see herself and V’rex. Both of their tails were wagging which seemed to be a clear sign of sincerity, so she decided they must be.
“Thank you so much for having us,” she replied, smiling at them both.
“We have been so looking forward to sharing a meal with you,” V’rex added.
They all sat down at the low table with Penny across from Lady Bright Coat and V’rex across from the Chieftain. As soon as everyone was settled, the servant came in again bearing a tray full of steaming bowls.
When the bowl was set in front of Penny, she examined it apprehensively. Knowing the kind of things the Fox’ens seemed to enjoy eating, it seemed certain that this was going to be an interesting dinner to say the least.
Filling the deep bowl was a kind of bone broth—with actual roasted bones floating in it. There was also a generous amount of blue and green herbs sprinkled over the rich-smelling broth, which was a pale amber color.
Chieftain Swift Tail and Lady Bright Coat immediately put their muzzles directly into their soup bowls and began to lap with their long tongues. Penny wasn’t sure if she and V’rex ought to do the same or not. She was just about to lean over and try to sip from the edge of the bowl when Lady Bright Coat looked up.
“Oh, I do apologize!” she exclaimed. “You’re dressed in such lovely fur outfits, I quite forgot you flat-faces don’t eat the same way we Fox’ens do.”
Flat-faces? Penny thought. But before she could ask any questions, Lady Bright Coat clapped her hands and the servant appeared at once.
“Sure Paw,” she said to him. “Pray, bring Merchant V’rex and Lady Penelope some suckspoons so they may enjoy this excellent bone stew.”
The servant bowed and returned at once with two long, silver straws that had tiny silver spoons at the ends of them. They looked a little like Slurpee straws to Penny, except they were considerably fancier, with delicate filigree carvings all up and down their lengths.
“You can suck up the broth with the hollow shaft and then use the spoon attachment to dig the marrow out of the bones,” Lady Bright Coat explained. “Well, go on—give it a try.”
She was watching intently so Penny was sure they had no choice in the matter. Hesitantly, she put the spoon end of the suckspoon into the broth and took a sip.
The steamy liquid was actually quite delicious. It was warm and salty and meaty and the blue and green herbs tasted like chives and garlic.
“Mmm!” Penny took another sip and looked up at Lady Bright Coat. “This is delicious! I especially like the herbs. They really add to the meaty notes of the broth.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you enjoy it!” Lady Bright Coat smiled, her tail thumping against the cushion she was sitting on. “And I’ll tell you something about those herbs, my dear Lady Penelope—they’re called ‘breedalot’ and they’re extra good for fertility.”
“They are?” Penny asked, unsure if this was a good thing or not.
“Oh, yes! I’ve been having my cook put them in simply everything,” Lady Bright Coat said. “You see, Chieftain Swift Tail and I are trying to have a litter. We so want four or five roly-poly little cubs to brighten up the house!” The look of longing on her face made Penny’s heart ache in sympathy.
“I hope you can have a, er, litter soon,” she said, smiling.
“Oh, I hope so too! Have you and your mate had a litter yet?” Lady Bright Coat asked.
“Well, er, not quite yet,” Penny admitted. “Though of course with us, uh, flat-faces, we usually just have one baby at a time.”
“That’s right—I do think I heard that somewhere.” The female Fox’en nodded. “That’s such an inefficient way to get things done, though. With us, we have all our children at once and then we never have to bother with it again.”
“That does sound really, uh, efficient,” Penny said though the idea of having four or five babies at once sounded overwhelming to her. Though maybe one wouldn’t be so bad, if it was with the right man…
Her eyes strayed to V’rex and then she made herself look away and take another sip of the delicious bone broth. She wasn’t sure at first, if she ought to drink it, considering it was sprinkled with fertility herbs. But it really was wonderful and she convinced herself it would be all right.
Probably the breedalot herb only works on Fox’ens, she thought, as she slurped