It was the perfect day for fishing. The morning was crisp and fresh and the sun had fully made its warm presence known throughout the valley that Gee called home. A light sparkle of snow drifted through the air, and listed lazily upon the earth’s light breaths as everything simply was. Despite the obvious serenity, Gee had of course packed enough extras just in case the weather suddenly turned south. Thanks to the mountains that cupped the valley he called home, the weather was often volatile. It would be sunny one moment, then a few drifting clouds would suddenly dump several feet of snow or rain in the span of an hour. Gee blamed it on the Tower that jabbed upwards like a rude gesture to the skies. Even now he could almost taste the silently crackling ether that surrounded the place. Its presence was an oppressive weight that made Gee feel as if he was constantly being watched. He shook his head and tore his gaze away and sighed as the sensation abated somewhat. Such was life in Terraides.
He turned back to his destination and relished the soft crunches of the snow beneath his feet. The rope about his waist tugged gently and reminded him of the sled that carried his gear and supplies. A newly carved fishing pole stuck out proudly to one side. Gee was proud of it, having taken several evenings to get the supple ash wood just right. Hopefully this new pole would manage to withstand the carp in the lake. He salivated a bit at the thought. A little oil, some of that nice dried prostratus he had hanging, all rounded out with a few earth apples would do him nicely. Gee wiped a mittened hand over his mouth. Man couldn’t live on yesterday’s bread alone. Especially not when he could have fish and potatoes.
A crack in the distance shot through the trees and Gee instinctively flinched and threw himself prostrate before he realized that it was the sound of ice breaking rather than a spellform. He hauled himself to his feet and took off, his crunching having turned into a full on chewing of the snow as he raced to see what poor bastard had fallen through. His bait can and several other items fell off the sled, but Gee kept running. He knew all too well how quickly the freezing temperatures could seep into the bones. It was a race against time before numbed limbs finally lost their strength and allowed whomever it was to slip under the water for their final sleep.
As Gee exited the treeline, he wasn’t sure if he was more or less worried to see that the hapless victim of the thin ice wasn’t human. Water-logged furry limbs thrashed about as the figure struggled to keep their head afloat. Gee tore the rope harness from his waist and dug through what was left of his fishing gear. The line that he used for trussing was too thin. He eyed the hempen rope on the sled and grunted in frustration before yanking the clasp of his knife sheath free. Gee thanked his past self for getting the blade enchanted despite the cost as it slipped through the twisted line with hardly any resistance. A quick loop and a knot and Gee began to whirl the rope in preparation for a throw.
“Hey! You gotta keep calm! Take as deep a breath as you can, it’ll help you float!” He whirled the rope above his head and mentally judged the distance. “I’m gonna toss ya a line, grab hold and I’ll pull you in!” The thrashing abated by a fraction and Gee bit his lip in apprehension as he loosed. Thankfully, it was as perfect a throw as he could have hoped for as the rope splashed down within reaching distance of the panicking creature. “Grab hold!”
It did. Hooking an arm through the loop that Gee had tied, the sodden and panicked creature secured itself for hauling. With a mighty grunt, Gee pulled the rope over his shoulder and began walking towards the trees. The rope grew taut and dug into him, but Gee continued to trudge forward until he could hear the ruffle of snow that indicated that the creature had made it to land. He dropped the rope and hastened back. As Gee approached, he could finally tell that the exhausted and shivering creature was a C’amine, the result of an ancient, powerful magic that had swept up countless animals and left them transformed in its wake. Birds, wolves, dogs, bears, all manner of animals had found themselves suddenly capable of higher thought and in possession of altered anatomy that made them more akin to a human than their untransformed counterparts.
Gee knelt by his sled and pulled a sheet of waxed canvas free. Intended to be a waterproof liner, it would certainly help keep the C’amine free of the wind. As he swept the canvas over the shivering figure, Gee wondered how on earth she had gotten separated from her pack.
“Now that’ll help keep you from freezing further, but we need ta get ya back to my place. I don’t got anything that’ll dry ya with me and we need to be quick about it. Don’t bother trying walking, let’s get ya on the sled.”
A chattering nod was the only response and Gee could have only imagined it for all of the shaking and shivering that the poor lady was doing. He shoved the crate filled with fishing paraphernalia off the sled and half dragged, half lifted the C’amine onto it. Hopefully no one else could stumble upon his abandoned gear, but things could be replaced. A life was more important. Once settled, Gee began the arduous process of dragging the sodden and frozen creature back home.
