“Like a dragon hoarding your gold.”
None of it would help him now. Not here. He had a feeling they didn’t deal in his kind of currency.
“So, you like artists? Humans, I mean?”
Kansas snorted. “We practically worship them, Lenard. I’m not exaggerating. We give them awards, take tours of their houses and buy their old clothes as memorabilia. They’re like royalty where I’m from.”
Lenard reached up to scratch anxiously behind his ear. “Our king likes music. But my people aren’t—they don’t—”
“The Felix aren’t known for being artists,” Fenna continued with an easy shrug. “Their society prizes strength and cunning above all things. The women don’t even weave their own baskets or blankets, preferring to trade using their…other skills. It’s why Lenard is so special.”
Other skills? Kansas automatically glanced down at Lenard’s erection, and Fenna tittered. “I was referring to information gathering and hunting, but yes, they are known for their prowess as well. But none of them make their own binding knots the way Lenard can. He’s traded quite a few of them for our supplies lately.”
“Binding knots?”
She held up her arms, pressing her wrists together as if she were handcuffed. “For pleasure? Do humans never use restraints to heighten the experience of mating?”
Kansas stumbled for a moment. A bird into BDSM? Add kinky to his future therapist’s diagnosis. He was sexually repressed and kinky. “Some do. I was pretty sure we’d invented it, to be honest.”
Fenna grinned up at him. “That’s funny, Kansas. Are all humans so funny?”
Thankfully Lenard interrupted their conversation. “Here now. They’re finished.”
Kansas took a nervous step back, visions of being trussed up to the nearest tree as the young man’s plaything flashing though his head. “I really don’t need any binding knots, thanks.”
“No binding knots,” The feline chuckled. “These are for your feet. I noticed you have no natural pads or calluses, and I can smell your injuries. These will protect your soft skin for the rest of the journey.”
“Was that what I smelled?” Fenna asked, wrinkling her beaklike nose.
Shoes? He’d been making him a pair of shoes?
“I don’t know what to say.” Kansas leaned against the thick trunk of a nearby tree and slid on the soft footwear Lenard handed him. “I can’t believe you made them so quickly. Fenna’s right. You’re incredibly skilled.”
They fit. And felt amazing. Kansas closed his eyes blissfully.
“You’ll feel a cool liquid substance release when you take your first few steps. It’s why I chose those to work with. The juice from this plant will ease your wounds, even numb the pain a bit.”
Kansas couldn’t contain his smile after taking a step to test Lenard’s claims. A slightly uncomfortable squish followed by instant relief. The scrapes and blisters that had been forming on his heels were soothed and Kansas was so grateful he wanted to hug the big, hairy guy, but managed to hold himself back. He wouldn’t want to give the horny bugger the wrong impression.
“Thank you, Lenard. Truly. These are amazing and it was kind of you to think of me.”
Lenard acknowledged the compliment with a shy nod. Fenna’s arms were crossed, her three long toes tapping impatiently. “Yes, that’s wonderful, now are you two ready to start moving again? It will be full dark in less than an hour and I’d like to camp near our watering hole so Kansas can clean up before meeting the king tomorrow.”
Looking worried, Lenard stepped closer to Fenna and lowered his voice. “The watering hole? You wanted to camp at the watering hole?”
“Yes, of course I do. Why?”
“Two things. First, we should let Kansas know what to watch out for.”
“What?” Kansas interrupted with a chuckle, still high off his magical footwear. “Are there bears?”
“No,” Fenna said with a roll of her eyes. “Bears would never come near you. They barely go near each other, unless it’s mating season. Afraid of their own shadows. He’s talking about the water, though I don’t know why he’s worried. It has special properties, but it’s very particular about who it shows them to. I doubt you’ll notice a thing. It might not even react to a human.”
“When you say special, do you mean relaxing mineral bath properties, or piranhas after my dangly bits properties?”
Lenard snort-growled. “Humans are funny.”
“Yeah, we’re a planet of comedians.”