“Time to go. Kitsune you have stalls to clean or tac to tend.” Mama D called to her

Kitsune, not wasting any time, started to jog immediately back to the stables forcing Mama D to catch up. At the stable Glenn set Kitsune to work cleaning the stalls and feeding the horses. This took much less time than it had in the morning, once she finished Glenn showed her how to clean and maintain the tac. By now the sun had dropped considerably. Mama D had to intervene on Kitsune’s cleaning. “Glenn, we gotta get back and start making our dinner or this one will have nothing to eat tonight.”

“We can’t be having this pupil starving, no ma’am. Alright girl get on outta here.” 

Kitsune and Mama D jogged to the market where Mama D purchased some sausage links and vegetables for their dinner. Making Kitsune carry the sack with the food, they jogged home. Once home Mama D questioned Kitsune on her ability to cook. Kitsune assured her she wouldn’t burn the house down. Trusting Kitsune Mama D took her buckets to get more water from the nearest well. When she returned Kitsune had the sausage and vegetable chopped up and frying. 

“Goodness Kitsune, that smells wonderful! Have you ever made biscuits?”

“I have not, are we making some tonight?” 

“Oh no sugah, we would be up much too late. In the morning I’ll wake you and you can help me. It will be a more pleasant wake up than this morning I assure you. Take that water and get a cold bath in the tub out back. The cool water will be good for your muscles.”

“What about someone seeing me?”

“The fence will keep anyone from seeing you.”

Kitsune took the buckets that Mama D had brought and carried them out the front door to behind the house where an area just big enough for her to set the buckets down and have walking space around a copper tub was fenced off with eight foot tall wood posts. The water was shockingly cold, she used soap and a sponge that was inside the tub to scrub clean the day’s grime and sweat. When she returned inside after bathing and draining the water, Mama D had their food on plates and a metal bucket of water heating on the stove. 

“What’s the hot water for?” Kitsune asked.

“My washing sugah. These old bones don’t do well with cold plunges.” 

“A warm bath sounds amazing!” Kitsune shouted.

“We will see about tomorrow you gettin’ one. You gotta carry the buckets though.”

“Maybe it can wait until I get used to this rigorous schedule you have me on.” Kitsune and Mama D shared a laugh. Then they sat down to a meal. After cleaning the items used for the food Kitsune fell onto her pallet and was out.