“I’m here!”
It was surprisingly loud inside, and the sounds of wood straining and splintering was heard everywhere. Two carpenters responded to Lawrence’s shout, and so surprised him that he nearly fell over. Holo enjoyed that part, and laughed heartily as he sighed. She smiled as she watched the wheel endlessly spin.
* * *
“Well, I think we got everyone.”
“Yes, I do believe we did.”
Holo pretended to pull the wagon containing the empty cauldron and wine tankards, as the little wooden rabbit a carpenter gave her danced on her chest.
“I’m so excited I want to go a second time today.”
“But.. how much did we actually earn?”
“Uh, hang on a sec..”
It turned out to be less than they hoped.
“Four Trenni silver at most.”
“Four? But we sold so much!”
There was a lot of change in their purse, yes, but at the end of the day it was all just change.
“I’d push up the prices if we were selling to merchants, but I couldn’t do that to carpenters..”
Holo had no way to retort, since she was the one who made them move to the carpenters in the first place. And yet, they made more than just money. Such small gains in the face of such risk were still worth it, remembering the faces of the thankful villagers. Lawrence rubbed Holo’s head.
“Let’s bring twice as much food tomorrow. That’ll double our profits. And if we set it up in advance, we’ll also be able to sell at night. That’ll double them again. At that point, we’d already have enough for your honey-pickled peach.”
Holo nodded as her stomach grumbled. Her ears twitched, and Lawrence removed his hand from her head. He could only smile in response, as there was no way he wouldn’t have heard her stomach. She frowned, clearly wanting to hit back. But after all that work serving meat and bread, her hunger kept her at bay. She ended up smiling back at him, until Lawrence pointed at the wagon behind them.
“What?”
“You’ll see.”
He reached back and opened the cauldron, then pulled out a hunk of meat and a slightly stale piece of bread.
“I saved it for us for the way back.”
This was the first time he’d ever saved any food; normally, he would have sold every scrap and eaten whatever he could scrounge up later. Holo’s tail wagged as he cut the meat with a greasy knife.
“You..”
“What?”
“You always miss the crucial point.”
The cheap mutton was hardly tender, so it took him some time to carve it. That bought him some time to think, but in the end he still ended up looking up at her, confused.
“What crucial point?”
“Hmph. Of course you had to save some, but this is hardly good enough. It hardly looks tasty.”
He never expected that she would be fussy at a time like this, but clearly he’d erred. Holo was what she was, and all he could do was sigh.
“..my bad.”
He sliced their bread, wedged the meat between slices, then stared at the sandwiches for a while before handing Holo the larger one. Her tail drooped down like a sad puppy’s.
“I understand that we had to be frugal with the carpenters, but this is simply not enough.”
“Oh stop bickering. If it was just me riding here, I’d be foraging for berries and tender shoots.”
She happily devoured her meat first, before ravaging the bread. Lawrence had barely packed the knife, covered the cauldron, and handed her his own sandwich by the time she was done.
“..You sure know how to sound like an old man.”
She finally replied, making him want to ask her where he could have possibly picked up such a habit.
“But then, it is natural to want better food. Even trees grow taller and broader leaves for it.”
It was a pretty silly thing to claim, but if she said it, he had to let her get away with it. She’d already eaten half his meat in one bite, and was nibbling at the rest like a scolded child. Before long, she finally asked the question she was holding in.
“Are you upset?”
Of course she had to ask, since he wasn’t talking. She had to be dubious about him giving away his own share of their food.
“God teaches us to share.”
She eyed him carefully before resuming her larger bites. She made short work of the meat that remained.
“Sometimes you really do act like a proper male..”
The bread wasn’t fresh enough for her tastes, so she practically swallowed it without chewing. Even just watching her made Lawrence feel full. He smiled to himself, remembering a certain line that her actions brought to mind.
“But will you truly be fine?”
She asked that, despite clutching the last of the bread tightly (clearly with no intent to share it). But since she wanted him to answer, and he wanted to answer her, he replied with that old line to bring things full circle with what she’d said a few days ago.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, then..”
“’Cause I’m already full.”
Her jaw dropped open and she stared at him.
“What?”
He couldn’t help but ask as she squirmed in frustration before finally glaring at him.
“What do you mean, what? You have already eaten..? And I thought you had finally become a good male.”
She began muttering to herself, so he cut in.
“Well, I can’t have you hogging all the good lines.”
“Huh? Me? Hogging lines?”
It was always him who was the prey in their little games, and now he finally understood what the appeal truly was. She shut her mouth and stared at the bread, then Lawrence, then back at the bread. Her forehead might as well have had a question mark written on it. He only wished he had some wine to go with this, but maybe not having any was for the best. He still had to explain himself properly, after all.
“See, good food would cost twice as much, and properly satisfying food, double that. So how can I possibly be so pleasantly full right now?
He’d recalled his upcoming line as they discussed the roasted pig the other day, and now he smiled, finally having the chance to use it.
