Remind me to never try to update this fic at midnight, as i accidentally submitted this Chapter to Seven Years Too Soon instead of...yknow... right here
the mistake has been fixed though
Round and round the cobbler's bench
The monkey chased the weasel
Then he said 'twas all in fun
Pop! Goes the weasel
A ring for a spool of thread
A ring for a needle
That's the way the money goes
Pop! Goes the weasel!
"Very good!" Brew laughed, finishing his playing with a final strum. "You got a nice voice there - it could really grow into something beautiful."
"Really?" Silver beamed, stars shining in his eyes and feet drumming against the wooden seat on the wagon head.
"Sure!" The brown cat smiled. "Most kids can't even hold a tune."
"Did you hear that Shadow?" Silver giggled, leaning over the side to wave at the hedgehog.
Shadow had opted to walk on the road rather than ride in the wagon. Although he had agreed it would be best for Silver to get exposed to animals much larger than himself, the ranger still had obvious paranoias that presented in the fact he walked at a specific distance where he could see both Brew and Silver in the corner of his red eyes. Unfortunately, this had not gone unnoticed by the traveling entertainer.
"I don't know if he can hear you over that distance." He jabbed, with a smile crossing his white muzzle.
"I am walking ten paces from the wagon wheels." Shadow bluntly responded. "A perfectly respectful distance to both you and your animal."
"Ah but do ya have to?" Brew smirked. "Or is the ranger afraid of a workhorse."
"If I were afraid of your horse, I would be in Savannah City by now." Shadow responded.
"He can run suuuper fast!" Silver chimed in, waving his hands for effect. "Teach me another song! Another one!"
"Alright then." Brew shrugged, pulling his fingers to a G chord.
Sing hey! To the girl in the little red dress
As she skips here along bringing wine and fest
With an up
And a down
And a cheer all around
She dances on her heels
Sing Ho! To the boy in the fine pressed suit
As he turns his nose up to unruly jest
With a hoot
And a howl
And a laugh all around
He's humbled by his mess
Laughing with joy, Silver picked up where Brew left off, and burst into song through the first and second verse - his shrill voice carrying through the veldt like a bird on a clear morning.
Sing hey! to the mayor in his high class boots
Sing ha! To the maid with her ribboned hooves
With a cheer
And a clank of our world class breewwwww
We jig and we dance till the setting moon
"Shadow!" Silver called, as he leaned out of the wagon once more. "Why don't you join us?"
"What do you mean?" Shadow asked, turning his hooded head to look at the hoglet.
"He means loosen up a little!" Brew laughed, carrying on his cheerful strumming. "Quit being a suspicious suzy and sing!"
"I don't sing." Shadow bluntly responded.
"You don't?" Silver asked as Brew intentionally played an awful sounding chord.
"I do not." Shadow affirmed.
"What, did someone take your voice away or something?" Brew prodded.
"I haven't sung in at least a hundred years." Shadow answered. "All desire is lost."
"Awww so the widdle wangewr is scaywerd." Brew taunted, balling his gloves and wiping fakely at his eyes.
Shadow merely rolled his eyes. Turning his head to look back down the road, the hedgehog took a few steps further away from the wagon. It was then that Brandy gave a flick of her head.
"Oh I know!" Brew exclaimed, patting her massive neck. "Shadow is being such a killjoy! Isn't he, Brandy?"
The horse tossed her flaxen mane once more, giving a small snort in response to her master.
"He's being such a stick in the mud!" Brew continued. "An unpleasant paper bag-"
"A stick in the mud?" Silver asked.
"A person who does not-" Brew snapped, jutting his nose out towards the ranger. "-like to have fun."
"Shadow never has fun." Silver shrugged. "He's too busy."
"Busy is not exactly the correct word, but look." Shadow spoke, pointing down the road. "Savannah City is just over the horizon."
Silver immediately turned his head to follow the direction Shadow had pointed. True to his word, the outlines of spires and towers had begun to peek over the skyline, almost seeming tiny behind the length of a finger. But to be visible from that far away? The hoglet guessed the structures must be absolutely massive. But there was no way that anything could be that big, right?
As Brew struck up another song, Silver watched as the structures in the distance grew steadily larger and larger- taking up more and more of the sky. Awe and wonder filled the gold eyes as the decaying structures began to show their true forms, with jagged edges and slanted sides. Destruction must have once struck the area as several of the tall buildings had fallen over, leaning on sturdier constructions with unnerving balance.
Other voices began to join Brew's as more and more travelers began to merge with the road, either opting to clap along or sing with the jolly tune. Seeing that the cat was not directing the wagon, Shadow stepped to Brandy's side - reaching up with his leather gloves and pulling on the dangling reins until he had her bridle under his control.
Even though Silver sang along when he could, he still found himself staring at the massive city before him. How on earth could anyone build such things as massive as this? What kind of power did it take to even conceive of such massive things? Even worse, what kind of power did it take to nearly destroy it all?
"Silver." Shadow called over the cheerful singing collection of merchants and nomads. "Don't let anyone touch you."
"Okay!" The hoglet chirped back, sliding to the middle of the wagonhead where no one could reach his ivory pelt.
Right as his golden eyes looked up from the oakwood seat, a structure along the horizon caught his attention. A reddened construction of brick and steel arced its way around the border of the city, decorated by dense wooden gates even more impressive than the River Village. As the travelers grew closer, abandoned structures of stone and black rock dotted the landscape - long empty and overgrown with dead grass and trees. Silver couldn't help but watch as the merry band passed by one such place. Engraved letters watched back as the roofless place sadly stood by the roadside, the erodin - L - Y carving fading in the scorching sun.
