One of the guards - I was moving too fast to tell who - had noticed the odd fox sprinting into town. And while I wasn’t heading for the henhouse, he certainly didn’t know that, and was now chasing me. Granted, it wasn’t going particularly well for him since I was faster than a jolt jaguar and small enough to be able to cut under porches and through gaps in fences. I wasn’t sure how far behind me he was when I landed on my porch and started pawing at my door, but I didn’t really care. Sun was rising and I could smell something so out of place that it could only be the ratfolk coming this way.

  Through my scratching, I could hear the almost thunderous padding of someone approaching the door, so I spun back and away so they could let me in, sitting on my hind in a way that came as easily as running had. To my surprise, Elder Yamamoto opened the door. I would’ve been angry if it wasn't for all the adrenaline pumping through me.

  “Ah,” he said, clearly amused, “Kara. Welcome back. It seems you learned the foxfire! Good job.

  I preened slightly before dismissing the fire with a thought. The open flames hadn’t caught anything yet, but there was no reason to risk it.

  “Very good,” he encouraged. “However, I’d suggest turning into your natural form. You have a backpack to carry and foxes aren’t exactly pack animals.”

  I was too energetic to take the gentle chastisement and tried to scoff, but a fox snout wasn’t conducive to that particular noise. Instead, it turned into a teetering “Mrrmrrmmr.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said amusedly as he tilted his head in mock confusion. “I don’t speak fox.”

  I darted past him and into the dining room where I spun around before sitting on my hindquarters. My sister, wearing what looked like a new kimono with oddly splotched decorations, was pressed against the counter, which was the expected response for an eleven year old confronted with a supposedly feral animal. I tried to smile, but based on her attempt to jump on the counter, I don’t think it worked.

  “And that,” Elder Yamamoto chided me from behind, “is the other reason I suggested you change back.”

  I shot him a quick look from over my shoulder to which he shrugged slightly. I would’ve stayed as a fox just to spite him, a small and honestly petty revenge for being abandoned in the Wood, but Kyomi let out another whimper. Reluctantly, I focused my thoughts on changing back. The key idea for being a fox had been the pressing need to move faster, something my normal body couldn’t do. So, logically to shift back I needed to focus on something I couldn’t do as a fox.

  So, speaking?

  “Yip,” I said, causing Kyomi to whimper again. Speaking it was.

  “Speaking,” I thought, “I need to speak.”

  Free of the panic and adrenaline, I was able to both feel and pay attention to myself shift this time. “Speaking,” I reminded myself as I watched and learned.

  There was a persistent and full body itch as the fur pulled back into forelegs, followed by a tugging sensation as they started to lengthen back into arms. The pulling, combined with the extra weight, pulled me forward as my tail bowed and split in the middle with a sudden shock like a splinter being bumped. Right, I had two tails now. Or at least, I did when I wasn’t a fox. I watched in awe for a second as the rupture expanded with the tails extending and fluffing up to a standard form. The sharp jolt to my nose caused my eyes to water for a second as my teeth contracted and pulled together, pulling my snout back into my face with them. I blinked rapidly, watching as blotches on Kyomi’s kimono separated into the familiar red and green flowers and my hair crept back into view.

  I whimpered in discomfort, still unable to speak, as one of my legs shot out, scraping across the floor and knocking me to my side. The other grew slowly, lifting the other leg as it went. “Speaking,” I thought to myself, “speaking is the goal.”

  As the claws retracted from my toes, my forepaws extended into fingers and my feet elongated. I was dimly aware of the fact that they felt like they were in tabi as my torso started to blossom in all directions, opening into a frame that could actually support my human limbs and bringing my kimono back into existence. My tongue lolled in my mouth shrinking from its snouted length.

  “Speathing,” I mumbled. Well, it was something. I rolled my jaw and tried again. “Speaking.”

  “Kara?” Kyomi asked incredulously.

  “More or less,” I responded, looking at the fur still receding from my legs. There was a final moment as my legs stretched and a final wave of tingles ran from toes to ears. I waited for a moment to see if there were any more changes, but it seemed that my body had settled into what I hoped was my natural form. Winded, I sat up from the laying form I had sprawled into, “Sorry I scared you.”

