We arrived at a town near the foot of the mountains and we walked though the market place looking at the new and strange items on sale.
"I want an Iron knife or ax like Senri and Lumi have, my stone knife can't cut wood" Cooro said looking at the vendors.
"A kid like you can't have one" Nana said shaking her head.
"And plus, Iron is expensive. The Astarian government is controlling it" Husky said.
"Want to hold it?" I asked Cooro taking out my iron blade from my hip. Cooro nodded excitedly until he had it in his hands.
"it's heavy!" Cooro said weighing it.
"really?" I asked taking the blade back from Cooro.
"un" he nodded then he saw some axes from a window of a shop. "this one's nice!"
"No we can't buy one like that!" Husky yelled.
"Husky...you were going to buy me one?" asked Cooro to Husky "I don't have any money"
Husky leaned back slightly and then started to yell. "Earn your own, I'm nearly out of my own money! At this rate we'll be all out and we'll be camping and eating nuts and fish for the rest of our lives!"
"NOOO I want bread I want changes of clothing!" Nana yelled horrified.
Senri and I seemed like the only sane people as we were calm but then again I really didn't mind eating fish and nuts and camping.
"Then we can all work in this town ok?" Cooro proposed his idea to us. We agreed and decided to work in the town.
I went with Husky and Senri.
"The big guy could work but what can the girl and the kid do?" asked the man. A woman came to us and stared at Husky before coming to me. She pulled at my clothes and hair before nodding.
"You can work for me" she said happily "you girls want to be waitresses at my bar?" she asked tilting Husky's head and squeezing my breast. I shook her off as Husky grabbed my hand.
"Senri let's go" Husky yelled angrily. "Lumi, if a guy does what the woman did to you, you are supposed to attack them or scream" Husky said. I nodded.
Senri stopped walking and stared at some soldiers. I stopped Husky and pointed to Senri and the soldiers.
"let's follow them" Husky said again still grabbing my hand and following the two soldiers. They smelled faintly familiar but I couldn't remember when. As we followed them I remembered that they were the ones we met on the mountain pass though I stayed silent and followed as Husky ordered.
When we followed them to the camp they turned and saw us.
"It's those Kim-un-kurs from before!" the shouted pointing at us.
"That's the Astaria army we met on the mountain pass! Let's go before there's trouble!" Husky said hurriedly though I saw no hurry, I mean we did nothing wrong.
"WHAT? KIM-UN-KURS?" the leader who's name is Igneous came from the tent.
"It's that stupid soldier again, we have to hurry you two!" Husky pushed us along away from the camp.
We were too slow as the soldiers surrounded us leaving us nowhere to escape.
"Why are you here? Are you following us" he asked watching us carefully.
"Of course not! I wish you would go away!" Husky yelled angrily. Senri and I stayed silent. Suddenly a cloak was tossed over towards me so I caught it...well it was catching it and having it hit my face. I looked at Igneous questioningly.
"Aren't you cold?" he asked. I shook my head and bowed in thanks.
"I don't need thanks from a Kim-un-kur, why are you here in Astaria anyways? Two of you! Get out" Igneous brandished a sword into Senri's face. Senri like a second instinct transformed his left arm into that of a bear's again. Igneous and the other soldiers flinched back slightly.
"you blood thirsty beast! That is what all you Kim-un-kurs are! I can't let you go!" yelled Igneous. A soldier held Husky back while another kept a hold of me. Fear rose up like bile in the throat as the position I was in reminded me of a once trap that killed my foster brother and when I was taken captive by hunters.
It was pure instinct as I howled loudly into the air calling for help. I was half into wolf transformation as I struggled against the tightening grasp of the soldier. I whined and howled like a mad beast causing everyone to stare.
"Lumi?" Husky's voice was barely audible though my fear.
"Husky...Senri...Help" I whined in a whisper that I doubt anyone could hear. I passed out and missed what happened after wards and woke up on a bed beside Husky. I bolted up and paced around the room settling in a corner hidden by shadows. Everyone seemed to know my strange behavior though acted like it was no different. I was grateful.
"I can't believe those guys!" Nana growled.
"They're the ones we saw when we met Rose right?" Cooro asked. At the mention of Rose's name I looked at the beaded feather in my hair.
"they, the Astaria soldiers want me to make them swords from iron, I am no longer a sword smith..I no longer make any weapons" sighed the old man as he walked into his workshop. "20 years ago I loved my country more than anything so I forged this sword and others to help this country...I put my heart in this sword" we listened intently.
The old man came out of the workshop and grabbed Senri's wrist. "A kim-un-kur from the mountains eh? A +anima's power is the same as a sword. Think before you use it, it's not something you should just throw around" the man warned him.
