“Have a good day!” the young guardsman waved at us as we passed.

I nodded at him while Lomi walked even closer to me. He was wearing new armor. Armor that shinned a little more than it should, implying it wasn’t just new but something he regularly cleaned and polished.

The boy was proud of his new position, even if he looked ridiculous in the armor he wore. He stepped to the side, and bent a little to wave more in-line with Lomi’s sight.

Lomi noticed his attempt and glanced at the spear wielding boy, who smiled at her.

She looked away quickly, and the only other guard of the gate laughed. More so at the younger guard than the little girl who was now too embarrassed to look at anything but the floor.

Lomi did her best to hide herself next to me as we left the eastern gate of Bordu.

“Humans are weird,” Lomi said once we were far enough away that the guard’s laughter was only a faint sound. Her cheeks were still red.

“And yet the humans that know us think we’re weird,” I said to her. There weren’t many people walking this path, but there were some down the road. A pair of men were quickly approaching, and what looked to be a large cart was a ways behind them.

Not too rare, considering this path led to the wheat growing village, Twin Hills. As its name implied there was nothing but rolling hills of wheat. If one wasn’t a merchant they had little reason to ever go there.

“More like they think you’re weird,” Lomi said quickly, and then glanced behind us. To the gate we had just passed through.

“Want to go back and talk to him?” I asked her.

“Shush!” she shouted loudly enough that the pair of men heading towards us both paused for a moment, to stare at us.

I smiled at the young fox that began to mumble insults at me, as she glanced again at the gate.

If that young guard had known how much his simple goodbye had affected her, he’d probably get as red as she was now.

“Seemed like a good town,” Lomi then said.

“Bordu? Yes. Smaller than Ruvindale, but lively. They have many festivals, especially during harvest season,” I said.

“Festivals?”

“Big ones,” I nodded.

She glanced behind us again, but I didn’t bother looking back with her. Instead I focused on the two men who were now nearby.

They looked like farmers, but I didn’t recognize them. Either they worked at Twin Hills, and lived in Bordu, or were on a task.

“Vim?”

Glancing at Lomi, I found that she had collected herself and calmed down. She was no longer blushing, and even had a gentle smile on her face. “Yeah?”

“Will… will you stay for awhile? Or are you going to leave right away?” she asked.

“I’ll stay for as long as you need me,” I said to her.

She began to say something, but stopped once she realized the two farmers had gotten close enough to hear us.

Lomi remained quiet until after the farmers passed. It was a good thing the cart down the road wasn’t any closer, or else she might have stayed quiet until it too went by.

“Did they know my parents?” she then asked.

“Yes. They knew your village well,” I said.

She blinked water eyes, and took a small breath… she looked as if she was doing everything she could to not break down and cry.

I reached out and patted her on the head. Her thick hat barely moved. Lomi grumbled, but didn’t swat my hand away nor stepped aside. In fact, she drew a little closer to me.

“Stand tall, Lomi. Enter your new den with confidence,” I said to her.

“Confidence…” she whispered.

“Or at least, pretend to do so. It’s a fox’s nature to be sly,” I said.

“Mother always said I was sly…”

I squeezed her head gently, which caused her to finally try and step away from me. Based off the look she gave me as she rubbed her hat, I had bothered her ears.

Smiling at her glare, I patiently waited for her complaint… but it didn’t come. The cart was too close now, and she didn’t seem to want to talk in front of anyone.

“Ho! Good evening!” A surprisingly young voice came from the old woman guiding the horse which pulled the cart.

“Good evening,” I said to her as we passed one another. As she smiled and waved at Lomi, I noticed the empty boxes in the cart.

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She had delivered something to the Twin Hills. Probably food or resources.

“Is it a good one?” Lomi grumbled as the cart creaked away.

“To her it is,” I said. She had probably made a nice little profit selling whatever she had transported. Or at least, got paid to deliver it.

“Do they make good food?” Lomi then asked.

I chuckled as I noticed how serious her face was. “I’m sure it’s fine enough.”

She didn’t like my answer, but didn’t get to complain about it as we came to a small hill.

It led upward, enough so to block out the sight that I knew lay just beyond it.

“Hills… You called it Twin Hills?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“But there’s lots of hills,” she said.

“Not yet there isn’t,” I said. Granted we’ve been climbing them up and down since yesterday, but so far those were all little ones. The real ones lay just ahead of us.

Climbing the hill quickly, Lomi ran ahead. I followed her slowly, since I knew she’d not make it much farther past the top of the hill without me.

Not because she was incapable of running such a distance, but rather…

Lomi came to a stop at the top, and I watched her as she studied her new home. She went still, freezing in her tracks.

