"Is this the capital?" Lomi asked as we left the port.

"No. Just a large city. There's a larger town, on the coast, a few weeks from here. It even has walls," I said. Great gates and walls were becoming more and more common, thanks to the advancements the humans have made and their general numbers... but most cities were still without.

Lomi walked closely next to me and not just because she was wary of the many people on the road. She was now very conscious of not just her surroundings, but herself.

Luckily she was a small child, and it was still windy. No one would find her odd quirk of constantly checking her hat to be strange.

"This way," I guided Lomi to an alley, and made sure to account how many people were on the streets.

Not many. It was already getting cold enough that people were choosing to stay indoors even during the middle of the day.

The boat ride had been uneventful. Lomi and I had to take refuge inside the boats small cabin, alongside the captain and other workers. Not because the weather was that bad, but because they would have found it odd if we hadn't.

No human father would let their young daughter stand out in a near-blizzard willingly.

Because of that, Lomi had more than enough time to brood over what had occurred this morning. Since we had sat in silence together for most the trip.

Although I knew she'd not forget it, anytime soon, she was young enough to not let it completely tarnish this once in a lifetime trip for her.

"Ho there!" A man greeted us as we passed him. He was bundled up in a larger jacket, which reminded me this was a good place and time to get one for Lomi.

Glancing at her as she studied the buildings we passed, I took note of her hat. It was a little too big for her, thus why it had fallen off so easily.

Yes. Something better was in order. Not just because it was winter, either.

"It is getting cold," Lomi noted, staring at a group of people down the path. They were huddled together, talking about something. Most were wearing cloaks, or large jackets. A few even had things wrapped around their necks and head, to better protect themselves from the chill.

"If only you had fur," I said to her.

She smiled up at me, as if it was a joke she's heard before. One that reminded her of a happy moment.

A gust blew by, causing a nearby sign to creak loudly. Its metal hinges had probably begun to ice over, based off the sound.

The sign told me it was some kind of paper store. Maybe books. But books were still something only the wealthy could afford. Most humans were illiterate, and the common book was still something that took great effort to produce. They were made by hand still.

I knew it'd not be long until that all changed. I knew soon it'd all be different.

"Look, a statue!" Lomi grabbed my hand, to get my attention.

Walking into the center of the city, I allowed Lomi to study the large whale that had at one time lived in the lake.

The people here wouldn't remember, but that whale had been far larger than this statue. So large that it had nearly poisoned the whole lake upon its death, its carcass taking far too long to decay.

But why would they remember? They remembered the legends. The stories. But never what their actions wrought. I knew if I brushed aside the snow and ice, I'd eventually find a plaque that told the story of the ship of sailors who captured the great fish. How the city had only survived the harsh winter thanks to its meat and oil. But I knew it, and the entire town, would never remember the many years after that they suffered from a lack of fish, afterwards.

"Are there really fish this big?" Lomi asked, still studying the statue.

"Yes. Though not here. Not anymore," I said.

"Are those whiskers?" she asked.

"They are. It didn't have any, though," I said.

"Oh?" Lomi glanced at me, and I knew I had said the wrong thing. Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut.

Before she could latch onto that subject, I pointed at a nearby shop. The windows were one of the few that had yet to be draped over, as to keep the cold at bay. "Let's go there real quick," I said.

Pulling Lomi along, since she still held my hand, I made sure no one in the city center watched us as we entered the shop.

There weren't many people out and about, but there were still a few. Thankfully no one seemed interested in us at all. People were too busy trying to simply get to their destinations, out of the cold.

"Welcome!" A happy voice greeted us as we entered the well lit shop, and I realized why they hadn't covered the large window yet like all the rest had.

There were multiple fireplaces, and all were roaring.

"Oh my! How are you, young lady?" an older woman waved at us from inside the shop. She was standing near a large dress, maybe some kind of ball-gown. It was displayed in the center of the room, and it looked like she had been setting it up.

Lomi shifted closer to me, and I knew the human woman found it normal as she giggled and looked at me. "How can I help you today?" she asked.

"Do you have any heavier cloaks in her size?" I asked.

"Oh sure. We always have many ready for the winter, and there's always leftovers... let me go get a few," the woman quickly hurried off into the back of the shop, disappearing behind a curtain.

Being left alone, I sighed and gestured to some of the nearby clothes. Ones hanging from racks, and on the walls. "Go ahead and take a look," I said to Lomi.

She hesitated, but nodded. Our hands separated as she walked up to the large dress that the woman had been working on earlier.

"It's a ball-gown, by the looks of it," I said to Lomi. I knew she had probably never seen such a thing before.

"How do you wear it?" she asked.

"With great effort," I said.

"Sir, would a fur-lined cloak be something you'd consider?" the woman peeked her head out from the curtains, and I noted the tone of her question.

Could I afford it?

"Yes. That would be preferred, actually," I said.

She smiled, and with a brisk nod retreated back.

Lomi glanced at me, but said nothing. She returned to studying some of the clothing, and I noticed that most of them were... a little too fancy.

Was this maybe one of the nicer stores? It was hard to tell. Surely not everyone could afford such clothes.

Had this town become wealthier since my last visit? I remembered the church settling down here, but hadn't thought it'd increase the common citizen's wealth this greatly. Let alone this quickly. It had only been a few years...

It didn't take long for the woman to return, carrying a bundle of clothes. I noticed two of them, and already knew which one we'd be buying.

The woman happily hummed as she walked over to a corner of the store, where two tall metal poles were. Keeping quiet, I kept my eyes on Lomi as she watched with fascination as the woman went to displaying the two pieces of clothes.

Both of the metal poles had little arms, which could be used to properly display clothes. It wasn't a perfect representation, but it was far better than anything else.

"They're both a little long for her, but I can hem them quickly if you'd like," the woman said, stepping back so Lomi and I could study the two.