Grandmother hooked her basket through her arms and settled it behind her, then Kita carefully pulled her onto his back. He was a strong kitsune, so once her weight was settled, he was able to move almost as easily as if he carried no one at all.

“Tell me, Grandmother, about your life as we travel. I haven't ever talked to a human before.” He admitted as he walked in the direction she'd indicated.

“It is a life, like any other, and it isn't exceptional. I married the love of my life when I was sixteen. We lived thirty long and beautiful years together,” she began.

She told how her children, all seven boys, grew up and left, except the youngest, who fell in love and stayed close to home. She told how her husband's heart gave out and how her youngest son and wife died of sickness, leaving her to take care of her granddaughter. Once a week, Grandmother gathered medicines in the forest in order to take care of herself and her granddaughter.

Kita Thought this woman had a strong spirit. To have lost so much in what felt like a tiny blink of time, and still have such a positive look of the future. He wasn't so sure he would be able to say the same, but he had nothing like a family to use as a comparison, so he could only guess.

Grandmother had ventured farther from home than Kita had realized and it was dusk before they came upon the small building the old woman called home. The outside was tidy, the wood polished and the rice paper waxed. It had a long welcoming porch that you had to take a step to get to. The inside was mostly one room with a deep fire pit near the center. One corner of the room was sectioned off with light rice paper screens.

Kita sat the old woman down next to the fire pit. “swing that chain over this way boy, and we will see about making you some soup.”

At her voice, a girl of about eight years old shifted the rice paper screen and rubbed her eyes as she moved into the main part of the room. “Grandmother, you're here! I thought you wouldn't be back until morning.”

“Hand me the pot, Takara, we are going to make some food for our guest.” Grandmother pointed to the short table near the wall where all the kitchen things sat.

Kita couldn't take his eyes off the little girl. She was so small! She had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach the large pot. Once she had it, it looked like she would topple over with it's weight. He was going to take it from her, but Grandmother stopped him with a light touch on his arm. Takara handed the pot to her grandmother and the old woman filled it with water and hooked the pot onto the chain above the fire.

The little girl moved over to him. Kita sat so he could see the little thing better. The girl took his face in her hands and moved really close. “Are you a good person or a bad person?”

Kita blinked, but thought about this question deeply before answering honestly, “I am neither good or bad. Maybe a little of both, but I think Grandmother deserves to see my good more than my bad.”

Takara nodded at his answer and climbed into the nest made by his crossed legs and promptly fell asleep. Kita froze as soon as she'd curled up in his lap. It was very much like what a kit would do, but this was a little human! Grandmother simply chuckled in her rusty way and said, “Takara has taken a liking to you Kita. I've never seen her do that to anyone else.”

Kita hesitantly touched the little girl's hair, and found it was no different than his was in this form, and he was glad he decided to help the old woman and learn all these things about humans. After the evening of food and talking with Grandmother while Takara slept in his lap, he found himself wishing to see them again.

Each time he visited, which was often, he would bring herbs (he learned from Grandmother how to find the right things). He'd also bring other things he thought Grandmother or Takara would find interesting. Sometimes the things were special, like the feather of a tengu, but anything he would bring would always be exclaimed over and they were both always very grateful.

The years flew by and one day, Grandmother didn't wake up from her nap.

Takara had married and moved in with her husband's family, and Kita found himself staying with Grandmother more often than not. She was ancient by human standards, and needed someone to care for her. She treated Kita as if he was her own grandson and he learned to love her deeply for it.

When he lost her, he knew that pain that she had told him of, and he felt broken from it for such a long time, that he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to live without sadness.

That was when he started romancing women. To be able to be close to someone without the chance he'd feel the pain of loss. Quick encounters that left no lasting impressions, but were satisfying none the less. It was how he'd lived his life from that moment on.