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The flames of the campfire flickered at the mouth of the cave, casting their shadows across the entire depths. Maxim sighed. A bright light of hope ahead while they were shrouded in darkness by their own… everything. Their failures, their loyalty, their determination. He turn his head to rest on his shoulder. Remenant spots of the fire burned in his eyes as he stared out at the dark forest beyond.
Shrouded in darkness by their own fear.
Maxim shifted and a tangle in his hair snagged at his pauldron. He shifted back. A deep breath in, he closed his eyes. A slow breath out his nose, and he opened them, looking at the floor before slowly raising to Dimo's back beside him. His shirt was off while he sewed up a tear in the side. His thick fur was fluffed in the chill night air instead of laying flat like usual. It looked long and soft and silky like this. Maxim dragged claws through it and Dimo stilled.
“Vhat's hyu doink. Hyur gonna mess op mine coat.” He resumed his stitching.
“Hy isn't going to mess it op just from brushink it.” Maxim repeated the motion, starting at Dimo's shoulder blade and dragging down beside his spine to the waistband of his pants. His eyes traced the path. The repeated again.
Dimo tittered. “Ho, is dat vhat hyu is callink feelink me op, huh?”
“Hy isn't feelink hyu op.” His tone kept steady as his hand. As soft and loose and detached as it, as well. Fingers curled into the fur on the next stroke down, trembling. “Chust pettink. Hyu've been pet before.”
Dimo felt the waver in Maxim's tone down through his bones. He pinned the needle in the fabric and set it aside. He turned to face Maxim, then, coming face to face with dull eyes and a hand now grasping air, and pulled up knees being held close. Chin rested on his knees and hat rested on the ground beside him. His hand lowered after a moment. It lay limp on his boot.
“Hyu effer feel like ve're trapped.” It wasn't a question, not technically. Maxim hadn't thought a simple questioning tone would feel so difficult to raise. “Stuck out here vitout de pack cause…” Because of what? The oath they swore their lives on to the Masters, their Masters’ town that would crumble without the Baron's agreement, the Masters they search for so desperately now so that the others can keep everyone safe. If it was a trap, it would be one that no jäger would prevent from closing around and taking them. Then it’s not really a trap anymore. Self-sabotage maybe.
Dimo gruffed and dragged Maxim across the floor so his back would be towards him. Maxim scrabbled to not fall over but Dimo's hands across his chest kept him steady until he was leaning back into Dimo's lap. “Hy miss dem too.”
It felt more than that, Maxim thought. He settled, and lay down. He stared at the fire. It was strange to think how fire itself didn't have a shadow. But it didn't really need to, with people always there to cast the shadows themselves. Claws pulled gently through his hair. Picking apart tangles one section at a time before setting it aside to move on. It was a familiar practice. Maxim let his eyes drift closed with the light spots burned on his eyelids. They shifted with each twitch, forming themselves into figures of decades past. Loose gathering of spots reaching for eachother. Almost drifting together until another twitch reset their places. Running from his sight as eyes moved behind eyelids to watch them.
Dimo dragged all his nails through detangled hair. Then asked, “Hyu knows how to braid?”
Maxim opened his eyes and glanced to the side. “Never had to learn. It keeps vell if it's clean, und hy has my comb. Or somevun else vill.”
“Hy ken try but hy ken't promise nottink. Vill probably chust tangle it back op.”
A thud at the entrance drew both their attention. Smell of fresh blood flooded in. “Awww,” Oggie whined as he wiped his hands off on a remaining shred of his coat. “Hyu’s shtarted a cuddle pile vitout me?”
“Hyu’s been around kids, hyu knows how to braid hair?” Dimo tilted his head back to ask.
“Ho! Oh…, ja.” The excitement fell as soon as it'd appeared across Oggie's face.“Hy learned at vun point. Und could do a simple vun. Vas great fer kiddos, und-” He looked to Maxim. “Vell, hy's still got hyu to keep mine skills sharp, ja?” A bit of shuffling around and Oggie took Dimo's place while Dimo started on butchering the catch. Maxim slouched lower as he felt the drag of fingers through his hair, easing the reach for Oggie while he sectioned it. “Hy smelled Jenka vhen hy vas out. De vind isn't strong so she must be close, Maybe she vill drop by, vunce she gets to de area und picks up dat hy vas dere.”
Maxim sat straight, pulling his hair from Oggie's grasp. “Ho, Jenka's coming?
