The auction house performed three auctions a week on the regular. There were also special event auctions for the wealthy and festivals, though those weren’t important for Mouse or Taiga’s goal. Mouse’s focus rested solely on finding a linlao, and as they entered the estate grounds, he kept his eyes peeled for the creatures.

A crash drew their attention. Beneath a tent a dozen meters away, a lumbering creature of fur ripped from its handlers, falling against several crates. It flailed, and several people ran to help, pulling on its reins and calming the creature.

Subdued, it whined, and Mouse turned from it. Taiga walked on, and Mouse took several quick steps to catch up. Ahead of them, a mansion grand enough to hold events for nobility alit with activity. Staff and workers ran about, handling things Mouse didn’t care about. Most frequented the entrance to the mansion, though signs for the auction led to the right of it.

“There’s another auction this evening. Invitation only for higher bid items,” Taiga commented.

“We’re not going to that one?”

Taiga shook his head. “Of course not. We’re looking for a working linlao, remember? Not one bred for flashy colors and display. The morning auction is open to anyone, according to this,” he waved a leaflet someone handed him at the gate, “and focuses on more common animals, for farmwork and the like.”

“Hmm, is that so?” Mouse peered through the open side gate into the mansion, catching the sight of a long, pink tongue slithering from between the bars of a crate.

He smiled, “found one,” and trotted off.

Taiga latched onto his arm and pulled him back. “Did we not discuss this.”

“I just want to look.”

Taiga sighed, releasing him. He pinched the space between his brow a moment before speaking. “The plan is for me to distract the handlers, while you snag one. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” His eyes didn’t waver from the pink tongue. “But—”

“Those are probably for tonight’s auction. So no. The last thing we need is to anger a bunch of rich people and be charged with theft for some exotic, special linlao.”

Mouse had seen those sorts of linlao only once, when he’d tagged along with Taiga as an escort for a foreign emissary. If he recalled correctly, it was some sort of rich people flower viewing party. Taiga had told him that it was really a place to show off their prizes and rebalance the social stature of the nobility, or something.

He’d seen proud, independent linlao of various colors trotted around with women of status sitting upon them. They held parasols and fans in their hands, while handlers kept the linlao in line. Disgusting. Keeping ornate beasts beneath them while they wore silks and fineries atop must have given them a sense of superiority.

Taiga would likely be angry if he broke all of them free. He supposed they might get in trouble. Which would then prevent them from getting to Leryn Forest. And he wouldn’t be able to make sure Pnendua was safe. It frustrated him, but Taiga was right. He needed to stay focused. He refrained.

When tents and seating came into view around the side of the mansion, Mouse pulled back and let Taiga go ahead. He glanced around at the common folk scattered about. Most had found a seat beneath a large tent, though a few mingled about, speaking in loud and familial tones. They dressed in oversized, worn-down tunics from working the fields.

At the back of the tent, a large wooden platform stood with a ramp. There was no podium as Mouse expected, but a table with signs and cards strewn about. Taiga strode past them and the tent, and Mouse followed behind with a lag, growing the space between them. He tensed as a group of men laughed boisterously near him, and Mouse hurried forward to get away from them.

Beyond the tent, groups of cattle and horses were handled by workers. A few cases and stacked boxes blocked most of the attendees view from the animals. A guard stood nearby, casually glancing from box to case. To the left, closer to the mansion, several large, metal crates stood. Each crate ran three meters long and nearly as high, fitted on wheeled carts to carry them across the field.

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Taiga waved to the guard closest to the crates, walking up to him and saying something. Mouse trailed around the back of the crates at leisure, peering into them and catching glimpses of large, feathered creatures curled into the back of their prisons.

“I’m sure this is the right place, though. I’ve got a mission for this estate.” Taiga flashed the guard his mercenary license. “I don’t want to go back and get in trouble because I didn’t follow through making sure there’s a job or not. Can you show me to the owner? I’d rather make sure, than to go back and regret it.”

Mouse glanced back towards the mansion, catching sight of that pink tongue through the open gateway. Sure, these linlao would be good companions, but, well, a peek at those wouldn’t hurt, right? He veered away from the farm working linlao.

