There aren't enough stories for this pairing, so here is my go at it. I had to keep things interesting, so when this idea popped into my head, I knew I had to get it down. It'll a bit different from my other work, but I liked it.

Let me know what you think by leaving a review! Enjoy~

Inspired by Spice and Wolf

Day 7th of the 1st month of Autumn

Today had started like any other day. I'd been traveling for close to a week, making my way from Themis to a small town in the south-west of Ylisse, fittingly called Southtown, to trade some goods I obtained at a town on the other side of the Plegia-Ylisse border that could fetch a good price on this side based on information I obtained from another trader. It was the nicest day I could ask for, with a nice, clear sky and gentle cool breeze blowing as my horse pulled the cart of supplies. The flowers were blooming on the grass plains to my left and to my right, adding even more color to the already vivid green. Even the smell of wet dirt and grass was a pleasant change to that of the deserts of Plegia or even the canyons around Themis. It was so nice in fact, that I decided to stretch my legs and walk alongside my horse for a change.

Ylisse has always been good to me. Not only are prices of goods predictable and the value of its currency stable in comparison to that of Plegia and Ferox, but it also lacks in bandits, despite hosting the smallest army in the continent. This comes as a breath of fresh air for peddlers like myself. I've learned to not worry much about being attacked when traveling through Ylisse, which allowed me to relax and enjoy the incredible views I come by from time to time. Unfortunately, despite how good it may seem, making any real gold by trading local goods, while it would keep me sustained, it would also keep me from getting enough of a profit because of the many expenses that come from traveling. If I wanted to keep on traveling around for the rest of my days, it would be bliss. Alas, that is not my dream, and so I choose to go at this the hard way: importing and exporting goods.

But I digress. As I was saying, I was traveling to Southtown. Despite it being no city, the small town finds itself flooded with traders during spring and autumn every year. The reason for this is its proximity to the Outrealm Gate, or so the rumor goes. If you ask me, it sounds ridiculous… But it would explain the strange goods that I've seen there before… I was even thinking about a similar thing that day when I finally spotted the church tower coming appearing in the horizon. Trees too came into view as I got closer to the town. The forest that surrounds the town is a welcomed sight, as it means that I've reached the final stretch of my journey. I got back on my cart, thinking that I might as well hurry to get the goods off and plan my next route. With a small swing of the reins, the horse continues forward.

Finally, after almost a week, I reached my destination. The voices of the many pedestrians that crowd the small streets of town filled the air, but before I could count myself as one of them, I had to cross a small stone bridge built over the river that crosses the front of the town (the reason the area had been first settled in, I imagine). Though it looks plain, the bridge can hold a great amount of weight. I didn't think twice about it when I had the horse cross it. My only complaint would be that the cobblestone doesn't mix well with my cart, but that is a problem with the cart's suspension showing its age, not the bridge's construction.

On the streets I saw kids playing around and chasing each other while adults tried to avoid them while they went about their business, but they all have smiles on their faces. Whenever I spotted a few familiar faces, I would wave at them, making a note to go back and have a word if I had the chance later on. Street vendors had long taken over both sides of the main street, showing off their goods for all to see. What constantly caught my eye was food. There were a lot of farmers selling some of the local harvest, ranging from apples to carrots. I was tempted to stop and buy something for myself, my stomach rumbling at the sight, but I couldn't stop my cart to do so; it would have blocked half the street. The people that built the first stone buildings of the town hadn't intended the area to become a makeshift market, clearly. So, with a sigh, I kept myself focused.

There are three inns in Southtown. You may think that it sounds like enough for a town. You would be wrong. For a place that sees a lot of traders, adventurers, and travelers heading to or from the capital, it is not nearly enough. What's more, my options are limited even more because of my cart. From the three inns, only one counts with a small barn on the back that I can keep my cart in and have someone take care of my horse while I go about doing my business. It's also at the other edge of town. Crossing the length of it took me more than I hoped it would, but because I had made good time traveling to town in the first place, I wasn't so bothered by it.

