Day 55

(Little Rat POV)

I bounce out of bed with a spring. Chianti is already awake, she looks at me like I'm something strange. Like I'm a spider looking to ensnare her. Such silly ideas I have.

I shrug, I'm just me.

Since I saw how meals like we ate with the travelers are cooked I search out a bag of the flat grains and carefully prepare the food for our breakfast. I believe the term is gruel?

“You're not pretending are you...?” [Chianti] “This isn't an act?”

“Pretending what? I'm just making our breakfast.” [Tirmin]

“By the Spirits he's an insatiable monster.” She whispers, with surprising affection. Well, she was fun last night too. Perhaps she means how we changed under the effects of that marvelous drink? I wonder, can she give me children? Well, not that I'm very concerned by that. If not, it is still a pleasant way to pass the time.

“So what are your plans for the day? Here you are, home at last. What next? Foraging for better food? Maybe something I have never seen before?” [Tirmin hopefully]

She rubs her hair. “Well you aren't wrong. My money's gone, those men here when we arrived must have taken it. I guess it's back to the supply depot to work as quartermaster. Ugh. I hope that bastard  that imprisoned us hasn't blacklisted me...”

“Sorry... what does all of that mean?” [Tirmin]

“Nothing yet. If all goes well I'll be home by day's end. With a few coins for better food than this...” She raises the wooden spoon and carefully picks a weevil out of her meal.

“I don't know, I like these bugs. Crunchy and flavorsome.” [Tirmin mumbles mouth full]

“Hmph. Well, if you like them, food is far less of a problem than I thought. Since I only need enough for myself then.” [Chianti]

“It is true that those like me can eat almost anything.” [Tirmin taking a second helping from the pot] “So what then are my duties?”

“Hmm. For now, why don't you keep the riffraff out and clean up the place?” [Chianti]

“Like you did with that weird stick at Chirrik's home?” [Tirmin]

“It's called a broom and yes that is exactly what I mean.” [Chianti]

“I can do that.” [Tirmin] “But I hope to explore this strange place soon.”

“Tomorrow. We'll go shopping. It'll look bad if I carry the food if I own a slave.” [Chianti]

“Tomorrow it is then.” [Tirmin nodding]

This home is smaller than the one I knew, neater too. I sweep the place clean quickly enough and then sit at the door gazing out at more people passing by than I have ever seen before.

I fiddle with the strange moss and fern ring as I wait. It feels soothing to the touch, like soft foliage.

As I wait I hear sounds behind me. That's funny. I'm at the door, how did she get in without my seeing? I enter and come face to face with a scruffy, dark haired man sifting through our travelling gear.

He's too busy to notice me. It looks like he crawled in through an unfastened window. Interesting, I didn't know you could do that with a window.

I walk up and greet him in gestures, since I'm not supposed to talk.

He startles, jumping back waving a sharp bit of metal at me. His eyes are scared. At first.

“So, you're all alone little fuzzball?” He lowers the knife. “I heared you came back from the dark tunnels wit treasures... surely you've got some hid away. Show me where and I donts make your lungs pop!”

Hmm. I suppose that was a threat. I don't like the look of this guy much.

My tail coils around the leg of a chair as I raise a hand, as if thinking about the offer. The man lowers the knife a little, since he's bigger and armed. At the moment he seems most focused I point at the window with a look of horror. He turns, falling for the feint so perfectly. He looks back at me in time to greet the back of the chair as it kisses him in the mouth, as I swing it with both hands.

He falls, crumpled in a heap. I give him another for good measure and then search him. Hmm. The pale metal in flat circles? Silver Chirrik called it I think? I confiscate several. I take the knife as well.

Hmm.

Not knowing what else to do I heave the man back out the way he came in. Then I inspect the window, since I recall closing it. Ah, there is a block of some kind in the latch, so it doesn't shut properly. Who would do such a thing? I remove it and close the window properly.

I hear someone shouting strange words out there but pay it no mind, nothing to do with me.

“Fuckin' rat!” [Thief] “Mother fuckin' dirty, poxed rat!”

See? Nothing to do with me. I'm clean, since I groomed myself an hour ago.

