Solo A Girl's Best Friend

[Aladari Coolwater]

Timestamp: 20th of Fall, 516 AV

"Hey, lazy ass! Come on. These guys are creeping me out. Tar! I'm talking to you, dog."

She may have gotten some strange looks, had the words not been in Vani and incomprehensible to almost everyone in town. As it was, only Tar heard his calling, and even he promptly ignored it. The thinning hair on his tail was falling out in clumps when he wagged his lazy ass, but he was so happy that Aladari almost had a hard time tearing him away from his sniffing.

"You can smell on the way home." She promised as she dragged him on by a tuft of fur. The dog whimpered for a moment, but once Aladari let go, he carried on as though nothing had happened. He wagged merrily through the marketplace, veering from stall to stall so he could beg at each one. Some were kind about it, laughing and shooing him off, or even throwing him a bone or scrap. Others were not so kind, and kicked him away or chased him off, but Tar didn't seem to mind. Apparently, the few treats were worth it.

So, while Tar enjoyed his tour, Aladari entertained herself by wandering from stall to stall in search of a good deal. All the dealers claimed they had the best prices, of course. But Aladari found herself generally unimpressed. She didn't like to buy meat, as she knew how to fish, and so had a lifetime supply. The fruits, however, were rather good-looking to the Vantha. She approached one of the stalls selling fruits as well as some vegetables and herbs. She smiled at the vendor in greeting, who nodded back absentmindedly.

Aladari looked through the fruits and vegetables, shifting them about without much thought. Most were dried properly, while others were "fresh", and had multiple rotten spots, or bruises. She picked up a few slices of dried fig, letting the food fall through her fingers as she held it.

"How many Miza?"

The man looked up from what he was doing behind the counter, glancing briefly at what she held. "7 gold." He answered with a bored sigh.

"7 gold?" Aladari shrieked. The man glared at her, while she continued to baffle at the fruit. "For this whole box?" She asked anxiously.

"No. Per Ounce. Look, you gonna buy somethin' or not?"

Per ounce?! Aladari could hardly believe her ears. In order to avoid the merchant's anger, she simply grabbed a handful of mint leaves (which looked less than appetizing) and threw them onto his counter. "Ya, I want this."

"3 Copper, then."

Aladari forked over the coppers reluctantly. Better be worth it. She thought.

Ledger :

- 3 CM
+ 1 oz of Mint leaves

Rock the Boat

[Aladari Coolwater]

Eager to get away from the expensive stalls and slightly disgruntled, Aladari resumed her efforts to drag Tar home. However, when she turned to grab his fur again, her hand met empty air.

Where had he gone?

Aladari turned about in the busy marketplace, her eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of disruption. There were gaps in the crowd on a few corners, but further investigation found that these were to avoid beggars and puddles of shyke, not a dog. She tried asking a few merchants, but they were less than helpful. Some shrugged thoughtlessly while others growled at her and shooed her away.

Panic began to well in her stomach and throat. She knew there was a kennel in town that snatched strays up for resale, and she couldn't be sure she would be able to afford Tar's price on her own.

Not only that, but he was a gift; he was the only gift she had from her parents, and the only link she still had to home. If she lost him...Her heart felt as though it might rip with the weight of the thought. How would she break it to her parents when she finally went home? Would she even be able to go home without him? What would she do? She had never been much of a pet person, but at the thought of losing her only partner in life, she found that perhaps she was more of a pet person than she had thought.

Before long, there were tears in her eyes. Still, no one even looked at her twice. "Go away, Whore. Beg somewhere else." They said.

It was only when she heard the dog's distinct voice that she found her first clue. It was obvious to his owner's ears, like a baby's cry to its mother, that he was upset. Without thinking, Aladari's feet sped up beneath her, leading her towards the sound faster and faster.

She pushed past a few folks who were too slow to get there, ignoring their scoffs and calls of "Thief!" Eventually, she hit a break in the crowd, tumbling into an open space populated by a few cramped and filthy cages and one very angry handler.

"'At yer dog?" He yelled, pointing to one of the nearby cages. Indeed, there was the mangy mass of black curls, barking furiously at one of the smaller cages.

"Tar! She yelled, "Come here!"

The dog gave a last gruff look at the cage, snorted, and then begrudgingly followed the command of his owner. The merchant followed behind him, hobbling on a crooked peg leg that would have been comical if it were not so terrifying. His face was red and his teeth gritted. Though Tar sat smug, Aladari gulped in fear.

Look what you've done, mutt.

[Aladari Coolwater]

"'E's been scarin' away all my customers an' terrorizin' the animals for chimes!" The man said, shaking a fist in rage. Aladari placed a hand on Tar's head, standing up slowly.

"Listen mis'er, I'll buy somethin' from ya ta make it up, okay?"

The man huffed and crossed his arms, but walked back towards his goods. The crowd around them seemed to sense that the argument was over and that there would be no fight, so they dispersed at their own pace.

"Better not 'ear any 'aggling from you. You're not payin' for the goods, you payin' for the damage."

Aladari nodded solemnly, internally breathing a sigh of relief. "Yes'sir. How much I owe ya?" She had been expecting a number. A handful of gold and a rap on the wrists would have sufficed. But the man had other ideas.

"This." He announced, knealing down into one of the cages and capturing something in his arms. He held it up then, and Aladari gasped at the sight.

"Is a Coon." He told her. "Some a the biggest and strongest cats out there. But they stand no chance against a mutt's teeth, you see?"

The kitten was hanging limply in his arms. Her mouth was agape, showing a row of tiny, newly emerged teeth. Her fur, which must have been a vibrant and full orange naturally, was splattered with stains of her own blood and dog slobber. Most shocking of all was her front right paw, which was coated with and leaking gore.

