Part 8 (1/2)

”That reminds me! He wanted to ask if you could call him by his name again.”

Faerie Fudge! I completely forgot about giving the fox a name. Yet apparently he had one already. ”Well what is his name?”

”He says he liked Reynard.” Kit replied immediately.

”Reynard? That sounds familiar somehow.” I chewed at my lip for a moment before looking back down at them. ”I don't know. If the little guy likes it, then I'm good to go with Reynard. But is a Kitsune anything I should be worried about?”

”Maybe. A Kitsune is technically a spirit. Only they are rare spirits, since they can take on their own bodies. He'll start to develop powers; tails specifically. His first one that he has now is simply being able to possess this physical body. Just wait for the others. A Kitsune is always Legendary.” Kit elaborated for me, as I gnawed at my lower lip to the point of tasting blood.

”So you really mean I am carrying around some legendary fox spirit, like the kind of legendary that lives forever?” I relieved my lip from incessant chewing before I created a hole in it.

”In a way, yes. They are one of the most powerful spirits known. And having a newborn like this, they get loyal to those they meet from birth most of the time. They always eventually become a legendary.” Kit continued to explain to me. Mostly I managed to understand it meant I would be having Reynard for a very long time, and that he eventually might become a danger.

”Well I guess it's just you and me forever, Reynard?” I shrugged, kicking a dirt clod or rock down the mountain path with my bare foot. Unfortunately shoes were not among the items I grabbed from the clothes as I ran for my life.

Reynard squeaked at me, sounding excited, which I took for a *definitely'.

Another dirt clod was kicked, this time by mistake, before my eyes grew big with realization.

”Oh, you dirty little twins.” I laughed while reaching yet another dirt clod. I picked it up to examine it. It wasn't a dirt clod at all. Actually it was a hard chunk of month-old bread.

”What?” Kit asked.

”I found the trail.” I mused while heading off the mountain road, toward a forest of blackened trees.

”That is not a trail, Dori! That is the opposite of a trail, it's a forest.” The spirit-in-the-fox sounded frightened. I simply smirked, pocketing the bread crumb I had and kicking the next one just inside the forest.

”Oh it's a trail alright.” I skipped over a fallen log and found the next chunk of rock-like bread. ”A trail of bread crumbs.”

Seven.

Tracking the Past ”Gnidori?” Ettie's dark eyes grew wide when she saw me standing outside the front door of her cottage, which was connected to a shack with a forge in it. Then they quickly narrowed and she pointed out the door to her left. ”If you're looking for the princess to save, she's two doors down, in the tower.”

”Meh,” I shrugged lazily and didn't even bother looking in the direction she pointed. ”I was the girl in the tower until a couple of hours ago. I'd much rather pick up a witc-”

Her coa.r.s.e palm was against my lips with one step out of the doorway, before I could even finish. Ettie's rigid face wasn't more than inches away from her hand. I watched her lips barely move.

”Don't say that. Do you want to make us move again?” She asked rhetorically, still keeping her palm on my mouth. At least until I licked it; gets people to move their hand every time. Not that I frequently ran into people covering my mouth with their hand. Mostly just Ettie.

”Gro-o-o-o-ss.” She exclaimed elongating the vowel as she ripped her hand away from my mouth and stepped back, shaking her hand to the side before wiping it on her dark jeans.

”Hey, you put your hand that close to my mouth. Your own fault there.” I mused thrusting my knuckles against my hips before continuing with a more serious note. ”Look, are you going to let me in or not? I've been walk...ing...” I paused when I noticed Ettie squinting at me before squeezing her nose with two of her fingers. ”What is it?”

”What the fey happened to your hood? And why do you smell like troll p.i.s.s?” She asked, while I just groaned. Her hand slipped from her nose as she took a few steps back to be bathed in the gentle light coming from beyond the door.

”It's a long story. Walking all day; followed your bread crumb trail. Did some fighting; rescued a mirror creature and a fox. Can I come in now?” I explained with clear tiredness in my voice, even my hands fell to my side and my shoulders slumped a bit. I was beyond tired. And Midnight Magic did I stink.

”No.” Ettie said plainly while leaning against the door frame. Which I might add, is a lot of woman. Her six something to my measly five feet, and with curves that absolutely made me jealous. I could see the outline of a smile on her lips though. ”What's the magic words?”

