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Miko blinked himself awake. The sun was still low in the sky, shedding its morning light onto his face. He yawned with a stretch, turning himself over in the rope hammock, his heavy tail pulled loose from its entanglement. Bright eyes caught his own as he looked between the ropes, accompanied by a flash of white teeth.

"Boo!"

Miko jumped, a shrill cry escaping his throat, his instincts caught between fight and flight. He moved too quickly, catching his foot in the ropes, sending the otter sprawling on the ground in a disgruntled heap. The voice, which only moments before had seemed vicious, let loose in ferocious laughter. Miko turned, propped up on an elbow, and eyed the lion with more than a hint of anger. His build was slightly bulky, from muscle rather than fat. His was fur a rich brown, lightening to a tan across his chest and muzzle, his thick mane a dark umber.

"You know, Evan, that wasn't very funny."

"Seemed pretty funny from down here."

Miko grumbled as he flipped himself over and began untangling his feet, watching the lion crawl out from under the hammock through the corner of his eye. Evan was still chuckling as Miko stood, brushing the dust from his arms. The lion stood a full head taller than the otter, who himself was just above average height.

"So, any particular reason you decided to scare the daylights out of me? I may not be a prey species, but you're still a much bigger predator than I am. My instincts can't take it."

The lion chuckled. "Yeah, there is, but you'll learn soon enough. Get dressed; you're not taking the waterways to breakfast this morning. Today is special."

Miko grumbled as he pulled fresh clothes from his drawers. Evan knew he would want to swim through the waterways between the bungalow and the main house before breakfast, and asking him to get changed, knowing he wouldn't refuse, put a halter on any attempts he could try for.

"I know you won't leave," the otter smirked at the thought of the lion actually listening for once, "but would you mind turning around as I change?"

Evan winked and complied, too easily for the otter to believe he wasn't trying to sneak a peak. Soon enough, Miko sighed and stripped, slowly redressing in the new clothes. This wasn't like Evan. Sure; the lion would come over, often, usually to torment him in numerous ways. Sneaking peaks when he was changing, which he never discouraged, pulling his tail, locking him out of his own house, but never scaring the daylights out of him. It was that playful nature that Miko adored about the lion. That, and his colouring. Where Evan's fur was a medium brown, dark for a lion, his fur was more dark, lightening to a cream across his own chest, muzzle, and even along the ends of his arms and legs, as well as the underside of his tail. A small goatee adorned his chin, a patch of black amidst the cream. The one thing the otter didn't envy was Evan's bulk. Miko was thin and trim, his muscles toned into a swimmer's build.

He smiled. Evan was getting impatient, his head kept twitching to the left and right, fingers beating a steady tempo on crossed arms, wanting to peak but not wanting to break the request. The otter sped up, tossing the shirt quickly over his head and pulling it down. "Alright, you can look now."

Evan sighed and turned quickly. Miko was wearing a plain green tee with brown shorts, a sharp contrast to Evan's brown trousers and dressier shirt, the top two buttons undone to allow his mane to show. Evan nodded his approval and gestured to the door. "Ready to go?"

"Just a second," Miko grumbled. He moved to the bedside table and smiled at the items on it. Two gold-coloured stainless steel bracelets found their ways onto his wrists, followed by a Maori fishhook bone necklace, and the overnight stud in his right ear was quickly swapped out for a blue and green fish earring. Finally, he picked up the black swimming goggles, stretching them over his head and letting them rest around his neck.

"There." Miko yawned again, stretching as he stepped up beside Evan, who was leaning against the open door to the bungalow. He sniffed, inhaling the lion's scent. Something was different. Familiar, and not unpleasant, but he couldn't place it. The lion chuckled as he did so.

"You're so cute when you're confused. You look great today, by the way." Evan grabbed Miko around the shoulders and planted a quick kiss on the otter's forehead.

Miko grunted and pushed the lion away, through the open door. "Don't be all cutesy, I'm still mad at you. Now come on. You wouldn't have woken me up if you didn't plan to take me somewhere, so let's go tell my dad that we're leaving."

"Lead the way."

Miko crossed the lawn separating the two buildings, Evan following close behind. The cobblestone path beneath their feet was cool to the touch, the wind slightly chill from the lake despite the summer's heat. The bungalow behind them was small in comparison to the main house, a single story rather than two, but still large on it's own. The main house was held back from the road, surrounded by rows of small conifers except where the driveway connected to the porch and where the path from the bungalow found a side entrance. A small wooden sign swung in the breeze outside the front door.

