Spring Log II

by Isuna Hasekura

  But now, he could speak with confidence.

  “My cute wife who I am very proud of.”

  Holo widened her eyes, and her ears and tail moved so vigorously he could almost hear it.

  “You are a fool.”

  “I probably am.”

  Holo lightly jumped from the wagon bed. She was so petite and thin that the shepherd’s staff looked large lined up next to her, but that gave the scene a sort of charm.

  But as soon as he thought she would start rounding up the sheep right away, since she had jumped down with such authority, she suddenly turned around, placed her foot on a wheel, and leaped back on the wagon bed.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Holo rustled about in the luggage and spoke with a serious expression.

  “My tail will get muddied! There should be clothes for my tail somewhere!”

  Holo had changed a bit throughout the years.

  Lawrence privately thought to himself that it was probably his fault, since he spoiled her so.

  Shepherds were occasionally mocked as children born between humans and animals. They spent much of their time in the fields and the mountains, and they held an eerie presence for humans who lived in towns.

  But one only need to watch the shepherds’ skills once to understand that such a terrible prejudice also came from a certain species of admiration.

  Just by waving around one staff, they could control an entire flock of sheep at their will.

  “Ho! Come now! There shall be no running!”

  Clang, clang, clang. The bell hanging at the end of the staff rang violently. Holo was not so much holding the stick as she was partially clinging to it. When she glared at the sheep toward the left that had tried to sneak off when she was watching those on her right, the unattended wards seized the opportunity to start meandering off, and when she yelled at them, the sheep right in front of her tried to wander away as well.

  Holo busily ran back and forth, mud covering her up to her knees.

  “You…foolish…!”

  She seized a nearby sheep by the scruff of its neck, displaying the depth of her indignation. The unlucky specimen, which Holo held tightly with her fangs bared, cried as though pleading for its life. But since the flock was so large, the sheep at the edges decided it was irrelevant and resolutely continued trying to move about as they pleased.

  Lawrence thought that keeping a flock of sheep together would be a piece of cake for Holo, an embodiment of a wolf. She must have thought the same.

  It had become clear that was a mistake.

  “Hah…hah…”

  She breathed, her shoulders heaving, and gave a dry cough. Under the muddied bottom of her coat, the covering that protected her tail was so full it seemed ready to burst. The sheep would listen if she glared directly at them, but the moment she looked away, they forgot everything.

  Not only did she just have two eyes, she was also heavily outnumbered.

  “Holo, are you okay?”

  Unable to ignore her, Lawrence called out to her, and she turned to glare at him, too.

  If he asked if he should help her, then he would have to pay the price for hurting her pride.

  “Ooohhh…Why do they not listen!”

  She slammed the staff into the ground, but the flock gave her no heed as they sauntered off in all directions.

  The incessant baa, baas must have been getting on her nerves, as he could clearly see the ears under her hood were stiff with rage.

  She took such a deep breath that it almost looked like her body grew larger, and then she spoke like she was chanting a curse.

  “Perhaps I should show you how frightening I can truly be?”

  Lawrence was shocked—there was no way she would show her true form here, right?

  At that moment, she looked like a frail girl just growing into her teenage years, but her true form was a gigantic wolf. If she transformed and bared her fangs to the sheep, they would not only tremble in fear but probably also drop dead on the spot.

  For even one sheep to die during this season, when every town had many expenses to cover, would be a great loss. Like a prayer, Lawrence whispered, “Calm down,” from the back of the wagon to her back.

  “……Ngh!”

  He thought he saw her shoulders shake.

  He thought that she might be sniffling, but something was odd.

  Right when he was about to call out to Holo, she lifted the staff, as though she was going to make a heavy swing with it.

  “Freeze!”

  About three sheep, attempting to leave the flock in a group, suddenly stopped in place.

  They really did listen to the wolf when she looked directly at them and spoke. Lawrence had been able to perform well because of this power of hers during the festival in Svernel, too. That was why Holo was exceptionally angry.

  But her behavior really was strange.

  This time she clearly sniffed her nose, and with an open hand, she wiped her face.

  “Holo.”

  Lawrence called her name, and her back shivered in surprise.

  And Lawrence was just as surprised. She seemed just like a scolded child.

  He was taken aback and felt hurt—did she think that he would really get angry with her if it did not go well, despite how eagerly she took the staff? He was not such an intolerant man.

  However, Holo’s body was petrified, and she gripped the pole tightly with both hands.

  Was it true? Had she really thought that?

  Lawrence felt like he might cry, and an instant before he was going to call out to her—

  “I—I…am not…a good-for-nothing.”

  She spoke with such a thin voice, Lawrence almost thought he had imagined it.

  Holo was always dignified, calm, and composed. And yet now, she seemed hideously small from behind.

  “I’ve never thought of you like that. So what’s…?”

  After getting that far, Lawrence finally realized it.

  He remembered a conversation from Svernel.

