“Ah, Holo! I see.. it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Fran Bonilly.”
Holo, the self-styled Wisewolf, was always calm when on the prowl and always took her time.
“Oh, is there some way I might be of service?”
“Well, if you truly are a nun I would ask for your help.”
It was Hugh’s turn to be nervous when he heard Fran say that - he probably knew what she was asking for. He tried to speak to her, but was stopped. This was the typical kind of interaction with an artist who felt she wasn’t being well-served.
“Then I shall do what I can.”
Fran didn’t smile at Holo’s response, but craned her neck instead.
“It’s nothing that arduous. Then.. Holo, Lawrence and..”
“Oh, uh.. I’m Cole.”
Fran nodded at his reply, then continued.
“..and Cole.”
Just what was she planning?
“There won’t be any problem if you three go with me.”
Hugh was signaling to Lawrence desperately with his eyes, clearly begging him to not agree.
“I would like you all to come with me to Tarsig for my investigation.”
“..to Tarsig?”
“Indeed. Hugh surely has told you that I have returned for that very reason. I wish for you to come with me to investigate that legend.”
That was it? Lawrence didn’t know how to react. From Hugh’s face, it was clearly more complex than she was letting on. Lawrence wasn’t under her spell anymore, so he knew better than to reply immediately.. even if it annoyed her.
That was when Holo spoke.
“And then you shall draw us the map, yes?”
“Yes. But only once we’ve learned and proved the truth behind the legend.”
Lawrence knew why Holo was smiling: Fran was clever. This was a surefire way to spark Holo’s interest and ignite her passion. Learning of legends, proving they’re true.. Holo wouldn’t be able to resist such an adventure. She’d even resort to violence. Yet she remained silent, as if she didn’t even have to say anything.
“Well, then let’s do this.”
“My thanks to you all.”
Fran stared at the ground as she stood up, then spoke with Hugh expressionlessly as his face betrayed how badly he wanted her to stay.
“How are the preparations for my quest?”
“Oh, uh.. everything’s set..”
“Then let us leave tomorrow, Lawrence. Can you drive a wagon?”
Lawrence nodded and, noticing her desire to keep talking, beat her to it to try to save some face.
“Very well then, let’s leave tomorrow.”
Fran smiled, perhaps amused by his desire to save face. But it was the smile of an innocent maiden; Lawrence had lost yet again. It was easy to win over someone acting stubborn, but not when faced with such a smile - that’s exactly why Holo was so tough to beat. He resolved to be even more serious, knowing that Fran could smile like that. He’d been given a completely different impression of her by Keeman and Hugh.
“Hugh.”
Hugh stood up tall when he heard his name.
“Please send dinner to my room. I must prepare for the trip.”
“V-very well, but..”
“But?”
She wore the same kind of smile Holo often did, where only her mouth was smiling. Hugh obediently nodded and stopped talking.
“Please be so good as to explain the details to them.”
Fran left with that parting shot.
* * *
The tail beside him was swollen, but far more horrible was the smile. Lawrence knew there was nothing he could say to excuse himself.
“Sorry about that.”
“Idiot.”
Holo wouldn’t even look at him - a deity’s anger wasn’t cheap. Cole nervously shuffled away to the other end of the room, but she still remained silent. Perhaps sensing the awkwardness, Hugh broke that silence.
“Her daring and that smile.. I too suffer from them. She is an exceptionally stubborn smith. I had to chase after her in towns - even up in the mountains - for her help, and the only reason she finally listened to agreed was when I saved her from danger. So, if it’s any consolation, you’re lucky you can even speak to her on the same level.”
He was clearly aiming that sentence at Holo, who nodded before finally wiping the terrible smile off her face.
“So what’s so special about Tarsig?”
Hugh shook his head at Lawrence, now that he’d finally relaxed a little.
“It’s just your everyday ordinary village.”
“Then why..”
Hugh stared at the ground for a while before raising his eyes; he was choosing his words carefully.
“That myth of forests and lakes is just as ordinary as the village. It’s said that an angel walked on the river flowing from that lake, whereupon the howls of beasts trumpeted from the sky and a golden door opened up. Then the angel ascended up through that door, as if on a reversed waterfall.”
That was ordinary. But Hugh wasn’t finished.
“But there’s a bit more to it than that.”
“There’s more?”
Hugh nodded.
“A witch. I don’t know the details, I just hear that it’s famous upstream in Lenos. Apparently a nun came to live at Tarsig, but she turned out to be a witch. I believe it’s only a rumor, since the lord of that area is very loyal to the Church. But even if there was no witch..”
“Hmm.. I see. Then the villagers there don’t take kindly to outsiders, do they?”
Hugh nodded again.
“Fran asked for you three to join her because she knows she’ll get nothing if she goes on her own. Her skin is strange enough in these parts.”
That was true. Even Hugh, who had a lifespan much longer than humans, wouldn’t have met many with her tanned skin, let alone Lawrence.
“Is she from the desert?”
“So I’ve heard. But her parents died before she could even remember them, and she was raised by a rich moneychanger in the Duchy of Anglo. She somehow ended up as a silversmith, and she jokes about being a slave. But knowing her character..”
