We were stopping to rest at a river when Nana wanted to take a bath, I went with her. I noticed that she was carrying new clothes.
"did you make them at Margaret's house?" I asked pointing to her new dress.
"yep, I made some for you too since you're always wearing the same thing I want to see you in a dress." she said.
"Dress?" I asked.
"you know what I always wear. They are comfy and nice." she said as she dipped into the cool water. I followed after her. Now that I think about it this was probably the first time I've bathed with Nana since we first met, I never trusted anyone so I always bathed alone in the middle of the night. Nana blushed and looked away.
"Your +anima markings are pretty cute" I said tracing her mark.
"Really? I don't like them since they are so big." she pouted. "You and Cooro and Senri don't seem to mind showing it off." she said.
"I'm proud, my foster mother, the wolf, told me that the +anima was given to me by my mother and by herself so that I would have a place with the wolves and with the humans" I said "that's why I'm proud of my marking" I said looking at my mark that looked like a wolf head howling.
"I wish I was that confident" she sighed and I patted her back.
"it's ok" I grinned "I'm sure you will be one day."
We talked in the river for a while before getting out, Nana handed me clothes so I tried them on though it felt strange.
"You look beautiful!" she said making me turn around as I tugged the dress around. "let's go to everyone" she went out first twirling with a smile.
"oh your clothes, where did you get them?" Cooro asked.
"I made them at Margret's place, nice huh?" she asked Cooro though Husky had a more harsh string of words to Nana.
"Honestly Girls, making us wait for something like that..where is Lumi?" he then asked after a sigh.
"I made her clothes too" Nana said as she dragged me out of the bushes. I blushed as they all stared.
"Um Nana, I don't know about you but this feels more uncomfortable, can I go change? I mean I'm not saying I don't like it but...I like my old clothes they feel more like me" I said. Nana sighed then nodded so I started to strip.
"Lumi! Not here go behind the bush!" Nana and Husky yelled pushing me into the bushes.
"um...ok?" I agreed with them so they would stop though I saw no harm in changing where I was though decided to agree thinking it was some sort of human interaction thing. I changed back and was more relieved when I didn't have strange cloth brushing against my skin.
"Husky" I sat down beside him.
"hm?" he asked.
"I'm sleepy but can you tell me more about human interaction?" I asked. Ever since joining them a month or so ago my language bettered and vocabulary grew.
"ok" Husky started as I listened intently.
"we're pretty far south...I wonder where the ocean is" Cooro asked as we walked to a map.
"It's still pretty far but it's warm here. We don't have to go all the way to the sea" Husky said pointing to a location on the map.
"But you can swim all you like in the sea. Don't you want to?" Cooro asked with a totally different motive.
"Cooro, you just want to eat Ocean fish huh?" Husky asked.
"Yep!" Cooro agreed happily.
"stupid" Husky growled hitting Cooro on the head with his bow stick.
Cooro recovered quickly as his attention moved to the crowded market street. "hey there are lots of stores over there, let's go look!" Cooro pointed to the market.
"ok then, we can meet back here when the sun gets to that tower ok?" Husky asked, we nodded our agreement. I went off with Cooro and Senri as it seemed Husky wanted to be left alone and plus it seemed that it would be funner to be with Cooro's adventure. When we were half way though we saw what looked like Nana and Husky having a fight with Husky running off.
"What's wrong Nana?" Cooro asked.
Nana started telling us her wild theory.
"Huh? Husky's a girl?" Cooro asked.
"I think that maybe she says she hates girls because she is a girl herself." Nana said.
"Oh well Husky was pretty as the mermaid princess" Cooro said thinking about an adventure of before we were around to witness. "but Husky said that he's a boy though"
"See that's just weird that she'd go through the trouble to say all that...right Senri? Lumi?" I pretended to be dumb about this subject. "Okay, I'll just have to do this by force!" she said with a determined look.
"Late" I looked at the tower and sun, for the first time Husky was late.
"They're fighting!" someone yelled. We looked in the direction the yell came from and ran over to see Husky fighting three boys. Senri automatically brought out his claws though Nana stopped him. Cooro started to distract everyone as Senri grabbed Husky and we all made a mad dash away from the scene.
We got about a half mile from the town when Husky asked to be put down.
"Are you ok Husky?" Cooro asked Husky as he was let down. I patted his head checking for lumps and other hurts that might become a problem.
