Heliola’s eyes grew wide as the enormous figure moved into the firelight. She had no way to know it, but Pruckus was a Tormaunt, one of the largest of their kind.
Staplet had never understood if Pruckus was male or female, or perhaps neither, or both. But Pruckus was a great force to be reckoned with, and he was glad that he could count them as a friend. That was more important, after all.
The Tormaunt snorted in an amicable way. Their foot was furred and three toed, much like a rabbit’s, but the beast only had three legs, side by side. When they were in motion, only one foot was usually in contact with the ground. Pruckus wore a red vest in good repair. Their body was long and warm, furry and with a line of nipples that were visible above the vest’s material; it was probably not tailor made. They had hands of a sort, too, three of them, with one emerging from the front of the vest, lower than the other two arms, which were set slightly behind them. The center and left hands carried a heavy club.

They spoke.