Oil lamps were being lit at some stalls already. The sky was beginning to fill with streaks of orange. Sister Sun had left her highest point in the sky a while ago and was sinking down towards the summit of the mountains. But still, the market was going, although it was less busy now.
Sunfire was taking Lucinia across the market this time. It was the honey-colored Mry's turn to browse the vast market, and Lucinia still hadn't seen everything. Promising her sister to look out for all the items on the list doctor Healsong had given them, Sunfire walked past the stalls with Lucinia by a paw. She was an efficient shopper; within half an hour she had found and purchased all the items doctor Healsong had listed, everything safely stowed into one of the large side-bags she wore over the shoulders and back of her quadruped lower body.
Free now to shop a bit more leisurely, the golden-furred Mry let Lucinia set the pace and the direction. One of the first spots the little Kattin pulled her to was the place just off the center market square, where the blue-furred Mry Bluehour was making and selling her paintings. She looked up with a smile when she saw Lucinia approaching, now accompanied by a different adult Mry than she had seen before.
"Look, Sun Fire!" Lucinia said happily, pointing. "Is miss Blue Hour! She paint me! She give me things, I sit for her and she paint me!"
"Ah, yes, Skyfire told me about that," Sunfire nodded. "So you're the painter, huh?"
"That's right." Bluehour set the brush she held in a jar and rose up on her four feet, extending a paw. "My name is Bluehour. And you must be Sunfire, the other sister?" she smiled, shaking paws with Sunfire, then softly stroking Lucinia over the head. "So sweet of you to come introduce her to me, dear."
Lucinia giggled and nodded, and Sunfire smiled.
"Indeed, I'm Sunfire, sister of Skyfire and little Lucinia here. She told us you recognized her as being from Saloria? So that means you have seen her kind before?"
"Yes, it was very long ago though. I used to travel a lot, you see, not just across Nezinoma Salis, but also to other lands. I've seen most of Minnaluna already, and one Grow Season, I joined a ship setting out from the southwest Minnaluna coast. We sailed in southwest direction for almost a half-Cycle, to the land of Catimari; perhaps you've heard of it? That's where I met a Salorian merchant. Very handsome fellow he was, too, and quite fluent in our language. I learned a lot about Saloria from him, and that's also why I right away recognized this lovely little girl here as Salorian," Bluehour told with a smile, stroking Lucinia's head again.
"I see. That's quite impressive, I must admit. I envy you for all that travel and all those things you must have seen and experienced," Sunfire said. She looked around at several paintings standing on, or propped up against the crates Bluehour was sitting amidst of. "I must also admit you have quite a talent at capturing sceneries and folk in paint."
"Thank you," Bluehour smiled. "Yes, I have seen fantastic things, alright. Lately though, I don't travel around as much anymore; it wears you down, you know. I only go from market to market in Nezinoma Salis anymore, and every now and then I also cross the Eastside Straits and visit one or two markets on Minnaluna, mostly when I run low on supplies as they have the best paints and brushes and canvas there."
"That I can understand," Sunfire nodded. "My sister Skyfire and myself used to dive for pearls and such in our younger Seasons, but we gave that up for the most part now as it's very exhausting. And not to mention dangerous," she added with a chuckle. "So, Skyfire told me she'd invited you to come visit us in Viola Town when we have our market?"
"She did, she did indeed, and it sounds very appealing to me," Bluehour confirmed. "I have not yet before been to Viola Town, but I very much like the sound of it being a female-only community. Plus, it laying in such a central position in Nezinoma Salis makes it perfect for me to settle down; I can travel in all directions from there without needing too long journeys, and it would be wonderful to finally have a place I can call truly my home." The blue-furred Mry made a gesture with a paw. "Your sister asked me about the possibility of me painting a portrait of your family; herself, you, Lucinia here, and your other younger sister, the poor blind girl... uh... what was her name again?"
"Fleet Fire!" Lucinia piped up cheerfully before Sunfire had a chance to reply.
Both large Mry laughed softly, and Bluehour nodded.
"Ah yes, that was it; Fleetfire. I told your sister I am definitely interested, and I offered her to do it free of charge in exchange for the opportunity of painting another painting or two of Lucinia here."
"That certainly sounds like a very reasonable deal to me," Sunfire said with a smile, running a paw over her golden-whiskered muzzle. "What is your usual rate for portraits, if I may ask?"
