Memory Hunted (5 page)

Tell pushed the door closed behind Daeric. The air was
getting cold. "You heard the Second. I will—"

Kit rounded on the young man. "My sister and I need a
hot bath."

Timothy choked. "Seriously, Kit? Now? They are going
out to kill people!"

"We can’t stop that, can we? We can only focus on what
is right before us. Now hush, Timmy."

"Is Jan always that mean with you, Tell?" Yuzu asked.

Tell looked at his feet and nodded.

"That is terrible." Yuzu touched his arm. "A good man
like you shouldn’t have to deal with that."

"I’m not good."

"Gert said you were, and you look like a good man to
me."

Tell shrugged. "I’m not a man yet either."

"Kit," Timothy whispered. "We need to get out of here."

"I’ve always wanted a sister I could trust." Kit said
aloud. Beneath her breath Kit added, "Do you really think I am not thinking about
getting away, Timothy?"

"Do you have a copper wash tub, Tell?" Yuzu asked.

He nodded and looked up to meet Yuzu’s gaze before
quickly looking away again. "I will have to drag it into the back."

"Oh, that would be wonderful," Yuzu said. Tell blushed.

"Kit," Timothy said.

"Do you really think they just left this boy to watch
us? I knew Daeric would do something, but we walked right into it. I need time to
think. Daeric wants something from us. We are safe until he gets that something.
I think," Kit whispered into Timothy’s ear.

"I-I don’t know what the Second wants. I am not a boy.
Well, I am not a man yet, but I am too old to be a boy. I am almost ready to be
Accepted," Tell said.

Kit frowned. "You could hear me?"

Tell nodded.

Yuzu smiled at Tell. "You look like a man to me. It sounds
like a lot of trouble, Tell. But could you bring the tub inside and fill it for
us?" Timothy suppressed a groan at her tone of voice. Kit used the same singsong,
sultry tone on him.

"So you will both…" Tell trailed off. Yuzu flashed a
smile and nodded. Tell’s cheeks flared red. "I will…yes, right now. I will bring
it into the back if it isn’t already. I am sure you are c-cold."

"Thank you, Telly." Yuzu covered her mouth. "Sorry. I
didn’t mean to call you that."

"T-Telly is a nice name, uh, Yuzu. I will—" Tell turned
and smacked into the door. He stumbled back and avoided looking at them. "I will
get right on it. You are pretty." His eyes widened. He flung the door open and raced
into the cold.

Yuzu laughed. "That is fun!"

"He can’t be the only one watching us," Kit said. "I
hate to say, but he might be more worthless than a certain shepherd."

"So what are we going to do, Sister?" Yuzu asked. "Tell
said there is a back door. The front will be watched. Daeric will be sure to have
someone capable watch us." She sighed. "I wish we could take that bath. Do we really
have to go? Daeric said we are under his protection."

"I came out here to see my home, and that is what I am
going to do," Kit said. "If you want to stay here, be my guest. Do you really think
men who plan to attack the Inquisition are safe to be around?"

Yuzu frowned. "I guess not." She rubbed her temples.
"I am just so tired and cold I can’t think."

Timothy slumped into one of the chairs. His fingers drummed
the table. "We need our supplies. It is getting too cold to travel. And we don’t
even know exactly where the town is. We could freeze to death before we found it."

"Wait. So you don’t know where it is?" Yuzu asked.

"Nope. But we will find it," Kit said.

"I have a feeling Tell will help us," Yuzu said.

"We don’t need him involved." Kit scratched her arm.
"It will be cold going. My tail will keep you warm enough, shepherd."

Yuzu’s brow furrowed. "Tail? Are you going to sit on
him all night to keep him warm?" She shook her head. "I am not staying. I came this
far. I will see it through, Sister. I didn’t think adventures would be so cold,
though." She shifted the wolf pelt.

"I will sneak around from the back and get our supplies."
Kit said. "Whoever else is watching us will watch the front, where Tell isn’t working."

"I will go with you," Yuzu said.

"You and Timmy make too much noise. We need to sound
like we aren’t up to anything."

Yuzu set her empty cup on the table and crossed her arms
under the pelt. "If you run into Tell, please don’t hurt him. I don’t think he is
bad. When they brought me here, Tell stayed close to me. He made me tea and gave
me this fur."

"So you found a woolhead?" Kit asked.

Yuzu looked away. "Maybe. I am going with you. You
can’t carry everything."

