In which Cecile shares a moment with Kosanji at the Caleria inn.
This is the shortest chapter I've done, but I really like writing for Cecile and the dogs.
The stars outside the window of her room at the inn twinkled tauntingly. They were free and unfettered in the sky, able to look down anywhere they wished without anything to stop them. Cecile wrinkled her nose and breathed in the steam curling up from her hot mug of spiced Calerian cream.
"O-Oooo," Kosanji whimpered from the foot of her bed.
"I know, Kosanji…" she sighed and ran a comforting hand across his back. "I want to go home too."
The dog restlessly nuzzled at his dish of breadcrumbs. It was hard seeing him so idle. Although their trip across Mountain Path went smoothly, the heavy snow that followed immediately put a damper on their return. Kosanji seemed just as impatient to resume their travel as she was.
Some garrison commander I am...sitting here drinking spiced cream instead of training!
"It never snows in Caleria. They say a storm like this only comes once every hundred years, Kosanji," she laughed to herself. "I suppose this means I'm lucky, right? Not many people can experience a once-in-a-lifetime thing like this..."
Another squall of snow began outside the window, and the stars were blocked from view. Her mind drifted back home. Was everyone okay in her absence? Was the castle safe? Miss Yun, Sir Fred, Juan...Master Thomas...were they doing well? When did she receive her last letter?
The last letter…
Her most recent correspondence with Budehuc was a handwritten note from Thomas two weeks prior. The castle master's tone was light and friendly—a list of upcoming castle repairs that needed to be completed come springtime, a new recipe Mamie rolled out for the winter months, details surrounding the names of new residents, and an entire paragraph about his experience learning to use a bow and arrow on a hunting trip with Kinnison.
She read the whole thing from beginning to end multiple times and had nearly every word memorized.
"O-Oooo…"
"At least I have you here, Kosanji...I don't know if I'd be brave enough to ring in the new year all by myself!" Cecile tried to keep herself chipper for the dog's sake, but her words felt hollow. "You know, I had a New Year's resolution all ready to go!"
Kosanji sniffled. Whether it was in disinterest or curiosity was unknown, but she preferred to interpret it as an invitation to continue.
"I was going to resolve to continue protecting everyone, even better than last year!"
"O-Oooo…"
"Ah...I knew you'd see through me," Cecile sighed and set her mug aside before curling underneath her blankets. "I wasn't being wholly honest. It's true, I do want to get stronger, but…"
The truth was harder to admit.
"Actually...it's more of a wish than anything," she mumbled. "Kosanji, can you keep a secret…?"
The dog yawned, his dish of breadcrumbs licked clean. He was about to settle down and sleep, so if there was any time to confess deep, dark secrets, now was best.
"My wish…"
If I say it aloud, it makes it real.
"I wish Master Thomas would write a whole paragraph about me like he did for Sir Kinnison, Kosanji."