Perfect Pet: Twin Leashes

Following the events in rescuing Alice, both Sonico and Alleyne were now on their way home. The slavers had finally been taken into custody where, for their crimes of attempted child abduction, they would be given no trial and sent straight into the mines. The last little bit of it was what troubled Sonico as she looks back at Alleyne, whose gaze was down on the recently fallen leaves signaling the end of summer.

“You're probably a little confused, I take it.” Sonico says attracting her pet's reaction. “We hold auctions but frown heavily upon slavers. So much so they don't even get a trial.”

With Sonico speaking a language she didn't understand, Alleyne turns her attention back to the leaves while Sonico, unaware, just keeps going.

“See, the thing is we don't do slavery in the woods. We do...pets and indentured servitude. But mostly on low level offenders and those in debt or have their own reasons. There's this whole system about it too, lot of paperwork and bureaucracy involved. For instance, if you're buying a low level offender then you must be so close to a case worker. If you're buying someone who's in debt, then you need to be within so many kilometres of the creditors office. Also,”

Sonico holds the ring of the chain higher so she can point up her index finger. She was truly on a roll here with explaining that she has no idea Alleyne wasn't paying any attention. Although seeing her Mistress' hand come up Alleyne is made to expect something was happening.

“Indentured servitude is different than slavery because those in it are still paid. That's why people in debt often file for that over being a pet, which is what you are.” Sonico looks back winking to Alleyne. “So don't worry about me telling you to do much of anything aside from look cute. Okay?”

Alleyne says nothing. Instead she just gives her generic blank expression prompting a light giggle from the rabbit girl who suddenly looks a little troubled.

“Though, it does make me wonder what you could have done. They said if you weren't sold you'd be going to the mines. Normally those who don't find an owner at an auction are just given to the city. But then there's your heavy chain and even thicker collar...”

She turns, comes up to a sign in the road that forks in two different directions. Looking the sign over, she sees the name of her community “Clover Plains” and another sign marked “Calen Wood” with the words “Green Wood” etched underneath of it.

“Let's take a detour before going home, shall we?” Sonico says heading in the direction of the elven village.

Alleyne approaches the sign herself looking it over puzzled as to why Sonico would go in the direction away from her home. She stands staring at the sign until her heavy chain becomes tight and she turns following in her Mistress' direction.

The elven community was a small set of homes built in a forest clearing. There was a mixture of elves and various animals wandering about as Sonico and Alleyne come in through the loosely made border fence, which mostly consisted of long sticks on low posts. Alleyne looks around as Sonico checks back at her.

“Don't worry about being nervous, Alleyne, it's not like you're the only elven pet here. Besides, this system is such a commonality that no one ever bats an eye to see their own kind on a leash.”

Sonico states as a pair of middle aged collared rabbits make their way across their path. As they pass by more individuals, some take note of Alleyne and begin to whisper among themselves.

Given that the day was already in the upper half of the afternoon, Sonico figured it would be best to set up a place to sleep before doing what she had come here for and brings Alleyne along with her inside of the local inn where an older elf polishing a cup looks up at them.

“Good evening, sir,” Sonico begins. “We would like to rent a room if we may.”

The elf looks Sonico over before pushing himself from the counter surprising the rabbit girl as he walks away gesturing for someone else. With a heavy clip clop, a female centaur comes in behind the counter wearing a bright smile.

“Sorry about Master, he doesn't speak English. May I be of service?”

It was clear now to Sonico why there was such a large mixture of races here for such a small community as she nods her head.

“Yes. We'd like to rent a room for the night, please.” She asks politely as the centaur takes out a pen.

“Wonderful.” She exclaims. “Our rooms are ten bits a night.”

Hearing that, Sonico's smile begins to waiver.

(\_/)

lool

(0 0)

Back outside, Sonico throws her arms out.

“How could I forget we have no money?” She groans over her own stupidity. She did buy Alleyne with carrots, after all.

Continuing down the beaten path, she spots a yuki-onna working as a farmhand chilling out some water before giving it to a few animals. Excited, Sonico hurries over forcing Alleyne to pick up her own pace as well.

“Excuse me!” Sonico shouts startling the woman. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.”

“It's...okay. I'm just more used to people running away. Is there something you need?”

