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"Or one dragon," I joke, since Ashtar flies between the two villages regularly.
Sessah chuckles and guides me into the cozy stone hut we've claimed for the time being. I'm told they're leftovers from an ancient culture, and portions had to be rebuilt, but it's nice compared to the flimsier huts back on Icehome Beach. There's a slab of rock established for a kitchen counter, a stone hearth in the center of the floor, a nook for a nest of furs, and best of all, a toilet room with some sort of plumbing. It's nothing more than a pipe system that runs water under the village, but it's heaven as far as I'm concerned. Normally I'd feel a little guilty about taking up someone's space, since most of the huts are tiny, but Croatoan has several used just for storage and some for Icehome visitors specifically.
I take a pee break in our hut and change out of the layers (upon layers) of clothing I'm wearing as Sessah gets me a cup of hot tea from the fire. I thought he was protective before, but he's positively doting now and…I kind of eat it up. I'll let him know how grateful I am for his sweetness later in bed.
There's a scratch at the covering over the door, and then a loud, familiar "Ho!" that practically shakes the rafters of the hut.
Sessah groans good-naturedly. "That would be my brother, back from hunting."
I chuckle, slipping a fresh tunic over my head and tucking it into my new belt. "He's welcome to come in."
"You say that now," Sessah grumps. He lifts his head, calling out in a loud voice, "But some of us went to Icehome to avoid him!"
"Lies," Aehako bellows through the door cheerfully. "You are excited to see your brother, admit it!"
Sessah pretends to be annoyed and opens the screen. Immediately, Aehako bursts in, all horns and smile. He's big and stocky, like my Sessah, and they both take after their father, Oshen. Whereas Sessah has his father's quieter personality, Aehako is loud and noisy and full of laughter. He loops an arm around Sessah's neck and tugs on one of his horns, grinning wildly. "I see my little brother has snared himself a fine female! I told you the courting gift would work."
Huh? This is the first I've heard of a courting gift. "What courting gift?"
To my surprise, Sessah turns deep blue from horn to chin. "Aehako," he growls. "Do not—"
"A courting gift," Aehako continues, poking Sessah in the ribs like a true brother. "It is an ancient human secret. You court a female by carving a replica of your cock out of bone. You gift it to her when you know she is the one for you, and she can try your gift out to determine if you are the right male for her."
Whaaat? I choke on the words. "I'm sorry, a bone cock?"
"A dill-ho," Aehako agrees with a mischievous smile. "I gave one to my Ki-rah when I decided she was to be my mate. I told this one about it and he crafted a dill-ho for a future mate a few seasons back. My mother was quite furious when she found out I had told him such a thing." He grins at me wickedly. "If I had a braid, she would have pulled it off my head." He tilts his face. "Come to think of it, Ki-rah was not very pleased with me, either."
"Because you were laughing at me," Sessah says, shoving his brother in the gut. He looks so embarrassed that it dries my laughter up.
"The elders say that dill-ho exists to this day," Aehako intones. "But no one has ever seen it again—"
"Enough," Sessah says, twisting out of his brother's arms. He gives him a good-natured shove. "Go and harass your mate. Mine needs a rest from visitors before we join the celebration."
Aehako just winks at me. "We are glad you are here, Sam. My Ki-rah will be along shortly. She is painting the kits' faces for the celebration. And look out for my mother. If I know her—and I do—she will have more than one dish put aside to stuff you full of food so you give Sessah a fat, happy kit. You—"
"Go," Sessah says to his brother, pushing him toward the door. "Leave my mate alone. You will tell her all kinds of horrifying things at the feast, but until then, she is mine."
Aehako waves and heads back out, and Sessah wastes no time shoving the screen back over the door. He relaxes against the wall with a sigh and shakes his head. "My family is impossible."
I cross my arms under my breasts and give him an amused look. "What's this about a carved penis?"
He scrubs a hand over his face, groaning. "Leezh played a trick on my brother when he first showed interest in Ki-rah. She told him humans want a carved cock to test out a male before they decide to take them into the furs. Aehako decided to play the same prank upon me, and when I first returned after leaving Icehome, he told me about it. I made one, and my mother caught me. She was very confused until I told her about Aehako's story, and then she was just angry."
