The Two Sisters

Chapter 29: The Village

Dark woke up to watch the sun before joining her pack downstairs for breakfast. They ate their fill, but as they were leaving they were stopped by a kind green Jaguar.

"If I may, your majesty, I have a gift for you."

She looked at the young female and nodded so the Jaguar continued,

"Well I noticed you are carrying your pup in a basket and I thought it looked a little dangerous for the pup to not have a roof other than a few blankets-"

She pulled from her bag a harness that seemed to be a modified egg carrier, "So I made this with my mother's help. It's a modified egg bag but it's mostly just to give him more room to move around and get comfortable."

The Jaguar smiled nervously showing the medium brown stained leather bag to Dark. It was designed for airflow through the top and the top cover was weighed down by a copper disk.

On the disk was a direwolf's head carved into the material and the outside was clearly made with waterproof leather. Meaning he'd be nice and dry inside even though the wettest of downpours.

Dark looked at Bonnie and he nodded, investigated the bag thoroughly before confirming it was good. They took the blankets out of the basket and put them inside the pup bag.

Even though it was inlaid with rabbit hide they knew he needed the familiar scent of the blankets to keep him comfortable. Nonetheless, they thanked her and it was put on Dark, the pup was placed in, and they gave her their basket as a thanks.

Leaving the motel behind the pack went one last time through the market just to be sure they had everything they needed for the journey. As they walked through they were confronted by a Reindeer female who proudly strutted up to the princess.

Dark looked at the female, she was well kept and by the rings and jewelry on her antlers she was clearly rich. Coming up near her but not beside her were two males, a younger and an older.

The pack concluded they were a family before she even spoke, and they really wish she hadn't.

"Ah there you are your majesty! I am Snowtread, though you should call me Lady Snowtead, and this is my son Zarsh and my mate Boghoof."

With her mouth free from the basket she was able to speak, keeping her voice calm and confident, "Greetings to you Miss. What is so important that you are stalling my journey?"

The light brown and white reindeer raised her head up in order to look down on the princess, "I have a proposition to make. My son here is far more worthy to be your mate than anyone else. He will lead your kingdom well I assure you. Well?"

Raising an eyebrow Dark spoke, "Does he wish to be my mate?"

The reindeer scoffed as though what was asked was silly, "It does not matter if he wants to or not, it is my duty as his mother to give him what he needs. And he needs to be by your side to rule your kingdom for you."

With a neutral expression she looked at the hybrid deer, the light orange deer was not much bigger than herself. With pale yellow fluff on his chest and dark brown symmetrical lines from the corners of his eyes to his nose.

She looked at his father who was yellow orange with a few dark brown patches about his palette. Both males seemed agitated by the reindeer and didn't seem to want anything to do with the situation they were in.