Page 252 of Of Dusk and Daybreak

It narrowed its eyes. Brand wasn’t sure whether it was annoyed or he was getting closer. He probably needed to throw Fal and Haf away, at the very least. Try to be more creative.

The white fur on its tail caught the low light again as it swayed back and forth. Molten metal, as if every strand was made of the finest⁠—

“Silver?”

There went its head again, flopping to the other side as its tongue lolled. Interesting. That seemed to be an approval of sorts. Intrigued, perhaps? Like it wasn’t opposed per se, but waiting to see if Brand was capable of anything worthwhile.

So, not quite Silver, but something close. Something like…

“Stirling? That’s the name, of course. The substance would be sterling, but I figure—since you’re a creature—we go with the I and not the E. What do you think of that?”

The fox trotted forward, stared for a moment, and then sat. Directly in front of him. Inches away.

Brand’s heart flipped and he blinked a well of tears away. Which was absolutely ridiculous. “S-Stirling, then?”

Then again, this was his first meaningful interaction with another living thing in…fuck, how long had it even been? He tried to keep track, but with the moons never leaving and the dark⁠—

A wet nose bumped into Brand and wrenched him from his distraction, pulling a strangled shout from his lips. The fox froze with its tiny face in his palm, eyes wide and blinking at once, and Brand would have sworn it had a furrow in its brow.

Madness.

“Shite. Sorry, Stirling.” He opened his hand to reveal the flattened meat. “It’s fine, go on and have your snack.”

The fox did as it was told, settling right there to gobble the morsel down before getting up and bumping its head into Brand’s knee. His breaths shallowed and he wanted to laugh at the spike of nerves as he reached down and stroked its head.

There was no stopping the tears that time. No hope for the ache in his throat. Stars above, it was just so damned wonderful to have a connection with something.

“You’re not a thing, though, are you Stirling?” he whispered, scratching behind the fox’s ear. “No, you’re a braw wee lad, as Magnus would say. That’s what he used to call me, you know, before I turned into wee bastard or wee shite, among other things. I think I earned the name change the first time I took him in a hand-to-hand match. I thought he didn’t like his younger brother besting him, that he was irritated and jealous, but now I can remember the twinkle in his eyes. Funny, isn’t it? The things we pick and choose and allow to shape us.”

Stirling batted at the side of his hand, nipping it with his tiny, pointed teeth before yipping the most awful screech Brand had ever heard in his life.

“Weeping shite. That—” He shook his head, trying to dislodge the ringing in his ears. “We’ll work on it, yes?”

A glance at the sky showed him that the moons were starting to make their way back, east to west. Late, then.

“Looks like it’s time for bed, little friend.” Brand stood, brushing himself off. “Same time tomorrow?”

Brand threw him a wave and made for the cottage. He was loath to leave Stirling already, but he’d been stricter with his time lately, closer every day to being ready.

Ready to see Luna again. Ready to face everything else. Ready to go.

Hmm. Strange. He thought for sure that having a nice sit and cuddle with the fox would do it. Now, Brand didn’t know what he was waiting for, exactly. What shift he was hoping would happen. Only that he…wasn’t quite there.

As long as he was careful not to lose himself all over again, waiting so long that his mind twisted into a different sort of sickness, he’d know the moment when it came.

At least, he hoped so. A few more days, probably. Surely.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the sweet smell of burning candles, and a stick of the incense Luna loved so well. The one that smelled almost exactly like her, though it was missing that sense of celestial warmth that clung only to her.

Ah, well. Soon. He would⁠—

A twig snapped and Brand spun to find Stirling at the bottom of the porch steps, nose to the air. He looked expectant, like he was trying to see around Brand and into the front sitting room. Almost as if…

“Would you like to come in?”

The fox didn’t hesitate, bounding up the steps and straight through his legs, heading for the nearest chair and curling into its plush cushion.

“Well, then. Alright. Welcome.”