After some navigation and perfect avoidance of the busier streets, I finally reach the Rabbit Crest Inn, a place I've become all too familiar with over my years as a peddler. The owners of the place—an old couple that have been married for longer than I've been alive—greeted me at the door like they always do with any other potential customer, though I like to think that our familiarity is the real cause behind it. At first glance, it looked like I won't be able to get a room for the night, but they reassured me that they still had one room available, although it was in the attic. I told them that I didn't mind it; a place to sleep is a place to sleep. Even if the bed turned out to be hay, if I have a roof over my head, I'm happy. Plus, it would be cheaper too! I handed over a couple of silvers to book the room for three nights. The husband helped me get my horse and cart out of the way while his wife went to clean up to prepare the room for me.

They offered me some lunch, which I kindly accepted. I amused myself by talking with them about any news they might have heard from the other guests, but they didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know. The conversation turned more personal as we asked each other how we've been since I last visited. Two seasons had passed since, so there was much to catch up on. Those two are nice people. I like them. I often feel like I'm talking with my own grandparents whenever I'm here, even if I never really got to know my real grandparents. The owners have always treated me well. Maybe that's why I feel such a thing. I know that their son and his wife died long ago, so they treat their guests as family, especially frequent ones like myself.

Eventually, I asked about news on a certain trader, hoping to know if he was in town. From the locals, a trader named Jared was the one I would deal with the most because he paid top coin for spices and ore. As it happened, I had been transporting one of these two. I wanted to meet with him to see about selling or trading goods. Unfortunately, I was told that he was out of town, searching the woods for medicinal herbs. The woods surrounding Southtown have been blessed with top-quality herbs used in vulneraries, the most widely used medicine in the world, both in ointment and concoction. I wasn't too upset to learn this. No matter how much I wish for it, not everyone's schedule revolves around mine.

With my meal done and our conversation dying down, I told the owners that I would be taking a stroll on the outskirts of town. I knew the area enough to not be worried about losing my way and to keep myself away from bear paths. It was no problem for me. I was secretly hoping to find Jared, in all honesty. The chances of that happening were low, but I wanted to give it a shot. Even if I didn't find him, I could take advantage of the trip and look around for some of the herbs myself. I may not be able to make potions from scratch, but I've learned to distinguish good quality ingredients from mediocre ones the more I trade around. If I could find a lot, it would mean that the harvest for them had yet to start, which would in turn hinder my schedule, as I would be forced to wait in town until enough of it was gathered for me.

Another important lesson I've learned is that when you walk around outside of any town, you should always bring supplies with you. It's better to be prepared than to be caught with your pants down to your ankles. I walked back to the old barn to retrieve my satchel from my cart. In it I carry a few things that can come in handy, always making sure to keep it stocked. I have a small pot and pan that can be tied together to create a small container, which I use to keep a small supply of vegetables and dry meat, a vulnerary (for obvious reasons), a knife, a canteen, and a Fire tome I like to keep around to defend myself. The strap on the satchel lays snugly against my shoulder and across my chest. With it secured, I started walking on the same path I took to get to the inn.

To someone that might see the woods for the first time, they would seem intimidating. Tall trees with canopies of leaves that covered the entirety of the sky, many bushes of poison ivy, and tree trunks marked by bear claws. Yes, it is not the most inviting sight. If I didn't know any better, I would've turned back too. The first few times I visited Southtown, I remember being nervous about it, but now? I've grown past that fear. If there's a log or a big rock on my path, I jump around it to keep myself out of a hidden snake's range. If there's poison ivy, I steer away from it. Bees? Not today! It's easy to keep yourself safe when you can recognized the dangers around you. But if you start being overly paranoid and thinking that everything can kill you, you won't enjoy the stroll, which was the whole point of a stroll.