  It was when they were talking with Millike, the man who governed over Svernel, about whether or not they could hire the wolves who hailed from the south. Millike, who was also nonhuman, teased Holo, who was a bit less enthusiastic about hiring Selim and the others.

  In front of her kin, she can’t carelessly drink during the day or take naps.

  Holo was vain and stubborn. Though she wore the face of an excellent mother and master of the household in front of her only daughter, Myuri, and Col, peeling back a layer revealed she was a great deal more delicate than the tomboy Myuri, and there was a part of her that felt like a shy little girl.

  Not only that, Holo was often prone to contemplating the darker sides of things. Perhaps it was because she had lived alone for so long in a state where her consciousness had practically faded away, but there were times when her preconceived notions were intense. Because of her harmful resolution to do many things on her own, she was incredibly reliable in the time of need, but on the other hand, she also stumbled over the strangest things.

  The current situation was an example of the latter.

  Pressing his hand against his pained back, Lawrence stood uneasily and gritted his teeth as he stepped down from the wagon bed. The sheep continued to baa and drift apart.

  Forgetting about the flock for a moment, Lawrence embraced Holo from behind, who also seemed like she might drift apart piece by piece.

  “No matter how hard Selim works, you can drink as much as you want right by the hearth.”

  Though they did have to make a good impression on their newcomer, Holo probably lost some confidence imagining herself working so hard again, as they had been pretty relaxed recently.

  “The reason I don’t scold you for sleeping in every day, going to the kitchen to eat four, five times a day, and grooming your tail whenever you have the chance is because I know you have your own proper work to do.”

  If one thought of the bathhouse in Nyohhira as a
flock, then Holo would be the one standing above Lawrence. And even though she looked like she did not do much of anything, he knew well that she was keeping a careful watch over her wards.

  It was only Holo who could admonish the tomboyish and mischievous Myuri, and if she ordered the serious, hardworking Col to take a break, he would. He also understood that whenever she went to get a snack, Holo would call out for this and that in Hanna’s stead, who managed the kitchen.

  Then, when Lawrence was down or nervous about something concerning the operation of the bathhouse, she would keep him steady, like inserting wedges into the gaps of a stone wall on the verge of collapse.

  That was how the Spice and Wolf bathhouse ran smoothly. Even when Selim the new recruit arrived, he would not make his wife cut wood or start the fires or sprinkle salt on cheese before kneading it. Those jobs would be left to those who were capable. Holo was the only one who could shepherd the flock. As long as she did that, there was nothing for him to say.

  If there was any problem to speak of, it was only that Holo herself did not much enjoy standing at the top.

  So because of that, things like this happened.

  If she were the kind of person to enjoy that, she would not have become flustered after learning Selim would be coming, and she would not conjure up any strange thoughts, either. Had her personality really been like that, then if anything, she would be eager to have a chance to train the girl.

  “I’m sorry, I hadn’t noticed.”

  He placed his hand on the staff she still held, and surprisingly, she tightened her grip.

  “Sniff…I—I must watch over the sheep.”

  The fact that she could talk like that even now showed just how determined she was.

  And it made Lawrence feel much better than her saying, “I’m okay.”

  “That’s true, but…they’re all running away.”

  The sheep were steadily heading off on their own.

  Lawrence thought that even though she could not do it all on her own, something could probably be done if he helped her.

  “Here, let me see the staff. You have your majesty as a wolf, so you don’t need this.”

  But still she would not let go.

  “…That dog can do this, so…why…?”

  Her words came out as a mumble. It seemed she did not want to lose to a dog, of all things, and her pride as a wolf was on the line.

  “Isn’t that simply the skill of a professional? Even if the sheepdog is a dog.”

  The chestnut-colored dog had flawlessly carried out his work, even sitting atop Horad’s shoulders. Lawrence could only imagine there had to be some trick to it. And there were times where it seemed that Holo managed to somehow keep them more or less all together, so there was probably some sort of method that could be relied on.

  “It really is strange. I thought it would be impossible to watch over it all from the wagon bed. But if that sheepdog had a good leg, then his line of sight would be lower than most of the sheep, and yet he can still brilliantly keep the flock together.”

  Logically, if their eyes lay below the level of the sheep, it was impossible to look out across over the entire flock.

  And yet the dog still managed to keep the herd together, guiding them in the desired direction. It was almost like magic, but that could not be the case.

  What did that mean?

  He racked his brains, and a light suddenly flicked on in his head. It was obvious for a flock.

  “Hey, Holo.”

  He called out to her, and she turned. She looked like a little girl on the verge of tears, and in actuality, she really was ready to cry. As Lawrence wiped at the edges of her eyes with his thumb, he explained his thoughts to her. She seemed doubtful but must have decided it was worth trying.

  Still holding the staff, she placed a foot onto a wheel and stood at the edge of the wagon bed.

  Rising over the flock of unfettered sheep, she bent backward and took a deep breath.

  Then she yelled a single word.

  “Fools!”

  She did not howl because if it reached Horad’s ears, he would have returned in a mad rush.

