Chapter 124: The Redcap Runt

Squirt was surprised to wake to the smell of breakfast cooking the next morning.

She’d fallen asleep last night after two rounds of games with Zhadin, curled up against Mole with Pakos resting on Mole’s rump for optimal moonlight absorption. As usual, she was nestled between Zhadin against her back and Qzi’s chest in her face. The musk of Mole was mixed with the cool scent of shade on a summer day and a touch of the metallic of blood.

And sizzling bacon.

Qzi groaned as he roused from his own sleep, audibly sniffing. “Food,” he mumbled, barely coherent, his eyes squinting in the dim light of the dawn.

It was an expression of his she was getting oddly used to.

Shifting and untangling herself, the movement woke Zhadin as well, their tendrils sliding off her skin. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, a yawn forcing its way out of her mouth like it was protesting the act of waking with vehemence.

And there was the pest. Sitting across the way, a pan on the fire and a small bubbling pot of a hearty breakfast stew that had to have been simmering for hours.

It smelled like greenling breakfast.

Minus the sizzling bacon in the pan, of course.

Qzi gave a big stretch that took his entire body and a satisfied groan to do before the tension melted into sated, relaxed wakefulness. “Mornin’, pricklebear.”

He’d been getting bolder at acknowledging her comfort with him.

Standing, she stretched as she took her time approaching the pest. By the time she had, she was fully awake. Reaching into her pouch for her bowl, she mumbled, “Here,” her voice hoarse still from sleep.

He took it with an entirely too happy smile for the early hour, humming to himself as he dished her out a generous serving of potato and leek soup before topping it with thick strips of juicy bacon.

She accepted the bowl back, muttering, “I’m surprised a prince like you knows how to cook.”

“Ah. Breezy has been teaching me. This is her recipe.”

“Did she also teach you how to make bacon?”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “No. That one was Annabelle.”

Squirt squinted at him as she sat down to eat her breakfast. “The queen taught you how to cook bacon.”

He shrugged. “She wasn’t always the queen.”

Well… yeah. That was obvious.

Squirt took a scoop of the soup into her spoon, blowing on it before asking, “Why would a fancy titled fey like that know how to cook bacon? Isn’t that too poor of food for a high fey like her?”

“She said her mother taught her when she was still human.”

The nostalgic, frustratingly delicious bite almost choked her as Squirt sputtered and coughed. “W-what?”

The pest held out a bowl for Zhadin next, who accepted it and said, “Her mother was human. She crossed into the Fey Realm two years ago.”

Dumbfounded, Squirt just stared up incredulously at them. They were unbothered, seeming to just enjoy her attention as they fluidly sat next to her.

Sure, logically Squirt knew humans existed, but they were beings of legend. And unlike the gods or divine beasts or demigods like the one standing before her, there was little evidence to their fleeting existences.

Zhadin took a sip of the soup straight from the bowl, their slightly too wide eyes manic with their amusement at Squirt’s expression.

Qzi sat on her other side after accepting his own bowl from the pest. “She’s strange. Got multicolored eyes and a fancy, sparkly aura.”

Squirt turned incredulously to him, next. Yes, sure, she knew that technically both Zhadin and Qzi were sent to Everwinter originally by the Queen, but she had assumed that was a formality, that she had picked names from a list, or that an advisor had.

Zhadin said blandly, “Qzi saved her mother’s life.”

This was a lot for early in the morning. Squirt couldn’t decide if she was more shocked by the fact that Qzi had met the Queen, had saved the life of the Queen’s mother, or had met a human.

Honestly all three were equally nuts.

She muttered, “I knew nutso was apt.”

“Hm?”

“Nothing. Finish your breakfast. We need to be back when the gates open.”

She took another few bites of soup, noting the pest watching her intensely, clearly waiting for her approval even if he didn’t say anything.

The last day had been… surprisingly comfortable between the four of them.

They finished cleaning up the earth tree clearing, the prismatic crane watching their movements with the lazy kind of attention that a sated, comfortable predator oversees their domain when Pakos came trotting back into the clearing.

Squirt gave him a quick glance, noting with no small amount of relief that he was full size once more. Where have you been?

