Tamberlane: The experiment, part 2

The following morning, Traiya hefts herself out of bed, taking in the sun's rays as the new day comes up. She puts on a new set of clothes. Namely, just a blue and lime green striped shirt, and heads downstairs. Looking for her husband.

This was an easy task, just follow the scent of eggs and bacon right to the kitchen. A black bear humming a fast rhythm as he slides eggs onto a plate. An ear flickers as he hears her come down.

"And how's my lovely rose this morning?" Austin looks to her, "Last night seemed to wrile everyone. What happened?"

"Oooh~ I'm fine, my little... BIG honey pot. Belfry found some odd kit in the forest... Though technically, Ainsley found it first, but belfry won't let anyone take it away. She wants to raise it." She then sniffs the bacon and eggs. "Mmmh... Me and the kid are a bit eager this morning~"

Austin walks over with a plate and sets in on the table for her, the plat has 2 fried eggs and 4 bacon strips. "An odd kit? And Belfry Baker is looking after it? Is that really such a wise choice?"

"Weeeell... I do think it could with her be such a clutz. This could be a GOOD thing for if done right." Traiya smiles. "The BEST idea? No. But I wasn't about to let her adoptive mother throw it out."

"Even Tess was against it?..." Austin looks back to her as he cracks another egg open, "what did this kit look like?"

"..." Traiya pauses... Thinking. "Furless, except for its head. Had a diaper. And was rather... Skinny?" She says plainly.

"What kind of creature though?" Austin insists, "Surely you could tell even if it had mange. Was the muzzle broad? Was the tail real flexible?"

"No tail. No muzzle. Completely flat faced... And no mange... Just a slight bit underwei-oof!" She places her hands on her stomach and looks down. Another kick hits her belly button.

Austin turns to her as the baby must have kicked again. He walks over and kneels down, feels her belly. "Just a few more months, aren't they..?"

"Should just be one more... And all this started, because I stole your honey~..." She says somberly, yet happy.

Austin pats her shoulder, "It may have been worse, we were both young, and I didn't want father to..." he takes a breath, "Let's not. It's in the past." He hugs her. "What if we go check on Belfry, and... give her something to care for the kit?"

She smiles. "Sure. We have some items to spare~ Though, I was gonna make a joke on how you stole my heart too~ So, even I guess we are even?" Traiya chuckles heartily!

The bear chuckles, then kisses his wife on the cheek. "That's why you're my rose.~" kisses her again, "A few nappies missing couldn’t be too bad. We can get more.."

As they talk, Taiya starts to smell smoke.

"...UHHHH... YOUR STOVE?" She says with rising nervous in her voice! "LET'S NOT START A FIRE?"

Austin takes a moment, then realizes the eggs he left alone, "This happens every time I turn away." He runs for the stone and takes the pan off... I guess I'll be having toast for breakfast.."

Traiya laughs aloud! "It's not nice of me, but it's kinda funny..." She tries to stifle her laughter!

Austin, chuckles, you can make a joke about how we met, but not laugh at a burned breakfast?" Austin asks, then sighs with a smile. "Even I know when the yoke is on me." He chuckles..

She HOWLS with laughter and kneels to the floor! Trying to stop and get up again, but failing.

Austin goes over and helps her up. "There were go.~" kisses her again, "let's help out the baker. Maybe we can talk Nora and Henry into this care package too."

She smiles and kisses Austin on the neck, before eating.

Later, as they prepare a care package for belfry's kid, Traiya grabs another pair of nappies.

Austin was packing up what they already prepared, and he saw her bring those over. "I think there is enough here, love. You can put those back."

"Right, of course." She smiles, putting it back where she found it. "Think that's about enough?"

Austin nods, "We can always check with Doctor Nora if we need to." Then he goes to hold the door for her, "after you, we can deliver the goods and get quiche at the bakers."

"Quiche would sound PERFECT right now." She smiles, heading out the door and bringing the package outside. As she heads down through the town, she finds the other villagers and waves to them, smiling brightly!

Austin waves to a few of them as well. Among the crowd waves as familiar bobcat.

"Morning you two." Garand waves, "Heading off on a picnic?"

"Nah, not this time." Austin says, "We're dropping things off for Belfry."

Garand's expression turns confused, "shouldn't you head for the library?" And he points in the opposite direction.

"The library? Oh yeah. Oakewood said something about studying tamberlane... Thanks Garand!" She smiles again waving off to Garand, as she turns in the opposite direction with Austin.

Walking to the door, they find the library door ajar.