The sun began to creep low along the horizon as the travelers finally reached the Savannah City north gate. The hoglet found his jaw hanging as he tilted his head up to watch the opened gate tower over him. Even as they passed through the brick and cobble structure, Silver found himself in awe at wooden doors - they had to have been as wide as Shadow was tall. What would it be like to build a gate like that? Easily fifty paces tall, two paces thick, with brick and stone weighing unimaginable exponents.
Even though his jaw was hanging as he passed through the extremely impressive fortifications, Silver was not prepared for the majesty of Savannah city itself. Cobbled roads and colorful stalls lined the roads with sights and smells enough to make Silver's head spin with curiosity and delight. Mountains of spices, stained with reds, oranges, and browns, that filled the air with curiously delicious smells. Barrels upon barrels of the healthiest grains and wheat that Silver had ever seen. Fabrics of red and orange reached between the buildings and strung on ropes and chain, providing excellent protection from the sun's harsh bite. Dogs pulling carts of fruit and goods, padding from one stall to the other by the handler's direction. Leatherworks, papermakers, inkmakers, glassblowers, all kinds of people Silver had never seen all in one place of overstimulating wonder.
To take the cake was the view upwards. Tilting his head back, Silver found himself in awe of the massive steel buildings that burst out of the landscape. Such works of engineering and craftsmanship seemed impossible to build. No amount of ropes or wood could even surpass such aged structures. Even as some had fallen on their sides and been hollowed by the surrounding inhabitants, the sheer size alone seemed impossible to make. Even with the world's master craftsmen couldn't even build something remotely as impressive.
It almost was like the towers disappeared into the sky.
"This is where we will leave you, Brew." Shadow spoke, gaining the cat's attention by tossing Brandy's reins back over her neck. "I thank you for the lift."
Before Brew could make any snarky remarks, the ranger had reached into his back pouch and produced a link of rings - flicking it into the air with a satisfying clink.
"Oh?" Brew exclaimed, surprised by Shadow's gesture and the sudden money tossed into his hands. "You're giv'n me five?"
"For your generous offer." Shadow spoke, gesturing for Silver to hop off the wagon. "A 'thank you', if you want to be technical."
"Well it's the least I could do for your young one." Brew smiled, lazily saluting two of his fingers against his forehead. "Hope to see you 'round ranger."
With the flick of his reins and a long note from his throat, Brew struck up another song and drove Brandy around a corner, disappearing from Silver's sight as he waved a goodbye. Silver waved until the wagon was completely out of sight, a smile across his face and vigor in his veins.
"There are a few things you should know about being here." Shadow spoke, grabbing the hoglet's hand tightly. "Work animals are not for touching."
"Work animals?" Silver asked as the adult began to walk, finding himself pulled closer to the ranger's side than normal.
"Dogs, horses, cattle, sheep - any animal that can be seen ridden or pulling a cart." Shadow explained. "Its safe to assume any animal is not safe to touch, as you can be bitten.
As Shadow spoke on, Silver found himself staring at a well dressed lady as she rode atop her Shamar hound with head held high and fur perfectly combed. Such brilliant blue clothing had never been seen by the hoglet before, nor had he seen a bridle laid with gold. The various tassels and glistening threads shone in the clouded light, casting a yellow illuminance around both dog and rider. As she disappeared down the street, a potter spinning clay into bowls caught the hoglet's attention as he smeared more substance onto his project. Before he could watch more, the child found his attention pulled by a tapestry displayed on a rack - a gold hedgehog with flaming fur reaching into the stars with colors so vibrant Silver could have sworn it was made from mobian fur.
"Are you listening?" Shadow snapped, squeezing the hoglet's hand for attention.
"Huh?" Silver grunted, turning his ivory head to look at Shadow's hooded face.
"Silver, it is extremely important." Shadow growled. "I need you to pay attention."
"But there's so much stuff to look at…"
Before he could say another word, Shadow slipped into an alley - away from all the sights, sounds, and stimulus.
"Listen to me closely." Shadow spoke, voice low and serious as he crouched down to look Silver directly into the gold eyes. "I want you to be as safe as possible."
Silver only found himself nodding.
"Don't touch anything." The adult ordered. "A lot of things here are spiked with drugs and addictive substances in order to form habits. Do not touch anything unless I say you can, as at your age such drugs can be lethal."
"Lethal?"
"You will die."
Silver felt his muzzle flush pale. He was way too young to die, if merely touching the wrong thing could kill him here, it must be super important to stay very close to Shadow.
"Do not let anyone touch you." Shadow growled. "If anyone intentionally pokes, touches, or even grabs you, I need to know right away."
"Why?"
"You're young and small." Shadow sighed. "A critical stage for forming addictions. If you get Circus on you it can stay on your skin for a few hours. If you happen to inhale it at a later time, you can get high and risk dependency."
Silver stared blankly at the adult in front of him.
"If someone touches you, they're trying to get you addicted to a deadly drug." Shadow clarified. "Remember what I said about Amanita mushrooms?"
Silver nodded.
"Brain damage." The hoglet responded. "Because I'm still developing."
"Very good." Shadow nodded. "Now, repeat back to me what I don't want you to do."
"Don't touch anything." Silver recalled. "And tell you if anyone touches me."
"Very good." Shadow spoke, satisfied with the answer. "Now stick close to me and do not let go of my hand."