A LEAD CROWN CONTRIBUTION

     Walking through the streets of Vallara again had a strange ethereal feeling to it, like it was all a dream or it was one of those enchanted town told in stories. It had been about a year or two since I had come here, and though many things had changed in Newport during that small amount or time, believe it or not, Vallara seemed to be the same one I left. It was kind of unnerving actually, though I couldn't pinpoint exactly what made me feel that way, maybe the mostly friendly faces of the people around here, or the calm atmosphere that hung around the place, or maybe it was the long forgotten and ignored sense of belonging that this little town gave me. Funny, how I never realized how close this place was to my heart until I was gone for so long.

    Unfortunately, I couldn't spend too much time discerning my feelings about my hometown, not could I show Shew all the amazing things that could be found only here, even if they were only a few, right now we had to focus on our current task, after all back at the tavern we had agreed to restock our already dwindling supplies, as the last run-ins with the OoB(Order of Blades) and Shew's recent experiment had left us with barely enough to make at most 4 concoctions I could think of, though they were not that helpful either.

     I let out an exasperated sigh, remembering that particular experiment back at the hotel made my hackles rise, what was that imprudent charming human thinking? Had he no sense of self preservation? Well, I can't really be so hard on him when I do the same most of the time. But when I heard that explosion I had been so worried, expecting to find the known explosion expert blown through the wall, or worse. I should have scolded him, told him how dangerous that was, how he was not an apprentice anymore to do so reckless things, maybe hit him once or twice in the head to drive the point home, yet when I saw he was safe, the first thing that crossed my mind was to have him in my arms, to hold him and protect him. Afterward I was too... entertained to be mad at him.

      ¨-lly----ro – you----rt----ro-¨ said a voice, or at least I think it was a voice, unless I'm already losing my mind, like that guy Alarice hired, now that is a rare sight to be seen, a human that seems to be both more crazy and mysterious than our little group put together, a feat I considered impossible until recently, maybe th-

      Suddenly, I was brought back to reality when something yanked back the neck of my shirt, with enough strength behind the pull to make me stumble, and almost, lose my footing, almost. I quickly regained my bearings, looking around to find the culprit, only to find it was the human I was thinking about just a few seconds about, no, not Henry, it was a clearly annoyed scholar if the vein popping in his head and the way he held his cane could be trusted, sometimes it was hard to read Shew, especially when he was mad.

      ¨You didn't have to pull me so hard, you know?¨I told him while I tried to soothe the pain in my arm, he hadn't held back even a bit.

      ¨Just be glad I didn't ¨accidentally¨pull your tail¨ I mentally cringed at that, my tail quickly hiding from sight immediately, and I silently thanked the Spirits for their graces, having your tail yanked hurts way worse than getting pierce by a sword, I can attest to that. ¨Besides, you deserved that, you've been ignoring me for the past ten minutes¨

      ¨You must have been imagining things¨ I replied offhandedly ¨How could I ignore you?¨

      ¨Very well, then tell me why have we been going around in circles for the past ten minutes?¨

     ¨It's just your imagination Shew, the streets around in Vallara are slightly different from the ones at Newport, I assure you we're right on track¨

    ¨So you want me to believe it's just a coincidence we happened to pass the same group of elderly ladies near those asphyxiating flowers twice? Or that the same shopkeeper has been trying to get you attention since we got here? Though what I find most vexing is-¨

      ¨Okay, okay, I MIGHT have been out of it for a bit.¨ I admitted, no sense in fighting a losing battle, especially against Shew, ¨Just, I'm sorry Shew, OK? There's been a lot on my head lately¨

      I anxiously waited to hear his answer, expecting some sort of angry remark or even worse, being ignored for the rest of the day, somehow I feared the last one even more, after all it hasn't been long since we're back at speaking terms, and I would hate to lose that even if just for a day.

     ¨You're unbelievable Rolly,¨ he said, angrily? No, his voice was soft and calm, no sign of anger nor annoyance there anymore, he even gave a different feeling that before ¨ who was the one telling me how I should share my worries with him?¨

      I didn't know what to do now, I had never expected something like this, I mean, Shew is not always the angry scholar everyone knows and loves, he's a normal person, barring the physical differences of course, but he never showed that side of him in public, let alone in the middle of the street.

       ¨I clearly remember it was you who told me I should rely on you more not so long ago.¨

       ¨Uh?....I'm, Sorry?¨ I told him, trying to keep his temper under control, though I had no idea of what was going on right now, this facet of Joshew was new to me.

      ¨Rolly, you're not the only one worried here¨ He stated calmly while he changed the hand holding his cane and inconspicuously grabbed my hand and started walking down the street, so that anyone who passed us would be none the wiser ¨I have been thinking a lot about it too, all the problems we have gotten ourselves into, they're not like the ones back at the UPU, so it's normal to be worried¨

        ¨I know, it's just....¨

       ¨You didn't want to worry me, right? ¨ He said with some glee, stealing the exact words I meant to say, his lips curling into a mischievous smile ¨You really are a fool, wasting your time in such needless efforts. I will always worry about you Rolly, no matter what, besides, who would I throw things at if you died¨

      Hearing those words I couldn't contain the heartfelt smile that made its way into my face, it make me happy to know he liked me so much, even if it was hidden by his usual sarcasm, it's the thought that counts right?