Hunting for some food. I do enjoy the snacks you give me, but I wanted something a bit more substantial this morning.

Sensing his clear sass, she almost threw a feystone at his head. I haven’t been feeding you snacks. Right? She hadn’t been. She’d been making sure he was well fed.

His clear amusement at her outward anger and internal anxiousness killed both, and her expression flattened. Tease.

Always. But after yesterday, I went hunting for something larger than what I normally need once the moon set.

Squirt huffed. He’d done it before, gone hunting while she slept.

I do enjoy you fussing over me.

Arrogant beast. Whatever.

Are you going to tell father dearest that you like his soup, or should I?

She almost choked on her bite, coughing and sputtering a bit before managing to swallow. Irritated at being called out like that, she leveled a glare at her hound as he curled up next to her.

She swore she could see him fucking smirking.

She went back to eating. You can’t even talk to him.

No?

You can’t talk to anyone who isn’t me.

Pakos straightened, turning his regal floof to face the pest. The recipe was a success. She likes it.

Though Squirt squinted at him, the pest then let out a breath of relief. “Good. I’m glad.”

Stunned speechless, Squirt slowly turned to face the soft smile of the pest. The pleased idiot was smiling into the rest of the soup that he stirred, and as she watched, a slight flush appeared on his cheeks.

No.

No.

There was no way.

When she turned back to her hound, she swore he fucking smirked.

Told you, mother dearest.

By all the gods.

Did he hear everything Pakos said?

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

If he did, he’d hear how you think he’s stupid pretty.

Squirt’s attention whipped back to the pest.

Nothing. Just smiling into the soup like an idiot.

A pretty idiot.

Shut up, Pakos.

Keeping her eyes on her soup, Squirt silently stewing over her… stew.

Regardless.

She finished her food, listening to the birds singing their morning calls as she ate a breakfast that should not have been as good as it was, made by a man that shouldn’t be as talented as he was, in a group that shouldn’t have been as comfortable as they were to be around.

Finished up, she stood.

“More?” asked the pest with a bit too much hope in his eyes.

It shouldn’t have tugged at her heart strings or made her stomach flutter. So, naturally, she scowled, her voice flat and grumbling. “No.”

To her mild relief, he didn’t seem disheartened. Just gave her a nod and asked, “Should I clean up?”

Squirt hesitated, glancing over at Qzi who was shoving the rest of his stew into his mouth. Letting out a breath that was too soft to be a sigh, she asked Qzi, “Do you need more?”

Qzi paused, his cheeks full of food, his spoon sticking out of his mouth in an awkward angle, his eyes wide on her. It took him several seconds to swallow, his eagerness to speak almost cute.

Almost.

Finally having swallowed the lump of soup, he managed, “No, I’m ready.”

She wasn’t tempted to smile.

Shooting Zhadin a questioning glance next, they shook their head.

“No. We can clean up.”

The pest shrugged, and while Squirt started rolling up her sleeves to help wash the dishes, a bloom of his magic washed over the group. The fire went out, the finished bowls were wiped clean, and the pot of soup disintegrated into the dirt, mixing the ashes of the fire into the earth and enriching the soil. Grass even began to sprout where there had been embers moments before.

Convenient and infuriating all at once.

There was a definite pattern emerging whenever the pest was around.

Behind her Pakos stood, stretching and shaking out his thick, fluffy fur. I should like to conserve what I can, mother dearest, so I’ll be taking the smaller form once more.

Doesn’t the change take energy?

Relax, mother. I’ll be fine.

She was not reassured.

Either way, she shook her head, deciding on her old standby of annoyance as she saddled up Mole. Once she had, with a nimble leap, Pakos jumped on top of Mole’s shoulders. Mole shifted slightly to account for the tiny hound on his shoulders before straightening once more.

The other three fey all stood, looking ready to take her orders and follow her lead.

Weirdos.

Squirt shook her head. “Whatever,” she muttered, before mounting up.

It was time to return to the Keep.

As soon as they made it back to the gate, Squirt knew something was off. The guards at the gate, some of those more ambivalent to her existence rather than openly hostile, wouldn’t look her in the eye, keeping their eyes down in deference of all things as they waved her, the pest, and Qzi in without even the standard questions.