  Kyomi nodded and smiled weakly, “It’s okay. The past day has just been full of surprises.”

  I tried to stand, but my legs weren’t quite ready to support my entire weight and failed me. Four legs certainly distributed the weight better, but a fox’s body left a lot to be desired. Faster than I could blink, Kyomi was there offering me a hand up.

  “What did I do,” I asked leaning on her far more than could’ve been appropriate, “to deserve a sister as good as you?”

  There was a small laugh as she pivoted me into the kitchen chair, “You were the best sister you could be to me,” she told me honestly, water rimming her eyes.

  I felt the tears welling up as I pulled her in for a hug. I knew leaving was going to be hard, but merciless spiders, I felt like my heart was being torn in two. I had come back to spare my sister pain, but had only succeeded in mitigating it. Success felt extremely bitter in my mouth as we took our moment to ourselves, ignoring Elder Yamamoto, the gaffe of crying in front of someone outside the family, and the insult of ignoring a guest.

  When we composed ourselves, Mother was placing bowls of food on the table. I hadn’t heard her come in, but given that Donbo was here when he wasn’t previously, it couldn’t have been that long ago. I gave Elder Yamamoto and Donbo another moment, they were having a hushed conversation, a polite exercise in ignoring what could be considered a shameful act. “Eat,” Mother demanded, dragging me away from our guests, her face a broken and forced smile, “Quickly, I can see the ratfolk’s pack coming down the road now.”

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  I blinked slightly in surprise at how far away I had been able to smell the ratfolk, idly wondering if maybe I had smelled something else, but then my stomach rumbled and I dropped into my seat, eating as fast as propriety would allow. Everyone was silent, uncertain what to say or unwilling to speak with food in the way. There were squeaking sounds as the animals pulled to a stop followed by a rasping at the door.

  “I believe,” Elder Yamamoto said, “That is our cue to leave. Come Donbo, let us inform the merchant that Kara will be along shortly”

  Donbo curtly nodded and moved to help the Elder out the door, leaving me with my family. Mother gave her best smile, trying to hide the tears that would come once I was gone. “Kara,” she began, “You….” she trailed off gathering her voice to try again. “You be safe now and come home.” There was a brief and quiet hug, and then we separated. There wasn’t anything else to say. She stepped aside and I turned my attention to Kyomi, who was quietly moving her feet in circles on the floor.

  Conscious of my recent growth, perhaps overly so, I kneeled to be eye level with her, smiling. “Kyomi,” I managed with tears pooling in my eyes. There was a momentary pause before she lurched forward and wrapped me in a hug. There was a sniffle that we all pretended we didn’t hear. Quietly, afraid her voice would carry to those outside of our family and the shame that might bring, she whispered, “I’ll miss you.”

  I hugged her tighter and let the tears come, “I’ll miss you too. Don’t get into too much trouble.”

  There was a strangled laugh as she responded, “It’ll be a lot easier without you distracting me all the time.”

  I laughed at that, despite the tears, and hugged her tighter. I’d miss that easy humor and freely given support. Though, I consoled myself, it’s not like it would’ve lasted much longer. Twelve winters was when kitsune were expected to start their apprenticeship, their journey to adulthood. That was only two winters away. I didn’t know how long adventuring took, but even if I went to Freeport and then just turned around, Kyomi would be starting preparatory work for her apprenticeship, the formal end to childhood. Kyomi, as I knew her, would change and be gone by the time I returned even in the best case scenario. But, somehow, I doubted that a quest from the Gods would be settled so easily. It could easily be years before I saw my family again. Kyomi might be married with children of her own by the time I returned, and I was going to miss it all.

  There was a moment of doubt as the tears shook free of my eyes and I selfishly stole another hug with Kyomi before the detached part of my brain chimed in. “You were leaving anyways next winter, be it for marriage or further training.” And while I wanted to argue that at least it would be easier to visit in those circumstances, I remembered my place and promises and started putting my emotions aside to have a proper face to leave with.