I wasn't in a particular hurry to find Jared. I already knew that I could find him in his store the next morning if it came down to it. This allowed me to take my time and enjoy the nature around me. My boots were getting muddy from walking around, but I didn't mind all that much. In fact, it was because of that—stepping on some mud that is—that I spotted a few of the herbs I was looking for. There were four of them bunched up together around the roots of an old tree. On closer inspection, I noticed that only one of them was of the same quality of what I would expect out of Jared's products—fresh, but mature. The fact that I'd only come across one was good news for me. It meant that the harvest was underway after all. I smiled to myself as I plucked the herb off the ground and stored it in my satchel.

When the first raindrops started to fall, I was already well away from town. I tried ignoring them at first, but even with the canopy covering me from most of them, I could feel the cold droplets landing on my hair and shoulders. More and more were falling by the minute. Seeing how the day had been before I got to the forest, I deduced that it was a flash rainstorm. They aren't unusual around these parts. Big clouds come, pour rain down on the area for an hour or two, and then they disappear as if they were never there. I decided to look for some shelter to take cover while I let the storm pass.

It took me a while to find anything. By the time I found a small cave on the side of a hill, my cloak and hair were drenched. I felt my my arms shivering from the cold. I noticed that the cave was full of twigs and dry branches. Thinking back on it, I should have found it strange. I should have asked myself: how did those get in here? But no, I remember thinking: Great! Dropping my satchel on the ground, I collected what I could to start a fire to warm myself up. I even found three long branches that, putting them against the wall and having one go through the arm holes on my cloak, I used to hang my cloak to dry.

Another benefit of carrying a Fire tome is that it comes handy in situations like that. I took it out of my satchel, holding it close to make sure not to drop it on any of the many small puddles around the cave as I approached the pile of twigs I had made. I leafed through the tome until I found one of the most basic spells that creates a fireball the size of my hand. It's just what I needed to get the kindling going. Within a few minuted, my fire was crackling and lighting my surroundings, making the cave feel a little more secure. I sat down close to the fire, holding my hands near it to warm them up faster. Autumn in southern Ylisse may not be as bad as it is in Ferox, but it can get chilly very fast, especially when one is drenched by rain.

An hour passed quickly. Then another. And another… The rain wasn't letting down. Had I brought something with me to read or to entertain myself with, it wouldn't have been so bad. The tome that I had wasn't much fun, and watching the rain hit the rocks and ground could only keep me sane for so long. I hate being bored like that. I hate it because when I get bored, my body starts playing tricks on me, like my stomach, for instance. I was feeling hungry because of boredom! The problem wasn't the lack of anything to eat, it was that if I ate what I had and the rain continued on, I wouldn't have anything by the time I really needed it. I tried to fight the temptation of using up the supplies I had, but in the end, I was too weak. "At least cooking will give me something to do," I told myself as I got the things out of my bag.

Looking at what I had stored on the pot-pan container, I noticed that I had all the ingredients needed for carrot soup. It wasn't a bad recipe, but it wasn't something I would have chosen to eat if I had a choice either at the time. Then again, beggars can't be choosers. I sliced a bit of butter and put it in the pot, which was over the fire. While that melted, I cut up the other ingredients using the pan as a cutting board. I had a nice mix of garlic, half a potato, and a couple of carrots diced in no time. I added them to the pot and then poured in some water (clean rainwater) in it to let it boil. I also added some salt to it and some leftover broth I had on a bottle from a meal I prepared the day before.

I absentmindedly stirred the ingredients together for a while, letting the water boil and the flavor of the broth and garlic get into the carrots and potato slices. It smelled delicious, if I do say so myself. My mouth was watering at one point from the smell alone. Once I was happy with the consistency, I let it cool down. The temptation to just start eating it was high, but I knew better than that. If being stuck on a cave because of rain was bad, imagine what it would be like if you add having a burned tongue to the mix.

