Ch:0

"What is it about fire... It's calm and beautiful, but it's pure destruction. Like humans, it's hiding something, and sometimes you have to get burned to see it"

- from TekkonKinkreet (a loose translation)

An owl was heard outside the small inn, it was an eerie noise. Through the thick black outside the window, there was a serene but awkward feel. Lawrence sat next to where Holo was sleeping on the bed with a huff. He had spent a long day negotiating with a local winery, but due to some problems with the grape crops of a few years past, the vintage he sought was way out of his price range.

"Probably for the best..." he muttered, barely audibly. There was a twitch under the linen covers.

"Mmm... What was that?" muttered a smooth but sleepy female voice. Lawrence straightened his back in surprise.

"Oh- erm, nothing... Please go back to sleep, Holo. You need your rest."

Holo peeked out from under the sheet with a defiant stare. Her ears perked and twitched to the sounds of small insects being consumed in the candle's flame. "First, tell me how it went today with the owner of the winery. Them maybe I'll consider..." Her tail shuffled a little, muffled. She relaxed as he recounted his experience to her. He smoothly, conveying little emotion, but his eyes always smiled when she looked up at them. She began to realize just how easily he could entertain her...

"Wonderful, Lawrence, but what to do about supper?" Her eyes suddenly looked hungry.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. The innkeeper had some leftovers from a large roast that he offered for you. That is, if you're feeling up to it."

She smiled gently and rolled over on her back, letting her large belly crease the linen. She was 8 months and about to burst. Lawrence laid his hand on her stomach.

"Its been very active today" she stated, attempting to sound plain and uninterested. She was given away by a twinge of motherly softness in her tone. Her cheeks were flushed as if she had a strong fever.

Lawrence began stroking the crest of her midsection. "We still haven't talked about names, you know." He kissed her bellybutton.

"I'd prefer to see what it looks like first. I've never seen the cross of a wolf god and a human before..." Her hand sought his, pressing it tighter to her belly. With her other hand, she began twirling a lock of hair around her index finger. There was a knock at the door that seemed to unnerve the two for a split second.

"Yes?" Lawrence choked down his surprise.

"A message from the innkeep," came a masculine voice behind the door. "Rats got to the leftovers. We are very sorry to inconvenience you like this."

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They were staying in the small southern town of Lodola, built around the hills that surrounded a warm river that never froze over in the winter. The river allowed many insects to survive through the winter, providing food for the mice which until a century before were a problem species. Merchants had played into this by selling tamed owls and other birds to the owners of vineyards, and after a few generations of adaptation, the birds were taught to perch on the struts that held the grape vines. Foxes had been introduced, but were driven out due to their effect on the quality of the grapes.

Lawrence and Holo came in the winter, having made a decent deal with the selling of a wagon full of rock salt from the western ocean in the fall when farmers were killing their hogs and needed the salt to preserve meat.

The couple had been traveling together for a few years now, addicted to the thrill of merchantry. Lawrence had tried to open his own shop, but soon had grown tired of being stuck indoors for weeks on end. Shortly after giving up on the idea, Holo learned that she was pregnant and Lawrence often wondered if leaving the shop was the best idea.

"I'll head out and find something, there's bound to be a bakery open." Lawrence spun around but Holo caught his sleeve and looked him in the eyes.

"Be careful," she held his gaze. "I can't protect you if you get attacked, and I don't like the feel of the air. Something is about to happen."

Since she became with child, Holo's senses had peaked and she was even more skilled at reading not only the markets but also the emotions of other merchants. She could tell when humans were scheming from afar, merely by scenting the wind.

Lawrence nodded, understanding. He left jogging heartily down the steps. Holo sighed and drifted back to sleep.

xxxxxxx

Holo awoke sometime around midnight to Lawrence gently shaking her, he smelled like sweat.

"Holo, Holo!" He whispered urgently. "We have to leave, grab your stuff. We were followed here by someone from the last town. I don't know who it was, but he was intent enough to put a knife to my throat."

Deep down, Holo knew something that she didn't want to admit. A feeling that tore into her like a carrion crow pulling at her innards. She felt that in this game of cat and mouse, there was no hole for them to hide in.

Lawrence helped her out of the bed and into some clothes, draping her with a thick cloak to hide her stomach. As they opened the door and started down the stairs, Holo collapsed and cringed in pain. A rush of fluid hit her feet as she began to double over.

"Human bodies... Are so weak..." she whispered.

Lawrence looked at her in shock and scooped her up. Fear pulsed through his body like the blast of a fresh gunshot. He went numb and almost passed out before collecting himself and moving Holo quickly but carefully the rest of the way down the stairs. Her face was pale white now, and covered in sweat. Her legs dangled almost lifelessly as he approached the counter where the innkeep would sit and slammed down his nights rent. Outside, men could be heard shuffling around and drawing weapons, waiting for the right moment to barge in. Lawrence ran to the pathway that led to the stables, hoping that their pursuers hadn't yet learned of it's existence. To his relief, he found the door unblocked and unguarded and started quickly towards the stable. Holo leaned in close and clenched his shirt as her whole body twitched. He became possessed by a masculine instinct to protect his own and adrenaline rushed into his veins. His eyes opened in a wide, wild stare as he quickly lifted their things into the wagon and Holo onto the seat. She didn't want to let go of him, and another contraction hit her as he climbed in next to her.

He urged the horse forward with a couple sharp snaps of the reins and they peeled around onto the street so fast that the wagon's two right wheels came off the ground for a second. Lawrence saw the men begin to chase them on foot, but many turned around to get their stallions waiting a block or so down. He knew that if he could get an edge on them, he would be able to find a safe place for Holo to give birth. He wrapped his coat over her on top of the thick cloak to keep her a bit warmer in the crisp autumn air.

xxxxxx

After an hour or so of hard riding, he found a ridge next to the river that had a large outcropping of rock stretching over it. He slowed the horse to a stop and climbed out, holding Holo in his arms gingerly. Her contractions were becoming more frequent now, and the sweat on her forehead was like icewater. He walked her over to the alcove and placed her in the dead reeds, killed by a frost a few days previous. He then grasped her hands tightly and looked her in the eyes.

"You can't stay here." she whispered.

"W-what? How can you expect me to leave you? Are you mad?"

"In the wild..." she coughed pitifully, "we always drive away our mates when we give birth..." she flinched and bit into her collar as another contraction took hold of her.

He reached his hand toward hers"But Holo-"

"GO, NOW!" She smacked it away angrily and bared her teeth at him, a wild rage in her eyes behind the tears. He stared at her for a minute in surprise, but she pushed him away. He ran to the cart with tears in his eyes and the feeling that he'd done something wrong. As he climbed back in and grabbed the reins, he broke down and cried. He turned the wagon around and speeded back toward town.

Xxxxxxx

Two days later in Lodola as the sun was rising, Renault Morccio, a priest who was charged with the upkeep of an orphanage connected with the monastery, found a female child on his doorstep with honey-colored hair and silver eyes. He immediately called for mother Lucia, and the child was taken in.