Dry your eyes, you little bunny babe.

Dry your eyes, you little bunny babe.

Can’t you see that I am here,

There’s nothing for you to fear.

So, dry your eyes you little bunny babe.

Lullaby of the bunny Beast- Folk.

{Fastos Gon Vestos. Quick}

Dying is easy. People do it every day across every world I ever heard of. Seems to be the one thing we all have in common. I’ve seen more than my share of it and have chosen to do my best not to do it as long as I can. Downside is dealing with folks. I don’t what them to die, but I know the hearts of people and would rather not some be in this world. That being said, I still have to do something to break my lonely spell. That is why I made the month and a half trek into town. Winter had just passed, and I needed supplies and someone to talk to, but everyone in town only seemed interested in my coins. That didn’t seem right. With a sigh I did the last thing I wanted to ever do and went to the slave market. Owning someone didn’t seem right, but maybe if I did and treated them right, it would ease my heart a little. I moved to the building and was greeted by a portly fella who looked like he did not shy away from the dinner table. He smiled at me in a way that made my coin purse cry.

“Welcome, Sir. How can I help you?” This fella asked. He seemed nice enough, but most people do when they hope to drain you of everything you have.

“I was looking for someone to talk to for the long term if you understand me?” I replied. Had a wanderer fella I knew back during the war who liked the way I talked. Said I had a back woods Tennessee accent. I didn’t know where that was or if that was good or not, but Keven seemed nice enough, so I took it as something good.

“My dear Mr.?”

“Fastos, but all my friends called me Quick.”

“Mr. Quick. What type of budget do you have?” He asked rubbing his hands together. I frowned slightly. No man rubs his hands like that unless he is wanting something.

“I was hoping for trade. I do have healing magic,” I said, a particle of hope in my voice.

“Healing can work.” He said moving to a desk and pulled out a book. I took the time to look him over and around the room. He was dressed in a robe that was lightly stained and warn, but still had some life left in it. Short bald hair was mostly hidden under a strange cone hat and his face was as clean as a baby’s back door. The room was clean, but a smell of dust and dirt clung to it. The whole city smelled dirty like too many folks living too close together. It reminded me of the tents in the war. Careful Quick, going down that rabbit hole won’t do you any good. Remember your breathing. A breath in for the count of four, hold for four and let it out for four. Good, again. Best to leave those shadows in the past. “Can you read?” The bald feller asked. I nodded and smiled at him. Why did that make him frown? Had he hoped to get one over on me? Ain’t right. “Good, how about an exchange. You heal seven slaves of my choosing and I will give you one of my choosing.”

“Seven and iffen I can’t heal them, you pick someon else.” I added. This seemed to annoy him.

“Good and if you can get it done in one day, I will throw in an extra slave.” He handed me a paper that said roughly that and after I corrected a minor mistake, I signed it. My new friend took me to a room where several human women were kept. All looked worse for the wear, but nothing I couldn’t fix. He pointed at three. “I’d like you to fix,” He pointed to his own crotch.

“You want me to make them pure again?” I asked a worried and cold frown on my face. He smiled and nodded.

“Yes, good. Can you do that?” I swallowed my rage and did as he asked. He was asking me to heal them just so he could sell them as untouched women. The tricky part was acting weak after and asking for a minute to rest. I could easily heal the room without issue, but that would put a target on my back. That was something to avoid. He seemed happy and had me heal two others. That brought me up to five and I made sure to point that out. The next stop was an orc man with a mangled right hand. This would be simple, but not as fun for me. Mister orc seemed happy with me, and I gave him a pat on the back. I had to pretend to be beat, but this was turning out to be too easy. Last one he brought me to was a human man. Not a slave. I held up my hands.

“Our deal was for slaves; he is not one so I can’t.” This made the bald man upset and he pulled me to another tent. This one held a tiger man who had a bad infection in his lungs. I nodded and got to work. Moments later I turned to my friend pretending to be really bushed. “That makes seven. You offered me two remember.” I said smiling at him. He nodded and looked like he had just bitten into a jack root. I wanted to laugh, but held it in. Mama told me only a fool gloats in the face of someone giving you something. Best to hold your tongue. He had me wait in an office while he got the first. I looked around not taking the tea he offered. Pop always said never take anything a slaver offers. That goes double if they offer it for free. He came back with the orc man I had healed holding a bundle. It was placed on the desk and my jaw tightened. In front of me was a bunny woman or what had once been a bunny woman. She was missing all her limbs, her right eye and left ear. That what I could see was covered in scars. Her remaining eye was blank, and she looked to be on the edge of death. “You cheated me.” I said looking up at the lying bastard. Then my eyes went back to her. She was broken, inside and out, maybe healing her was what I needed. Maybe healing her could heal what was broken in me. I tried to hide my hope. “Show me the next one.” I said with a slight growl. Iffen this bastard pulled this trick again; I would take his eyes. He took me to a large orc man who was playing with a small wolf or dog girl. The girl seemed happy and full of energy. He told me that the girl was the other and inwardly I sighed. She would work. After talking with the orc man for bit, I took my two new women to my sled. It took me a month and a half to get here and would take half that to get back. The wolf girl was a ball of energy and questions, and I was happy to have her along. The bundle of what had been a rabbit didn’t talk at all, just looked out. Near sunset as I pulled my sled, the wolf riding on it, I was stopped by five men. It was clear they were bandits, and I knew what they wanted.