It didn’t take me long to reach her side at the top of the hill, but her sudden stillness hadn’t left her. She looked frozen in time.

“There’s a bunch of wheat already?” she asked, staring at the ocean of gold.

“Winter wheat is planted a little earlier than winter. It’ll be harvested soon based off the size of it,” I said.

“Even in this cold?”

“Hm. Hardy stuff,” I said.

She awed and hummed for a moment, as I watched the wheat sway in the light breeze.

There was wheat as far as one could see. It started not far from where we stood, and its rows of golden stalks ran down the hills like a wave… only for it to crash up against the next large hill, off in the distance. The wheat went up that hill, and over it. I knew beyond that hill was another large section of fields, and another beyond that too.

A small breeze went by, and it felt cold.

Yet Lomi didn’t shiver.

Yes. Hardy stuff.

“See that large building? The one on the right?” I asked, pointing at the home that sat in the middle of the two large hills.

She nodded.

“That’s your new home. The building across from it, the one with the red roof, is where the snakes and squirrel live,” I said.

Lomi gulped, and looked around us. The top of the hill allowed her to see everything, except for what was on the other hill opposing it. This hills twin.

“The other buildings?” she asked.

“Storage and work buildings. The humans don’t live there, they ride carts from the city to work the fields,” I explained.

“But humans are here often?” she asked.

“Oh yes. Every day,” I said.

“So… I’ll have to hide my ears?” she asked gently.

I nodded. “Occasionally. See the large fences? During the day, or during harvest or planting, you can stay behind them and not be seen. Plus…” I pointed to the nearby field of wheat. Some of it was as tall as me.

“That hides us too,” she whispered.

“Yeah. Plus the humans who do come and work here are busy. They toil long and hard. A few humans even know of us, they’ll be able to tell you who they are and introduce you to them. They’re the ones who you’ll see the most, and they give orders to the humans. It keeps you separated another layer from them,” I said.

“Like… like Amber?” she asked.

“Yes. Kind of like what Amber did for Lughes and the rest,” I said.

“Hm…”

We stood in silence as I watched the buildings in the distance. I could make out shadows in one of the houses windows. Features hidden by heavy drapes yet had visible silhouettes all the same. The foxes were awake, but it seemed the snakes’ house was dark.

But that wasn’t a tell of them being asleep.

After all, one was blind.

“Uhm…”

Glancing at Lomi, I watched her fidget as she looked around. To the ground and the wheat around us.

“Don’t be nervous,” I said.

“I… I’m not!” she said loudly, taking a deep breath to puff out her cheeks in annoyance.

I nodded, proud to be of help.

“I just…” she looked away, to the house we were about to walk to. “I just… hope they’ll like me,” she whispered.

“Hm… what’s not to like? Even if you drool and slobber, and bite and snarl,” I said with a smirk.

Lomi smiled, but didn’t argue back. She remained focused on the house before us.

“Is it safe?” she asked.

“As much as it can be. As long as you’re careful of what you wear, and who you talk to. They’ll keep an eye on you, and help teach you. You’ll be fine here. They’ve lived here longer than you’ve been alive and have had no problems,” I said.

“The snakes won’t eat me?” she asked.

Blinking at that question, I realized it was the first time she had brought it up.

“No. In fact they don’t care for the taste of meat at all. It’s kind of weird actually,” I said.

Lomi glanced at me and I nodded, to confirm it. “Really.”

“And… the squirrel?”

“He’s a coward. He couldn’t harm you even if his life depended on it,” I said.

The young fox frowned and then smiled, as if she hadn’t liked what she heard but at the same time did.

“Will I have to work in the fields?” she asked.

“Hm… I’m sure there’s something you can do to help out,” I said.

Lomi grumbled, and I wondered if we’d make it there before the sun set. It was just about to reach the top of the other hill, which meant we’d have to begin our descent shortly to make it in time.

“Can… can I stay with you? If they’re… If I don’t like it?” she then asked.

I nodded gently at her watery eyes. “Yes.”

She gulped and then looked back at the houses.

Extending my hand to her, I smiled softly. “They have cats, you know. Little playful creatures that will happily let you pet them,” I said.

“Cats?” she reached out to take my hand.

“Well they did last time,” I said honestly. Knowing my luck this would be the one time they didn’t have any. Even though they always had dozens all over whenever I visited.

“Like Renn?” she asked.

“Well… no… normal ones. Little ones,” I said.

“Hm…”

Hand in hand I guided Lomi to her new home. Slowly descending the hill with quiet… but hopeful steps.