“Ready to go home?” I asked Lily as we exited the store.

“Nope. You need to go buy a knife first,” Lily replied. “But you knew that.”

“Yeah. I just don’t want to be in the village any longer than I need to,” I said.

“Jase, if we rush home you’ll miss the prank,” Lily pointed out.

“Wait. You didn’t pull another prank on me?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” my familiar mischievously replied.

“I’m going to regret this,” I muttered as I started walking towards the smithy.

“Don’t be such a worrywart. Any pranks I and the others may or may not have pulled are always fun,” my diminutive familiar stated as I waved at a few friendly villagers.

“Yeah, I should probably head home.”

“Don’t you dare!” Lily replied. “I promise that this will be great.”

“What did you do and who does it effect?”

“Only certain villagers and nothing bad,” Lily answered as I felt a tiny bump to my backside.

“What was that?” I asked spinning around.

Lily was in my shirt pocket, so I know she hadn’t done anything. Giggling sounded from behind me, and I felt another tiny bump. Lily laughed. Human laughter soon joined her as some younger children ran up to me.

“Turn around and let me see!” One of the little boys said.

“What?" I asked.

“Ha-ha,” a girl laughed, and I spun to see her pointing at me.

“He doesn’t know what’s on his back,” another boy said as the first one kicked me. Pixie laughter rang out as Lily left my pocket and joined her kin. Her laughter joined the others.

I reached behind me, and my fingers brushed paper. It took a minute or two, but I was able to get a grip on the paper and I pulled it off. The children laughed the whole time. So did the pixies. I couldn’t use telekinesis to pull it off, which would have been super easy, but prompt the villagers to ask questions I didn’t want to answer.

“Kick me,” I read aloud. I looked up at Lily.

“Surprise!” my familiar laughed.

“Do I need to worry about who else this was done to?” I asked.

“Nope. I promise,” Lily answered.

“Come on. Put the sign back on,” one of the boys said.

“No,” I replied. I offered it to him. “You can wear it though.”

“No way! People would want to kick me,” he said.

“Exactly,” I replied.

“Why did you look up and talk to the pixie?” the girl asked.

“Lily is my familiar,” I answered.

“Oh! He’s the weird guy,” one of the boys said. “Let’s go!”

The kids ran off.

“You’re not upset about being called weird by children?” Lily asked flying to me and landing on my right shoulder. She sat down.

“No. For some reason I don’t mind if kids think I’m weird or strange,” I answered as I started walking to the smithy again. “Well, at least not too weird or strange.”

“I don’t think you’re weird or strange,” Lily said.

“Thanks. And who kicked me?” I replied.

“I can’t tattle on my kin!” Lily answered aghast.

“Not even if I bribe you?” I asked smiling.

“Depends on the bribe,” Lily answered.

“That’s my girl,” I said.

“No!” a pixie yelled from a distance. Lily and I laughed.

*

“Ten cents for this little knife is highway robbery,” I complained after exiting the smithy. I put the paring knife into my satchel.

“Dexter wouldn’t negotiate with you,” Lily reminded me as I started walking toward the north gate so I could head home. “Are you going to do what you threatened and only buy things you need from the traveling merchants?”

“Yep,” I replied. “Don’t forget not selling him any salves or any other things he might need from me.”

“You don’t mean that,” Lily said.

“You’re right. I don’t,” I replied.

“Jase,” a feminine voice said from our right. I sighed.

“What do you want Trinity?”

“Who said I wanted anything? Can’t I just greet you?” Trinity asked. I turned to face her and Woya.

Rikki hissed at Lily. Lily waved at the ferret and smiled.

“Come on! I’ll put you in your place again,” Lily taunted Rikki.

“Settle down,” I said fighting to keep from laughing. Trinity frowned and picked her ferret up murmuring to it.

“Since we’re just exchanging greetings, hi and bye,” I said starting to walk away.

“That’s no way to treat a lady,” Woya said.

“I’ll keep that in mind and remind my Jase the next time we see a lady,” Lily said out loud. The two young women scowled at the pixie.

“Lily, be nice,” I laughed. My laughter made them shift their scowls to me. Lily smiled and kissed my cheek.

“I am being nice,” my familiar said.

“True enough,” I agreed. “Anyway, you …ladies have a nice day. We have things to do.”

I started to walk away again.

“Jase, wait,” Trinity called. “You’re right. I need something.”

“What?” I asked stopping.

“I need beeswax for soapmaking,” Trinity answered.

“Shouldn’t have been greedy and destroyed that mutated beehive then,” I coldly replied. “As far as I am aware of, that was the only one around.”

“You’re right. I was wrong,” Trinity tried. “I know pixies love honey. They must know where a beehive is.”

“I’m sure they do,” I said. “That’s their knowledge, not mine.”

“Can’t you ask them?” Woya asked.

“No.”

“Why not?” Woya asked.

“Trinity is correct that pixies love honey. If they do have a hive that they know about I won’t try to take it from them or allow anyone else to either,” I answered.

“Yay!” a cheer went up around us from the pixies on the rooftops of nearby homes and in trees.

The kids from earlier ran up and one of them kicked Woya in the butt. He laughed as she spun on him. Another boy kicked Trinity earning more laughter from the kids and pixies. My eyes widened as I spotted the “kick me” signs on their backs.

“What are you kicking me for?” Woya yelled at the boy.

“Yes! Why are you kicking me for?” Trinity demanded from the second child.

“You know who my parents are,” Woya added. “You better answer me.”

“The sign says so,” one of the kids answered. Lily and I laughed.

“What sign?” Trinity asked.

“The one on your backs!” the little girl from earlier answered as I started to walk away.

“Nice prank,” I said after we were out of earshot.

“Thanks!” Lily happily replied. “We do our best!”