“Iffen only fer de free food.” Dimo tossed aside some greying goopy bones into a pile of other slimey greying matter. Some sort of sparkwork that made its way into the creature, Dimo thought. The parts smelled inedible. “Hy hopes she tinks to brink her own. Oggie, vhere hyu find dis deer?”
“Vas down de river a few miles.” He pushed Maxim back down, then regathered the sections. Maxim sunk easily at the touch. A whine under his breath went unremarked as the hand at his shoulders receded. He pouted. “Snuck up on it all shneaky like vhen it vas drinkink. Vould have gotten some feeshies but dey vas beink slippery und shtirrink up dirt clouds. Vhy?”
Dimo scowled as he dropped another slimey greyed chunk in the pile. Hopefully whatever this was hadn't spread in the same direction they were heading. “Gott's dem sparkvork infectink it. Only vun-tirds iz still goot. De fish vas probably vorse.”
“Oh.” Maxim felt the hands in his hair still. The knuckles rest against his back. “Sorry. Vas all hy could find.”
Dimo gruffed. “Iz nottink ve can do about it. De deer shmelled normal before hy cut it open.” He shoved the inedible pile out of the mouth of the cave to deal with later. The meger edible meat left took short work to cut into small chunks and spear on thin sticks. With two thick pieces of wood as rails, he lay the first batch of spears over the fire to cook. Just in case.
Oggie's hands picked back up as the smell of cooking meat filled the cave. They also kept returning to the nape of his neck. Maxim couldn't see why, but he could guess. In lightened spirits from the smell of food, he decided it deserved some teasing.
“Dat is de fifth time hyu has undone hyu hard vork und restarted. Has hyur brain finally been replaced vit plants? ” He partially sat up, and turned to Oggie, pulling his hair from precisely arranged fingers.
Oggie reacted to hold him in place by tightening his hold, pulling at his hair like a leash. It made Maxim grin. But parts of the sections fell from their place. Oggie dropped the rest of the hair and crossed his arms. “Hoy! Hy vill haff hyu know, vegetables iz important to a diet.”
“Hyur on a diet? Here hy tought hyu got all de Ladies already, hyu tryink for de men too?” Maxim arched backwards into Oggie. The lingering tingle of touch raised the hairs on his neck.
Oggie pouted his lip and twirled a strand of purple hair around his finger. “Dey only likes hyu more cause hyu iz a pretty boy misleadink dem into tinkink dey iz shtronger den hyu.” He tucked the strand behind Maxim's ear.
Maxim grinned charmingly. “Hy am pretty. It's deir own fault dat dey tink dey can beat a jäger. Oh, but iz so much more fun den, vhen dey learn dat dey like somevun beink stronger, heh.”
Oggie pushed him back down and he went, bracing his chin with an elbow on his crossed legs. Oggie leans over his back to whisper in his ear. “So shtrong yet hy folds hyu up like vet clay.”
“De pretty vuns got to be picky about who dey let go around taking de lead from dem, but hyu vill do.” With a bare tilt of his head, he brushed their foreheads together. Oggie pressed in return before pulling away and digging his hand back into Maxim's hair.
“Vell den, hy iz takink de lead by doink vhat hy vant vit braidink hyu hair und hyu izn't complainink about it.”
A rumble rose in his chest. He felt it through his arm where his wrist pressed to his sternum. No doubt Oggie and Dimo heard him either. His eyes drift closed. “Are de meat sticks done yet?” He drawled.
Dimo sighed. “It's hardly been a meenute.” Maxim could imagine the eyeroll. Done properly, around the whole circumference of the socket.
“Den get hyu furry butt over here vhile ve vait.”
“Hy isn't vantink meat dats burned on vun side.”
Maxim huffed and stared at Dimo's back, his soft furred back. He turned to meet Oggie's eyes then nodded in Dimo's direction. With a nod in return, they scooted across the floor. Dimo raised an eyebrow at them, but did nothing as Maxim sidled up behind him.
“Vhen de furry butt doesn't come to hyu…” he paused.
Oggie grinned wide as he picked it up. “Bring hyuself to it!”
Dimo stifled a snort. He shifted a few of the spits. The pile of infected meat at the edge of his vison was taunting. The fur on his back raised with the lingering sensation of Maxim's claws of earlier. Their warmth behind him rivaled the fire. For now in this cave, they were stuck with nowhere to go. He pulled the corners of his lips down with as much drama as they'd allow. “Hy feels targeted. Vitout me, dere vould be no furry butt. Is hy to expect dat hyus vill keep shticking to mine sides like dyne limpets?”