The otter stopped just outside the side entrance, the faint smell surrounding Evan was at the door as well, stronger, but still just as unidentifiable. Miko grunted, opening the door with a little more force than necessary, ushering the lion into the back hallway. To the left, just around a corner, muted voices were heard, unidentifiable.

Evan chuckled. "Seems like your father has company."

Miko nodded. "Let's see who it is, and whether interrupting would be okay."

The pair found the older otter leaning on a counter in the front room, two cats standing on the opposite side. The older otter looked like a copy of his son, although shorter and in worse physical condition, still in his pajamas. The cats were female, one black and one white, wearing tees and shorts, but otherwise identical.

"Sorry girls, Sethoran isn't here. Evan is, he and Miko should be in soon. They might know where he could be."

"Ya, Dad, we're already here."

The otter turned to face his son. "Ah, well, up already are you? I think I heard your scream from here."

Miko grumbled. "You could at least be a little disapproving of his methods. You only have one son, you know."

"Don't be a spoilsport, Miko," Evan said, still smiling. The grin hadn't left his face since they had left the bungalow. "Now, Sam, Sam, what can we do for you?"

The white cat mewed, hand behind her back, silent again until the other one nudged her. "Well, do you know where Sethoran is today? I was hoping he'd be here with the both of you, I want to talk to him."

Evan shook his head. "I think Seth said he would be up at Bridal Veil Falls today, to get some swimming in. I believe his exact words were 'People lose money in there all the time, so maybe I can find some.' I think he just wanted an excuse."

Both Sams looked at him, the black one responding. "An excuse for what?"

Evan glanced back at Miko, who was now standing a few feet behind him, next to his father. "Sorry, can't say." He looked back towards he cats. "I can't guarantee he'll be there, but Bridal Veil would be the most likely place to find him."

Both cats turned to leave, the bell at the door giving a tinkle as the wood knocked it aside. The black one stuck her head back in just before the door closed, winking at Evan. "Thanks, and have fun you two!"

With only three people, the room seemed strangely large. The walls were lined with weapons, from swords to spears, wooden poles, nunchaku, tonfa, and daggers, even flintlock pistols behind glass display cases, every kind of ' old fashioned' weapon available, silent, dusty, but loud with the collected history of so many cultures in once place. It was Miko who broke the silence. " So what exactly are we doing today? It had better be worth such a rude awakening on a Thursday."

"It's Tuesday."

"Is it?"

"Yes, and don't worry, it will be worth it." Evan frowned slightly, retrieving a picnic basket from behind the counter. Miko sniffed; it seemed to be the source of the smell. It was still unrecognizable, and now he knew why: whatever was in the basket was being hidden, the scents of cheese, garlic, onions mixing together, masking the smell, corrupting it into unreconizability. The otter growled.

"Tell me what's in there!" His voice was calm, a hint of anger touching the edges.

"No, you'll learn when we get to where we're having our picnic."

"And where is that?

"Why should I tell you?" Evan smirked again.

"Come on, you're being cruel!"

"I think you're exaggerating."

"You could at least tell me where we're going. You did almost give me a heart attack this morning."

Evan sighed. "Fine, I guess you deserve at least that much. You know the large open area in front of the sign at the top of the M'Chigeeng trail?"

Miko nodded, shoulders slumped. "All the way up there?"

"Yes. Now don't even pretend you're mad at the idea, I know you love that trail."

The older otter laughed, patting them both on the shoulder. "Now, get a move on you two." He shoved them both roughly out the door. "And Miko, don't be too hard on him. You'll understand soon enough."

Miko turned his head and growled. "So help me, when I get home, you're getting an earful!"

The otter laughed, watching as Evan lightly pushed his son into the car's passenger seat. "Yeah, yeah, just get going already."

* * *

"You know," Miko huffed, out of breath, a hint of anger in his tone, "I don't remember it taking this long before, or being this tiring."

Evan laughed from where he sat, perched on the trunk of a fallen tree just off the path. "Don't blame me. You're the one who had to check every old trail for the reasons they weren't used anymore, just as you do every single time we come up here. Then you wanted to stop at every single lookout point. Don't forget that you're only tired because you insisted on carrying the basket."

Miko set the basket down next to the lion, growling slightly. "Yes, and I've regretted it ever since. Keeping it close isn't helping me figure out the scent at all. If you'd only let me look . . ."

"Hush. That's the third time you've asked in the last half hour. I know your memory is bad, but it's not that bad. You know my answer, you'll wait until it's time to eat. Now let me carry the basket, I can see the clearing from here."