"okay!" the woman said clapping her hands "enough talk so let's eat." she said showing us a lot of food.
"WAHH!" Nana looked so happy jumping up and down on the spot. Even I had to say that it smelled good when suddenly my stomach growled loudly, I guess I had forgotten how hungry I was.
"Come here and eat at the table" the woman laughed kindly "eat up so you can work well" she then said to all of us sitting at the table.
"Work?" the man asked.
"yes, they are going to be my assistants" the woman grinned.
Slowly I walked up towards the table and sat down across from Cooro and looked down at the stew.
"Thanks Senri" I said.
"hmmm" he mumbled already eating soup.
"How did you know it was Senri who brought you back in?" Nana asked as she took some bread.
"I would be a disgrace to be called a wolf +anima if I can't even tell who carried me around" I said "also I found his hair on my shirt"
"oh..." Cooro nodded then started to eat. I too trying not to wolf down the soup into my empty stomach. When we finished Cooro, Husky and Nana were taken away by the woman. The woman came back, Senri was taken by the man to chop wood.
"can you help me with this?" she asked handing me a ball of yarn. I took it though I had no idea what I was supposed to do. The woman laughed and showed me what I was supposed to do, I started to wind the yarn around my hand as she started to knit.
"So what is your name?" she asked "you haven't been taking that much since you woke up, I think that the one sentence at dinner was the only time you talked."
"My name is Lumi." I said.
"I'm Margaret, so do you think you can tell me what happened before? Maybe I can help" she said as she continued to knit. "and my husband's name is Haden"
"thank you..." I hesitated to tell her though something about her told me I could trust her. "When I was younger...six or eight summers I think it was, it was hunting season in the mountain I was living in with the wolves. The pups were born and everyone was busy taking care of the new pups. It was my and Kaju's turn to hunt for the expecting mothers and the elderly as the other males were taking care of the pups and mothers." I looked up at Margaret.
"go on" she nodded so I did.
"then, when I was catching rabbits and squirrels for the pups when Kaju got trapped by the hunters...the hunters were soldiers off duty, Astaria soldiers they were. They caught Kaju and when they found me the caught me too to sell me." I sniffled a bit, maybe a cold was coming up "there were four soldiers and they killed Kaju so I got scared...that was when I was able to turn fully into a +anima wolf." I looked at her wondering if she understood "You were once a +anima weren't you?" I asked.
She looked surprised but nodded "yes, how did you know?"
"All +animas have a scent different from humans...once a +anima always a +anima" I told her.
"So you can fully turn?" she said going back to the topic.
"hmm? Oh yea but I don't like to, I mean what will the others think? I mean when they saw a large bee that they thought was a +anima..they attacked it but...if I tell them I'm scared that I'll be chased out." my sight went blurry as somethings slid down my cheeks like rain. "I'm raining from my eyes?" I wondered wiping my eyes and face with my shoulder.
"It's not rain Lumi, it's called tears and they come out when you cry" Margaret patted my back in a comforting way.
"crying? What a funny word but somehow I feel more human" my voice quivered "I'm pathetic" I whispered to myself.
"Crying means you're strong Lumi, it means you can show your feelings, you're showing you have a weakness and that you're not afraid of letting anyone else know cause you're strong. I means you're human, one of the most stubborn animals on earth" she said as she finished the scarf she was knitting.
"Sorry and thank you for listening Margaret" I grinned.
"any time. Now let's see how this looks on you" she said putting the scarf around my neck "you're going to catch a cold walking around like that" she said.
"but!"
"Just accept it" she smiled.
"Thank you again" I grinned and we both laughed as everyone came in back from all the work.
"Mr. Haden can you please fix something of mine? I know I am asking for too much but I will help as much as I can!" I asked bowing.
"what is it?" he asked.
"my blade, I was wondering if you could fix some cracks and niches" I pulled out my blade from my sheath and handed it to him. My blade was lighter then regular iron but it was still iron.
"a unique blade this is but I can't fix it, this type of metal I've never seen" Haden shook his head "sorry"
"no, thank you Mister Haden" I bowed again. At least I know that it's something that I can't just let anyone fix.
"now everyone go to sleep, tomorrow is going to be a big day" Margaret said giving us blankets.
Soon everyone fell asleep. I though gathered the cloak that Igneous threw at me and decided to give it back to him and face my fear of Astaria soldiers again like I had in the mountain pass. I left the house silently not waking anyone up because they would disagree to the idea. I started to walk down the night lane watching the stars twinkle.
