Kitsune in the Shadows

Chapter 42 – An Onion Seller and Misfit Hats

It didn’t take long before the familiar market decorated with colourful awnings came into view. Ava held me close the entire way there, and even though we had arrived, it didn’t seem like she was going to let go any time soon.

“Okay, before we get to the fun stuff I just need to stop off… Here!” She pulled me along as she made her way over to a stall at the entrance to the market.

“Oh, hello again!” The woman running the stall called over to us as she put down the crate she was carrying and came over to us, “I can’t believe you’re already back, it hasn’t even been a week yet, and you even brought a friend along this time, or maybe this is…”

My immediate instinct was to take a step back, but unfortunately for me, Ava seemed to have a different idea as she pushed me in front of her.

“This here is the little bundle of fluff who really knows how to put a meal away… or three…” Ava said, firmly planting her hands on my shoulders so I couldn’t escape, “And we’re here to have some fun today.”

“Well, I’d be more than happy to help you out,” She started laughing, “But I don’t think your idea of fun is sitting around with this old lady at her stall.”

Old lady?

The woman looked to be in her early thirties, and even ignoring that fact, just a few moments ago, she was carrying a large crate filled with vegetables as if it were nothing.

Is she older than she looks?

Or… do people just think thirty is old here?

Maybe it’s just a saying…

“I’m sorry, but today is just for the two of us, but maybe some other time” Ava said, reciprocating the woman’s laughter, “I just came here to ask if you could prepare my order in advance. I’m planning on picking it up on our way back if that’s possible.”

“Don’t worry about it,” The woman went back behind the stall. “So, just the usual then?”

“Yep, but if you have anything interesting today, can you throw that in as well?… Oh, and can you go ask everyone else for me,” Ava clapped her hands together, “I don’t want to tire her out before we get to the fun stuff.”

“Sure thing, I can send someone to pick up the rest for you, but only because I’d feel sorry for that little one’s legs with all the walking you’d have to do,” The woman wrote some things down on a notepad before looking back up at Ava, “Well… What are you doing just standing there? Get out of here already! Go have fun with your sister!”

Sister?! What sister?!

Does she think that?-

I tried to look up at Ava in an attempt to have her explain that the woman was wrong, but before I could, I was abruptly yanked backwards.

“Sure thing!” Ava shouted back to the woman as she started running into the market, dragging me along by the arm.

It was only when the stall was no longer in sight that she finally decided to slow back down.

“Now that the boring stuff is taken care of,” She crouched down so that she was at eye level with me, “Have you decided on what you want to do first?”

“…”

I didn’t know what to say to her; there were just too many different things going through my mind, along with needing to try and calm myself down after suddenly having to sprint through the market.

“No? Well, I already expected as much,” She sighed, “How could you know what you want to do when you’re just sitting inside that inn all day? The first time you went out just for the sake of it was yesterday. And I didn’t even get to go with you!”

“… b-but-” I tried to interrupt her, but she didn’t seem to hear me over the hustle and bustle of the market.

“So, what we can do instead is just walk from here, and if you see something that catches your eye, absolutely anything, we can go there. Sound good? Great!” She didn’t even let me try and respond to her.

But I thought you were going to help me with the gift…

Isn’t that why we came here?

Why aren’t-

Before I could continue that line of thought, I was once again pulled through the market as Ava started walking me through the market, pointing out every stall we walked past, no matter how small it was.

There were many fruit and vegetable stalls that were much smaller than the first one we visited. However, unlike that one, they almost all chose to specialise in one thing each, like one stall that only sold different varieties of onions, although the man running that store didn’t seem very happy when Ava pointed that out.

Ava even pointed out the small stands set up in dark alleyways where people were paying money to play something called the shell game. In the game, a pea was hidden under one of three shells. All the person playing had to do was follow the shell with the pea under it. But when watching one of the games, I saw the person running the stand slide the shell to the edge of the table so that the pea would fall into their lap.

…

It’s just a scam?

It seemed that I wasn’t the only one who saw this as the man playing the game immediately flipped the table before grabbing the con artist by the collar and yelling incoherently.

Before it escalated any further, Ava covered my eyes with her cloak, “Y-you don’t need to see that,” She said as she hurriedly pushed me down the street.

When she removed the cloak, we were standing in front of a stall selling handmade pens and quills. Unfortunately, what they had on sale didn’t seem anywhere near the quality of what I had seen in the old man’s art store the day before.

“Come on, Kierra, there has to have been something you were interested in,” She put her hands on my shoulders and looked directly into my eyes, “This doesn’t work if you don’t want to go anywhere.”