“By watching you. I feel fully happy just knowing you’re fed.”
Her head dropped at his smile, possibly disappointed in herself. But of course that wasn’t his intent; he honestly did just want to make sure she was happily fed. But as his hand reached out to pat her on the head, it was brushed aside by her own hand heading for his mouth.
“How could I possibly finish all of it now?”
Half of the remaining bread was being offered back to him; much more than expected. Apparently it seemed smaller to her now that she heard his line. She was still just being true to herself, but he really didn’t mind if she finished the rest, so he opened his mouth to say so.. only to be interrupted by her making her own quip.
“Surely you are not saying I must settle for this less-filling stuff?”
His hand hovered over her head, ready to reassure her that he didn’t mind, but she’d beaten him to the punch.
“..Or were you planning to hog all that good stuff you were talking about?”
Ever the Wisewolf, she’d ensured that he had to accept her kindly offer, or be hoist by his own petard. He snatched the bread determinedly.
“Why thank you.”
“Mhm.”
Her head nodded proudly, but she ate her remaining bread with a look of embarrassment. He quickly downed his bread and wiped his hand free of the crumbs, only to realize that was what she had been waiting for. Her hand suddenly took his, but he knew better than to turn and look at her. He just smiled and gently gripped her hand.
After that, the only sounds that were heard on that quiet winter afternoon were the sounds of their rattling wagon.
Wolf and the Twilight-Colored Gift
Towns, villages, and intermediate stabl
es were crucial for keeping the supply chain going. Food and wood were obviously critical, but so were services; repairing wagons and mending clothing. Even simply providing road-side information and assistance. And the more people traveled together, the more they required. Preparations were of utmost importance. Especially when traveling with a dainty little princess. She frowned at his purchase of firewood.
“Well, it is your money. You make the choice.”
Of course that was hardly what she meant. With her beauty she might fool others, but this kind of hidden threat was completely at odds with that beauty. Yet he was hardly surprised. It was just like Holo to avoid saying what she really felt.
“You mean it won’t make you unhappy?”
“Not at all.”
She turned her face away indignantly. With that scarf on her head, shawl on her shoulders, jacket and deerskin purse, she looked every bit the fussy city girl. Her auburn hair even made her look like a noble; were she to let it down, nine of ten heads would turn her way.
Poets might say that “youthful maidens were the very definition of beauty,” but Lawrence knew the reality. Not only was she not a city girl, she wasn’t quite a maiden. In fact she wasn’t even human. If you plucked off her scarf, you’d be greeted by beastly ears. If you pulled up her skirt, you’d be greeted by a beastly tail.
She lived in fields of wheat, overseeing their harvest and being worshiped. A giant wolf that had lived for centuries.. that was the true identity of Holo, the Wisewolf of Yoitsu. When she stood tall and proud behind that name, he could only sigh. It was so emasculating to defer to her.
“Well, we’re not far from the next town, and it shouldn’t be that cold out. You’re ok with eating cold food for a couple more days, right?”
“I already said: you make the choice.”
“..”
They were standing there in that firewood shop like lost travelers. It wasn’t just travelers who bought firewood, of course, but they didn’t have to worry about spending their nights next to its odor: a smell that was no small trial for Holo’s keen nose. But it was on sale. And merchants would happily let their noses turn for something on sale. And if it wasn’t covered in peat, even Holo might have been able to bear it.
“Well, sir, what will you do? I’ll feel bad too if I let you leave empty-handed after all this contemplation.”
The shopkeeper was all smiles, possibly amused by Lawrence’s situation. But then he was probably also a bit jealous. Lawrence remembered what it was like to be on his end of such encounters, so it wasn’t right for him to get upset. Anyone would be jealous to see him with such a cute girl. But leaving empty-handed was a trial for him, too. Still, he decided to swallow his pride and just be happy there was a girl waiting for him. He cut his losses, and Holo turned around like some proud noblewoman.
“Sorry. Maybe next time.”
“Please come again.”
Just like Holo, the shopkeeper replied without matching his expression to his words. It went without saying that Holo’s mood improved drastically the moment they left the shop.
“Now we can buy food! Hurry up, you!”
She pulled him along as she ran. Anyone watching them would surely feel he was blessed to have a girl like her. But he was in for it now; convincing her about food would be even tougher.
“Hey, try to not make what you are thinking so obvious.”
She smiled, and her reddish-amber eyes looked up at him. He stopped, feeling exposed.
“The next town’s a big one, so we might be better off not wasting money here.”
“Ooh, so you mean we can waste it in the next town?”
Her happy smile rendered him speechless. He had to stand up to her, but he couldn’t do that when she held his hand so gently.
“I just mean we ought to save up a bit..”
“Ah.”
They ended up forgoing wheat bread for the cheaper rye. They also bought some carrots, fried beans and inexpensive wine. This way they saved a little without having to settle for the hardest oat bread and bitterest wine. He bought their provisions as Holo eyed some dried fruit and baked seeds. He knew he had to hurry up and pay before she made her mind up.