Eating soup without a spoon is hard. Thankfully, I did have a knife… There was no one around to judge my manners, so I ended up slurping the soup down and using the knife to pick out pieces of vegetables and popping them into my mouth. The warmth of the broth spread across my belly, leaving me not only satisfied with the food, but also for the warmth it gave me. I kept eating, but because I had eaten lunch a few hours before that, I couldn't finish it all. I decided to set aside the leftovers, knowing that nothing would be attracted to the smell of it with the rain coming down.

I laid down near my fire, just watching the dancing flame move back and forth with my own breathing. I can't remember when it happened, but at some point, my eyelids started to slide down. It had to be because of the meal I'd just had or the soothing sound of the rain hitting the ground. Gods knew that the floor wasn't comfortable. I decided that taking a nap wouldn't be a bad idea, thinking that by the time I woke up, the rain would have stopped and I would be able to head back to town. Slowly, I let sleep overtake me…

I was having an amazing dream about finally being able to open my own shop, which is my actual dream by the way, when I woke up. Disappointed that my sleep had been interrupted, I turned to my side to try to get a better resting position, but sleep didn't return to me. I sat up, stretching my back and my arms to wake up completely since if I can't sleep I might as well wake up. The first thing I notice is how dark the cave had become. The fire burned out on its own while I slept. The lack of noise of any kind also told me that the rain had finally stopped. That was the good news. The bad news was that the moon was high in the sky. My best guess was that I slept for a few hours, at least. It had to be close to midnight for the moon to be so high up in the sky.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, ready to collect my things and head back to the inn. My satchel was on the ground where I left it, but all around it were the other little trinkets I brought with me, like my knife, my canteen, and my tome. I remembered putting them away after I'd finished cooking, so I immediately knew something was off. I took a step forward, accidentally kicking the pan, but I ignored it, instead walking over to the pot. It was empty.

"Weird," I whispered to myself, still looking at the bottom of the pot as if expecting the rest of my soup to magically reappear. It all looked too suspicious. I set down the pot and walked towards my satchel to check it out once again. I always take care of my things. When something is damaged, I replace it or have it fixed as soon as I can. So when I saw that there were something akin to claw marks on the leather flap, I knew something was wrong.

I turned around to take another look at my surroundings once again. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that my cloak, which I had carefully placed to dry against the wall, was on the ground. I clicked my tongue. That cloak cost me a good bit of coin. It was custom made and all specifically for me. It is warm for winter, but not too warm for spring. It is lightweight, despite it being long. The craftsmanship is also superb. I knew that seeing it on the ground was a bad sign. I clicked my tongue again, hoping that it wouldn't be too dirty from any mud on the ground.

I was about to pick it up when I something moved underneath it. It took me by surprise. Taking a step back, my mind was flooded with what could possibly be under it. It could be either a large tarantula or a snake. I scowled, keeping an eye on the cloak as I walked over to my Fire tome. If there was something underneath it, then I could use a spell to get rid of it after I pulled the cloak off. I picked up the tome, already casting a small fireball like the one I used to light my fire. I held the spell on my hand, using it as a torch, as I walked back towards the cloak.

I could see something moving underneath it again. This time the rippling of the cloth was larger. I was sure that some damn snake had decided to make a nest for the night out of my cloak. I approached it slowly, making sure not to alert whatever was underneath it. When I got close enough, I reached out my hand over to it. The creature beneath it noticed, though. Without warning, it shot up. Taken by surprise, I lost my balance and stumbled backwards, but I was still on my feet until I hit some rock. My arse hit the ground. To cushion the fall, I let go of the tome, using both of my hands to brace myself for impact, which also meant that I lost the fire spell I'd cast.

There, in front of me, was the nude figure of a woman with my cloak barely hanging from her shoulders, the moon's gently giving color to her slightly tanned skin. Being the gentleman that I am, I averted my eyes when I caught myself staring at her bosom. My cheeks were burning up, but I found myself looking back at her face to try to apologize to her and hopefully explain the misunderstanding. Only then did I notice something I'd never seen before in my entire life. Two long ears stood straight up from the top of her head. As I watched her in astonishment, she took a step towards me.

