Ruvindale was a growing city.

It could no longer be called a village, and soon not even a town. It may already not even be classified a town anymore... at least on certain documents and ledgers.

I was circling the south side of the market district, and it was a little daunting to realize how quickly this place had grown so large.

The last time I had been here, this entire section had been fields. Now there were not only buildings, but stone roads, wells, places to dump trash and refuse.

Not only had the populace grown rapidly, they were still expanding. I had just left a whole block that was still being constructed. What had looked to be an entire new district was being built, by not just the common workers and people who owned it, but the knights and servants of the church here.

A growing populace. An ever expanding city. A rarity this close to Snowfall, since it got so cold during the winter...

There also seemed to be a new trade route with the river village not far from here, and it seemed to be, seemingly, strong.

It seemed they exported furs and fish, and imported cheese and pigs... A rather well made trade, to be honest. An equal trade. A trade that would benefit and allow all involved to grow and flourish.

Whoever had negotiated it, most likely the church, had done a good job. It was rare for such close towns to do such honest business with each other.

“Not for ten! I'll give you eight, not a single renk more!” a woman complained to a stall worker.

I studied the stall worker as I walked past, and knew they would already give in. The man even looked a little happy; he probably would have even gone lower if she had pressured him.

She felt good about herself nonetheless as she was handed a bag of carrots.

Although there was still a layer of snow on the ground, the snow was dirty. Old. There had been a few days since the last snowfall.

It was honestly time to leave. Lomi didn't seem ready, but if we didn't then I'd not get her out of here.

“Pardon me sir!”

I stopped and watched a young boy run up. He gave a half grin as he looked up at me, and pointed to a nearby shop. “We've got the best steak in town!” he said a little too loudly.

“Of that I have no doubt,” I said to him.

His grin grew into a full smile, revealing half a mouth of teeth. Had his adult teeth not grown in yet, or had he already lost them... to beatings, or sickness?

Before he could get too happy at finding a potential customer, I dug out a single renk coin.

Although his smile deflated a little, he still seemed happy as I gave it to him. “Stay warm kid,” I said.

“Thanks mister!” he said and ran off.

I took note of the stall owners who had watched the event. A few had smiled, nodding their heads before going back to work... but a few had shaken their heads in annoyance.

Rivalries. Different beliefs. Some were religious, some weren't.

Humans were as wildly different as we were.

Ignoring them I continued on my way.

Studying the stalls, and the signs hanging off buildings and shops, I tried to get a grasp on the current market.

It seemed furs were cheap. Some food was cheap too, like fish and pork.

Another sign that their trade route with the village down the river was a healthy one.

That also explained why Lomi's cloak had been so cheap. They had a large inventory of furs, and a steady buyer elsewhere. Made it cheap here for the locals.

If I were a merchant, I'd see opportunity around every corner here.

Too bad instead all I saw was a shrinking world.

The greater distances such towns and villages could exchange their goods, the smaller the world became.

Rumors would spread farther. Stories would get told and told, until they reached every corner of world.

It made it dangerous for those I protected.

Glancing towards the left, towards the center of the town, I studied the distant spikes and towers. The long, pointed, and detailed structures that sat in the center. Looming high over the already tall buildings that became increasingly taller the farther center into the town you went.

Some of the buildings they loomed over looked even five or six floors high. A modern feat for them. Yet the cathedral that towered even over them made me feel small. Not many things could make me feel like that.

A great castle, surrounding a greater church.

That church wasn't new to me. They've been building it up for decades. Yet it seemed it was finally done. Finally its roots were deep enough to begin its expansion.

Soon most of this city would be made of stone. Wooden buildings would be torn down and rebuilt as stone. Roads would get packed by bricks. And if this place could endure long enough, a great wall would be erected around it.

Churches built the wall to supposedly protect itself. To protect the flock they guided.

Yet the truth was much more human. They used the walls, and gates along it, to keep track of those who came and went. To keep track of the merchants, more specifically.

Right now the reason this place was profiting so well, and its market so strong, was rather blatant.

Little to no taxes.

This was thanks to there being only a few gates. The city did have walls, but they didn't encompass the whole city. Most were within the city themselves, remnants of the old boundaries before its recent expansions. Nor were there gates and walls at each road that led in and out of Ruvindale.

The moment that the real wall went up, that would change. Rules would be enforced. At least, more than they were now.

Chances were right now the only taxes collected were when the boats docked. When loading and unloading. Maybe even only during one of those.

