((Many thanks, Moofius! Of all the eggs I hadn't snagged, that was the one I wanted most.
))
Kamen simply looked at Mummer for a second, pausing to make sure the Evergreen was certain he wanted to give the egg away. Then he ducked his head in an odd little bow and reached out to take the egg in his jaws. The teeth of an Imeut are known to be very sharp, but what is known by only a very few is that the canines' mouths are also extremely sensitive. When they put forth the effort, they can cradle something as fragile as a baby bird within their jaws without ruffling one tuft of down.
The egg sat light and cool upon his tongue. This, Kamen worried, was a bad sign. Not the lightness, for it was a small egg, but its temperature. Weren't eggs supposed to be kept warm? He knew little about eggs of any kind, but didn't hens sit on their children until they broke free of their pallid prison walls? He was certain that he wasn't a mother hen, and he was also just as certain that the egg, no matter how thick its shell, would not survive if he tried to sit on it in either form.
Laying it gently upon the soft grass, the Imeut took a step back, then
shifted, his body flowing back into the familiar mold of his human form. He bent down, taking the egg in careful hands, then tucked it within the folds of his robe, snug against his ribs. Since he originated from the desert, his skin temperature tended to run a bit higher than normal. The egg should warm to a healthy temperature in a short time. He merely had to be careful not to bump up against anything or anyone while he held it there.
He turned to Mummer, repeating the bow he had given as a canine. He bent at the waist, arm across his chest, until his body resembled a sideways 'L'. "Laurelin and I appreciate your generousity, Mummer. Please tell me if ever I can do anything for you in return."
Laurelin, realizing something was going on above her, left her flower patch to hover in front of Kamen. A bit of yellow pollen decorated her nose. When she caught a glimpse of the egg hiding within his robe, she squealed and wriggled inside to keep it company. It wasn't shiny, as she had hoped, but it was new and interesting. Wait... Her sharp eye discovered the bright yellow sticker peeling up from the eggshell. Well, it wasn't shiny, but it was bright enough to suit her. She smoothed the yellow sticker back down, then hugged the black and purple egg. It would be nice to have a little brother, or a sister.
Kamen 5/4 Level up!
Laurelin 5/4 Level up!