Lawrence knew what he meant. The way she spoke, Fran seemed like someone born with social status. But slaves.. they led varied lives, depending on their masters. Some ended up serving wealthy and kind families, while some adopted sons were treated worse than slaves.
This was all quite close to the information Keeman had given Lawrence, albeit slightly different. And yet the pieces fit.
“She seems quite daring.”
“Indeed, which is why I’ve always suspected her to be from a line of warriors. But she’s a puzzle, regardless. Oh dear, what are we talking about?”
“Hmm.. in any case, it’s not something I’ll speak of to others.”
Hugh nodded, and Lawrence changed back to their main topic.
“Mr. Athner, you seemed rather concerned about that village.. is it that dangerous?”
Many villages weren’t welcoming to visitors, and each had their own reasons. If they received few visitors to begin with, then every visitor would seem suspicious to them. The slightest rumors of a witch would be enough to set them off.
“To be honest, I’ve no idea. They’re not on any trade route, and never come here. Few in the city ever go there, and so they’re like a pickle barrel - you put food in, then forget all about it.”
What an odd metaphor. You’d be afraid to open the lid eventually, for fear of what you’d find inside.
“What? You feel it is dangerous, even with me here?”
Holo broke the tense atmosphere, making them look at each other (and probably with the same thought).
“It’s not like we have any say in the matter, since you’ve already decided. But still..”
“Then let us just up and do it. Damnation, we are but her lapdogs now, yet we are paying fifty gold coins for the privilege. A daring girl, indeed.”
Had Holo been angr
y, Lawrence would have had words to say. But she was smiling.
“What is more, that bold girl is the one with our information about the north, yes? That is what old man Huskins said, is it not?”
It was indeed.
“But she cannot get everything she wants. Such a small brain can only store so much, and she only has one. So let us bide our time to bite it off!”
It was a smooth, well-prepared speech, but it wasn’t like Holo to say such things. One would only say such things with a smile in the presence of those who were willing to challenge them. Knowing this, Lawrence was left without any room to maneuver.
“Then it is decided. Oh, and Hugh?”
“Yes!”
He sat up straight in response, making her smile.
“If we make that arrogant thing so angry that she never wishes to trade again..”
The way she spoke made it seem quite likely that Hugh would in fact suffer that blow.. what was she after? They stared at her in anticipation..
“If that happens.. well.. I shall apologize.”
Hugh was an accomplished merchant, but when he heard that his smile melted into an honest one. He smacked his belly and replied.
“Just like a proper wolf!”
“Mm.”
It was watching a play. But between a wolf and sheep, it was a miraculous production, thought Lawrence.
* * *
A day later, they were all sitting in an Athner Company wagon, heading north to Tarsig village. There was a pile of meat, bread, onions, garlic, salt and wine behind them to one side, and a stack of firewood and blankets beside that. Lawrence was on the opposite end, holding the reins, with Holo and Cole at the rear. Fran led the way on her own horse.
It felt like such a long time since Lawrence had been on a wagon that he didn’t feel like himself.
“That witling little girl.. who does she think she is?”
Holo was muttering to herself as she stuffed her face with bread.
“Is the bread really that delicious?!”
Lawrence turned as he snapped, and without meaning to he frightened Cole. The boy always waited to be handed food, but for once he’d been bold enough to reach into the sack of bread on his own.
“Uh, not you.. you’ve only had two, haven’t you? That creature next to you is on its sixth.”
He brusquely pointed at Holo, and Cole’s eyes darted back and forth between them and the sack of bread. Finally he nodded; a destitute lad like him could never be expected to resist fresh rolls with butter. By contrast, Holo was, well, wolfing the bread down. She tore at the edges of the bread before opening wide to devour the final bite. The white air aura around her was her own breath.
It was probably a mistake to have such fine food on an open wagon in such cold weather. Cole was beyond resistance, and Lawrence could barely hold back after eating one of the delicious loaves. He feared spoiling himself and being unable to return to his lonely traveling life afterward.
“If only you became an artist, we might be eating bread like this every day.”
“You mean because I can draw simple graphs and charts and pictures of my dream shop?”
Not so long ago, he’d been sitting on a wagon on his lonesome, even willing to stop and pick up coins from ditches. Each time he’d earned a bit of profit, he would spread out a piece of paper and draw that dream shop.
“Well.. if you put it that way..”
Ever since he picked Holo up, he’d left his dream off on the side. She bowed and came up behind him, placing some bread in his mouth. Her lofty manner earned her no thanks, but it didn’t earn any scorn, either. It was easy for him to smile and swallow the bread when he knew how well they understood each other.
“Hey Cole, can you draw?”
Cole flinched, as if he was seriously about to jam the bread in his hands into his ragged pockets. He seemed too embarrassed to want to be the center of attention, and sat there, mystified. Lawrence couldn’t help but laugh at his nervousness, and Holo quickly reacted with her usual mischief, stuffing a second piece of bread into his other pocket. Of course, she didn’t forget to flash him an evil smile.
“Well.. um.. I guess I can draw some angels and spirits..”
