Turbinio

Meadow Clover

A man standing at the entrance to the village jumped in surprise to see you ride your mule alone back to the house you had rented. The discreet, anonymous gentleman greeted you and asked no questions, just led along and then bowed to you, turned and left without waiting for an answer.

The place was as it had been before, and that slowed a few heartbeats down to a wholly tolerable level. You slipped off Cadichon and staggered onto the roof of your wagon, already expecting your blankets and pillow to be there, disorganized, and you fell asleep in the first blink of an eye. In that state, your body ignored any kind of anxiety, pain or discomfort and just shut down until the next morning.

You expected to sleep late or be woken up by some villager who thought you were dead, but a weight on your chest made breathing unbearably difficult.

You woke up in a panic, throwing the blankets away and, consequently, the weight that was on you, which soon revealed itself in the figure of a skittish and furry cat. You asked how it got in the house, but then remembered that you made no effort to close the windows and doors last night.

When you saw the sun light up inside of the room, you knew it was time to go. Cadichon still seemed to be sleeping and you were discouraged by the idea of having to wake her up. You got off the wagon and looked for the cat, making the same sounds with your mouth that you used to call Cadichon. If it worked on a mule, it could work on a cat.

The cat was hidden under the counter of your wagon, but it didn't snarl or show its claws. Just looked strangely docile. The whiskers were ruffled and it didn't look more than a few months old. You looked around the mess inside your wagon and soon understood how this cat got there.

The box that the little dinosaur was in had a lining that somehow looked torn. The cat spent the night gnawing the material like a mouse trying to escape. You felt a slight pang of guilt in your chest that you had forgotten, and then you knelt to pet the kitty.

''So that doctor transformed you too?'' You asked in a soft voice. ''Don't worry, at this point, he's been completely eaten by the cougars.''

The cat purred and rubbed against your hand with the innocence of a puppy.

''You're hungry, aren't you?''

The pain from your tense muscles didn't ease after you slept. You ignored your poor physical condition and dedicated yourself to sales this morning. Some villagers asked about last night and you chose to say that you didn't remember anything to spare them any feelings similar to what you were having. Painkillers, herbs for headaches and some spices were the things you sold the most. You even took the opportunity to buy meat at a local market and feed the kitten that seemed to have made your wagon a home – and also a perfect place to mark territory.

You left around noon, not bothering to eat anything and regretting it halfway through. Now, with a cat that refused to get out of your wagon and a mule that from time to time decided to stress herself with the wagon harness, making sudden stops for a few minutes.

In one of Cadichon's tantrums where you waited for the mule's goodwill to continue pulling the cart, you decided to take a look at the race route map. At your pace and with the shortcuts you took, you could finish this stage in no more than five days, just like the runners. You also took the opportunity to count the money you had made from sales. 95 dollars. It wasn't much, but you didn't expect more from a village. At least you can replenish your supply of water and fruits.

You continue on your way until the sun weakens and you reach a place full of gnarled trees. A few barren and fishless lakes graced the landscape and became traps for unlucky travelers who could easily stumble across one in the dark and be forced to spend a wet and uncomfortable night on the moor. You were already used to paying attention to this kind of obstacle, as you had already spent many sleepless nights soaked in mangrove water.