Uncle Johnny

  He glanced at him again before circling around the stone with his nose to the ground. “It can be made into a salve that goes on the skin, although it works better if you have aloe.” He said without a trace of his usual stutter. “You can also combine it with mint to treat muscle cramps.” He made a note to collect mint and aloe for his own garden later, then reminded himself that soon he may not have a garden or a den at all.

He pawed halfheartedly through another patch of herbs, suddenly crestfallen and then slowly drifted away from the stranger like a kite without a string. He should have never told Rhyme what he had done all those years ago and he chided himself endlessly for not knowing better, but Rhyme had been so calm and kind around him, how could he have resisted? Spider had trusted a handsome face and kind words to understand what had tormented him for so long, instead it was more than likely that all of Abaven knew that he was a murderer. He realized with a jolt that he had been staring silently at a patch of violets and shook his head with a soft whine before he turned and paced away. He needed to focus. His mind lingered on Rhyme; the subtly of his white markings, the color of his fur that reminded him so much of the wings of a magpie, and his piercing eyes that he couldn't quite place the color of...Eyes that looked at him so coldly just before their night came to an abrupt end.

He looked at the male cautiously then forced himself to look away. "W-w-what's y-y-your n-name?" He asked bashfully, feeling the fur on his cheeks rise with a warm blush.

Spider You  Toad