Kit hesitated. "Fine. You can come to be my mule. I can’t
make any promises. This situation is my doing, and I need to correct it."

Timothy gaped.

 "I can admit wrongdoing, Timmy. I should have dealt
with Daeric weeks ago. I am going to need my ears free for this."

Timothy rubbed his forehead. He felt a headache coming
on. "She will find out sooner or later. Let’s be sure no one is watching first."
He stood and walked over to check the nearest window.

"I would hear them, Timmy."

He checked the next cloudy window. "Tell startled you."

Kit scratched her arms.

"What are you hiding, Sis? You two are acting strange."

"I don’t see anyone," Timothy said.
I hope she doesn’t
scream.
"Might as well show her. We should have shown her earlier."

"Show me what?" Yuzu asked.

"I will not let you endanger Timmy. Keep that in mind,"
Kit said.

"Why would I do that? What are you going to show me?"
Yuzu looked from Kit to Timothy and back. She took a deep breath.

Kit leaned in, baring fangs. "Don’t scream."

 "Don’t let her fool you. She is afraid of showing you,"
Timothy said.

"Humph. I really don’t have to show her."

"Kitsune Clarke, we don’t have the time for this."

Kit tapped her lips. "Kitsune Clarke. Kitsune Clark.
Sounds awkward." She grinned at him.

Timothy rolled his eyes.

"I want to know all about you," Yuzu said. "I wouldn’t
do anything to put either of you in danger. You are a sister and brother to me now.
I won’t scream." She straightened.

"I hope this plan doesn’t land us into a stew worse than
this." Timothy rubbed his head.

"As long as it is not your stew," Kit said. "Kitsune
Clarke." She giggled.

The door banged open, and all three jumped. Tell stumbled
into the room, panting. "Your bath is ready," he said between gasps.

"Th-that was fast, Telly," Yuzu said. "Thank you!"

"The tub was easy to move, and I have to keep hot water
ready at all times."

Timothy looked at Kit. "You took too long."

Kit crossed her arms. "Who insisted I show her? I was
perfectly fine going alone."

Yuzu crossed over to Tell. She leaned over and tilted
her head. Tell stood taller than her, despite bending and gasping for air. He met
Yuzu’s gaze and flushed as red as his hair. Yuzu laid a hand on his arm. "Thank
you again, Tell." Tell’s height made him seem older, but Timothy guessed Tell was
younger than Yuzu’s sixteen summers.

Kit punched Timothy’s arm. "Looks like it is up to me
again. Tell, could you keep my husband company? He has a dirty mind, and he is not
above peeking." She caught Yuzu’s gaze and nodded. Yuzu returned the nod.

"It will be private. Right, Telly? I don’t want anyone
peeking," Yuzu said.

Tell’s mouth hung open. He looked from Timothy to Kit.

I never knew people could blush that deep,
Timothy
thought. Tell’s face blended with his hair.

Tell collected himself. "Private. Yes. Gert is watching
the front like Daeric asked him. I am to watch the back." He held up his hands.
"Not that I will look in. We just want to keep you safe. I will stay here. I won’t
look—honest!"

"I believe you," Yuzu said. "Timothy has tried to peek
on me before, though. Keep an eye on him. Which room is it?"

Timothy frowned.
Talk about throwing me under the
cart. I wonder if I have wheel tracks on my back.

Tell’s flushed face tilted to Timothy.
I will play
my part as long as we can get out of here.
He winked at Tell. "We should sneak
a peek. My wife has wonderfully round—"

The women glared at him.

If they keep accusing me, maybe I really
will look in on them.

"No. I promised," Tell said. "The bath is in the very
last room down the hall, next to the back door. It’s my room." Tell seemed to realize
what he had said. "No. I just thought…I wasn’t going to….I thought you wanted privacy."

Yuzu smiled. "You are thoughtful. That will do nicely."

"Come, Sister." Kit took Yuzu’s arm in hers. "Some secrets
are best shared between sisters and only sisters."

Yuzu hesitated. "What are you going to show me?" she
asked.

"You will see," Kit said. Together they crossed the large
room and entered the hall.

"Tell is cute, isn’t he?" Kit asked.

"His red hair is a lot like yours, sister." Yuzu said.
They passed out of ear shot.