Chianti eventually appears, looking a little grim.

“Well, good news and bad news. Good news, I have a job. Bad news, I was demoted. Some asshole saw my vacant seat and stole it.” [Chianti]

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“So? We just steal that seat right back from the hole in the ass. What does it look like? Wood?” [Tirmin]

She held her face in her hands for a while, before explaining that it wasn't really a chair.

“So... more of a stool?” [Tirmin]

She just stared at me and sighed.

“Well we could just beat this ass with a hole until he gives it back.” [Tirmin]

“As much as I would love to do that, it won't work.” [Chianti]

She looked around the room a bit.

“It seems quite neat, not bad considering you live in filth.” She noticed something white on the floor. “Teeth? Did those squatters fight in here?”

Oh, that reminds me.

I hold out the silver.

“I found this.” [Tirmin]

“Money! This looks like some of my savings... where did you find it?” [Chianti]

“Over there, in some man's coat.” [Tirmin]

“Where's the coat now?” She asked curious.

“I threw it out the window.” I tell the truth since I have nothing to hide.

“Oh, It must be gone by now then. Those rag-pickers are quick.” [Chianti] “I brought us some cheap pub fare for our nightly meal. It may not be much but... oh right. You won't care as long as you can eat it.”

“Yes.” I reply happily.

The food in question is a parcel of some chalky substance filled with something salty and savory. Not terrible. A 'pastie' I think it was called?

She goes quiet for a long time.

“What is the matter?” [Tirmin]

“Well...” She says sheepishly, with a hint of something else. “I did manage to get another bottle of this cheap swill we enjoyed so much... I was hoping we might enjoy it this night as we did the last.”

That sounds grand!

We quickly open the jar and have a glass, but for some reason she seems to be only sipping it instead of gulping it like the last night.

After I've had a second large glass, I feel a little warm. She pulls me away to bed. Well, if she feels tired, I can't blame her. It must have been a long day. The jar is still half-full. Strange, we finished it last time. Anyhow she is still as affectionate tonight, if a little more coy. She also doesn't doze off until we've finished our little games for the seventh time, instead of the fourth.

Day 56

I wake up first.

I fix us some breakfast and wait for her to awaken.

When she notices me staring, waiting for her she seems embarrassed.

“Oh, I'm sorry. You need to get changed.” I turn around and wait.

She places a hand on my shoulder. It lingers there for a while, then it slides down my fur. Is she playing with it?

“It's so soft...” She murmurs. “And you're a relentless beast...” The words sound like insults but the tone is so different they sound pleasant. I don't really get it.

She glances at the bowl of gruel.

“There aren't any beetles this time. I had them for lunch yesterday.” [Tirmin]

She looked a little ill for a moment then seemed to nod to herself before asking rhetorically. “You're surprisingly useful, aren't you?” She then ate her meal, even commenting “You really got them all? They burrow in deep, so how did you find them?”

“I sniffed them out.” [Tirmin]

“Huh... your nose is that sensitive? Um, what do you smell when you are close to me?” [Chianti]

“I smell all of you, of course.” [Tirmin]

“Doesn't that... smell bad? I have no cosmetics or toiletries yet...” [Chianti]

“Nonsense, it is not 'bad'. I like your smell. It reminds me of the time we've shared, on the road, in bed...” [Tirmin]

She blushed again, like she did when she woke up. Interesting.

Our time out during the day before her return to work is short and there is no time to spend sightseeing. After dinner we spend our time together like before, only this time Chianti pretends to drink but barely sips her share of the alcohol. I don't either, since I'm curious about this. We go to bed early and skip the hugging.

I don't think I got more than a wink or two of sleep. She rode me until she gave up in exhaustion. I like this game. I win at it a lot.

What we learned:

Tirmin: Lady Killer Extrordinaire.

Little rat is stronger than he looks, to be able to haul a grown man his own weight out the window.

He's also a stud under the sheets too, apparently...

Chianti: love struck. It seems she's lying to herself about just how much little rat rocks her world, with the whole 'getting drunk' act.

Sorry about how late this is (a week) I'm going to try to keep a decent pace now, I just got distracted for a few days...