Foretold

Chapter 20

The tiger cub was surprisingly accepting of them. It was a girl, and she took an instant liking to Alex. Vasiliki insisted that he name the little cub. Alex, of course, protested that Vasiliki should name her since she’d been the one to insist they keep her. But she wouldn’t hear of it, and Daedalos joined her in insisting he name her.

Finally, Alex capitulated. “’Liki?”

Vasiliki looked up from the carving she’d started to pass the time when they rested, smiling at his use of the nickname he’d given her. “Yes?”

“What does your name mean?”

Vasiliki frowned. “Why do you ask?”

He shrugged. “Curious…” He still hadn’t named the cub, but he had a good idea of what he wanted to do for a name.

“Well… It means Queen… Again, why?” She looked at him with a narrow-eyed expression.

He laughed. “Well… I’ve been thinking about what to name our little friend here…” He pointed to the cub, who was playing with the shoelaces to his now beaten up hiking boots. “And I think I’d like to name her something in Greek that means the same as your name… So… What other names mean Queen?”

Vasiliki looked down at the carving quickly, blushing. “That’s sweet, Alex…” She mumbled.

He grinned. “Thanks… So… Names?”

She blushed a deeper crimson. “Right… Names… Well, how about Anassa? Or Hera? Hmm… What else? Ledell? You could name her Saina, but that means princess, not queen… Not that it’s a big deal… Any of those?”

Alex raised an eyebrow, smiling. “You never talk that fast…”

Her face had begun to return to its normal color, but his last comment made the blush flare back into life. “Yes… Well… Just answering your question…” She fiddled with her carving, adding details to the rough shape of a tiger cub at play.

Alex grinned. “It gives me some good ideas, certainly… I think I like Anassa best. We can call her Ana for short.”

Vasiliki nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

The cub’s ears pricked up, and she looked at them, mewing.

They had been traveling for nearly a week since her mother had died, and now the cub was eating meat, growing, and definitely becoming convinced that Alex was her mother. Which was strange, since Alex wasn’t the one who fed her. Vasiliki did. But, hey, the cub’s attachment to him was cute, and Alex didn’t actually mind it as much as he’d thought he would.

He bent down, scratching under the cub’s chin. “How would you like to be called Anassa? Hmm?”

Daedalos walked into their small encampment with an armload of wood and saw the two of them petting the cub and talking. “Chosen a name for her yet?” He asked, dropping his load of firewood for the night’s fire.

Alex nodded. “Anassa.”

Daedalos grinned. “Sounds like you named her to match my sister’s name.”

Alex blushed. “Well… Maybe… What if I did?”

Daedalos shrugged. “Never mind.” He glanced at his sister, who was blushing crimson now.

He grinned. Those two were a perfect match, and it was endearing in a sweet way that they were so awkward together around him. He found it amusing. He’d known something was up between the two long before he’d been told that there was, but he hadn’t wanted to say anything.