Memory Hunted (2 page)

Timothy looked away. "I…am not much of a man."

"This again? Do you need me to check?"

"I broke down on you. I…cried on you."

"And I killed your mother." Kit grabbed his coat. "How
do you think I felt when you cried on me?"

"Put upon?"

Kit tugged him close. "You are a muttonhead. I felt terrible.
Afraid. Guilty. And…" Her brow furrowed. She tightened her grip on his coat. "And
you need to stop being a woolbrain. I told you before when you moped about Trent—"

Timothy grimaced. "That was bad."

"I’m sorry." Kit’s ears drooped. "I have been terrible
to you, after all you’ve done for me."

Timothy felt awkward.
She really is worried about
me.
He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I don’t blame you for what happened."

Her shoulder quivered. "You say that."

"I mean it. She had both hands around the knife, remember?
She could have stabbed herself."

 "You better not be lying."

"Kit, do you think I would tolerate your abuse if I
hated you?"

She smiled. "Well, you do like that type of
attention."

Timothy rolled his eyes.

"No more brooding." She shook a finger at him.

‘"I’m not brooding. I am just worried. Worried about
what we will do when we get to Belafonte."

"I worry about Belafonte too. Don’t look at me like
that. Of course I worry. I don’t know what to expect. I fear all of this will
be for nothing. That I won’t remember anything when I get there. That there
won’t be anything to see or to remember." She patted his cheek and suddenly pinched
his cheek—hard. "We should have talked days ago." She brushed a lock of hair from
his forehead. "Get some sleep, manly man, and I don’t mean that sarcastically."

Timothy sighed. "A man who cries."

Kit grabbed his hair and pulled him close. Mischief gleamed
in her eyes, and her fangs caught the moonlight. "I told you to stop. Do you really
think that makes you less than a man? Does being one mean you have to think with
your chest hair?"

"I…don’t—"

"I can’t believe your moping is going to make me say
this."

"Wha—"

She pulled him so close their noses touched. "I felt
special when you came to me. Trusted. It takes a strong man to let himself feel
and to show it. You are finished with your moping now, aren’t you?"

"Kit…"

"Aren’t you?"

Timothy sighed. "Yes, Aunt Kit."

Kit released him and patted the top of his head. "Now
be a dear, and go to sleep."

The wagon creaked beside Timothy. Daeric rode ahead,
scanning the forest. Kit insisted Timothy should walk. Never mind how she traded
place with Yuzu every few miles. Kit now strolled beside him. A layer of thin snow
blanketed the ground and covered the boot prints from the soldiers who had passed
the night before.

 Timothy pulled his coat collar tight. He had long
ago lost his sense of direction beneath the monotony of the trees. People
complained about pastures looking the same. At least rolling hills topped with
groves of trees had variety.

Pain yanked him from his thoughts. Kit smiled at him.
"Will you stop that?" Timothy rubbed his bottom. "We should be looking for more
soldiers."

"I am glad you are back to your old worrying self." Kit
adjusted her hood.

Yuzu chuckled behind her hand. "He does blush," she said.
"I don’t remember Allen doing that."

"Timothy is a special boy, Yuzu." Kit held up a finger
and patted Timothy’s back with her other hand. "This type makes for the most fun.
Some think you offer what you do not. Timmy would rather run away than do that."

"As if I could run away," Timothy said.

Yuzu frowned. "Allen and I were too young to worry about
that."

"How old were you?" Timothy asked.

Yuzu picked at the checkered blanket covering her legs.
"Allen died over five years ago."

Timothy scratched his stubble. "I…I’m sorry."

Yuzu shrugged and wiped an eye with the back of her hand.
"We grew up together. His family took me in when Da…" She shook her head. "Allen
and I were always together until the accident. I was at the market when it happened.
One of the houses fell into ours and…." She sighed. "I did odd jobs and had a small
room with a seamstress until she got sick. I found Hoss and Mira when I left. What
about you, Sis?"

