She tilted the small barrel where she kept her baking nuts on its side, scooping out what little was there.
Barely enough to make one loaf.
There was no avoiding it: Dawn needed a new supply.
The hearty bread that Ris had become so fond of was a constantly shifting thing. It was never the same twice, with the types of nuts and seeds and their ratios changing based on what she had. Occasionally she added fruit to the mix as well, when it was available. But it would be very plain, indeed, if she had nothing to add to the bread at all.
Eager to go, she gathered her bags and a hand basket, locked the door behind her, and set out into the crisp, autumn morning.
The Alnwick market was as lively as ever, and she enjoyed strolling amongst the stalls in the sunshine, smiling and chatting with the vendors. They were her neighbors, after all; the people who lived on the outskirts of Alnwick with her, who kept small farms to supply the city with fresh food. She bought vegetables to make a stew for dinner. A little boy won her over and she bought a bouquet of yellow mums for her table. Zucchini, onions, and a small pumpkin soon weighed down her bags, all destined to be pickled according to Mrs. Lenande’s recipes.
Finally, she reached her last stop and her favorite store in Alnwick: Pierson’s Spices. As soon as she stepped into the store, the smell of herbs and spices overwhelmed her with dreams of culinary possibilities.
Mrs. Pierson greeted her cheerfully, but her enthusiasm waned when Dawn told her the reason for her visit.
“I’m afraid we haven’t any nuts for you today.” She lamented. “Garrin hurt his leg rough-housing with friends, and until it heals he cannot go out and forage for them. Neither can I search for them, with Garrin injured and Molly as young as she is.”
While Dawn was disappointed that there weren’t any nuts to be had, she certainly couldn’t blame the Piersons. So she bought a braid of garlic, draped it over the handle of her basket, and headed for home, her arms aching under the weight of her purchases. It never failed: whenever she went shopping, she always seemed to come home with slightly more than she could carry.
After she put away her groceries, she stood in the kitchen, frowning at the empty nut barrel once again.
Well, if Garrin can’t look for nuts, nothing says I can’t!
In a moment she was back out the door, basket in hand, wearing clothes she wouldn’t mind getting dirty.
The forest that surrounded Alnwick was a beautiful place. It was a gentle wood, a welcome relief from the craggy, unforgiving mountains she had crossed when she made her escape. There were trees of all kinds, and nut trees were no exception. She trailed beside a creek, picking up the hazelnuts and walnuts as she went. She felt like a squirrel, inspecting them for cracks, then shaking them to make sure there was actually a nut inside.
When something rustled in the bushes nearby, Dawn ignored the sound. She had been spooking the local wildlife the whole time she’d been foraging.
It’s probably just a rabbit.
She reached down for another walnut and glanced into the bush to see if she could spot the poor creature she’d scared, and her eyes locked onto a large pair of eyes. Distinctly feline eyes.
With a growl, the cat launched out of the bush at her, and Dawn backpedalled like mad. In her haste to get away, she tripped, basket and nuts flying in a spray above her.
She squealed before she hit the water, but the breath was knocked out of her when she went under. The icy current cut right through her clothes, though she only had a moment to register the cold before her head hit something sharp and everything went black.
When she came-to, Dawn immediately rolled over and heaved up a lungful of water. She laid there, coughing and hacking, until she could breathe freely again. Slowly, she started register what was going on around her.
The creek was bubbling away merrily as if it hadn’t just tried to kill her. The breeze rattled loose leaves down from their limbs and went right through her wet clothes. She might well have been wearing nothing at all. And an Arinaen woman was pacing very close by, worry plain on her face.
“Oh, thank goodness! Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Her black-spotted ears were turned back, and her tail swished to and fro in agitation.
“I- I’m fine-“ Dawn struggled to speak through the coughs. “There’s a- wildcat- We’re in d-anger-“
The Arinaen’s expression went from one of relief right back to concern.
“No, no! You’re safe! Astra’s not wild; she’s my pet.”
“You keep a- wildcat as a pet?!?” Dawn asked incredulously. She rolled to her knees to stand, and the Arinaen came over to help.
“Well, yes!” She said brightly. “She’s my hunting buddy. I’m sorry she scared you. Astra tends to be extra protective of me when we’re tracking.”
She clicked her tongue and a beautiful snow leopard emerged from the brush, it’s white fur dappling an iridescent lavender where it caught the light. It’s now-familiar eyes regarded Dawn warily.
“It’s alright, Astra.” The Arinaen cooed. “She’s a friend.”
Astra walked over and circled Dawn, smelling her. Dawn shut her eyes when the cat got close. She couldn’t tell if she was shivering from the cold or from fear.
“See? Nothing to worry about.” A hand took her arm and plucked at her sleeve. “But you’re soaked! You’ll freeze to death if we stay here. Come with me; I have a camp up this hill. It will take me a bit to get a fire going, but-“
“No, wait!” Dawn tugged her wrist from the woman’s grasp, checking to make sure her scarf was still snugly in place on her head and hugging her arms close to her chest. “I l-live in Alnwick. My house is on-n the outskirts of t-town. It isn’t far. I’ll j-just go home.”
Dawn clamped down on her jaw to keep it from chattering. The woman looked taken-aback.