“Hoy! Hy'm no dyne limpet!” Maxim flipped his hair over his shoulder. “Hy'm much more colorful.”
“Und ve isn't gonna drown und eat hyu!” Oggie piped up.
“Und hyu gots thicker heads.” He let his frown turn up. Dimo slouched back into Maxim, keeping in reach of the sticks to turn them. Claws dug into his fur immediately. His skin tugged as small knots and matts were loosened out from those hard to reach areas. Short fur was pressed against the grain through calloused fingers, dragging a pressure that threatened making his eyes close, to forget everything going wrong and focus on the sensation. None of his distractions, for just a moment. And fingers came back through to smooth it all down before repeating. He kept his eyes on the fire so the meat wouldn't burn or lose too much of its fat and juices. They needed what they could get.
Maxim's fingers dragged the oil built up in Dimo's hair and in the underlayer of his fur and spread it evenly throughout, bringing it to the surface with each repeated stroke. Maxim could feel as Dimo's breathing and heart rate slowed under his hand. He brought a hand up to Dimo's hair. His own heart sped up as Dimo pressed back into it. He dragged his other hand to the side until it slid off Dimo's back and curved around his arm, reaching in front of him. Reaching blindly for a stick. The heat stung, so the skewers of meat had to be close.
A smack at his hand had him retreating. “Shtop dat. Its not ready.”
“And here you is, vhile they are in their own leetle worlds.” Jenka's voice sounded from behind Maxim and both him and Dimo spun around to look. Jenka leant down beside Oggie, a hand snaked into his hair, curling around the sensitive base of his horn.
“Vhat de- hy didn't hear hyu comink!” Maxim furrowed his brow.
“Hy didn't shmell hyu comink.” Dimo raised an eyebrow.
“Say, hyu vants to pet me?” Oggie looked up at her pleadingly, tilting into the grip on his horn. She flicked his hat, tumbling it into his lap, and ruffled his hair.
“Ja, why not. Füst needs a rest.” She turned and waved Füst further into the cave. He curled up against the back wall and with a yawn, immediately went to sleep. “Ve's been traveling a few days from the east, and the animals that vay were sparse or infected, too.” She glanced at the pile of greyed matter as she took a seat behind Oggie. “And its a bad season for fruits. We haven't found much that is vorth his energy.”
Dimo gave his own report. “Ve came from de north. Didn't notice nottink wrong until hy cuts open dis deer. So hyu should find sometink a day's travel op.”
Jenka nodded and gave a hum of acknowledgment. She combed out Oggie's hair, the quiet filled with sizzling and the rustle of branches outside. The sway of the trees made the moonlight flicker like the fire. Their shadows cast over each other and merged on the wall, filling it to the ceiling, looming behind them and indistinguishable. Dimo handed back the first four sticks of the batch, and putting the next four on. Maxim scooted closer to his back so his knees pressed against Dimo's hips. The hands in his own hair fell away. He bit a piece of meat strip from the stick and chewed. Bland and dry, with a strange undertone, but food was food. It quickly disappeared. Oggie poked his back and he turned his head, then took the two sticks and handed all three forward to set back beside Dimo. He shook his head.
“Don't need dem, dere’s extra.”
Maxim set them down and returned to brushing. A hand returned to his hair as well.
“Hyu better had cleaned hyur fingers before puttink dem in mine hair,” he chided Oggie without any heat.
“Says hyu,” Dimo said.
Maxim sat up straight, placing a hand over his chest. “Excuse hyu, hy don't need to. Hy gots manners.”
“Hoy,” Oggie whined. “Hy mean, ja, but hy shtill takes offense to dat.”
“Ha,” Jenka laughed. She twined a section of Oggie's hair into the tiny start of a dutch braid. “Hyu all is messy. Hyu would give the Amalgamet Court ov the Wool Lords heart attacks if dey saw how hyu eat in their hall.”
Maxim frowned and turned. “Hoy, now hy am takink offense!”
“And thats vhy hyu isn't a diplomat, sveetie.”
“Amalgamet ov de Vool Lords,” Oggie propped an elbow on Maxim's should so he could tap nails to his lip. “Vasn't dey dose guys dat vas obsessed vit makink de golden fleece real a century back, und den vent und made a bunch more metal-vooly sheep?” Maxim reached back and pulled his hand back to his hair.
“Ja. They have finally opened trade for deir steel wool.” Jenka had nothing to tie the braid off with, so let it hang and slowly loosen. “Said dat de sheep turned out so well, dey're on a normal sheering schedule like all the other wooly sheep and dey don't have space to store all de steel.”