Daeric twisted in his saddle. "My heart rends for your
tale, Moonflower. I, for one, am glad you were at the market that day."

Yuzu blinked. "Uh, thanks."

Daeric bobbed his head. "Please carry on. You are safe
with me on watch." He turned back to the road.

"Sis?" Yuzu asked.

"I’d rather not talk about it."

"I want to know all about my new sister," Yuzu said.
"Timmy, why don’t you tell me then?"

Kit frowned.

"I haven’t known Kit all that long."
And yet it has
felt like much longer.

"And yet you are married?" Yuzu asked. "Was it arranged?"

Kit snagged Timothy’s arm. "It was love at first sight.
For him, not for me. He kind of grew on me, like a wart." She smiled. "I still wonder
if I should have him removed."

"Don’t let her fool you. She fell for my charm at the
outset," Timothy said. The banter felt nice.

"Oh yes, the smell of wool and musty books is just so
attractive." Kit sniffed.

Yuzu’s smile slipped. "I really miss them—
Allen. Hoss. Mira. Colt. I…it is okay to move on, right, Sis?"

"We don’t have a choice, but the memories will always
hunt us." She rubbed Timothy’s back.

Evelyn’s face hovered in the back of Timothy’s mind.
Kit is right. Time forces us forward, and memory hunts us.
He looked at Kit.
She grinned a fang at him and punched his arm.
She knows that hunt well.

Yuzu nodded. "I think I understand why you want to visit
your home." She smacked her cheeks with both hands. "No more of this sad stuff.
So how can you tell which kind of man is which, Sis?"

Kit snatched Timothy’s chin and turned his head to the
girl perched on the wagon. He stumbled over something in the snow.

"Will you—" Timothy said.

"Do you see his trusting, innocent eyes? Eyes that haven’t
seen the wiles of a female," Kit said. "Notice the bewildered, irritated expression
and how he doesn’t try to fight me?"

"As if it would do any good," Timothy said. He stumbled
over another rock. "Now let go."

Kit released him and patted his head.

"Oh." Yuzu nodded. "I see now."

"But even this male will get used to our tricks. It just
means you have to be creative." Kit tapped his hot cheek with the back of her hand.

Timothy sighed and tuned them out.
It was better when
Kit and I weren’t talking.
Only he had missed her antics. Yuzu insisted on learning
Kit’s bad habits for some reason. For all her initial hesitation, Kit seemed to
enjoy having an adopted sister. What happened to women being demure? But then, Timothy
would not want Kit to be anything other than Kit.

Timothy shook his head and grinned despite himself. It
was hard to tell Yuzu was even a girl with how thin she was. She lacked Kit’s way
of walking. He slowed his steps to let the girls talk. Timothy swallowed.
Kit
does have a nice walk.
No one could mistake her gender. He could imagine her
tail swaying beneath her cloak and skirts.
How will Yuzu react when she
discovers her adopted sister is a fox? Will that change their relationship?
Most people believed the Church’s teachings that foxes were demons, and Kit could
certainly act like a demon some days.

Timothy frowned at the thought.
Now that isn’t fair.
If I spent my life being hunted, I’d push people away too.
He often thought
he was the first person Kit truly trusted. He looked past the women and locked his
gaze on Daeric’s back.
The real problem is if he finds out Kit is a fox.

Daeric suddenly turned his horse around. "I am going
to ride back. We seem to be safely behind the soldiers, but we need to be sure no
one is following us as we are them. We can’t trust anyone in these parts."

"We are being followed?" Yuzu shifted in the wagon to
look.

"No need to worry. It is merely caution. I will keep
you safe." Daeric bowed in his saddle. "I will not be too far. I will hear your
lovely voices should there be any danger. I would hear your lips across the oceans
and ride on the water should you need me."

"Yes, well, we will be fine," Kit said. "My husband is
protection enough."

Daeric weighed Timothy. "I will be at your side, Sunflower.
Just breathe my name," he said. "Keep straight on this road until I get back. I
need to see which forks we may need to take." The man rode off.