Sonico blinks a couple of times over the woman's statement before her attention is diverted to the farm around her noting the barn in particular.

“Do you think we could work here for room and board? Just enough for the night is all we need, we can look for something else in the morning.”

“I'll...have to infer with my Master first. Excuse me a moment.” The yuki-onna bows graciously before going over to a worn out looking elderly elf.

Sonico watches holding Alleyne's chain in both hands now as her pet takes a look around the barn as well. After some conversing, the woman returns with a smile that, while it didn't match the centaurs, was definitely warm.

“Master says it will be okay for the two of you to sleep in the barn, but you'll need to work first.”

“Oh! Of course! What's needed to be done around here?”

“Well,” The yuki-onna says looking around before stopping on the wood cutting station. “Your elf looks strong, maybe she could cut some firewood while you help me feed the livestock?”

“We sure can! Just a moment though, Alleyne doesn't speak English though so it might take be a bit to explain what's needed of her.”

“That won't be a problem.” The woman says approaching Alleyne. “A' stay ten' i' night, lle will anta a' chop some firewood.”

Sonico looks stunned as Alleyne nods her head and leaves for the station as the rabbit girl soon lets go of the chain and turns to the other woman.

“You speak elven?”

“Uma. I-I mean yes. Sorry. I use it so often here... Master taught me. Did...you need lessons?”

“It's actually why I came out here to begin with.” Sonico laughs as she follows the woman along to collect some feed while Alleyne starts chopping wood. “It wouldn't be a problem if you taught me some, would it?”

“I could try. I'm just a student myself.” The woman answers.

“That's okay. Just enough that I can talk with Alleyne.” Sonico smiles taking up a heavy pail. “I'm Sonico, by the way.”

“Kusakabe.” The woman replies taking her own pail as Sonico excitedly walks alongside her.

“So let's start!”

“Okay, well...as I'm sure you know by now, Uma means Yes.”

“Uma.” Sonico repeats gazing upward. “Uma means Yes. Uma...Yes. Yes, yes, uma, uma, uma.”

Kusakabe giggles watching Sonico work the word. “You know, if you do this with every word it's going to take us all night to get through an introductory sentence.”

“Oh, I already know that.” Sonico laughs before proudly stating, “Amin essa naa.”

“Very impressive.” Kusakabe congratulates. “So this would be no challenge then. Hello, nostale sirs, sut naa lle sina undome? amin essa naa sonico i' rabbit girl.”

“Uhh...” Sonico stops in her tracks as Kusakabe giggles a little more.

“Seems you still have a ways to go.”

The two share a laugh until they hear a more awkward cut in the wood. Looking over, they see Alleyne collapsed to the ground and both go rushing over.

('')
( :: )
( :: )

Fire burning through the trees

Dark beings walking among those fleeing

A young woman in orange and white

Alleyne sits up rapidly and begins to look around noticing Sonico asleep by her side and Kusakabe breathing down on a damp rag. When she goes to apply it, she's surprised to see Alleyne looking back at her.

“Oh. Tura! Tura, re's kuile!”

“Tura...?” Alleyne questions as Sonico wakes to find her pet up.

“Alleyne!” Sonico practically throws herself against the elf startling her the rest of the way up. “I'm so happy you're alright! You were just lying there!”

As she cries out, the elderly elf comes in behind Kusakabe holding onto Alleyne's hat. Alleyne looks over as the elf approaches close enough to return it to her.

“Amin caela been hearien lussa, amin intya sina nae i' tyara en' ta.”

Sonico comes up yet still clutches hold of Alleyne, her eyes moistened up from her own end of the trauma.

“What...what's he saying?”

“Master says that since the two of you arrived there's been whispers and he believes it's the cause of the hat.”

“Hat?” Sonico looks down at the thick beret in Alleyne's lap touching along it before noticing the green star symbol over the top of it.

“Sut ume lle tul a ed' sina edhel?” He asks toward Sonico who looks up at him blankly then to Kusakabe.

“He wishes to know how you two met and...what led to her becoming your pet.”

“I...I don't know. I bought her at an auction, that's all I know. I don't know why she was there in the first place or why they felt the need to chain her up this much. Honest.”

Nodding, Kusakabe turns toward her Master repeating for him what she was told as Sonico looks back at Alleyne who hasn't removed her eyes from the older man who says something back to the snow woman.

