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“I think Jester would be very upset if she came back and any of these puppies where gone,” Caleb comments when Nott’s stomach grumbles.
“I know, I won’t let either you or Jester down!” Nott promises, fishing some of the pocket bacon Beau gave her last week. It’s aged pretty well, perfectly rotten the way she likes it and Nott shovels a piece into her mouth. One of the pups sniff her hand interest but the puppies are still too young for anything but milk so Nott jerks the bacon away. Jester and the rest are looking if they can find their mom or at least someone who can care for them while Caleb and Nott watch them in the meantime.
Caleb frowns and shrinks in one himself when one of the puppies approaches him cautiously. Frumpkin is wrapped around his neck and his tail twitches in annoyance, thumping Caleb’s back, and he hisses when the puppy gets too close. The puppy scuttles away back to Nott who grins widely, all her jagged teeth bared.
“They are pretty cute,” she decides as they cry and wuffle against her hand. One day these puppies will be bigger than her, but for now she could carry one, or maybe even two, all by herself. She snuggles one of them as she crawls into Nott’s lap. She presses a kiss against the pup’s fur and takes a sniff. It smells soft and milky and Nott tries not to think how delicious the smell is. The puppy licks her hand and Nott smiles and looks at Caleb. “Don’t you think, Caleb? They’re just babies.”
He shrugs, rubbing an idle hand on Frumpkin. He’s a cat person through and through but then he looks at Nott and nods. Nott looks absolutely happy as all three pups beg for her attention, unafraid of her. “Pretty cute,” he agrees when a surprisingly girlish laugh bubbles from her lips when a puppy licks her face.
“I hope Jester and the rest find their momma,” Nott says. “These babies should be with their parents.”