I felt the panic rising in me. This woman with long ears, was she there to harm me? She didn't look all that friendly. I pushed myself back, hoping to find my tome, but it landed closer to her feet. She took another step, and so I crawled backwards again, neither of us saying a word. We did this until I hit one of the cave's walls. I felt trapped by the way she was looking at me. Well, I stopped. She kept closing the distance between us, her eyes locked with mine. My heart was racing furiously as I waited for what she would do next.

To my surprise, she sniffed the air. I couldn't help but think that the little movement of her nose was cute, almost reminiscent of a bunny. I was too distracted by the action to see her get on her hands and knees in front of me, her brow furrowed, as she continued to sniff. She crawled over me, her body hovering inches over mine. I pulled my head back, not sure of what to do. I could feel her breath on my cheek as she smelled my neck, my hair, and my chest. She even went as far as brushing her cheek against mine.

"You smell strangely familiar," she finally said with a troubled voice as she pulled away, but her face was still close enough for me to feel her breath on my lips. "I've never met a human with this smell before." I remained quiet. I had no idea what she was referring to—I still don't. I just stared at her, hoping that if I continued to do so, she would get off of me. Her ears lowered down. "Your heart is racing. Do I frighten you so?"

"I-I'm more confused than afraid," I managed to say, still keeping eye contact. Any normal person would think the situation was strange. A lesser man would have jumped on top of her if she presented herself to them like she had. "...Are you the one that went through my things?"

She snorted. "You used the branches and twigs that I collected first. If you were so familiar with what was mine, it is only fair that I do the same to what is yours." So the reason why all that stuff had been there in the first place was because of her. Again, I should have been more cautious when going into a cave full of dry wood…

"You ate the food I had on the pot too?"

"I was out looking for food when the smell hit me. I let myself be guided by my nose and came back here despite the rain. When I saw you falling asleep, I entered the cave again, ready to get you out. But when I saw the soup, I knew I had to try it for myself. It was very tasty. It reminded me of a dish served in my warren."

More things that didn't mean much to me back then. When I asked her if she could let me stand up, she looked at me questionably. I wasn't sure if she understood what I meant until she did it. I felt much more comfortable almost instantly. I still wasn't too sure about her using my cloak, though having the alternative be her standing completely naked, I thought it better to lend it to her for the time being. It fitted her well, I guess. Only when I was standing could I see how tall she truly was. She was at least half a foot taller than me, not counting her ears. I'm by no means a short man. I'm about average for men in Valm, which makes me a bit shorter than average in Ylisse, but not quite as short to be called as such or be made fun of. I wondered how a woman so tall could go around with nothing and not be seen by the townsfolk. At least the cloak did a good job of covering most of her body… Still, I asked her if she could button it up.

She looked down at herself and then back at me. "Why? Do I discomfort you?"

"Well… Seeing a naked woman would fluster any man," I tried to argue.

"Taguel don't wear clothes except for armor."

I raised an eyebrow. "Taguel?"

She nodded. "We are a proud race of shape-shifting warriors. I can change forms from what you see in front of you to a large bunny."

"I understand…" I really didn't understand anything she said, but pretending I did sounded like the best idea. "Then, how come you don't mind wearing my cloak?"

She extended her arms and took a closer look at the cloak. Something told me she had forgotten about it. "Where did you get this? It has a familiar smell to it as well."

I scratched the back of my neck. This...taguel wasn't making much sense. I decided that indulging her would be the smartest move, seeing as she didn't look like she meant any harm. "I had it made some time ago. It's from a small village in Valm, where I lived for a long time."