“Give us all you have and put this collar on.” The leader said. He had a nasty scar across his face. I turned to the little wolf and smiled.

“Darlin, close your eyes and cover your ears and I want you to hum until you can’t hear anythin.” She nodded and her collar glowed. I put the bunny down and smiled at these men.

“Smart man not wanting her to see what we do to you.” Leader said through missing teeth.

“You do to me?” I said with a slight smile. I reached out and aimed a small blast at the closest. He was smiling up until the point he tried to move. His feet wouldn’t work. “Fused bones in the feet. Not life threatenin.” He looked around at the others worried as I stepped to the middle of them.

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“Just do as we say old man and we won’t rape the little one in front of you.” The leader said. I stopped smiling.

“I’m sorry. Goin to have nightmares tonight. For that you will have to pay.” I held a handout to him and watched his mouth fade from view.

“Iffen you can’t use it right, best not to have it.” I took his mouth by healing the hole that he used so impolitely. The others looked around worried as he pointed at me and raised his knife. One charged me from behind and I side stepped him kicking hard at his leg. “Broken tibia and fibula, iffen you don’t move you should be fine.” He tried to jump back. “Femoral artery rupture, five minutes twelve seconds.” The next two tried to flank me, but these were just thugs and nothing to me. I slapped one’s hand fusing all the bones in his arm. “Fused bones not life threatenin.” The other I slapped his chest. “Fused chest bones, light risk, but should hurt like a bitch.” I bit my tongue as there were ladies in the area. Best not to use that language. That left one more. Mr, fused bone feet weren’t moving anywhere. The last one had gone for the bunny. He held a knife to her neck and looked at me with wide eyes.

“You fix my friends, or I fix her.” he said spraying spit all over her. That wasn’t nice. I raised my hand and sent a beam of healing at him. It was like someone wiped his face clean. No eyes, no nose, mouth and no fingers. It was a trick I picked up in the war. Healing magic used the way it shouldn’t it was called Flesh Sculpting. I took away everything from this man and he fell to the ground clawing at his face with flipper like hands.

“Stupidity Fatal. No chance of healin that nine minutes forty-three seconds to three minutes five seconds.” I turned back to the four-left alive. The one with the leg would be dead soon. “Now let’s mop this up.” I made quick work of them. Iffen they act like that, best not to have them around. As I said dying is easy. I put them in a shallow pit near the side of the path after cleaning their bodies and went back to my wolf and bunny. “You can stop Darlin.” I said to the wolf who was still hummin.” She did so and looked around. “I asked the bad men to leave, and they did.” I said with a smile. She beamed up at me and her belly growled. “Hang in there Darlin and I will get you some food when we stop for the night.” This made her do the cutest happy dance. I should have done this long ago. Most of my kind have an issue with beasts, but I fought alongside a lot of them and found them to be nice folks. They die like we do; live like we do and love like we do. As far as I care, they’re good people.

We stopped for camp, and I noticed that the bunny had soiled herself. It was easy to clean up and I tried to do so with all respect to her. Healing that one would have to wait until we get back home. I needed my mana just in case something comes up. Once done, I started supper. I had to feed the bunny, but she did eat. That was a good sign. “Good Darlin, eat and live. Talk iffen you feel like, don’t iffen you don’t. I’m just happy you are around and alive.” I said patting her head.

“What about me?” The little wolf asked.

“You got food.” I said with a slight smile.

“No, I mean are you happy I’m here too?” I pet her head and ruffled her hair. This made that broom like tail wag.

“I am very happy to have you too, Darling. You got a name?” I asked her.

“No, but you give me one and I give you one.” She said putting her hands on her hips. No wonder that orc feller was smiling as I left. She brightened every day she was a part of.

“I got a name, Quick. As for you, most wolf folk go by the names of trees, how about Willow?” She rammed into my side hugging me hard.

“If I’m Willow then you are Daddy.” I ruffled her hair again and smiled down at her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Willow.” She had to be all of three or four winters old. How did she become a slave at that age. Sometimes this world ain’t right.

