Page 178 of The Knucker King

Avice sighed into his scars. He was right, of course. Trewoofe may not have considered himself as smart as her, but in many ways he was. He had a deeper understanding of emotions. He helped talk through her concerns and feelings, as well as coping with his own grief for hundreds of turns of seasons.

She decided they owed it to each other: to try their best, to live as well as they can for as long as they can, to dare what they dreamed, and relish in the time they had. Her steadfast resolution reminded Avice of the Pillywiggin Princess. The little Good Neighbour had been determined to have her first bargain. Avice realised then, with everything that had happened, she had not told Trewoofe about what the Princess had said.

“Have you heard of Eostre?” she asked.

A line appeared between Trewoofe’s brows. “I have not. What is it?”

Avice recounted what the Princess had said to her about when she was marked and how the Spriggan needed females to look after Eostre.

“She did not know what or who it was either,” Avice concluded.

Trewoofe mulled for a moment as the line on his forehead deepened. “We can explore this further,” he replied. “But first, I assume you still wish to go to the church at Sunrise?”

“Yes, shall we prepare and make our way?” she replied, stepping towards the shallows.

He snagged her wrist. “It is not yet Sunrise,” he growled playfully. “It seems the Underneath thinks you need more time here before you go above.”

Avice tutted. She did say Sunrise and knew it would be wise to wait until there was light. She had no idea what the above would be like now, nor the state of the village, and she would need to see where she was going.

“So, swimming lessons?” Trewoofe offered brightly.

“Right now?” she scoffed.

He offered her a fang-filled grin. “Perhaps that is why the Underneath has slowed time for us. My Kingdom may not be content until you have learned to swim.”

Avice relented. Trewoofe knew the Underneath far better than her. He understood how it functioned in his inconceivable Sidhe King way.

“Alright.” She dipped her head in agreement. “Teach me.”

Trewoofe beamed at her before blundering deeper into the river. She gasped as he dropped beneath the surface, disappearing in a blink. Her heart was in her throat before he popped back up and sucked in a breath.

“It is easier to move through the water in my Knucker body than my human one,” he admitted as he swam smoothly back towards her.

Avice arched a brow at him. “You are doing very well, even so.”

He stood where the healing water lapped at his chest. “Lift your feet from the silt, put them behind you, and try to move towards me. Kick your legs and move your arms.” He rose and dipped his own arms in a regular pattern, one after the other. “Like this…”

Avice stuck her chin out. She did as he instructed and promptly sunk. She shoved herself up, sputtering, and eyed a smirking Trewoofe biting back a chuckle.

“Perhaps,” he suggested with twitching lips, “a little faster?”

She ignored his teasing and tried again. Whirring her arms around as quickly as a spinning wheel and kicking her legs with vigour.

It worked.

Slowly but surely, she made her way to her Knucker. He swept her into a crushing hug and kissed her nose. She beamed under his praise, and she realised she loved it a little too much. It reminded her of the words he growled during their rutting. She ignored her arousal as he instructed her to swim back to the bank. She did so, a little faster than when she had clumsily swum out.

Avice puffed and sat in the shallows. “How was that?”

“Wonderful!” He clapped his hands together. “Now, you must repeat it, many, many times over.”

Avice did indeed repeat it many, many times over. She made her way to and from Trewoofe at increasingly bigger distances as he swam out further to test her growing ability. By the time she could reach the far bank, Trewoofe sang his approval and swam the distance back with her. They settled together in the shallows, the chiming water caressing their skin.

“Well,” Avice panted, “am I doing well?”

“I am satisfied with your swimming.” Trewoofe licked a hot stripe from her inked collar bone to her ear lobe, making her tremble. “I know, should you fall into the river without me close, that you will be safe.”

She quivered at his tenderness. Avice wished she did not have to go above. What she wanted to do was ask Trewoofe to take her back to their nest and rut her until she could not think clearly. Instead, she stood and stepped onto the bank. Determined to prepare to go above, she squeezed the healing waters from her dripping hair. Trewoofe was not shy as he ogled her, his eyes following the pattern of the sparkling water that ran off her body.