Page 200 of The Knucker King

With that, Trewoofe dashed into the garden. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was tousled. He wore his dark tunic, purple hose, and his feet were bare. Petals littered his hair and flowers snagged in his horns. His shell amulet jingled merrily as he snapped his head right and left, grinning at everyone who had come to celebrate with them.

Everyone silenced at his arrival. It was so quiet, Avice could have heard a pin drop. He was scanning the small gathering, looking for her… Then, their eyes met. His face was radiant as he raked his gaze over her. It was as though he were starving, and she was the feast he had been waiting for.

A blush crept up her chest and neck.

She took a wobbly step towards him.

Like lightning, he crossed the distance between them. She let out a bright, loud laugh as he swept her into his arms, and spun her through sparkling air.

“The sight of you…” he whispered into her ear as she slipped down him, “…steals the breath from my body.”

Avice landed dizzily on her tiptoes. Bramble trotted over to them with Ashling floating close behind. Trewoofe kissed the top of her head before turning to address their boys.

“Hello, my darlings,” he greeted, patting the Grim’s head and scrunching his nose at the Wisp’s flames. “Forgive my delay. I had a mishap with my horns.”

Avice, Bramble, and Ashling exchanged a look, and burst into fits of laughter. A line appeared between Trewoofe’s eyebrows, and he lowered his lips to Avice’s ear, his breath making her skin prickle.

“What is so amusing?” he asked.

She patted his cheek. “We made a joke that your delay was because of a ‘horn incident’.”

The lines on his face switched from a frown to a grin. “It happens a lot, does it not?”

“It does,” Avice agreed, and pecked his nose. “Are you ready?”

“I have been ready for many Moon cycles,” he grumbled. “It was you who wanted to wait so long.”

That was true. Avice had wanted them to wait. To allow things to settle and make sure it was safe to hold a gathering where humans and Good Neighbours could mingle freely. She wanted to delay until after she put Eostre into her slumber, a short time before her Summer sister would take over.

Avice had correctly sensed that there should be a buffer between the two Goddesses, to allow one season to ebb before the other could flow. It was a cycle, just like that of the tides and Moon. Avice knew that meant things would not be on a schedule like a human would expect it. Instead, it would be on instinct, intuition, something she would do when it felt right. While humans, Good Neighbours, and Dragons marked and celebrated the Solstices and Equinoxes, the Goddesses did as they wished.

Of course, Trewoofe had escorted her on the journey to see Eostre. After she had done her duty, they confirmed the Birthing Tree and Spriggan were settling in well to Knucker Glade. In total, they had been away for a week, as instinct drove Trewoofe to check the Sidhe. When they had seen that translucent purple wall, it pulsed powerfully with magic. Once their duty was done for this turn of seasons, Avice was more than ready to Tail Tie with her sweet Knucker.

Ashling floated into her eyeline. “Shall we proceed? Everyone is waiting.”

Avice turned to the audience that had been curiously watching their exchange. “Thank you for coming,” she croaked. Clearing her throat, she continued, “My Lord and I invited you all to witness our Tail Tie. It is a Knucker tradition to show our love and commitment to one another. There is no priest or official, we simply state the words in our hearts.”

“The only thing that matters!” John called out. He grunted when Nell elbowed him into silence.

“Quite so,” Trewoofe agreed, before nodding at Avice to continue.

“We have our own words, and will say them to each other now,” she finished.

Trewoofe took over. “Then, we will tie our hands together. They will stay that way for the rest of the day and night.”

Bramble returned with a strip of linen bandage in his mouth – with all the excitement Avice had not even realised he had left. Trewoofe grinned down at him and retrieved it.

You need something to tie together with, he said.

Avice could not believe she had forgotten that part. “You are a good boy, Bramble.”

“Thank you, little familiar,” Trewoofe said.

Bramble and Ashling went to join the crowd. Her familiar went to sit at Joan’s feet, while she bounced Hope on her hip. He enjoyed all the fussing as Ashling perched contentedly on Joan’s shoulder.

Avice sucked in a breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

“May I go first?” she asked.