"Well, naturally it depends on the subjects," Bluehour smiled, shrugging lightly. "I usually charge two silvers for a portrait of one single person, and one silver extra for an additional person. Portraits of a family of three or four persons are three silvers and three coppers, families of five to ten are six silvers, and families of ten or above are one gold. However, I also add an additional two coppers to the price for each of the persons who have a very difficult or intricate fur pattern." A soft giggle. "Such as that of your sister Skyfire, for instance."
Sunfire let go a chuckle.
"Yeah, she has a mighty wild fur, alright. And I do believe that our younger sister Fleetfire would qualify for the additional charge as well; the pattern in her fur is rather intricate too." Again she ran a paw over her muzzle and whiskers. "Yes, then letting you do a painting or two of Lucinia as a fee certainly sounds like a very good deal. I assume those paintings would remain in your possession?"
"That's the idea, yes," Bluehour nodded. "They would serve as examples of my skills, being not for sale but merely on display at any market I visit, just as several of my other paintings you see here."
"Right, right. That sounds logical. Did Skyfire tell you about the boarding facilities in Viola Town? For I surmise you would not be able to complete a portrait of four plus two or more other paintings in one day, which is the duration of our market, right?"
"You are right about that. During the market itself, I would be busy with selling paintings and accepting requests for portraits to be made of people stopping by my stall," Bluehour said. "So that means I can only do other paintings in the evening hours, and a portrait of four takes almost a full day to complete. However, your sister did inform me there are both an inn and a hotel in your town, and she also offered to let me stay with you for a day or two while I work on all the paintings."
"She mentioned something like that, yes," Sunfire nodded. "I think that would be quite a good idea, actually." She tilted her head a bit. "Did I understand it correctly, though, that we would have to sit still in one position for an entire day when you're doing that family portrait of all of us together?"
"Oh, no no no," Bluehour said with a soft giggle. "That would be most unhandy and uncomfortable. No, how it works is like this, see; when I do a portrait of one single person, I have that person sitting model for me for two, three hours, during which I capture the pose in charcoal lines, and then paint it in and add all the details and effects such as the light and shadow. Since it's only one single subject, I can put all my concentration to it, see. With paintings of two or more subjects, I also have them sitting in a specific pose for me and lay down the lines of that pose in charcoal, but as there's more than one subject, I have to constantly shift my attention and concentration from one to the other, which does not work for both them and me. So what I do is, I first lay down the base of the pose and rough details such as features and fur patterns of all of them; that is what you would have to sit model for with all of you together. But once I have those basics laid down, you're free to move about again while I work on putting in the colors of each subject and the finer details. At the most, I would ask one of the persons to sit model for me again in the same pose while I work on the finer details of that specific person, and only at the very end, usually the next day, I have everyone assume the same pose together again so I can add the final touches such as the light and shadow."
Sunfire nodded in understanding of Bluehour's explanation.
"Right, I see. That actually sounds very logical too, I could have thought of that." She curled her lips into a grin while she took her silver pocket watch from a pocket of her vest, flipped it open and glanced it. "Well, it's about time we move on again, we still have a lot of market to cover before full dark. I'll be looking forward to meeting you at our market again coming Threeday and talking with you some more."
"Likewise," Bluehour smiled. She shook paws with Sunfire again and softly stroked Lucinia over the head. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sunfire. And it was most certainly an absolute delight meeting you, Lucinia."
"Same!" Lucinia smiled, hugging the large blue-furred Mry around the waist. "I happy I meet you, Blue Hour! You nice! And you paint so good!"
"Thank you, sweetie," Bluehour chortled. "I was very happy to paint such a pretty girl as yourself. I'll be really happy to paint more paintings of you when I see you again next quart-Cycle."
"Yes!" Lucinia nodded, smiling brightly. "Paint Fleet Fire too, yes? Paint her, I, together, yes? I pay! Gift for Fleet Fire, when her eyes good again, she see again!"
"It'll be my absolute pleasure, sweetie," Bluehour smiled, giving the little Kattin a hug back. "You are one of the sweetest girls I have ever met, caring so much for your poor blind sister."
Lucinia nodded happily, taking Sunfire's paw again when the honey-colored Mry had put her pocket watch back in her vest pocket. They said goodbye again, Bluehour waving at them a last time before starting to clean her brushes and pack all her things. Lucinia and Sunfire walked further across the market, calmly. It was much less crowded now, at every stall the oil lamps burning, most of the wares already sold. Some merchants were even already packing up.