“Fred said three,” a woman spoke to another, older, one. They were both a little more bundled up than most, probably still cold. They ignored me as I walked passed.

I was leaving the market, but it was still busy. People were still walking around and there were still businesses scattered here and there. Enough for me to still hear a few conversations.

“Howls. A sign of a storm. We'll get more snow, mark my word,” an older man said as he and what looked to be his son walked past me.

Howls... wolves likely. A superstitious man.

Glancing to the sky, I studied the cloud floating above us. It was a bright white in color, and thick. Dense.

Snow. Possibly. But not today.

After a few more minutes I began to ignore the passing people and their conversations.

They were the same as always. Worries about the weather. Food. A family member who was sick, and was now bedridden.

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My earlier assumption that this place was... safe, for now, was correct. There was of course, always a danger, to live in the same place as a large church... but Lughes and Crane should be fine. Neither looked too different than most humans. And they were both too skittish and weary to ever put themselves in positions that would allow them to be found out.

Amber was also a buffer for them. Acting as an employee, she was the one who did most of the talking and negotiating. A perfect separation for them. Keeping them even safer.

Yet even if I did decide that this place was unsafe, that didn't mean Lughes and the rest would agree with my assessment. I've given such warnings to many, and most refuse to obey. They understand the danger and my warnings. They always agree... but they are also unable to abandon their homes.

Like Lomi's family. They had undoubtedly known of the knights coming. They had to have smelled them, or heard their approach.

Yet they hadn't ran.

Nor fought back.

Why? Why were such weak-willed people, who would normally flee at the drop of a hat, always caught so off guard?

Was there more to it? There had to be...

Rounding a corner, I noticed the large whale statue pop up in the distance. I was nearing the visitor district.

The Sleepy Artist wasn't far from it. The street it was on was actually connected to the center district, where the nobles lived. A good location. Close enough to the rich and powerful that they wouldn't complain yet far enough that a commoner wouldn't be too scared to enter.

Rounding a corner, a figure caught my eye. Standing alone, near the corner of the road, was what looked to be a young woman. Her hat looked a little out of place, but the rest of her clothes finally looked normal. The leather was still a little shiny, telling those who saw it that they were freshly made.

She was looking into a window of a shop, studying the things displayed, yet her head perked up as I drew closer.

I knew if her hat had not been on, I would have seen her ears turn my way first, before her head and eyes did.

Walking towards her, I made sure to heavily scrutinize the people around her. Those who were coming and going. Shopping, carrying goods. A young boy was even pulling the reigns of a small donkey, which was pulling a small cart full of chopped wood. A firewood delivery.

None were paying attention to her. She was being ignored just as much as any common town girl, who was shopping.

Looking so young, and happy, made her seem nonthreatening. Especially to humans.

How little they knew.

Renn stood still as I walked up to her, waiting for me. She had a soft smile as I approached, and I wondered what question was on her mind now. They weren't as common as they had been a few days ago, and in fact this was the first time today she's come up to ask one.

“How'd you know I was coming down this road?” I asked her when I finally reached her.

Her smile became a large smirk. “What if I said I smelled you coming?” she asked.

“Really?” I lifted a shoulder to try and smell myself. I stunk? Really?

Renn giggled happily, stepping back a step as she laughed. “Nope! Honestly... you really don't smell at all. Lughes told me you usually circle the city, and I had seen you leave to the north so just assumed you'd come back from the south—here,” she said, pointing down the road I had just come from.

I nodded, and wondered if I was really that predictable. Maybe I was just as set in my ways as everyone else, even if I wouldn't admit it.

“And?” I asked her.

Her smile turned into a mischievous smirk. “I want to see what you see,” she said.

Frowning, I wondered what she meant exactly. There were many ways to interpret such a thing.

“Unless it's a secret. On how you judge a city. On how you decide if it is safe or not, for us,” she said quickly.

Ah. That made sense.

“This town is fine. For now. The church has taken up residence, truly, but it's still establishing itself. It'll be a few decades more before the church becomes an actual danger,” I said, and stepped towards the center square.

She hummed as she went to keeping pace with me, stepping alongside me. “Why's that?” she asked.

“Most of the residents are still pagans. Not following their doctrine. That means the church hasn't begun to enforce their rules, and the followers haven't ostracized and forced out the non-believers. It's started, I already noticed it, but it will take time.”

We walked slowly back towards the Sleepy Artist, and I took care to walk slowly indeed. She had more questions lurking behind her gentle smile.

