Always Be Appreciative of Opposable Thumbs

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Fingers, Thumbs, and Feathered Beds

 They stared at the lights for a long while before anyone dared to speak. As usual, it was Sera who broke the silence. "That is a lot of pink."

"It's a quaint little town," Jyoji said.

Okami whinnied her agreement.

Hugo was silent, but the way he continued to stare at the lights made Willow think that he was just as taken with the town as the others. She, though, wasn't quite so smitten. While it was indeed a pretty and charming little place, there was something off about it. Maybe it was the fog still stuck in her head, but the perfect houses and tiny lights made her uneasy.

Before she could voice her concerns, though, someone emerged through the gates. It was a pretty blonde woman in a white spring dress. There was a big smile on her bright red lips as she practically danced towards them, her pale, bare feet apparently unaffected by the rough forest floor.

"Welcome to Tuffet, weary travelers," she said, holding out her arms.

Sera eyed her suspiciously. "Hello. And who are you?"

The woman folded her hands and passed her gaze over them with that same big smile. "My name is Missy. I take it you all are looking for a warm place to spend the night?"

"I suppose," Sera said. "Have to say, though, we're a little shocked to find a town in the middle of a forest like this."

"Oh, most people are. But once they come inside, they are pleasantly surprised by all we have to offer. Shall I show you around?"

Sera looked back at the others and shrugged. "Couldn't hurt, could it?"

Without waiting for a response, she followed Missy over to the gates. Jyoji got out of the driver's seat and led Okami after them.

Willow panicked and scrambled out of the cart but stopped short of running the other way. She turned to the town and was relieved to find that Hugo hadn't followed the others. He knelt down beside her and laid a comforting hand on her back.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I don't know. I just feel very uneasy about this place. There's something off about it. Don't you feel it?

He glanced back at the gates where the others were waiting. "I mean, I don't feel any more uneasiness than I usually feel when it comes to strangers." He turned to her again. "But if you think this is a bad idea, we can leave."

What about the others?

"They can do what they want. We can keep going on our own."

Without your cart?

"Willow, I trust you. If you say it's a bad idea, I believe that it's a bad idea."

She thought for a moment, gazing at Sera and Jyoji and the strange Missy. The uneasiness was still there, but leaving her friends in a potentially dangerous situation was unacceptable. And maybe she was wrong. She had been wrong about Lana being a witch. And she had been wrong about Sera being a princess. She was wrong about a lot of things. Perhaps this really was just a cute town in the middle of a forest.

No. No, we shouldn't leave them.

"Are you sure? Because—"

I'm sure. Let's catch up.

Though he seemed a bit uncertain, Hugo nodded and rose to his feet. Together, he and Willow joined the others at the gate. Sera was tapping her foot impatiently while Missy continued to smile.

"Is all well?" Missy asked.

"Yes, we were just, ah, looking for our map," Hugo said.

"Map? We can provide a map for you, if that's what you wish."