“Please?” Dawn interrupted, starting to panic. She knew her wet shirt was translucent. At any moment, the stranger would see her skin through the fabric.
I can’t be recognized! Not now! Not when I finally have a place that feels like home!
“It’s really not far!” Dawn smiled through gritted teeth. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for pulling me out of the creek. I’m in your debt.”
She picked up her empty basket and walked quickly, heading back the way she had come.
“Wait!” The Arinaen called, jogging up beside her. “I’d like to come with you. To be sure you make it home safely.”
Dawn started to protest, but the chill was making it too hard to speak, so she simply nodded. She powered ahead, desperate to get home before her secret was discovered.
Many tense minutes later, Dawn threw open the door to her cottage and bolted inside.
“Come in!” She called over her shoulder, going to the wardrobe to retrieve a new outfit. She rushed to the bathroom with her dry clothes. “Make yourself at home! I’ll be back in just a moment.”
She closed the door behind her and took a shaky breath. Terror still coursed through her.
I’m not safe yet. She might have seen something. She might have followed me home to confirm her suspicions.
Dawn unlaced her bodice and peeled the wet clothes from her body, dropping them into the tub for the time being. Toweling off, she changed into her thickest, woolen shirt and skirt. She was fully aware that she would probably switch to lighter clothes once she was warm again, but at the moment they weren’t quite enough to get rid of the chills still running up and down her spine.
She paused with her hand on the doorknob, taking a few steadying breaths.
It’s okay. Just go out there, smile, thank her again, and kindly ask her to leave.
When she opened the door, Dawn was surprised to find the woman knelt by the hearth, using the bellows to fuel a now roaring fire. She could see steam spiraling from the kettle that hung over the flames. The Arinaen’s ears swiveled at the sound of the door and she stood quickly, looking a little embarrassed.
“I started a fire. I hope that’s not too forward of me...”
“Not at all. I appreciate it, actually.” Dawn grabbed a folded blanket from the end of the bed, wrapping it around her shoulders, and gestured to the padded chair in front of the hearth. “Have a seat.”
The Arinaen watched her sit on the stool by the fire with confusion.
“The closer to the fire, the better.” She smiled. “Really. You can sit.”
The Arinaen hesitated, but eventually did as Dawn bid, her white tail curling around her leg timidly. Astra, who had been laying the door, got up and laid down at the woman’s feet.
Dawn spread her hands in front of the fire and felt life slowly coming back to her limbs.
“We never had a formal introduction, did we?” She asked, looking over at her guest.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I never told you my name! I’m Nico.”
“And I’m Dawn.” She smiled. “Forgive me for not getting up to shake your hand; the fire is too nice to leave.”
“Of course. How do you feel now? Are you alright? I apologize again for Astra. She won’t hurt you. I promise.” Even if Nico could somehow mask her face, her ears would leave nothing to the imagination. They were like a dowsing rod for her emotions, and they pushed back with worry.
“I’m fine, thanks to you. If you hadn’t pulled me from the water, I would have drowned.” She felt the back of her head. It was quite tender. “I think I hit my head on a rock and passed out.”
Nico hopped up from her chair, startling Astra, who rumbled her confusion.
“Let me run into town and buy you some ice!”
Dawn blinked as Nico hurried to the door. Astra heaved herself to her feet with a groan and followed her.
“Wait, you don’t have to-“
“It’s the least I can do after what happened! I’ll be back as soon as I can!”
Before Dawn could say another word they were gone, the cottage door shut behind them.
She stared into the fire, puzzled. Why was this perfect stranger being so kind to her? If she knew the truth about her...condition, why wasn’t she afraid?
Fear suddenly gripped her heart.
What if she left to sound the alarm? What if she was running through town, yelling for the authorities?
Dawn curled in on herself, burying her face in her knees. She didn’t know what to do. Ris might be willing to help her, but then again, the truth might change his opinion of her, too.
She had no one to turn to, and nowhere to go.
She would lock the door, but it was pointless. That would only delay the inevitable. They would come in after her, pitchforks and torches, burning the house to the ground.
Tears welled in her eyes.
I can’t go back. I can’t. I can’t. Not like this. I’ll die-
The door opened and she jumped, certain her end was near, but Nico strode into the room, bag in hand.
“That man isn’t selling ice; more like highway robbery. But it’s no problem.” She handed the cloth full of ice to Dawn. “Here, put this on your head.”
Dawn looked down at the ice in her hands. No authorities? No torches?
Her secret was safe. Dawn could have wept with relief. She was already on the brink anyway with hysteria. She stood up from her stool, quickly running the back of her hand over her eyes.
“I hate to rush you out, but I think I need to lie down. As it turns out, drowning can exhaust a person.” She offered a hand to Nico, who took it. “But you are welcome here. Both you and Astra. If you’re ever hunting in this part of the woods again, I insist you sleep here instead of outside.”
“Fair warning: I may take you up on that.” Nico smiled. “Rest well.”
After they’d gone, Dawn took off her woolen garments in exchange for her lighter under wear and laid on the bed, the ice soothing the goose egg on her head. She wondered distantly, as she drifted off to sleep, if Ris would be alright with her having more than one friend.