But very good deals could still be found. Calmly nosing around, Sunfire quirked an eyebrow when a small object on one of the stalls caught her eye. It was a small, square, rather flat box, with tiny bent legs ending in what seemed to be feline feet. The sides were intricately decorated with tiny silver vines, the lid had very fine carving and sculpting applied to the entire surface. Picking up the small box, Sunfire inspected it from all sides, briefly, before making eye-contact with the white tiger-striped female Mry behind the stall.
"How much should that thing cost, sis?"
"Ah, you have a fine nose, sister," the white tiger Mry replied. "That is a ship captain's documents box, it's traveled all over the world already. Those special feet ensured it would not slide off the captain's desk, even during heavy, choppy weather."
Sunfire quirked both her eyebrows this time.
"I didn't ask you to give me a full explanation and provenance of that thing, sis, I asked what it should cost," she said with a good-natured grunt.
"Two gold," was the answer.
"That's a bit much for a box of thin silver, ain't it?"
"Ah, but it's not just the box you're getting, sister. Look inside, it holds an original document as well, and that's included in the price."
Tilting her head a bit, Sunfire lifted the lid of the decorated silver box, indeed finding a folded document inside that looked to be some kind of very old paper. On it were several lines of text in a language Sunfire could not make out.
"Ooo-kay," she said slowly. "So what kind of text is this? What language is it?"
"I must admit I do not know," the white tiger Mry answered with a light shrug of her shoulders. "But I can tell you that's a genuine treasure map. The text spells out a riddle, and if you decipher the answer, that'll lead you to a hidden treasure. It is said this treasure can in fact be found right here in Nezinoma Salis."
"Is that said," Sunfire guffawed. "Well, ain't that just wonderful, that that's said, sis. But if we both can't even tell what language this text is, then that's not gonna be a whole lot of help to us, now is it? And certainly not enough help to justify a price of two gold for this here box." The honey-colored Mry made a throw-away gesture with a paw. "Tell you what, sis. I'll give you three silver for it, and then you can keep this so-called treasure map and the provenance."
"There's more silver's worth of silver in this box though, sister, let alone craftsmanship," the white tiger Mry retorted. "But if you don't take the document along with it, I suppose I could let you have it for one gold and five silvers."
"Oh come on. Have you seen how paper-thin the walls and the lid of this thing are? Craftsmanship, alright, but there's definitely not any more worth of silver in it. But I'll... what is it, kiddo?" Sunfire suddenly interrupted herself, looking down at Lucinia who had started tugging on a slip of her vest with a sort of urgency.
"Buy paper, Sun Fire, yes?" the little Kattin said in a voice that sounded as if she was holding back some excitement. "You buy box, I buy paper."
"I don't see how much good that's gonna do us, kiddo," Sunfire smiled. "We can't read the text."
"I read, yes," Lucinia nodded. "Is language Saloria. Is bedtime rhyme on paper, I read."
"Say what?" Sunfire said, and; "Excuse me?" the white tiger Mry said, lifting an eyebrow. "Girl, that's not a nursery rhyme, that is a treasure riddle."
"How you know?" Lucinia said with an ever so slight smirk. "You just say yourself, you not know what language is text. So how you know what text say?"
"Girlie, this box comes with a certified provenance," the white tiger Mry said. "It's officially documented what this box is and how old it is."
"What box is, yes," said Lucinia in return. "Say not what text is. You can not read text. I read text. Is language land I come from. So I know. Is bedtime rhyme. I want buy, yes. I give you one my silver, is worth ten your copper, yes? My mom tell me rhyme when I little baby kitten, so I want buy, yes? But not worth more, is no treasure thing, is bedtime rhyme."
All the while as Lucinia was talking, Sunfire was tilting and flagging her ears while now and then running a paw over her whiskers, often to hide a cheerful grin at the way Lucinia was speaking to the stall's proprietor. When the little Kattin finished, Sunfire turned back to the white tiger Mry and chuckled softly.
"Well, so much for your treasure map provenance, huh sis? But I'll make you a decent deal. I like that box, the decoration's real nice, and apparently the kiddo here can read the text, so I'll take the paper as well, altogether, for one gold."
"Well... okay, since I'm in a good mood, and because I don't feel like taking so many unsold things back with me, I'll accept your deal," the white tiger Mry went over.
"Deal, then," Sunfire grinned softly, reaching into one of the pouches on her belt and extricating a golden coin.
Meanwhile the white tiger Mry carefully folded the old document back into the box and closed the lid, putting the box in a small paper bag for protection. Exchanging the bag for the coin, the purchase was completed, and after tucking the bag with the small silver box in it safely away in one of her side-bags, Sunfire said goodbye to the white tiger Mry behind the stall. Lucinia did as well, following Sunfire as they continued their way across the market.