“She is Mama.” The newly named Willow said pointing at the bunny.

“I want to wait and see iffen she has a name before I give her one.” This made my little dark haired wolf smile. Now that I had time, I looked closely at the two. The bunny had short badly trimmed white hair and her one eye was red. Her skin was pale, and I knew that I would have to make something to make sure she didn’t bake in the sun. As far as Willow went though, she was a normal wolf girl. Long dark brown hair, a smattering of freckles and the cutest nose any Daddy would want on his new daughter. Maybe a bit early to call her that, but she had become mine. Both of them had, but I didn’t see the bunny that way. It didn’t feel right to view a grown woman one just met in that way. I set up camp and stood watch. My healing magic could easily keep me going for several months so a single month without sleep wouldn’t hurt me. I let the women sleep and made sure both were safe covered up. I used a bit of healing magic on the two and made sure they were warm enough to last the night. The morning came quickly, and I packed them both up and made my way to home. Willow slept though the morning and the bunny just looked out at the world. About an hour later the bunny started grunting and I checked on her. She needed to use the bathroom and I helped her without making it too awkward. I was still a man it would be awkward no matter what I did. I cleaned her and made a mental note to listen for her grunting. The miles passed quickly, and it didn’t take me too long to make it home. I was able to find enough game to keep me and the women happy or at least as happy as I could along the trail. It still took us three weeks. When I saw my cabin, a large dire wolf came out running up to me. Willow screamed and I scolded.

“Now Betty, play nice.” I called to the overgrown puppy. She stopped and bowed to me. Betty was as big as a horse and had become my only friend for a long time. I had found her as a puppy and raised her into the oversized watchdog that she had become. Gotten the name from Keven, he talked about a dog he left behind. He would go on and on about her before. Deep breath in for the count of four, hold four and let go for four. Don’t need those thoughts right now. I shook and looked at my big puppy. “Betty this is Willow and the other. Both are our family. You behave now.” The puppy in question had rolled over and Willow was scratching her belly. It made me smile in a way that made things feel a bit better. I showed them around and took them to my basement. “Here are premade long-term meals. I think they are better than Mama’s cookin, but the spicy cheese are the best.” Willow took a sniff and pulled away.

“I hope Mama can cook?” She said boldly. It made me laugh. It was at least better than army rations, maybe. I wasn’t quite sure. I would have to let the women use Betty’s bed and make the puppy a new one. Past that everything was set. All but one thing.

“Now, Willow, this device is not to be touched.” I pointed out the artifact that was keeping us safe. It put up a barrier that made sure smaller monsters would stay away. Betty had a collar that would let this barrier know she was mine. I knew Knights, big honking metal men that people commanded could get through, along with normal people and larger monsters. I knew how to avoid them all. Who would care about me in this backwater nowhere. Not worth anything. Best place to hide and be forgotten. Willow looked up at me and smiled.

“I like it here. Can I have one of these Mama meals?” I pulled one out and handed it to her. She opened the plane pine wood box and sniffed. “Can I have something else?” She handed the box back to me making me laugh. I took the box up to the kitchen and cooked it handed it back to her. She frowned, sniffed and ate it with a strange look on her face. Gal needed to try hard tack and tell me that her Mama Meal was bad. I liked the name. Mama meals. Seems easier than meal ration pack or as Keven called them MRE meals. I fixed my own Mama Meal and one for the bunny. I had the time and energy after I unpacked and turned to Willow.

“You take Betty and go outside to play. I need to start work on your Mama to try to heal her.”

“Can I watch?” She asked, all the brightness of a child in her eyes.

“No, healin is not fun and hurts a lot. Pray you don’t need it.” Once she was gone, I pulled out the knife and looked at the bunny. “I’m sorry bunny, but this will hurt a little, but it is needed to heal you. I’ll start with your ear as it is the easiest.” She just looked at me blankly. With a sigh, I reached up and cut the end of her stunted ear off. It blead a little and I quickly stopped it before pouring my magic into her. Soon there was a branch of nerves and then blood tubes. Lastly the meat followed by skin. I saw a tear flow down from her good eye and I wiped it away. “Sorry Darlin, I know it hurts. It will help you though.” I pulled out a plate to show her that her ear was back, now healing that did drain me proper, and I was tired. It would take a long time to heal her. I cleaned her up, I went out to see Willow and Betty playing in the grass around the cabin. Betty was on her back with Willow on top of her scratching her big belly. It made me smile. “Willow come look at your Mama.” I called out to her. She hopped off, ran inside, and gasped.

“You healed Mama’s ear.”

“I plan to heal all of her, but it will take time. How about supper?” I asked.

“So long as it isn’t Mama Meals.” She said with a frown. It made me laugh hard and I knew adding these two to my life was worth everything I had.