  Slowly, we decoupled, both of us pretending there weren’t tear streaks down our faces. I took Mother’s offered wash cloth, made myself presentable, and shouldered the pack. It sat oddly on my shoulders, though I imagined that I’d grow used to it with time. I adjusted a few of the straps to help make that transition easier before turning back to my family. A final hug with Mother and a kiss upon Kyomi’s head, and I turned towards the door, unable to procrastinate any longer.

  “There’s a few things in the bag for you. From Kyomi and me,” Mother said, sliding the door open.

  I nodded, the freshly risen sun biting my eyes. “Thank you Mother,” I managed, in a properly public and even tone, “for everything.”

  “Of course,” she said in her librarian voice. Emotions would not do in front of outsiders.

  There was a shuffle as Kyomi joined her at the door and I stepped forward to where Elder Yamamoto and the ratfolk merchant stood next to a pair of heavily laden pack rodents.

  “You have everything?” the ratfolk asked, looking over my body. “Ready to leave?”

  I nodded uncomfortably; but I got the distinct impression that he was concerned with how little I had. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the experience to know what I was supposedly missing.

  Elder Yamamoto cut in, “Well, you’ve already agreed to carry her bartering supplies,” He said pointing very deliberately at two packs on the larger of the pack beasts, “so, she’s packing light.”

  I shot him a silent look of thanks, to which he offered me a sly smile.

  “Oh, yes yes,” the ratfolk eagerly agreed, “but what of weapon? Dangerous journey. Need way to defend self.”

  Oh spiders, I didn’t even know how to go about procuring a weapon let alone use one. I knew that in larger villages, their nobles would inherit blades from their ancestors or they would be rich enough to commission new ones. Our village wasn’t important enough to have any nobles. The Elder council, based on Sage Vinollo’s prowess, had managed to secure enough blades to arm our guard but taking one of those myself would be improper.

  “Your cooking knife,” the detached part provided, “could do in a pinch. Just need to get the blade next to something vital. You’ll want something of better steel that will hold an edge for the long term though.”

  I blinked, wondering how I had never considered my kiridashi for that before, when I noticed Donbo walking forward with a melon sized cloth-wrapped bundle. I pulled myself back to the moment and delicately took the package from his hands. It had an unexpected heft to it that caused me to readjust how I held it before unwrapping.

  Inside was a many pocketed and pouched belt, complete with a sheathed kaiken in a beautifully lacquered case. “Oh, Elder Yamamoto,” I said quietly and automatically, “I couldn’t possibly accept such a gift.”

  “Nonsense,” he said in good and proper form, “I must insist.”

  I smiled and refused for the second time, “But surely it would be a great inconvenience to you to part with such a lovely thing.”

  He smiled genially, “It is an unused tool from early in Sage Vinollo’s magical career before she had the kimono with all the pockets commissioned. It is full of spell components you might need on your journey. It is truly better for you to have this belt than it is for us to hold on to.”

  Given how pristine the leather was, I doubted that Sage Vinollo had ever worn this belt, but I wasn’t going to argue further. Refusing a gift more than twice would imply a deeper disdain for Elder Yamamoto that the frustration I felt at being abandoned in the woods. So instead, I simply nodded and strapped the belt on. It was a little snug but hung nicely with my waist with the kaiken hanging just off my right hip for an easy cross draw. Satisfied with the fit, I bowed deeply to Elder Yamamoto, “Thank you Elder, for everything that you, the council, and village have done for me.” I was a winter short of being considered a full adult, but given that I would be out of the village when that ceremony was normally conducted, the words seemed appropriate for the situation.

  Elder Yamamoto blinked in surprise, but bowed deeply in response, and spoke the appropriate response, “Your words are too kind. We have simply done what was done for us and what we hope you will do for those that come next. May your journeys and life be blessed, Kara.”

  And then, with a small smile and tears fighting to the surface again, I put my family, my village, my life as I knew it at my back and walked North and into the Wood.