Tell stared after them. "Yuzu is pretty. I never saw
eyes like hers." He jumped. He seemed to have forgotten Timothy. Timothy tried to
cover a smile.
Poor boy is smitten. At least Yuzu isn’t like Kit.

"Can I ask you something?" Tell asked.

"What is it, Tell?"

"Do most girls smell that nice?"

"Smell nice?"

"Daeric and the others sometimes bring girls in. They
never smell nice like your…wife." His eyes suddenly widened. "I’m sorry. I don’t
mean that Daeric…that…I mean…"

Timothy reached up and laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
Tell stood a nearly a head taller than Timothy.  "It’s okay. I know what you mean.
Daeric offered to show us the way to Belafonte. That is why we are here."

"Why do you want to go there? I am not allowed there.
I can only hunt as far as the mire. Daeric and Jan and Gert, they just have me clean
and cook and…and be a maid!"

"Being a maid might be better than the alternative,"
Timothy said. "Do you really want to go out and kill people?"

Tell flopped into a chair. His too big trousers draped
around the seat. "No. It’s just that I can do more. I can hunt." He shook his
shaggy head. "I shouldn’t say anything, but you seem nice. And…they won’t listen.
Could I talk to her sister? Your wife’s sister. Yuzu. She is really…." He swallowed.
"I am not man enough. I haven’t been Accepted yet. Not that there are many of us
left. Would she really talk with me if you asked her?"

Timothy tried to follow the boy’s thoughts.
Is he
discontent or just trying to get information? No. The way he fidgets isn’t feigned.
Poor boy is in over his head if he likes Yuzu.
Timothy grimaced.
I sound
like some old man. I am not that much older than him. What, six years older?

"Yuzu? I am sure she will want to talk with you. She
seems to like you," he said.

"She likes me!" Tell burst from his chair.

Timothy leaned in. "Do you want to sneak a peek with
me?"

Tell shook his head. His red hair rustled against his
brown cap. "No. I made a promise. I won’t look. I…I won’t let you look either. I
promised."

Maybe we can use the boy to figure out what
Daeric wants with us.

"Sit down. I have some questions to ask." Timothy winced
at how harsh that sounded.

Tell sat. He didn’t seem to take offense. The young man
started rocking the chair on its back legs.

"What are Daeric and you doing out here?" Timothy asked.

Tell shrugged. "Daeric didn’t tell you about it?"

"No."

"I’m sure you know. Daeric wouldn’t have brought you
here if you didn’t. You are not a girl."

Timothy crossed his arms. "Well, you know Daeric. He
doesn’t always tell everyone what he is doing."

Tell nodded. "It makes Jan mad too. Daeric is only the
Second but acts like he’s the First. We don’t see Grandfather—I mean the First—often.
Jan and Krill want revenge. Da—I mean Jan especially."

"You don’t get along well."

Tell shrugged. "It’s okay. It’s my fault."

"What is your fault?"

Tell shook his head. "I don’t want to talk about it."

"Why do they want revenge?"

Tell shrugged. "They say the Church and the Inquisition
have done bad things. I—I don’t want to talk about it."

"So why do you stay out here?"

"The forest hides us. We attack and disappear." The chair
creaked as Tell rocked. "The Church thinks it’s Belafonte people getting revenge,
so they placed a camp here. So Daeric says. But that is just want he wants. Sometimes
we have new people join us during the summer. Few stay, though. Winter is hard here
if you aren’t good at hunting. We’ve been raiding them." He frowned. "Not me. Krill,
Jan, and Gert have been. I don’t get to do anything until I am Accepted. But now
they have more men than before we started raiding."

The door banged opened again, sending a gust of cold
air into the room. The chair dumped Tell backward to the floor. Gert brushed snow
from his coat. He still had his worn pipe between his teeth. Wispy blue-gray smoke
swirled around the man’s ruddy brown hair.

"I need you to take care of that wagon. It is darned
cold and past time I warmed myself," Gert said.

Tell scrambled to his feet and righted the chair. "Will
do, Gert."

"Daeric doesn’t bring many here." Gert limped to a pitcher
standing on a brick in the hearth. Tell frowned and hesitated. "What’s the matter,
lad?" Gert poured steaming wine into a battered mug. "The wagon won’t take care
of itself."

"I made a promise to…" Tell looked at his feet.

"Go on now. Jan will want some stew when he gets back,"
Gert said.

Still Tell hesitated.

"I won’t peek, Tell," Timothy said.

Tell looked up. "Promise?"