“From copying books?”
It seemed to embarrass Cole to hear that, though he smiled at Holo and nodded at Lawrence.
“Yeah, the poor kids all helped with copying books. I usually pressed the paper to make it easier to make the copies, but some of the students who actually made the copies taught me how to draw a little.”
Cole had been in the south studying, hoping to get a foothold into the Church power structure. He wanted to protect his village’s beliefs from the Church’s influence. That was really what he seemed best-suited for; compared to him adventuring, one could picture him hunched over a desk in careful study. If he’d received a better education from a rich family, he’d surely become famous one day. Now, he was looking and Holo and speaking.
“And you..? Well, I guess there’s no need to ask.”
If Holo picked up a pencil she’d probably draw an astonishingly detailed picture.
“Hmm. I do not draw. It is not as though I can eat an apple that I draw.”
She was devouring another piece of bread as she spoke.
“In the end, it seems that Fran’s skills are top-rate for her to freely ask for such a price. Especially if she’s always going off to different places to investigate myths.”
Lawrence calmly talked as he was staring at the plain ahead of them. The mountain didn’t seem to be getting any nearer, even after all this time riding.
“She’s probably seen her share of disputes. The northern lands are still being fought over, and keep going from religion to superstition, and back to religion again. It never ends. It’s a bit risky to chase after myths because of that, so maybe it really is reasonable for her to ask for so much.”
It was more challenging to find good stone the further north one went. Even the larger buildings were usually made of wood. One wouldn’t see saints on stained glass or large statues in front of stone churches, so the Church needed to use imagery to promote their faith. And thus, paintings were always in demand, and painters could profit handsomely.
“So I really admire her.”
Lawrence stroked his beard as he muttered that under his breath.
“Well, I have done enough admiring for one day.”
She patted her swollen belly and began looking for a blanket.
* * *
That night they slept on the dried yellow grasses of the plains. Walking on foot wasn’t much slower than taking a carriage, so they ended up at the same place they would have if they were walking.. a spot people obviously used for campfires. The grass was trimmed, and runes of fires were written all around. There was even a round log, perfectly shaped to sit upon. The previous users of that spot were obviously grateful. One end of the log was flattened and carved with runes of thanks.
It was so cold that night that their bread was reduced to a block of ice. They huddled around the fire, warming their food so it could be eaten. Even without any wind, it was as cold as a snowstorm. They looked like birds perched together on the log. Sharing one blanket would, after all, be warmer than each of them having their own.
As to why there were only three people under the blanket instead of four, Fran remained in the wagon.
“Here, the stone’s warm now.”
Lawrence had placed a stone into the fire pit for a time, then wrapped it in a piece of cloth and handed it to Fran. She was using her luggage as a makeshift pillow, lying there quietly staring up at the sky. Beside her was some bread and cheese, but she seemed so engrossed in her star-gazing that she’d forgotten all about them.
When he handed her the stone, her hand finally left the blanket. As it did, he caught a glimpse of paper underneath. Lawrence too had stuffed paper in his clothing as improvised insulation, on those nights where he couldn’t light a fire. Fran seemed quite accustomed t
o travel as well.
“You’re not gonna join us around the fire?”
Fran placed the warm stone under her blanket, then replied to him while looking up at the sky.
“I won’t be able to see as well.”
I see, thought Lawrence. He nodded. Fire kept animals away, but not humans. And no one knew if they were friend or foe. It was harder to see in the pitch blank when one’s eyes were accustomed to the fire light. Perhaps she wasn’t just used to traveling, but was a rather accomplished traveler instead.
“So..”
Fran turned in response, but obviously wasn’t going to try any harder than that. He continued.
“..what’s the plan when we arrive in Tarsig tomorrow?”
He’d lost their first match at Hugh’s company yesterday, so she probably wasn’t going to trust in his intellect. Indeed, her eyes reflected an intent to keep as much information from him and his companions as possible, in spite of asking for their help, and so he was deferring to her as respectfully as possible. And yet, after staring at him for a while she smiled and closed her eyes in understanding.
“That’s up to you.”
That was quite a shock to Lawrence, who realized she was probably testing him. He responded right away.
“Then I’ll introduce you as a silversmith and Holo as a nun from the Church. Will that do?”
“..that should be fine.”
From her slight hesitation she probably intended to do so herself.
“So Holo is a nun on pilgrimage, and Cole is her guide. I’m the merchant they hired to take and represent them. How about that?”
“Okay.”
She agreed, but with a smile. His irritation compelled him to ask why.
“Alright, what is it?”
“..it’s nothing. It just feels like I’m in an acting troupe. I wonder if I could pass for a nun as well.”
She really had a knack for objective manipulation. That’s why Lawrence lost so easily to her the first time; it was like there was a second copy of her there, and yet she made it feel natural.
“So where are we supposed to be from?”
Lawrence was already trying to fill in those questions in his head, so he could reply right away.
“Ruvinheigen. That should do, right? There’s a lot of churches there, so a lot of parties like ours set out from there. It should be convincing enough if we get our stories straight.”
Spice & Wolf XII (DWT) Page 5