“…”

This isn’t what you said we were going to do.

“Okay then, the next store I see that’s the one we’re going to go into,” Ava said, standing back up.

True to her word, we walked only a few steps before Ava abruptly dragged me into a store without even checking what they were selling. Inside, the first thing that greeted us was a large man sitting behind the front counter reading a newspaper who completely ignored us.

“Um… Hello?” Ava called out as she walked up to the counter.

The man tilted his newspaper down slightly and peered at the two of us with his beady black eyes.

“Whatever,” He grunted.

My instincts were screaming at me to run away. That man clearly didn’t want us there, and I didn’t want to test him any further than we already had. Ava, however, clearly didn’t feel the same as she promptly pushed me all the way to the back of the store, where some tall shelves were set up.

On the shelves, there was a large variety of hats that didn’t seem like they should have been stored together. There were elaborately decorated bonnets next to what looked to be some sort of cartwheel hat, which itself was sitting next to a collection of various ascot caps and berets. For some reason, I just found myself drawn to them, looking each over and almost immediately identifying what each of them was. But at some point, while doing this, I realised that it was strange.

How… do I know this?…

…

This was different to when I first picked up a pencil; it wasn’t like my body was acting on its own. I just knew these things somehow. Somewhere in my mind, this information existed, but…

“So, have we finally found something you’re interested in? Well, I don’t really know much about things like this, but…” Ava looked over the hats until she decided on one and tried it on, “What do you think? Do I look good?”

She had picked out a black top hat, which, along with her cloak, made for a rather interesting outfit. But in a strange way, it fit her surprisingly well.

“…y-yes,” I managed to squeak out.

“Right?” She placed the hat back down, “Now it’s your turn, just pick one out.”

I am interested in the hats…

What if it’s like my drawings?

Maybe I’ll… remember something…

…

I nodded at Ava before turning to one of the shelves. My eyes were almost immediately drawn to a tricorne made of black felt that was lined with some delicate golden lace, which stood out amongst the many overly decorated hats that surrounded it.

Before trying it on, I checked to see if the shopkeeper could see me from where he sat. Thankfully, the shelves were tall enough to hide both me and Ava from him. I then pulled my hood down before trying to put the hat on, but as soon as I did, I noticed something was very wrong.

…

Why?…

…

Ava burst out laughing as soon as she also realised what the problem was.

…

My ears… were in the way…

…

“Oh no, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to laugh at you,” Ava said, trying and failing to hold back her laugh, “I just didn’t even think that would be an issue for you.”

I just stood there in silence as a single tear started to form in my eyes.

“No no no,” She immediately stopped laughing, “D-don’t cry, I-I… wait! I’ve seen… special hats for beastkin with different ears before. They had all these different kinds! Some were like small hats that would fit between your ears, while others had holes cut into them, or even special designs that would hold the ears in place… but… I saw that… in a… different… town…”

Another town…

…

The idea of there actually being somewhere other than here seemed strange for some reason, even though it was obviously true, this couldn’t be the only place in this world. I had tried to run away before, but all I saw on the other side of the gate was an open field with a row of trees in the distance.

“M-maybe we can go back there someday, and at the same time, we can go and see the rest of the world as well… something like that, y’know?”

Go and see the world…

…

If this was a few weeks ago…

“What do you say to that?” Ava asked, “Wouldn’t that be fun? We could all go on a proper journey with-”

“No,” I interrupted.

I… don’t want to leave.

Not when Ovia is right here.

…

I can’t leave. Not anymore.

“No?… Well… I… I… can’t force you…” She crouched down and took the tricorne from me before placing it back on the shelf, “But… just think about it, okay? There’s a whole world out there, and that includes a lot of places that are much better than here.”

It doesn’t matter.

I have what I need here.

I…

I can put up with anything.

I need to stay here…

No matter what.

I pulled my hood up and immediately made my way to the door, not wanting to think about that any further.

As I did, the storekeeper lowered his newspaper again, “Kids,” He grumbled before lifting it back up.

With Ava following close behind I quickly left the store and started to walk down through the market again in an attempt to clear my mind.

“Sorry for all that,” Ava said, sounding a little disheartened, “But did that at least give you some ideas for what you do want to do?”

…

There is only one reason why I’m here.

“… y-you… h-help me…” I mumbled while tugging on her cloak.

“With the gift?” Ava finished my sentence for me.

I nodded.

“Okay, if that’s what you want to do first,” Ava looked around a bit before suddenly changing the direction she was walking in, “I know just the place, it’s just down here.”

Looking at where she was heading, there was a store with a familiar purple awning above the entrance.