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 Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 5:54 pm
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:24 pm
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In the late-Autumn days, Wightrose busied herself helping with the last of the winterizing around the inn. There was so much to do to keep things from breaking down during inclement weather. She hardly noticed the time go by!
Today, in addition to preparing for the forecast of snow, there were some last-minute errands to run. An inch or two of snow had already fallen overnight, but she was cozy in a warm winter jacket, floppy hat, and leg and arm warmers. It was too soon before the sun had dipped behind an ominous low-altitude front of deep lavender-gray clouds. Hills in the distance were pelted by a telltale silvery haze that could only be snowfall.
She frowned. She had already skipped lunch in favor of filling up one last sleigh full of provisions. With the light quickly waning, the female centaur glanced around at the intersection before her. In one direction the inn was revealed. She could see the lanterns shining through the windows, but all other details were obscured in the gloom. In other directions, shops were starting to close up early, though a few eateries were open.
A few doors down, there was a bakery that was known for its delicious meat-packed rolls that were baked in the afternoon and evening hours. She had seen other taurs scarfing down on them as they walked down the street, but she had yet to try one herself. It was suddenly decided: today would be her first time eating one.
The bakery had a line of eager customers that reached out into the icy air outside. As Wightrose pulled up and unhitched the sleigh, she was flabbergasted by the sight and silently moved to the end of the line, which reached past an alleyway. Several moments later, when she moved forward and came even with the alley, she tried to ignore the gaping, forbidding dark. But her ears twitched as she heard small noises coming from within: intermittent dripping water, muffled shuffling, and finally a loud scrape near her. Very near her. Her hair stood on end though it was rolled up inside her hat. Desperately, she held her breath and swallowed a scream. Her pale eyes were drawn toward the darkness.
WC: 372
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:31 pm
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She squinted until her eyes became more used to the dark.
"What...is...tha--a puppies!" She squeaked and quickly closed her gloved hand over her lips.
She crouched down and held out her hand. She thought she heard a growl. She gulped, feeling that she was probably being foolish, but she stayed where she was. The dark form of the canine seemed to melt into the shadows as it advanced toward her. It stretched out a nose, she could see it, fancied that she could see it wiggling as it sniffed her hand. A moment later, she realized that the puppies were not growling. The stomachs were. Even with the light failing she could see a distinct concave shape to a belly that should be pudgy at this approximate age. A foul doggy smell emanated from the dark, as well. These puppies were definitely strays. "Oh no, you poor things."
"Lady, are you in line?" someone asked.
"Sorry. Yes, I am in line." She sighed and forced herself away from the pitiable creature. Back in line. The front door of the bakery was so close now. She knew she could do more good for the puppies by giving them a warm meal.
Before long, she was inside the bakery. It was bright and warm and smelled heavenly. She was bathed in delicious scents that she could only guess at their name. She pulled off her gloves and shoved them into her coat pockets. She wanted clean hands in dealing with food, even if she wasn't handling it right away.
When she got to the counter, she ordered four of the meat rolls. She felt fortunate that they had baked extras in anticipation of the coming storm and had plenty for her order. Thanking the person at the counter, she strode out from the bakery and back towards the alley.
WC: 307
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:57 pm
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She excused herself through the line until she was standing within the shadows between the buildings. "Puppy," she called out gently. Her voice hummed softly and rolled through the air. There, from behind some garbage, one of the puppies peeked out at her, though she did not see it at first. "Puppy." Then she heard a whine, high-pitched and followed by a yip. There. There they were.
A hesitant shadow detached itself from the rest and approached with its heads down. It wasn't three puppies, it was a three-headed puppy! Mottled, she could not identify the colors: gray or even brown, maybe. The heads seemed to have minds of their own and looked at different directions but turned to look up at her at once when they caught a whiff of what was in the bag she carried.
Then, one of the heads lashed out and tore open the paper bag while she held it. With a muffled shriek she shied away, only to realize that all four buns would be this puppy's meal. "Hey, wait just a minute. One of those is mine!" The puppy didn't care. All three heads chowed down at once, and soon its belly was well on its way to pooch-y.
"Goodness. I suppose I'll have to get back in line." She looked up at the sky and while it was not yet sundown, the earth was wrapped in twilight. The first few flakes of the evening began to salt the air with a crystalline shimmer. "Or, perhaps it's time to go home. I'll eat something cold, back home," she chuckled and shook her head. The puppy heads gazed up with her with various expressions of longing, expectation, and curiosity. "Sorry little ones, I don't have the means to raise you. Best of luck."
She turned and headed back to the sleigh. There, she put her gloves back on and began to strap herself in. Out of sight, the puppy followed her, stalking silently, and hopped into the back.
"Cerberus! What makes you think you can keep a pet?" the innkeeper asked with exasperation, arms at her hips.
"It's not a pet." Wightrose was unpacking the sleigh. With a grunt she stopped to shrug. "It's a guard dog. Who doesn't want a good guardian for their supplies?"
"Ah-- Oh." Well, that wasn't such a bad idea, now was it? "A right scrawny thing, though," she muttered to herself and wandered back inside.
WC: 407
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