Shit. The pest’s identity was compromised from the inferno bear yesterday, wasn’t it?

But within a few steps of the gate, quite a few of those in the town going about their day actually took notice of her and Qzi, not the pest. And more than one had flickers of fear in their eyes before they scurried away, off on their own business.

Was this because of the duel? Because she had killed that redcap bully? She hadn’t been out in public since, after all.

Damnit, she needed to find out.

Luckily, it didn’t take her long. Returning through the inner Keep gate, one of the guards immediately sent a runner as soon as they were visible before waving them in towards the stables. She had barely dismounted when hurried footsteps had her glancing over to a somewhat frazzled-looking Kenna.

Kenna.

Frazzled.

“Good,” said the wolf shifter, reaching forward and grabbing Squirt’s hand, dragging her away from Mole. “We need you. Now.”

“But—wait—Mole—”

Steva was there in a flash, the tall and awkward fallen hostler not far behind. The little brownie took Mole’s reins, waving Squirt off with a nervous but friendly smile and polite bow.

Qzi tossed his own reins at the fallen before jogging to catch up. The pest hesitated when she caught sight of Pakos pawing at his foot once, the action meaningful enough to intrigue the pest. When Pakos yipped and trotted off after Squirt, the pest followed.

Swallowing, Squirt stopped her half-hearted struggles and let Kenna drag her away.

While firm and insistent, Kenna’s hold wasn’t painful. She didn’t drag them into the office upstairs, instead heading down a few hallways towards the training yard. The change made Squirt shift from reluctant acceptance to intrigued.

“We have a situation,” she explained vaguely.

“What kind?” asked Squirt. “And why do you need me?”

“Because redcaps respect their boss more than any authority in any realm.”

She managed a somewhat strangled, “The redcaps?”

“The redcaps,” the wolf confirmed. “They’ll listen to you.” She shot Qzi a dark look over her shoulder. “Since someone decided to give them a task on your behalf, they’re difficult to convince without resorting to drastic measures.”

Gods damnit Qzi, she never should have trusted him or the pest. Exactly what had they told the redcaps before leaving, and for gods sake, why had they? “What drastic measures?”

“Bartos seems to think that they have uses outside of a grave,” Kenna muttered darkly.

Oh fuck no.

Squirt tried to throw her whole weight against Kenna’s hold, but the impossibly strong shifter had her usually perfectly controlled aura spiking. It was doubtful she even noticed Squirt’s attempts to slow her down.

Shit, whatever this situation was, it was bad enough that killing all the redcaps she had just saved was a genuine option.

Exactly how fucked was she?

Very, probably.

They turned the corner into the courtyard, Squirt’s heels digging into the compact dirt in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable. Kenna shifted to pull Squirt up alongside her. “Here. See for yourself.”

Somewhat terrified, Squirt swallowed, her eyes wide as she took in the courtyard. There were about a dozen redcaps gathered up and facing off in a stalemate against members of the Guard, a small crowd gathered around the edges to watch the spectacle. A couple of beaten, broken looking fey sat at their feet, littered in wounds and all looking ashen with anemia.

With a bursting laugh, Qzi’s hands fell to his hips. “Now that’s what I call a party!”

She didn’t immediately acknowledge him, instead taking in the wary and intrigued looks from every other fey around as all eyes fell on her, Kenna, and Qzi.

Finally, her eyes slid to the almost manic expression on Qzi’s face, and she swallowed the scolding that had almost escaped on instinct. The attention was already on them. Squirt could feel every single eye in the courtyard focused on herself and Qzi, noting vaguely that the pest had stayed back farther, out of the limelight.

“Fam!” Qzi beamed at the redcaps.

Several sneered his direction, not bothering to hide their contempt.

“So glad the hunting went well I see.”

One spat on the ground in front of him, his arms crossed and form intimidating. “What do you want, runt?”

Runt?

Qzi waved them off. “I told you I’d bring the boss back, and here she is!”

A murmur went through the crowd that the redcaps paid exactly zero attention to.

One of them snorted dismissively.

Not at Squirt.

At Qzi.