I took another look at her as she mulled over the information I'd just given her. I could see something that looked like fur covered both her wrists and the back of her hands. It also covered her neck, extending down to just under her clavicle. Her pelvis also had it, with it extending upwards to just under her belly button—I swear I wasn't trying to look anywhere indecent… What really caught my eye was a large cut on her leg. It was covered in mud, but it was there for me to look at. It looked recent too. Before she could say anything, I pointed at it and said, "you're hurt."

She looked at me in surprise for a second. "I had an accident earlier today. I took the herb you had in your bag to alleviate the pain of it."

That explains where that went. "You should get that looked at by a cleric. It could get infected if you don't clean it up. You could lose your leg..."

She furrowed her brow once more. "I don't trust humans."

I felt more confused by the second. I massaged my temple as I looked at her, incredulous. "I am a human. You don't seem to have any problem talking to me…"

Her eyes widened. I don't know how she hadn't noticed. If I was a taguel like her, I would have those long ears and fur all over me, right? I couldn't look any more human even if I tried. "You take care of it then."

"How do you expect me to do that?!" I blurred out. The way she talked to me was as if I was some old friend or I owed her a favor. I knew I'd used some of "her" firewood and "her" cave for shelter, but still! I sighed, thinking that perhaps taguels were just like that. I wouldn't know, she was the first and only taguel I'd met. "Even if you tell me that, I can't do that here. You ransacked my satchel, didn't you? I have a vulnerary, but we need to clean that up first before using the vulnerary and then bandage it to prevent infection."

She stared at me in silence. She asked me where I had the things I was talking about, and I told her that I had it all on my cart back in Southtown. She crossed her arms and stared at me, saying nothing on the matter again. I wasn't sure what she was expecting. I've never been hurt that badly that I needed bandages before, so I don't bother carrying them around with me.

Somehow, I was able to convince her to come back to town with me. I had her (finally) button up the cloak and pull up the cowl over her head. I wouldn't risk causing a commotion if someone saw her and was scared of her. Not only would it cause a problem for me, but it would also put her in danger.

We reached the town easily enough and crossed the bridge over without a problem. It wasn't until we came across more people that something triggered in her. She closed the distance between us, clutching my right arm. I was going to protest, but I could tell she was nervous just by looking at the way her eyes scanned everyone around us. This position was beneficial to us. We wouldn't get as many looks if we walked around like lovers. With her lack of shoes and clothing under the cloak, I preferred to endure it than to risk exposing her any further. I lead her through streets that I knew weren't too active during the night. We did see people around, that was inevitable, but at least we didn't bump into any of my acquaintances. They would want to know who I had brought along…

We reached the fittingly named Rabbit Crest Inn without any real complications. Had it all happened earlier in the day, it wouldn't have been that easy to pull off. Thankfully, the cover of night was helpful, though it didn't dispel the woman's weariness. I had her follow me to the back of the inn first so that I could collect a few things from my cart. There was no need for me to ask one of the owners to open up the barn for me because I already knew where they kept a spare key.

My cart has a few built in drawers I use to keep personal items like extra clothes, medicine, brushes, and what-nots. It pained me to have to bring out most of its contents because of a woman I didn't even know. Still, it wasn't like I could leave her to fare on her own in her condition. I put everything I could into my satchel and then head back out. She was waiting for me there, standing by the door, her back against the wooden walls of the barn. She visibly relaxed when she saw me come out, but said nothing.

The inside of the inn was quiet. The owners and the other guests were already asleep, guessing from how quiet it was inside. Missing dinner upset me, but it also meant not having to bother with sneaking upstairs to the attic.

I took off my boots that were covered with mud as to not dirty up the place. It was then that I noticed we had a problem. While my feet were clean to walk on without my boots, her feet were not. She'd been walking around with nothing to cover her feet since we left the cave. There was a lot of mud covering her feet, but nothing to clean them with. I considered having her wear my boots, but that wouldn't solve the problem.

I crouched down, looking back at her. "Get on," I told her, "I'll give you a piggy-back ride up to my room."

