Memory Hunted

by Christopher Kincaid

  "I-I don’t know what the Second wants. I am not a boy. Well, I am not a man yet, but I am too old to be a boy. I am almost ready to be Accepted," Tell said.

  Kit frowned. "You could hear me?"

  Tell nodded.

  Yuzu smiled at Tell. "You look like a man to me. It sounds like a lot of trouble, Tell. But could you bring the tub inside and fill it for us?" Timothy suppressed a groan at her tone of voice. Kit used the same singsong, sultry tone on him.

  "So you will both…" Tell trailed off. Yuzu flashed a smile and nodded. Tell’s cheeks flared red. "I will…yes, right now. I will bring it into the back if it isn’t already. I am sure you are c-cold."

  "Thank you, Telly." Yuzu covered her mouth. "Sorry. I didn’t mean to call you that."

  "T-Telly is a nice name, uh, Yuzu. I will—" Tell turned and smacked into the door. He stumbled back and avoided looking at them. "I will get right on it. You are pretty." His eyes widened. He flung the door open and raced into the cold.

  Yuzu laughed. "That is fun!"

  "He can’t be the only one watching us," Kit said. "I hate to say, but he might be more worthless than a certain shepherd."

  "So what are we going to do, Sister?" Yuzu asked. "Tell said there is a back door. The front will be watched. Daeric will be sure to have someone capable watch us." She sighed. "I wish we could take that bath. Do we really have to go? Daeric said we are under his protection."

  "I came out here to see my home, and that is what I am going to do," Kit said. "If you want to stay here, be my guest. Do you really think men who plan to attack the Inquisition are safe to be around?"

  Yuzu frowned. "I guess not." She rubbed her temples. "I am just so tired and cold I can’t think."

  Timothy slumped into one of the chairs. His fingers drummed the table. "We need our supplies. It is getting too cold to travel. And we don’t even know exactly where the town is. We could freeze to death before we found it."

  "Wait. So you don’t know where it is?" Yuzu asked.

  "Nope. But we will find it," Kit said.

  "I have a feeling Tell will help us," Yuzu said.

  "We don’t need him involved." Kit scratched her arm. "It will be cold going. My tail will keep you warm enough, shepherd."

  Yuzu’s brow furrowed. "Tail? Are you going to sit on him all night to keep him warm?" She shook her head. "I am not staying. I came this far. I will see it through, Sister. I didn’t think adventures would be so cold, though." She shifted the wolf pelt.

  "I will sneak around from the back and get our supplies." Kit said. "Whoever else is watching us will watch the front, where Tell isn’t working."

  "I will go with you," Yuzu said.

  "You and Timmy make too much noise. We need to sound like we aren’t up to anything."

  Yuzu set her empty cup on the table and crossed her arms under the pelt. "If you run into Tell, please don’t hurt him. I don’t think he is bad. When they brought me here, Tell stayed close to me. He made me tea and gave me this fur."

  "So you found a woolhead?" Kit asked.

  Yuzu looked away. "Maybe. I am going with you. You can’t carry everything."

  Kit hesitated. "Fine. You can come to be my mule. I can’t make any promises. This situation is my doing, and I need to correct it."

  Timothy gaped.

  "I can admit wrongdoing, Timmy. I should have dealt with Daeric weeks ago. I am going to need my ears free for this."

  Timothy rubbed his forehead. He felt a headache coming on. "She will find out sooner or later. Let’s be sure no one is watching first." He stood and walked over to check the nearest window.

  "I would hear them, Timmy."

  He checked the next cloudy window. "Tell startled you."

  Kit scratched her arms.

  "What are you hiding, Sis? You two are acting strange."

  "I don’t see anyone," Timothy said. I hope she doesn’t scream. "Might as well show her. We should have shown her earlier."

  "Show me what?" Yuzu asked.

  "I will not let you endanger Timmy. Keep that in mind," Kit said.

  "Why would I do that? What are you going to show me?" Yuzu looked from Kit to Timothy and back. She took a deep breath.

  Kit leaned in, baring fangs. "Don’t scream."

  "Don’t let her fool you. She is afraid of showing you," Timothy said.

  "Humph. I really don’t have to show her."

  "Kitsune Clarke, we don’t have the time for this."

  Kit tapped her lips. "Kitsune Clarke. Kitsune Clark. Sounds awkward." She grinned at him.

