hold of her offered ears. Her palms quickly press down onto her flushed cheeks, fingers covering her big eyes.

Krvavy graciously ignores that embarrassed reaction, even acting like she doesn’t see those little fingers part to let Adeline peek past them.

“Hhhha...” The Halfling’s shoulders slump ever so slightly as she slowly begins to loosen up. Bit by bit, tension leaves her bottom-heavy body, the stress of... all this... fading away.

Each slow stroke and relaxing rub calms both barbarian and bunny-mouse. Krvavy relishes in the feeling of luxuriously soft fur gliding across her scaled skin, indulging in this simple pleasure. Adeline loses herself in serene bliss, enjoying everything about this intimate and loving massage.

A content smile spreads across that adorable Halfling’s round and rosy face, just barely visible in the gradually growing gap between her hands.

A warm, fuzzy feeling fills the Drakling’s head. Her ever-present idle thoughts peter out, leaving her mind pleasantly blank. She could, honestly, spend all day doing this.

And, if it was up to her, she may very well do just that...

But eventually, after who knows how many satisfyingly long minutes, Adeline gasps and breaks the spell. Her fingers grasp at the Drakling’s upper horns as she leans in and plants a quick peck of a kiss on her larger lover’s pale lips.

“Mhhmm~...” Krvavy happily hums, still stroking her Halfling’s soft ears. “Suppose we should get back to work on this thing, huh...?”

“Y-yes...” The tiny blonde nervously nods... doing absolutely nothing to stop this calming massage.

The barbarian takes a long and deep breath. “Thanks.” She slowly exhales, reluctantly releasing that sweet girl’s soft and velvety bunny ears.

“F-for what?” Adeline genuinely asks, that fairly forward response seeing her round face flush a rather rosy hue.

“For being here. For being you.” Krvavy plainly returns, patting her adorable girl on the head. “We may not have had the best conversations, but I’m still happy to have been able to spend some time with you.”

Adeline’s little lips twitch with embarrassed joy, curling into a bashful smile. She shudders and shakes, squirming just a bit, but... mustering all her will... she peers deep into her Draconic lover’s emerald eyes. “I-I... I’m hap-happy to be h-here with you t-t-too~...” Her little hands clasp onto the barbarian’s much bigger ones.

Krvavy grins and leans forwards, planting a soft kiss on her lovable Halfling’s big forehead.

That bunny-mouse girl’s rosy red blush burns even brighter, rivalling the crimson colour of Krvavy’s hair as it spreads down to her shoulders. But even then, her timid smile only grows wider and warmer and happier too.

“You are such a sweet little thing~.” With a great deal of reluctance, the Drakling pulls her hands free from that cute little bunny’s embrace. She just barely resists the urge to kiss or hug her Halfling again, instead just giving the tiny blonde another affectionate pat. “Now... There are only a few more quills to pluck out, and then we can get back to skinning this thing...”

Adeline beams with joy as she stands by her barbarian’s side, their tails coiling together.