"Kaju..." I sighed "thank you" all this time I hated the humans, I hated myself too but now it felt like a large burden left me.
I neared the camp when I saw that the soldiers on duty were down and passed out. Worry was first as who or what it was could come to Margaret and Haden's house when I realized the scent.
"KYAA!" Nana's voice echoed though the still night air as I hurried to where her scent came from. Igneous had his sword at her back.
"NANA!" I yelled and started to run to her when I was surrounded by sleepy but ready for action soldiers.
"You! Again what is a kid like you doing here to steal and you Kim-un-kur?" Igneous asked.
"I came to return the cloak, and to thank you but..I guess I can't" I growled "You soldiers again making trouble for the people and animals alike. You killed my mother, you killed my brother. You killed my tribe and half my pack. Are you going to kill my only friends in this large world too?" I asked as I let myself turn fully wolf.
"huh?" Igneous looked stunned as the other soldiers looked confused.
"ah that kid!" a soldier said pointing "I remember that scar!" he pointed to my right leg where a large scar was. It was normally hidden by my pants. "the wolf kid!"
I returned his glare before leaping. "and you killed Kaju" blood rushed though my ears leaving me deaf and only left to focus on one thing, the man who killed Kaju.
"the little wolf?" he asked.
"My only friend in the pack and I had to hold his funeral!" I growled my anger making my wolf form disappear and made me back to a humanoid form holding the man's neck in my grip.
"Get the crazy +anima off the captain!" a soldier yelled and soon I had half a dozen people holding me down. My face was pushed into the dirt to stop me from biting someone's hands.
I was tied down to a post all night. Nana also though she was in a bag.
"I'm sorry Nana if only I didn't think about revenge then we both would be free" I said sadly.
"no it's ok. It must be hard to be on Astarian soil when you know that they are responsible of your friend and family's death" Nana said quietly.
"no I'm just...never mind I shouldn't make you bear the weight of my problems. You're still a child so I should be the one supporting you" I strained at the rope and got close enough to gnaw at it when Igneous came out of his tent fully dressed to surveillance our movements personally.
By morning we were all tired as the night was filled with arguing between myself and Igneous. Finally we were untied and when I thought they were going to let us go they tied us again, Nana held in a sac, my hands and feet bound, my hands were behind me so I couldn't chew the rope off. A soldier put me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and they marched towards Haden's house.
Everyone was outside.
"Lumi? And in the bag? Couldn't be" Husky said though he was not the only one who was surprised.
"Let her out and lower the Kim-un-kur to stand" Igneous said and Nana was allowed to let her head pop through and I was lowered to the ground.
"What's the meaning of this?" asked Haden coming forward.
"this little girl tried to steal this Axe...and the kim-un-kur assaulted a captain" Igneous reported.
"you would too if your fr-" I was silenced by him.
"I can't let them go as stealing from Astaria and assaulting an officer are considered grave offenses to the law" he said holding out an Axe and keeping his other hand on my mouth.
"you wouldn't have done any of this if you didn't have such powers would you? Special powers make people arrogant" Igneous looked at us with distaste.
"And you don't have special power with the law?" I broke free from his hand. This must have caused him to snap as he slapped me across the cheek forcefully. "I don't wish to lay a hand on a woman or girl what ever you would prefer." he then turned to Haden.
"Haden do you remember the battle on Moss mountain?" he asked Haden.
"yes that was a battle with the Kim-un-kur wasn't it?" asked Haden.
"my grandfather was killed in that battle by a +anima, a bear +anima" he said giving Senri a glare. "Astaria needs power once again, I can let these two go if you forge swords for us again" Igneous proposed.
"if I make swords that don't have my heart in them...they will not be like the Guardian Heart" Haden told Igneous.
"you have the heart to save two lives, so you must have enough for the swords too" Igneous said though I couldn't help but hear sadness in his voice as he said that.
Haden closed his eyes as if he were in thought. Surely he wouldn't make swords for these people to wage war again. "Take all your swords to the work shop" Haden ordered.
"Mister!" Cooro also looked surprised.
"Carry the swords!" Igneous' previously melancholy mood changed to a bright one as he ordered a soldier to bring the swords.
"Hey hey! Mister officer can I see that Axe for a second?" Cooro asked Igneous. Though he was confused at Cooro's happy attitude he handed him the axe.
"WOW! This is heavy! I couldn't fly with this. It's heavier than Lumi's blade. Here mister you can have it back" Cooro handed the Axe back to Igneous before telling Nana "it's too heavy for you Nana" Cooro said.
Nana groaned in frustration.
