Page 92 of Horn in My Side
“Mal, could you hand me the marshmallows, please?”
“Marshmallows?”Mal paused midway as he was about to drive a peg down into the ground.“Why do need them now?”
“I just got the fire going.”She waved a stick in the air.“And I want to test it out.”
“I’m pretty sure your fire works, Jasmine,” he said dryly.
“Mal ...”
With a resigned sigh, he got up.“Fine.I’ll go find them in the bag.”
“You’re the best.”
“Uh-huh,” he said before disappearing through the tent flap.
Jasmine smiled to herself, then closed her eyes and took a deep inhale.There truly was nothing like pine-scented, fresh mountain air, and being in nature.Out here, the only things she could hear were the birds chirping, the bees buzzing, and the occasional critter scurrying about.
And she didn’t have to worry about obnoxious customers, obstinate suppliers, and demanding creatures.
While she had definitely grown more confident in herabilities in the last few weeks, it was now like a tap she couldn’t turn off.It had been useful in some instances—such as when one of the cerberus pups got sick—but most of the time, it was a lot of noise that drove her to distraction.Thankfully, she’d learned to manage it, but it still took some effort on her part.
“Here you go.”Mal handed her the bag of marshmallows.
“Thanks, Mal.”She pulled him down for a quick kiss on the cheek.“And thanks for putting up the tent.”
“You’re welcome.Let me finish it up.”
Jasmine opened the bag and stuck a big, fat, fluffy marshmallow on the end of the stick, then held it over the fire.As the gooey confection toasted and turned dark, the smell of sugar filled the air.
This was the best idea ever,she thought.Actually, scratch that—this entire camping trip was the best idea ever.She was glad Mal had suggested it, as she could already feel her stress melting away.
Of course, she wasn’t completely ungrateful about the cause of her stress.Fantastic Tails had never been busier, thanks to their newest social-media star, Clawdia.She had become the shop’s mascot and even had her own merch.The T-shirts, mugs, stickers, and bags with her pictures on them flew off the shelves, and Jasmine had to keep ordering more.Another time, she posted a video of the hatchling eating her bowl of Ethereal Balance kibble and tagged the company.The owners had been thrilled and offered her a sponsorship deal.
There were, unfortunately, some downsides to fame.A lot of people had been coming into the shop, hoping to get a glimpse of Clawdia.Sadly, she had to turn those curious busybodies away.At one point, she had to put up a sign outside and a post on social media with a picture of a sleeping Clawdia with a caption that read, “I’m still very little and not ready to meet anyone yet.I still can’t control my fire and I’m worried that I might hurt someone.Please be patient.”While the hatchling’s fans were disappointed and some downright rude, for the most part, their followers were supportive and even lauded their approach.
But Jasmine was nonetheless ecstatic with the positive momentum, and sales were now up thirty per cent from last year.However, she’d been so busy that she was burning out, which is why Mal had suggested a getaway.So, when the next Monday rolled around, they closed up early and drove out to the Twin Mountains Camping Grounds, about an hour away from Dewberry Falls.Jasmine loved camping, plus it was very budget friendly since she already had all the gear.There was nothing like being out in nature, disconnected from the outside world, spending quiet evenings sitting by the fire, and sleeping under the stars.
“Mal!”she called out once the marshmallow’s surface turned the perfect dark brown.
“What is it?”
“Here.”She swung the stick at him, offering him the toasted confection.“Have a taste.”
Mal took a bite.“Hmmm ...that’s good.”
She finished off the remaining bit, moaning as the warm, sweet and smokey taste hit her tongue.“You know the best part of camping is s’mores, right?”
“You know the best part of camping for me?”
“What?”
“Going home.”
She paused, waiting for him to crack a smile.“Wait, are you serious?”
He shrugged.“I’m not a camping person.”
“Not a camping—” Placing her hands on her hips, she stood toe-to-toe with him and looked up.“You don’t like camping?Don’t orcs spend a lot of time outdoors, like when you march into battles and stuff?”