      After that we just kept walking for a few minutes in comfortable silence, just enjoying the comfort of each other presence, and not really paying attention to where we were going. During those blissful minutes we shared I felt some of my worries dissipate, becoming just background noise in my head as all my senses were trained on the present, committing to memory every second I could spend with Shew.

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      ¨Remind me why did I agree to do this again?¨ I groaned as we neared our destination, a little familiar house down the road, it still exuded that air of tranquility and happiness like when I lived there, any other time I would have been giddy with excitement to go in there, but right now, with everything that's been going on, I can't help feeling that it would be dangerous to go in there, especially for the person inside.¨Shew, I'll do anything for you but this, so how about we leave before my mom can see us?¨

      ¨Roland, we've already talked about this, she's your mother, you should visit her when you can,¨ Shew practically growled, I still wondered how he could do that ¨ besides when was the last time you visited her? 3 months ago?¨

      ¨I don't know, maybe a year?¨ I tentatively said, no use in lying to him, he could pick out my lies way too fast for them to work.

      ¨Ah, just a y-A YEAR? Roland how-¨

      ¨Maybe two, I don't know, I've been very busy at the UPU since Professor Milasky asked me to help him with his project ¨

      ¨But she's your mother! Argh, Roland, how could you do such a thing to your mother!¨ Shew chastised me with a vengeance, he was really touchy on the parents area, not that I could blame him ¨ That's even more reason for you to visit her¨

      ¨But what about the, you know, Them, wouldn't they target her if I visited her now? Maybe it's best I come back later¨ At that moment Shew stopped and grabbed my arm harder, exuding an aura that left no room for protests, yeah, I had pissed him off again. Without saying another word, he started to walk again, pulling me closer to the house with surprising accuracy.

      Soon we were only a couple of steps from the house, the familiar cottage casting a small shadow over us, that made my apprehension grow by the second. The slightly darkened windows welcoming anyone into its small living room. There even was the same scent that I remembered, a careful combination of lavender and cinnamon, my mom's carefully prepared flavor. It was almost to much, and if not by Shew zealous grip on my arm, I would have ran away a long time ago.

      Shew paid me no mind, and I could swear he was murmuring something, but I couldn't make out the words well with the blood pumping so hard in my ears. By the time we were in front of the door I had already run out of excuses to go away, as they were slowly replaced by an imperative need to see my mom again, to see if she was okay, to be in her arms. Holding that thought in the front of my mind I knocked on the door, a loud reverberating sound echoing after I hit it a bit too hard

      We waited a few seconds, no sound came from the house, and I tried again, maybe she hadn't heard, a couple of minutes passed like this and there was no answer, a strange sense of relief coursed through me, but was quickly replaced by anxiety. I tried to convince myself that she must be working, it would not be so rare, mom loved her work and her clients liked her a lot, so she tended to be busy, yeah that should be it, or maybe not, she could be somewhere far away being tortured, or she could be-

      ¨Excuse me, do you mind telling me who are you looking for?¨ Said a kind cheerful voice from behind us.

      I stayed rooted in place as my mind processed the sound: tone, pitch, stress, accent, even the form; it all fit, there was no doubt about it, I could never forget that voice as long as I lived, it was mom's. I didn't dare to move as I hear Shew answer her in a practiced polite tone, her answer lost to me as I tried to think what I should say, what should I do, I'm not good at this kind of things, and I would surely get an earful if I tried to downplay it, though I doubted my acting skills would work right now.

      In the end I just decided to do the only thing my mind had come up to, slowly turning around to meet her eyes, the lovely husky hadn't changed much since the last time I saw her, give or take a few of gray streaks around her fur, but she was still her, her youthful aura still present.

      ¨Hi, mom....I'm back¨I barely managed to utter before I was pulled into a loving hug, my arms holding mom closer to me, I had really missed this feeling, this warm and firm hold, even the growing wetness in my right shoulder, which covered my mother's face, but I didn't have to look to know what was happening, her quiet sobs gave her away.

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      It had been a relatively calm day, especially considering the incident near the City Hall, it was a blessing things had not escalated out of control, and rumors were that the Prince had a paw in that, Spirits give him wisdom, the wolf's actions had avoided any unnecessary bloodshed and had been hard at work to bring a peaceful resolution to the whole affair. Sadly, or maybe luckily I had been busy at the shop when that happened, so I had to rely on Mariam's account to be true.