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Now wrapped in several layers of blankets and staring pensively at her savior, Mutia fought back the chill that had penetrated far past her undercoat. She watched as the human male dragged a large metal tub next to the fire that crackled and roared in the single roomed home. A twist of the knob that was attached to one end and the spell circuit was complete. Water began rushing out of the metal spout as a secondary circuit began heating the container. Mutia shivered again, but not because of the chill. Was the man planning on cooking her? Did he save her from drowning only for a different nefarious purpose? A small whine left her muzzle unbidden and the man looked over.
“I reckon ya haven’t seen one o’ these before?” His chuckle seemed kind enough, but Mutia wouldn’t let her guard down quite that easily. “It took me a few years to save up enough, but nothing’s better on aches, clothes, and dishes than a hot water tub. Don’t worry, it’s clean. I scrubbed it out just yesterday. Was planning on taking a bath in it myself, but eh… needs must.”
The man busied himself around the room, opening several drawers and pulling out some dried meat, some earth apples, and some kind of grain before making his way to the one table. A knife was unsheathed and Mutia growled in warning. She knew it was too good to be true! He was going to make a porridge out of her!
The man blinked in surprise. “Now, I don’t know what ya thought I was gonna do with this lady, but I assure ya that this ain’t for you. Well, the food is, but not the knife.”
Mutia burrowed deeper into the blankets as she glared at the man. Why would he offer food? He wasn’t pack and she was weak. Now would be the best time to slay her. What was his actual purpose? Her eyes never left the knife as the man began to chop at the food on the table.
The man chuckled. “I see you don’t exactly trust me. Look, you’re all skin and bone. I don’t know when ya last ate, but goin’ out to the middle of the lake was downright stupid o’ ya.”
Mutia growled at the man. She was not stupid!
“Don’t you give me none o’ that. I'm just trying ta' help.” The man leveled a glare of his own at Mutia before he finished his chopping and set the now sheathed knife on the far end of the table. “Now I’m gonna get this on the boil and you are gonna get into the tub. I suggest ya get in nice and slow-like. While ya soak, I’m gonna go knock on a few doors and see if I can’t rustle up some clothes for ya. Can’t help I got a good look earlier, but I’m sure ya would prefer a little modesty. I’m pretty sure that Miss Laurent would have my guts for garters if I didn’t.”
Mutia warily eyed the man as he tipped the earth apples into the bubbling cauldron. Clothes? She never had really worried about it before, but mother had always told her that humans were weird about things like that. It was one of the many reasons why Mutia had preferred to stay away from the humans. Well, most humans. The Tower was an exception. Until recently, Mutia and her mother had been allowed to stay within its hallowed walls and the automatons within didn’t care whether or not Mutia was clothed. There had been a few human servants as well, but they had largely ignored her as well. Only the wizard had cared, so Mutia had worn a simple gown whenever he was around.
She watched as the man stirred the dried meat that smelled of bison and the grains that smelled of barley into the cauldron before turning his attention to the tub. Steam was rising from it and the man tested it with his hand before nodding and turning off the circuit.
“Water’s ready. Remember, get in slow.” With that the man trooped to the door and exited, letting in a cold draft before closing it behind him.
She waited there in the blankets for a long moment more and listened to the sound of the man’s retreating footsteps. Once Mutia was certain that the man wasn’t tricking her and hanging around, she shrugged them off and crept forward to peer into the tub. Her nails clacked on the wood and she sniffed hesitantly at the water. It didn’t smell odd as she expected. Unlike the Tower’s water this circuit didn’t add the smell of herbs; likely one of the reasons why the man could afford such a thing. She dipped a finger in and gasped as the heat seized her. How many months had it been since she last was able to bathe in warm water? The last time was at the Tower and even then it was an entire room dedicated to bathing. Having it all compressed into a tub was quite the departure from her memories. As she gripped the edge of the tub, Mutia followed the man's advice and slowly inched in her foot before gasping at the sharp sensation. She steeled herself before pushing more and more of her body into the water and grit her teeth at the lancing pains that assaulted her.
The tub was just deep enough to fully submerge herself up to her chest, but not quite long enough to prevent her from needing to bend her knees in order to fit. Still, the water was just the right temperature and the pinprick tingles let Mutia know that full feeling was being restored to her limbs. It was still a bit painful, but she forced herself to acclimate. Eventually the prickling subsided and Mutia sighed in relief. Her thoughts slowed as the water soothed away the worries and her head drooped onto her chest. The human had trusted her enough to leave her alone in his home and had even left behind the knife. Perhaps she could relax for just a moment.