She eyed me suspiciously before doing as I asked. She clutched my shoulders hard, for whatever reason. I could feel her claws digging into my shirt and skin. Likewise, because of our height difference, I could feel the fur from her clavicle and neck on the back of my neck. If it hadn't been for her bosom pressing against my back, I think I would've dropped her from the tickling feeling I was getting. I was glad that she wouldn't be able to see my face. I struggled trying to lift her up. She wasn't all that heavy, but with everything I had on my satchel, the weight added up, not to mention how awkward it is to carry someone taller than you are. Going up the stairs became an ordeal. I'm lucky I didn't drop her a few times. Luck was on our side, as it happened. We reached the attic without any mishaps. I didn't set her down until I reached the bed, though. I had to sit down on it first, letting go of her thighs as she released her grasp on my shoulders.

The room was what you would expect from an attic. It was dark, it was cold, and it was small. There was a big, circular window above the bed, on the wall, which allowed some the moonlight to illuminate the room. There was a dresser with a pitcher of water and a cup set against another wall, with a small couch on the other end. With only three pieces of furniture, the room was quite cramped already. By the door I noticed that the owners left me two buckets full of water, two towels, and a note. I walked over to it to take a closer look. They are good folk. The note said that they'd left me all that so that I could clean myself up when I came back from my stroll. I silently thanked them as I took it all and placed it back down near the bed.

"Let me see your legs," I said as I sat down cross-legged on the floor to feel more comfortable. I threw one of the towels on the clean water before I squeezed out most of it. She looked at me, unsure of what I was doing. I showed her the now damped cloth and said, "I need to clean your leg before I can take care of the wound. You can't be walking around with muddy feet either. The owners of this inn are old. I rather not trouble them with cleaning the floors if they don't have to."

She gingerly extended her right leg towards me, the cloak falling from it as she moved her leg upwards, revealing her thigh in such a way that it was hard for me not to blush. I held her leg in place with my hand and, making sure I was gentle (her claws really hurt my shoulders, I didn't want to think what she could do to my face with them,) I ran the towel across her skin with my other hand, starting from her foot. Her foot would twitch and I coould hear her muffling giggles as I rubbed the mud off, but otherwise, she didn't react to it.

"Do you always think about others like this?"

I stopped what I was doing for a second to look at her, surprised by her question. I hadn't thought about it before. To be honest, peddlers are selfish by nature. I mean, our whole job consists of screwing people over to turn in a profit. We help ourselves before we help others, unless they are a business partner. So hearing that I'm "thinking about others" was a bit shocking. Then again, she didn't know what I did for a living. All she knew about me was that I smelled familiar or something like that…

I shook my head and continued to clean her foot, making sure to rinse the towel when it got too dirty. "I wouldn't say that," I told her as I moved further up her leg. "It's just that these are good people, you know? They helped me in the past, and continue to do so to this day. I think this is the least I can do for them."

By the time I finished washing her legs, one of the buckets water had turned a dark brown. I still had one more, though. I was finally able to take a good look at her wound. It wasn't too deep, but it certainly did look painful. I'm no cleric, so I knew there wasn't much I would be able to do, but I would do what I could. I opened up my satchel and took out everything I needed to treat it for the time being. Using the clean towel that remained, I doused it in alcohol before looking at her to make sure she was alright first. It didn't look like she was having any trouble with what I was about to do, so I naturally assumed she was okay with it. Big mistake. As soon as the cloth touched the wound, she flinched, got hold of my wrist, and leered at me with what I can only describe as killing intent.

"S-Sorry, I thought you knew it would hurt," I said, holding up my free hand. "I need to disinfect it before using the medicine. Otherwise the tissue will rot away, even if it somehow manages to close up." She hesitated, but must have seen that I was speaking the truth because she let go of my wrist and leaned back once more. I sighed in relief, glad to still have both of my hands, even if a bruise showed up on that wrist in the morning. As I continued cleaning, I thought that getting her mind busy would make her ignore the pain. "You said earlier that taguel wear armor, right? If that's the case, where's yours? I didn't see it laying around the cave."