“Yeah, I don’t want to lose this job over a mistake either. I’ll show you the way.” The guard nodded, waving his hand forward and beckoning Taiga with it.

Mouse crouched down, darting towards the mansion after checking for any wandering eyes. When he reached a line of hedges nestled against the main building, he looked back towards the crated linlao. He made eye contact with Taiga, who followed the guard towards the tent.

Taiga’s eyes widened, then narrowed at him. Ah, he was probably worried Mouse would get them in trouble. But Mouse remembered the plan; common markings, mild-mannered, and young. Mouse shot an arm up to him, giving him a thumbs up and a smile, to ease any worries. He had this under control. Taiga’s mouth dropped at him. Then he stumbled, caught himself, and turned back to the guard who said something to him.

Now that he and Taiga were on the same page, Mouse scurried through the gate, and hid behind a couple boxes. He peered around the room just enough to make sure no one saw him. But luck must’ve been on his side, because not a single person walked about. He smiled again, crouching behind a wooden case while inching towards the metal cells he’d seen the tongue before.

The tongue stuck through the cells again, shooting across the walkway, and to a cloth sack hanging from a post. The tongue prodded the bottom, wriggling between the fibers, and pulling at the small hole. The tongue slung back between the metal bars, before darting back to the bag.

Mouse crept to the bag, loosening the knot on it just enough to sneak a look inside. Thousands of mealworms squirmed within. A small tap drew his eyes beneath the bag, where a couple mealworms freed themselves through the hole. The tongue shot at them, snagging the worms and yanking them back into the shadows of the cage.

“You want these?” Mouse checked around them once more before stepping into the walkway, and came up against the cage.

Within, a beast several meters in length easily two meters in height stood. It was feathered heavily along its spine, plumage spreading along its sides and replaced by silk, almost velvety skin on its underbelly. A hard shell shown from the darkness, beakened lips over a wide, salamander face. Large, black eyes peered at him from the sides of its head.

Its attention on Mouse, it arched its back forward, reaching nearly three meters in height, despite the cage’s limitations. Black feathers glistened in the light, speckled in whites and a sheen of purples and greens from oiled feathers.

A Starling.

He grinned. Taiga would surely be pleased.

“Hey there. You hungry?” Its black eyes borrowed into his, trying to interpret his tone. It seemed to accept him as a non-threat, its eyes swiveling back to the bag and easing to the cage’s bars.

Mouse untied the bag from its post, dropping it into his arm. He reached in, grabbing a small handful of mealworms. They wriggled in his grasp as he pulled them out. He unfurled his fingers in front of the cage, and the linlao struck its tongue at him, snatching most of them up and munching on them.

“I’ll give you more if you come with me.” Mouse unlatched the door easily, snapping a chain and pulling it free from the door. He took one more glance around. Out the door, the sounds of the auctioneer introducing himself echoed. They wouldn’t even notice them slipping away.

He slid the door open slowly to avoid creaking of the old metal, and grabbed the linlao’s lead hooked inside the cage. The rope loosely pulled against the linlao’s neck, though the linlao didn’t notice. It stuck its face into the bag of mealworms, gobbling a mouthful before Mouse pulled it back.

“Hey, come on. We’ve got to be sneaky, okay?” The linlao glanced at him, before moving for the bag again. “No, come on!”

Mouse shoved the nose of the linlao back. He wrapped the lead around his arm, held out another handful of mealworms, and led the creature out. A whine from another cell caught his attention. Bright blues showed in the light before disappearing further into the cell. He bit back pity as the Starling dove for the bag again.

“Hey, you’ll get more, come on,” He whispered to it, pulling the tie on the sack to shrink the opening so only his hand fit through. He grabbed another small handful, and backed through the gate and behind the hedges. The great beast followed without reservation, licking up a mealworm that fell from his hand.

They slipped past the hedges, around the back of the estate, and towards an orchard. Nearly everyone in sight was engrossed in the auction, and not one noticed them before they disappeared into the trees of the woods beyond the property.