"So you can read the text on that paper, kiddo, huh?" Sunfire remarked.
"Yes, I read," Lucinia nodded with a bright sparkle to her large blue eyes. "She woman, she right, Sun Fire. But I not tell her."
"What do you mean?" Sunfire asked, lifting an eyebrow in surprise.
"Text on paper," Lucinia said with a sparkle in her eyes. "Is treasure riddle. Everyone in Saloria know rhyme. Is not bedtime rhyme, is real treasure riddle. I just say is bedtime rhyme, because I read text, and she woman from shop can not read text, so I say is bedtime rhyme so you got box less expensive."
"Ohhh, hold on just a second," Sunfire said slowly, a grin spreading across her muzzle. "You mean you've been playing a trick on that gal to haggle down the price, haven't you?" She grinned even wider. "You're definitely a very clever girl, kiddo. Well done, very well done."
Lucinia beamed happily under Sunfire's praise, nodding her head a bit.
"We can look for treasure! I read paper, I tell you riddle so you and Sky Fire and Fleet Fire know riddle too, yes? We solve riddle, find treasure, yes?"
"Sounds like despite how clever you are, my weirdo sis has been rubbing off on you a bit much, kiddo," Sunfire chuckled. "She softly patted the Kattin's head. "Well, we'll see about it, okay?"
"Yes! Is fair, Sun Fire!" Lucinia nodded happily.
Holding one of the golden-furred Mry's paws, she cheerily trotted along as Sunfire traversed the rest of the market. Passing the butcher shop with the stall in front of it, Lucinia giggled as the woman Mry behind the counter waved at her, the little Kattin happily waving back with her free paw.
There was a lot more for her to see, even despite the market running towards its end; Sunfire took her down a few of the side streets Skyfire had skipped. Looking around her at some of the slightly more dubious merchants, Lucinia didn't notice how Sunfire halted by one of the stalls until she felt a light tug to her arm. She turned, looking at the stall Sunfire was standing at, her large ears flicking and moving to the screeches and noises of the variety of small animals that were on display. The proprietor, a gruff-looking ash-gray male Mry with several scars across his face, arms and upper chest, was dealing with a customer on the other side of the stall, which gave Sunfire and Lucinia a good deal of time to look over the cages holding several different kinds of animals.
Her large ears wilting to the sides, Lucinia pointed at a cage quite near the back of the stall while tugging lightly on Skyfire's arm.
"Ohh! Sun Fire, look. That sad," she said softly.
Sunfire nodded; she was looking at the same cage. In it was a small animal; it more or less looked like a small, under-developed quadruped cat. It had quite a few unusual traits though; its fur was a strange turquoise color, although it was grimy and stained with dirt all over. The body, furthermore, lacked every sense of proportion; the torso and hind end were very lean and narrow in build, the slimness made even sharper by the little critter obviously being undernourished. The legs were miniscule, unbelievably short and ending in tiny paws with tiny round toes. The head was a size or two too large in comparison, with an elongated muzzle with very long whiskers which were sticking together with the grime and dirt covering the small animal all over. Crowning the head was a pair of almost ridiculously large ears, shaped like quite narrow triangles with a thick tuft of fur at the pointy tips of them. Flanking the rather long, narrow muzzle was a pair of large silvergray eyes, the pupils drawn into narrow slits of glittering obsidian. The final outstanding feature of the little animal was its tail; thin and covered in sleek fur, and at least twice as long as the entire rest of the body, possibly even three times as long, ending in a rather large, fluffy plume, even though that, as well, was matted with dirt and grime.
At first glance, it made the small animal seem forlorn, sitting there huddled up and completely silent with its tail wrapped tightly around itself. A closer look however showed it was keeping a suspicious eye upon everyone that was passing by, and especially anyone who stopped by the stall.
When he was done with the customer he had been tending to, the gruff-looking male Mry proprietor stepped over to where Sunfire and Lucinia were standing, casting a curious, even somewhat appraising look upon Lucinia, but holding back any remarks and just addressing Sunfire.
"What d'ya want, sis? Anything I can help ya with?"
"Perhaps," Sunfire said, in such a cool tone Lucinia looked up at Sunfire with a wondrous expression for a moment, having never heard the honey-colored Mry speak in that tone of voice. "What's that little critter you've got there?"