"Wha..." She whispered.

"5 silver." He interrupted. He tossed the kitten to the ground, where she lay silently. "That's 'ow much she was worth. An' now 'e's worth nothing."

Aladari watched the kitten on the ground for a moment, struggling to pull herself away from the two people and back towards her cage. Aladari slowly pulled the coin from her pocket and tossed it at him. Then, in a sudden flash of movement, she knelt down and scooped up the kitten. Up close, it was easy to see that her paw was not only ruined, but missing entirely.

"I'll take her." She said firmly.

The merchant laughed. "Sure. Have at 'er. Might turn out to be a fine kit if your dog don't eat her first."

As if on cue, Tar meandered up behind Aladari and the kitten. A low growl built up in his throat and his teeth peeled back, aiming his malice straight at the feline.

Ledger :

- 2 SM
+ 1 kitten

[Aladari Coolwater]

Having exchanged goods with the merchant, Aladari turned about and headed toward home, the kitten tucked securely in her cradle of arms. The kitten was oddly silent, mewling only the tiniest of mews when Tar nosed at her from below. She shivered and shook, and her wide eyes stayed locked on the Vantha's own. Aladari could feel the mixture of love for the rescue and fear for her own incapabilities coloring her eyes.

Could she even care for the kitten by herself? What if Tar didn't kill it, but she did? How would she escape the guilt? Aladari snuggled the kitten even closer, causing a small sound to squeak out of her.

By the time Aladari got home, she was a complete mess. She pulled open the door and ushered Tar in, following close behind with a stern voice. "Now you, listen here. You are to stay away from this kitten so long as you live. And if you don't, then you won't live much longer, got it?"

It was an empty threat, and anyone who spoke knew Aladari would recognize it as such. Luckily, the dog didn't speak Vani, and so he only heard the harsh tone of her voice and knew he was being scolded. The mutt slunk off to the corner by the hearth, curling up by the remaining warmth with a solemn look on his face.

Satisfied, Aladari took the kitten over to her bed and placed her down on the thin blanket. Aladari held her breath, waiting for some movement, some confirmation of life. The kitten lay limp where she was, but gave out a pitiful mewl that allowed her owner to breathe again. Aladari moved to sit on the bed with the kitten, touching her fur gently, and attempting to comb out the slobber and dirt with her fingertips. The rhythm of her hand in the kitten's fur was therapeutic, and Aladari soon found herself humming a tune in quiet contentment.

The kitten seemed to catch on to this mood, and rolled over, exposing her underbelly to be groomed as well. When Aladari placed her hands on the kitten's belly, the kitten purred, causing a rumble in Aladari's hand. She laughed at the feeling, which startled the kitten. The kitten's frightened look only made her laugh harder, and soon enough, Tar had forgotten his scolding and came to see what was going on.

Tar nosed closer and closer without Aladari's knowledge. He even managed to get his nose up to the kitten's fur, where he breathed in her scent deeply, the way a hunting dog might take it a rabbit's. It was at this point that Aladari's attention was drawn by the disruption of the purring and she swooped down to pick up the kitten from harm's way. She was pleasantly surprised, though, when the kitten reached down and swatted at Tar's nose playfully with her good paw, the purr returning full-strength.

[Aladari Coolwater]

Apparently, animals were more forgiving than people, as the pair soon became enthralled with each other in play.

Aladari watched happily, only pulling the kitten away when her torn paw began to visibly pain her. It was at that point that Aladari began to turn to the ideas of treatment. She had very little with her, but was also short of the money needed for true medicine. She worried at her hands. What did she have that could help?

Her first thought was her bucket. It was already filled with water in preparation for a later cooking, and only needed warming to provide a nice bath. Although Aladari wasn't sure that a warm bath would help with much of anything, she knew it would clear away the dried blood and muck, at least giving her a chance of seeing the problems.

As Aladari knelt to start the fire from the flint and steel off her belt, she noticed a crunching in her pocket. In realization, she reached in and removed the mint. Perfect!

Although she was entirely unaware of the soothing properties of mint oils, she did know that cats were generally fans of the herb. So, crumbling a few leaves, she tossed them into the water before heating up the hearth. Hopefully it would make the bath more appealing. But no matter how minty she made it, a bath would never be appealing to a cat.

The kitten hissed and spat when Aladari tried to put her into the water. She reached out with sharp claws and opened her mouth wide, screaming with a Miiii sound. Aladari cooed at the kitten, trying to calm her down, but se was having none of it. The kitten's paw was submerged for mere ticks before it was pulled back in horror.

Not wanting to get serious injuries for her or the cat, Aladari soon gave up. "Fine. Be tha way." She grumped as she set the kitten down. Instead of looking even the slightest bit remorseful, the kitten laid on the floor, rolled over onto what mint leaves were left, and purred loudly. Aladari couldn't help but smile.

"Yer a pain." She reminded the kitten.

Word Count363

[Karyk]

 

Aladari Coolwater

Skills
Animal Husbandry: 3
Observation: 2
Herbalism: 1
Medicine: 1
Lores
Dried figs are terribly expensive
Running in a market earns cries of 'Thief'
Mizas calm an enraged merchant
Herbalism: Mint leaf bath to soothe wounds
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous purchases, make sure these are properly deducted and labeled please.

 

Notes and Comments

CS Checkmarked: ✓
CS Reviewed by Me: ✓
Season Request was Submitted for Grade: Winter 516 AV
Season of last IC post: Summer 517
Season of last Paid Seasonal Expense: Spring 517
Eligible for grade? Yes

What a fun read, and such ornery animals, well done! Please mark your post in queue as Graded