  Timothy rolled his eyes.

  "I want to know all about you," Yuzu said. "I wouldn’t do anything to put either of you in danger. You are a sister and brother to me now. I won’t scream." She straightened.

  "I hope this plan doesn’t land us into a stew worse than this." Timothy rubbed his head.

  "As long as it is not your stew," Kit said. "Kitsune Clarke." She giggled.

  The door banged open, and all three jumped. Tell stumbled into the room, panting. "Your bath is ready," he said between gasps.

  "Th-that was fast, Telly," Yuzu said. "Thank you!"

  "The tub was easy to move, and I have to keep hot water ready at all times."

  Timothy looked at Kit. "You took too long."

  Kit crossed her arms. "Who insisted I show her? I was perfectly fine going alone."

  Yuzu crossed over to Tell. She leaned over and tilted her head. Tell stood taller than her, despite bending and gasping for air. He met Yuzu’s gaze and flushed as red as his hair. Yuzu laid a hand on his arm. "Thank you again, Tell." Tell’s height made him seem older, but Timothy guessed Tell was younger than Yuzu’s sixteen summers.

  Kit punched Timothy’s arm. "Looks like it is up to me again. Tell, could you keep my husband company? He has a dirty mind, and he is not above peeking." She caught Yuzu’s gaze and nodded. Yuzu returned the nod.

  "It will be private. Right, Telly? I don’t want anyone peeking," Yuzu said.

  Tell’s mouth hung open. He looked from Timothy to Kit.

  I never knew people could blush that deep, Timothy thought. Tell’s face blended with his hair.

  Tell collected himself. "Private. Yes. Gert is watching the front like Daeric asked him. I am to watch the back." He held up his hands. "Not that I will look in. We just want to keep you safe. I will stay here. I won’t look—honest!"

  "I believe you," Yuzu said. "Timothy has tried to peek on me before, though. Keep an eye on him. Which room is it?"

  Timothy frowned. Talk about throwing me under the cart. I wonder if I have wheel tracks on my back.

  Tell’s flushed face tilted to Timothy. I will play my part as long as we can get out of here. He winked at Tell. "We should sneak a peek. My wife has wonderfully round—"

  The women glared at him.

  If they keep accusing me, maybe I really will look in on them.

  "No. I promised," Tell said. "The bath is in the very last room down the hall, next to the back door. It’s my room." Tell seemed to realize what he had said. "No. I just thought…I wasn’t going to….I thought you wanted privacy."

  Yuzu smiled. "You are thoughtful. That will do nicely."

  "Come, Sister." Kit took Yuzu’s arm in hers. "Some secrets are best shared between sisters and only sisters."

  Yuzu hesitated. "What are you going to show me?" she asked.

  "You will see," Kit said. Together they crossed the large room and entered the hall.

  "Tell is cute, isn’t he?" Kit asked.

  "His red hair is a lot like yours, sister." Yuzu said. They passed out of ear shot.

  Tell stared after them. "Yuzu is pretty. I never saw eyes like hers." He jumped. He seemed to have forgotten Timothy. Timothy tried to cover a smile. Poor boy is smitten. At least Yuzu isn’t like Kit.

  "Can I ask you something?" Tell asked.

  "What is it, Tell?"

  "Do most girls smell that nice?"

  "Smell nice?"

  "Dae
ric and the others sometimes bring girls in. They never smell nice like your…wife." His eyes suddenly widened. "I’m sorry. I don’t mean that Daeric…that…I mean…"

  Timothy reached up and laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Tell stood a nearly a head taller than Timothy. "It’s okay. I know what you mean. Daeric offered to show us the way to Belafonte. That is why we are here."

  "Why do you want to go there? I am not allowed there. I can only hunt as far as the mire. Daeric and Jan and Gert, they just have me clean and cook and…and be a maid!"

  "Being a maid might be better than the alternative," Timothy said. "Do you really want to go out and kill people?"

  Tell flopped into a chair. His too big trousers draped around the seat. "No. It’s just that I can do more. I can hunt." He shook his shaggy head. "I shouldn’t say anything, but you seem nice. And…they won’t listen. Could I talk to her sister? Your wife’s sister. Yuzu. She is really…." He swallowed. "I am not man enough. I haven’t been Accepted yet. Not that there are many of us left. Would she really talk with me if you asked her?"