Oggie nodded, then furrowed his brows. “How does dey keep de vool on de amalgam sheep? Vouldn't et be all liqvidy?”
“Not if the amount of mercury is low. Most of de amalgam sheep have a more soft malleable vool. Dey vent on for hours about de history of dat vun. Their second greatest accomplishment following de golden fleece, dey said.”
“Right. Und hy bet none of dem sheep vould be any good set on an enemy.”
Maxim hummed. “Unless de enemy vas some corvid conglomerate, ja? Voulf be a good distraction.”
Oggie pulled Maxim's hajr to tilt his head slighty back. “Vhat der dumboozle is a corvid?”
“Hyu know, like crows und ravens und magpies, de vuns dat like shiny stuff.”
“Is dat includink de shneaky blue bellied bobbles dat gets in trough chimneys und pilfers hyu jewlery iffen de flu isn't closed?”
Maxim back forward, then shrugged. “Maybe?” He leaned forward into Dimo's pace, pressing further against him. His skin felt cold. “Vhat do hyu tink?”
“Vhat hy look, a bird vatcher? Hyu’s de vun knowink vhat corvidae is.”
“Ha!” Maxim ruffled his hair, and then straightened it back out for him. “Hy didn't say dey vas corvidae, hyu do know smart stuff!”
“Despite mine best efforts.” Dimo grumbled.
“Vait,” Oggie inturrupted. “Vas ol’ Master Giles's blue bellied bobbles corvids? Made it hardy to vinter, but seeink fresh sparklink snow for de first time made it obsess over shiny tings.”
Dimo shook his head. “Nah, it loved shiny stuff because it vas reminded ov de sun durink long night, vhen its body remembers it vas supposed to be varm.” He held his hands closer to the fire.
Maxim tilted his head. “Hy tought it vas because de sparkles mimic de deserts in africa vhere it migrated to.”
Jenka chuffed. “Hy thought de cold hardiness chust made it a leetle bitch who vanted to shteal tings. Hubris, hy say.”
They all paused to consider. Oggie broke the contemplation, starting now to section Maxim's hair for a braid once more. “Vell, de bobbles vas rollers first, before de Master changed dem. Und hy's startink to tink dat maybe de Master made it a leetle pest on purpose, und den chust let rumours say it vas on ekcident.”
“Ja,” Jenka agreed. She returned to braiding Oggie's hair. “Hy vouldn't be surprised.”
Maxim let out a sharp breath through his nose. “Hy lost a goot gold ring und mine ruby cloak clasp dat hy found in de north to dose tings.” He buried his hands into the fur at Dimo's shoulders and started kneading them.
Dimo huffed and turned the spits. “Dat shtupid ring deserved to get taken. It vas a pest.”
“Vhat? How? It vas alvays vit me,” Maxim frowned and tried to lean forward. Oggie's tug on his partial braid kept him in place. He pet down Dimo's shoulders.
Dimo rolled his eyes with his whole head so that Maxim knew. He rolled his shoulders into the warm hands. Evidently Maxim did not understand their pain. “Ho sure, de original vas. But it kept droppink leetle golden rings efferyvhere, but dey vasnt't even gold. Chust vhateffer material it touched turned yellow und popped out a circle.”
“Really?” The hands drifted from Dimo's arms to his back, then up his shoulders again and around. “Vait, is dat vhy hy voke up to beink surrounded by piled of circle-y pebbles dat vun time? Hy tought it vas some shtupid prank.” Hands paused at his arms.
He turned over the spits and grinned. “Huh. Und here ve tought hyu vas beink deliberately cocky.”
“Ho ja, hy remember dat bit. Ho, dat vas a fun night.” Maxim's hands continued their circling, trying to warm the skin. “Hm. Vhat vas it dat happened.” Finger trailed up his arms in a little dance, before smoothing back down them. “If hy remember correctly, hy took all de leetle pebbles und tossed dem across de floor, so dat anyvun else valkink in de barracks vould be steppink all over dem. Perfect vay to get back.”
“Not dat it did any good.” Jenka spoke low and silky. “Vas still yellow to our eyes, easy to avoid. Oh, but den hyu thinking hyu had pulled something, making everything inconvenient again and getting avay with it.” Jenka pushed Oggie forward, pressing him into Maxim.
