At random, odd hours there’d be a rough knock at my door. Each time, a pull string bag was left behind, the contents of which varied. Fruit. A scarf. A bit of material that could be used for a shawl. The mystery gifts were obviously from Kehl. Why? Just leave me alone, as I’ve done for you! Had we not decided to close that chapter? Let it be and leave me in peace.
Yet a part of me was thrilled that he still thought of me, that he wanted to care for me in some way, that he was making any sort of effort at all.
My reticent mate refused to be with me because he thinks he’s bad and our children will be as well, but he was going to spoil me with random goodie bags?
How long would that last?
Realizing the supplies Dorothy had provided were dwindling, not sure what to do about that, where to go— there wasn’t exactly a fur-village Stop N Shop around the corner to pop in and pick up a few things— I washed up with snow I’d gathered and melted and the soap and towels Dorothy hadgenerously provided, tried out the new long sleeved shirt dress and pants, the thick socks, and prepared to venture out.
Glancing around, wondering if now would be a good time for some of those lessons Dorothy had mentioned, I grabbed one of the emptied drawstring bags and stuffed my hoodie, t-shirt, and socks I came here with inside. Green for things that needed washing, and I could use the blue bag to store clean items.
Slipping on my boots, I placed my Polaroid and ring box into the purple bag and pulled the strings tight. It would do for a makeshift backpack/purse. Grabbing my beanie, I felt marginally more human as I stepped out. Ill prepared for what lies ahead and woefully human.
Beasts and humans comfortably coexisting mingled, milled about. They all moved with purpose, somewhere to be, something to do.
It wasn’t beyond my notice that most women appeared to have multiple males with them. That was probably the first thing that caught my eye, artfully decorated hide-wear and flashy custom jewelry aside. As I ventured past huts, spilling out into sections with large groupings of beings, one with a massive fire pit with an enormous looking hunk of meat roasting over a spit, a larger section a bit farther down the way opened up, the area surrounded by stalls.
The sound of roaring water drew me towards a fast moving river. Further down and to my right, where the river split, one half widening, the outcropping of rocks surrounding the large split served to slow the flow. It formed a shallow pool. Groups of women huddled along the bank. Upon further nosy gawking, it appeared they were doing the wash.
Perfect.
Making my way closer, nerves didn’t hit until they noticed my approach. The one that noticed me first slowed down theirsoap, scrub, and dunk technique, and the woman next to her noticed her, then me, and stopped as well.
My steps slowed and I hesitated. Curling my fingers around the strings of the bags in my hands, I swallowed thickly. Nope. Forge ahead. There was no going back and that hoodie reeked like I’ve been living in it twenty-four-seven, because of course I have.
“Mind if I join you? I’m trying to learn the ropes,” I boldly proclaimed.
“Of course,” the short, curvy brunette with a huge basket beside her that she was pulling clothes from— so huge in fact I had to wonder how she lifted it— answered. The same woman motioned me over.
Joining them with a relieved smile, I watched them for a minute, noted how they all kind of had their own way of doing things. Eyeing them, I had to wonder which technique was the best one. Pulling my clothes from my bag, I asked the first hurdle I’d need to cross. “This is my first time trying this… uhm… what soap would you recommend I use?”
“Here. You can have the rest of this bar. I brought two.” The dark skinned woman with a baby strapped to her chest, wearing a shirt that looked like it was a plaid but maybe woven by hand, the details very delicate, offered.
“Thanks.” I took the lumpy grey soap with a grateful nod.
“Louisa,” she introduced herself, “but my mates basically call me Lou, or Loo-see.” Her laugh made the baby strapped to her chest flail their fluffy fur covered arms and chortle happily along with her. “This little guy is Hector, my youngest, but that quickly turned into Ector or Ec with his daddies. Isn’t that right, Ec?”
I smiled as she crooned down at her little one. Her braids had the prettiest looking glass beads on some of them— they shone like jewels as the light hit them right. Ec seemed to findthem as fascinating as I did, repeatedly going for them as she worked.
“Lolly,” Louisa jerked her chin towards the woman who was scrubbing away determinedly at an enormous bed sheet. A heavily furred child on either side of her chattered amongst themselves as they helped. Lolly nodded and lifted her head long enough to dip it in my direction in greeting. It struck me as polite but obviously busy.
“Six more of these before I can get to the main load,” Lolly muttered as she worked, confirming my observation.
“I help,” the furry teen-age sized Lo denaii female beside her rumbled out, then hopped up to rush off to several oversized baskets overflowing with linens.
“Mama?” the younger Lo denaii beside her rumbled out softly.
Lolly glanced her way sharply. “You may, but no funny business, Dotty. I mean it. I don’t have time to be fussing about with this all day, not if you’d like to make that cake for dinner for your papas with me.”
“No funnied business!” Dotty was off and running towards her sibling before Lolly could finish. Lolly, brown eyes dancing, laughed but kept on scrubbing. “Just like her daddy, that one.” Affection laced her tone.
“Tiny,” Lolly jerked her chin towards the small, curvy woman I’d first spoken to.
“Tina,” the smaller woman primly corrected, before relaxing and lifting her shoulders in a shrug, “but everyone started calling me Tiny and it just sort of stuck.”
“Red,” the redheaded woman that walked up and thumped a heavy hamper down beside Louisa introduced herself. “New Girl,” she jokingly greeted. At least… I think she was joking? She didn’t laugh or smile but I’d just thought- Hell, what do I know.
“Prudence.” I figured it was my turn since everyone else had already gone and like hell was I going to be New Girl.