      After that, there was an underlying tension around Vallara, and most of the sensitive furs were on edge, especially those who believed the far fetched tales of strife and chaos at Newport that some merchants brought, it was unnerving to think that such things would happen there, for it was one of the wealthiest cities in Leshunia, it could afford to have strong security measures. So the very thought of it scared me, with my little Roland over there I couldn't help but pray to the Spirits to watch over him, and of course worry about him a lot, especially since I hadn't received any letter from him and Lucian's always avoid such subjects, his huge pride made him think he had to keep me safe, I swear he never learns.

      It was late morning when I was returning home after running a few errands here and there, mostly to keep my stash of herbs well equipped in case things took a turn for worse in the future, you could never be too careful about this kind of things. I was only a couple of minutes walk from my sanctuary when I found a rare sight, a tall wolf bickering with a shorter but lively human, they were both carrying an assortment of bags with the wolf carrying the most, and the human had a most interesting stick and what looked like glasses, though this were all black instead of the transparent crystal I had seen.

      It was quite the strange sight, so I watched them carefully as they continued walking, with all these strangers going through Vallara nowadays, it was hard to tell who had good intentions, so it was better to be cautious, especially when approaching strangers. As the pair continued walking, their path became clear, nearing the place I called home, which made me even more wary of them, as most of the people I knew would tell me before coming home, and Roland usually sends a warning letter before he comes home.

      I kept a watchful eye on them, fearing the worst from these strangers, and the more I saw them a strange sense of nostalgia started to envelop me as I took a better look at the wolf man. He held himself in a way that reminded me of Lucian, but his fur didn't match him nor any of his friends, and he had a stout aura around him that didn't match my pup. But as I inched closer to them, the feeling in my heart only grew stronger, until my curiosity was starting to drive me crazy with a need to know.

      So I quickly gathered my courage with a deep breath and got closer to them, as I did so it became obvious I knew this person, but I just couldn't remember who he was, maybe a client, or one of their off-springs. Only after I saw his face did I manage to connect the dots, it was my pup, my little Roland, but he was different, bulkier and with that strange aura I had only felt from a few seasoned hunters before, it was strange seeing the way he carried himself now, it wasn't nothing like the carefree pup I had left at Newport almost 2 years ago.

      When he shyly greeted me any doubt in my heart disappeared, I could see my child in that face and body, and before he had a chance to do anything I gave him a ¨welcome back¨ hug, the height difference only allowing me to reach up to his shoulders, which quickly became wet from the sudden located rain that happened to fall there and that didn't stop until I let go of my baby.

      This was one of the best surprises I had gotten this years, so without wasting another minute I pushed both of them inside the house, ignoring the embarrassed protests from my Roland, who was looking apologetically at his strange friend, though the latter just had a mischievous grin on his face. I quickly maneuvered towards the small living room, forcing both of them to sit on the trusty sofa, while I tried to fix the mess I had left in the room.

      Soon I had both of them settled in, and I got to work, putting some water to boil, taking out the things I would need to make a refreshing tea, sharing a small talk with the clearly overjoyed human while I kept Roland away from my domain, the Kitchen. It felt wonderful to be able to dot on him like this again, even if it would be only for a short time, I would make the best of every waking second I could have.

      The tea was ready in what seemed to be record time, I needed no more signal than that to start my ritual 100 questions check of my pup, much to his chagrin, I needed to make sure he was doing alright in that big city, and I knew both him and his dad well enough, their Big Wolf Complex would made them downplay everything, I swear the both of them would probably have caught enough diseases to make the sturdiest healer pale if I didn't take care of them so much, children had more common sense than them sometimes.

      Roland's pitiful protests didn't relent my worry until I was absolutely sure he was alright, or as sure as I could be without stripping him naked, something I couldn't do with his friend here. I doubted my pup would forgive me if I did or that the poor human could stand such an act, let alone in front of what he probably considered as a refined lady. So I would have to leave that for another time, hopefully I would have enough opportunities to do it.

      Satisfied with my work, I settled down to talk with Roland's friends, Joshew, who was on the receiving end of a myriad of worried glances from my pup, though I don't know why, it's not like I would try to eat him, maybe pressure him a bit to know if he was a bad influence, but definitely nothing to worry about so much, my little Roland was clearly overreacting. As it turns out, Joshew turned out to be quite the gentleman, politely answering my inquiries about life back at Newport without the needless filter my stubborn boys put on it, even if there were some shocking facts, it felt nice to know what they went through.

      After that, I spent the better part of two hours exchanging stories with them, Roland finally calming down as I stopped my investigation for the time being, preferring to enjoy the time I had with my boy. During the whole time my keen motherly eyes picked out some ¨interesting¨ facts, like how Roland always kept a watchful eye over the young human, like he felt a need to protect him, how they were synchronized to each other movements, how Shew always kept contact with Roland, even if he did it discretely and how my pup seemed to be worried whenever I shot them a questioning glance, though Shew mostly ignored them. My mind started to wonder, could it be just a close friendships with strange circumstances, or could it be one of THOSE relationships my mother told me of, those rare cases that happened in some tribes, and how they were received differently by the Church, though I doubted it would be something like that, it must just be my mind working overtime.