The Day They Chose Each Other

Thistlewyn woke up with the rustling of the squirrel family and took a good whiff of herself and exclaimed, “Mercy on me! Forgive the state of me. I could sure use a dip in the creek.”  Steve and Thistlewyn were rapidly becoming good friends, and Steve’s mother was enjoying seeing Steve create a new, well-grounded relationship with someone who truly looks out for him.  Steve is highly intelligent, but is on the spectrum, and this is the first time he has clung to anyone other than his family.  His mother suggested he show Thistlewyn down to the wide part of Bear Creek, where the water depth and quality, along with the current, were optimal for personal bathing and relaxation.  He agreed. 

In the beginning, Thistlewyn took Steve for a quiet personality, but as they walked, it occurred to Steve that he knew the names of everyone that lived at T-Bone’s Place and she knew only a few.  So, as they walked, they would come across a variety of residents and Steve would make the effort to pull Thistlewyn over to them and introduce them to each other.  They all seemed to accept her with open arms.  Some had inquiries about her since none of them had ever encountered a creature such as her.  But Steve shared the documentary of the encounter with Preston, and how she endangered her well-being for his safety!

As they reached the place in the creek his mother had spoken of, Thistlewyn could see why this was where everyone at T-Bone’s Place came to bathe.  There was good shade, the water depth was perfect for wading in, there was plenty of open area so you could see almost anything coming from any direction, and the current was moderate.  Thistlewyn and Steve both entered the water and began cleaning themselves.  Steve pulled something from his pocket and handed it to her.  She looked at it and asked the origin of the item.  Steve replied, “It’s a spent butterfly cocoon.  They make the best washcloths.  Pure silk.”  Thistlewyn realized that Steve was correct, but it went a bit deeper than that.  She watched Steve with the cocoon and saw him working the silk in his paws.  She inquired as to the reason for his near obsession with the cocoon, and he exclaimed that the texture of the silk was so pleasing to his skin. 

After that, Steve slung water into Thistlewyn’s face.  From the shock on her face, Steve realized she had never played this game before.  She asked him why he had done that.  Steve was puzzled at first but told her it was playing and having fun.  She was confused.  Steve explained to her that playing was a normal part of living at T-Bone’s Place and was a way to build relationships.  She said, “Noted,” as she threw a bunch of water into Steve’s face…

The Day They Chose Each Other

Thistlewyn only wanted to wash off the remains of a very questionable breakfast.

Instead, a quiet trip to Bear Creek becomes something neither she nor Steve quite expected: the beginning of a friendship neither of them knew they needed.

All the while, King Arthur was getting his breakfast and enjoying watching the interaction between Thistlewyn and Steve.  He let it go on for a bit before he flew down to greet them.  After the greeting, Arthur said to Thistlewyn, “It looks like you are getting around here at T-Bone’s Place quite well. You seem to have the ability to choose friends of a higher caliber.” He patted Steve on the head. Then he said, “Steve here is an intelligent lad, and I expect to see great things from him.  He just needs the right company to nurture his brilliant mind.  And I could be wrong, but he seems to have chosen you, Thistlewyn.”  All the while, Steve was looking up at her for approval. Thistlewyn reached out and squeezed his paw and smiled with a nod.

Arthur then went on to change the subject and give her some direction: “If you are planning to remain here at T-Bone’s Place, we really need to go and see Cranford.  Cranford has been appointed to the position of T-Bone’s Place Nesting Authority.  He is very thorough and well organized.”

Thistlewyn then asked, “What if I don’t want to live in a nest?” 

Arthur then gave her more insight into Cranford’s personality by explaining that he was not a control freak, that he would do his best to work with her needs, and that customer satisfaction was at the top of Cran’s list. Once she was settled in her new abode, she would be receiving a performance survey to be filled out and returned to help Cran become better at his position.

She thought for a few moments and agreed to the meeting.