Austin walks closer and peeks through the door, "Is everyone alright?"

Traiya now looks inside, headfirst. "Belfry? I have a- WE have a gift for you." Traiya corrects herself!

Walking in, they find Henry getting up from the floor with bottles, nappies, and blankets everywhere.

Belfry "Oh Henry, that was Quite a fall. Seems you spend too much time around me."

"I'm okay, really," the dog smiles "The only thing bruised is my ego."

Austin steps in more, "What happened?" A slight rustling is heard and the bears looks down. He sees the toppled pile of books and an arm shoots out, stopping his wife from falling like Henry. Once done, he gets to work picking up the books.

Traiya then sees the dog and grins, "Hello there friend. Only your ego? Quite cute." She looks to belfry. "Oh..." She sees the extra nappies and such objects. "Seems like it wasn't just our own idea."

Belfry looks between the all the supplies everyone is bringing in. "What is all this stuff for?"

"You of course," Austin says, "We thought, why not lend a hand with the new kit."

"You and us both, I suppose." Henry says, "There's Nappies, bottles, blankets, it's all right here." Henry looks to the empty bag he now has, "Or at least... it was.."

Traiya then looks around, not seeing Tamberlane. "Hmmm... Is Tamberlane upstairs? I don't see her anywhere..."

They all pause for a moment. "Oh, I'm sure their around here, Belfry said, "somewhere..."

"Uh, guys?.." an Arctic fox looked to the door that was still left open.

The wolfess came to the bear, "Austin, please tell me you left that door open."

"It was like that when i got here." Austin said

"....Oh no...." A bad feeling overcame Taiyra. "Tamberlane must have left... She couldn't have gone far... Right?"

"It really depends on how long they've been gone." Henry says, then the dog takes a deep breath and walks out. "Don't worry, I will find them."

"W-wait for me!" Belfry calls and follows after him.

"I thiiiink.... We should follow, yes?" She looks to Austin.

"Maybe," Austin says "but my means of finding them are often..." His trail of thought derails as he notices Nora leaving, "are you leaving to help too?"

"Yes," Nora says, "Penny is missing too. She must have left with Tamberlane."

Austin's ears lower, "I... see... maybe I can be of help then.. do you have anything of Penny's? Some cloths or a clankrt she worn or touched?"

Nora looked to him concerned, "What?"

Traiya then looks up. "Oh! He can sniff things and tail the person them like a blood hound! Preferably clothes as that is the easiest to use. Been on you longer than anything." She says excitedly!

"I... don't have anything of Penny's.." Said Nora, then looked to the library again, "But, if she and Tamberlane were playing with the books..."

Austin implied looked back to Taiya, "search with the others, I got this." And the bear walked inside.

Traiya nods and heads into the area of town with the others to look around for Tamberlane and Penny...

The five ofthem walk the streets calling out for the lost girls. No answer really back. and asking others about it only yielded answers like, "I haven't seen them." "I've seen nothing like that today."

"Be sure to tell us if you see anything." Henry would ask of the locals.

During all this, Belfry looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Traiya looks around, then stops when she sees Belfry...

".…....Belfry..."

Belfry stands there, looking more lost and distraught, barely taking steps now, as if already assuming the answers to her one question.

Nora walks to her, "Belfry? Are you quite alright?"

"What?" Belfry looks to Nora, then sees Taiya with that similar concern on her face, "Oh... Yes, of course!" She takes a few steps away, "I'm fine! It's Fine!"

Traiya looks belfry up and down. "Belfry... It's going to be ok... We'll find..."

Nora started to lead the ladies over to a bench to sit. "It took less than a day to lose my first kit..." Belfry said, "She was already abandoned once, and... and... I really Belfry'd this one up.."

Traiya looks to Nora, then back to Belfry... "Breathes in and out deeply both ways Ok... Come Here..." The fox opens her arms and waits for belfry. "I don't know much about parenting, but mom always said, "You're going to make a LOT of mistakes of life.... over many things. So don't be surprised if you don't get parenting right on the first try. No one really does... And it doesn't make you a bad parent...."

Nora lays a hand on Belfry, "She's right. I know you think this is a Belfry problem, but this is actually normal. If you hadn't noticed, Penny is missing too. Just this morning, she was trying to get my attention. But I was worried about you and not in the mood, so I snapped at her.." the wolf let out a sigh, "The look on her face, it was enough to make me think I'm a bad parent. I know I shouldn't think such things; She only wanted my attention for a moment, did it have to shout at her? There is no rule book for any of us, Bel."

