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Skiffer was in a good mood. Well, a good enough mood. He was an uncle now, which meant he wandered around the pride with a strange sense of self-importance. Really, one might think he'd whelped the litter himself - in fact he hadn't had a gods damned thing to do with any of it, and while he'd been by to see the cubs, that was as far as his involvement had gone.

"Skansom! Skan, did you hear? I'm an uncle."

Skiff wasn't certain that Skansom had heard, but it was important to Skiffer that Skansom knew. It was very important, actually.

Skansom had been spending more and more time with Skada, and the thought of a family of his own was never far from his mind. He wouldn't mind settling down with the Lawspeaker. He wouldn't mind --

"Yes, Skiff, I've heard. Everyone's heard." Skan grimaced and made a lame attempt at escape. He'd walked past Skiffer earlier in the day; Skiff had trapped some poor thrall and was going on and on about the varying fur colors that each cub had, about how little they were, about how he wanted to take them out hunting.

"It's good news, Skiff. I've heard."

Please don't tell me again.

Skiffer slowly blinked at Skan, his mane bristling with curiosity. Skan had his eyes on a wife already?! And Ryskios too?! At this rate, Skiffer would be the last of his friends with a wife, and that would simply not do! Grunting softly to himself, Skiff sat down in a plume of dust and thumped his tail dismally.

"Well, s**t."

Perking his ears, Skiffer glanced over at Skan.

"Who have you got your eyes on, then? You gotta tell me, Skan. Is it Yakuti? She's real pretty, but kind of scary. Is it Myka? Am I close? Did I guess right?"

"No. It's neither."

Skansom fell silent, looking at little at odds with himself. If he told Skiffer, he knew there was a high chance that Skiff would run off and blab to everyone. Gods knew the boy liked to yap, and usually it was entertaining.

"I'll tell you, but you swear by the Gods that you'll not say a word. Not until I've had a chance to speak to the lady in question."

The thunderous expression he wore made it clear that he meant business, and if Skiff were to defy him, well.

It would not be a pretty thing.

Skiffer opened his mouth, then immediately closed it when Skan kept talking. He looked a little offended by Skan's comments.

"I promised, and I meant it. Skada is nice enough, I think; she has never done wrong by me. I don't know much about what happened to her, quite honestly, Skansom. There's no need to find yourself upset."

Cool your heels.

"Since you've already found a wife, maybe you can help me find a wife. Or maybe Skada knows someone who can be my wife."

Hope surged in his chest, and he looked entirely too excited by the prospect.

"Will you talk to her?"

Skansom burst out laughing, but he nodded his mighty head.

"I'll talk to her. After I talk to her about other things, namely my intentions towards her. Go on, now. Go spend some time with those nieces and nephews of yours. I'm keen to see them when they're old enough to come out of their home."

As Skansom watched Skiffer wander off, he couldn't help but grin. Life was good. He'd found someone he intended to take to wife, and she hadn't been exactly what he was looking for, but she was his.

Rising to his feet, Skansom made his way to Skada's den. Enough was enough. There was no sense in wasting more time. Life was too short.