"En ahll 'onesteh? Naw' a clue. Ah've onleh sein 'em, neveir built one befare."
Pavelle nodded, crossing her arms tensely as if she was cold, though she wasn't. She was mostly nervous about this whole thing. She had already told Magnus that they would test the raft once... what if he decided to forget how to swim right when that happened, and fell off and drowned? She knew that Magnus was an excellent swimmer, but he could sometimes do goofy things that nobody expected of him... she didn't voice her worries aloud. She didn't want to worry the others, especially since she was just creeping herself out for no good reason. And the river wasn't too deep, so Magnus should be fine even if he did fall in. He was tall enough to touch the bottom, if she recalled correctly, wasn't he?
Just then Tory flew over and landed on her head, settling in her fur. This, somehow, helped to calm her, to let think a little more rationally. She was just so nervous, for no reason. But the new warmth on the top of her head where Tory's small body sat soothed her a little. She gave a small smile as he looked down at her, then entered the garage with O'Connor, listening as he talked.
"So, tha' cun brothere o' yers. I' seims luike 'e's new tu the neighberhud. 'Aow long 'ave ye known 'im? Whu's his storeh? Tha' is, if ye know, ahnd cahn teill meh. 'e seims pretteh seicretive, so fergive meh if ah stepped on aneh toes with tha' question."
Pavelle tried to stifle the sudden paranoid wave of suspicion that crawled over her skin, and looked at the ground, rubbing her hands together. Why did O'Connor want to know so much about Felix all the time? Hadn't he asked something once before already? Sure, Felix was an odd character in this neighborhood, but he wasn't that noticeable. He hadn't caused any real trouble, and he technically did have a collar now, though he didn't wear it. O'Connor was probably simply curious... but not many people had ever been curious about her, or her family, ever before. She could recollect those who had on one hand. She looked up, her eyes partially shaded by the shadow cast by her brow, and studied O'Connor intently for a moment, before carefully answering, "Felix? I've only known him about two weeks, actually. He showed up in my house and ambushed me. If I can though, I'd not like to rethink that day. It was slightly unpleasant for me." She recalled Venison leaving, her trying to get him to stay... and failing. And she had even told the Coydog that Magnus might be in trouble, that someone might be in her house. And he had gone, anyways. Run away. She swallowed down the feelings of hurt and anger that she felt at remembering that, ignoring them as best she could. She didn't like thinking about emotions that made no sense to her. Anyways, he had brought the chemo for her mom when he had come back. Didn't that make up for what he had done? And what
had he done that was so wrong, anyway? He was a stray, free to do as he wished. Closest to Rav, not her. If anybody should have been affected by Venison's leaving, it should have been the Ligerr household. She was being an idiot, and selfish, to think that he had thought twice about leaving, even though she was a "friend". No. Enough of this; it was best left buried deep inside. It was over, after all. She reigned in her thoughts and continued, voice a little flat after the break in words. "As for Felix's story, I honestly don't know a lot about him. For some reason, he showed up and hasn't left. He wants me to go with him. Back to where he came from. Back to where I came from, I suppose, though I was little the last time I was there, wherever it is. I can't remember that place. All I remember i--" she cut herself off, and shoved down a couple free memories, bad ones that threatened to resurface. The same ones that always popped up when she thought of that place. Why was she having such a hard time of controlling herself, today? Really? Was it Dad's fault, for this morning? She struggled to maintain a bland expression, once again embarrassed that she was having such a hard time, and that she was with almost-complete strangers while her emotions where having a rampage. She must look insane, right now. That or worse, possibly. Emotionally unstable. Psychologically unstable. Mentally, too?A mixture of all three? She hoped her expressions hadn't revealed too much of the bad memories O'Connor's questions had dug up, and tried to keep shame from crossing her face. A little slipped on, but she hoped the old dog didn't notice. She took a deep breath.
Meanwhile...
Felix and Magnus headed for the woods, Magnus setting the pace, tail wagging, Felix jogging to keep up with the long-legged dog's excited strides. They fought a good place to enter the treeline and did so, immediately starting to look for logs. Felix eyed a felled tree, and pointed Magnus over to it with an impatient gesture. He still didn't like taking orders, and had worked himself into a slightly rotten mood, forehead darkened dangerously. Now that O'Connor wasn't there, he did't have to pretend to be nice, though the terrier probably had guessed already that most of what Felix said was an act.
Magnus rushed over to the tree, grabbed one end of it, and, with a coil of well-defined muscle, heaved upwards. The big dog grunted with the effort, but he lifted the end of the tree up, grabbing onto roots for a good grip, since this was the side that went in the ground. Something must've knocked this entire tree down whole. Maybe a heffalump, like in Winnie the Pooh. He looked over at Felix, who was shaking his head in disgust and amazement. "Not the whole tree, Magnus," the raccoon said, voice sounding slightly irritated and impressed with Magnus' feat of strength, which irritated Felix even more. He didn't want to be impressed by anything a pet did. "Parts of it. Maybe find some of the larger branches, we'll use something to break 'em off."
Though you might be able to do it yourself with your bare hands. He walked over, and they got started on removing some of the most suitable branches. Luckily enough, the tree had fallen long enough ago that it was mostly dried-out, which meant it was easier to break apart.