She nodded at the cage with the small turquoise cat-like animal in it.
"This one here? That's a Flitrat. Feisty one, too."
"Sure it is," Sunfire smirked. "How much?"
"Five gold. I'll toss in the cage for free."
"Bit much for a mismatched heap of misery like that, ain't it?" Sunfire remarked coolly.
To Lucinia's surprise, the turquoise animal perked its ears and looked up at Sunfire, and to the Kattin's even larger surprise, Sunfire for just a flash of a moment made eye-contact with it and made a small motion with her lips as if to say "sssh." The male Mry behind the stall had not seen it, though, he just replied to Sunfire's remark.
"Not at all. It's a special one, alright. Rare specimen. Can't find'em anywhere in Nezinoma, or in Minnaluna for that matter."
"Of course you can't. I'll give you one gold. Ain't worth much more than that."
"Can't do, sis. It's too rare a specimen to let it go for so little. But I'll tell ya what; I'll let ya have it for four, and I'll still throw in the cage for free."
"Right. How generous," Sunfire smirked. "And have you taken a good look at that little heap of fluff already? There's nothing right about it at all, it's ugly as hell, and it's very dirty. Who's to say it ain't carrying some kind of weird disease?"
Again, for a moment Lucinia blinked when she saw how Sunfire caught the creature's eye and made a very subtle motion with her head while shifting her facial expression ever so slightly. Strangely, the small creature, which had by now lifted itself up on its front paws with one upper lip lifted in a semi-snarl at Sunfire's words, seemed to calm back down again at the small motion of Sunfire's head.
"But I'll tell you what," the honey-colored Mry continued speaking to the ash-gray male Mry proprietor. "I'll be generous and give you two gold, and you can keep the cage."
"You'll be needing the cage, sis," said the male Mry. "Like I said, it's a feisty one, that one is. Big chance it'll run off the moment ya try and take it across the market without the cage."
"You sure know how to make folk not want to buy your stuff, do you?" Sunfire smirked. "I rather doubt the critter would run off, but you certainly convinced me not to pay any more than two gold for it. And that's still me being generous, brother. Especially..." She leaned over the stall a bit and lowered her voice. "Especially since that ain't a Flitrat, so you're taking quite a risk carting an unknown creature through Nezinoma Salis since I highly doubt you have the permits to do so."
The male Mry smirked as well, but for a flash of a moment his expression had changed ever so slightly and he had cast an unobtrusive glance left and right around him.
"Well... fine, have it your way, sis. Ya sure ya can take that critter along without the cage, I'll let ya have it for two gold."
"Now you're talking," Sunfire nodded.
She fished two golden coins from her money pouch and tossed them towards the male Mry, who caught them and tucked them away in a pouch hanging from his own belt. Sunfire meanwhile leaned over the stall and reached for the cage, fingering the rusty bars and unlatching the quite contrasting, clean new lock. Making a soft sound inside her muzzle, she held up a paw at the turquoise critter, palm up, while sending the small creature a slight wink. Surprisingly fast and agile, the strange creature shot out of the cage, spiraled up Sunfire's extended arm and draped itself around the honey-colored Mry's neck, hiding under Sunfire's hair.
Ignoring the male Mry's wondrous look, Sunfire merely took Lucinia by a paw and turned, walking back out of the side street and onto the main market square. To Lucinia's surprise, Sunfire then turned off the market square and into a narrow, quiet alley where she stopped and spoke to the small turquoise creature.
"Sorry about that, little one. No intention to have been insulting you, I just needed to be a bit derogatory to make that guy lower his price. Not gonna be funding the shady operations of a bloke like that if I can help it."
"Understand," the creature answered in a somewhat chittery, sibilant voice, to Lucinia's even bigger surprise.
"Oh! It talks!"
"She, kiddo," Sunfire said with a light grin. "This little one right here is a girl, like us. And sure, she can talk."
"You know what she is, Sun Fire?" Lucinia asked, wide-eyed.
"Sure," the honey-colored Mry nodded. "This girl is a Poes, they're a species native to Kotyonok Island, a day or two sailing off the southwest coast of Minnaluna."
"Is, yes," the small creature said, poking it's head out from under Sunfire's hair.
"How'd you get in the clutches of a shady animal merchant like that anyway, little one?" Sunfire asked, turning her head a bit.
"Some suns back," said the Poes, rubbing her elongated muzzle with her tiny forepaws. "Me up tree, find fruit. Big wind, lots wind, branch break, go in water. Wind blow branch over big water. Me hang on hard. One moon later, branch wash on waterside land. Much big rocks. Me much tired, much hungry. He male one, he find me, catch me, put me in box."