“Waa-” Oggie yelped, his arm getting in the way and pulling his hand from it's place in the braid. He resisted against Jenka for a second before dropping the section of hair. He moved his arm and hooked his chin over Maxim's shoulder.
Jenka pressed against his back to reach over him to Maxim. “Vell-” Maxim started, before being cut off by Jenka's hand weaving into his hair and pulling him back by the scalp. “Ah, vell, iz not like hy knew-.”
“Hyu ignorance is no excuse for hyu hubris.” Maxim bit his lip to try and stifle a growing grin. Oggie twisted his head, pressing into her hand that still held the middle of the second tiny dutch braid.
Dimo gruffed. “Hoy, if hyu tree is done, hy iz vantink mine brush back.”
“Hyu isn't even tangled up anymore.” Jenka rolled her eyes and reached past Oggie to thwap Dimo on the temple.
“Hy finish cookink dese up, den hy circle round to do hyu, ja?”
Jenka ruffled his hair before pulling away, but not yet sitting up again. “Ja, hyu do that.” She folded her arm under the one that was occupied, and rest her chin on it atop Oggie's back, and Maxim's shoulderby extent. “Hm. Last time hy had my hair done by someone else…” Her wistful tone dropped. “Ho. Vas back vhen Mamma planned de last cult meeting.”
“Cult meetink?” Oggie questioned with a hint of excitement.
“Vell, it was nicknamed dat. Chust a bunch ov de pack doing eachother's hair.”
“Ho, dose tings! Hy showed a bunch ov brudders how to braid. De last hy remember vas de vun only a few years after Master Bill took de- town…” Oggie trailed off as he felt Jenka press heavier against his back. “Hyu don't, hyu don't get hyu hair done vhen hyu meet up vit vild packs?” He kept quiet, cautious.
“Usually isn't time. Hy have tings hy need to do.” Her hand loosed the braid, instead digging into loose hair.
“Close enough.” Dimo grumbled, then spoke up as he handed some sticks backwards. “Dey’s cooked enough. De rest can cook overnight in de coals for de mornink.”
Everyone sat up, some part touching somewhere, to take the sticks to eat. Dimo tugged his off the stick, and swallowed it whole, easier than he would have liked. He turned and scooted back, making more space near the fire, and putting it to his side. He patted in front of himself when he saw Jenka cleaning the residue off her stick. “Come here. Ve's makink a circle. Or a sqvare. Vhateffer.”
Everyone shuffled around to form a tight rectangle, Jenka and Maxim's long hair granting some leeway to ease the awkward reach. Knees and legs pressed against the others whenever they could. It wasn't a silence, with quiet hums, purrs and rumbles filling the space, but no words were spoken. The fire let off occasional pops as it slowly dwindled.
Dimo ran claws through silver hair. They barely snagged on any tangles, the underlayers as well groomed as the top. He pulled a loose strand free and grinned. “Heh. Hyu know it’z arm hair vhen is as long as hyu arm.” From the end held at his chest to the tip held in his hand, the silver strand glinted as he moved it to catch the fire light.
Oggie snorted. “Hy dun tink dat’s vhat it means.”
“Vun day.”Maxim turned, what Oggie allowed, to stare down Jenka. “Vun day.” He repeated, slower.
“No day soon, sveetie, vit how much hyu get in trouble.”
“Hyu’s vun to talk,” Dimo tugged her hair.
“Hy'm causing de trouble.”
“Hyu could cause a leedle trouble vit me.” Oggie tilted his head back to wink.
“Hyu have enough trouble on your own, adding anymore might destroy a town.”
Maxim huffed a laugh. “Und dey von't know vhat hit dem.”
Dimo leaned forward next to Jenka's ear and whispered, to no effect with jägers’ hearing. “Not if hy have anythink to say about it.”
“Hoy!” Maxim sqauwked.
Jenka raised an eyebrow. “Ho, high and mighty, thinking he's above foolish tings like causink trouble. Hyu know vhat hubris gets hyu.”
Oggie adjusted his grip on the braid and raised his hand. “Ho! It's a reminder, ja?”
“Ho ja.” Jenka let go of Oggie's hair and cracked her knuckles.
“Vait a minute-” Dimo started to protest, tightening his grip.
Maxim moved to get up, but Oggie pulled him back down, whining. “Hold shtill, hy's almost done.”
“Aw.”
“Ho don't be a baby. Dis vay it von't get all tangled again in de fight.” Which hadn't started yet, he noticed. Jenka held still, eyeing Dimo, who still held her hair. No matter that he held it long enough to not stop a lunge. He eyed the other two as Oggie reached the last few inches of hair, and tore a strip from his already ruined coat. He weaved it in, tied off the bottom, and framed his work with his hands to show them.