"It was stolen," she claimed.

"Stolen?"

"Do you think I would misplace something that important to me?"

"I suppose not…" A dead end. I tried again. "Are you here all on your own?"

"Yes. I became separated from my warren long ago when we came to this area. I've searched for them, but haven't been able to track them down. I decided to stay, thinking they would come searching for me instead."

I couldn't help thinking that she might have been abandoned or worse. The way she talked about it, she made it seem like she got lost, but wouldn't they notice one of their own going missing? She mentioned before that she could smell my carrot soup even through the rain. With a sense of smell like that, I found it hard to believe that they couldn't find each other. Of course, I kept all these thoughts to myself. I didn't want to test whether the shape-shifting bunny liked meat or not.

"Why are you not with your family?" She asked me. Another surprising question coming from her. She'd already shown that family meant a lot to her, so I guess it made sense for her to ask about that.

I finished cleaning the wound as I thought about how best to answer while getting the vulnerary ready. Slowly rubbing the ointment on the wound, I told her about my own life. "Since I was a kid I always had a sense of wanderlust. I liked seeing new things and learning about them. I grew up in a remote village with few people, you see. I considered all of them my family and love them very much. But even when I was happy there, I always felt like seeing the world. When I grew older, I got it in me that I wanted to move to a city somewhere and open up my own store. Unfortunately, you can't do that without gold, which my family didn't have much of. That's when I decided to become a traveling merchant. I could satiate my wanderlust and collect the gold I needed to open up my own store. I've been traveling around for some time now. I try to visit my village whenever I can, but it usually is for a week or two every year." I finished my story at the same time that I finished bandaging her leg and set her ankle down on the ground.

"Don't you miss them?" Her voice sounded melancholic, almost as if she'd asked that to herself instead of me.

"Every day, especially when I'm traveling between towns. It can get lonely out there when you are out by yourself. It gives me a lot of time to think and reminisce about my childhood," I said, feeling the melancholy myself. "But it's not like I won't ever see them again, you know?"

She never answered. She kept looking at the ground with sorrowful eyes. It was heartbreaking. Despite everything, she too felt like her connection had been severed… I tried to think of something to cheer her up when I remembered the clothes I had brought up with me. I originally thought about changing into the clean outfit, but seeing as she was still in the nude and my cloak would dirty the bed, I offer it to her instead. It's is a beige shirt and trousers identical to my own. She tilts her head at me.

"You should change into these," I told her, pushing the clothes closer to her. "That cloak isn't the most comfortable to sleep on. Changing into a clean outfit before going to bed will do you some good. It'll keep the bandages from getting soiled too."

She tried to insist that she was okay with sleeping nude, but I immediately shot down that idea. No man would sleep comfortably in the same room with a woman sleeping in her birth suit. There's only so much self control that I can have. I kept pushing for her to wear the outfit, my cheeks flushing more every time as I tried to avoid spelling it out for her. She eventually gave in, thank the gods. I can't remember how many times we went in circles with that conversation! My only complaint would be that she changed right in front of me.

I told her she could have the bed, seeing as she was hurt. There was enough room on the bed for us to sleep side by side, but I decided that taking the couch was a better idea. As I laid down, I thought about everything that had happened during the day. My normal day took a turn for the bizarre and fantastical when I came across- I never asked her name… Wow… I think she's asleep now. I can hear her breathing from here.

She was awake. Turns out her name is Panne. Cute name. I said goodnight, but she just grunted at me. Maybe that's a human thing to do? Oh well.

Everything went better than expected. I feel tired… So much work to do tomorrow… I don't know what I'll do about Panne. Should I let her go back to the forest? It would be a weight off of my consciousness if she agreed to see a cleric tomorrow...

Panne… Isn't that what they call bread in Chon'sin? I'm not thinking straight anymore. I'm going to sleep.

—Robin