“Master's concerns mostly come from the fact that...Alleyne isn't from this forest.”

“She...isn't? Where's she from then?”

“A village in the north. But...there's been no word from up there in so long. So she may have been brought down here or she came by herself.”

Sonico studies over Alleyne's features some thinking something over in her mind before standing turning toward the two.

“Then we'll find out. We'll go back to her village and see what's going on and find out why this happened to her in the first place.”

“The village she's from is in the northern forest,” Kusakabe explains. “It's across open plains where our laws are forfeit. If you're found by the worst kind of human...”

“We'll be fine. Alleyne's tough and I can back her up if need be.”

Alleyne looks up at Sonico and then to the other two still uncertain of any details. But she does know it all leads to the older elf leaving the room for a moment only to come back with a long wooden staff.

“Lle-aya Sana sina san'. Amin've n'uma anta en' ta anymore amin.” He passes the staff down to Alleyne who looks it over surprised by the engravings.

“Sut ume lle tul a ed' sina?” She asks in all seriousness.

The man just laughs resting a hand atop of Alleyne's youthful head.

“Lle require ta ner than amin.” And with that, he turns to leave the room but on the way whispers something to Kusakabe. Once he's gone, she looks toward Sonico and Alleyne.

“Master says you're free to spend the night, if you wish. Of course, with the two of you it'll still have to be in the barn. He apologizes for that inconvenience.”

“It's okay,” Sonico replies looking visibly troubled. “But we didn't do any work.”

“Actually, it's more for the trauma we may have inflicted on your pet. Please accept the offer.”

Sonico looks toward Alleyne as though expecting a response. Only Alleyne is still studying over the staff in her possession. Sensing that it's up to her, Sonico looks over and nods her head.

“Very well. Please follow me.”

Both Sonico and Alleyne follow her along into the barn where she sets a blanket over a pile of hay. Seeing just the one, Sonico's face turns a bright shade of pink.

“Oh...um,”

“Is something the matter?” Kusakabe inquires looking a little perplexed now while Alleyne studies the inside structure of the barn.

“Just...is there really only the one?”

“I suppose you could make it into two piles, but I'm afraid we only have the one blanket. Though I could go and see if one of the neighbors-”

“No, no. It's fine. We'll try and make due.”

“Very well.” Kusakabe replies still looking a little surprised. “If there's anything you need cooled before you turn in for the night...”

“Maybe the blanket a little?”

Sonico asks as the snow woman nods and crouches down touching it to cool it down some. Finished, she stands and smiles.

“Anything else?”

“Nope. That's fine, thank you.” Sonico smiles back as Kusakabe bows and leaves the two.

Sonico looks back at the makeshift bed and sighs looking over toward Alleyne.

“Not that I'm nervous about this, but if things go the way they went last night...”

Sonico crawls down onto the blanket surprised over how cool it was as she laid overtop of it. Looking back up at Alleyne, she pats the spot down beside her to which the elf actually takes to. Though she keeps a bit of distance from Sonico, she lies down just the same much to the delight of her Mistress.

“Good night, Alleyne.” Sonico whispers.

Alleyne turns and fumbles with something in her pouch quietly. From it, she pulls out Vert, which she had gotten earlier in the day from Alice, and rests down beside it.

Not long after, once the stars had begun to shine out, Sonico is awakened by noises outside the barn. Sitting up, she first checks over at Alleyne noticing she was gone though the chain was still with her. She follows it along to Alleyne training with the new staff under the moonlight with Vert propped in a chair watching her. Sonico smiles and lays back down.

“Alright,” She says with a deep exhale. “But don't complain about a lack of sleep tomorrow.”

^-.-^ Zzzzz

The new day had come and with it brought a time for fare wells to their new friends. Although Alleyne remained silent she watched as Sonico gave Kusakabe a close hug.

“Thank you for everything. I'll be sure to come back for more lessons.”

“I look forward to training you. Quel marth e' lle travels.”

“Huh?”

Sonico comes back confused as Kusakabe giggles resting a hand in between her ears.

“Good luck.”

“Oh! Thanks.”

Laughing, Sonico hurries back to Alleyne waving back to Kusakabe and her Master before departing down the road. Alleyne watches the older elf for a moment longer then turns staff in hand and Vert poking out from her pouch.