"Husky" Nana started "I told you guys how I became a +anima, that was my biggest secret. I thought that it'd be easier if I told you rather than keeping it in so..." Nana looked at Husky hopefully "So...OK?" suddenly her facial expression changed as she transformed and knocked Husky out with her voice.
I took no part in dressing Husky up not that Nana would let us help her as she dressed up Husky in a long dress and flowers.
"See, I told you!" Nana said to Cooro.
"Yeah, it's pretty" he agreed. Suddenly Husky woke up. By then of course everyone was helping. Husky jolted up and checked his pants to see if they were still there.
"HEY!" he turned to Nana "why am I in these clothes?" he asked her angrily.
"Because it'd be easier for you if..." but Husky stopped her.
"Cooro" He turned to him. Cooro looked confused. "STRIP" Husky yelled grabbing Cooro and stripped. Nana's face turned red as Huksy announced to her "SEE? I'm a GUY!"
Nana started screaming as Senri started to strip as well. I started to laugh as I over heard Husky and Cooro. "Why did I have to?" asked Cooro. "I can't do it alone" Husky said blushing.
"Really? You're really a boy?" she asked.
"Really, it's not a secret or anything!" Husky growled.
"Senri! Stop!" I realized that I forgot about our little problem bear when I was calming Nana down.
"but you never bathe with Cooro and Senri" Nana voiced.
"You forget I'm in the water most of the day catching fish" He sighed.
"OH yeah!" Nana said with Cooro.
"Oh yeah?" Husky hit Cooro then I guess he noticed the problem bear Senri dressing again.
"What happened?" Husky asked me.
"he started to strip." I said "when you got mad at me for stripping at the river I thought you would get mad at Senri" I said as I held Senri's shirt out for him to wear and his poncho draped over my arm. I helped Senri put the poncho on and used that time to study the beads in his hair to see if it matched my own or the other Kim-un-kur's like Kesti (do you remember Kesti from the first chapter?). They didn't match any ones.
"Close" Senri said in his monotone voice. I unknowingly was too close to him when I was looking at the beads since my body was pressed against his.
"Sorry" I started to back up when I smelled very faintly something. It smelled like my blade though it was over lapped with other scents many times over. This time though I voluntarily got close and started to sniff around for that smell. I found it on a bead or a couple of beads. By my foster mother's knowledge she had told me it was my grandfather's scent. I stayed there holding on to Senri as the carrier of my grandfather's scent when Husky coughed loudly.
"Are you two gonna stay like that for ever? We have to move more to the south since we can't stay here anymore" Husky said. Nana was blushing though something told me it wasn't due to Cooro and Husky stripping.
"Sorry" I got off Senri and picked up my bag that fell off as I got up when I felt a slightly wet feeling on my cheek.
"Senri!" Husky yelled.
It was Senri...licking me? He stared at me I guess he felt my sadness for a family member I never met.
"Thanks" I wiped me cheek and pretend to yawn to allow a couple tears.
"Let's go, we should go to the further south and maybe the ocean" Cooro said as he went off.
"Cooro wait up!" we followed him.
#^8^# &*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*& -_-
We were a couple days south from the town we just left when we got to a steamy mountainous place.
"What is this? There is so much steam!" Cooro said as we walked though the path.
"and it smells funny too" Nana complained. Unknowingly I accidentally fell into a pool of warm almost hot water and found eggs steaming in the water.
"Look at this" I called to everyone. "Eggs!"
"hm..let's go" Husky said as we kept walking. Finally we got to a town with a banner saying: Bubbly, The Hot Springs city.
"Hot Springs?" Cooro asked.
"It's a hot water spring. Bathing in it is good for your body." Husky told us.
"Ohh, I wanna try!" Cooro said excitedly with a large grin on his face.
"Mee tooooo!" Nana leaped up then she slumped her shoulders. "Actually never mind" She shook her head.
"Why? It sounds like fun!" Cooro said surprised, Husky wore an expression of surprise as well.
"it's not scary right?" Cooro asked Husky.
"I don't think so" Husky sweat ed.
"I'll protect you Nana" I patted her back when we heard a familiar voice.
"Is that you Senri? And Nana, Cooro, Husky and Lumi!" Rose waved us over happily.
"Rose!" I waved back as we went over to where she was selling her trinkets and badges.
