Chapter 37

Iwas trying to keep up with my father on two legs as he stalked through the forest on four. I hadn't shifted because I was trying to talk sense into my father. We already knew the humans weren't going to catch up to us for a while. Sorcha just pulled off a miracle. She could have five minutes to make her friend feel better.

The first Spirus and Essos probably had opinions, and we all knew we started off as playmates and friends for Essos. I'd hope they'd want the Spirus and Essos returned as a packaged deal the type of person who dropped everything to care for their friends. Fucking idiots.

My father changed back just as Sono and Volaris landed. Fluvis refused to help my father and Volaris hunt her down. Neptis was with me to try to convince everyone to just leave her alone. Sono had better be with us on this if he mated with her. I was less mad about that now that I had time to think about it.

"She's right through that clearing," Terros said.

"And you should leave her there with her friend," Sono snapped. "You just got here. You and my father aren't forcing her to do anything. You can't. Sorcha is stronger than both of you. She changed that man because she wants to learn but she's conflicted about changing animals and people without their consent."

"She's not your subject," I said. "Your hers. If you keep forgetting that because she's my age and tiny, you're going to drive her off. Or worse, piss her off. She's going to eventually meet the armies the Barons sent. They're going to want to hurt her. What do you think is going to happen if she thinks we want to hurt her, too?"

"That's ridiculous. We've never raised a hand to that girl."

"Neither did Belisarus as far as we know," Neptis pointed out.

Sorcha finally came out of the bushes with Frog. It looked like they'd both talked it out and felt better but she still looked annoyed we all came looking for her. I really hoped she knew three of us were out here trying to convince two kings to leave her alone. And as usual, my father didn't listen to a fucking thing I said.

"You can't keep doing this!" Terros erupted. "You left in the middle of your lesson. Stop acting like a child and learn what you are here to do!"

"You keep forcing me and telling me to do what you want. You haven't asked what I want. If you keep yelling at me and forcing me to do things, I'll just fly back to Idric and stay there!"

"How are we supposed to do anything with this child?" he exploded at Volaris. "How is she supposed to do anything she's supposed to do if she just disappears when she feels like it? Why did she have to come to us like this?"

Volaris at least looked like he heard us and wasn't trying to be a total dick to her.

"She came this way for a reason. I'm sure it will be revealed soon. Part of her lineage is human with human emotions. Calm down and don't send her back to Idric. If she leaves and we try to bring her back, we will lose that fight. Did you make your friend feel better?" he asked the girl.

My father looked furious he'd been chastised by Volaris, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He might not think I was his equal yet, and he hadn't realized Sorcha outranked him, but he was very much aware Volaris could start an in tribe war we didn't need right now if my father got dramatic about it. Because honestly, Volaris was right.

"We just needed to talk, the two of us, like we did back home. There are things I can't say to any of you because you don't know me like Frog does and I don't know you."

"Then get to know us and let us get to know you," I said.

"We've already started," Sono said.

"We don't exactly know where we're going. We can be your friends, too," Neptis said.

I didn't want to just be her friend. I had a feeling Sono and Neptis wanted more, too. Maybe I should tell them about the pull I was feeling, and they'd back off? We'd all been good friends since we were kids.

That left winning Sorcha over. I had never had to try to win over a girl before. The Theran girls my age always flirted with me and I never had to do anything but look at them. It wasn't even a perk of being the future king. Most of them just wanted to be the future queen.

Some of the unattached females requested me during their Senso. I learned how to mate and please my future wife with one and got a fat head thinking I was a natural at mating when everyone wanted me after that. My father had to burst that bubble by informing me that it had nothing to do with my skill and everything to do with those women not taking the herbs afterwards so they didn't get pregnant. If my chosen wife and I were unable to have children, the child I had by trickery would be next in line for the throne.

Thanks for that, Dad.

I didn't really know how to impress her, so I chose to just sit with her at the fire while I figured that out. She seemed genuinely concerned about the man she'd changed.

"Where is he now?" she asked. "He never asked to be changed and fight your war."

"He's with the other Theran being taught their ways," Esylle told her. "He's quite happy with being changed and has questions. How did you know what to do after you changed him?"

"They pissed me off and then it happened. The answer just came to me on how to do the rest. That didn't happen when I was a kid and made Frog. If I'm supposed to do this, why did he tell me not to do it again? Why didn't he tell me how to help Frog instead of spending hours in the backyard trying to teach him? How do you know these animals you want me to change even want to be changed and fight for you?"

"You may have been too young when you changed Frog. You may not have been able to help him like you helped Gritt. That was the name he chose when we brought him to the Theran. Maybe if you went over and talked to him, you would see how happy he is with what you have gifted him."

"You keep talking about this as me gifting who I change. I don't think Tollam views what I did to him as a gift and when you put a sword in Gritt's hand and put him in danger, I'm sure he would prefer being a mouse again."

"Let me take you to the Theran," I said. I finally knew what to say to her. "My father and I are the only Theran you have met. You should meet the rest of us and maybe hearing from Gritt directly will make you feel better."

I didn't agree with pissing her off and traumatizing her into changing a bunch of animals so we had an army. She should do this how she wanted to do it.

But I could introduce her to my people and try to settle her mind about using her gifts.