The clearing was fairly large. Roughly fifty feet across, the entirety was devoid of foliage except the occasional grass or weed too stubborn to give up growing on the rock cliff. A large white sign occupied most of the space close to the forest, twenty feet high, with the name "M'Chigeeng" written in red lettering across its entirety. The sign was held in place by three wooden crates filled with rock fixed to the back at regular intervals. The remaining thirty feet in front of the sign was bare, looking out over trees and roads, as well as a small town tucked on the edge of a lake.

The two of them stood about halfway between the sign and the cliff edge, a section of rock both smooth and flat, devoid of the sparse grass. Evan grabbed a large red blanket from the basket, revealing piles of garlic and onion beneath it. Miko let out a sigh.

"Take a seat," the lion gestured Miko towards the edge of the blanket opposite the cliff, "and close you eyes. Your meal awaits."

Miko complied, taking his place and closing his eyes, a short growl escaping his throat. The sounds of what he assumed were the garlic and onions being removed came first, followed by something being set down in front of him. There was a clink of glass as something connected with the stone beneath the blanket, and the sound of a plastic container being opened.

"Now Miko, stop fidgeting! I know you can smell it, but settle down. And keep your eyes closed." Evan's voice was barely below a shout, but it wasn't angry, just mildly amused. It was only a few seconds before he spoke again. "Okay, now you can open your eyes."

The otter opened his eyes and gasped. Evan sat across from him, two plates between them. On each plate sat a piece of fish, accompanied by a cupcake. Off to the side was a white wine chilling in what was now almost entirely water. Miko grinned from ear to ear, no longer eyeing the lion with anger but instead with pure glee.

"You made me trout? When did you do that, and why? You don't like it! And why did you bring wine, I can't drink that!"

"Calm down, Miko, calm down." Evan smiled, Miko's glee music to his ears. "I talked to your father the other day. He got up early and drove me down to South Baymouth this morning so I could buy some fresh, and he showed me how to grill it when we got back to your house. I had to shower four times before I was sure you wouldn't recognize the scent. I know it's your favourite meal, and I thought you'd like something special for your nineteenth, that's why that wine's here. You can drink now."

Miko stopped dead. "Wait, what?"

"Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday again?"

"Evan, I couldn't remember my own birthday to save my life. It's in the summer, I don't pay attention to the days between June and September."

Evan laughed. "Yeah, well, today's the seventh of August, your birthday. I thought I'd put you through a little pain before I gave you your best birthday ever."

Miko smiled. "Well, you did a good job. The fish looks and smells delicious. I ask, though, why the white wine?"

"Your father recommended it." Evan lifted the bottle, examining the label. "It's Pouilly-Fumé, apparently it goes well with trout. He picked it out specifically."

"But why does it look familiar? Wait, let me see that." The otter took the offered bottle, reading the label carefully. "This is the 2190 vintage, but . . . it's the same brand as what my father had at his wedding. He's shown me the bottle so many times, but he always said . . ."

Evan nodded. "He said he only recommends it for special occasions. He bought it for me this morning. White wines are better consumed close to their vintages." The lion clapped his hands. "Anyways, enough of that. Let's eat!"

Miko nodded, biting into the fish. "This is delicious, Evan. You did well for your first time grilling a fish."

"Thank you. It was a trial by fire."

The two ate in silence, finishing the fish, alongside a glass of wine each, and moving on to the cupcakes. Both were vanilla, although Miko's had the number nineteen written in icing. Miko lay back, rubbing his stomach. "Evan, that was fantastic. I forgive you for this morning."

Evan sighed loudly. "That's good, but the date's not over yet. Close your eyes again."

Miko complied eagerly, sitting back up. More rustling came from the basket, then Evan's voice. "Put out your hands."

A palm-sized box in his hands, Miko opened his eyes. He ripped open the bright green wrapping, leaving a white box underneath. The otter opened the lid of his present, revealing a folded, crimson swimming brief.

"Evan, it's amazing. But how . . .?"

"Your father told me you were running low on your stock. You have a few more presents at home, but I thought that would be a good choice to bring."

"Thanks, Evan."

The otter shuffled across the blanket, hugging Evan and pulling him down to the ground. They struggled briefly, Evan quickly gaining the upper hand, and both settled into an embrace, Evan lying on top of the smaller otter. He bent his head, drawing out a long kiss from the otter.

The lion smiled. "Miko?"

Miko returned the smile. "Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday."