Final Preparations

Moxi had little to say more than she’d be prepared come morning. Yet, when I told her I was taking my leave to meet the catfolk for supper, Moxi invited herself to come along rather firmly. I could say as little negative to her as I wanted my long travel beside her to begin awkwardly, and so I led her the way to where we’d been expected.

The catfolk barracks were on the border of Chestnut Green and the North Gale, a long red building shaped like a barnhouse with dangling windchimes clanging together just outside of every window. There were two catfolk who we passed, both meant to be on a watch or patrol of some sort, and both so entranced by the windchimes that they stood still, pawing gently at them instead. They wore elaborate green uniforms adorned with gold, silver, and iron medals, and they all had ashen bows and quivers slung to their backs. Ornamental daggers sheathed at their sides, which I thought they must have little need for, given their claws. Some had epaulets to denote their rank, and only half wore boots, the rest preferring to keep the claws on their feet out.

These sorts of catfolk were mostly like human with furless skin across most their bodies, but long, swishing tails and pointed, fuzzy ears at the tops of their heads. They had hair on their hands and feet, and claws in the place of fingernails and toenails. Long pointed fangs filled their mouths.

Over the door hung a wood-and-gold etching of the Toad Clan, a mercenary company that had slowly made itself belong more and more to Tinborough over the last two decades. They were actually cheaper than the constable and his rowdy men, and they were much better trained. Being mercenaries, if in name only, the Toads had full reign to pursue bandits and other lawbreakers far beyond the limits of Tinborough. Private bounty hunters weren’t bound to jurisdictions so long as they weren’t caught, and the Toads were well enough known that few would hazard obstructing them.

Moxi waited for one of the Toads, a lieutenant in his full honor dress, to push the large wooden door open for us. “Thank you, sir.” She lowered her head no more than fifteen degrees as she strutted past him. I hovered in the air and curled my arm in front of myself as if I'd been bowing. It was a common enough gesture for fairies, as it would be too awkward to lower oneself completely while also flying. Moxi looked around, “Here stands the hall of the Toads. It has a certain feline aroma to it. There are fewer scratching posts and litter boxes than I’d imagined.” She whispered to me.

“Wouldn’t those be unbecoming of such an honorable people as the catfolk?” I asked, “Or rather of any people?” Instead, the interior of the barracks had one room with long rows of beds. Another was a large mess hall adorned in nineteen tapestries that circled the wide walls, each depicting different catfolk soldiers in battle, angelic haloes streaming around their heads. In one, a warrior in princely garb had his foot on the exposed belly of a giant spider. In another, a princess knelt before a prince in a field of slain foes.

Moxi rolled her eyes and kept walking toward the end of the mess hall. There was a grand, mahogany table with long claw-carvings depicting a series of wars over its face. She hopped up onto the chair at the very head of the table and comfortably leaned back into its velvet cushions. It was thronelike, with a wide platinum frame and a jewel inlaid at its top. “Maybe they do have a sense of style,” she giggled. “Choose one chair for yourself, little fairy.”

“I’ll sit on the table itself, or else I wouldn’t be able to see over the table,” I perched up over one of the chairs on the side, a far less grand thing, still handmade from fine woodwork.

Not a minute later came Fen and her captain up to the table along with my mother who flew beside them. Fen stumbled toward Moxi, “Oh, m’lady, this place is for the general!”

The captain shook his head, “They are our guests, and the general is resting. There are other days for needed lessons.”

“I was a countess in my last life,” Moxi leaned forward in the seat, “any other seat would make me ill, I swear it. And thus, I have gratitude for your… willful hospitality,” she smirked in the direction of Fen.

My mother flew up and perched beside me. She whispered, “I have another hand for you in your travels besides Miss Moxi.”

I blinked, then leaned close to her, replying directly into her ear, “You didn’t tell me this before.”

“I will have Fen go with you. She’s a soldier of the Toads and can keep you both safe if it comes to that.”

“A mercenary, can we afford it?”

“The Toads are waiving her fee. They say she much needs experience, and this is a proper test for her. Moreover, she has the ability to survive on wild lands that I pardon myself for believing Lady Moxi much lacks.” My mother explained. As she finished, a tall catfolk set a bowl of rabbit stew before us. It was warm but not steaming, and they set utensils small enough for us to use beside it. It was the first course set around the table, and following it were a crisp salad and apple wine, then a plate of magpie along with a shot of vodka, and finally a cup of goat milk for dessert.

I leaned forward, “You’ll be joining us tomorrow morning, Fen?”

“Indeed!” She chirped. Fen’s ears curled back slightly, and she sank forward.

Moxi coughed. She tapped her hand on the table, “Going with us? You look nervous.”

“N-nervous, me? Never. I’m excited, mostly! Very excited! And, not afraid at all, I’d never be afraid!” Fen went on, “But, there’s giant spiders somewhere along the southbound road, and I know that because I remember hearing about how they wrap people all up in their webs and suck their guts right out of their bellies. And, there’s bandits, big bandits with fast horses and powerful bows and pointy arrows and some of them are cannibals, I mean they’re bandits so they’re probably cannibals because what else would they be? There’s…”

My mother cleared her throat, “Miss Fen, you might do yourself the pleasure of breathing.”

Moxi snorted, “My lady, there will be no bandit that can get past me.”

“You must be a formidable warrior!” Fen bent over into a deep bow, “I will be glad to be in your care!” Moxi was known for being overdressed, unathletic, and as conspicuous as the sun. She barely stood as high as Fen’s shoulders, who wasn’t considerably much older. We learned that Fen was ten years old, though quite tall. I’d mistaken her for thirteen before.

The captain slurped at his wine, “Yes, I will save a drink for all your safe return. And, if I see none of you in three months, I will drink it anyway!”

“They may be longer than three months time,” My mother said, “it is three weeks alone to the Sapphire Capital without detour, and who knows how many weeks it may take in the capital for them to get audience with who they need. The return journey is more uphill, and may be some days longer.”

“A drink to their safety, then!” Cheered the captain, “In the warm caress of the road, or the deep abyss of a monster’s…”

My mother cleared her throat, “If you will, Sir…”

The captain made a face, “One may beg why the Administrator made fairies prone to such… unbounded sensitivities. I may not touch one’s wings, and I may not make a joke to another, and to a third I must be quiet, for her ears are too bothered by a loud voice.”

“I reckon all things are sensitive!” I protested. I stopped and held a hand up, “My apologies, Sir. I would not before my host.”

He smiled, “You would not?” The captain broke out into laughter, “Little fairy, this is a hall where strength is most welcomed! You would and you will!”

I nodded, “There is none more to say. The berries in the salad, they’re very sweet.”

“You haven’t touched your vodka,” he noted.

“I depart in the morning,” I shook my head.

The moon was still out by what we determined to be morning, and my mother took me to the edge of Chestnut Green where Moxi and Fen agreed to meet. Moxi was escorted by her own mother, and Fen by three other Toads. I flew between them as we crossed into the North Gale along the southbound road, and it was in this place I realized I’d never been out so early in the morning. I’d seen the sunset by Tinborough many times before, but now it was climbing over Nox Mountain in the east, the silhouette I could barely see for how clear today was. There was no mist over the Gale River, nor any fog in the sky. My mother flew after me as quickly as her wing would let her, and she grabbed me in midair, almost tackling me to the ground before we both caught ourselves with our wings. She blathered, “Hana! I’ll miss you, Hana!”

I held her tightly, “It’ll only be a few months. I promise.”