"I really dislike that man," Timothy muttered.

"I think you intimidate him, Timmy." Kit wrinkled her
nose. "He smells feral."

"Feral?" Timothy studied trees that looked identical
to the ones they passed an hour before. With the way the road curved, he felt
like they were traveling in a circle.

"The word just came to me." Kit closed her cloak
against the wind.

"We would be better off without him."

"Oh, I don’t know. He does keep you on your toes. Now
if only I could figure out why he smells so odd." She chewed on her lower lip.
"He reminds me a little of this one man I knew. Daeric isn’t as bad as Trent
was, at least. But he does smell feral. Much like a hound."

"I don’t know about how men smell. Why should that
matter?" Yuzu asked.

Timothy felt irritation rise. "And how do you know how
to read men so well, Kit?" His voice held an edge.

Kit’s eyebrows disappeared into her red bangs. She stumbled
over a rock. "Now where is this coming from, Timothy?" she asked. "I know about
all types of idiot, and I do not like what you are getting at."

Timothy took a breath. "Sorry. I get irritable when
I am tired, and that man just—"

Kit’s gaze held a dangerous gleam. "You peeked with Trent,
but now you’ve opened the box, shepherd. Do you really want to know how well I’ve
known men?"

Timothy’s heart dropped into his stomach. Yuzu leaned
closer. The mule huffed and plodded.

Kit’s smile sliced. "My, this does bother you. Don’t
ask what you can’t handle."

His heart boiled in a stomach sloshing with jealousy.

"I can count on one hand if you absolutely must know,"
Kit said.

Timothy tripped.

"Sister!" Yuzu held a hand over her mouth.

Kit held up a closed hand. "You want to know, woolbrained
bookbug?"

The world lurched around Timothy. Would it really change
anything?

Yes. It would change how he viewed Kit.

Kit laid a hand on his knotted shoulder. "Look at my
hand," she whispered.

Slowly, painfully, Timothy looked at Kit’s fist.

What did he expect? One finger? Five? Would it be so
wrong if it was five? Timothy swayed. Kit would still be Kit, right? Yes and no.

The fist stayed closed.

"I told you before, idiot. Only you have seen all of
me," Kit whispered.

"I can’t hear what you are saying," Yuzu said.

"How many for you, dear sister, besides your Allen?"
Kit’s tone dripped sweet poison.

"Allen and I never…I…um…" Yuzu looked away.

Timothy felt dizzy. His shoulder muscles writhed. "Why
did you do that to me?" His voice sounded weak.

"Why did you have to suddenly turn into a brainless idiot?
Well, I wanted you to be jealous. I can’t have an unfeeling rock for a husband,
but if jealousy makes you lose all sense, I’d best keep it to a minimum. Besides,
would it make that much of a difference?" Kit asked.

Timothy’s heart still drummed. "Yes," he said without
thinking.

Kit opened her mouth and closed it again. Her brow
furrowed as she chewed on her bottom lip. Her hand slipped from his shoulder.

"I…well…" Kit said. "I guess it isn’t a problem then."

Timothy groaned inside.
Kit’s right. I am an idiot.
But it would have made a difference.
Why? Kit would still be Kit. Maybe it
is because I haven’t—

"What about you, Timmy?" Kit watched him from under her
bangs.

Should I be nice?
"Well,
one day Kyle introduced me to this one girl…"

Kit crossed her arms as she walked.

"Esther. That was her name. She was a cute girl."

Kit frowned at him. "You are not convincing me."

"Are you so sure?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." She grabbed his arm and
pressed it into her chest. "Your blushes give you away."

Yuzu laughed.

"Fine. You got me, but you would look at me differently
if it was true, wouldn’t you?"

Kit tilted her head. "Look at you like this?" She tilted
her head the other way. "Or like this?" She squeezed his arm. "Men are supposed
to be experienced."

"Nice of you to remind me."

"Oh, it isn’t a bad thing at all. It makes you a rare
treasure." Kit smiled, and Timothy cleared his throat.