Chapter 16: Mokie

Their second camp was a lot like the first one: a clear patch just off the road. Despite evidence of the area having been used by travelers in the past, it didn't have a fire pit. Rebecka dug a small hole using the folding shovel from her bag, and ringed it with fist sized rocks she found nearby. Using the cooking pot was out of the question since Sigyn had left a knuckle shaped hole in the bottom when she punched the first unfortunate attacker. Rebecka doubted the person Sigyn had knocked into the tree was still alive, even if Aettartangi had reported them as being unconscious. She gave Sigyn the small cooking pot from her go-bag. She didn't wait for the dragon woman to cook opting to eat a can of sardines from her own supplies before managing to doze off using her bag as a pillow. Aettartangi had evidently stopped doing whatever it had done to her body to make the trip less exhausting. She didn't dream anything which was yet one more relief. The last thing she wanted was the axe sifting through her most traumatic memories again. No one woke her when the sun rose, but she could hear the sounds of movement nearby as the knights and dragon stirred, doing their best to remain as quiet as possible.

"You should get more rest," Sigyn said softly.

"We're fine, really," Rifa whispered.

"I'm worried about...," Dyr trailed off. "You heard the argument they had, right? Both sides?"

"I was busy clearing the corpses out of the camp. She wanted to talk to it alone. I let her. I don't have to listen in if I don't want or need to, even if half the conversation is irate screaming."

"But, why didn't it warn us?" Dyr asked.

"I said I didn't listen. Shit, now she's awake," Sigyn hissed, a bit of a growl returning to her voice that hadn't been present when she was whispering with the two knights.

"It's fine," Rebecka said as she sat up. "How's Baby doing?"

"He's good," Rifa said. "Gullborg ponies are known for their stamina."

"He's a pony?" Rebecka asked.

"That's what I was told. He may only be half pony. I'm not terribly familiar with horses," Rifa replied nervously.

"Ponies top out at about fourteen hands tall. Baby's about that size," Sigyn grunted.

Rebecka shrugged then got to her feet. "He's the most unflappable animal I've ever seen in my life. Little guy didn't even blink when Sigyn picked him up last night."

"The stable manager said he was very calm," Rifa agreed.

"They weren't kidding," she said as she turned around to gather her go-bag and weapons. She froze when she locked eyes with a wild animal she'd never seen before in her life.

"Mo mo mo momo," the creature cooed.

It was about the size of a large cat, with fluffy red fur that made it look almost spherical and deeper red feathered wings on its back. Two curled ram horns grew from the top of a creme colored rabbit-like head with floppy bunny ears hanging below it. A long thin prehensile tail rested gently on the grass behind it.

"Is that a fucking jackalope?" Rebecka asked.

Sigyn leaned around the back of the wagon where she had been securing the rest of the supplies. "Wild Guess."

"That was my guess," Rebecka said.

"No, it's called a 'wild guess.' I've seen them in a few different worlds. Y'all call them something else here?" Sigyn asked the knights.

They both shook their heads and Dyr spoke first. "No, that's a wild guess alright. I haven't seen one that color in this area before."

"It could be from another world," Rifa suggested.

Sigyn snorted then went back to work securing the supplies in the wagon.

"Mo momo mo mo," the wild guess said.

"It's cute," Rebecka said.

"They're seen like rats on most worlds," Sigyn said.

"Rats are cute too," Rebecka replied as she stood up, bag and gun in hand. She was almost to the wagon when she realized the little wild guess was following her. "Uh...hi?"

"Mo mo momomo."

"Right." She looked over to the knights and dragon. "What do they eat?"

Sigyn grunted. "Whatever. They're usually omnivores. Like rats."

Rebecka knelt down to the animal. "You wanna come with us, little guy? Hey, how can if it's a boy or girl?"

"See if it lays an egg. Otherwise, just call it whatever you want. It's not like the thing's coming with us," Sigyn said as she finished up with the wagon.

Rebecka walked a few steps past the cart, the little red ball of fluff loping after her like a puppy. She stopped again.

"Pretty sure he's coming with us."

"Gods damn it."

***

They stopped for a lunch break when they arrived at a fork in the road with a signpost that had been broken off. The post was still there, but nothing else remained. According to the map, they needed to turn right, which would take them in a more southern route than the south eastern path they had been on. Rebecka was thankful for the break, as walking such a long time was proving to be far more taxing than it had been the day before. Not to mention her boots still had sand in them from the little desert that was beginning to make her feet blister.

Damn it, Aetty. How much had you modified me without permission?

Aettartangi didn't reply.

But, the little wild guess did. "Mo mo mo momomo mo."

"Really, I had no idea. Fascinating," Rebecka said.

"Can you understand it?" Dyr asked.

She shook her head. "No. Do they talk?"

"They don't talk," Sigyn said with a growl.

The guess, which had alternated between walking behind Rebecka and gently gliding ahead of the party using his wings, rolled in the dirt of the road next to the cart. It was painfully adorable.

"Will you name it?" Dyr asked.

Rebecka had an idea, but it was little more than a gut feeling. If it wasn't true she'd seem like a fool. If it was true she ran the risk of pissing him off. Either way, there was no reason to voice it out loud.

She leaned forward on the rock she was sitting on. "What do you wanna be called, little guy?"

"Mo momo mo," he chirped then flipped over onto his belly and started tracking a beetle on the ground.

"How about 'Mo?'"

"Mo momo mo."

"What about 'Mo-kie?'"

"Mo."

"Mokie, it is. His name's 'Mokie,'" Rebecka said firmly.

Sigyn let out a snort while rolling her eyes.

"I think it's a good name. 'Mokie' sounds very cute. Does it mean anything where you come from?" Rifa asked.

"Nope. Just thought it sounded cute," she said as she removed her boots. Skin from the blisters peeled away with her socks. There was way more sand in them than she had imagined. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" Dyr asked, rushing to her side.

"I didn't get the sand out of my boots and shit. I'll be fine. I just need to do a better job of cleaning them out."

"Step aside," Rifa said.

Dyr moved out of the way and the other knight knelt down before Rebecka. She quickly looked over her wounded foot, her ears wiggling while she was deep in thought.

"Mo mo momo," Mokie said before he bit down on the bug he had been stalking.

"I can use cleansing magic to rid you of the sand. I can also use healing magic on your feet, with your permission," Rifa said.

"Sure, go for it," Rebecka replied.

Rifa nodded, then put her hands out toward Rebecka. She shut her eyes and a light glow came from her palms. Rebecka's skin crawled as every grain of sand on her body and in her clothing rolled up and out, then onto the ground around her. She felt nauseous when the blisters on her feet sealed themselves. She pushed to her feet and made it a few steps before puking up the meager meal of dried bread and meat she had eaten for lunch.

"Oh, n-no. Are you a-alright?" Rifa stammered.

Rebecka waved a hand at the elf. The world was spinning but her stomach was quickly settling down. She hadn't felt this way when she was affected by the gravity magic in the dungeon. The only real change since then was Aettartangi. She had thought it didn't like magic because it interfered with its sensors, effectively giving it blind spots, but now she wondered if it was more than that. Or...had Aetty made her sick on purpose by altering her body, somehow?

Is it that petty?

The axe didn't reply.

"I'm fine. I just...I guess I can't handle magic," she replied.

"Ride in the cart," Sigyn said with a huff.

"What?"

"You just threw up. Ride in the cart," she repeated.

Mokie fluttered up to the edge of the wagon. "Mo mo momo mo."

"Fine, sure," Rebecka muttered.