Squirt studied Qzi. There was something off about this for him, something that didn’t feel like any other performative act he’d done. She just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

The redcaps standing at the front stepped back while another, larger, muscular male with a powerful aura surrounding him stepped forward. His hair was long, a deep wine red, and tied at the nape of his neck with a black ribbon. The only clothing he wore was a pair of trousers that he had rolled up to his knees. The garment had long since lost whatever color it might originally have had. Even the sandals on his feet were fraying rather badly.

He nodded before addressing Squirt, his voice professional with just the barest undercurrent of begrudging respect. “The runt said yous would want us to keep the greens safe, so we’ves dones that for yous, boss.”

Boss?

Runt?

“The name’s Pzeek. Your second, boss. Say the words and it’ll be done.”

Squirt had a sudden moment of clarity.

As powerful as this redcap before her was, he had nothing on the one she had killed two days ago in a duel. Yet he stood almost a full head taller than Qzi.

Qzi had always been rather small for a redcap. She’d noticed it before. Now it was glaringly obvious with how he stood to her side, his power nowhere near any of the redcaps before her. No longer were they a beaten, bloodied group subservient to a cruel master. They had been healed. Fed.

Any one of them had a stronger aura than Qzi. There was absolutely no contest.

A shift to her side drew her eyes to Qzi as he kneeled next to her. He gave her a bright, confident smile. She clocked the reactions of the other redcaps, their auras spiking with aggression and anger.

Not at her.

But at Qzi.

She bit her bottom lip.

Qzi spoke in a hushed tone, his voice full of a simple confidence, like he was merely stating a fact and not tossing out a radical idea. “Will you trust me to handle it?”

Her eyes wide, she silently questioned his sanity. “You’re… asking me?”

“You’re the boss.”

She glared at him. “… I can’t be the boss.”

“Why not?”

“I’m the weakling, duh. I’m weaker than any one of them.”

His lips curled into a slight smile. “I know.”

Her glare softened to consideration. Studying his deep red eyes, the sincerity to them, Squirt realized that it was more than just her knife skills that had triggered his initial proposal. Here she was, small even for a pixie, weak even for a greenling.

Now, she could see he was the same.

Instead of acknowledging it, she asked simply, “What do I do?”

His eyes flickered to the other redcaps. He licked his lips nervously before saying, “Name me as your second.”

“And get you killed—”

“I won’t lose.”

The conviction in his eyes stilled her protests.

“I can beat him. Trust me.”

Something silent passed between them as she realized he meant the one who had already named himself her second, a deeper history to this than she was able to parse out. She whispered, “What are you getting yourself into, now?”

He gave her a wild grin. “Giving your people protectors.”

She exhaled sharply, considering his whispered proposal.

With the greenlings having donned outfits to look like her, that was a hundred possible Athereons for those who knew her description, who knew she was a greenling.

A gang of redcaps would provide excellent deterrent. Giving them the task of protecting the greenlings would keep them out of the Guard, allowing them to be their chaotic, violent selves while directing that violence in a somewhat controlled fashion.

Was that why Bartos—ugh, Lord Everwinter—had them in a stalemate rather than taking further action?

Had this been his intention?

She wouldn’t put it passed the devious fucker.

Still, while this plan could easily snowball, as it already was clearly doing, there was a path forward that would benefit both parties.

Hopefully.

At least for a little while.

All she needed was a few months. A few months to train the greenlings to defend themselves and then she could let the redcaps go, send them back to the Capital and get them out of her hair, let someone else become the damn boss. Without knowing anything about redcap culture, she wouldn’t be able to control them for long. She highly doubted most of them would stick around to work for a greenling.

Qzi might be able to manage the situation.

With backing.

Her chest squeezed. Her stomach twisted. Several heartbeats passed before she realized she was, of all things, worried for Qzi. The man who laughed in the face of danger.

“Fine. But if you die, I’m killing you myself.”

Was that a gods damned blush on his face—

Ignoring her nerves at the idea of Qzi throwing himself in the same kind of danger she did every day as stupid, hypocritical, and reductive, Squirt turned on her heel, committed to follow through.

Time to bring the gang to heel.