Keslova Snow PT3 – Barter

Humming prowls of flaring fans, looping their turbines to the smells-delighting, which flew in gentleness to the tasty air of salivating madness with stacks of aged wood. Warmth emanated from the fires of the hearth in such abundance, one would find themselves constricted within their own skin. Aromas of different spices lingered and tickled with ghastly limbs to anyone who'd find themselves lured blindly within this space of indulgement.

The blades of the helicopter had stopped, and the ruckus-intimidating now laid underneath the disgruntled snow. Coldness prickled upon Flo's side as she was crouched stuck behind the shadow of a big and deep metal pot. Her long ears tried to go up, but at the contact of discomfort they fell on their own. Breathing wasn't easy, since Jim's tail was covering half her muzzle, while their knapsacks were barricade-protectors.

Just perfect, they had sat themselves on nails by coming here at such a time. The gamble had not paid off, but how could've she known they'd go to such an effort of tracking them down?

"Why're we hiding here, Rose? They'll scent us!" Jim whispered from behind her, but she couldn't even twist to look at him as it was just impossible, hence, she just shuffled desperately in quick adjustment. What was the point of giving him reason, it wasn't like it'd help anything. There was a sort of impatience chanting in her knees, yet she didn't know if it were just the discomfort or the great odd of getting found and captured.

"Fugitives! Where're they?"

"Fugi— Where you think you're sneaking!" Ambience of the kitchen managed to have its reign for a while, until loudness filtered in Flo's ears and entered the room with a loud bash to the wooden door.

"Skips. White hare, grey wolf. FTA in Zootopia's court, 2 weeks due date," the deep voice shouted in resonance to the heavy-booted steps and bouncing equipment.

"Zootopia? What're you doin—Trying to make a goldfish out of me, get the he—"

"They've been seen in this village. Hiding them is a criminal offense."

"Where am I hiding them? In the pot of stew?" With hesitance of patience, the steps moved away from Flo and Jim's hiding place and towards the bubbling stove, where the metal was opened in the scents of tastiness. Jim's nose immediately picked up its pace next to Flo's ear, but it was saved quickly from Flo's swap, thus, it forced itself obedient.

"ETA to this?"

"What?"

"When's it done?"

"Thirty-forty… Close it, you'll bait fur in it, fishhead!" shouted Ann and audibly snapped the metal sealed. Grunted irritation found forlorn between the small cracks of Flo and Jim's hiding place, where the movement was closing in. The tiny ray of light fought dust's imprint upon one of the pots, while the breathing of the individual was getting Flo's eyes to thicken in a search for a solution.

Creaking increased the visibility within, Jim's claws fiddling in the obscurity of space. And then it opened.

"What you trying to break again?"

"This carp?" Nothing came out of the question. "Cook us five. We'll be here a while. Doesn't look like a midnight run."

And then the breathing stormed away from the room, leaving whispers of bubbling scents heavenly. Flo released her untimely breath and finally adjusted herself from the piercing thoughts upon her rump, only to fail and have to do so again, which caused noise within those tiny confines. With an intake next to her ear, she was sure Jim would speak, would it not had been for the instant stream of light that flooded their hiding-surprise.

Blindness lasted in obscurity, until the scornful face of Mother Ann filled the void. Flo wanted to ask what the problem was, but Jim took initiative on her part and pushed the knapsacks from their way and into the illegal freedom.

"Fugitives? What did you do!" Mother Ann hissed in a hush, but then the many shouts from the common area got her to flinch in temperament Flo couldn't remember having had experienced before.

"Go to the cellar. Remember where, Rosie?" Flo had some issues of instantly giving confirmation, but then she noticed the handle of remembrance on the far end of the humid room. All these years and Mother Ann still hadn't equipped the place with an air vent…

She led Jim to the entrance, while Ann got out with a tray of delight, Flo's ears flapping indifferently to the cage they had put themselves within. "Give me a paw," Flo said as they lifted the heavy trapdoor up, their knapsacks sliding in with few solid kicks.

And then there was night with the countless rows of saliva-tripping tints. "I can't see, Rose… why're we here?" Jim whispered, but she didn't bother to answer. Ann hadn't exposed them yet, so at least Flo had managed to not luck out on this one. It had to be somewhere here…

With a click, the spaciousness of the coldness around them was shown to all types of food under the weak light bulb hung from the wooden beams. Smoked fish, canned peaches, countless sacks of potatoes, beans, lentils and spices. Flo tried to move closer, but gave collision to the gawking wolf who didn't react a flinch to her, yet she didn't find any interest, rubbed her shoulder and moved around him.

"Pack as much as we can carry. We'll need it all," she said in closeness to the healthy potatoes, which she pawed into her knapsack in precision.

"We're just taki— we can't just take their food," Jim argued, but Flo didn't even bat a thought, the emptiness of her sack being chased by every beat of her heart. Her tongue was annoyed at the sight, but it wasn't a hard task to just keep on going, keep on stuffing.