"Are you selling these here?" asked Cooro as we walked over. She nodded.
"the people here are pretty loose with their money since they came out of the springs all relaxed and such." she said showing us some new things in her box.
"Did you go into the Hot springs yet?" I asked.
"No, not yet." she shook her head.
"Umm..theres and empty hot spring over there. There's an inn too. Please come!" a boy said kindly.
"Sounds good! Want to go?" she asked us.
"Yeah" I nodded but then looked at Nana who looked to be debating something.
"Sounds great! Lets go!" she yelled after thinking for a while. When we got to the springs it was really empty...I mean deserted. There wasn't even a single customer there.
"Do you own this place?" Husky asked.
"It really is empty! Maybe cause it's on way on the edge." Cooro said bluntly and ignoring the feelings of the boy and old man.
We entered the inn and the boy started asking us "you'll stay overnight right? It's 10 gillers per person per night." he looked at us hopefully.
"That's cheap" Rose commented.
"Well it is falling apart" Husky looked the place over and looked at the cracks in the walls that ran from the floor to the ceiling.
"But, But our springs have the best 'Water of Beauty' in the whole city" the boy said as the old man agreed.
"Water of beauty!" Nana's eyes sparkled as she said that. We were shown where to go though I doubted that there really was such a thing called Water of Beauty.
"You'll go too right Husky cause it's not a bath" Cooro grinned.
"Yeah" Husky mumbled.
"We'll go over on this side" Rose said opening the women's door.
"Don't dare peek!" Nana exclaimed.
"who would?" Husky growled "I hate girls"
"You hate me?" I asked.
"No! Just...never mind" he growled.
I laughed and entered after Rose and Nana. We changed and when we got into the area we heard the boys yelling.
"the boys are so noisy" Rose laughed "but it sounds like they're having fun" we entered the water being careful of the overly hot areas.
"you have a scar" I pointed to her shoulder wing.
"oh this? A lot happens when you're a +anima...what about you? That large scar" she pointed to my own scar on my leg.
"it was hunting season a couple years back. When I was in the wolf pack...a friend and I were hunting and we were caught. My friend died but...yeah" I shrugged.
"Do you ever wish you were never a + anima?" asked Rose.
"No, I'm proud of it" I said.
"hm...I've never wished I wasn't a +anima...since I'm the only one who can protect my little brother." said Rose curling up slightly.
"I didn't want to come into the springs since my marks are so big." sighed Nana.
"I try not to show my markings around people too...they won't feel worried or nervous this way" Rose told us.
"Can you tell Cooro and Senri that? They're always transforming for every little thing! Lumi too!" she looked at me.
I shrugged, I've never had to be careful about showing off my markings in the pack, I guess it had become a habit to not really care.
"Hmm. I don't think either would listen to me" Rose said with a sweatdrop "And Lumi probably has a habit..don't you? You know of not hiding your markings". I nodded.
"Cooro always shows off his markings all the time but mine aren't fashionable..." Nana started a topic on fashion. I wasn't into things like that so I moved away and called to the boys.
"What'cha doing?" I asked.
"Husky's mad" Cooro laughed.
"Let me guess. His tail came out?"
"yep..wha!" a large splash was heard and then Husky's voice.
"Hows the water?" asked Husky.
"Good, it's warm" we continued a conversation till it was time to get out as I was getting dizzy.
"Sorry but I'm getting dizzy" I said standing up and leaving the hot springs. I headed to my room to take a short nap. It felt like wildfire was passing though my body as the heat lingered and my mind was blurred. I wasn't half way to my room when I sank to my knees. I should have gotten out when my head started to hurt
"Are you ok?" I heard Rose from behind me.
"hmm..yeah I just need some sleep" I said forcing to get back on my feet I went to my room and crouched on the floor and slept ignoring the bed.
I woke to a loud scream from Nana. Groggy and with sleep in my eyes I went over to the dining area to see what was the matter.
"I saw it, it was all hairy and big as a small hill!" Nana yelled furiously.
"A bear?" Cooro suggested. I noticed Senri giving Cooro a small glare.
"No..it's a +anima" the boy said.
"What happened?" I asked startling everyone with my sudden appearance.
"Nana was attacked in the hot springs" Husky explained.
"and it was a bear? Or a +anima?" I asked after hearing both not so clearly.
"it's a +anima." the boy declared.