  Timothy tried to follow the boy’s thoughts. Is he discontent or just trying to get information? No. The way he fidgets isn’t feigned. Poor boy is in over his head if he likes Yuzu. Timothy grimaced. I sound like some old man. I am not that much older than him. What, six years older?

  "Yuzu? I am sure she will want to talk with you. She seems to like you," he said.

  "She likes me!" Tell burst from his chair.

  Timothy leaned in. "Do you want to sneak a peek with me?"

  Tell shook his head. His red hair rustled against his brown cap. "No. I made a promise. I won’t look. I…I won’t let you look either. I promised."

  Maybe we can use the boy to figure out what Daeric wants with us.

  "Sit down. I have some questions to ask." Timothy winced at how harsh that sounded.

  Tell sat. He didn’t seem to take offense. The young man started rocking the chair on its back legs.

  "What are Daeric and you doing out here?" Timothy asked.

  Tell shrugged. "Daeric didn’t tell you about it?"

  "No."

  "I’m sure you know. Daeric wouldn’t have brought you here if you didn’t. You are not a girl."

  Timothy crossed his arms. "Well, you know Daeric. He doesn’t always tell everyone what he is doing."

  Tell nodded. "It makes Jan mad too. Daeric is only the Second but acts like he’s the First. We don’t see Grandfather—I mean the First—often. Jan and Krill want revenge. Da—I mean Jan especially."

  "You don’t get along well."

  Tell shrugged. "It’s okay. It’s my fault."

  "What is your fault?"

  Tell shook his head. "I don’t want to talk about it."

  "Why do they want revenge?"

  Tell shrugged. "They say the Church and the Inquisition have done bad things. I—I don’t want to talk about it."

  "So why do you stay out here?"

  "The forest hides us. We attack and disappear." The chair creaked as Tell rocked. "The Church thinks it’s Belafonte people getting revenge, so they placed a camp here. So Daeric says. But that is just want he wants. Sometimes we have new people join us during the summer. Few stay, though. Winter is hard here if you aren’t good at hunting. We’ve been raiding them." He frowned. "Not me. Krill, Jan, and Gert have been. I don’t get to do anything until I am Accepted. But now they have more men than before we started raiding."

  The door banged opened again, sending a gust of cold air into the room. The chair dumped Tell backward to the floor. Gert brushed snow from his coat. He still had his worn pipe between his teeth. Wispy blue-gray smoke swirled around the man’s ruddy brown hair.

  "I need you to take care of that wagon. It is darned cold and past time I warmed myself," Gert said.

  Tell scrambled to his feet and righted the chair. "Will do, Gert."

  "Daeric doesn’t bring many here." Gert limped to a pitcher standing on a brick in the hearth. Tell frowned and hesitated. "What’s the matter, lad?" Gert poured steaming wine into a battered mug. "The wagon won’t take care of itself."

  "I made a promise to…" Tell looked at his feet.

  "Go on now. Jan will want some stew when he gets back," Gert said.

  Still Tell hesitated.

  "I won’t peek, Tell," Timothy said.

  Tell looked up. "Promise?"

  "I promise," Timothy said. "Kit would kill me with the mood she’s in anyway."

  Tell weighed Timothy. He nodded once. The young man snatched a cloak from the wall pegs and disappeared outside in a gust of snow flurries.

  "I don’t know what’s gotten into that fool boy. Maybe I shouldn’t have praised him, but he hears little enough of that. And he is a good lad." Gert squinted at Timothy. "Thinking of joining us?" He took a long pull from the mug.

  "Daeric is just going to show us to Belafonte. Then we will be on our way." Timothy force himself to meet the older man’s gaze.

  "Is he now? I wonder just what he is up to. He’s usually more direct," Gert said. "Enemy of the Church, are you?"

  "Uh, I…" Timothy glanced away. I hope that Kit is as quiet as she can be. He had the feeling these men could hear a hare sneeze a mile away.

  "No way to deny it. If you don’t march with them out here, you are their enemy. Can’t tell me you came out here to see a dead town." Gert frowned into his mug and placed it on the nearby table. He replaced his pipe.

  Timothy’s head throbbed. He needed to come up with some type of story. Maybe they won’t watch us if we can make them think we are one of them. "I got caught with a book the Church didn’t like."

  Gert studied Timothy. The pipe flared red, and moments passed. Timothy sweated under his coat. Finally, Gert nodded. "You have the look of a book man. Inquisition’s been burning them with fury since that Luther made his list, I hear. You look surprised."