Both she and Jim were now sitting on top their knapsacks, in the recent darkness they had given permission to, waiting patiently in face to the trapdoor's essence. Flo was helping herself silently to an apple, and Jim had hesitantly accepted a smoked fish. He had tried to defy her, but she knew his stomach would betray him, hunger always did.

Time was but an illusion, especially since they had disposed of their phones due to the offline tracking capabilities. Would've been a good idea if she had taken an old mechanical watch, but there had been no time to spare at the early hours of their escape.

"Jim. You're munching too loud." The sigh of exasperation brushed in the scent of fish.

"I'm barely moving my jaw… and you're like… next to me." Flo used her paw and realized he had truly been like next to her. No wonder why each movement of his was reaching decibels-improper.

"Oh…" With a lick upon the trail of apple juices, she inched as close as possible to him and snuggled herself into her coat, awaiting without any further thoughts, and wondering if what she had would be enough, if it would get them out of this place unscathed. They couldn't have been spotted and reported so fast, since no one could've recognized them in these thick outfits, during their walk to the inn. It might've been a strike of unluck to the controversial arrival of their pursuers, yet in doubtfulness she couldn't be sure of the either sides of coin's possibilities.

"What're we doing, Rose?" The less they talked, the better chances of not getting found. "Clue me in, what's wrong with you?" There was nothing wrong with her, what was wrong with him? Didn't he understand the situation they were in? He was an officer of the law and should have had the instincts of reading the environment, reading the clues around him. Maybe, after all, only she was able to adopt to the circumstances so easily…

Music erupted above, dust peeling off the wood from a body's steps. The trapdoor cracked open and the tall body of Mother Ann filled the spaciousness of the cellar. In the thunk of darkness, she clicked the bulb on and seated herself in closeness upon a pile of empty sacks. Flo could see something different in those wrinkles of age, but it didn't mean anything to her, yet Jim was scowling through his teeth.

"I've got 6 billfishes driftnetting for you in my inn. You brought them here, these filthy gametes. Care to explain?" What was there to explain, wasn't everything that had happened one giant mix of disinformation, manipulation and confusion? Even she didn't know the full extent of doom's recent flips.

"Nothing," Flo simply explained in its full entirety.

"Nothing? Six gametes in my inn because you did nothing?" Ann's eyes flickered, but then they just shifted to peacefulness and concern. "What's going on, Rosie? What happened in the city?" Was news travelling so slow, or was news not travelling in the first place?

"We were framed!" Jim erupted to Flo's wide-eyes. Good thing the music above was muffling everything. "They're everywhere, don't you see? Right under our noses. Spreadi—"

"Did I ask you? No. Have a net of respect!" Ann growled with the flashy disappearance of her scowl. Then, she framed her next words, "Who's everywhere, Rosie?"

"Uhhh. We've been labeled as conspiracists due to our anticitizen activities. Jim here, he was working on a police case against an organization. I believe that was what led to this."

"How'd you get thrown in the net?" Flo just shrugged, not finding the need to add those slides of information to the forceful cake.

"How can we get out of here?" Jim asked, and Ann's curios exterior was chiseled with mild confusion.

"Who hinted I'm helping you?" Jim's paw flapped on his thigh in audible disappointment. "I ain't gutting everything just because I know you, Rosie." Flo could see the disappointment morphing into something else. He was naïve, but apparently the lackful had reached its peak and was trying to pierce holes in his mind's manners. "Unless… you've got an offer?" Ann's fingers played around one another under her toothy smile. Jim stood instantly in a tingle to Flo's chest.

"What's this crap? You avarice stuck-up b—"

"Yes," Flo interjected before Jim would turn irrationality into their own knife of betrayal.

"Hmmm?" Out of her inner pocket, Flo touched upon the cold jewel and slowly got it out into the stuffed light.

"Here." Her white paw opened and exposed the silvery treasure upon the struck eyes of the moose.

"Agatha's ring!" Mother Ann snatched the offered jewelry in benevolent hunger. "Where'd— I've driftnetted everywhere—" Remorse crackled over her eyes, but then it was replaced instantly with some sort of gratification.

"She always wore it. It was always her precious little thing…" Her finger rubbed upon the topaz of emotional pricelessness. Flo found the sight unimpressive and irrational, but nothing else could be done in that involvement. This was their best shot. Ann hesitated and hesitated as the ring rolled around her fingers, as if she didn't believe it was real, as if searching for a clue of fakeness.

"Yes… this'll work." Ann put the ring on her finger and took her instant exit without another word or glance, leaving Flo's flow of thoughts and Jim's full-on bafflement. Why was he acting so strange of late? His shoulder was pushed to attract attention.

"Jim. Stop staring."

Author's notes:

Hesitance jumps around your mind,

Grooms decision thus chosen blind.

Your thoughts most succulent of snack,

All delivered by luscious feedback.

So don't hide like a tiny shrew,

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