Hugging Belfry, Traiya is prepared for Belfry to start crying, to let the emotions run out.

"What I'm trying to say is that you'll spend a lot of time as a parent wondering if you're doing the right thing." Nora explains, "And that's normal!"

Belfry looks down.

"And I know you can do it, Bel. Yes, you're clumsy and you can be short-sighted."

"And there was that time that you set Henry's ears on fire." Before Belfry says anything, Nora puts a hand over hers. "But you have a good heart."

Belfry lifts her head a bit.

"All a kit really needs is love... someone to take responsibility for them ... and a safe place to call home."

"Is it... possible Penny took Tamberlane somewhere?" Traiya says with a realization. "Maybe they are just playing?"

"Well, maybe" Belfry says, "Then where wo-"

"Girls!" Henry came running from one direction.

Austin came running over from another, "I have a lead!"

Henry paused, "You do? Heh, me too."

"I was tracking Penny's scent, it led me to Piper. It looks like they went to go find another kit and got separated. From what I could track, Penny made her way for the river."

"That tracks with my lead." Henry said, "Maya said a furless kit and Marie went down to the river a short while ago."

Traiya snaps attention to Henry and Austin! "Really? You found them? Lead the way hun!"

Nora turns to Belfry, "Are you feeling any better now?"

Belfry thinks on this, pulling herself together. "Yeah, a bit... e-enough feeling sorry for myself, Tamberlane needs me."

"This way." Austin calls and runs down the road...

They run for the docs and see children playing around on a docked boat, and among them is a furless kit with a flat face.

Traiya then follows after Austin, once Belfry is recuperated. Heading past the trees and to the docks, she sees Tamberlane and Penny, swordfighting. "Aawwww... That's so cuuuute...."

Belfry sees the children next, and her eyes light up instantly. "Tamberlane!" She goes running down the path.

The little kit stops was she's doing and looks to who called, her face lit up as bright as the dress she was wearing "Fuffy! Fluffy, hi!"

Austin saw all this and heard it. He covered his mouth to keep it in.. what Tamberlane said just had him smiling.

Belfry just kept running toward the docks as Tamberlane was running to her. "Thank goodness I found you. I was so worried about-" then at that moment, belfry tripped, just as Tamberlane did, As Tamberlane fell to the river, Belfry crashed headfirst into a barrel, the barrel fell into the water just before Tamberlane fall off. She landed perfectly in the barrel..

"Fluffy?? AWWW... YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A NICKNAME...." Traiya says with tears forming in her eyes...

Then they both fall. Belfry knocking the barrel over and into the river, and Tamberlane fell into the rive- I mean barrel! Traiya then finally stops, looking to Austin. "You can swim, right?! I could, but I...." Emphasizing with her hands to her belly, being pregnant.

Austin didn't answer Traiya with words, he was running for the docks with Henry, right behind Belfry as she got a hold of Tamberlane.

"I got you, I gotchu.." belfry was barely holding onto the dock as she held onto Tamberlane. She tried to pull the barrel in, against the current. Then a stick tapped the barrel and kept it in place. Before belfry could look, she was pulled onto the dock.

"Looks like you accidentally paid off this time." Henry joked.

The stick nudged the barrel more and more toward the dock, at Garand's handiwork. "Nice ship, little one, but you're not sailor yet."

Austin came over and grabbed the barrel, pulling it out and setting it on the side. Easier for Tamberlane to climb out.

Later, everyone was at the tavern, partying and relaxing for some and others.

Traiya was dancing with Austin, but not singing this time. "Well... Today was a thrilling day, yes?" Traiya said relaxed, sporting a white shirt with small and infrequent black stripes.

Austin held her close as they danced the floor, "It was tense, but worked out in the end." He smiles, "I'm surprised, we were able to get a cake for this too.

Garand didn't do much at this party, he stood more to the edge of the party. Watching it all as he had a piece of the cake he bought.

Traiya smiles more. "Yeah. But I know this is good for belfry in the end. If she cares so much, then she can have Tamberlane." Traiya pauses in thought. "You agree... Right?"

Austin looks over to Belfry, as she sits on the stairs and talks with Oakwood, "I think so. She needs to be more responsible, learn to slow down and think through things. Having to care for someone else, it gets you to learn those skills. You have to in order to raise a family, and keep it together."

"Well-" She places a paw on her belly. "-We are going to be parents soon. And I can't 'wait'~" She states sweetly, dancing with Austin in sync.

Austin hugs her close as the song ends, a big paw on her baby bump. "Me too, love. me too."