  "I—I’m sorry. I—I didn’t think the news—"

  "Would make it this far out? It doesn’t much, but I get out. I’ve been looking for a book written by Marco Polo. Heard of him? Think his book was burned?"

  Timothy sat in the chair Tell once occupied. Here I am, trapped in the middle of some fight between bandits and a camp of Church soldiers and speaking to a man about books. It makes perfect sense. He shook his head. "Sorry. Can’t say I have."

  "Ah well, pity that. What was your book?"

  "Uh…one of Luther’s…"

  Gert grinned around his pipe stem. "Yeah, I can see that causing trouble. Add your women to that, and makes some sense why you are out here."

  "Daeric hasn’t told me what my part is with the mission yet."

  "It’s not a mission as much as something that needs to be done. The young lads like to call it a mission, though. Inquisition needs to be knocked down several pegs. Foolish job, but I’ve got nothing else going on. Besides, I can’t abandon my old friend." Gert shrugged. "So tell me. What did this Luther write to cause such a muck?"

  Chapter 2

  Kit chewed on her bottom lip, casting side glances at the slim, dark-haired girl beside her. The girl’s baggy trousers swished as she moved, and her jaw-length hair bobbed. Equally dark eyes darted away whenever she noticed Kit was looking. Yuzu clasped the wolf fur the boy gave her.

  Kit scratched her arms. Why must fleas pester me at a time like this? I shouldn’t have insisted on hiring Daeric. I should have let him follow us and taken care of him. Like…like how I did Evelyn. She still felt the woman’s fingers on her. She didn’t regret what she’d done, but it made her feel different. If Timothy was in danger, she would do it again.

  Instead of doing what needed to be done, Daeric’s scent had gripped her. It didn’t addle her mind like her shepherd’s scent—the thought of Timothy being her shepherd made her feel warm. I have to know why Daeric smells as he does. The strange familiarity hounded her memories. Desire and hope, with their sharp and evergreen incense, laced his scent. It was good Timothy was a little dense. The woolbrain m
ight just try something if he knew just how strong Daeric’s desire was. Try. Her shepherd was meant to be a scribe at a desk, yet when he forgot himself he could be a fox too. She remembered the comforting feel of his hand when they escaped Fairhaven. She had never met anyone who could make her feel normal. Her ears and tail didn’t matter to him. Whenever he looked at her, she felt like he saw her instead of a demon or a fox.

  Kit tripped on an uneven board. Yuzu grabbed her arm. The girl’s smile quavered as much as Kit’s stomach did. Does Daeric know what I am? She didn’t see how the man could know, but it always returned to her ears and tail. She often wondered if it would have been easier to cut her tail off. Maybe then everyone would have left her alone.

  "I want you to know a little more about me since you are showing me your secret. Whatever it happens to be," Yuzu said. "I’ve always been a mother. I mean, I haven’t…" She took a deep breath. "I grew up as a weaver. When Ma died I had to take care of my younger brother. Then—then both Da and Jessie died in a fire. Da saved me and went back into our house for Jessie. He never came back out. All I had was Allen." She studied Kit. "I—I never had an older sister before. I want to be able to talk to you about these things. I can learn a lot from you."

  "Now isn’t really the time," Kit said. "We are in just a little trouble."

  "They haven’t really done anything threatening."

  Kit stared at the girl. "They didn’t attack us with spears and kidnap you."

  "If they had wanted to really hurt us, they would have."

  "Maybe." I wouldn’t have let them, Kit thought.

  Red-orange light flickered from the last door in the hall. Inside the sparely furnished room, a battered copper tub steamed. If only I had the time. It felt like a waste to leave a perfectly good bath to go cold. Kit smelled damp winter air wafting from the door to the right. The faint scent of decay tugged at her nose. How did humans live without smelling such subtle things? Maybe they could smell it but did not speak about it. Kit took a deep breath. She was just wasting time.

  "What is it you want to show me?" Yuzu asked. She wrung her hands.

  Kit strained her ears. Her hood muffled the sounds slightly, but even that small amount may be important. She hadn’t told Timothy that Daeric often caught her unaware. She thought it was because Timothy’s moping had distracted her, but she also hadn’t heard Tell either. These hunters were good—too good. She could hear Timothy speaking about something in the room down the hall. Otherwise, it was quiet.