Sunfire nodded slowly, running a paw across her whiskers.
"We felt that storm too, yeah. Unlucky break for you, being where you were at the time. But you're safe now, little one. Let's see if we can find you something to eat, hm? We'll bring you home with us for now so you can rest and regain yourself, and we'll see if we can figure out a way to get you back to Kotyonok Island."
"Much thanks," the Poes said. "You have watering hole near you live place, some trees maybe?"
"That we do," Sunfire nodded. "There's a creek running through the valley where we live, and a little ways behind our house the creek collects into a small pond which is surrounded by trees. We use the pond to bathe in or to swim or cool off on hot days every now and then."
"That good," the small creature said with a nod. "Me live there for bit, maybe long." She shimmied around Sunfire's shoulders to look the golden-furred Mry in the face. "More thanks. Me glad be free again."
"No problem, little one," Sunfire said with a smile. She fished her pocket watch from a pocket of her vest and flipped it open to check it again. "We better go back to the stall and pack up now. It's still a long way back home after all."
No sooner said than done, the honey-colored Mry started walking back across the market square, with the turquoise Poes draped around her neck and with Lucinia holding her by a paw. As they reached their stall, Skyfire looked up from putting a few items into a box, smiling as she saw her sister and Lucinia stepping back up to and around the stall.
"Well, judging by that cheerily beaming face, I'd say you had a real good time with Sunfire, didn't you, sweetie?" she smiled. "Did you find some more nice things to buy?"
"Yes!" Lucinia nodded. "We found things!" She looked around for a moment when a few Mry walked past the stall. "I tell on way home, Sky Fire, yes?"
"Sounds fair enough, sweetie," Skyfire smiled. "It's a long trip, so we'll have... hang on?" she interrupted herself, canting her head a bit while gazing at Sunfire. "Is that a Poes around your neck, sis?"
"It is," Sunfire nodded. "I'll tell you about that on the way home as well. For now, let's just get our rears in gear and pack up; we have a long trip back home ahead of us."
"Right," Skyfire agreed. "I was already packing up some stuff. Not a bad day, we made nine gold, seven silvers and three coppers, all in all. Oh, and did you find any of the things doctor Healsong asked us to look out for?"
"Each and every item, got'em all right here," Sunfire said, patting one of the bags hanging over the side of her quadruped lower body.
"Ah, good, she'll be so pleased with that," Skyfire smiled.
While they were talking, both Mry were busy packing up all the items on their stall they hadn't sold, with Lucinia happily helping them as best as she could. By the time the sun had set completely, the two Mry had everything packed up and stowed into the wood crates and barrels. Having significantly less items to bring back home with them, they packed almost all of it into the wagon that was fastened behind their car, creating a decent deal more room inside the car so their return trip would be a lot more comfortable.
Indeed, this time Lucinia didn't need to straddle Skyfire's back to even fit into the car, but she could sit comfortable on one of the cushions in the back, amusing herself by holding the turquoise Poes in her lap and doing her best to clean and brush the creature's brightly colored fur while sharing a part of one of her Mountain Munchies sausages with the Poes. Keeping herself busy like that, Lucinia hardly noticed anything of the trip back home, which was also large due to the darkness, of course.
"So, sweetie," Skyfire said after a while, half turning her upper body so she could look at the young Kattin. "What kind of interesting things did you buy, apart from that Poes?"
"We found treasure map!" Lucinia said happily. "Sun Fire, she find nice silver box, and was old paper in with riddle on it. She woman of stall, she say she don't know language of text on paper, but she say is treasure riddle. I say, how you know, you can't read text. I read text, is language Saloria, and I say, is no treasure riddle, is bedtime rhyme. I say so we get paper less expensive. But really is treasure riddle, yes!"
"Really now?" Skyfire chortled softly. "You're quite the shrewd one, aren't you?"
"Yes!" Lucinia beamed happily. "Sun Fire, she say I clever too, yes! And we can try solve riddle, Sky Fire, yes! I tell you riddle, I... trans... late, yes, so you and Sun Fire and Fleet Fire know riddle too, we solve riddle and find treasure, yes?"
"Sounds like a fun idea," Skyfire giggled. "I'd sure like to try it. What did miss grouchypants say about it though?" she added with a louder giggle.
