Zelgadis was perched on a fallen tree trunk chewing on what was left of the rabbit from the morning. His eyes stared off into the distance, his mind about as far away. The she-wolf was lying at his feet, having fallen asleep. He let her sleep, it didn't matter to him if she came or went. He figured that if he just kept heading up the slope he'd get to the cave eventually.
He took a swig from his canteen, looking up at the sky as he swallowed. He thought he heard thunder. The she-wolf lifted her head, ears pricked.
"Thunder?" he asked, receiving a flick of her ear in ascent. "We should find a place to shelter."
I know of none in this area.
"Are you suggesting we go all the way back down-" he started to say and watched as she got to her feet, padding down the slope, back the way they'd come. "Damn it all." Gathering his pack, he followed her, muttering under his breath about wasted effort. "Well if we're just going back then I'm going to go to town and sleep in a real bed."
I will meet you on the edge of the forest then. She seemed skeptical that he could get to the town before late in the night. She gaped in her own way when she turned to find a hole in the foliage above where he'd been standing moments before. Dashing around, she sniffed the ground, trying to find his scent, but apparently he'd sprouted wings and flown away.
* * *
Zelgadis landed directly outside of the town, thankfully it had started raining and he was able to do so without being seen. With his hood pulled low, he made his way toward the building with a sign depicting a key and roast chicken. Pushing the door open, he stepped in, water dripping down his cloak.
His eyes gazed around and watched as silence fell over the inn in a wave, starting with those nearest the door. Zelgadis let the door close behind him and made his way to the bar where the tender gaped at him.
"I'd like a room. If you could, send something to eat as well," Zelgadis said simply, placing money upon the bar, more then enough to pay for the room and food. The tender nodded, handing him a key.
"Third door on the left," he said, or tried to. Zelgadis heard though, turning and glancing over the people staring at him. With a stifled sigh, he made his way up the stairs and into his room. The whores who were gathered on the balcony cringed back from his stony gaze. Talk started on the first floor, softly at first, but Zelgadis could hear.
"That's the forest spirit!"
"I thought them things couldn't come out of the forest."
"I thought they were tied to trees somehow."
Zelgadis closed his door on the voices. "Damn it all," he muttered and pulled his mask and hood off, tossing his pack to the floor against the wall. He looked the bed over and noted that it wasn't that bad. Finally, he removed his cape and tossed it over the back of one of the chairs that was set at a small table in the room. There was a window in the room, shaded mostly by light curtains and wooden blinds. He pulled them back to peek out at the weather.
It was pouring worse now. The sun was setting and hence, below the cloud-line, casting strange shadows though the rain. Lightening burst though the clouds and thunder rattled the glass in the window. With a sigh, he let the curtain drop.
There was a crash and scream from outside his room and Zelgadis heaved a sigh, grabbing up his sword and opening the door, completely forgetting that he didn't have his cape on. He was greeted by total chaos. The ladies were running and cowering, the men were all trying to attack something that was running back and forth under the tables.
Zelgadis reached out and grabbed one of the women, "What's going on," he asked her. She stared at him, her mouth working, but her voice wasn't. "WHAT IS GOING ON?" he repeated, shaking her.
"A- A wolf!" she squeaked and he let her go, going to the edge of the balcony to look down, seeing a silvery brown back dart toward the stairs and run up to press her self against his legs.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped at the she-wolf who looked up at him in fright.
I can't be that far away from my soul! she cried into his mind, putting her head against his knees.
Zelgadis muttered a curse, noticing that once again the entire tavern was staring at him. "Come on then," he snapped at the she-wolf, stepping back into his room, she hurried in after him, almost having her tail slammed in the door. "I should name you something. Something completely disgusting just to get you back for drawing everyone's attention to me," he snapped at her, glaring as she cowered under the window.
Whatever punishment you deem fit, she said softly.
"Namaiki," he muttered under his breath. (Japanese word meaning 'Cheeky; saucy; impudent; impertinent') She lowered her head, tail tucked under her. "Damn it, where's that food I ordered?"
He paced around a little more, reluctant to open the door again to go ask. Finally, he heard a knock and carefully opened the door to peer out. A young woman was standing there, wearing the clothes of kitchen help. "Forest Spirit, please forgive us, we are mere mortals and have no power. The men did not know the wolf was your companion," the young woman who was there holding a tray of covered dishes bowed repeatedly. She was about to go on when he interrupted her.
"Put it on the table," Zelgadis snapped at her as he opened the door wide, standing behind it. She hurried in, fearing for her life. Carefully, she set the tray on the table and started to set out the dishes when he spoke again. "Get out," he ordered and she stopped her work, rushing out, almost having the door slam on her heels.
Once she was outside the room, she sagged upon the railing of the balcony and breathed in gasps. "Are you okay? It didn't curse you did it?" asked one of the whores, careful not to touch the other girl.
"I'm okay. I think... I think it's more afraid of us," she said finally.
Inside his room, Zelgadis muttered under his breath, cursing the people of the tavern, the wolf, his grandfather, and anything else that came to mind. The she-wolf lifted a hind foot, scratching her neck then shook herself, trying to get dry. Zelgadis doubly cursed the she-wolf and finally sat down at the table to look over what was given.
He noticed that there were two bowls of stew, whatever it was made of, Zelgadis didn't know, but he'd eat as much as he could before giving the rest to the wolf. He put one bowl on the floor anyway, picking up a spoon and starting into it.
The she-wolf crept forward slowly, crouching beside him and lapping at the stew. My name is Yui. Her soft words startled Zelgadis, but he only paused in his eating.
"I'm Zelgadis.... sorry about yelling at you earlier." He turned his attention back to his food but wasn't really hungry. "It's just frustrating... and you wouldn't understand."
Yui flicked her ears back. It is your right to chastise me. I was wrong.
Zelgadis put his spoon down and carefully reached down to touch her back, patting, "Don't be too upset about it. I overreact sometimes." He set his bowl on the floor as well and got to his feet, stretching. Going to the door, he picked up his pack and pulled his travel blanket out of it, spreading it out some on the floor under the window before sitting on the bed and kicking his shoes off.
He curled up on his side on the bed, pulling the sheets from the bed over himself and adjusting the pillow under his head. Zelgadis sat up again, removing his belt and sword. Taking the scabbard off the belt, he again curled up, his sword tucked against his chest, hand resting on it.
Yui yawned, going over to the blanket under the window and curling up after circling a few times. By this time, the evening was long underway. The she-wolf was nervous, she had never slept indoors before but when she looked at Zelgadis, she found that he was already asleep, or appeared to be. She did not disturb him as she lay her head down upon her paws, eyes watching the room carefully.