Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: Wystan's Hands

Marren came for the boys at dusk, with a sled and a bag of hazelnuts.

"They sleep in my den tonight," she said. "Both of them. I'm going to teach the older one to climb a tree on two legs."

"Mother," Wystan said.

"You've got a house with a warm chamber, a fire and a man in it. Use the evening."

She did not look at him while she said it.

Tuck went off on her back with a hazelnut in each fist, Dock in the sled behind him, and neither one looked round.

The cave went quiet.

Wystan stood at the mouth and listened to the sled bells fade.

He had thought about this moment all day, and he had a speech.

It was a plain one.

He had practiced it on the ridge.

Thad was at the fire, scraping the last of the barley into a bowl.

He looked up and smiled, and the speech went out of Wystan's head.

"Eat," Thad said. "You didn't touch lunch."

Wystan sat.

The bowl was warm in his hands, and the barley had honey in it and a little salt.

He ate three spoonfuls and put it down.

"Thad," Wystan said.

"Mm," said Thad.

"The naming is done."

"I noticed." Thad's mouth curved. "I was there."

"My mother says the binding at the Stone was for the cub's sake. It's spent now."

"The cubs have a name and a keeper. Either of us can unbind with a word."

He heard his own voice, level and flat.

He had never been proud of anything so little.

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