"If this keeps up I'll just have to hire someone to hunt it down" the old man said. Anger boiled my blood when I heard that phrase.
"we don't have any money but there is nothing we can do" the little boy sighed.
"NO!" I yelled "we'll get rid of it." I said with a growl and a hint of hostility. The others probably knew why I was acting like this.
"If we do will you let us stay for free?" Cooro asked.
"You kids can do that?" the boy and the old man asked us.
"Sure" Cooro grinned.
"I guess so then" the old man and the boy exchanged looks of doubt.
At the Hotspring...
"LUMI! COORO what are you two thinking? Lumi" Nana turned to me. "I thought you were against hurting and chasing +Anima or anumals other than for food and protection!" Nana yelled angrily.
"Nana..." I tried to explain but Husky cut me off "Shut-up" he said cooly to the distressed Nana.
"ROSE! SENRI tell them, how can you not care!" she turned to the other two.
"NANA!" I yelled "LISTEN TO ME!" I growled angrily "do you really think I'm going to harm this thing? +anima or not? Plus if it were hunters then...it will not get out of this unharmed. He'll either get killed or sold off so it's better it we ask it to leave." I told her.
"Oh...I see" Nana quieted.
"And luckily I thought about the pay thing so fast, now we don't have to pay too!" Cooro grinned.
"Making a profit off this...you two" Nana sighed.
"I wonder what animal he is though" Husky wondered aloud.
"A bear?" Nana asked.
Senri grabbed some hair from a rock and looked at it closely. "Hair?" Cooro asked looking at the fur/hair left on the rock.
"Bison" Senri said after looking at it for a longer time.
"A cow?" Nana asked.
"Not quite" I laughed "a wild cow if you want to call it that."
We hid waiting for the right moment and for the bison +anima to come. We waited ten minutes then twenty, slowly it was about 11 or 12 at night when we finally saw a figure in the mist. We waited for it to enter the water. I jumped out transforming half way. Senri as well with his bear arm.
I dodged it's headbutt but Senri wasn't as lucky as he was flung into the water where everyone was waiting.
"Trying to chase me out huh? I won't let you. I HAVE A RIGHT TO BATHE IN THE HOTSPRINGS TOO!" he yelled furiously as he charged. Yeah, he was definitely a bison. Changing all the way I howled loudly into the night sky ceasing all movement. Rose gasped, this was the first time she saw me in this form not that Cooro, Husky, Nana and Senri saw me like this all the time.
"Cooro!" I bounded over to where Cooro fell over and stepped in between him and the +anima. "I advise you to calm down" I growled.
"P...+anima?" he stopped rampaging just when Senri tackled him from behind. Together they fell into a pool of hot water.
"HOT! HOT HOT HOT!" the bison +anima yelled "This place is hot let go!" though Senri seemed to be unaffected. We got him and Senri out and he sprawled out on the rock.
"You ok mister?" Cooro asked.
"Huh? Wait you are all just kids. And you're +anima?" the man asked.
"yup" Cooro nodded with a happy grin, then he frowned when he saw a gash on the man's shoulder. "That looks painful" Cooro commented.
"yeah, I got hurt in my +anima form...injuries heal faster when you stay in the form you were hurt in and the water here was good for it" he sulked.
We were all silent.
"Did the innkeeper ask you to do this?" the man asked.
"uh, he was saying he was going to hunt you down!" Nana yelled with concern.
"You should run away!" Cooro also said with the same concern on his face.
"My cut is almost healed, I don't need the springs anymore so I'll go" he said giving us a broad smile. "Take care you guys" he said giving us a last wave good bye.
"So Lumi...since when could you turn into a full wolf?" asked Rose in the dawn light.
"Since I was eight." I grinned "Surprised?" I asked
she shook her head "you are full of surprises".
"Thanks" I rolled my eyes and we laughed together.
In the morning...
"the +anima left?" the old man and the boy were happily laughing and clapping. "here's your money back as we promised." the old man handed Husky back all the money we had paid him last evening.
Cooro stuck out his hand "That's not enough, give us more" he said shamelessly.
"Cooro! You" Nana whispered.
"he left for us...we have to do at least this much" Cooro whispered back before he started to blackmail the old man. We left with more money than yesterday.
"Rose are you going to the next city? Let's go together" Cooro invited her.
"OK Let's go!" She nodded.