“Um, pardon me, but would you mind giving me change in those bronze coins?”
“Hmm? You mean the Schmi ones? You guys are heading through the northern forest?”
“Yeah, and there’s a village of woodcutters there, if I remember correctly.”
Towns often used different currencies, and so using an enemies’ coin in one - well, one could guess what might happen.
“It’s probably kind to even call it a village. They’re just a group of people who want to work as much as they can before the snowfall. Well, here’s your change.”
Merchants had no trouble remembering several types of currencies, even dozens of them. The shopkeeper’s exchange rate wasn’t very good, but Lawrence still hadn’t made an overall loss so he willingly accepted the bronze coins.
“Merchants sure are wily.”
Holo waited until they left the shop to speak her mind. He plopped his hand on her hood.
“They can’t compete with you. Anyway, all that’s left now is repairing the wagon and seeing if we can’t learn a bit about the road ahead.”
She looked up at him like a child as he counted off their tasks one by one on his fingers. If he didn’t humor her now, he’d hear no end of it, so he shrugged and continued.
“..maybe hit a pub..”
“Mm. After all, there are few places as good for gathering information.”
The Wisewolf always had a convenient excuse.
* * *
As Lawrence wearily climbed the stairs to their room, the merchant passing them the other way tipped his hat and smiled in greeting. He knew the score when he saw Lawrence dragging the red-faced Holo upstairs before the sun had even set.
“How many times have I had to carry the gluttonous Wisewolf upstairs?”
“Ugh..”
“Lucky for you I’m not a loan shark, or you wouldn’t even have the clothes on your back.”
Dragging her back to their room was a challenge. He already had a routine of seating her in bed and plucking off her scarf and shawl. He always debated his inner loan shark on whether to peel off the rest of her clothes, but he always stopped there. Her happy face always wore the same satisfied look.
“Hrm..”
He couldn’t help but murmur and smile back, wanting nothing more than to caress her face.
“Well then..”
Since they started early, she was also out earlier than usual. Lawrence opened the shutters and got to work while the sun was still out and before he’d have to light any candles. He pulled out his knife, his wallet, and a map. He first confirmed that the knife was sharp and undamaged, since it was necessary for carving food, hunting, and self-defense while on the road. A good knife was far more practical than prayer.
The map.. well, it was enough that they had one, regardless of how accurate it might be. Even just knowing approximately how far they were from somewhere was better than nothing, when they had to pass through a thick forest. Holo actually wasn’t much use in a forest, other than keeping other wolves away. But that was enough to be thankful for. After all, that giant wolf form of hers could easily swallow him whole, so what chance did a regular wolf have?
When he was on his own, all he could do to contend with wild beasts was pray. He tried other things, of course, even bringing pieces of lead with him in the hopes that it was true that wild animals didn’t like the smell of metal. Or a bell, hoping that it was true wild beasts would be deterred by the sound. He even went as far as to donate to the Church for prayers of protection, or buying an amulet bearing the name of a saint who had fought with wolves.
None of it mattered, of course. Wolves would still attack him as they pleased. And yet in a strange way, it somehow felt wrong that he didn’t have to worry about wolves anymore. Humans were odd creatures. He didn’t want to
run into wolves, but he didn’t want to be so dependent on Holo for his protection. After all, she didn’t like to take her inhuman form, so he was far too embarrassed to beg her to fight wolves off for him.
Which, also oddly, brought him to his wallet. Along with all those charms meant to keep wolves away, he now had the Schmi coins he exchanged today. They were small and thick, one of the most common of currencies. But unlike most coins, they weren’t as detailed or strongly-pressed. The image on them was the reason. Lawrence was studying that beastly image right now.
“What? Are you collecting those now?”
He nearly dropped his wallet in shock. He hadn’t even noticed her breathing or footsteps as she walked up behind him, reeking of alcohol.
“So you finally found something that reminds you of me.. interesting..”
“Yeah, yeah. Hey! Watch it..”
He caught her as she stumbled around, earning a smile. It was a little embarrassing seeing such a smile on a girl as drunk as she was.
“Want some water?”
“Mhm.. my throat is burning..”
Once again he tended to her, seating her on his chair before fetching her a cup of water. She drank it almost instantly. She’d told him that, being a wolf, she wasn’t used to having a chin, and that’s why she sometimes spilled water when drinking from a cup. But it didn’t look to him like she really cared.
“Ahhh..”
“Better?”
“Mhm.. that wine was so dry.. my throat is parched..”
He handed her another cup, and this time even more water spilled around her. He cleaned up after her like a loyal servant, understanding that she had a point - they added a lot of ginger to the wine here to cover its bitterness.
“But I’d hate to order their finest wine only to see you spill it like this.”
Spice & Wolf XIII (DWT) Page 4