"Don't do it again" Igneous said as he let Nana go. It was almost like an adult telling his child not to do something. Nana started to follow Cooro but before getting half way there she turned around and stuck out her tongue rudely at Igneous. He was silent as Nana left. It seemed as if he forgot I was still tied.
"s'cuse me sir, sorry if I'm bothering you but may I be untied?" I asked.
"huh? Oh yeah" He took out a small knife which made me flinch. "like I said, I don't want to lay my hand on a girl...or woman. A child too" he said as he made quick clean cuts though the rope, then he handed me a patch. "It'll bring the swelling down...sorry" he said. I wasn't sure if he was serious or not.
"I don't want to apologize to a kim-un-kur either but you being female is first" he growled slightly.
"You're actually very kind aren't you?" I murmured as I took the patch. "I guess not all soldiers are murderous beasts after all" I smiled to myself. "I'm sorry about what happened to your grandpa Captain...Igneous. My name is Lumi and I don't want to thank you either but I should so Thank you for letting me go and for the cloak." I said before leaving to enter the house.
"Idiots! Both of you are idiots. Nana trying to scare away the army? Totally stupid. Lumi thanking an officer with a hatred to our kind? Moronic!" Husky growled.
"That was just an extra, I was just going to get an Axe for Cooro" Nana argued.
"That was stupid too!" Husky yelled.
"WHY?" Nana asked.
"Nana, stealing is bad." Cooro said saying something sensible for the first time in days. "I do it too sometimes but I'm prepared for the consequences, I might get punched or killed but if you're ok with that..."
"Anyways, if you hadn't messed up then Mister Haden wouldn't have to reforge all the swords, Honestly" Husky still looked angry.
"Sorry" Nana and I looked at our feet. I sighed I felt like I just let people down again.
"I'm just going to go and see how Mister Haden is doing" Cooro said leaving us though I kinda thought he was leaving since it looked like Husky was going to go into lecture mode again.
It was probably ten minutes since Cooro left when Mister Haden called out to us. "I need your help with something!"
When we got back to the house Haden got Husky and Cooro hauling coal, Senri in his work shop and Nana and myself were picked up by Margaret to cook. We all worked all day until the late of night. Cooro and Husky were fast asleep in the work shop, Nana at the kitchen table. Senri was still helping Mister Haden. As Margaret placed a blanket over Cooro I tucked Husky under another blanket after right turning a fallen bucket.
"These kids are so full of life, the +anima power and swords are the same, they are there to protect" Senri and I watched as Margaret walked to Haden. "After I started living with you my +anima power disappeared. You are my guardian"
Senri stared but I knew from past experiences with my pack that they needed some privacy. I linked arms with Senri and pointed to Cooro and Husky, together we tucked the three in bed. I snickered as they started to snore slightly, it was a long and rough day for them, working for that long. Senri smiled.
The next morning Igneous was called.
"I did what I could do" Haden said revealing the boxes of gardening and house hold tools. The shock on Igneous and the soldier's faces were priceless as they looked at what had happened to their precious weapons.
"Th-these are kitchen knives!" a soldier said inspecting the knives.
"A scythe? A-and a froe?" another said.
"What is the meaning of this?" Igneous asked holding two scissors, one in each hand.
"I tried putting my heart into it and these came out, I was unconscious" Haden said in a truly innocent way like he was truly clueless as to the household objects he had made.
"Well" the soldiers started "they are beautifully made"
"I'd like my wife to use these" another said fingering the blade of the butchering knife.
"they're nice right?" Cooro asked the soldiers who nodded with admiration.
"the army needs swords, these may be wonderful but" before Igneous could go on the soldiers started complaining.
"Commander, the army needs these kinds of tools too!"
"I'd be a shame to destroy these!"
Igneous looked torn between two things as he finally said "Fine withdraw!"
"Yes sir!" the soldiers nodded.
"It's dangerous to hold scissors like that!" I yelled after Igneous as he ran with the blades up.
"Shut-up!" he yelled back. We cheered as the soldiers made there way back.
"Cooro here take this" Haden said handing him a small hand Axe. "You don't need it to live but I'm sure it will be useful" he said to a happy Cooro.
"Thank you!" we waved as we went on our way in the late morning. Cooro had a new Axe and I gained a scarf but also the ability to trust others fully.
"Oh yeah I forgot I wanted to tell you. I can transform into a full wolf" I told them as we headed slightly south.
"WHAT? You have to tell us these things before!" Husky yelled.
"I guess it slipped my mind" I grinned. I ran off first everyone running behind me as I transformed. "I guess this will add a new strength to us no?" I asked as they caught up. We all laughed as I transformed back to a human.