  It seemed all the sheep responded the same way. Hearing the roar of a wolf, they all lifted their heads, bustling about in a big tumult. They all wanted to rush to a safe place, but the majority of sheep had no idea where to go, so they jostled one another and baaed incessantly.

  It was in one corner of the flock that all the sheep were looking toward.

  They were all focusing on one sheep, trying to keep in pace with it.

  “I found it! ’Tis you!”

  Holo waved the staff and pointed it straight at that sheep. The animal was not particularly large or extraordinary-looking, but with the staff pointed at it, the creature baaed pitifully, and the sheep in its vicinity immediately began to panic.

  That sheep was the leader. Be it a flock of birds or sheep, there was a proper hierarchical order to the community, and having the leader under her thumb meant Holo could control them.

  Holo drew the staff in an arc to the right, and the sheep under the intense stare of a wolf had no choice but to listen. The lead sheep plodded along, and the others followed. Interestingly enough, the sheep now moved as one.

  “Heh.”

  Completely the opposite from earlier, Holo stood on the wagon bed, smiling proudly. She must have been happy to live up to her reputation as a wolf. Once she understood the trick, it worked in an instant. She directed the sheep with only her chin and was making them endlessly circle the area.

  It cheered her up considerably as she stepped down from the wagon to continue controlling the sheep while barely looking at them.

  “Sometimes, we simply need to change our perspective.”

  Lawrence shrugged, and Holo laughed in a slightly self-deprecating way.

  “Because for the longest time, I have been gazing at only one sheep. But no matter.”

  She clung to Lawrence.

  “I’ve got it easy. I only ever need to look at just one wolf.”

  “I shall not forgive your looking at other wolves.”

  “Of course not.” He patted her head, and after a slow, relieved exhalation, he spoke. “You think you’ll be okay with bringing on Selim?”

  Still clinging to Lawrence, Holo inhaled deeply, then stopped.

  “I’m sure you’ll get along.”

  “You fool.” Holo breathed and smiled. “I am not a child.”

  Lawrence shrugged, agreeing with her, and Holo chuckled as she rubbed her face up against him.

  The sheep bleated in annoyance as they kept walking around in circles.

  Horad, who had safely dropped off his partner at the charcoal hut, soon returned, allowing them to hand the flock back over to him. Lawrence’s back still ached, but they needed to take their leave.

  When they could no longer see Horad or his flock, Lawrence sat on the driver’s perch and gripped the reins.

  “Well then, let’s go home.”

  “Mm.”

  Holo, sitting next to him, responded in her usual tone.

  Not minding one bit that her feet were covered in mud, Holo rested her head on Lawrence’s shoulder, happily swishing her tail about.

  Winter was almost over.

  It was a new season, one of new beginnings.

  MEMORIES OF SPICE AND WOLF

  It was a nice day.

  Unlike winter, when it grew colder while the sun was out, the temperature had been properly rising as of late and it was warm. Wearing thick clothes in the sunlight would bring out some sweat, so times like this were spent in the shade. The cold season still made itself known when the evenings grew dark, so it was comfortably chilly. As a fun bonus, there were still ice needles hidden on the ground that were enjoyable to step on.

  In such weather, she sat on a straw mat by the bath inside the empty bathhouse while she worked.

  Resting atop the straw mat was practically a mountain of wild vegetables that had just been ga
thered from the mountains, bits of frost still stuck here and there. The rounded buds were the only edible parts, so she tossed those into the basket. The rest would be dried in the sunlight and fed to the horses and sheep. The buds would be boiled with chicken bones and ginger to make a light broth. It was popular with those who could eat nothing but salted meat and fish during the winter and thus fell ill.

  When she first tried it, she thought it must be a soup meant for rabbits, but after getting used to it, she quickly grew fond of the crunch from the vegetables and the grease from the chicken bones. It was also good for the cold nights after the sun set, since the ginger warmed her. And when she thought about how perfect it was with an accompaniment of hard liquor, she barely stopped herself from drooling.

  As she thought about that, she took a plant from the right, broke off the tip, put it in the basket in front, then threw the rest to the left. This went on for quite some time. There was still a mess of other work waiting for her.

  It would not be long before the monotonous work and warm sun brought on a drowsiness.

  Several times she dozed off, and her head would suddenly droop. Each time she rubbed her eyes and yawned.

  It was almost boring how peaceful the calm, early spring weather felt.

  “Lady Holo.”

  Someone suddenly called her name, and Holo’s eyes snapped open. She had apparently been dreaming about working. She looked over, and a girl stood beside her. The girl was thin, and her hair was whiter than it was silver, which gave her an evanescence that made it seem she would disappear in the sunlight.

  This was the girl recently hired to work at the bathhouse Spice and Wolf, Selim.

  They had originally planned to take her in during the summer, but she had arrived not too long ago instead, already beginning to live and work with them.

  “Mm-hmm…I cannot believe you saw that.” Holo joked, and Selim blinked with surprise before showing a troubled smile.

  “Sir Lawrence said you were surely sleeping and to wake you up…”