My eyes narrowed and my head bowed slightly. ”Oh Faerie Fudge, Ettie. It's been months, you really expect me to remember that?”

”Yes.” She answered again, in her husky low note of a voice. She loved torturing me like this.

I ground my teeth while recalling the stupid phrase we used to use as kids all the time for things like secret pa.s.swords or to know it was us. I knew what it was, I just hated saying it. My voice came out very bland and absolutely sarcastic. ”My, what big heart you have.”

She winked at me and stepped aside from the opened door to let me in. ”The better to love you with.”

”I am going to get you back one of these days for making me say that.” I mumbled while stepping inside, my face burning up despite the rest of my body s.h.i.+vering cold. I attempted to remove my hood and cloak before realizing I didn't have one on.

I hardly got to sigh at my stupidity and move beyond the entrance before a ma.s.sive brown hound with s...o...b..ring jowls and waves of extra fur and fat bouncing up and down, came darting around the corner. I heard the door shut behind me just as the s...o...b..ry beast jumped with huge padded paws straight into my chest.

My entire body hit the floor with a thump, and pain shot down my spine. Two of the dog's paws pressed against my tunic just over my b.r.e.a.s.t.s while he started licking me all over my face. I sputtered and tossed my head about, spitting up dog drool before shoving the hound from my body.

”Faerie Fudge, Han! How many times did I tell you to stop trying to kiss me? Especially as a dog. You are nasty!” I cried while wiping gobs of s...o...b..r from my face and clothing, and slopping it down to the floor. I swear Han saves all his spit for when I stop by.

I was about to check my pocket where the little fox and Kit rested but Han beat me to it. His sniffing loud enough to wake babies three houses away. I pushed his nose away, feeling the fox squirm in my pocket and fis.h.i.+ng him out into my palm.

After checking on the fox, I stood up and glanced around to find Ettie had moved to lay a pot over the already crackling fire; likely to make some tea, she loved her tea, especially when boiled by wood fires. When she turned back I could catch all her features from the firelight.

She hadn't really changed since the last few months I saw her, other than her white blonde hair being cropped short and in such a disarray that it looked like she just got out of bed. Previously it had been exceptionally long, and she loved her hair so it was surprising to see it all gone.

Her dark eyebrows hardened when she noticed the fox in my hands. Her low voice sounded brilliant with wonder when she spoke over the popping of the fire. ”You actually got yourself a pet, Riri?”

I pushed away Han's nose once more with my free hand and glared at him while answering her. ”In a way, I guess. But it's not the fox.”

”Oh?” She asked without really questioning me. She does that a lot. Her figure got darker but more defined as she came closer to me and the fox. She stroked the back of her hand over the fluff ball of cream and custard.

”Hey, Reynard says to be a little gentler or you'll pull his fur off.” Kit jumped in before I could get around to mentioning the spirit. Ettie's eyes went wide but she didn't move away. Most people that grew up in smaller villages were used to animals talking, especially if they were plagued by witches.

”He didn't say to stop. Just be nicer.” Kit added, while I shook my head and sighed.

”Like I said, got a pet. It's not the fox, though. A mirror spirit decided to use the little furball.” I explained, while stretching my fingers to gently stroke the tiny thing in my hand. I heard the fox yawn again, while looking up at Ettie; her expression more amused now than anything.

”Oh? A mirror spirit huh?” Her eyebrows looked like they were about to fly off her face with how high they rose.

I ground my teeth before responding. ”Yeah I know, getting involved with another mirror spirit. Like I haven't had enough of that already. But at least this time, it's not in my body and this one doesn't rhyme thankfully.”

It wasn't until then that I noticed Han had disappeared somewhere from the main living room while I had been distracted by Ettie and Kit. My attention fell back to the fox though, as it squirmed in my hand, looked up at me with silvery eyed slits and yawned again.

”Once upon my time! He is adorable. So his name is Reynard?” Ettie asked, while I let her scoop the fox up from my hand so she could hold it against her body and pet it softly.

”Uh... well... He chose Reynard.” I half laughed and looked away. I could tell from the heat on my face that Ettie was staring at me. I looked back just in time to catch her shaking her head and her features softening.

”Just like you to let him choose his own name. I'm guessing Reynard has something to do with why you look like you decided to fist fight a giant?”