Jonas nodded and fell in behind the guard.
He watched the guards pull the gates open and check the contents of the wagons cursorily before waving the merchants through. The first fifteen wagons passed, and four more after that, none carrying the fox. He remained in the shade of the guardhouse as the sun rose, and it was just when he was starting to feel the warmth of the day that a small wagon rattled up to the gate with a long, lanky fox at the reins.
“ Property?” the badger guard asked as the wolf went around back to sniff at the wagon.
“ Wooden weapons, and some leather,” the fox said, and then blinked. “Jonas?”
Jonas smiled, stretching, and walked towards the wagon. He put his paws up on the riding board. The wagon was shabbier than he would’ve thought, and a little smaller, but he only looked at the fox holding the reins. “Hi, Alexan.”
“ Come to see me off?”
Jonas fidgeted. Here was the part that he had always imagined would go smoothly, and now his tongue felt two sizes too large for his muzzle. “I was hoping, er…I mean, I want to go with you.”
The words hung there between them, as the wolf came back and nodded to the badger. The badger waved Alexan through. “Go ahead. Safe passage to you.”
Alexan appeared not to have heard. “Back with me? And do what?”
“ Well…” Conscious of the stares of the two guards, who were now watching him and listening, Jonas said, “You said you wished I could come with you. So now I can.”
The guards turned to look at Alexan. He flicked his ears, and said steadily, “Don’t you have responsibilities?”
“ I’m giving them up.”
In the silence that followed, the wolf said to the badger in a loud whisper, “Five coppers says he takes him.”
“ You’re on,” the badger whispered back. Jonas ignored them and just looked up at Alexan’s thoughtful muzzle.
Finally, the fox extended a paw down to him. “Come on aboard, then. We’ll figure it out.”
Jonas was up on the board in a second. He smiled at Alexan and waved down to the guards. “So long. Thanks.”
The wolf grinned at him, but the badger looked cross and just waved the wagon through. Jonas saw him reach for his purse as they rumbled by.
Alexan stayed quiet as the wagon clattered down the road, so Jonas didn’t break the silence. Houses of wood rather than stone crowded both sides of the road, newer buildings put up quickly and inhabited, by the look of it, by poorer people than lived inside the city walls. Jonas saw naked cubs chasing each other through the narrow spaces between the houses, and once a pair of wolf cubs darted in front of the mounts pulling the wagon. Alexan didn’t seem to notice, and his mounts barely snorted, stepping placidly around the scampering forms. The cubs vanished behind a row of hanging linen clothes, carefully patched, and Jonas heard squeals and giggles as a linen shirt was dragged down to fall atop the two cubs.
“ Someone’s going to get switched for that,” he said, looking back as the wagon moved on. The shirt was no longer moving, but it was definitely filthy. A small muzzle peeked out from under it, looking around, and then ducked back under.
“ Mmm.” Alexan kept staring forward.
Jonas sighed. “I thought you’d be happy to see me. You said you wished I could come with you.”
“ Did I?” Jonas felt his heart sink, but the fox turned to him a moment later and smiled. “I guess I did. It’s just a little surprising, that’s all. It’ll be good to have your company on the trip back.”
Jonas smiled in return. “How long a trip is it?”
“ Two weeks or so.” He paused and glanced at Jonas’s shirt. “Through the mountains it can get kind of cold.”
“ We’ll have to cuddle up together for warmth.” Jonas touched the fox’s leg tentatively. “No charge, now.”
Alexan flicked an ear and grinned, but the grin faded quickly. “Don’t you have an apprenticeship or some kind of contract?”
Jonas
He watched the guards pull the gates open and check the contents of the wagons cursorily before waving the merchants through. The first fifteen wagons passed, and four more after that, none carrying the fox. He remained in the shade of the guardhouse as the sun rose, and it was just when he was starting to feel the warmth of the day that a small wagon rattled up to the gate with a long, lanky fox at the reins.
“ Property?” the badger guard asked as the wolf went around back to sniff at the wagon.
“ Wooden weapons, and some leather,” the fox said, and then blinked. “Jonas?”
Jonas smiled, stretching, and walked towards the wagon. He put his paws up on the riding board. The wagon was shabbier than he would’ve thought, and a little smaller, but he only looked at the fox holding the reins. “Hi, Alexan.”
“ Come to see me off?”
Jonas fidgeted. Here was the part that he had always imagined would go smoothly, and now his tongue felt two sizes too large for his muzzle. “I was hoping, er…I mean, I want to go with you.”
The words hung there between them, as the wolf came back and nodded to the badger. The badger waved Alexan through. “Go ahead. Safe passage to you.”
Alexan appeared not to have heard. “Back with me? And do what?”
“ Well…” Conscious of the stares of the two guards, who were now watching him and listening, Jonas said, “You said you wished I could come with you. So now I can.”
The guards turned to look at Alexan. He flicked his ears, and said steadily, “Don’t you have responsibilities?”
“ I’m giving them up.”
In the silence that followed, the wolf said to the badger in a loud whisper, “Five coppers says he takes him.”
“ You’re on,” the badger whispered back. Jonas ignored them and just looked up at Alexan’s thoughtful muzzle.
Finally, the fox extended a paw down to him. “Come on aboard, then. We’ll figure it out.”
Jonas was up on the board in a second. He smiled at Alexan and waved down to the guards. “So long. Thanks.”
The wolf grinned at him, but the badger looked cross and just waved the wagon through. Jonas saw him reach for his purse as they rumbled by.
Alexan stayed quiet as the wagon clattered down the road, so Jonas didn’t break the silence. Houses of wood rather than stone crowded both sides of the road, newer buildings put up quickly and inhabited, by the look of it, by poorer people than lived inside the city walls. Jonas saw naked cubs chasing each other through the narrow spaces between the houses, and once a pair of wolf cubs darted in front of the mounts pulling the wagon. Alexan didn’t seem to notice, and his mounts barely snorted, stepping placidly around the scampering forms. The cubs vanished behind a row of hanging linen clothes, carefully patched, and Jonas heard squeals and giggles as a linen shirt was dragged down to fall atop the two cubs.
“ Someone’s going to get switched for that,” he said, looking back as the wagon moved on. The shirt was no longer moving, but it was definitely filthy. A small muzzle peeked out from under it, looking around, and then ducked back under.
“ Mmm.” Alexan kept staring forward.
Jonas sighed. “I thought you’d be happy to see me. You said you wished I could come with you.”
“ Did I?” Jonas felt his heart sink, but the fox turned to him a moment later and smiled. “I guess I did. It’s just a little surprising, that’s all. It’ll be good to have your company on the trip back.”
Jonas smiled in return. “How long a trip is it?”
“ Two weeks or so.” He paused and glanced at Jonas’s shirt. “Through the mountains it can get kind of cold.”
“ We’ll have to cuddle up together for warmth.” Jonas touched the fox’s leg tentatively. “No charge, now.”
Alexan flicked an ear and grinned, but the grin faded quickly. “Don’t you have an apprenticeship or some kind of contract?”
Jonas
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