“Ta da! Jenka, hyu have to look.”
Jenka turned and nodded.
“Ja, ja, goot vor-” Dimo cut off as Jenka tackled him down.
“Ja, finally!” Maxim jumped into the fray to get at Dimo. “Look who's de trouble maker now!”
Oggie put the last meat pieces in the fizzled out fire to cook on the coals, before shuckiing his coat and joining in. He pounced on Jenka's back, wrapping around her like an octopus and rolling over, taking her with him. He shoved her aside to get at Dimo who battled against Maxim's vicious cape with his now freed hand. Maxim delighted in what appeared to be a very poor strangling attempt. Oggie darted for one of his hands, ready to hoist him across the floor, when Jenka kicked him in the back, sending him forward atop of Maxim who collapsed down with a squawk at the unexpected weight. A forced oof of air escaped Dimo below both of them. Oggie scrabbled up, punching Maxim in the arm as he did. Far lighter than he ever had and Maxim didn't even recoil an inch. Change of plans, he straddled Maxim's back. To what ends, he didn't know. He grabbed the ends of the cape and started getting them into a blindfold. Maxim sat up. Oggie fell back and hit his head on the stone.
Dimo took advantage of Maxim's weaker position to thrust his knee up, dislodging him and hitting his balls in the process.
Dimo stood to one knee, holding claws out to the sides, ready. “Ha! Hy can take hyu, tree on vun.” He caught Jenka's foot going for his head and pulled her down. Maxim came at his front but only met an uppercut to the jaw, sending him back again.
Oggie slinked away, and slowly made a circle around to his back. Jenka raised an eye at him and he held a finger up to his lips. Maxim looked up at him from the floor as he passed.
“Vot hyu tink hyu is doink?” Dimo furrowed his brow at Oggie, slinking in front of the moonlit mouth of the cave.
“Ah, hy's being a very sneaky sneak?”
Any reply Dimo might've made in puzzlement of Oggie's stealth attempt was cut short as Maxim lunged from the ground and tackled him down. Oggie joined soon after, the three of them rolling deeper into the shadows before something large and warm brought it's crushing weight down on all three of them.
“Hoy, dat's cheatink,” Maxim wheezed out from under Füsts great bear behind.
“Is using my resources. Hy vin.” Jenka gloated.
“Aw, but hy vas totally gettink de points.” Oggie said through a thin breath.
Jenka crouched down by their heads, looking at Dimo. “Vhat have ve learned?”
“Dat some idiots is gonna cause trouble no matter how hy try?” He asked sarcastically. Jenka flicked his ear. “Ow! Fine, dat hy isn't exempt from de trouble causink. Apparently.”
“Vell sure,” Jenka drawled. “Chust look at de mess hyu got hyu tree into. Pinned to de ground by a giant bear.”
“Hyur giant bear.”
“Dat’s not de point. Vhat matters is hyu learned hyu lesson dat hyu isn't above gettink into trouble.”
“Vell dat's obvious.”
Jenka bopped his nose and stood. “Up hyu go Füst. Ja, a very good bear. Hyu showed dem.” She patted Füst's nose, who then yawned and curled back up. Maxim echoed it, loudly.
All eyes turned to him as his mouth snapped shut. “Ho,” he said, startled. “Hy guess is late, huh.”
“Ja.” Dimo sat up, and Oggie did the same beside him. He took off his hat and brushed the dirt from the plumme. “Is cold out, so get over here.” He waved Maxim over.
Oggie picked his hat back up from where it rolled off in the tussle. Maxim got his from where he'd originally left it, only kicked out of place a little. Beside it, he picked up Dimo's still torn shirt and tossed it to him, any layers of warmth welcomed. Dimo took put the pin and tucked it inside his hat. Maxim hesistated befor eplacing his hat back on, knowing it’d come off once he lay down anyways. He walked over beside the others in the back of the cave. Without the fire it was all darkened in shadow now, excepting the moonlight that cast a sharp line at the mouth. Jenka curled up against Füst and the boys followed, taking places against her.
Maxim lay with his hat beside him, looking at the wall, subsumed by the shadow of their temporary shelter. He felt a hand in his hair, then heard Oggie whisper at his back.
“Ve's here.”
He said nothing in response, but turned over to face what little pieces of home he had. He buried his face in Oggie's shoulder and went to sleep.