“So... we're safe. For now,” she said.

“For now,” I agreed with a nod.

“Safe enough for me too?” she asked.

Although she hesitated, almost coming to a stop, I kept walking as I nodded again. “Yes. Safe enough for you too,” I said.

So she had chosen to stay here? A little odd, but not that much of a surprise.

After all, was I not just thinking that our people were so... strange? That once they fell in love with a place, or person, they defied even their base instincts?

“So... I just need permission right? From the rest?”

I nodded.

Passing a couple of laborers, I noticed how she went quiet as they walked passed.

It was good she knew not to speak of such things in earshot of others, but sometimes going silent so obviously was also noticeably odd.

“How... how long will it take, for you to come back?” she then asked.

“You mean return? Hm... unless I need to come back to this area for a specific reason, it could be up to five years. Maybe a little more. Six or seven, at worse,” I said.

“I see.”

For a moment we walked together in silence, until we came to the street that the Sleepy Artist, then she stopped for a moment.

I stopped too, and glanced at her. Did she have a question she wanted to ask without the others hearing?

“Yes?” I asked her.

She hesitated, and glanced around. As if to make sure not only were there no humans nearby, but to also make sure Lughes and the rest weren't either.

“What?” I asked, a little annoyed. I wasn't tired, but I didn't like standing in the middle of the road like this, doing nothing. It drew attention.

Renn flinched, but nodded. “I... I wanted to know if you were a hawk,” she said, with a strange smile on her face.

“A... a hawk?” I asked, unsure of where she got such an idea.

She nodded quickly, and gestured with her hands upward... as if there was actually a hawk flying above us now. “You're... strong. Yet also stoic. You stare at things, and it would explain how you act and...” she went quiet, staring at me.

“Sorry,” I said, as she sighed and grimaced.

“I was so sure...” she mumbled.

“I can tell. No I am not a hawk,” I said and turned to return to walking.

She mumbled something as she hurried to catch up. “Would you tell me, if I got it right?” she asked.

“I would,” I said. I had made that promise after all.

“Hm... Are you a land beast? One without wings?” she asked.

“I'll not answer questions like that,” I said simply.

“Oh. Yea. Right...”

I sighed as we reached the Sleepy Artist. Before opening the door, I glanced at the odd woman next to me.

She smiled at my glance, as if happy to be acknowledged.

“Sure you're a cat and not some kind of dog?” I asked her.

The woman's smile widened, turning into a grin. “Positive. My parents were very adamant... and my uncle, my mother's brother who was much older had more um... He had paws,” she said, raising her hands.

Her hands looked perfectly human. They even looked as if they lacked calluses.

“Dogs have paws too,” I said.

“Trying to insult me?” she asked, although her smile remained just as large as before.

“No... just trying to comprehend you is all,” I said.

“Hm... I'm pretty simple, I think,” she said.

Grabbing the door handle, I hesitated.

Simple? Far from it. None of our kind were truly simple... no matter how many times I often thought of them as such, they honestly weren't. We were too old, we lived too long, to be simple.

“Simple,” I said lightly, opening the door.

As we entered, I took note of the sound of voices inside. No one was at the counter, but there were people in the kitchen.

The little bell dinged as I entered, but I wasn't able to step into the building. A gentle hand had stopped me.

Glancing down at the hand grabbing my sleeve, I glanced at the woman who held it.

“What?” I asked her.

“Can I ask a favor?” she asked.

“Hm?”

“Before you leave, would you help me learn?”

“Learn what?” I asked.

“Renn is that you?” Crane's voice came from within. From the hallway.

“Yes it's me!” Renn said quickly, and I could tell she had done so to hopefully keep us alone for a moment longer.

“Well?” I asked her.

“I... I want to learn how money works. So I can help work here,” she said quickly.

“Why not ask Amber? Or Crane?” I asked, a little annoyed.

“I'm older than Amber,” she whispered.

“Yet not as old as Crane. Ask her,” I said.

“Crane will tell Amber,” she said quickly.

I sighed and shook my head. What the hell?

“Please? I promise I'll learn fast.”

“Fine. Let me go. I'll teach you tomorrow,” I said, and pulled my arm free from her grasp. She let me go easily enough, and smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, Protector,” she said, and hurried past me inside the house.

Shaking my head, I closed the door behind us and was glad she had chosen to stay here.

The mere thought of traveling with her for years as she searched for a home was daunting.

A single child was bad enough.