"I said that despite how clever she is, apparently your random weirdness, or weird randomness, just as you wish, seems to have rubbed off onto the kiddo already," Sunfire chuckled. "But I also told her we'd see about it."
"Yay," Skyfire said with a soft giggle. "And so what's the deal with that Poes?"
"The kiddo and me both spotted her in one of those grubby cages from one of them shady animal merchants in one of the side streets," Sunfire said, all the while keeping her concentration with driving the car down the dark trails and tracks. "Nutball said it was a Flitrat, asked five gold for it. I bluffed him down to two. Just couldn't leave the poor girl sitting there, she was looking damn miserable."
"I can imagine," Skyfire nodded softly. "What'll she do now, though?"
"She said she'd be fine camping out at Pine Pond for a while, and we can look at sailing her back to Kotyonok sometime when she's got all her strength back."
"Right," Skyfire nodded again. "That'd be nice, I've always wanted to have a look at Kotyonok sometime."
"Kotyonok is big land, yes?" Lucinia asked, now softly petting the turquoise Poes as she couldn't do any further grooming in the car.
"No, it's quite a small island, actually," Skyfire smiled, again turning her upper body a bit so she could look at Lucinia behind her. "It's uninhabited, or at least it's not inhabited as we know it, with towns and stuff. It's completely covered in forest, from about the top of the mountains in the middle of the island all the way down to the shores of it. There's a small bayou on the... north... northwestern shore as well, if I remember correctly."
"Is," the Poes said from Lucinia's lap. "Water come in forest from big water. Not drink. Water run down from mountain to big water is for drink."
In the meantime, while they had been talking, they had arrived back at Viola Valley. Sunfire calmly drove the car down the wide street running from the valley entrance past the northwest side of Viola Town, eventually pulling up to their house.
"I see Heal Song! And Fleet Fire!" Lucinia called out happily, pointing out the side window.
Indeed, the large, fully white Mry was standing in front of the house, holding the young flame-furred Mry by a paw, both of them waving as Sunfire drove the car up the small driveway to the roof on poles it was usually stored under.
"I heard the autocart approach!" Fleetfire smiled. "Doctor Healsong let me stay up until you were back!" She stretched out a paw towards Lucinia, feeling the Kattin's cheek and using it as guidance to step up close to Lucinia. "Did you get Mountain Munchies, Lucie?"
"Yes!" Lucinia nodded happily, hugging Fleetfire around the upper body. "I bring lots presents for you too! When we inside, I show you!"
"Yay! I can't wait!" Fleetfire giggled. "You're such a sweetheart, Lucie!"
Meanwhile, Sunfire had been ducking into the back of the car, digging out one of their leather side-bags which she handed to Healsong.
"That's all the stuff you asked us to look out for, doc," she said with a soft chuckle. "I haven't yet added up what it all cost, but I have a list somewhere so I'll get that to you when we bring Fleety to school tomorrow, or when we pick her up."
"That's fine," Healsong nodded with a smile. "And thank you for bringing along all this."
"No problem, we were there anyway, and it's the least we could do to repay you for looking after Fleety for us." Sunfire turned to Skyfire, who was rooting around between the boxes and bags in the car. "Hey weirdo! Leave it, okay? We'll unpack tomorrow. When it's like, you know, light and stuff, and we've had some sleep."
"Of course, of course," Skyfire giggled. "I was just trying to get Lucinia's things out of here. You know, the snacks and presents she brought for Fleetfire and all?"
"Oh, right. Yeah, okay, I can see that."
"Good," Skyfire giggled again, ducking back into the car to rummage around.
After she had pulled everything Lucinia had gotten and bought at the market, she took both the young Kattin and Fleetfire by a paw, smiling at Healsong and her sister.
"Well, let's go inside, I guess. Doctor Healsong, will you be going home, or would you want to stay the night, since it's so late and all? You're more than welcome to, of course."
"Yes, I think I'll stay," Healsong nodded with a smile. "I can find my way home even in the dead of night, that's not the problem, but it'll be nicer to stay and hear your stories and all." She chuckled softly. "Besides, I'd love to see Fleetfire's expression at the gifts Lucinia brought for her."
"I think we all do," Skyfire giggled. "Well, inside we go, then!"
She calmly led Fleetfire and Lucinia into the house, followed by Healsong, and Sunfire who first made sure the car was locked up securely. In the living room, Skyfire lit one or two extra oil lamps, smiling at how Fleetfire pulled Lucinia over to a heap of pillows and flopped down in them to snuggle the small Kattin close.
