looked up. “That might work.”
I’ll try it.
Momo apparently liked her enough to tolerate her inside his furry head. It didn’t feel unpleasant to be a squirrel, though it came with the feeling she was tiny and the world huge. She was also mute, a squirrel’s tiny tongue unable to make proper human noises. Waiiiit. A tongue . That meant a sense of taste.
Several frantic moments later, she’d successfully used tiny claws to sketch kanji in the dirt. I want nuts!
If there had been sweet buns in the supplies she’d have asked for those first, but nuts would do. Nuts, she decided once she’d convinced Aito to give her several, were the best food ever. Momo agreed.
“You have watch,” Aito said when he finished putting out the fire. Moving carefully in the darkness, he disappeared inside the tent.
Sanae watched over the camp from treetops, moving from one to the next by gliding, all four limbs spread out to stretch the furry skin in between. It wasn’t true flight, but she was like a snowflake drifting lazily from the sky.
Death from above! she thought gleefully at Momo, who didn’t understand anyway, as she launched off. Her target: the guards patrolling beneath.
She plopped down squarely on the right man’s head. He shrieked like he was being murdered, shaking his head so hard Sanae had to grip his hair in all four paws to avoid being flung off. Momo didn’t like it, and neither did she.
Two people stumbled out of the nearest tent.
“What is our danger?” Hachiro rumbled, sword at the ready.
Sanae chattered at him.
“Momo?” Hachiro laughed until he was bent over and wheezing. Straightening, he gently pried her off her perch and showed her to a tree. “Try not to terrify our guards any further, little one. I’d like to be able to sleep until morning.”
Oh, fine, she’d grant his request and leave humans alone. But only because he was kind to furry critters.
Another day on the road brought them closer to the problem area. Dead trees were now more common than living ones. Sanae curled unobtrusively in the back of Momo’s mind, leaving him free to do as he wished and climb into Akakiba’s clothes to sleep.
They were promptly evicted, Akakiba picking them up by the scruff of the neck. “You have to leave. This isn’t a safe area for you.”
He tried to put them down, but Sanae, taking over, clung to his clothes and tried to convey how very not amused she was.
I’m tired and Momo is tired and we want to sleep where it’s warm! It all came out as squirrel chattering.
“I believe your sister is unhappy with the idea,” Aito said.
“My—Sanae! Get out of there!”
“She can’t,” Aito pointed out. “It’s not safe for spirits here.”
Sanae crawled back into the warmth of Akakiba’s clothes. He let it happen, but complained; “You could have told me about this before you did it! Why a squirrel? Why not a fox?”
Where would I have found one? I didn’t plan this in advance! But he couldn’t hear her. Ah well. She went to sleep—she hadn’t experienced sleepiness in so long!—warm and content. If she could have spoken, she’d have asked, Do you think many spirits take residence in wild animals? Nobody really looks at animal auras when they hunt.
She woke when they stopped for camp, and only because she’d dreamed someone was calling her name from far away.
Akakiba was frowning, looking in the same direction from which she could have sworn someone had called her name. Had he heard something, too? Strange.
The sole human woman in the company, Hachiro’s companion Sora, approached. “I would like to request we train together tonight,” she said. “I wish to practice against different fighters.”
Akakiba eyed her warily. “Did someone ask you to challenge me?”
“No, he didn’t. Fear not; you will not hurt me so easily.”
“The scribe won’t be pleased.”
“His fighting prohibition was not directed at me. I can fetch him for confirmation, if you
I’ll try it.
Momo apparently liked her enough to tolerate her inside his furry head. It didn’t feel unpleasant to be a squirrel, though it came with the feeling she was tiny and the world huge. She was also mute, a squirrel’s tiny tongue unable to make proper human noises. Waiiiit. A tongue . That meant a sense of taste.
Several frantic moments later, she’d successfully used tiny claws to sketch kanji in the dirt. I want nuts!
If there had been sweet buns in the supplies she’d have asked for those first, but nuts would do. Nuts, she decided once she’d convinced Aito to give her several, were the best food ever. Momo agreed.
“You have watch,” Aito said when he finished putting out the fire. Moving carefully in the darkness, he disappeared inside the tent.
Sanae watched over the camp from treetops, moving from one to the next by gliding, all four limbs spread out to stretch the furry skin in between. It wasn’t true flight, but she was like a snowflake drifting lazily from the sky.
Death from above! she thought gleefully at Momo, who didn’t understand anyway, as she launched off. Her target: the guards patrolling beneath.
She plopped down squarely on the right man’s head. He shrieked like he was being murdered, shaking his head so hard Sanae had to grip his hair in all four paws to avoid being flung off. Momo didn’t like it, and neither did she.
Two people stumbled out of the nearest tent.
“What is our danger?” Hachiro rumbled, sword at the ready.
Sanae chattered at him.
“Momo?” Hachiro laughed until he was bent over and wheezing. Straightening, he gently pried her off her perch and showed her to a tree. “Try not to terrify our guards any further, little one. I’d like to be able to sleep until morning.”
Oh, fine, she’d grant his request and leave humans alone. But only because he was kind to furry critters.
Another day on the road brought them closer to the problem area. Dead trees were now more common than living ones. Sanae curled unobtrusively in the back of Momo’s mind, leaving him free to do as he wished and climb into Akakiba’s clothes to sleep.
They were promptly evicted, Akakiba picking them up by the scruff of the neck. “You have to leave. This isn’t a safe area for you.”
He tried to put them down, but Sanae, taking over, clung to his clothes and tried to convey how very not amused she was.
I’m tired and Momo is tired and we want to sleep where it’s warm! It all came out as squirrel chattering.
“I believe your sister is unhappy with the idea,” Aito said.
“My—Sanae! Get out of there!”
“She can’t,” Aito pointed out. “It’s not safe for spirits here.”
Sanae crawled back into the warmth of Akakiba’s clothes. He let it happen, but complained; “You could have told me about this before you did it! Why a squirrel? Why not a fox?”
Where would I have found one? I didn’t plan this in advance! But he couldn’t hear her. Ah well. She went to sleep—she hadn’t experienced sleepiness in so long!—warm and content. If she could have spoken, she’d have asked, Do you think many spirits take residence in wild animals? Nobody really looks at animal auras when they hunt.
She woke when they stopped for camp, and only because she’d dreamed someone was calling her name from far away.
Akakiba was frowning, looking in the same direction from which she could have sworn someone had called her name. Had he heard something, too? Strange.
The sole human woman in the company, Hachiro’s companion Sora, approached. “I would like to request we train together tonight,” she said. “I wish to practice against different fighters.”
Akakiba eyed her warily. “Did someone ask you to challenge me?”
“No, he didn’t. Fear not; you will not hurt me so easily.”
“The scribe won’t be pleased.”
“His fighting prohibition was not directed at me. I can fetch him for confirmation, if you
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