Spice & Wolf XVII (DWT) Read online

  He stood up..

  “Wait..”

  ..only to feel Holo tugging his pant leg. He was surprised that she was even awake at all. She was usually out like a light by now, and wouldn’t wake up until noon the next day.

  “That is not what I mean..”

  Curious, Lawrence sat back down next to her. He could tell from the meekness of her voice that her face wasn’t just covered by her hair; it was turned away. Now this was truly rare for Holo.. so rare in fact, that he couldn’t help himself. Surely he could be forgiven for playing dumb?

  “Hmm? Oh, of course! You want more wine!”

  “..Fool.”

  The way her hand was still clutching him made it all too obvious what she really wanted. Ever since their time in Sovereign, he’d slowly been learning what her body language meant. He even understood why she wasn’t able to be honest now, given how she was always shutting him down. It would be too unfair of her.

  “Then what is it?”

  But he knew that didn’t mean she could just spit it out. He slowly lay down beside her and rolled over on his side to watch her. Her face was turned away entirely so it was clear she was avoiding eye contact. She wasn’t even leaving enough of an opening to get a peek at him. But he wasn’t going to let her have all the fun.

  “Hey.. you’re not feeling ill, are you?”

  As he loomed over her and reached around to tilt her chin, he felt her hands shoot up to her chest. He didn’t know if this frail act was just something she enjoyed doing, or if the Wisewolf simply had her limits and needed him to make the move. Either way, he’d have some more fun first.

  Her face was suddenly turned up to look at his, and his hand then brushed her hair aside. He still remembered what she’d told him so long ago, about how his hand made her feel uncomfortable. But now he knew why, and it only made him want to repeat that performance. Today he finally had the chance.

  “Nnnh..”

  She flinched as his hand intentionally rubbed her nose as he covered her brow. Her eyes were still avoiding his stare, the warmth on her brow made it perfectly clear that it was no illness that was causing her discomfort.

  “Hmm.. no, you seem fine after all.. just what do you want?”

  It wasn’t entirely fair of him to make her say it, but a little give and take was natural. Especially between a headstrong Wisewolf and her self-styled “prey.”

  “Nnnh!”

  Repeating her earlier childish noise, she finally reached her hands up and looked straight at him. It seemed she wasn’t able to hold back tonight, so he decided to drop the act as well. His head slowly descended to hers, and was soon locked in place by her outstretched arms.

  He’d traveled so far with Holo during their time together, but these kinds of encounters were never any less embarrassing for her. He was always trying to get her in the mood, but all she ever did was reject him. It had to be her way, it seemed. And even then, he still had to do all of the work.

  “Mmm..”

  He lifted himself up as her arms finally relaxed. He knew the next word out of her mouth would be “hungry,” if he wasn’t already ahead of her. He had to take his chances as they came. Holo would always be Holo, and Lawrence would always be Lawrence. He was no knight, but he still had his duties.

  “My hero..”

  Her words were oddly punctuated, and her breathing was irregular, but for once it wasn’t just from drunkenness. Even if the only thing dry about her was her wit, she still needed to put on a sarcastic front. There was a reason she wasn’t asking him why he’d shared no stories of his own, and it was because she already knew.

  His eloquence was reserved for other venues, and his audience of one was always eager for more stories. Just like the villagers before her, she loudly demanded his attention, but she was secure in the knowledge that he would never run off, even after his stories put her to sleep.

  And for his part, he’d gladly share more with her. All he needed was some more of his favorite wine to keep him going. Her happy sighs and wandering hands made it clear that she didn’t wish to leave him, either. By the time their business was concluded, they were always happily drained, yet feeling closer than ever before.

  “You will.. omit this part of our story.. when you write it.. will you not?”

  He sighed. Was she really so embarrassed that she needed him to get flustered as well? He could only answer the same way she always did.

  “Fool.”

  He could hear her giggle, but he’d turned his face away. And yet, his hand still found hers and gripped it tightly.

  “When we finally have a child, I’ll have no need to brag about it in words.”

  Her fingers locked even more tightly with his.

  “Mm!”

  - End -

  Afterword

  I hope you guys have enjoyed the work we have put out over the past year and a half. It has been a fun, interesting and enlightening journey. It’s sad to see it come to an end, however we have some exciting news to share with all of you. Here’s a taste:

  On a busy day in Kumerson, two figures relive the past while creating new memories. Will they find the peace they seek, and begin a new journey? Discover what awaits the chronicles of Lawrence and Holo when their tales are reopened and a new chapter begins!

  If you’d like more Spice & Wolf, including this full-length after-story by our editor (among others), then please visit our forums. Link: http://s3.excoboard.com/pitythefool

  Enjoy!

  -Pitythefool & the Drunken Wolf Translations Team

  Translation Team

  Project Manager: Pitythefool

  Translator: Terrence

  Editor: Bashzestampeedo

  Proofreaders: MyInnerFred, Integirl

  MOBI/EPUB Typesetting: Elensar

  PDF Typesetting: Xilent

  Visit our forums at http://s3.excoboard.com/pitythefool

  Questions? Email to [email protected]

  PLEASE SUPPORT AUTHOR BY BUYING THE OFFICIAL RELEASE

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