"Glad you're back home, Lucie! I missed cuddling you today, your fur is so fine and soft!"
"Hee! I miss you too, Fleet Fire! I wish you be there on market and you could see! So much things! I get lots presents for you! This blue Mry woman, she painter, she want me sit for her to paint me, she get me things! I get lots things for you, yes!"
"Aww, you didn't have to, Lucie! But thank you! You're such a sweetie!" Fleetfire crooned, cuddling herself up against Lucinia while holding the small Kattin in a hug of both her arms and her forepaws. "What did you all get me?"
"Munchies, of course!" Lucinia giggled.
She looked around when Skyfire put down all the things Lucinia had gotten at the market by the pillows the two were cuddling in. Reaching out, she grabbed the largest item Skyfire put down. Fleetfire perked her ears curiously and swiveled them forwards at the sound of light movement.
"What's that you got there, Lucie?"
"Is Jorble! In nice cage, yes! I got Jorble for you to listen to. Is orange one, too!" Lucinia said happily, taking the sheet off the cage and taking one of Fleetfire's paws to put it on the cage so the young Mry could feel around the cage with her fingers.
"Aw! You got me a birdie? That's so sweet!" Fleetfire smiled brightly, sliding her fingers along the smooth twigs that made up the cage, feeling along the entire shape of the cage and carefully fingering the finely crafted details. "It's such a lovely cage, too!" She turned again and took the small Kattin into a big hug. "Thank you ever so much, Lucie! I love it! You're such a sweetie!"
"You welcome, Fleet Fire! I so glad you like, yes!" Lucinia purred with a happy smile. "And look! You learn music from miss Dream Weaver in school, yes? I learn too, yes! We learn together! I got two lute, me one, you one, yes! This one for you!"
She pulled close one of the two leather cases and lay it in the lap of Fleetfire's outstretched forepaws. The flame-furred Mry grew very silent, sliding her paws and fingers across the leather case and the straps, breathing slowly with her whiskers quivering. She slowly opened the case, taking out the instrument inside which she explored just as slowly and carefully with the tips of her fingers, her sightless eyes gradually filling with silent tears.
"Oh... oh Lucie..." All of a sudden, Fleetfire leaned forwards and pulled Lucinia into such an unexpected and tight hug it caused the Kattin to squeak with surprise. "Oh Lucie! I can't believe you got me such a lovely gift! That must have been so expensive!" Fleetfire cried out, nuzzling her face into Lucinia's neck. "Oh, by all the goddesses, Lucie, I love you! You're so sleeping with me tonight!"
"Aww, isn't that sweet," Healsong said from a little further in the living room where the three adult Mry were looking at Fleetfire and Lucinia. "I have never seen such a thoughtful girl before."
"She really is a little darling, isn't she?" Skyfire agreed. "We were struck by it as well. Most girls in her position would have chosen a bunch of gifts for themselves, but Lucinia's first thoughts went to Fleetfire."
"And speaking of sleeping, as Fleety did," Sunfire said out loud. "It's about time we thought of getting some sleep. It's already very late, and we have to get up quite early again to bring Fleety to school. Besides," she added with a smile. "I think a good night's sleep will do some of us a world of good after all the emotions brought on tonight."
"That sounds about right," Healsong said with a soft chuckle.
"Yes, I agree," Skyfire nodded. "C'mon you girls, it's already way past your bedtime, it's time to go to sleep now."
"Yeah," Fleetfire said, sniffing hard a time or two. "Lucie, you're so sleeping with me tonight." She reached out her arms towards Lucinia. "Help me out of this?"
It took Lucinia a moment or two to understand Fleetfire was referring to her getting her vest and top of, but when she had figured it out, the small Kattin smiled and leaned over towards Fleetfire to help unlacing the vest and carefully pulling it and the purple fabric top Fleetfire was wearing off over the small Mry's head. With a smile, Skyfire collected the clothes, also helping Lucinia out of her purple satin dress, after which the two girls each hugged Skyfire, Sunfire and Healsong in turns before stepping out of the living room and into Fleetfire's room, holding paws.
Also collecting the vests and tops of her sister and herself, and Healsong's robes, Skyfire brought all the clothes to the small room where they would be washed the next day before walking back into the living room and joining Sunfire and Healsong on the rug by the fireplace. Getting comfortable on the rug and among all the pillows, the three adult Mry soon were asleep themselves, while on a small pillow by the window, the turquoise Poes curled up into a ball of brightly colored fluff to get some sleep as well.
It had certainly been a long and very intense day.
